A Jeans and Tee Alternative - Stripes, Cargos, and Jelly Shoes

One outfit to take me through two coffee meetings in Frenchtown and Yacht Haven, a quick grocery/post office trip, re-organizing my home office, and dinner with friends in the evening. That's what a recent day called for. I really wasn't in the mood to change clothes three times. What's a girl to do? This:

sweater, H&M (oooold, like London two years ago old); cargo skinnies, Free People (via Twice, similar here); sunglasses, Ray Ban; bag, BCBG (old); jelly shoes, thrifted; watch, Timex; necklace, RJ Graziano (from St Thomas Humane Society Boutique); bracelet, vintage;

A great alternative on a day when jeans and a t-shirt wasn't appealing. It was on and off rainy as well. Here was the thought process behind what I threw on that morning. Sunglasses in a classic shape. I grabbed my wayfarers here. Stripes work with basically anything and as a lightweight sweater they can look more put together than just a plain tee.

Easy vintage jewelry I could just throw on. I was in such a rush I forgot to grab my earrings. 

Having a pair of neutral non-jeans I can grab fast helps me dress and and go on mornings that I'm not feeling jeans or tailored pants. My skinny cargos have been a go-to jeans alternative lately. I've also got a pair of grey tie-dye jeans that I've been loving but they were in the laundry hamper. It's about time to replace this purse, yes? I'm keeping my eye open for another snakeskin print tote. This one was linen from BCBG two summers ago. I've used it far more frequently than I thought I would. I think I'll retire it to beach bag status when I find model 2.0. 

And jellies. Oh, my jelly shoes. How I love them. 

Jellies are my new favorite obsession. I first re-remembered them when I saw a pile of shoe boxes covered in dust a few months ago at our St Thomas Cash and Carry out at Four Winds. (I think I was there to get a fish bowl and a rug. Or maybe an apple peeler and a table shaped like bananas. You can get it all at Cash and Carry. And they take credit cards. Go figure.) This pile of shoe boxes held grown-up sized jellies that looked left over from 1984, judging by the layer of dust on the shoes. They were uncomfortable and not well made (designs were badly cut out and also discolored) but my little-girl-me shoe of choice has been on my mind ever since. When I found a brand new pair at a thrift store in Boston last month I snatched them up. $3.99? Um, yep!

I did a quick online search to hopefully provide you with a few pairs. Apparently jellies are only carried by our island Cash and Carry and designers. Crazy. Not sure what happened to the cheap drug store variety of my childhood. But if you're in the mood for some $100+ jellies, my favorites are here, here, and here.

Hopefully the trickle down effect will happen and jellies will soon be readily available at a Target or gas station near you!