Styling with Sydne #12

7 outfits, zero effort + it gets better... or does it?

Hope you’re enjoying your long weekend! When this hits your inbox, I’ll probably be cooking for four adults and two toddlers. We’re hosting our first family staycation this weekend! I used to love traveling. I mean, I traveled nonstop. But since moving to San Diego, I haven’t felt the itch as much. 1. I have a two-year-old (if you’re a mom, you know traveling is a whole different ball game with kids). And 2. San Diego feels like vacation. And it’s not just because I’ve only lived here a couple of years. It literally is a tourist destination. So I figured, why not be a tourist in my hometown? The weather’s unbeatable... and I really love my bed.

In today’s styling session, we’re creating casual classic outfits with a denim shirtdress. But first…

My notes this week are things I bought or already have that are on sale… because it seems like everything is on sale for Memorial Day. Here are my top 3:

• Abercrombie: 25 % off
  To say I love these jeans is an understatement. I don’t even know how many washes and lengths I have at this point. I also have (and recommend) these denim shorts and this insanely flattering dress.

• Eric Javits: 30% off
  My mom got me hooked on their hats years ago. That’s us above in our fave fedora-visor hybrid. This is my second fave hat, and this is my mom’s fave visor.

• Old Navy: 50% off deals
  I just bought more colors of this $5 ribbed tank for me and grabbed more $4.99 graphic tees for my kiddo.

Honestly, there are SO many sales and I’m sure you’re getting bombarded by them. So if you just want to browse what I wear on repeat, feel free to do so here… most likely it’s on sale right now!

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Ok, let’s get styling…

I rarely wear mini dresses since having a kid, but I was instantly drawn to this denim one. Bella Dahl makes some of my favorite button-down shirts, so I figured their shirt dresses would be equally comfy and soft. Spoiler alert: they are… and everything is 25% off this weekend with code MEMDAY25.

Denim Shirt Dress: Bella Dahl Short Sleeve Seamed Shirt Dress, $125

I’m wearing an XS, but I probably should’ve gone with a S for a little extra length. So if you’re between sizes, I’d size up.

p.s. I made it easy to shop each outfit in my Substack ShopMy. You can search by each Styling with Sydne session. Here’s today’s:

What I love about this dress is it doesn’t take much. Add a straw hat and comfy slides and you still feel pulled together on a hot summer day. Tying the belt to the side, like I did above, is a tiny styling tweak you can do on the go.

Other zero-effort ways to style it? Add a fun sandal and/or necklace. I actually DIYed this one by attaching an S charm I already had to a $25 beaded necklace. The trendy ones are going for way more, and I’m still not 100% sold on the look. But my son loves saying colors, so I’ve been adding more into my outfits wherever I can.

Speaking of trends, I love that tying a shirt or sweater around your waist is back. It helps define your waist without feeling too done. I went with a chambray shirt for a double denim vibe.

Still easy, just takes two more seconds? Swap out the dress’s belt for one from your closet. I like a thinner belt for proportions on this mini. Add a cardi and ballet flats, and it feels dressed up just enough.

Or keep it casual with a straw hat and Birks. These are the EVA ones I always rave about (so comfy and waterproof).

For a more relaxed vibe, I unbuttoned the dress down to my waist and added a lightweight tank underneath (mine is on sale for $5 this weekend and it’s my fave). The Tevas are just as comfy as my beloved Birks.

You can also keep unbuttoning and turn the dress into a lightweight jacket. I like to loosely tie mine in the back to keep the shape. Excuse the awkward photo, I just wanted to show what I meant.

our styling sessions go deeper after the paywall

Here’s what’s below this week...

• how I DIYed a skort out of this dress

• the 2-inch heels I’ve had forever that make my legs look super long

• plus, why I missed last weekend’s styling session