My inspiration

I'm home!! I missed you guys so much, but it is also feels strange to be blogging. I left a big chunk of my heart in Sierra Leone and I've been really emotional about the trip since I got back. I spent 2 weeks with no running water, with wet clothes, wet hair and muddy feet (it rained nonstop), and fashion has been the last thing on my mind! :-) The trip was an excellent reminder about how many trivial things I get bogged down with, but it was also a re-commitment to my long-term goals of helping women with fashion and making them feel great about themselves here in the U.S. (more here). I shared a picture of the trip below, and I'll be sending out a longer photo recap to everyone who donated soon.

So... onto today's post! I took this outfit photo before I left. I loved the clean color palette of the inspiration photo and went for something similar. The leather jacket was a huge splurge for me a couple years ago, but I'm happy I took the plunge. I've purchased leatherette jackets in the past and always wind up giving them away. If you can at all afford it (and find one on sale) then I definitely recommend investing in the real thing because they last longer and get better with age, are softer/more comfortable, and unfortunately some leatherette can look cheap. Would you ever splurge on a leather jacket?

Inspiration photo: FabSugar

Leather jacket: Banana Republic, $150

Shirt: Gap, $3

Jeans: Gap, $30 (similar, similar)

Belt: Joe's Jeans c/o Marshalls, $20 (same belt)

Shoes: Michael Kors c/o Marshalls, $50 (similar)

Purse: Calvin Klein/TJ Maxx, $120 (similar)

Watch: Michael Kors, family gift
Rings: My Stella & Dot website $49 and $49
Bracelets: My Stella & Dot website $49 and $32 and $59