Mad for Madras!

It's no secret that I love plaid,

and there are LOTS of adorable summer Madras plaids to be had!

Here are my favorites for this season...

I have had to use extreme restraint to NOT purchase this Madras Tote from my favorite store Talbots.

Even I am beginning to feel like my tote bag collection is getting a little out of control.

It happens to be on SALE right now though....

This LL Bean dress could not be cuter..and the price is right!

I had to add it to my summer dress collection,

and wore it with a navy cardigan over my shoulders on Father's Day.

And here is how I styled my dress!

If you love Madras, then hopefully you know about Just Madras...

they are the makers of this cute cosmetic bag, but they have skirts, dresses, ties, and bags too!

The Madras headband...

the perfect accessory for the preppy girl!

  

Loving this Madras Shep shirt from Vineyard Vines!

There you have my current favorites!

Are you mad for Madras?

Nautical News from Talbots

As I mentioned earlier this week,

I am enjoying daydreaming about spring as the spring catalogs flood my mailbox.

One of my favorites arrived yesterday...Talbots

and they have a fabulous line of Nautical inspired pieces!

I love navy and white for spring and summer and I have a "thing" for anchors!

(Go Navy!)

Here are some of my top picks from their Spring catalog...

 This Anchor Stripe Sweater would look adorable with navy cropped pants!

 This Rope Print Tunic is a perfect cover up to go with my navy swimsuit!

 How adorable are these shoes???? LOVE them!

This Anchor and Rope Bangle comes in red and navy as well! 

Love this Anchor Shirt....would wear it with red, white, or bright green cropped pants!

Have you had a look at the Talbots spring catalog?

Talbots Wish List

If you read Suburban Charm regularly,

you will know that Talbots is one of my favorite shops for women's clothes.

(now that they are back to selling their classics...thank goodness!)

 

I don't really need many (any) Fall clothes,

but I do have a few things I would love to add.

Here is my wish list from Talbots for Fall...

 

Nautical Chain Print Cardigan

I can see this with a polished cotton black ankle pant,

the black patent Tory Burch Caroline shoe, and a black patent tote.

 

Red Corduroy Straight Leg Pant

Great for weekends or casual parties or tailgates...I would pair it with my Navy quilted vest,

a navy & white gingham shirt, and Navy blue Tory Burch Reva's.

 

Camel and chocolate brown houndstooth pencil skirt

I would wear this with a fine gauge knit chocolate brown turtleneck sweater,

chocolate brown tights, and chocolate brown suede Tory Burch Reva's.

 

Silk Organza Top 

Great for black tie parties...I would pair it with a black wool crepe pencil skirt,

black patent sling back heels, and a double strand of pearls.

  

Leopard Haircalf Ballet Flat

Would love to wear these with jeans and a black cashmere turtleneck sweater..

or dress them up with a camel skirt, black sweater, and black tights.

 

What is on your fall wish list?

 

 

 



Wardrobe Staples Part I

I recently shared my thoughts on Investment Dressing here and now want to share my thoughts on wardrobe staples. I consider the items I listed on my Investment Dressing post as wardrobe staples, but they are also quite expensive, so those are things you would accumulate over time...these wardrobe staples are less expensive and need to be replaced as they wear out.

 

Here are the first five of my wardrobe staples:

 

A White Shirt

This is the J Crew Stretch Perfect Shirt and I like it because it has a slightly tapered fit and it has STRETCH! I actually have three of these because one is always dirty and one is always at the cleaners.

 

Black Pants

I would select a fabric that is seasonless, such as wool gabardine. I get most of my pants at Talbots, as they have classic styles, many different fabrics, and several different fits. Here is a pair of black pants from Talbots that are similar to the ones shown. I suggest getting a pair in taupe as well and navy blue (I wear navy almost more than black).

 

Cardigan Sweater

I have a million cardigan sweaters because I am cold all of the time. I prefer cashmere, but also like the cotton ones with some stretch. I love this J Crew Featherweight Cardigan in this beautiful shade of blue. I would select a bright shade that is flattering to your coloring. Camel is also a good choice.

 

Pencil Skirt

Again, I would suggest purchasing this in a seasonless wool so you can wear it year round. This is a J Crew Pencil Skirt and it comes in many colors. It has stretch and sits just below the waist, which I prefer. These skirts are timeless and never go out of style...they just happen to be IN style right now so you can find them everywhere.

 

Cable Knit Sweater

Ralph Lauren makes cable knit sweaters in a million colors and several different fabrics. You can get these in a crew neck style or a V-neck style, and there are different sizes of cable stitch as well.  Other great places to find cable knit sweaters are Brooks Brothers Women and Lilly Pulitzer (especially if you are looking for bright colors). If you are not a fan of cable knits, then a fine gauge knit sweater is a good alternative.

 

I would call these five pieces the bare bones of a wardrobe. Once you have the bare bones, you can start to add fun or trendy pieces to your wardrobe and you will already have something to make it an outfit!

 

What are your wardrobe essentials?