What i wore: Dallas conference

A few weeks ago I decided to go out of my comfort zone and flew to Dallas for a “content creators” conference! I ended up learning so much from speakers and peers from a wide range of ages and backgrounds, and left feeling very thankful that I get to do what I love for a job.

Outfits-wise, I can easily navigate dressing for a traditional work conference, but knowing the crowd here would be much more fashion-oriented I definitely spun my wheels figuring out what to pack! Here were the different days / activities and what I ended up wearing:

1. Conference day – smart casual

See a video of this look on me.

When in doubt, I always go for a well tailored pair of trousers and a jacket. It’s easy to tailor this formula based on the industry and crowd, like going more traditional with a blazer or more casual with a cardigan.

Since it was a trendier crowd, I wore this cropped Amazon jacket that I found last fall and got so many questions on it! For me, snipping off the buttons elevated the look and people were shocked that it was an under $40 Amazon find. The material is a thicker weight with lining, and it has a modern boxier cut. Length wise, I want to note that the torso is very cropped, but I love it for my height (5ft). The sleeves are long for me so I folded them under.

My Aritzia Effortless pants are probably the best quality trouser I own. I have on Short here and it’s floor -length with a mid heel. At 5 feet tall I find their “Shorter” length (2 inches shorter than Short) to fit best, but it’s always out of stock with less color options. For the waist I’m in between their 00 and 0, so get 0 for a little more room and just belt it.

2. Cocktail Party + dinner event

See my video of this look, including a soft Amazon lace bralette find I love. I like wearing it with lower-cut pieces and jackets so that if anything peeks out, it looks intentional. I didn’t take photos outside of these videos, so sorry for the low-res screenshots!

For the evening events, I dug into my closet and opted to fully re-wear a look from many years ago. This romper is such a chic piece that has held up thanks to its quality and tailoring. The arms are a touch long on me so I fold the sleeves under slightly, but otherwise, a 0 fits me well. It has come back year after year so will likely be restocked again!

Regarding the Schutz Maryana boots (more sizes here), a few years ago I mentioned sizing up to 5.5 since I thought they ran small and narrower through the foot and calves. However last month I ended up buying the same style in a different color, and it fit a little bigger, so I’m guessing they may have adjusted it over the years due to customer feedback. I’m usually between 5 to 5.5 in most brands, and in the current version I can now do size 5.

3. Meetings + networking Day

See a video of this look on me.

When I want to look polished without being too dressy, I love subbing in a trouser-style jeans instead of actual trousers. This is the jacket version of the Artizia regal vest that I love and wore SO much last year! Both pieces are a little tricky with fit, though, and run slim across the chest for me. While I sized up to a 0 for the vest, I stuck with 00 for the long sleeve blazer and just don’t wear any shirt under. FYI the jacket sleeves are pretty long on me – I have 2 inches folded under.

A few alternatives to my jacket that would result in a similar look paired with jeans or trousers:

• Ann Taylor U-Neck Jacket – very flattering shape on the model!
• Aritzia Golightly Cardigan – modern chic sweater alternative
• Gap Pocket cardigan (avail in petite)
• Quince slim waist cardigan – gosh I LOVED the quality of this but XS is just too big for me all around. Thick cozy cashmere and designer-inspired cut.