LYSSÉ Schiffer Shirt - Preppy Travel Outfit

LYSSÉ Schiffer Shirt (The price for the blue striped one is lowest at Zappos right now, but you can also find it via Nordstrom, Tuckernuck and Amazon.) / Jack Rogers (On crazy sale! Be sure to swoop a pair up now. You’ll thank yourself come your next trip or summer. Here are the sandals in white, cork and bone, which I adore… and this pair is on sale, too.) / J Brand Maternity Ankle Jeans (I highly recommend Old Navy’s Rockstar maternity white jeans, though, if “full panel” doesn’t bother you! And my favorite non-maternity white skinny jeans are from Rag & Bone.

Looking for a deal? BlankNYC carries fabulous white skinnies for only $88!) / MZ Wallace Medium Metro Tote (It’s back in navy! I also highly suggest investing in the large version, which is now available in navy at both Bloomingdale’s and MZ Wallace. It’s a GREAT travel, overnight or baby bag… and totally doubles as a pillow. It can also be squished into tight spaces, like under plane seats. The medium is more of a day-to-day bag, but I use it all the time.)

Friends, I really can’t tell you how obsessed I am with this button-down shirt, which I’m convinced everyone needs for both travel and everyday life. I’ve actually long loved LYSSÉ for its leggings (at Nordstrom, Tuckernuck and Zappos), which have taken the “preppy fashion world” by storm. But I only recently discovered the magic of the brand’s wrinkle-resistant shirt when searching for tops that could work with the baby bump, and now I need at least one more. ;)

LYSSÉ Button-Down Schiffer Top

(The price for the blue striped one is lowest at Zappos right now, but you can also find it via Nordstrom, Tuckernuck and Amazon.)

It’s. The. Best.

I wore it at least four times in Florida, haha. Granted, I only packed for seven days, and ended up staying for a solid 12, haha. But I found myself constantly reaching for it, as the thing apparently always looks like it just came back from the cleaners. Like, I’ve never once ironed it! I simply took it out of the package, folded it, and packed it away in my suitcase… and perfect. And even after four wears, all during which Emma spent significant time on my hip, the top stayed crisp and neat-looking.

Which means that when I’m not pregnant, I’ll be able to style it tons of different ways on trips, thus resulting in lots of different outfits and saved suitcase space. (Which Emma will undoubtedly fill with Peppa Pig toys, but whatever. 😉) Yes, the top looks great paired with a simple pair of white jeans, but I also think it would be adorable tucked into skirts (heart this one); open, over a white or blush tee or camisole; knotted at the bottom and worn over simple, casual dresses; or paired with critter-adorned shorts. (Is anyone else kind of into those again? Is it just me? Ha!) It’s just amazingly versatile… and I love that. Anything that provides me with more wardrobe options while traveling is a winner in my book!

Another great quality is that it’s cooling.

While we had a few chilly days in Florida in the 50s and 60s, we also had some very toasty ones… and the shirt worked great in both scenarios. I really appreciated that it took the sun off my sunburn-prone shoulders yet I didn’t overheat in it.

In terms of sizing, I would say that the top runs true to size. It is, however, meant to be slightly loose and on the longer side, so I wouldn’t size up, even if you typically like your tops a little larger. If you’re pregnant, I recommend going up one or two sizes depending on how far along you are, and the shape of your bump. I’m currently five months pregnant but measuring a bit bigger than that, so I went up two sizes in the Lysse top. (Whereas I’d probably normally wear an XS, I’m wearing a medium here. The small did fit, but I felt like it wouldn’t in a month or two, and I want to be able to wear the shirt through Month Nine.)

And which ones would I like to add to my collection next? Definitely the white one, since a white button-down is a staple… but also maybe the light pink!

So yeah. I liken this top to those no-iron shirts from Brooks Brothers that all dads seemingly swear by because you don’t have to get ‘em dry-cleaned or even iron or steam them. It’s a magic top, and one that every preppy lady needs in her closet!

Okay. Before I go, though, a few other notes on the rest of my simple travel outfit:

MZ Wallace Medium “Metro” Tote

It’s back in NAVY, guys! This is huge. I got mine ages ago on Nantucket, and then the brand discontinued it. I’ve seriously been getting e-mails from readers for years about where to track one down, and the answer has sadly always been “nowhere, unless you can find one on eBay.” :( Until NOW! The company brought it back, and you can find it via the brand’s website and Bloomingdales. (Nordstrom also carries it, but not in navy at the moment.) The best part?! It’s also available in the large size, which makes for a fabulous travel, overnight or baby bag. Be sure to snatch it up quickly because it said “low stock” last week, and I’m a little nervous it won’t be around for long.

Why I love the Metro Tote (both the medium and the large) so much:

It’s machine-washable. I don’t think that it’s advertised as being so, but I’ve washed mine several times and it comes out looking brand new every time, even with the small leather detailing on the handles and zipper. (Emma was literally puked INTO the bag not once but twice, hahaha.) I simply put it in a delicates bag; wash on gentle with Arm & Hammer detergent, which I think is the best-smelling stuff on the market; and then let it air-dry.
It’s durable and squishy. Sounds funny, but it’s so unbelievably convenient that you can shove it into tight spaces, like under strollers and plane seats. I love my Goyard and Louis Vuitton totes, but I kind of stress when I do that with them. With the Metro Tote, though, I never have to worry. I’ve had it for years, and again, it still looks brand new despite how much I’ve put it through!
It doubles as a pillow. Great for flights, long car rides, or when you’re out and your kid desperately needs to nap but can’t get comfy. Before kids, Mitch used to fall asleep on it in airports all the time!

Jack Rogers “Whipstitch” Sandals (On crazy sale!)

(Here are the sandals in white, cork and bone, which I adore… and this pair is on sale, too.)

Another staple. After my recent KonMari closet clean-out, very few sandals made the cut. But my Jacks did! They’re timeless, and what I reach for most on vacations and during the warmer months. If you haven’t purchased a new pair in a few years, you’ll be happy to hear that the company made the sandals a LOT more comfortable a few seasons back. Whereas the soles used to cause me a lot of pain (mostly in the heel area), I now don’t have any issues. So nice! I also highly recommend investing in a new pair of the champagne, gold or silver sandals right now, since they’re on major sale. You’ll be happy you did so once the summer rolls around!

(Sizing: TTS. I used to go up a half size in Jacks about three years ago. Now, though, I order my regular size, which is a 7.5. It seems like the brand changed its sizing slightly!)

J Brand Maternity Ankle Jeans

My first pair of distressed jeans! I was having a really hard time finding a pair of white skinnies for this trip, and ended up ordering these on account of the awesome reviews I found somewhere. I wasn’t a huge fan of the rips, but they were SO SOFT and comfortable that I ended up keeping them… and I wore them nearly every day on the trip! (Luckily, our Airbnb in Marco Island had a washer/dryer, which was super helpful.) Of course, they’re a big investment… but I’m obsessed with white jeans and wear them so often that I felt I’d get a lot of use out of them.

That said, Old Navy’s Rockstar white skinny jeans are fabulous and much more affordable, and what I would recommend if you can handle full-panel maternity pants. I’m not a fan, as they seem to cut off circulation for me and I tend to have accidents when wearing them because they take some effort to get off, which isn’t the best when you go from 0-10 in roughly 30 seconds in regards to needing to use the bathroom while pregnant. (TMI?) Still, I know many fellow preggos who will only wear full-panel, and if you’re in that category, get the Rockstars! They’re much more wallet-friendly, and they’re super soft. They also don’t stretch out throughout the day.

Note:

I normally go one size down in maternity jeans because I’ve found that most of them run on the bigger side. Did that with both the J Brand and Rockstar jeans, and it was the right decision. You might, however, want to order two sizes so you can compare, and then send back whatever doesn’t work. Nice to have options!

Btw:

My favorite non-maternity white skinny jeans are from Rag & Bone. Looking for a deal? BlankNYC carries fabulous white skinnies for only $88!

Now that I’ve talked your ear off—I clearly missed blogging!—I’ll leave you with these photos, which we took on Captiva a few days ago. I LOVE this little stretch of houses on Andy Rosse Lane, right in the middle of the island’s tiny “downtown” area and steps away from the beach. They’re so cute, and some of them are rentals, I believe! I’m not sure how hard it is to score one (or how much they go for), but I’d love to rent next year if at all possible, as I think the location and proximity to restaurants would make for a fantastic experience.

(My parents are talking about renting a place for the whole fam, as they’re still deciding on where to buy in Southwest Florida in the next few years. While we really, really loved our trip to Naples last year, I do think my vote is Captiva/Sanibel! Excited for them to visit in a couple of months and hear their take on the islands. Also, yes, Mitch and I are putting together a guide for Captiva and Sanibel, so you should expect that up on the blog soon!)

Okay, byeeeee. I’m off to select winners for the oodles of giveaways we’d hosted over the last couple of weeks, and start shipping everything out. Hope you’re all having a great start to the week!

MZ Wallace. It’s a GREAT travel, overnight or baby bag… and totally doubles as a pillow

Mitch is wearing a orange sweater and shorts

^ Hi, Cutie.

Shop the post:

Looking for a deal? BlankNYC carries fabulous white skinnies for only $88!) / MZ Wallace Medium Metro Tote (It’s back in navy! I also highly suggest investing in the large version, which is now available in navy at both Bloomingdale’s and MZ Wallace. It’s a GREAT travel, overnight or baby bag… and totally doubles as a pillow. 😉 It can also be squished into tight spaces, like under plane seats. The medium is more of a day-to-day bag, but I use it all the time.)