Dressed for Time | Spring and Summer Style Tips from a Chicago blogger

Girls Who Wear Glasses

March 10, 2017

Hello, loves!
I’m starting to get in to the habit of sharing more about myself on here, and I realized I’ve been leaving out a huge part of my daily life. I wear glasses. Almost all of the time.
I got my first pair at the age of 19, and they were supposed to only be for night driving. I wasn’t driving much at the time, but thought that the Dior frames looked really cute on me, so I wore them whenever the mood struck, but not habitually.
Since I started a job 6 years ago that consists of 7 hours of staring at a computer screen each day, I’ve noticed my vision continually getting worse. I’m sure the texting and Instagramming doesn’t help, but that’s another story. I used to be able to read street signs at night, then it seemed all of a sudden, I could barely tell the score while watching a football game. I’ve been wearing glasses daily for about the past 4 years, and now have trouble seeing anything past my hand without them.
I knew when I was shopping for glasses that I needed ones that not only framed my face nicely, but were super affordable. I go through sunglasses so frequently, because I seem to lose/break/scratch them at a rapid rate. Even though I knew I would be more cautious with prescription glasses, I am a klutz, and I freely admit that. I would hate to spend $200 on a pair that I scratched beyond comprehension within a month of purchase.
About a month back, my coworker referred me to EyeBuyDirect, an online retailer of prescription and non-prescription glasses and sunglasses. I commented on how cute her frames were and was amazed when she told me how little she paid for them.
I went online and picked out a couple of everyday pairs, along with a pair of rx sunnies, which I never knew how much I was missing until I got them. They took a couple of weeks to make and ship and arrived in individual boxes. I picked out a couple of cute little cases to keep them safe, and was really impressed with the quality for around $4.
The lovely aubergine frames here are called Dialogue, and are $15! I added the anti-reflective coating to help with glare. I also picked up the Ember style, which are probably my favorite. I’d never tried steel frames before, and they are so light, I barely notice them on! For sunnies, I went with the Deja Vu. They were a little bit pricier than other styles, coming it at around $45, but are now essential every time I leave the house. My total for 3 pairs was well under $100, definitely a different story than those Dior’s I wore for aesthetics.
For my next pairs, when I decide I’m ready to add some fun prints and colors to my glasses collection, I’m looking at Chilling in Tortoise or Pink Floral, Warren in Navy or the Lindsey in Green.

Bodysuit / H&M (similar) // Vest / B. Son // Skirt / Forever 21 // Sandals / Nordstrom Rack // Bag / Philip Lim for Target (so old but I still adore it!) // Rings / bday gift from my lovely photographer // Necklace / LA find // Glasses / EyeBuyDirect : Dialogue

Shot by Holli Zenko Photography.

This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on or buying items through these links may provide me with a small commission. This is part of what helps keep Dressed for Time going.

Spring Florals Giveaway with Maggy London

March 7, 2017

Spring Florals Giveaway with Maggy London Hello, loves!
Two things.. Well, three, actually. Spring is almost here! That means it’s time to start stocking your closet with all of the pretty, girly florals you’ve been itching to wear over the last few chilly months. We all love bundling up in sweaters and scarves, but secretly crave the pretty pastels and feminine fabrics of Spring dressing.
Second, I’ve become enamored with Maggy London’s current collection of little dresses, perfect for any of this season’s events. Anything from a wedding, baby or bridal shower, or even for perking up your work day, they’ve got you covered. I’ve linked several of my favorites below.
Third, and most excitingly, I’ve teamed up with Maggy London to give one of you this very dress! They’ll send this exact style to you, in your size of course, when you enter our Instagram giveaway. Check out the post here for more details.

Spring Florals Giveaway with Maggy London

Dress c/o Maggy London // Heels / Nine West // Bag / Cambridge Satchel Co. // Ring / vintage // Necklace / Kyle Chan Design

Shot by Holli Zenko Photography.

Spring Florals Giveaway with Maggy London Meet the Poppy Fit & Flare! So fun and cheery, I’m loving this bright print!

Spring Florals Giveaway with Maggy London This is the Betty Fit & Flare, so perfect for dressier Spring Occasions, like a wedding or bridal shower.

Spring Florals Giveaway with Maggy London I’m obsessed with how vivid the colors are on the Georgia! This one would definitely take you in to Summer as well.

This post was sponsored by Maggy London and contains affiliate links. Clicking on these links may provide me with a small commission. All thoughts and opinions expressed about products in this post are my own.

Bite Beauty Lip Products Review

February 28, 2017

Hello, loves!
I wanted to share a new beauty product from one of my favorite makeup brands, Bite Beauty! They recently launched The Lip Pencil, and Influenster was kind enough to send me gratis two shades, as well as two of the brand’s lipsticks, to test out and review.

I’ve previously tried out a couple of Bite Beauty’s lipsticks from the Amuse Bouche line, and I really enjoyed them. This time around, the brand sent to me two mini lipsticks to pair with the lip pencils; one slightly pinky nude, and a brown so dark, it may as well be black! The darker shade (Whiskey) was not my thing at all. I’ve recently been getting in to deep, bold lip colors, but this one seemed to bring out every little imperfection in my lips and I didn’t find it flattering on my skintone. The nude shade (Honeycomb), however, has become one of my faves, and I plan on purchasing the full-size soon. It goes on super creamy and stays a long time. It’s the perfect neutral for pairing with a smoky eye and goes wonderfully with the pencil.
Speaking of pencils, let’s move on! Again, I found the lighter shade (color 20, a beige nude) to be more my speed. It glides on and doesn’t skip and looks pretty authentic if I want to venture a bit outside my natural lip line for fullness. The darker shade (color 044, advertised as a rich mahogany, flashing me back to a Ron Burgundy speech) definitely did flake and feather a bit upon applicaton, making for a very uneven line. Although it goes well with the lipstick provided, it’s too dark to wear with any of my other lipsticks that I reach for.
Now, let’s talk packaging. They have a sleek matte finish, which is actually really fun to touch. The pencils show the exact shade on the end, which I think is so important so you’re not digging through your stash to find the one you’re looking for. The only negative I have is that the lids DO NOT FIT. They move around a lot, and if you don’t very forcefully shove the pencil in to the lid, it will come off in your purse or makeup bag. I wish they would had done more testing first before releasing the product, so they could have found a lid that fit.

Overall, I’d recommend trying these pencils out in the store first to check the consistency before purchasing. It’s odd to me that the two shades were so different in how they went on. I adore the nude shade, and would buy it again, same goes for the lipstick.
I hope you enjoyed my Bite Beauty lip products review! Have you tried anything from Bite Beauty before? What are your thoughts on the line?

Shot by Holli Zenko Photography.

Products in this post were sent to me for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links. Clicking on these links or purchasing products through them may provide me with a small commission, which is part of what keeps Dressed for Time going.

February Stitch Fix

February 27, 2017

Hello, loves!
I present to you my February Stitch Fix! This month, I requested some lovely Spring-y items, something floral print (obviously), a light layering piece, and another pair of jeans. There was a bit of a mix up with my jean size, because in the last fix the uber-stretchy pants I bought I exchanged for a smaller size, so my stylist also sized down the not-so-stretchy jeans in this fix. They were WAY too snug, even to get past my thighs. Read on to see the rest of my February Stitch Fix!

Top & Jeans (Just Black Denim from a past fix) / Stitch Fix // Flats / Sole Society (similar) // Necklace / eBay // Sunnies / Amazon
I was super excited to take this black lace top out of the box, and was OBSESSED with the intricate detail on the sleeves. When I put it on, however, I felt it was quite boxy and just a touch short on me. It was a fantastic price, but I knew I didn’t feel comfortable in it.
Blouse, $44, returned.

Cardigan & Jeans (MaviUSA from a previous fix) // Stitch Fix //Scarf / H&M // Necklace / LA find // Tank / Everlane // Sneakers / Old Navy
This was my “light layering piece” that I had requested. I have to say, I was not impressed with this piece. The material was a chintzy waffle weave, and paired with the color, I felt like I should be headed off in the minivan to go pick up the kids at soccer practice. It was reasonably priced, but I couldn’t find many things to pair it with to keep it fresh and exciting, because this piece is far from exciting 🙁
Cardigan, $48, returned.

T-shirt / Stitch Fix // Jacket / JcPenney (similar) // Jeans / MaviUSA // Flats / Sole Society // Choker / gifted
Haha, I feel like such a flasher in these pictures! That aside, I really did like the look and feel of this shirt. I love cute little saying t’s, however.. I live in Southern California and am highly sensitive to caffeine, soooo it feels a little disingenuous for me. Plus, I thought about the drawer full of t’s I never reach for so I knew it had to go back.
T-shirt, $34, returned.

Blouse & Jeans (Just Black Denim from a previous fix) // Heels / Ivanka Trump (similar) // Necklace c/o The Giving Keys // Bracelets / LA finds
I can’t tell you how happy I was to take this blouse out of the box, right before Valentine’s Day, so I would have something pretty to wear that day! It fit well, and I was obsessed with the print, so it was a no-brainer to hold on to it.
Blouse, $54, kept.

Jeans / Stitch Fix
If these bad boys had fit, they would have been a definite keeper, and may have even inspired me to keep the rest of the lot. They were SOOOO infinitely small, allowing me to only get them up to my thighs. Not even my upper thighs, like my lower thighs. This is why I didn’t exchange them for a larger size, because I’m pretty sure upsizing wouldn’t have helped. A girl with curves like me needs some stretch in her jeans, you know what I mean?
Jeans, $54, returned.

All in all, I probably could have kept everything, but I’m trying to only bring in items I know I will get tons of use out of, and not all of these pieces spoke to me on that level. From my February Stitch Fix, I only kept the floral blouse, and I’m so happy with it.
For my next fix, I’ve requested another light layering piece, more florals, lace, and a white or navy crossbody bag. I can’t wait to see what my stylist picks!

Shot by Holli Zenko Photography.

This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on these links or purchasing items through them may provide me with a small commission. This is part of what helps keep Dressed for Time going.