Engineered Style

Just wanted to share a few photos from the half-marathon (13.1 miles) I ran yesterday morning! It was warm and humid, but I managed to push through it and finish in 2:19:44. Not a personal record (PR), but I’ll take it! I was so glad my friend, Michelle, decided to join me in the run because we were both able to encourage each other throughout the race. Special props go out to the husband who cheered me on at 3 locations! John is so supportive of my running—just makes me love him all the more! He even got me to run the Cowtown 5k with him on Saturday morning! I’ll be back to a normal post on Wednesday, but this weekend has been fun and busy, and now it’s time to kick back and let my legs rest!

5k Finish

My Cowtown Running Partner Michelle!

Another Running Buddy, Liz!

The Runners and Supporting Husbands

It’s spring in Texas (sorry to all you Northerners!), and that’s got me thinking of spring style lately. I’ve been noticing a lot of stripes and floral prints (here, here, here) so I decided to start my “Sole Sourced” series out with that theme. “Sole Sourced” is just what it sounds like—I’ll bring you to one store for a whole outfit! Old Navy is a good place to start since they are reasonably priced and have lots of basics with a few trends thrown in there. I hope you like this outfit, because I plan to head to Old Navy in the near future to try it on, which means you’ll probably see it in another post! It’s a little light on accessories, but I like to keep it simple with work wear, since it often gets in the way when I’m out in the field checking things. Yeah, that’s right. I get to be this casual at work! Anyone else able to wear this to work? Are you as excited as I am about stripes and florals?

Shirt (Old Navy): $14.50

Pants (Old Navy): $25.00 – Earl Gray

Scarf (Old Navy): $10.00

Purse (Old Navy): $28.50

Shoes (Old Navy): $24.50

TOTAL: $102.50

(assuming you don’t use any coupon codes, which can often be found here)

As an aside, I plan to start posting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so check back often! If you have any questions, want some help creating an outfit, or have a suggestion for a post, I’d love to hear it! Have a great weekend! (I’ll be running a half marathon, so you’ll be hearing about that on Monday!)

Okay, guys. I’m branching out. Technically, there’s no “key” piece in this re-engineered outfit. To be honest, I love the belt, but who wants to spend $38 on a green belt? Nevertheless, let’s move forward, because I love this Anthropologie outfit to pieces. And I really, really love the hat. Confession time—I’m a hat person. So now I have an excuse to buy a fedora. I don’t actually own a fedora yet, so here’s the perfect opportunity to go get one. Without further ado, here’s the original Anthro outfit:

Anthro “Habitat” Look (Total: $352 excluding shoes)

Here’s my less expensive version with an added pair of shoes, which are another obsession of mine. I wanted some espadrilles this summer, and Target just happened to oblige with a peep toe version. They come in several colors, and any color would work with this outfit, so just pick whatever works with the rest of your wardrobe. If you’ve read about me, then you know I couldn’t wear this outfit to work, but I figure a girl’s got to have a weekend, right? As always, I love you for commenting. Have a great Tuesday!

TOTAL: $148.37 (INCLUDING shoes!)

Dress (Kohl’s): $45

Sweater (Ann Taylor LOFT): $44.50—on sale for $33.38

Belt (Roxy): $16

Fedora (Nordstrom): $29

Shoes (Target): $24.99

With all the sales going on for President’s Day, I decided to do a little shopping this afternoon. I stopped in at Ann Taylor LOFT to try on the cargo pants I suggested as a key piece in this post. Here are the realizations I came to while determining whether to purchase them:

Realization #1:

The model is at least 6′-8” tall because those pants make her legs look at least a mile long.

Realization #2:

I am 5′-4” tall and need to wear these closer to knee length so the proportions look right. For reference, these pants are a size 6 regular. They didn’t have them in petite or short at the store, but it didn’t really matter since I just rolled them up a bit more.

Realization #3:

I already have a white button up shirt, navy sweater, and peep toe pumps so that I could wear a similar version of the outfit with only the purchase of pants and belt. (I do like the striped sweater better, but we all have to live within our budget, right?!)

Realization #4:

I often end up liking the way pants look from the front but don’t like it from the side (anyone else have a booty like mine?) I was pleasantly surprised that these worked fairly well, especially with the sweater.

Realization #5:

These pants do not look good unrolled, BUT they do work with flats! Bonus points for versatility.

So did I purchase them?

I did, in fact, buy them at 25% off for around $45. I may hold on to them for a bit to see if they go on further sale, but I decided to take the plunge because I liked that they were comfortable, different than anything I already own, and versatile for the summer since I hate shorts (more on that later). For some of you (like me), splurging on pants is the way to go since they are much more difficult to find in a good fit.  As always, you can make my day by leaving a comment!  Hope that you have a wonderful week!

Just thought you may enjoy a few pics from the mountain!