11.30.2010

bohemian chic.*

wiley wears:

top: gap
skirt: ben sherman
tights: chinese laundry
boots: uo
     our indoor photo shoots just keep getting funnier and funnier.  jeb and i spend most of the time battling to keep ernst out of the photos and the other half of the time laughing at how ridiculously unphotogenic i can be at times. (believe me folks, there are some true bloopers from this set.)  regardless, i love this outfit.  i have worn this ensemble, almost exactly, a time or two before, but each time i put it on i just feel completely like myself.  this tiered ben sherman skirt is so flattering and pairs so well with almost anything and my bright patterned tunic always makes me smile.  just a happy day, i guess.

*thanks to candice for today's title.

11.29.2010

a second thanksgiving.

wiley wears:

sweater: thrifted
shorts: old navy
tights: target
brogues: miss me
     this was what i wore to my second thankgiving celebration in pennsylvania.  very important to fit in a visit with both of my giant families.  this one involved lots of shuffle board, dominos and far too much dessert.  the temperatures had dropped so i went with shorts and tights.  these lightweight shorts are perfect over thick sweater tights and i absolutely love playing with the schoolgirl look.  bring on the cardigan and brogues and the look is complete without being over the top.  i have to thank my sister paige for making sense of this look.  she can be a fashion maven when she wants to.  
     well my friends, gossip girl is calling...

11.27.2010

my park.

wiley wears:

top: thrifted
jeans: bdg
belt: uo
boots: vintage
bangle: marc jacobs
     sorry for the picture-heavy post, but i could not decide which of these photos were my favorite...so i posted them all.  my sister paige's boyfriend, nate, is an amazing photographer and he offered to do some shots for me while i was in pennsylvania.  we all headed over to the park in my hometown and had a ball playing on the playground.  nate took the time to make the photos look incredible and you should definitely check out his work here.   so a big thanks to nate!  i am already looking forward to another shoot at christmas time.
    while i was home i had a super sucessful thrifting trip with jeb and my mom.  this oversized teal button-down was one of my favorite finds.  all it needed was a belt and some skinny jeans, and this 80s top has a whole new life.  pre-black friday sales at thrift stores are kind of insane.  all i can say is that you will be seeing a few new items in the coming days and weeks.  thrifting in the county cannot be beat.

11.26.2010

thankful.

i am taking these few days to be with my family and to be reminded of all of the wonderful people i have in my life.  so thank you to all of my families in pennsylvania and massachusetts.  and of course a big thank you to all of you who read my blog and all of the wonderful ladies i've met through this blog.
happy thanksgiving!
back on sunday.

{image found here}

11.23.2010

wily wiley reads.


drown by juno diaz

- so i have yet to read the brief wondrous life of oscar wao, diaz's most famous novel, but was given this book and decided to give a new author a try.  in this collection of ten short stories, diaz narrates from the point of view of young men struggling to find identity.  i found that i really enjoyed his writing style, but often didn't find much connection to the stories.  that being said, 'negocios' was the story i felt exemplified what diaz was attempting in this book. beyond that, 'how to date a browngirl, blackgirl, whitegirl, or halfie' was a sad and funny look at the way race and status play out in the mind of a teenage boy.  it is always interesting to read a story written from a perspective so far from your own, and drown kept me on my toes as i tried to understand and relate to the struggles of the characters.

a man in full by tom wolfe

- if you asked jeb what his very favorite book was, he would tell you a man in full and then scan the bookshelves to hand you his copy.  i knew i had to read this book, since we always have a good time discussing books and rarely does jeb read, or much less love, a piece of fiction. i think what jeb loves about wolfe's fiction is his attention to detail.  tom wolfe is the king of research.  this is the second book i have read by wolfe and each time i have been beyond impressed with the level of thought and knowledge that go into his stories.  a man in full tells a number of stories about the lives of multiple characters in atlanta, georgia.  as the story goes on and each of these people's lives become entangled the plot only grows thicker.  politics, business, romance and psychology all abound in this novel and i highly suggest you all go pick this one up.

july, july by tim o'brien

- i'm sure that many of you have read the things they carried, o'brien's award-winning novel.  i have to admit that when picking up this book i had a lot of doubts.  i worried that the storyline sounded too sappy and that i would have trouble separating this novel from my love for the things they carried; wow, was i wrong.  july, july tells the story of a group of adults attending their 30th reunion back on their college campus.  the story goes back and forth through time, explaining the events of the reunion followed by the events that occured those thirty years ago.  as the class of 1969, each of the graduates have been touched in some way by the vietnam war and this is where o'brien does his best writing.  i found it insightful and honest and enjoyed the glances to the past and finding out 'where are they now.' 

my stroke of insight by jill bolte taylor

- a neuroanatomist by trade, bolte taylor dedicates her life to the study of the brain.  in 1996, at age 37, she suffers a massive stroke and sees firsthand the unraveling of her own mind.  this book was exceptional.  a true story of triumph and a great refresher on the intricate ways our brains operate, my stroke of insight starts from the morning she realizes she is having a stroke and details her struggles and triumphs through surgeries and recovery.  i really have to say that i gained so much from this book.  bolte taylor is such an inspiration and spends a chapter talking about inner peace and the way in which her stroke brought her a euphoric understanding of life.  i don't want to spoil everything the book has to offer, but throughout the last month i think it was the best book i have read.

i am in the process of making my christmas list and a pile of books are always at the top.  what books have you read lately that i should add to the list?  i am currently reading middlesex and am enamored by the writing.  bring on more great writing by telling me what i need to add to my bookshelves.

11.22.2010

party underneath.

wiley wears:

dress: vintage
bomber: target
belt: h&m
tights: uo
socks: target
boots: uo
     i really loved how fun and playful this sunday ensemble was.  it was perfect for kicking around in the leaves and relaxing on a gorgeous fall day.  there was quite a chill in the air so i knew tights were a must, even though this dress falls far over the tops of my boots.  i decided a crazy layering of tights and kneesocks would be fun, and hey, since you can't really see them i was the only one who knew. (well me and jeb, since i was constantly dancing around to show off my sweet tight/sock combo.)  this dress brings a smile to my face each time i put it on and i have to admit, it is pretty hard to take yourself seriously when you look in the mirror at this little number.  belting is a must to break up some of the wild pattern and my bomber kept me warm between errands.
     jeb and i are headed to pennsylvania after work tomorrow and i am beyond excited!  a few days of food, family and ridiculous fun.  much needed.  i won't have a 'wiley wears' post until thursday, but i do have a great 'wily wiley reads' post coming tomorrow afternoon.  stay tuned!

11.20.2010

kind of like...

wiley wears:

skirt: american apparel
tee: lux
sweatshirt: madewell
tights: h&m
circle scarf: american apparel
boots: vintage
sunnies: rayban
     thanks for bearing with me over the past few days.  i am coming to the realization that the holidays are actually here, and that my blog could possibly suffer because of all the directions i am currently being pulled in.  the holiday season gets difficult when i have so much to do and so many great outfits to photograph and blog about.  this year, my goal is to get as much blog content as is possible while still enjoying the time i get to spend with the people i love.  balance, balance, balance.
      sorry for the blabber, but here goes today's outfit.  i love everything about it and nothing anyone could say could change my mind.  i wish i had thought to photograph it with my bomber on later in the day, because that added a whole other element i loved, but regardless....we shall go on.  this blue chiffon skirt is a new addition to my closet.  i abosolute love it and can already see twenty different was of wearing it.  i decided to break it out for a saturday of running around and paired it with my cropped cotton sweatshirt and vintage moto boots.  i loved the way the boots and sweatshirt really made the flowy feminine skirt pop.  kind of like a badass princess.

11.19.2010

regrouping.

taking a couple of days off to regroup and relax.
back with a 'wiley wears' post on sunday evening.
wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.
thank the lord for a short week coming up.

{image found here}

11.17.2010

fifties in the seventies.

wiley wears:

top: anthropologie
peacoat: gap
pashmina: vintage
jeans: paige
hat: vintage
purse: aldo
shoes: sperry topsiders
     last sunday i went for a laid back seventies vibe.  seventies in decade, as the weather was clearly in the fifties.  i wanted to use simple pieces for the bottom layer and then use my outerwear and accessories to create the look i was going for.  i attempted a wide flowing outfit and the peacoat paired with trouser-style jeans did a great job of giving the outfit body.  with a funky pashmina and a sweet green felt hat i felt like i took some of my favorite annie hall styles and blended them into my typical sunday casual look.

style spotlight: knee socks.

last winter i began wearing knee socks over tights with tall boots, but this winter i am thinking of embracing the trend of thigh-highs and knee socks with short boots and dressy heels.  i love the sweet proportions they create when paired with mini skirts and short dresses.  plus, the additional warmth is always a positive up here in chilly new england.

will you be wearing knee socks this winter?

{images found here}

11.16.2010

summer to fall.

wiley wears:

dress: f21
cardigan: kensie
belt: vintage
necklace: nomad
boots: vintage
     clearly not the best light, but for the outfit i thought it worked out appropriately.  this was really the first summer that i fully embraced the maxi dress and i have really liked to explore the different ways it might be wearable in the cooler months.  i have to admit, this dress was extra comfy with tights, boots and a soft cardigan.  quick post since i'm off to watch glee! yes!

11.15.2010

dress for the job you want.

wiley wears:

top: j.crew
skirt: j.crew
tights: f21
brogues: miss me
     dress for the job you want, not the job you have...or so they say.  i like to combine a bit of both.  to be honest i can't quite dress for the job i want at the job i have because sometimes you just have to be a professional people!  don't get me wrong, i love my job, but as anyone else who works 9-5 knows, dress codes rarely call for leather shorts, cowboy boots, or anything with fringe. (just a few examples.)  for this reason i have come up with my winning combination for dressing the way a professional should dress while still adding in bits of my personality and a little touch of fun.  today's outfit really encapsulated some of the everyday tricks i use to combine my creative right brain with a job that requires a whole lot of left brained thinking.
here are my five favorite ways to have more fun with my closet during the monday through friday grind.
1. colored tights.  it's obvious that a pair of tights can totally spice up a dull outfit.  a pair like the mustard above are a great way to work with office basics.  if you aren't wild about out-there colors try out navy, gray or beige for starters.
2. statement jewelry.  i wear a lot of big necklaces. (not pictured above.) i have found that buying large necklaces, earrings and bracelets can really make a button-up and black pants go a long way.  go for color!
3. add in vintage pieces.  clearly i would start getting the eye if i walked around thinking i was joan from mad men everyday, but i think pairing a vintage item with something more typically business-appropriate can really make you stand out.  i love throwing a preppy cardigan over a loud patterned seventies dress.
4. so it only makes sense for #4 to be patterns.  play with patterns!  pair a funky patterned skirt with a basic white button-up or a floral tee with a black pencil skirt.  skirts like the one above are far more versatile than one might originally have thought.  my favorite patterns for the office; polka dots, florals and stripes.
5. ruffles.  this is my own personal go-to.  i find it hard to believe that there could ever be too many ruffles on something.  ruffles add a touch of feminine fun to otherwise dull work wear and playing with texture is a great way to get you out of your 9-5 funk.

how do you keep your work wardrobe from getting stale?

11.14.2010

girl talk.

     my weekend away was wonderful.  we ate, we drank, we were merry.  just a pleasant weekend at the beach where no true 'wiley wears' photos were taken.  i did think it might be funny to post a few pictures of what i wore on saturday.  this right here, my friends, is what i wore, in some combination throughout the weekend.  i have to tell you, nothing feels better than not wearing a pair of jeans or a skirt for an entire weekend; just leggings, yoga pants and pajamas.  loose comfy tees and moccasins were a must, as were jackets and sunglasses for lounging on the seawall at high tide.
i hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.

11.12.2010

cheers.

it's that time of year my friends.  off for a fall weekend at the beach with a couple of my very best friends.  this weekend will involve wine, copious amounts of cheese, games and watching the sunrise over the sea.  (i also packed cruel intentions...just in case we need a movie break.)
wishing everyone a lovely weekend!

{image found here}