What to Wear to Brunch or Tea

 

This weekend, my family treated my Mamma to high tea. Ever since I can remember, my sister and I have always found "having tea" special because my Mom instilled that love in us. When we were little girls she would bring out one of the beautiful child-sized china tea sets that my grandparents had given us, and set us up at our own little child table. We would put on our pretty play dresses with the lace sleeves and the tulle skirts, and go through her jewelry boxes (I'm trying to remember if we were allowed to do that or whether we just did that...ha!) to drape ourselves in her costume jewelry and pin brooches on our dresses. Then we would sit down to dainty sandwiches (probably PB&J!) and our own tiny pots of tea.

When we were older, we got to use the beautiful china teacups she had brought back from her European travels and her lovely antique teapots. We would walk over to her china cabinet and get excited about which pretty cup we would use this time. I remember thinking then about how wonderful it was that my Mom had traveled all over and brought back so many pretty things. When I was old enough, I traveled the world too and when I finally found the man who was my forever-match, my mom and sister hosted a bridal tea to celebrate my wedding. 

When I was in college I started collecting my own pretty tea-things and tea was made extra special for me when my college work-study supervisor, Sharon, put on a yearly tea party for her workers. Like my mom, she would let us dress up - decking ourselves in hats and gloves and fur wraps - and then we would all sit down to tea, scones, and home-made lemon curd and Devonshire cream. When I was away at college, Sharon was a mother and grandmother to me, and like my own mom, she knew that having tea was a more than just sharing a meal - it was a way to share lives and love. 

So, for Mother's Day for the past two years, I have been taking my Mom to tea. We get dressed up,  get excited about the pretty table and the pretty china, and share stories between scones and cups of tea. This year was extra special because our husbands wanted to come along too.

But what do you wear, when you're an adult, to brunch or tea? I opted for nice slacks paired with a fun flutter sleeve top. The flutter sleeves make the top fancy enough for brunch or tea but also simple enough to be paired with any number of statement necklaces that pop against the solid colored top. I would always wear a necklace with this top since the space between the sleeves needs something to balance out the movement at the sleeves. Also, when wearing a top like this with lots of movement at the top, balance it out by pairing it with sleek or fitted bottoms. This top looks great with a pencil skirt or nice slacks. 

Pair a blue top with a pop of pink! 

Magenta Earrings // Pink Lipstick // Statement Necklace

Love these pants! They're lined, so no worries about wearing white! 

So what did everyone else do for Mother's Day? Let me know in the comments below! And if you haven't had a chance to check out Jamberry Nails, make sure to check out this post! 

Outfit Details: 

Drew Fit Ankle Pant: The Limited, here. 

Flutter-Sleeve Top: Banana Republic Factory, here (under $25!). More spring colors here! Other flutter sleeve tops here and in the widget below!

Nude Heels: Nordstrom, here in Bisque. 

Fringe Statement Necklace: Baublebar, here. Similar here. 

Milani Amore Matte Lip Cream (16, Sweetheart): Walmart, here. Also here, and here. Stays all day!
Quilted Bag: Target, here.
Earrings: Kendra Scott c/o, here in Magenta.
Cuff Bracelet: Kendra Scott, sold out. Similar Kendra Scott cuff here and here.
Pave Link Bracelet: Boutique, old. Almost exact here and here.
Watch: Charming Charlie, old. Almost exact here.
Rings: Baublebar Ice Lateral Ring, sold out. Similar here, here and here. Bow Ring via Tradesy. Most similar here. More in widget below.

Thanks so much for stopping by!