It was about two years ago that TJ and I were making our final preparations to head out on our last European adventure before Harper was born (yet, we didn’t know this would be our last at the time…). I had made a lengthy list of items I wanted to pack, and had ensured they were all in the suitcase…. including a few items that were thrown in at the last minute, you know, “just in case….”. We loaded my 65 pound suitcase into the car and off we went (I don’t ever recommend traveling to Europe with a suitcase that heavy #ridiculous). While I had great intentions of wearing all the items I packed, in reality, I likely recycled 10-15 items over and over again (for a 14 day trip….). You see, I had packed items that weren’t very practical… a few fancy dresses here…. a cute skirt there…. culottes…. jumpsuits…… you get the picture….. All of those clothing items ultimately took a back seat to my favorite jeans, basic tops, motto jackets, and other, more travel friendly, items…..

I guess it’s taken me a while to cultivate a practical and functional wardrobe. Don’t get me wrong, I have pieces that don’t fall into either of those categories (as became evident on our Euro trip….)…. yet, the majority of the items hanging in my closet are everyday ready. Maybe it’s because my life has shifted slightly, but I’d also like to think it’s just a function of figuring out what works best for me. All that to say, something I’ve come to rely heavily on is a good ready to wear top. You name it… t-shirt, button-up, tank… I’m a lover of them all. You see, these everyday basics can be worn anywhere. You can dress them up, or down, wear them out at night, or to a casual lunch…. dress up for the office or work them into your casual weekend wardrobe. They’re the item every gal has to have in her closet. So, when I stumbled across this adorable cold shoulder one, I decided it deserved a spot next to my other favorites. It’s on the shorter side, so opting to pair it with my favorite high waisted jeans was a no-brainer (then again, I pair everything with high waisted jeans….). I wore it out this past week when TJ and I met up in Old Town Orange for a little ice cream date with Harper…..

 I also thought I’d share with you some of my recent favorite RTW (ready to wear) tops I find myself grabbing for time and time again, like this cold shoulder three quarter sleeve top, this sweater tank, grey ruffle sleeve top (just wore it yesterday), white + blush striped button-up, super soft + slouchy v-neck tee, basic boyfriend pocket tank (own in two colors), and this super soft bell sleeve top (I own in blush + black).
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(Outfit Details || Top (comes in 3 color options) | Jeans | Sneakers c/o (come in 3 color options) | Tote | Sunglasses | Necklace)