winter – Mel Gets Dressed

Snowy Day Essentials

Can you believe that I’ve lived in New England my entire life and didn’t own a real winter jacket until last year? And it was a gift from Shawn!

Although my parents definitely bundled me up as a kid, I’ve refused to dress warm since high school and that didn’t change until recently. For whatever reason, I felt like it was uncool? I was very wrong. Now, you can’t catch me outside without my North Face puffer, bean boots, scarf, and a Carhartt beanie. Also, who knew that masks kept your face so warm? I’m thinking this is going to be a winter-weather dog-walking essential even after cover is over.

Today, we’re enjoying the snow in warmth! We got about 4 inches yesterday and Winston is loving every second if it.

January 30, 2021

Hello last weekend of January! We’ve been fortunate to have a pretty mild Winter so far this year, but with temps dropping down into the negatives with windchill, it’s forced me to have to layer up. Extra fun fact: I got this sweater in the children’s section!

Every one in a while, I see an ad on Instagram/Facebook for something that I absolutely HAVE TO HAVE but when I click it to shop, I’m often disappointed to find that it only comes in children’s sizes and not adult. I guess that’s the downside of liking colorful clothing, but the digital marketer in me always scoffs because they have their targeting is all wrong. This is exactly what happened with this Old Navy cardigan, which I ended up purchasing in a children’s size 16 after doing some measurement comparisons (usually I am a women’s small/medium)!

I paired this cardigan with a v-neck collared shirt and some mom jeans for a quick casual looks. I’m layered up and ready to go!

January 15, 2021

And just like that, today marks TWO WEEKS since the creation of Mel Gets Dressed! What an fun journey it’s been so far that I’m excited to continue.

If I’ve learned anything so far from this new blogging endeavor, it’s that you get out of it what you put into it. If I want so see more engagement and reach a larger audience, I have to branch out and engage with others in the same way. It’s introduced me to so many new creators so far and they inspire me every day.

To celebrate, today I’m sporting this black and white buffalo plaid printed dress that I recently purchased on sale from H&M right before the holidays. I love to wear buffalo plaid in the winter, as I feel like it’s an easy way to incorporate more color into your wardrobe with a more seasonal and classic pattern. This piece is one of my favorites from the many items that I purchased – I’ll have to do a haul before everything is sold out.

January 14, 2021

Today I’m giving you a peek inside of my MASSIVE shoe collection and dishing out the inside scoop on some of my favorites.

Free People simply cannot make a pair of shoes that I don’t like. It’s just not possible. The perfect example is this pair of red/cream houndstooth booties, which are some of the most unique looking shoes I think I’ve ever seen.

I’m not sure what year these were released, but I found them on Poshmark for a very reasonable price and scooped them up immediately, even though they are about half a size too small for me and I definitely feel it after walking around in them for a while.

I typically dress these down a bit with a pair of jeans and simple sweater in the winter, and I’m excited for the day that I can wear these to the office again!

January 11, 2021

Introducing… my first official shacket! I can already tell you that it will NOT be my last.

For the past several months, I have been watching the “shacket” trend and waiting for the perfect one (for me). The day is here and I finally have one in my hands!

I purchased this shacket during the Forever 21 50% off sale sale (sale sale), among many other things, for the great price of $17. It’s cropped in length and super soft and warm – perfect for the upcoming winter/spring transition we’ll be experiencing here in New England! Also, I’m a HUGE fan of buffalo plaid anything. I seriously wish they came out with more colors – I’ll have to keep an eye out.

January 4, 2021

Welcome to my first blog post! Today’s outfit is a super casual one, with layered accessories to give it a more dressed-up feel. Outfit details below.

Cardigan: I recently purchased this cardigan from Forever 21. The pointelle design and frills on the collar really stood out to me as something unique! I’m happy to report that the quality is great and it’s something that I plan to wear often even after the cardigan-as-a-shirt trend is over.

Cardigan: Link // Jeans: Similar // Shoes: Link

Jeans: These are my favorite jeans… ever! I’ve been looking for the perfect pair of high-waisted mom jeans for a while now and I’m super pleased with the fit of these. The denim is thick, the legs aren’t too baggy, and the western patchwork design is to die for. The brand is Abercrombie & Fitch, although I purchased these second-hand on Poshmark. Who knew I would be wearing A&F again in my late 20’s after being willing to give an arm and a leg for a moose graphic tee when I was 13?

Shoes: Check out these cheetah-licious Dr. Martens Chelsea boots! I had my eye on these for a while and finally took the plunge when I found them on sale for almost 50% off. I have a big collection of Docs, but these are definitely one of my favorite pairs!

Accessories: Almost all of my accessories, including my socks, were purchased at Forever 21. The only exception to this is the vintage gold belt, which I recently thrifted! The two necklaces and earrings are my go-to jewelry pieces these days since they are so easy to layer and go with everything.