I know I'm not the only person out there who's undeniably, head-over-heels in love with every striped tee they see- right? It's an obsession. The problem is deciding between the seemingly endless options. Big stripes, small stripes, blue stripes, white stripes. You get the point. That's why I've begun the quest to find the perfect striped tee (for me).

Part of fine tuning my wardrobe is identifying and investing the those staples I can't live without. I've decided that having at least 4 striped tops is an absolute necessity for me. No two should be exactly alike but they should each fulfill a need in "dream" closet. My current assortment includes: a beloved 3/4 sleeve, navy and white striped top I found at a thrift store, a weekend-friendly long-sleeve, white and navy option from JCrew, and a bohemian peplum-style, red and white striped top from Free People. Which leaves me with one final opening to fill. 

Zara | JCrew | Cos | Uniqlo | Calder

As you can see I'm a bit all over the place with my selections. How can I choose between black or navy, thick or thin stripes, long sleeve or short sleeve? It really comes down to need.

Right now all of the striped tops I own are long sleeve, and though I wear these tops mostly fall-spring I'm starting to feel the need for a short sleeve option which will be easier to layer in the cooler months or throw on during the hotter months. Also, two of the three striped tops I own right now have navy stripes, so I'm thinking a black and white option could be a good call for my final addition.

So that leaves me with a hunt for a short-sleeved, black and white striped top made of cozy fabric and quality enough to sustain hundreds of wears. Any suggestions. Talk about first world problems. - b.

Better late than never? It's been a long time in the making, and with summer knocking at my door, I'm finally ready to share my five piece french wardrobe selects for spring! I've been enjoying all of the pieces for a few weeks now and I'm extremely pleased with the way this challenge has worked out for me thus far. Being forced to consider each piece I'm adding to my wardrobe before buying is giving me a new perspective on my personal style and the way I shop.

For those of you new to this series I recommend reading part I and II before continuing the post.

Prior to starting the five piece french wardrobe challenge I never really considered myself a big trends buyer. I've never had the expendable income to really do so, or so I thought. But since starting this challenge I've realized that a majority of my closet is made up of poorly made, cheap clothes with no chance of lasting more than a season or two of wear.  It's been really eye opening, and I'm now forcing myself to rethink the worth of clothes and just how much is reasonable to spend when a product is made of high quality fabrics, constructed beautifully, and unique to my wardrobe. A beautiful example of this being my new Elizabeth Suzann top; the Marlena Top is handmade in the US out of gorgeous crepe de chine silk (bonus it's reversible)!

That's not to say I think clothes have to be expensive to be worthwhile. One of my selects for spring was an ASOS jersey swing dress. I chose it because I needed something very basic, black, and wrinkle free for travel. It's been my go-to piece since buying it way back in February and I couldn't be happier. What I am saying though, is that the quality, fit, and construction now trump my immediate need to fill a gap in my wardrobe. I now research, search, and second guess every product I add to my shopping cart.

Another area I'm happily finding myself dig deeper into is seeking out unique, one-of-a-kind pieces to add to my wardrobe. Like the blue embroidered skirt and huipil top I found on Etsy for spring. They're both vintage, handmade items that make me feel instantly special whenever I wear them. Who doesn't want to walk confidently in a room, knowing they'll be the only one wear [fill in the blank]? 

It's a good feeling.

Selects:

1. Blue embroidered skirt - Vintage from Etsy

2. St. James Striped Shirt - J.Crew

3. Marlena Tank - Elizabeth Suzann

4. Embroidered Huipil Top - Guatemalan Vintage from Etsy

5. Black Swing Dress - ASOS

I don't think I'll be stopping this challenge any time soon, and my closet will continue to thank me. I'm half was through my summer selections so I'll be sharing more french five goodness soon. - b.

Last October, on my birthday to be exact, my iphone 4 fell out of my hands and shattered into a million pieces. As a social media coordinator this was pretty much the most devastating thing that could happen to me. To make matters worse I was in NYC for work and needed a phone stat. So the internal dilemma began. Do I pay the bazillion dollars for an iphone 5s or buy the shiny new iphone 5c which had a much more reasonable price tag? Of course I caved to monetary pressure and went with the 5c, but forgot to take one thing into consideration before buying. The case.

Unlike the 5s, the iphone 5c wont fit into the pretty cases you see all over the internet for the iphone 5 customer. The shape is different and as such you need a very specific case to fit the form. The style options up to this point have been pretty limited for us poor 5c owners who didn't buy the phone for its fun color options, but bought it out of budgetary necessity. I've spent nearly 6 months hunting for a non-utilitarian case and have at last found a few options I like. That's where you come in, I need your help picking the style.

There are 2 categories I'm stuck between textural neutrals and graphic prints.

What I like about all three of these cases is that despite their textural look and playful patterns they all feel neutral and polished. Since childhood tortoise shell has always symbolized the epitome of chic for me, and Garance Dore's painterly leopard print is just too cool, but the marble is also a classy option with flecks of gold through out. I don't feel like I'd get tired of any of these options, but then there's also...

A part of me loves graphic pops of colors, and there's that soft spot I have for florals that I just can't seem to avoid either. The pinks in the botanical rose case from Rifle Paper Co. are super sweet and feminine, while the corals of the red floral case from Leah Reena Goren feel punchy and fun. Sunshine was a pet name my mom gave me as a kid so there's that too. These three 5c cases feel a little more of the moment and would probably need to be replaced in a year or two based on my changing tastes, but then again so will my phone.

Can you see why I'm having such a hard time choosing a favorite? Which one would you buy? - b.