This week's video will hopefully give you all some ideas and inspiration for your Thanksgiving get-together next week. Can you believe that Thanksgiving is already next week?! I know I can't! Before you know it, it'll be 2015! Anyway, before I become stressed by how fast time is flying (lol), I came up with three different looks that I feel are perfect for the holiday. Watch the video below and check out the photos for a closer look of each piece (click the comment button to take you over to the photos!)
DRESS: Kaisley (Marshalls)// TIGHTS: Marshalls// BOOTIES: Nine West// LIPS: Milani's sugar plum liner and Sangria lipstick
Happy Monday, loves!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Many of you, if not all, most likely noticed that I haven't been creating date night posts discussing our (me and my hubby) dinners and my look for the night in a while. We decided that it would be best for me to feature outfits I create and wear throughout the week that would be a great option and inspiration for your date nights or girls night out. It was becoming close to impossible to find locations with good lighting at 10pm, plus we were often exhausted and it was kind of showing up in my face in some photos, lol! I hope you all understand.
On another note, I found this dress while strolling through the aisle of a Marshalls store, just hanging isolated from all other pieces, waiting for me! I instantly fell in love with the detailing across the shoulders and chest and loved how different it looked, so I went to try it on and loved the way it fit as well. Not bad for $25 bucks right?! I actually love when I find pieces, as I'm sure you all do, that are super inexpensive and look much more than what I paid, which I feel is the case with this dress. I actually thought it was one of BCBGenearation's pieces, since it does look like a piece that would be apart of their collection.
However, this is a dress that can totally be made at home (DIY)! All you would need is a plain, well fitting, black sweater dress (or any other color of your choice), glue, a glue gun, and of course pom poms! If you're not feeling too crafty, no worries; I created some shoppable alternatives that I would suggest for your body shape, all of which can be done at home as well, if you do happen to change your mind :)
I decided to create a look featuring pom poms on a pair of dressier shorts for all my apple shaped ladies because I believe that pomps on the upper body can add more visual weight, especially if you tend to be very busty. I think this is a great alternative because it exudes the same classy/chic, yet fun vibe that the dress I'm wearing does, while adding some more focus to those fabulous legs of yours!
I always mention that it's important for all my rectangular shaped ladies to consider creating outfits that re-establish the waistline and upper and lower portions. While this shape does look great in looks that don't necessarily skim the surface of the body, it is great to have some options for what would help in placing a focus on the different sections of the body, instead of a whole and this look does just that! The sweater adds dimension to the bust, while the a-line skirt adds a subtle width in the hip and thigh areas.
As for my fellow pear shaped ladies, I would definitely suggest a dress like the one I wore, if you happen to come across one. I searched for what seemed like hours for a dress like this and found nothing! As mentioned before, you could totally turn this post into a DIY with some tools you may already have in your home, especially if you have little ones, those pom poms can now come in handy and that plain black sweater dress can definitely be transformed into something a bit more exciting!
FAUX FUR VEST: TjMaxx// WHITE TOP: Cynthia Rowley (Marshalls)// JEANS: 1st Kiss (Marshalls)// SCARF: Charming Charlie// BRACELET: Little Switzerland in Aruba// RING: c/o Kendra Scott// PURSE: Tory Burch// SHOES: Tory Burch
Happy Friday!
Today's look is a very chic city inspired pairing. When you live in or commute to a busy city, as I do, it's very important to look chic and put together and feel comfortable at the same time! What makes this outfit chic is the neutral color palette and pattern combination. The main colors are white, beige, and black, with hints of gold and cheetah/leopard print thrown in to make things interesting. What makes it comfortable is that the long sleeve top is paired with a cozy oversized fur vest and a scarf draped around the neck for added warmth. Plus, there's the addition of Tory flats, which are super comfy. I get asked about these flats quite often and I actually found them at the outlet store about two years ago. I searched high and low to find them for you, but to no avail. However, I did find the espadrilles, which are quite similar, which are included in the shoppable scroll bar above. They are super cute and can certainly be worn now, as well as during the spring and summer months. The only thing is that they don't have that dressed up feel as the one's I'm wearing do. Since they're espadrilles, they have more of a casual feel to them, making them perfect to be paired with distressed jeans or the same look I'm wearing above. If I do come across them, rest assured I will post links EVERYWHERE!
To continue on, to be city chic is to be classy yet practical. As much as I love my sky high heels, running to catch trains and buses in them just doesn't cut it, at least most of the time! I have caught my fair share of public transit running in heels, from one side of Grand Central Terminal to the other, which if you've ever visited New York, you'll see a lot of!
Anyway, I hope you found some inspiration in this look! I made some minor changes to it for what I'd suggest for the inverted triangle and apple shapes, which I hope you enjoy!
SWEATER: C/O DEX// JEANS: New York & Company (here)// SNEAKER WEDGES: Ralph Lauren (Burlington Coat Factory)// EARRINGS: Local Boutique//NECKLACE: C/O Athra Lux// RING: C/O Kendra Scott// PURSE: Kate Spade (Marshalls)
Hello gorgeous ladies,
Today's look is a nice combination of urban edge with a hint of glam. I really enjoy blending different styles into one because I think it makes the overall outfit more interesting and unique. When I came up with this look, it was actually a result of my indecisiveness of not knowing if I wanted to wear something dressy or casual. While the sweater is not entirely dressy, it does have a hint of glamour, due to the grey shimmer part of the pattern. At the same time, it also has a casual element because of the mesh detailing paired with the bold orange; this sweater was featured in my video, Is Orange the New Black? How to Wear Orange for Your Skin Tone, by the way! The distressed light washed denim and the sneaker wedges helped enhance the urban and casual vibe I was also going for. Oh, and if you happen to like the sweater, many of DEX's pieces are on sale now, including this sweater and the one featured in the set below!
The majority of the body shapes can wear the exact pairing I have on, with the exception of my apple shaped beauties. The only reason I wouldn't suggest this particular sweater is because of the huge neon orange x across the midsection, which can place some unwanted attention on a larger bust and stomach. I recreated a look that's more figure flattering, inspired by the one above. In the one I created, the sweater has two solid black panels on the sides of the stomach and a small grey section down the center, which will create an instant slimming effect. Since it lacks the orange color found within the sweater I chose to wear, I decided to use the purse as the pop of orange, to maintain the same color scheme.
BLAZER: H&M// TUNIC: Marshalls// JEGGINGS: Express// BOOTS: Michael Kors (Marshalls)// PURSE: Louis Vuitoon Tivoli GM
(In the scroll bar, the pants are showing up white, but they have the teal color, too!)
Hello Ladies,
Today's look is a very seasonal color pairing, in that I selected colors that are found perfectly blended in nature during this time of year. I say nature is the best place to derive our inspiration, since everything that encompasses it compliments each other as though they were intricately placed and seasoned at the same exact time. So if they look perfect in the sky and around us, why wouldn't they look perfect on us?!
What I love about this color combination is that it can be used both in the summer and fall. They're perfect in the summer because teal is a color reflective of the gorgeous sea waters and the brown and gold accents are seen in trees, sand, and rocks around the shore. In fall, the browns are seen in the trees and leaves that are changing and the teal can be used to represent the leaves that don't change at all.
TIPS FOR WEARING THIS LOOK FOR YOUR FRAME
There are quite a few things that you can play around with, with an outfit like this. First, if you so choose, you can remove the blazer. This will create a lengthening effect to the upper half of the body, extending from the calf area (since we have boots) up to the face. In this case, we'd be using the monochrome technique to visual extend the length of the torso, perfect for those of you who may have a naturally shorter torso and longer legs! The reason why the torso would be the area that is mainly enhanced is because we're working with boots that are practically at the knee and are in a noticeably different color, which creates contrast:
The second option would be if you have a long torso, you may want to do what I did and that's wear a blazer over your top, to further enhance the sections of your body visually. You may also want to opt for boots that are not as high as the one's I'm wearing, since this cuts off some visual inches from the legs; in this case, ankle boots may be best:
Third, if you are fairly proportional in that one area of your body is not longer than the other, you can remove the blazer and just have the boots as the piece that breaks up the monochrome a bit. However, if you are petite and wish to appear visually taller overall, I'd suggest that you maintain the monochrome on top and bottom, don't add a different color blazer, and opt for ankle boots instead, since they cut off less of the leg visually:
TIPS FOR WEARING THIS LOOK FOR YOUR BODY SHAPE
Now, this look is perfect as is for all my pear, rectangular, and hourglass shaped ladies, despite the printed bottoms. The reason is because we're wearing a cowl neck, which balances out any attention that is being placed on the bottom half of our bodies, as a result of the print. A cowl neck adds visual dimension to the bust, making it appear larger, an instant fix for those of us with smaller busts and larger hips! This look is suitable for my rectangular shapes because our upper and lower portions are being distinguished and broken up into sections, due to the addition of the brown blazer and boots. This is ideal for the rectangular shape because she would otherwise appear straight up and down, lacking any curve or shape. The only thing I would alter for my apple shapes is the neckline of the top. Cowl necks are not the best choice for this shape, since those who fall into this category naturally have larger busts, wider chests, backs, and midsections, regardless of size; the use of a cowl neck would only exaggerate this making one appear even larger. Instead, opt for a v-neck, since they visually narrow the trunk of the body, because the neckline moves downward instead of across. Other than the that, this too would be a great look for all my apple shapes:
TIPS FOR WEARING THIS LOOK FOR SKIN TONE
When it comes to skin tone, caramel, cognac, or camel colors, which I'm wearing on top and bottom, tend to compliment those with warm or neutral skin tones best. If you fall into those skin tone categories and wish to recreate this look and don't have the colors mentioned, a terracotta or burnt orange would work just as well! For all my cool skin tones, I'd suggest a chocolate brown, since your natural undertones are deep (blue), so deep and rich colors look amazing on you!
Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you found the post helpful!
