Happy Halloween, loves!
I love Halloween so much! It’s one of my favorite holidays of the year with Thanksgiving and Christmas. Let’s face it, I just love this time of year so much. It’s cool and beautiful outdoors. Well, as cool as can be in Florida. It’s still in the mid-80s all day, but the humidity level is low and the evenings and mornings are perfectly cool. I’ve been running at home instead of at the gym because it’s so gorgeous to run outside this time of year. I seriously cannot get enough of it!
We get to party hard with the twins at their school today, trick or treat with friends tonight, and hopefully not have a late night. I’ve already been practicing eating all the Halloween candy – and I’m doing a good job of it.
So, we’ve already established this time of year is my favorite (I mean, how can it not be when I get to move my office outside to the lanai or the deck or the front porch every day? I don’t work inside these days). And now I’m going to share with you another favorite – a staple.
{Michael Kors Booties, Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM, 7FAM ankle jeans, Givenchy Sunglasses, TJ Maxx tee, necklace from Tiffany & Co. Bracelets from Tiffany & Co. and David Yurman}
{Sidenote: I have the funniest story about these booties. I wore them to a Halloween party this weekend as part of my costume (we were Chip and Joanna Gaines) and I melted the bottom right off when I had my feet up on the stones surrounding the firepit! My sweet niece told me about it a second before my foot started to burn, and then my sweet husband almost died because I’m not known for my ‘affordable’ shoes…he thought I’d burned the bottom of a pair of Louboutins or Manolos or somethings. He was BEYOND thankful that it was a pair of inexpensive shoes! Be careful around the fire when you have your feet up!}
If you’ve been following along with me for a while, you might already know my style is classic. I love basics, and I totally have a uniform. I tend to gravitate toward classic pieces. Think Lilly Pulitzer all summer and basic tees with skinny jeans and blazers all winter. I like to dress things up with my accessories.
This year, I’m all about a plain pocket tee. I love it because I can throw it on with my Millers and my Neverfull and run out the door when I’m late. I can come home, throw on a blazer and my favorite Gucci belt, a clutch, and some fun heels for the evening. I can wear it with a long sweater and booties. I can wear it with my Hunters on a rainy day. I can pair it with anything to create any look I want in a moment.
If you look in my closet, you’ll see I have something like 30 basic black tees – my go to. I’m trying to be a little different this year, and I hit the jackpot the other day at – of all places – TJ Maxx. I found a beautiful Bordeaux, a basic dark grey, a light gray, a navy, a black, and a white tee. All the same. All for $5.99. And all of them with short sleeves and long. So, naturally, I bought them all. (I usually advocate for investing some money into your staples, but you don’t need to worry about your tees. For this price, you can wear them three times and come out a winner).
{ Faux leather leggings, Manolo Blahnik pumps are old, Blazer, Prada Saffiano bag, Givenchy Sunglasses, Necklace from Tiffany & Co. }
Pair it With Anything
A basic tee shirt can go with anything you want it to go with. A blazer and skinny jeans. A pair of camo pants. A skirt. A pair of wide leg jeans. A pair of shorts. A sweater. Flip flops. High heels. Boots. Anything. It can be dressed up or down. That’s what makes it the best.
Look For Quality
I’ll be honest and say I don’t believe the shirts I bought at TJ Maxx are high-quality. I’ve never heard of the brand, and they were only $5.99. However, that’s so cheap that it doesn’t matter if they don’t last a lifetime. You only want them to last if you’re spending some money on them. These are cheap enough that I won’t care if I only get a few wears.
What I do recommend looking for with anything you buy is at least a good quality. These are soft, and they are not see-through. They don’t seem to pull, and the seams look good. If you find a shirt without those qualities, it’s not even worth your $5.
{ 7FAM jeans, Tory Burch Espadrilles sold out similar here, Black tee from TJ Maxx, similar here , SugarFix by Bauble Bar Earrings from Target, Givenchy Sunglasses, bracelets by Tiffany & Co. and David Yurman }
Don’t Be Afraid to Be Bold
Basic colors are fun, but bold colors are also fun. Fall is a beautiful time of year to try some darker colors such as this great Bordeaux. You should also be excited to try them with new prints, and don’t be afraid about being too casual. I love a good mix of high and low. For example, I have a date night outfit planned that includes a pair of $9 camo jeggings and a $6 black tee shirt (both TJ Maxx) and a pair of Christian Louboutin So Kate pumps. Talk about high and low. Don’t be afraid to be bold.
What’s your favorite basic this time of year? Drop a comment to let me know!
Tiffany Raiford 