Hello, loves!
I know I have very much been slacking on getting posts up, but I was deep in sickness (bronchitis/sinus infection) for almost 3 weeks this month, and I’ve had little to no energy to do anything beyond robotic functions until this week. Thankfully, I’m feeling at about 95% and ready to get back in to the swing of things!
OK, so when I first heard the term “elevated basics” I kind of scoffed at it. Like, basics are just that, meant to be paired with more interesting and vibrant items. I’ve come to a realization that they’re actually just what my closet was missing. Most of these pieces are simple enough to be able to pick a top and a bottom and just tie them together with the accessories. My definition of an elevated basic is something that is at first glance quite simple, like this t-shirt, but then it has added details to make it a bit special. The subtle broken grey stripes add interest but aren’t distracting, regardless of what I pair it with. The gathering at the bottom gives that “tucked-in” vibe, but is much more flattering and even covers a bit of a tummy bump. I’m just now starting to work on my “summer body” (Vanderpump Rules shoutout), so this top paired with some black skinnies is great for camouflaging a little tummy.
Black jeans are classic and pretty much go with everything, but I’ve cuffed them up a but to show off my shoes. I consider these sandals elevated basics too, because they’re a simple shape and color, but have added gunmetal studs. I paired all of those pieces with some super sparkly layered necklaces and a simple black bag with gold hardware, and the look is complete! I would wear this outfit almost anywhere, from running errands during the day, to a casual date night or brunch with my girls.
I would also wear this shirt with a denim skirt, white capris, even with my black work pants. It’s super versatile! This and other cute, super affordable elevated basics are available on Ellie & Adair’s website. This top, believe it or not, is under $25, and they’re offering a 15% discount on top of their already crazy low prices to all of my readers with code “VIP15”! Go check them out 😀
Top c/o Ellie & Adair // Jeans / Old Navy // Sandals / Simply Vera Vera Wang // Bag / Forever 21 // Pyrite necklace and Love Initials necklace / Kyle Chan Design // Long necklace / LA find // Sunnies / Amazon
Shot by Holli Zenko Photography.
This post is sponsored by Ellie & Adair. Items in this post were provided to me for reviewing purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Hello, loves!
Dress c/o 
I was really excited to take this one out of the box, but soon realized it had a few problems.. First off, there was a large snag in the lace neckline. It was not something I cared to invest time or money in fixing and realized if it was that delicate, I’d probably end up unravelling it some more. THEN I noticed there was a small oil stain on the front! It definitely went back. Top, $38, returned.
Again, I would have totally rocked this top, had it fit properly. It was perfect around my hips, but had these gaping pockets of fabric under my arms! So unflattering, and I have no idea what body shape this would have worked on. Blouse, $44, returned.
So, this would be the item I did keep. It was reasonably priced, functional, and quite comfortable to wear. It’s a touch darker than I had pictured, and had an odd bright blue mark on the side, but I didn’t want to lose my styling credit, and this was the item I pictured myself getting the most use out of. Bag, $48, kept.
Alright, so these jeans had the weirdest fit EVER. When I got them pulled up, I noticed there was still a bit of material in the crotch area, like I needed to pull them up more, but they wouldn’t go! So it’s like I had webbing between my legs. Also, the length was confused. They wanted to be cropped jeans, but they were too long to be “cropped” and too short to be full length, which was quite unflattering. My bum looked really good in this pair, but the other factors had me putting them right back in that bag. Jeans, $78, returned.
Lastly, this uninspiring flyaway cardigan. I don’t mean to sound so harsh, but the color was just meh, the fit was meh, and I could never see myself reaching for it to complete a look. It was also a bit pricey for a piece that I would consider a basic at $54. Cardigan, returned.
Hello, my loves!
Top c/o