Throwing a Fit: My Love Affair with Spades

Guest post by LL in KC

Since Jess is away in NOLA, she asked me to cover Fits for the weekend. It has bee a long time since I wrote for the bog, so I was excited to take her up on the offer. For those of you who are new to the blog, when Jess and I started Fits a few years ago, she was the fitness powerhouse, where I focused more on the fashion handle. So my guest posts will be about fashion...you've been warned.

In the time since I last wrote on the blog, I have begun a very torrid love affair with spades...Kate Spade that is. How can you not love the bright, fun, youthful patterns and colors that are signature of Kate Spade. Yes, I may be a late bloomer, I know. But in my defense, graduate students working for non-profits will NEVER be able to afford KS - they need to find corporate jobs to do that :-)

Recently, I wandered into the Kate Spade store on the Country Club Plaza here in KCMO and found myself in the middle of a sale. Here are a few things that caught my eye that you can also get on the Kate Spade website (along with a few suggested looks to go with them).

Navy & White Stripe Franny Coat with Back Bow (for under $300).

The navy and white stripes, matched with the 3/4 sleeves and back bow make this coat girly, yet professional; trendy yet classic. These are the pairings I had in mind:

This yellow River Island mini:

Or, these JCrew green slim pants:

To dress up or down the skirt or the pants, I really like the following footwear:

The Steve Madden Sincere are currently 33% off at Nordstrom. 

Or the Aldo Edulia in coral, currently 25%. 

I also have been throwing a fit for polka dot capris this spring. So I was super-pumped to find these Broom Street Capris in navy and white for less than $100.

White polka dots on a blue pant screams spring/summer nautical. I can see these paired with the following:

This coral JCrew Factory tank:

or this one:

And this outfit would not be complete with one of these amazing necklaces (all for prices that fit the bill):

Option #1:

Option #2:

Option #3:

I am a strong believer in invest pieces. However, I think you need to think through how an invest would fit into your current wardrobe. If you cannot come up with at least 5 different looks from your current wardrobe, you should not be purchasing that piece. Kate Spade is definitely an investment and can be challenging to justify the bright, statement pieces at the higher cost. But do not let me discourage you...I haven't ever encountered a Kate Spade piece I did not immediately love. I just force myself to be selective, and keep my husband close as sounding board.

I also believe that a more expensive investment piece always feels better when paired with more affordable accents, like I've provided above.