Pumps & Iron

My First Golden Tote (Review)

April 15, 2015 by Nicole 15 Comments

Oh man do I love these faux fashion blogger posts. I was recently given the chance to try out Golden Tote, and jumped at the opportunity. I loved all the clothing I received so it’s time for a picture overload!

Golden Tote is one part personal styling, one part online shopping. They offer two different sized totes: a large tote for $149 that includes 5-6 items and a small tote for $49 that includes 2-3 items. A new tote is offered once each month, and the sale lasts the duration of the month.

For the large tote, which is what I received, you start by picking out two items from their boutique. You fill out a style profile, and based on your preferences, a stylist will surprise you with 3-4 additional items. You can also add on to your purchase by buying any of the other items in their online boutique.

My two picks were the Barcelona Pant and the Pop Print Tee Dress, and I’m obsessed with both. How fun are these prints?! The dress had “me” written all over it—bright colors and bold patterns paired with a casual, sporty design. And the pants are so on-trend right now, I couldn’t pass them up. Plus, they’re like one small step up from pajamas so … hello, lover (Carrie Bradshaw voice).

OUTFIT DETAILS | dress Golden Tote / shoes Jeffrey Campbell (similar here) / bag H&M (similar here) / sunglasses Buffalo Exchange (similar here)

OUTFIT DETAILS | pants Golden Tote / top Brandy Melville (similar here) / shoes ASOS (similar here) / bralet Urban Outfitters (similar here)

In addition to the two pieces I picked, I received three tops—all of which I love—and a dress that I’m not crazy about, but is still really cute. That’s the one downside of Golden Tote: returns are all or nothing. Although you can’t return just one or a few items, there is a Facebook group for trading pieces. I’ll hang on to the dress and see if I end up wearing it, and if it doesn’t get any use, will probably just give it to a friend. It’s cute, just not really my style.

OUTFIT DETAILS | dress Golden Tote / sneakers c/o Reebok (similar here) / sunglasses Ray-Ban

The three tops are all awesome additions to my closet. The following two will be perfect for summer weekends on the Vineyard and Nantucket.

OUTFIT DETAILS | top Golden Tote / shorts Urban Outfitters (similar here) / shoes MIA

OUTFIT DETAILS | top Golden Tote / pants Hudson (similar here) / shoes Sperry (similar here)

The last shirt is totally my style. Sporty neckline with animal print, and I loved the mixing of delicate materials with casual cotton.

OUTFIT DETAILS | top Golden Tote /shorts Urban Outfitters (similar here) / shoes Simply Vera by Vera Wang (similar here) / bag H&M (similar here) / sunglasses Buffalo Exchange (similar here)

As an added bonus, the striped neckline matches my favorite mug perfectly (I got it in a Yankee Swap a couple years ago—cute, right??). Ever since that nasty stomach flu I had a few weeks ago, I haven’t been able to handle how acidic coffee is, so I’ve switched to tea. Lately I’m loving the organic Tiny Tea from Your Tea.

Final verdict? I would 100% get another tote. This one was complimentary (thank you, Golden Tote!), but considering I now have six new items in my wardrobe that I love, I think the $149 price tag would be well worth it.

Have you tried Golden Tote? Which is your favorite of the pieces I received?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I appreciate your support! 🙂

Filed Under: Day Outfits, Fashion, Night Outfits

Stylin’ My Stitch Fix (Review of Fix #9)

April 9, 2015 by Nicole 19 Comments

Oops–totally forgot I had this post in my drafts! I’ve actually already gotten another fix since these pictures, but the batch of new clothes in last month’s Stitch Fix rocked. Let’s play catch-up!

If you’re new to these posts, check out the review of my first fix—it has all the details on Stitch Fix, the online styling service I’ve been using for almost a year now.

Market & Spruce Corinna Striped Dolman Top $48 = KEEPER

Is it bad that a major requirement for me to buy a shirt these days is that it’s long enough to be worn with leggings? Have I let myself go? Oh well. 🙂 This shirt is so soft, and I love that it’s long enough to wear with a pair of black leggings. For all of you who wear real pants, it could easily be dressed up as well.

ALSO WEARING:
Jeans are from my last fix! (similar here & here)
Booties are from Zara (old but similar here & here)

Gorjana Corinna Delicate Bar Necklace $60 = KEEPER

Keeping a pricier piece of jewelry is very uncharacteristic of me. Maybe I’m just getting old, but I’m sick of buying cheap $5 necklaces and having them break a month later. Why not invest a little extra in this classic, delicate gold necklace that I’ll get a ton of use from and is actually of quality, right?

Mavi Freida Tall Skinny Jean $98 = KEEPER

Gahhh I’m powerless when Stitch Fix sends me a pair of pants. How do they all fit so well??! Had to keep these gray skinnies.

ALSO WEARING:
Shoes are Mia Limited Edition (sold out but similar here)
Blouse is H&M (similar here & here)
Cropped sweater is Brandy Melville (old but similar here & here)
Bracelet is a thrift store find

Mystree Gerrie Open Stitch Sweater $68 = KEEPER

I have some similar sweaters, but what made me keep this one are the brown hues in it. I’m a black, black, gray, and more black girl when it comes to clothes, and as a result never have anything to wear with my brown and tan shoes.

ALSO WEARING:
Jeans are from my last fix!
Booties are Qupid (old but similar here & here)

Laila Jayde Jaspers Split Neck Knit Shirt $68 = NO GO

This shirt was the only item I sent back. It fit well and I liked the button details on the sleeve, but it just wasn’t quite “me”. The flair sleeves and split neck gave it a little too much of a hippie vibe.

*Prices listed in this post are the price before the 25% discount you’d get for keeping all five items in your fix.

What do you think of my latest fix? Have you gotten any good fixes lately?

xo Nicole

Filed Under: Day Outfits, Fashion, Stitch Fix

Pineapple Avocado Salsa (Perfect Fish Topping!)

April 7, 2015 by Nicole 5 Comments

This tropical salsa is a super easy way to take a boring fish dinner to the next level, and it’s totally customizable. One week try it with the pineapple and kiwi combo I’m using today—next week switch it up with mango and some jalapeño. It’s one of those recipes where measurements and following the ingredient list don’t really matter. In other words, this is basically not even a recipe. Enjoy!