L'ensemble du jour

Saturday Musings + Coffee – Planning for London

Published on June 24, 2017 by lensembledujour9 Comments

Hey there.

As some of you might know, I’m going on a trip to London in a little more than a week, and I’m beginning to get quite excited!

The whole thing was a little impromptu actually – my friend, Amanda, has a family friend in England, and she was talking to me in January maybe about how she was planning to visit over the summer. So me, being rather jealous, jokingly asked if I could come along, and to my surprise, she was cool with it.

We’re getting to stay with this family friend for free, so no hotel to pay for, and Amanda’s mother used to be a flight attendant, so our airfare was greatly discounted. It’s all very lucky for me, because there’s no way I’d be able to pay for a trip like this otherwise. I’m still surprised it’s happening.

Anyway, Amanda and I met for lunch the other day (I actually wrote about it a little here) to discuss what we wanted to do while there. We’ve already got tickets to see Cage the Elephant (ironically, a Kentucky band) in their acoustic set at Union Chapel, but otherwise, our schedule is fairly free for whatever we want to do on any given day.

We decided we definitely want to do the Climb the O2 experience, as our means of getting a good view of the city from above, rather than doing something like the London Eye. We also want to hit Shoreditch for its beautiful Instagram opportunities, St. Paul’s Cathedral (I’m a sucker for old, beautiful churches), Brick Lane Market, and probably way more things than we’ll actually be able to see.

We’re going to meet again sometime before we leave to sort out our priorities, but, since I know many of you guys live in Europe, and some even in England, I thought I’d ask – what should I make sure to hit while in London? And honestly, even if you’re not English, but you’ve visited the country – or if you’re simply a person who likes giving their opinion – please leave me a comment below! I love hearing feedback, and I know I won’t be able to get to everything I want, so I’d appreciate any advice you can offer.

There’s so much still to do – pack, pick out clothes, order tickets, figure out how many bags I need and what needs to be checked and what can be carry-on – and so little time! I’m beginning to get rather excited though. This is my first time out of the country in years; the last time, I was in third grade and my parents took me to see China. That was such an amazing, memorable experience, so I hope England can compete!

Anyway, it looks like it’s going to be a short post today – my parents are calling me for dinner. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one!

June 23, 2017 – Schoolteacher Chic (OOTD #51)

Published on June 23, 2017June 23, 2017 by lensembledujour12 Comments

Can you believe I’ve already made 51 of these silly little things?

I guess 51 is an odd number to celebrate – I probably should’ve done 50, but yesterday, when I was writing the blog post of the day, I thought I was at 49. I didn’t realize until after the blog had been posted that it was the “big 5-0,” and by then it was of course too late.

But better late than never, so here I am, happily recognizing that I’ve made it to 51 blog posts!

It’s only been a few months for me writing on L’ensemble du jour, but I can tell you, it’s already made a moderate impact on my life. First off, I can’t just have lazy days where I wear leggings and a t-shirt anymore, lol. Every day’s outfit has to be carefully planned out and organized to ensure that nothing looks too similar, and there’s always quality content and variety on this blog.

It’s a challenge, but I love it. Writing here is easily one of my favorite parts of the day. And it’s made all the better because I know you guys always have such kind words to say! Seriously, reading the comments that are left at the bottom of each blog always makes me smile, even after a long day at work.

Speaking of work, I had another job interview today. I figured since I was only working part time, I’d try and see if I could pick anything else up on the side. Fingers crossed!

For this interview, I chose an outfit I had actually already had planned out for weeks – and one that I can only describe as “schoolteacher-esque.” A very stylish schoolteacher, who wears Evan Picone jackets and Ray-Bans, but a schoolteacher nonetheless. Actually, fun fact: two of the pieces today were vintage/thrifted – the jacket, which I got at Salvation Army, and the skirt, which I got along with a cute jacket at an antique mall.

A huge thank you to the 270-some of you who follow me here, the nearly 2,000 who follow me on IG, and basically anyone else who follows me on any social media channel or has ever checked out this blog. I’m hardly famous, but I’m growing, and your support means a lot.

Skirt: Vintage

Shirt: Hollister

Jacket: Evan Picone

Bag: Coach

That’s it for today! I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com

June 22, 2017 – It’s Raining, It’s Pouring (OOTD #50)

Published on June 22, 2017 by lensembledujour6 Comments

Well, it is.

Mother Nature sent us Kentuckians a respite from the miserable heat today in the form of some rain. Thank goodness – we needed it.

Of course, rain also means cloudy, dreary skies, but I don’t mind. When it’s dark and brooding outside, I like to make my outfit match the mood – so in other words, I like to dress like I listen to My Chemical Romance and run an aesthetic Tumblr blog.

And actually, the former of those is true.

This t-shirt, in particular, I feel is rather integral to the whole look. When I first got it, my mother actually hated it – she thought it was baggy and sloppy looking. But that’s what I love about it; it’s my “starving artist” shirt that somehow manages to look chic and disheveled. There are no embellishments on it – no holes, no fringe, no acid stains – nothing that you would think would convey any aesthetic at all except for plain, and yet, it’s one of the most aesthetic pieces in my wardrobe.

Actually, it reminds me of Fabio from season 10 of Project Runway. Anyone remember him? He seemed like a pretty chill guy – definitely had the starving artist look.

The pants, on the other hand (I feel like there’s a pun I ought to be making here…), are full of embllishments. I searched for forever for these things on Poshmark. I was actually looking for a replacement for some motorcycle leggings that I’d gotten from Macy’s years ago with leather kneepad-looking details, but this was the closest I could find. I got them in a small, thinking it would be okay, but of course, when you’re barely 5 ft tall, things don’t always fit as you think they should. So, instead of motorcycle leggings, I wound up with more like motorcycle slacks, which is okay in my book.

And then what quasi-edgy look would be complete without a choker from Hot Topic?

There wasn’t much color going on in my outfit today, but sometimes, it’s more fun that way. It allows for the designs of the pieces themselves to shine without the distraction of color. Speaking of color, I made this little layout today – some flowers, a coffee mug, and a silly little self portrait I drew while I was bored at work.

Who is the First American Home Buyers Protection Corperation ? I don’t know. But I should thank them for giving me something to doodle on.

Shirt: Abercrombie

Pants: Nasty Gal

June 21, 2017 – It’s the Summer Solstice, and I’m Dressed For Fall (OOTD #49)

Published on June 21, 2017June 22, 2017 by lensembledujour20 Comments

I’d be lying if I told you I liked summer.

Granted, I like certain aspects of summer – being off school, wearing shorts, eating ice cream – summer’s not a terrible season at all. Like any season, it has its merits and its faults. But for me, living in the hot and humid state of Kentucky, the faults outweigh the merits.

I can stand heat. I don’t mind when it gets into the upper 80s (don’t mind, I say, as in can tolerate – not like), but when it’s in the upper 80s and has a humidity of over about 40%, that’s when I draw the line. When the humidity hits in Kentucky, all those pleasant aspects of summer – the sunny skies, the warm air, the bright colors – melt into a hot, unpleasant, sticky mess that no one wants to out be in, especially me.

So naturally, today, being the summer solstice and the first day of summer, I decided to break out my fall jacket, scarf, turtleneck, jeans, and boots. Sensible, right?

Actually, my reasoning for dressing this way wasn’t purely vanity (though I’m sure that does play a part – as I’ve mentioned many times before, I don’t like to let the weather determine how I’m going to dress…mostly); I had work today, and it’s just easier to wear pants than a dress or skirt. Plus there’s the shaving…there are plenty of reasons where pants can be a good choice in summer.

And the turtleneck? It’s actually very lightweight and thin – if I’m not careful, you might even see my bra through it. So for modesty (and yes, fashion) I threw a light blazer on top. And what outfit could be complete without a scarf to tie it together – literally and figuratively?

So at first glance, this may seem like a fall outfit, totally impractical for summer heat, but it was actually quite comfortable. I stayed modest, stylish, and best of all, kept the blazing sun off my skin.

…or maybe I’m lying to myself and every time I stepped outside today, I felt like I was cooking in an oven, but I’m too stubborn to change. You can take your pick of explanations 😉

Pants: J. Crew

Shirt: Forever21

Jacket: Kohl’s

Shoes: Steve Madden

June 20, 2017 – All The Trends! (OOTD #48)

Published on June 20, 2017June 21, 2017 by lensembledujour15 Comments

I like to think of myself as someone who doesn’t feel the need to follow trends.

Like I said, like to think of myself – I’m not necessarily always that way. Case in point – today’s outfit, which covers three trends all in one – an off-the-shoulder top, loose shorts, and a choker. Clearly, I belong in an issue of Seventeen, or perhaps an ad for Forever21.

(Actually, unlike a lot of days, today’s outfit features nothing from Forever21!)

There’s really nothing wrong with being trendy: it’s just that following trends means there’s less room for original thought and creativity. And that’s something I value quite a lot in fashion – I would much rather wear something that makes people go “that’s different” than “that’s boring.”

But being original takes effort, and being trendy does not (though it does take a lot more money…), and today, I was rather lacking in the effort department. I woke up a bit late, and I had to rush to get ready for a lunch date with a friend, so trendy it was.

One of the nice things about trends is that they come in all varieties, and these varieties are very easily mixed and matched. Today, for example, I mixed the off-the-shoulder trend with the loose, boho-ish shorts trend with the choker trend. It made for a very simple, stylish outfit that required very little thought on my part and still looked very good in the end. That is something you risk when going with more unusual outfits – you may put all this thought and effort into creating interesting layers or silhouettes, and you can still just wind up looking weird.

Also, about today’s lunch date – my friend and I used it to discuss things we wanted to do in London, when we visit in early July. So I figured I would ask you guys, anyone who’s visited London or lives there or just feels like offering an opinion, what should we make sure we do while we’re there? We don’t necessarily feel the need to do the super-touristy things and would actually really love to go for something a little more off the beaten path, so if you have any suggestions, please leave a comment below!

Shirt: Hollister

Pants: Francesca’s

Band-aid with little fish on it: UK Hospital

June 19, 2017 – Cheap Clothes=Best Clothes (OOTD #47)

Published on June 19, 2017June 21, 2017 by lensembledujour8 Comments

If I remember correctly, I got this shirt for like $3 at the LOFT.

I don’t even recall exactly how it happened – I think it was like 50% off on clearance already, and then my mother had an extra 40% off on top of that for her birthday, and it might’ve an additional discount for having snag in the front. Anyway, it ended up being a really great steal, and I bought it without even trying it on.

I’ve got a bit of a problem with buying clothes on discount like that – purchasing things I don’t necessarily need simply because it’s on a really good sale. Never follow me into a Goodwill; we’ll be there for hours, and I’ll be down $50 and up 20 pieces of unnecessary clothes in the end. My father can certainly attest to that.

Actually, I often look through the sale section when I’m shopping before I even look at the new, full-priced things. The middle school version of myself would’ve been completely embarrassed to have said that – there was once a time when I was a status-obsessed egotist poser child who wouldn’t want to be caught dead doing anything to save money.

That’s changed…mostly….I think?

Anyway, today’s outfit – in addition to my plain white shirt (which isn’t so plain when you look at it a bit more closely; it’s got a nice architectural silhouette that makes it rather interesting), I wore a bandana-printed neck scarf, which I bought for the pure intention of looking trendy and green skinny jeans that make my legs feel just a tad like they’re being suffocated.

But sometimes, that’s the price you pay for looking nice, right?

Shirt: The LOFT

Pants: American Eagle

Scarf: American Eagle

June 18, 2017 – Father’s Day Fashion (OOTD #46)

Published on June 18, 2017June 21, 2017 by lensembledujour11 Comments

Sorry for the late post, but it’s been a busy day.

It’s Father’s Day here in the US, and my family likes to celebrate by taking a day to spend out doing some things of my dad’s choosing. He opted to get lunch at a new(ish) restaurant in the Summit called Ted’s Montana Grill, and we walked around and window shopped for a while.

We also invited my grandmother (my father’s mother) into town to join us, making it a nice little family outing. I actually shared my lunch with her – it was a half chicken, and neither of us could eat the whole thing.

I wish I had gotten a picture of the thing – it was so good! Best chicken in my life? Well, no. But pretty solid. I did get a picture of our appetizer, some homemade chips, so you can look at that instead and pretend I was a good blogger who actually documented what she ate like she was supposed to.

On a more serious note, I do rather like Father’s Day – not just because I love excuses to go out to eat, but because I rather love my father too. He takes a lot of pictures for this blog for me (including almost all of the ones for today!) and does all of the proper fatherly duties very well. I must give him something of a shoutout – he’s pretty cool.

In addition to my father, I also love my outfit from today. I layered a sheer, lacy top underneath my sleeveless dress to create a really interesting, unique look. I particularly liked the mixture of the velvet texture of the dress with the sheer top. For accessories, I added my trusty black sun hat, which seems to make any outfit look more chic and trendy.

I also added some cute rings – I got this little bird one in New York, actually, at a street market. Only $10. The little sales lady said it was sterling silver, and my fingers haven’t turned green yet, so I guess I’ve got to believe her.

And that’s all, folks! A huge thank you to all of you for helping me reach over 200 followers! I couldn’t do it without you (obviously…)!

Dress: Kohl’s…I think. I honestly can’t remember and the tag doesn’t help!

Shirt: Altar’d State

Saturday Musings + Coffee – I Made a Cake!

Published on June 17, 2017June 17, 2017 by lensembledujour2 Comments

Baking is one of my all time favorite hobbies.

It all started the summer after my freshman year – it was probably the week before school started again, and I was so bored. Back then, I was too young to work, and too young to drive, so I basically spent every day stuck at home by myself, which, though peaceful and relaxing, was hardly exciting.

Anyway, I had just started to learn to cook things from scratch (on account of the Food Network being one of the only good channels on at 2pm on a weekday), and I was looking for a new recipe to try on Pinterest. Lo and behold, as I was searching through the #food tags, I came across one of those beautiful cake designs from a baking blog.

I remember thinking it was beautiful but that there as no way I could possibly do it myself. Still, I followed the link through to check the directions, and they seemed doable – mix some ingredients together into cake batter, separate into tins, tint them different shades of pink, and then coat with icing. Seemed simple enough.

In a sense, I guess, it was. I completed the cake, and though some sides were definitely more attractive than others, it wasn’t a far shot from the image I saw on Pinterest. Plus, it was a ton of fun following the directions and having them turn out into a beautiful, tasty creation.

Flash forward to today, and I’ve made cake baking a little hobby of mine. It still takes me almost a half day to complete one, start to finish, so I usually only do it a couple times of year – during winter break, summer break, and maybe fall or spring break.

Today’s cake, which I mentioned baking back a few days ago , was inspired by a recipe on The Cake Blog. Their version was arguably more beautiful than mine, and I kinda wish I’d made mine tall like theirs, but I think mine has a creative spin to it. In addition to the birch “bark,” which circles the cake, made from Ghirardelli melting squares, I melted some extra candy and swirled it around on some parchment paper to create the flourishes on top. I really do love working with chocolate; it’s really easy to shape into forms to make pretty, if delicate, designs.

J As for the cake itself, it’s a walnut and cinnamon flavor with buttercream frosting. I didn’t try to be creative with that; I find that while in cooking, they’re plenty of room to add your own flair, in baking, it’s more of an exact science.

Anyway, that’s it for today. I’ve got some work to do (always) if I’m going to have some time to celebrate Father’s Day tomorrow. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com

June 16, 2017 – When You Forget a Shirt (OOTD #45)

Published on June 16, 2017June 21, 2017 by lensembledujour5 Comments

Exercise is a great thing.

Went for a lovely 2 mile run this morning, and I must say, while it kind of hurts and feels gross while I’m actually running, I feel so great when I’m done. That’s kind of funny, I guess – that my favorite part about exercise is it being over, but the feeling is addictive enough that I keep doing it. Hooray for my laziness that actually kind of motivates me to work out?

But here’s the not-so-great thing about exercise: it means you get hot and sweaty, and you have to change after you’re done. Normally, that’s no problem – I run near home, in the neighborhood park, so when I’m done, I just walk up to my room and put something else on. Today, I had the brilliant idea to go running while away from the house and just pack some clothes to change into in a gym bag. Sounds okay, right?

Not if you’re an idiot like me and forget to pack a shirt.

I remembered a jacket, a pair of pants, a pair of shoes, socks – but no shirt. Of course, I didn’t realize that until after I had gone running and sweated through the t-shirt I wore, leaving that practically unwearable due to the scent it must’ve carried. And of course, I had to go to work in 30 minutes, and of course, I lived too far away to drive back home.

Thankfully, there was a grocery store just around the corner, and they recently made the (slightly unusual, but I’m not complaining!) choice to begin selling clothing, My wonderful mother slipped in and grabbed a cheap tank top for me to put over my blue sports bra, and I made it to work with 2 minutes to spare.

Never a dull day in the life of a fashion blogger.

Jeans: Abercrombie

Jacket: American Eagle

Shirt: Kroger?

Shoes: Juicy Couture

June 15, 2017 – Tim Gunning It (OOTD#44)

Published on June 15, 2017June 15, 2017 by lensembledujour7 Comments

You know, “make it work.”

I got this absolutely lovely dress less than a month ago from Anthropologie (one of my favorite stores, by the way) on clearance for 60% off. I didn’t want to pass it up, but sadly, it was a size too big.

What to do?

In many cases, there’s nothing to be done. Sometimes a dress that’s too big is just too big. There’s always the tailor, of course, but, as I’m the type of person who can only afford Anthropologie when I shop in their clearance section, I’m definitely not the type of person who can afford a tailor for everything.

Regardless of the fact I knew it wasn’t likely to work, I decided to try it on and give it a chance anyway. Maybe it wasn’t quite as big as it looked on the hanger? I’m a hopeful person, especially when it comes to clothes.

So I tried it on, and things were exactly as I expected – it was simply too big to be worn as-is. The shoulders actually fit okay, and the sleeves looked appropriately flowy, but the rest of it was baggy and awkward. I was thinking I ought just to give up, regardless of how much I loved the complementary blue-orange color scheme and mixed textures, when I thought of an idea. What about a belt?

The end of this story is obvious enough – I bought the dress because I couldn’t resist the price, and when I brought it home, I simply threw a simple black waist belt around it to balance out the bagginess. The perfect solution? Maybe, maybe not. In general, I prefer to respect the will of designers and wear clothes the way they’re meant to be worn (except in the case of oversized vintage work shirts that can be worn as dresses…), but sometimes, you’ve got to do as Tim Gunn says, and make it work.