Summer 10x10 — Outfit 9

Striped lace-up top outfit with green chino pants — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair
Army green chino pants work outfit with gold flats — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair
Summer work outfit with army green chino pants — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair
Blue striped lace-up top outfit with green chinos and gold flats — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Truly the best part of a 10x10 challenge (and shooting the looks ahead of time) in my opinion is the fact that I already know exactly what I'm going to wear for the week, so all I have to do in the morning is get dressed without needing to think too hard about it. That gives me time to hit the snooze button one more time because it only takes me a couple of minutes to get dressed!

I had another day of training today, which meant another very early morning. Today's look feels more casual than the others with just the lace-up top and chinos, and I think it's because I decided not to tuck the shirt at all. I kept it loose and comfortable and pushed up the sleeves to add even more of the casual vibe. :) I did end up bringing my linen blazer with me since the classroom tends to be on the chillier side, and it was well appreciated! 

Tomorrow is the final day—yay!

ITEM #9 — STRIPED LACE-UP TOP

I don't jump on every trend, but every once in a while there's a trend that I can't help but try for myself. I was immediately drawn to the lace-up top trend. They looked like a fun twist on basic tops—especially striped tops, of which you know I own a ton. ;) I just didn't like the tops that had those shoelace-like laces (why?!), so when I saw this top at LOFT last year I decided to give it a try (a few months earlier, Madewell had a very similar top that I tried on but it ended up being a bit too sheer for my taste). Not surprisingly, I fell in love and have worn it a bunch ever since! I ordered it in both an XS regular and XS petite and ended up keeping the XS petite because the regular fit way too oversized. The sleeves on the petite are a bit short on my long arms but I like how the body fits. The only downside is the fact that the tie is unravelling in one place. :( I wonder if a tailor could stitch it back up for me? I'd hate for it to fall apart! Still, I'm glad I gave the trend a try because I was pleasantly surprised. It's not too late to try the trend yourself, so I found a few more that have a similar style below!

1) Multicolor rayon stripe Mandarin collar stripe lace-up shirt by Mod-o-doc ($84) / Very similar style with banded collar, lace-up front, and elastic cuffs. Rayon. Available in light blue/grey stripes.

2) Signature lace-up seersucker shirt by L.L.Bean ($89) / Similar style but with 3/4-length sleeves. Cotton/polyester blend. Available in blue/neon orange stripes in most sizes.

3) Stripe lace-up shirt by Joe Fresh ($29, on sale for $20) / Similar style with roll tabs on the sleeves and a high-low hem. Cotton. Available in white with grey stripes or light pink with light grey/red stripes.

4) Striped lace-up top by Old Navy ($30) / Features fluttery short sleeves and a relaxed fit through the body. Rayon. Available in blue/white stripes.

5) Striped lace-up bell-sleeve hi-low top by Westbound ($50, on sale for $29) / Similar style with banded collar but with 3/4-length bell sleeves and high-low hem. Cotton. Available in light blue and white stripes or light khaki and white stripes.


OUTFIT DETAILS

LOFT top / old; similar options above
J.Crew pants / old; similar by Old Navy
J.Crew flats / old; similar by Sam Edelman (last seen here)
Madewell earrings / similar