I’ve been dressing very formulaic lately and this patterned dress shirt + cropped cable sweater pairing has been on heavy rotation. It’s a foolproof layered look for work (see my IG pic) worn with BR ankle pants, and works equally well outside the office with skinny jeans.
December has been a month of short trips. For packing, I’ve been liking the classic casual look of this Sole Society Cassidy weekender bag in addition to my usual large tote (either a Longchamp or the Goyard St. Louis). It’s also packed up and coming with me to CA where my family and Nick’s will be spending our first Christmas all together! I first saw the Cassidy on the stylish Juley T’s Instagram and had to find out where it was from. I would personally love to find a leather weekender bag down the road, but the pebbled faux-leather material here feels durable and is also a good option for shoppers who prefer vegan materials.
I read some complaints about the size being too small, but for fellow light packers I can fit ~2 pairs of shoes, 2 outfits, PJs and toiletries with a little room to spare. The inside is fully lined in a herringbone/chevron print fabric, with a large zippered pockets and two smaller insert pockets. The Cassidy is about 10″ x 17″ wide, and has a larger sister Lacie at 15″ x 19.” Both have a removable luggage tag, and removable and adjustable shoulder strap with a reinforcement patch so that a thin strap doesn’t dig into your shoulders. I only wish that for a travel bag, the Cassidy would come with metal feet on the bottom (which I just noticed the larger Lacie does have!).
You guys know I’m a big fan of ankle straps on shoes – these Cadena heels reminded me of my beloved J.Crew gold strappy heels but in suede, and the neutral color keeps the strap from being truncating on shorter legs. The style looks sleek on the foot and the suede is good quality in my opinion. Most of my Sole Society heels run small or narrow, but these in my usual size 5 felt true to size and the width was comfy with plenty of room for the toes. The Portobello color is a pretty grey taupe, very similar to my coat here in “cobblestone” if you’re familiar with that shade.
Thank you to Sole Society for sponsoring this post!
Wishing all of you happy holidays, and safe travels if you’ll be on the road!
Hey Jean! The Cadena shoes were on sale this morning, but I had to head out and when I came back, they're no longer on sale.. just FYI. =(. Boo!
Hello Meena and happy holidays to you as well! I respect those who have minimalist style and utilize a capsule wardrobe, but I personally love shopping and changing up styles a little too much to do that. If I had to suggest a few starter pieces, it'd be the ones I wear the most: 1) dark denim skinny jeans that fit well (my favorites are LOFT modern skinny, Gap petite jeans, or J.Brand legging jeans or 7for all mankind Maria jeans hemmed) 2) black and white striped long sleeve tee 3) chambray button up shirt 4) gingham button up shirt 5) large cozy scarves 6) knit blazer.
Merry Christmas, Jessica! I've done a few old reviews on this coat over the years: https://www.extrapetite.com/search?q=lady+day+coat+review I did not get any alterations on these.
Unfortunately…I've been on that search for ages without luck! These are from my mom and she doesn't remember where they are from, but I have another pair that fit really similarly from H&M.; They fit nice and slim, but the fingers are too long, however a little better than the usual options.
Hi there – I find their quality varies from style to style, but within each particular style I can't speak to variations because i've only tried one pair of each. I own a few styles which are good quality in my opinion, and have tried others where it was noticeably less comfortable for me which I do not recommend on here. I read through the Cadena reviews and one negative was about the color of the red, and another lady mentioned the ankle strap clasp. I examined the clasp and think it's pretty similar to that on any ankle strap shoe. If it does break quickly I would be disappointed (however it is repairable by any cobbler). This style is on sale today for 50% off but please be aware it's final sale!
I think they damier ones look nice and agreed they are lightweight! I'd feel a little bad splurging on a duffle personally only because I beat mine up a bit and also keep them on the floor when on airplanes, etc.
Merry Christmas, Sarah! I get J.Brand regular and pay for a hem job. I know they do have petite which is wonderful for certain issues like the one you mentioned (knee not hitting the right spot), but sometimes you can find legging jeans or ones with a consistent, straight cut and dark wash where there is no defined area.
Merry Christmas, Yi! I took a size 00 petite in the coat. I find it to fit fairly true to size, if not a little bit small compared to J.Crew's other petite items.
Hi Ethel! Oh wow, what an incredible sale today! I brought them on vaca with me and find them to be comfortable for going out and have worn them for about 3-4 hours at a time. For work though, I'm at the office for about 10-12 hours at a time and personally like to be able to kick off my shoes at my desk to stretch out my feet which is more difficult with ankle strap heels. If you don't usually need to do that and are OK with the ankle strap, then yes I find them to be pretty comfy!
Hi Jean! Just checked out the Cadena shoes and they are on sale with free shipping. Just want to ask if you find these shoes comfy enough to be wearing all day at work. Thanks and a Happy New Year.
Dear Jean,
Love your style very much.May I ask your size of J.Crew？I like the coat and can`t decide my size( (I am 5'3" and about 116lbs)).Thank you so much.Merry Christmas~~
Merry Christmas! Love the outfit. I do have a question for you. Do you buy J.Brand Petite Jeans, or regular sizing and get alterations? I have found that the knee bend is in a terrible spot for my legs with the regular sizing and looks awful when I put them on. Any suggestions? Thank you.
very chic traveling outfit! love the duffle and layered necklaces. 🙂
love, liz
http://www.stylewich.com
Hi Jean! What do you think of the LV duffle bags? I think they would be easier to carry (lightweight) compared to real leather bags. Thoughts?
Hi Jean. Have you done a review on this coat (or any other winter coats)? I am curious if you have ever found a coat that didn't need alterations? Every winter coat I have tried on has been gigantic on me (I am 4'10" and about 90lbs). Thanks for all the great posts. Merry Christmas Eve! -Jessica
Hi Jean,
Thank you for your wonderful blog, which I enjoy reading regularly. I was just wondering if you had any thoughts on capsule wardrobes. If so, would you consider putting one together for those of your readers who love your style but would like to try streamlining their wardrobe? Or perhaps highlight items you believe would a good starting point for such a capsule wardrobe?
Thank you and happy holidays!
Meena
Love this outfit Jean! It's the perfect timeless outfit…perfection! Have a Merry Christmas!
xoxo,
Andrea
http://www.andreaeveryday.com
I love this outfit – you look so well put together!
The bag is very cute. I would have been dying to find out where it was from too. 😛 Although I would prefer it to be real leather as well, just a personal preference.
xx
Yvonne
http://tellmeyblog.com
Love that coat…its fits you perfectly… love the styling with those shoes and the bag looks great..
xo
Hems
http://agoldentulip.blogspot.com/
Love the gray elements of this outfit with the coat and shoes! Have a wonderful holiday trip to California and escaping the cold for a bit!! 🙂
xo, Suzie Q
StyleCueBySuzieQ.com
What gloves are you wearing in this post? Would love any tips you have for getting leather gloves that fit petite fingers!
I love this bag! So cute!
The colors in this outfit are perfection. Definitely need to find a collared shirt like that
https://classiccosmopolite.wordpress.com/
Hi Jean, do you know if Sole Society quality is consistent. I really want to get the Cadena heels, but the reviews on their website either rave or complain about the quality… Thank you!
Love your look! I like the way you combine some classic item like this Jcrew coat with casual pieces like the cropped sweater and skinny jeans.It's just so chic! Happy holidays!
If it's not broke….this dressing formula is great!
Liz @ ShoppingMyCloset.com
I love ankle booties..have you tried flat booties with your skinny jeans? If you can take a slight heel, I love the Bp Trolley ankle boots I post about often which keep both the feet and ankles enclosed.
Thank you for pointing that out…very odd! The Cassidy interior pictures were different a month ago when I ordered and it looks like they added a new color, so must have changed the lining fabric color. It looks like the same pocket structure still though. That's too bad as I liked the printed lining.
Hi Oya! Here I have a sweater with sleeves that are only 3/4 lengths, so they hit shorter than my shirt sleeves. It helps a little for less bulk at the same exact place.
Oh, I never thought about doing that! Thank you for the tip! Did you super glue them on, or are there metal spikes like grommets?
Hi there – I don't wear winter knit hats because I have really bad dry and static hair that is beyond hope after taking off a hat…but I love earmuffs! They keep the ears toasty and only affect a small part of your hair so it doesn't get too messed up. if you really want to wear hats then the only suggestion I have is keeping a clothes dryer sheet in your purse to help keep static hair at bay after taking the hat off.
love this look! especially the shoes! xx. gigi. http://www.gigikkitchen.com
Love the neutral colors for the holiday! I just styled a completely neutral color outfit last night as well to a holiday event. I personally don't own many bright red, green or gold pieces in my closet. But when putting them together with statement accessories such as scarf or jewelries, they certainly look equally as cozy and festive.
Julia || Closet de Jules
Recent Post: Holiday Neutral Sweater Inspiration
wow.. i swear you and wendy resemble each other a lot!
hi, i love your outfit and looks, I wish I can do it too. But winter in NYC is just too cold for wear someting like that, especially I have to wear boots to make me wear. Do you have any advise for me>?
How come in the pics online, the lining of the bag is just brown?
I adore the layering of this look!
XoXo One Stiletto At A Time
I love the layered Ann Taylor necklace. It just manage to transform any simple outfit to a more classy and chic one. It totally brightens up the greyish tone of the outfit. Gonna check them out now.
I love the coat too. Very structured and well trimmed. I guess trenches nowadays hit the mark by giving them a more formal cutting. Thumbs up.
HINTS OF PEPPERMINT
Hi Jean. this is Oya. you look great:) I have a question. how do you fold up the sleeves of shirt and sweater togerter. mines lenght are the same and I get thick result. not look nice :(( what do you recommend me ?
Love the shoes and bag combination. Additionally, your hair looks great!!!!!
http://www.vintageladyblog.com
You look great! Love the bag:)
x Fiona THEDASHINGRIDER.com
Perfect look, I love your necklace
I love the weekender bag!
I purchased a similar bag a couple years ago, that I use for small trips/light packing. Like your bag, mine also didn't come with feet. I ordered some online for a few dollars and added them myself. Super easy to put on and they give the faux leather of my bag some added protection!
I love that weekender! It's a lot more classy than the Pink duffle I carry around. Be careful with those heels on the cobblestones!
COOCOO FOR COCO
Perfect layering and that coat is so chic! Wishing you happy holidays!
Red Reticule
Love the classic design of the bag and the shoes are very pretty! Beautiful layered outfit too!
Prudence
http://www.prudencepetitestyle.wordpress.com
Lovely look, your bag is divine!
~~~Diana~~~
http://www.TheNeonFactor.com
Cute bag! Great for traveling:)
Shall We Sasa
I understand that you wore this cable sweater and shirt a lot lately as you look so beautiful, clean and fresh in them. Also your weekender is a beautiful piece. Wish you Merry Christmas!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
International Giveaway: Christmas Surprise with Self Interest
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
Jean,
Do you wear hats in winter? I live in NYC. I can't go outside without a scarf and a hat. I would love to wear the way you do but I could be able to do it only when the weather is warm.
The problem with a hat is that it makes my hair very messy after a while. Any quick redo advice?
Also I am amazed that you could wear shoes in barefoot. I always wear socks in winter which makes me wear only boots no heels in winter. 🙁