style + beauty blog in the dc metro area
How was your weekend? I spent mine cooing over pictures of my cousin that was born Thursday night (seriously can’t wait to meet her!), working, wrapping a single gift and Pinning my life away.
A festive colored coat is so fun this time of year; this one was an old clearance find that my mom bought for me, but I’ve linked one that comes in a similar, rich shade of green as well as a very pretty red.
How is it already Friday?! Feeling mildly stressed as I sit here enjoying my favorite wine and cheese pairing (pink moscato and queso #itcounts) and thinking about the people still on my Christmas list. Tis the season, y’all. I’m super stoked, though, to be done with Secret Santa shopping and to start some wrapping this weekend.
Super excited to show you my second look with Lookbook Store. This blue open front blazer pretty much called my name; y’all know I love some royal blue and the fun geometric pattern + tassels made it official for me. Yet somehow when it arrived, I was stumped. And annoyed with myself. “Nicole why would you order a piece that screams summer when you have to style it in a way that’s seasonally appropriate?!” Add expletives and you have my exact berating of myself.
Luckily, over the span of a couple days I made some progress in the outfit brainstorming and came up with this look that lets the blazer’s design speak for itself and still doesn’t seem out of season.
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I opted to go with a simple white tee, but added a little bit of mix by choosing a white tee that has a textured front and provides a little more warmth since it’s sweatshirt material. So good. If you don’t have a sweatshirt tee in your closet, you need one. This one features a 2.5″ split in each side, which honestly I normally don’t like, but this tee is long enough where everything is still covered and I don’t have to constantly worry that my stretch marks and skin are exposed. #PraiseBe
I opted for olive skinny jeans; I’m not sure why I avoided colored denim for so long, but I’m glad that fall 2015 brought us back together in stylish harmony. When everything olive started popping up, I wasn’t sure it was for me, but I really do like how, similar to my beloved navy, olive acts as a neutral but still provides color.
The cobalt in this printed blazer led me directly to my cobalt and tortoise flats; while they run a little more than I typically like to spend on flats, Clarks is my go to brand for comfort. There’s nothing worse than not being comfortable and having achy feet. I usually splurge on a new pair each fall and then keep my eye on eBay and Amazon for new pairs being resold; you can find usually find floor models and last season’s shoes at a reasonable {under $50} price.
This hat has been my fave since I bought it, I still don’t consider myself a “hat person” so I have to admit, that I’m a little lost on when and where you’re supposed to wear these. Do I just throw this on to go to Target? Can I go through racks at Goodwill with this on? I’m not quite there with the confidence level yet so it remains an around the house and occasionally to work item.
While I’m (way up) blessed to not have to travel this holiday season, I did get to spend 12 consecutive hours at Midway airport in Chicago last month in the midst of my real life travel nightmare. Following this ordeal, I can tell you that a comfortable travel outfit is so necessary to get through the unexpected situations that inevitably occur from time to time.
However, I do like to feel good about how I look so while I love being in sweats, a lot of the time I find myself not wearing them for fear of looking like a slob for hours at a time. So what’s a girl to do?
This top from Lookbook Store is my new favorite because it’s so comfortable, loose but still flattering and major bonus: long enough to wear with your leggings as pants. While I’m not normally a fan of high-low pieces, I do like that this one makes it possible to feel comfortable wearing leggings. The layers of this top are A+, the gray layer is super soft while the white chiffon gives a very feminine feel. The split in the back is such a fun and flirty touch. I’m wearing a US 2 and find it to be the perfect fit.
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When I travel, I like to have shoes that are easy to remove so that if I’m flying, I can quickly pull my shoes off for security checks or so that I can take my shoes off if I’m going to be riding in the car for a long period of time. These boots feature an inside zipper that does just this. 
I went with neutral colors, so often when I’m traveling alone, I end up changing on the fly: airport restrooms, trucker rest stops, McDonald’s bathroom, you name it and I’ve probably done it. This shirt can easily be paired with blue jeans so that you can travel in complete comfort and switch to “real” pants once you’re closer to your destination.
To break up all of the solid color, a real rarity for me, I brought out some fun leggings {I love the idea of this look with liquid or patterned leggings} and just one accessory. No one wants to be the person that holds up the TSA line, am I right? This tortoise and crystal necklace is one of my very favorites; it goes with everything, isn’t too heavy and is easy to pack. I try to not take a million accessories with me when I’m on the go. I’ll wear a scarf and pack another and maybe bring 2-3 necklace plus my watch. Owning pieces that are versatile is important for this reason. 
This post was sponsored by Lookbook Store! I love being able to work with brands that help keep What Nicole Wore filled with fresh, new content. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
I’d like to apologize in advanced for all the plaid you’re about to be exposed to on What Nicole Wore this month. When I think about the holidays and getting dressed, my mind immediately goes to plaid.
When SheIn (formerly known as She Inside), first reached out to me about doing a post with them, I knew that I had to have this red plaid skirt for a holiday style look. It also comes in a green and navy plaid (I die) and a beautiful black and gray; at just $20 with free shipping the price is just right as well.
Shop some of my current faves from SheIn:
When this skirt arrived, I was pleasantly surprised with the weight of the fabric; it’s very thick (yaaaasssss) and lined, which isn’t necessary, but helps prevent those Marilyn moments that inevitably happen when you wear a flared skirt. Be sure to pull out your measuring tape for this piece, I sized up to a medium off the waist measurements and the fit is just right plus I like this length. I’ve placed orders from online retailers before without measuring and it never goes well. Measure that waist! (And the length if you’re worried about keeping the booty covered like me.)
I knew that my new long sleeved tee from J Crew Factory was the piece I wanted to attempt to style with this skirt before it even arrived so I had to do a little celebration dance after it arrived and the two pieces matched up well. Sequins + plaid = holiday party y’all. Don’t fight it. Let it happen. Embrace it.
I’ve heard others complain about this tee being itchy and while I haven’t had that problem, I have suffered from the sequins getting caught on each other. This mostly happens between the sides and my inner arms. I wouldn’t recommend wearing this shirt to work or to decorate your tree, but for a holiday party or somewhere that isn’t going to have you doing a ton of moving around, I think it’s fine. I’d also think about sizing down; I usually wear a small in J Crew’s knit tees, but this one is slightly oversized. I’m hoping after the first wash to have it shrink down a bit.
I went pretty minimal with make up and accessories since both of these pieces make a statement on their own. I brought out my multi metal statement necklace from Charming Charlie and went with simple makeup with a red lip.
I really thought long and hard about wrapping up an empty box as a photo prop, but if we’re being honest the real holiday prompt I wanted for this shoot was the Electric Reindeer wine I picked up this week. I wasn’t so sure my neighbors would approve of me prancing around outside with said bottle, so no props haha. 
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Thank you so much to SheIn for sponsoring this post! I love being able to work with brands that help me keep What Nicole Wore filled with fresh, new content. As always, all opinions are my own.
