Vintage Jeans & Linen

If there's one thing that dominates my closet, it's denim. I don't know when the obsession started, but a good pair of jeans will always catch my eye. I wear jeans almost daily, they're an integral part of what I wear to work, especially when I'm out sourcing vintage and am apt to get dirty. Denim is forgiving in just so many ways – the more beat up, the better. I'm always on the hunt for it in vintage and thrift stores, but more recently I'd been eyeing the Everlane Edition 2 Wide Leg Crop Jeans but just hadn't pulled the trigger.

Well, I'm glad I waited.

As much as I love the Everlane jeans, I came across the vintage pair you see here at Curator up in Rockland, Maine – who now boasts a pretty incredible women's selection – and fell in love. They're cut similarly, but just a little slimmer through the leg. And they're clearly built to last, having held up for what I'm guessing is at least 30+ years (I think they're late '70s Calvins). Paired with a linen top from one of my favorite sustainable brands, I put together what I consider to be the ideal early summer outfit: Comfortable, polished, simple.

All content ©Julie O'Boyle-Sharp

White Lace Button-up Dress in The Old Port

This past week, we've been getting the kind of weather that makes enduring the Maine winters worthwhile. While perpetually sunny SoCal may be tempting at times, as a born-and-bred New Englander, I like the appreciation that comes with dealing with one particularly long and cold season. Spring, summer, and fall? Absolutely stunning. Seasons when your heart feels like it could burst from your chest with happiness, all because you just dealt with what felt like 15 years of winter. Maybe we're all masochists, but that first day when you can finally trade in your sneakers for a pair of perfect leather sandals might be the happiest day of the year (yes, I'm exaggerating).

Anyway, after a blip of freezing cold weather last week (it was 45 degrees and people were angry), I've been enjoying finally breaking out my summer and spring wardrobe, including this super cute dress.

I've never met a white summer dress I didn't love. Case in point: This lace button-up number from Free People (which just so happens to be on major sale right now). I bought it awhile back (March, I think?) when warm weather was still just a pipe dream, and I was more than happy to finally bust it out this past weekend for an afternoon spent wandering Old Port Fest here in Portland. And by "afternoon" I mean about an hour –maybe two – before I felt overwhelmed and needed to head home. (crowds, amirite?)

Anyway, like I said, this dress and a ton of other summer-ready items are on major sale right now over on Shopbop – take an additional 25% off sale items with the code score18. I've linked a few of my favorites below, because their sales are the perfect time to pick up something you've had your eye on (I grabbed a cute pair of pajamas, a cozy robe, and a perfect red shoulder bag)

What To Wear to a Casual Summer Wedding/Celebration

I know what you're thinking, "didn't you just write about dressing for a summer wedding?" I did, pal, but here's the thing: The wedding celebration we went to this weekend was so different from our other friend's wedding in Pittsburgh last month, I had to share. Because I bet you've got some casual weddings on your calendar – or fancier parties – and striking the right balance can be hard! Knowing what to wear to casual wedding vs. what to wear to a formal wedding...

This past weekend we drove inland to our hometown area (in case you didn't know, Chris and I grew up about 20 minutes apart in Western Maine/and the Mount Washington Valley of New Hampshire) to celebrate two of our longtime friends making it official. Instead of a formal wedding, they chose to have a big party (score!) with lots of food (double score), and lots of dancing (yes, score again!) at a local conservation center. For these reasons, I didn't want to wear the long, somewhat delicate Reformation dress I bought off Poshmark for the Pittsburgh wedding and opted instead for something a little more casual. I'd been eyeing this wrap dress for months, waiting for it to go on sale, and this past weekend it finally did. And it's from a very unexpected source... Yeeeeeep. My younger self is rolling in her grave. But a great dress is a great dress and that's the thing about being older – you stop giving a shit. Anyway, it was on sale and fit perfectly and is a style I know I'll wear constantly this summer, so here it is!

I paired it with dance-friendly lace-up wedges, the most perfect straw bag, and a few simple jewelry pieces. Done and done. Best part? It looked fine when I eventually tossed my shoes aside and went barefoot. I was in the woods of New Hampshire, after all.