/ Que Bella

I’m in Singapore now, visiting my brother. We will be off to Thailand on Friday! I cannot wait for the beach! I have a another version of this first outfit for my time in Singapore. That popover is one of my J Crew faves. I need to find it in a size bigger (size 8!). The Tory Peasant Blouse and Denim Skirt are “Husband-approved” separately and as an outfit.

~ Striped Linen Popover, J Crew (one, two, three) ~
~ Sunday Slim Chino Shorts, J Crew  ~
~ Flip-Flops, Toms ~
~ Floral Peasant Top, Tory Burch ~
~ Denim Front-Slit Skirt, J Crew (one, two) ~
~ Strappy Sandals, Tory Burch (one, two) ~

This H&M Jumpsuit/Romper is perfect for the beach. It’s lightweight and easy to slip on or off. I’ll definitely use it as a cover-up.

~ Patterned Jumpsuit, H&M ~
~ Strappy Sandals, Tory Burch (one, two) ~


I love my Bailey 44 dress and knew it would come with me on my trip. I tried to find it in a different color on ebay, to no avail. The Old Navy dress is a very lightweight, but not see-through jersey dress. It will be good for night-time shenanigans. The J Crew Shirtdress in Vintage Plaid (originally the Madras Shirtdress) runs big. I figured it was like the Lame’ Shirtdress and ordered a Small but I think I could fit into an XS without any problems. It’s a sack with arms. :-/  The cardigan is from H&M and very sheer and lightweight. It will be good for the plane trip to Thailand along with keeping my shoulders covered, if needed. The striped dress is older J Crew and “Husband-approved”, so it had to come along.

~ Maren Midi Dress by Bailey 44, Anthropologie ~
~ Jersey Knit Swing Dress,  Black, Old Navy ~
~ Shirtdress in Vintage Plaid, J Crew ~
~ Shoreline Stripe Dress, J Crew (one, two) ~
~ Fine Knit Cardigan, Light Beige, H&M ~

I was obsessed with the Madras Shorts immediately. I debated on ordering them, hoping my store would get them in. Last Sunday, there was a 30% off promo. I was going to order the shorts but decided to check the store one last time. They had just gotten a shipment on Saturday with these shorts! Which was great because when I got home, they were sold out in my size online. The yellow and mint colors are in the shorts, though very subtle. 

~ V-Neck Pocket Tee, J Crew (Bright Butternut, Sunwashed Aqua) ~
~ Sunday Slim Shorts in Patchwork Madras, J Crew ~
~ Flip-Flops, Toms ~

And, lastly, my beachwear. I love the brown straw Panama Hat. I already have the Natural/White one but don’t want it to get dirty.

~ Cover-Up, H&M (one, two) ~
~ Bikini Top & Bottom, H&M) ~
~ Checkered Bikini, J Crew (top/bottom) ~
~ Panama Hat, J Crew (Factory) ~


text

/ Que Bella

I am on my vacation! Husband and I are on our way to visit my brother in Singapore. We have our layover in Tokyo so we have extended our stay. After a couple of days in Tokyo we’ll then be off to Singapore. After that, we will be heading to Ko Lanta, Thailand for 5 days on the beach! I’m so excited! I did want to share the outfits I plan to wear over the trip. I was originally going for a color story but after seeing the potential weather in Tokyo, compared to Singapore and Thailand, I had to just pick what I would feel comfortable, warm and weather-proof wearing.

This first outfit is my travel outfit. I wore this to Tokyo. I’ll wear it to Singapore and I’ll wear it home. I always want to be comfortable on a plane but also cozy, especially on long flights.

~ Cocoon Over1sized Cardigan, Victoria’s Secret (one, two) ~
~ V-Neck Tee, Madewell ~
~ Jersey Maxi Skirt, J Crew (Factory) ~
~ Heathered Scarf, J Crew ~
~ Melanie Slip-ons, Frye (Mule, T-Strap) ~

The next two outfits I feel the most “me” in. The Cora Shirtdress is one of my favorites and I was lucky enough to get it in two prints. They are paired with leggings and some fantastic boots I found on The Real Real. Anyone shopped at The Real Real? I started out selling before I made a few purchases. They accept and sell quality brand clothing for you. No J Crew here. Think Tory, Kate, Manolo, Louis, Chanel. You send in your items to them. They look over them and accept what will sell. They have a list of brands they take and will return any items to you that weren’t accepted. They decide the pricing and you get 60% of that price.

I’ve since bought a couple of items and these boots were a steal at $95. The boots are Tods and the most supple leather. I was really worried that they looked a bit masculine but they are “Husband approved”! They are really comfortable and look great IRL with the leggings and shirt-dresses. 

~ Cora Shirtdress, Tory Burch (one, two, three) ~
~ Leggings, J Crew Factory (Hue)~
~ Refined Silk Cashmere Scarf, J Crew ~
~ Ankle Boots, Tods (one, two, three) ~

These next two outfits include the J Crew Ponte Wide-Leg Pants. I love these pants. I originally bought the size 6 in-store in the Navy but then ordered the Petite 8 which were an even better fit and were cropped on me. I then ordered the black in the regular size 6. I will wear the first outfit during the day. The second, with the black pants will be for night/dinner. 

~ Denim Jacket, J Crew (one, two) ~
~ Short-Sleeve Popover in Oxford Blue, J Crew (Factory) ~
~ Ponte Wide-Leg Pants, J Crew ~
~ Heathered Scarf, J Crew ~
~ Zerogrand Perforated Oxford, Cole Haan ~


~ Cashmere V-Neck Cardigan, J Crew ~
~ Drapey Popover in Clover, J Crew (one, two) ~
~ Silk Blouse in Santa Fe Print, Tory Burch (one, two) ~
~ Ponte Wide-Leg Pants, J Crew ~
~ Refined Silk Cashmere Scarf, J Crew ~
~ Ankle Boots, Tods (one, two, three) ~


I’m also taking the Via Spiga Trench. I planned all my outfits on my iPad with the Stylebook App. I love that app, especially for pattern mixing.

I hope to at least post some images from my travels this week. You can always follow me on Instagram, @audreybellatx, where I’ll be posting all my pics!

/ Bella Picks

Tory Burch is having a great sale on their sale items, taking 30% off with code Merry30. I am extremely happy with the items I’ve purchased recently, wearing them constantly. The Wool Henley Tunic is so soft and cozy. I have been in love with the Jacquard Wrap Skirt since it came out, the long vest too, so I have my personal shopper searching for the skirt in my size at another store.

I bought the Merino Pieced Suede Sweater Tunic for over 70% off. It’s absolutely gorgeous and is the same style as the Oversized Mockneck Tunic I have. Though the suede version is sold out online, I found mine in-store. If you have been waiting for an item to go on sale and it’s not online call a store. My store is currently over-stocked with sale items.

Happy Tory Shopping!

/ Reviews

I ordered the Wool Jacquard Tunic and the Wool Henley Tunic during the Black Friday/Weekend promo from Tory Burch. It seems a lot of retailers had their promos start before Black Friday and extend to Cyber Monday. So they seemed like just another sale. I did like the Tory Burch sale because it was 30% off, straight up, with only a minimum purchase of $250. Normally you have to spend $750 to get 30% off during their other “Buy More, Save More” promos.

~ Wool Jacquard Tunic ~

This tunic has been on my wishlist since it came out but I never tried it on. I always find the dressing rooms at Tory Burch, retail and outlet, to be really hot after a while. More so than any other store. This came out in late Summer/early Fall so I was not in the mood to try on a sweater in a warm dressing room. Because of that I had to guess on sizing when I ordered it. Luckily, I had already bought the Merino Oversized Mockneck Tunic in a Small and it fit well so I went with the Small. Even if the arms or chest were snug, I knew the knit would stretch a little and it wouldn’t be uncomfortable.

I like the colors and pattern on this tunic. I do feel the Merino Wool is a little itchy but probably because of the pattern mix. I don’t think it warrants wearing a shirt or tank underneath but is something to think about when deciding to keep this tunic or not. There is also a Wool Jacquard Turtleneck on sale too. I don’t really see this as a dressy option so other than my Cashmere Sweatpants, that I bought on sale last years and various jeans, I am not sure what else to wear this with.

TB_JacquardTunic

~ Wool Henley Tunic ~

I also sized to a Small in this sweater tunic and the fit was good as well. The sleeves are a little long and they would have been really long in the Medium. The wool is not itchy at all and actually super soft and cozy. I’m glad I chose this in the gray instead of the Merino Oversized Mockneck Tunic. The v-neck is flattering and I like that this also has a collar. In true tunic form, this also has a split hem on the sides.

TB_WoolTunic

Though I have the same “what to wear with this” issue as the Jacquard Tunic, I like the feel of it more and have already worn it to a casual dinner last Friday, so it’s a keeper.

/ Reviews

Since it’s always hard to find IRL Reviews of Tory Burch items I will share the few things I tried on, in case you are shopping the Black Friday THANKS promo.

~ Embroidered Linen Tunic, size 8 ~

I almost missed out on a tunic I wanted in the Spring and luckily found it on-sale in my store one day. I wasn’t about to miss out on this tunic once I saw it. The green embroidery on the linen is really pretty. The size 8 is TTS though the “mid-length” sleeves are full-length on me.

TB_EmbroideredLinen_Tunic

~ Silk Shirt, size 8 ~

I have a fun Kate spade silk blouse and absolutely love it. This one is different enough to add to my closet. You probably won’t be able to see the print layered under a sweater but a cardigan or blazer will be good to wear over this. The size 8 was just a little snug in the arms but a size 10 was fairly big through the body. I just stuck with the size 8.

TB_SouthwesternSilkShirt

~ Merino Oversized Mockneck Tunic, Wheat Melange, Small ~

I have seen this each time I went into the store but never tried it on. That was probably due to the weather not being cool enough to warrant interest in trying on sweaters. This is meant to be oversized so I decided to try a Small. Though the arms, with a drop-shoulder seam, are a little snug, the sweater fit well everywhere else. Sizing to a Medium would have been an excess-fabric-disaster. You’ll notice that the mockneck, and sleeves, are ribbed which creates a faux v-neckline; very flattering.

You’ll have to pick something else to get you to the $250 mark for the promo though, since it’s on sale at $177. As much as I also wanted the Gray I decided to order the Wool Henley Tunic in the Earl Gray Melange instead, along with the Wool Jacquard Tunic. I went with a Small in both of those as well.

TB_OversizeMerinoSweater

I love all of my items I buy from Tory Burch. I have returned a few things but only because I realized they were not practical in my daily life. I have only had one minor issue with the hem of a silk blouse unraveling but I find that to happen to a lot of my silk shirts. My dry cleaner is so good they always hem it back up for me at no charge.

Happy Tory Shopping! Don’t forget to use code THANKS for 30% off $250 or more.