Zara – Uptown Moxie

I have the epitome of first world problems: I need a new fall jacket and don’t know where to begin. According to the local meteorologist’s weekend forecast, the cool weather is finally here to stay. With the combination of the [sad] fact I’m not in college anymore (see ya around, Northface Denali) and the [kind of cool, literally] fact that with my new job, I’ll be doing a lot of walking outside, I need to have something stylish to sport outdoors for the new season. There are a lot of trends out there right now: boyfriend pea coats, oversized parka, leather-infused military styles… so many are viable options. I picked a few of my top contenders below. Any thoughts/advice are welcomed. What’s your go-to outerwear look for the fall?

Fall Jacket Picks by mandysmyers featuring Topshop

Oxford Obsessed by mandysmyers featuring a theory blazer

With the recent additions of Pinterest and Polyvore to my life, it has suddenly become a lot less expensive to exercise my love for creating outfits. My wallet is ecstatic.

I’m currently coveting these Tommy Hilfiger Women’s Cuddle Oxfords in beet leather. When I initially fell in love with these beauts, I wasn’t sure how I could confidently implement them into my wardrobe. Sometimes, when you’re buying a statement piece that’s so different from what you already own, it’s hard to come up with a way to style them without breaking the bank and buying handfuls of other pieces as well.

After much consulting on the inter webs, I came up with two outfits I think I could successfully pull off:

The boyfriend jeans, graphic tee and oversized watch (top left outfit) fully embrace the menswear theme. Too masculine? Maybe for some. But, embodying the “go big or go home” mentality, I say this works.
On the other hand, oxfords also scream “classic school girl,” so pairing them with a crisp white button-up, a floral mini skirt and a girly statement necklace (bottom right outfit) turns this piece in a whole different direction.

Thoughts? Could you pull off either (or both) of these looks? Would you?

What am I reading?

Uptown Moxie (formerly known as Little Girl and the Big Apple) began as a way to document my crazy adventures when I moved to NYC as a young college graduate freshly plucked from an Ohio cornfield.

These days, I reside in Chicago and write when I can (which is never as much as I’d like). I utilize this as a place to tell stories, write about my passions, and share photos of whatever I capture when I have my camera on me (which is also never as much as I’d like). In the past five years, everything has changed and nothing has changed.

And because I sense your curiosity through the screen – it's called Uptown Moxie because Christie Brinkley is my alter ego and while I’ve seen Lost in Yonkers exactly once (and coincidentally have been lost in Yonkers exactly once), it left a lasting impression.

Tag: Zara

Project: Help Mandy Pick a Fall Jacket

Oxford Obsessed