My Favorite Bodysuits + Why I Love Them

May 9, 2022 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Have you tried a bodysuit yet? Are you wondering if you should? If you would like it? Or why you might want to try them? I still vividly remember in 2009 seeing one come through the stockroom at Hollister and being confused as to why a leotard was in the boxes, but jokes on me because I love them. I’ve been wearing bodysuits regularly for a few years now, and today I want to share my favorites with you.

Why I Love Bodysuits

Bodysuits are awesome because they don’t crease if you wear them under blazers or jackets as a tank or t-shirt would, and you don’t have to constantly tuck them in. Yes, it’s true that it does take a bit longer to use the bathroom but I find the tradeoff worth it. I prefer thong bodysuits, which all but one I have tried have been and I think is more common than a cheeky-cut.

My Favorite Bodysuits

I have several bodysuits from Abercrombie, one from Hollister, one from Express, and one from Target. My favorite brand for bodysuits that I have tried is hands-down Abercrombie.

The Best Abercrombie and Fitch Bodysuits

Seamless Rib Fabric Scoopneck Bodysuit in Orange

If you’re only going to get one bodysuit, this is my favorite. I love that it is ribbed because the seamless bodysuits (which I will talk about in a minute) are stunning but the rib is less likely to pill or snag. I got the orange color, which is a beautiful light and I am a neutral gal who thinks that this passes as a neutral.

Double-Layered Seamless Fabric Square Neck Bodysuit

The double-layered seamless bodysuits are incredible. They are so smooth, they hold you in, and I don’t need to wear a bra with them. I do wear nipple covers. I do wash these on delicate in a laundry bag and hang them to dry because I do find them more likely to pill.

Double-Layered Seamless Fabric Corset Bodysuit

One-Shoulder Essential Bodysuit in Brown

I am *here* for the one-shoulder making a comeback (Shoutout to my mom for letting me wear these at 14 which I absolutely rocked to school with a zip-up track jacket over it). This bodysuit is not double-lined, hence the lower price (compared to other Abercrombie bodysuits). I wear it with the best strapless bra ever by Soma.

Long-Sleeve Seamless Mockneck Bodysuit

This is on clearance and in limited sizes but there are other similar ones on their website. It is PERFECT under blazers, and cardigans.

The Best Basic Bodysuit from Express

Body Contour Scoop Neck Bodysuit

If you need one bodysuit that can be worn alone, as a layer, dressed up, and dressed down this is it. It’s beautiful, holds you in while still being comfortable, and comes in so many color ways.

The Best Affordable Bodysuit from Target

Double Scoop Bodysuit

If you’re on a budget but want to see if you like the look of a bodysuit, I suggest this one. It doesn’t suck you in as much as the pricier options, but it still offers other benefits of the bodysuit such as avoiding the need to tuck in or flatten out fabric wrinkles. This is a bikini cut bodysuit, and while I prefer a thong cut this isn’t uncomfortable to wear. I love the line A New Day from Target for basic tanks and this bodysuit is no exception.

Have you tried any bodysuits? I’d love to hear which ones in the comments!

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You Need a Belt Bag [a.k.a Fanny Pack]

May 2, 2022 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Alright, it’s time. You need a belt bag, a.k.a a fanny pack. They’re trendy, but also functional. Today I want to share a few of my favorites.

The Best Belt Bags

Sling Fanny Pack -Target (I have the old version of this and use it daily!)

Everywhere Belt Bag – Lululemon (THIS is what I’m spending my Lululemon gift card on)

The Mini Belt Bag -Lululemon

Have you tried a belt bag?

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Abercrombie Essentials Collection Sale

April 25, 2022 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

If you follow my Instagram you may know that I wear a lot of Abercrombie and Fitch, and one of the things they do well is their Abercrombie Essentials Collection. Currently, Abercrombie is running a sale where if you buy two pieces from the Abercrombie Essentials collection they are 15% off and if you buy three pieces they are 25% off.

Abercrombie Essentials Collection Sale

Everyday Crew Essential Tee

I love this top so much that I’ve bought it 3 times. You can untie the knot and tuck it and the way the fabric is cut it tucks in so well the knot is also a cute look that isn’t quite cropped but looks nice with higher rise jeans.

Ribbed Essential Crew

This top is so cute. I love it with an oversized cardigan over it paired with jeans.

One-Shoulder Essential Bodysuit

I am here for the comeback of the one-shoulder top! I remember these were so popular in the early aughts and I would wear zip-up track jackets over them to high school. This bodysuit is not as thick as the double-lined bodysuits by Abercrombie, so I do prefer to wear this one with a strapless bra and not braless or with nipple covers.

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NYX Filler Instinct Review | NYX Filler Instinct Beach Casual

April 11, 2022 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

A few weeks ago I shared my thoughts on the NYX Filler Instinct Plumping Lip Gloss and today I want to share my thoughts on the NYX Filler Instinct Plumping Lip Color in Beach Casual.

NYX Filler Instinct Lip Color in Beach Casual

The NYX Filler Instinct Lipstick in Beach Casual is the perfect nude-y pink color and I love how I can swipe it over my lips, even without a mirror, and get the best your-lips-but-better lip color. It feels good on the lips. As far as plumping? I don’t notice the tingling sensation as I do with the NYX Filler Instinct Lip Polish, but maybe a slight cooling or minty feel. I love to apply the Beach Casual with no lip liner, no muss no fuss, and then add a bit of the NYX lip gloss over the top.

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How-To Style Trousers | The Best Trousers For Her 2022

April 4, 2022 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I have talked about my jeans rut and today I want to share how I am incorporating trousers into my routine. I love that with my career I get to wear what I call “snappy casual” (any other sorority gals out there call it this?): jeans with a blazer type of vibe. However, I got caught in a trap of wearing jeans every.single.day. But now I am a trouser convert, and maybe by the end of this post, you will be too.

How-To Style Trousers For Her

My favorite trousers are from Abercrombie. I have also seen great affordable options on Amazon that may be an option if you’re looking to see if this trend is a fit for you. I also have my eye on a pair of Banana Republic trousers.

Trousers Aren’t Just For the Office

You look incredibly stylish and chic but they’re more comfortable than jeans. I have worn them with a crewneck sweatshirt and sneakers and dressed them up with heels and a blouse. They’re incredibly versatile and you instantly look like you know something about fashion. Jeans and a tee or trousers and a tee? They also come in all the basic neutrals, or in fun pops of color if that’s your vibe, AND you can find them in countless styles (wide leg, straight leg, skinny, boyfriend, cargo, and on and on).

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Abercrombie Linen Pants (new favorite for spring/summer)

Tailored Wide Leg Pants (my FAVORITE trouser! So comfortable AND so chic)

Tailored 90s Relaxed Pants (I wore these for my family birthday dinner and to see Bachelor Live On Stage)

Banana Republic Wide-Leg Pants (stunning. Just, wow!)

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It’s been a fun run | LeahTackles turns 8

March 14, 2022 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

On Saturday this blog turned eight. EIGHT. E.I.G.H.T years of blogging. I started with three posts a week, then eventually down to two, and now I post once/week, but I have never, ever missed a post. That’s something I am proud of, and also something about myself that I grapple with, I am too the max to a fault at times. Today I want to share a few thoughts on this blogging journey, and a couple of birthday snaps.

How [and why] It Started

I’ve always been a writer. In fact, I got into Michigan State with an essay talking about how I was going to major in Journalism and Apparel and Textile Design so that I could be a fashion magazine writer. I ended up switching to Advertising and Public Relations, which is funny because when I started this blog I didn’t work in either field but now I’ve mushed them together into my own business. Phew. Okay, this is a tangle but we’ll get there. Likely the only person reading this is my mother, and I want this for my own memories.

When I was pregnant with our middle child YouTube became my escape. It was the hardest time of my life, but somehow at a time when I couldn’t care less about my appearance, watching makeup videos by the OG beauty influencers was an escape. I was hesitant to start YouTube [I did end up starting YouTube about one year later] so I decided to begin with a blog. After months of preparing the blog design and learning as much as I could without diving in I had my first post planned for my birthday. I ended up having a DNC the day before and still posting because I had promised myself that I would do it to have something for me, using my skills. So after crying and spending all day in bed eating Twix bars, I took some pictures and got it done.

It’s evolved and changed, and I’ve thought about stopping but it’s a way to force myself to keep writing, and I pay for the domain hosting to keep the years and hundreds of posts. I enjoy the consistency, and like to think that the practice of writing has helped me with published articles (they’re better done than these posts, sorry), writing for work, and the Christmas movie screenplays I am working on (if you have connections at Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix, etc let me know).

If you follow along, even just from time to time, thank you!

My 35th Birthday Celebration

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Cuddl Duds Thermal | A Winter Wardrobe Staple

February 21, 2022 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Ladies, we need to talk thermal shirts and how to wear them. They are not just for when you’re skiing or out in the elements. I am a 90’s kid through and through, and like most girls who grew up in the ’90s and aughts, I wear cami tanktops with almost everything. I now will wear shirts without them in the summer months, and I don’t layer them with t-shirts as I used to do (thanks to bras like this). But I realized in the winter I was reaching for sweaters every single day instead of my blouses and blazers, and then I heard a woman say she wore thermals underneath her workwear and my mind was blown [silly or not, it’s true!]

The Best Affordable Thermal Tops – Cuddl Duds

I have a black thermal turtleneck but really only wore it skiing until now. I recently snagged this white thermal top and it works perfectly under blazers, workwear tops, AND my beloved sweaters.

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Do you have a favorite thermal? I’d love to hear what you love!

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A Must-Have Pink Tweed Blazer | Express Tweed Blazer

February 14, 2022 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday! And, Happy Valentine’s Day!

I wear neutrals, mostly beige, cream, grays, and blush, with a bit of black. I don’t wear patterns, but I love classic materials and prints like tweed, houndstooth, stripes, and so on. I saw this Plaid Boucle Pink Tweed Blazer from Express shared by one of my favorite fashion bloggers, Amanda John, and while it’s a bit more bubblegum than the blush and nude pinks I typically consider a neutral I was willing to make an exception ; )

And a quick note about cost, I did get it on a bit of a sale but what I do when I want a new piece but don’t want to or can’t fit it into my budget, I sell things on local BST pages and make it a game. In a few days, I had enough to justify and pay for this jacket.

Plaid Boucle Tweed Jacket

This jacket is a gorgeous boucle (pronounced boo-clay and meaning a loosely woven material made with fancy yarn, which has tiny loops or curls. Derived from the French word for “curl”, this type of cloth can be made in a single color or in a combination of several shades) of pink and white threads with a little bit of a clear, shimmery thread that gives the most stunning bit of sparkle without any actual glitter/sparkle/sequins or anything else that would look, in my opinion, less chic. It is fully lined with a pretty light pink. The style is cropped, but not too cropped, it hits about 1.5 inches below the waist of my high-rise jeans. It is structured in the shoulders, but it isn’t too much padding. It is very comfortable to wear and looks amazing with straight-leg jeans, white jeans, or black slacks.

How I Styled It

I wore this with a pair of mom jeans and this Cuddl Duds thermal underneath.

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Pink Express Tweed Jacket

Do you have any tweed in your wardrobe? I’d love to hear where you like to shop for tweed (enable me!)

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How-To Wear Vegan Leather Pants | Neutral Leather Pants

February 7, 2022 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Confession time: I’ve been in a jean rut. I recently bought a pair of neutral pinky-nude vegan leather pants and today I want to share with you how-to-style neutral vegan leather pants.

My challenge for you? Try something different to change up your pants! Your only options aren’t just black trousers and jeans.

Abercrombie Women’s Vegan Leather 90’s Straight Pants

Growing up I always have loved clothes. In fact, before blogs and e-blast newsletters were a thing your girl wrote “zines” on AOL Teen as a tween back in the late ’90s. I also started college by applying [and getting accepted into…toot toot!] the J-School with a career plan of a fashion journalist. I changed my major to Advertising and PR, but never lost my love of writing about fashion. I started this blog is March of 2014 [shoot, even my blog is getting old…] and when I started my career in social media marketing I felt like I’d realized a life-long dream of being able to wear the ultimate fashion duo: Blazer and jeans. Snappy casual.

But now? I’m in a jean rut. And with most of my interactions being on Zoom, while I look put together on top, my lower half is in jeans 99% of the time. Enter my Abercrombie Women’s Vegan Leather 90’s Straight Pants. They are SO good. I have a pair of black vegan leather pants that I do like, but I am much more of a soft neutrals gal (think cream, gray, white, blush, and tans) so I don’t reach for them as often. I wanted a pair of beige leather pants, similar to my absolute favorite Abercrombie Vegan Leather Mini Puffer [favorite coat I own] but when I saw a pinky-nude it was meant to be.

What I love the most about these is allllll the ways to style them. They look cute with a sweater, they look fantastic with a bodysuit, and they’ll transition into spring with a pretty blouse. They are just shy of $100, but Abercrombie does have fantastic sales, and if you’re a member of “My Abercrombie” their rewards program, you get special sales and reward $. Both Stephan and I love Abercrombie these days, and so our points add up pretty quickly. [Fun fact, we met at Abercrombie maaaany moons ago 😉 ]

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My pants

I am attaching a few “look for less” I found on Amazon with good reviews but please know I have not tried those items!

Do you own any vegan leather pants? Let me know!

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Ugg Tasman Slippers Review + Look For Less [dupe]

January 31, 2022 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I wear my Ugg Australia slippers 365 days/year (yes, around the house in shorts or a dress in the summer!) and this year I finally got another pair (a great Christmas gift!) but they are a different style. I got the Tasman Ugg slippers after my favorite Ugg slippers were discontinued (I’ve owned 2 pairs of them!) and wanted to share my thoughts.

Tasman Ugg Slippers

At first, I missed my other Ugg Slippers, but after about a week of wear, I’ve come to really love these. They’re very warm, and I am always blown away at how much of a body temperature difference I notice when I take the Ugg Slippers off or put them on. I also think that because of the thick sole, these will endure longer wear than other similar sheepskin slipper boots.

*TIP! I always size down one full size in Ugg because the sheepskin fur fluff will pack down after a bit of wear. I also always treat my Uggs with scotch guard. My slippers are in Chestnut brown.

If you want a look-for-less I haven’t tried these BUT they have incredible reviews and are 1/4 of the Ugg pricetag. Not bad for an Ugg Tasman Dupe!