OOTD | Lovely Layers

By 23 Jan 2015 0 Fashionspiration, OOTD , , , , Permalink 0

A few weeks ago I went shopping at J. Crew and found one of the most vintage and classy dresses in the world,  and ever since I’ve been dying to wear it.  But not in just any old way – I wanted to make this OOTD special.  Everyone was quite surprised that I liked the dress, but it’s actually one of my new favorite pieces in my closet.  I guess it’s all about ‘figuring out my identity’ and discovering my personal style.  Apparently I do not have one, but I do think there’s going to be a post about the evolution of my personal style one day.

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What I Wore: Black and Grey Dress (J. Crew) //Light Blue ‘Perfect Fit’ Turtleneck Shirt (J. Crew)//Pleated Black Flared Skirt (Anthropologie)//Black Heeled Ankle Boots (Cole Haan)//Purple Cross-Body (Kate Spade)

I’ve been liking layers a lot lately, they’re a really simple way to make an OOTD more interesting – one of my main goals when picking out my clothes.  Now I really can’t say that I’m a huge fan of turtlenecks – I found them quite annoying when I was younger – but I do believe a lot of different lengths, textures, and colors were added to this outfit, especially by such a simple item of clothing.

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Another piece I really like is this dress, it’s so classy and vintage.  It’s also really different from the dresses I usually wear, instead of being very young and playful, this is more mature and traditional.  The panels of leather on the side are a really nice addition, they make the the dress a little less grandma-ish, and a lot more modern.  The tightness of the dress also adds to this look and aesthetic.

I wore this necklace to really call attention to the layers and the collars of this outfit.  That’s one of my favorite parts of the ensemble, and something I really wanted to show off.  The necklace also adds a nice transition between the stretchy fabric, and leather collar of the dress.  It also adds some quirkiness and color to the outfit, before the necklace, this OOTD seemed a little drab and dark, but afterwards I felt like there was a lot more ‘me’ in the outfit.

Do you like a more classy or quirky style?  Do you like layers or minimalist outfits?  Let me know in the comments.

A-Z Fashion Glossary | Alexander McQueen

By 16 Jan 2015 0 A-Z Fashion Glossary , , , , Permalink 0

It’s pretty cliche for someone who likes fashion to watch Project Runway, but yes, I’m one of those people.  I only started watching recently, but some things are so pretty, and delicate, and well sewn that I’m just instantly inspired.  Sometimes there’s a lot of technical fashion ‘mumbo-jumbo’ that I never understand.  And since I would like to go to a fashion school, and you know be a fashion designer, I thought it might be good to educate myself in the art of fashion terms through and a-z fashion glossary.

 

runway, fashion week, fashion guide, fashion terms, a-z fashion glossary, Alexander McQueen

Term: Alexander McQueen

Definition: McQueen was a British fashion who passed away in 2010.  Alexander McQueen was known for his spontaneous designs inspired by his cinematic inspirations.  Everything designed by McQueen was created to provoke an emotion such as awe or wonder.  He was all about empowering woman, and challenging the normal standards of beauty.

Smarty Pants Points: McQueen was a fan of Dr. Martens, (major points in my book) and amazingly short hair.  He has won the British Designer of the Year award 4 times.  McQueen worked as an apprentice in Saville Row before he was discovered by Isabella Blow.

 


 I’ll be keeping a running glossary/dictionary with short summaries and a link to each word underneath the A-Z Fashion Glossary page on my blog as a quick and easy reference, so be sure to check their for new terms.  All images are from Pinterest, and the original sources can be found here.

 

Disclaimer:  I have seen a few bloggers do an a-z fashion glossary, but I will be using different terms, and a different method of ‘relaying the information.’  I have been inspired by Tolly Dolly Posh’s series of similar posts. Also, I will try to include 3-4 terms for each term, but some letters such as “y” and “i” only have 1-2 terms.

 

3 Ways to Style a Necklace | Mink and Stone

By 01 Jan 2015 2 DIYs, Fashionspiration, OOTD , , , , Permalink 0
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I’ve partnered up* with the brand new jewelry company, Mink and Stone to show you my 3 favorite ways to wear the same necklace, most likely your favorite, over and over again.  But instead of creating a uniform revolving around your necklace, I’ve shown you 3 different, easily re-created styles in which to wear your necklace.

Just a quick heads up, I found not all the colors are the exact way they appear when you design the necklace on the website.  For example, the silver heart I ordered appeared darker and more grungy in person than online.  Also, these are probably necklaces you treat yourself to for things like As on midterms, (pretty solid logic there) because they’re handmade, (not mass produced) and cost more than necklaces you might find at Forever 21 for example.

Casual

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Casual is probably my go to style on the weekends, despite how much I dislike to admit that to myself.  It’s quite easy just to throw on a pair of jeans, boots, and a sweater.  But a 1-of-a-kind necklace, a couple of bracelets, and/or rings on top of that, will really make your outfit a lot less uniform.  I’d recommend statement pieces, like I mentioned in this post, or quirky pieces like mine from Mink and Stone.

Dressy

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Probably my favorite of the three, dressy does take some creativity.  But I’m not talking about floor-length gowns, and 4 inch heels.  I’m more about mid length dress, and some sort of cover, whether it’s a sweater, or a kimono, unless it’s really warm outside.  In the fall and winter pairing Oxfords and quirky knee-length socks, along with some really cool jewelry is a great way to doll up your outfit, without being too boring.  To keep it simple, add a minimal amount of necklaces and rings, but I really like to wear lots of chunky rings, and layer necklaces of all lengths.

Business-Like (Yet Quirky)

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A blazer, flats-the workplace uniform.  I don’t actually have a job, but whenever I have nothing else to put over a shirt, a blazer has become my go-to.  Instead of buying multiple different styles (of blazers) in multiple different colors, why not not to add small inexpensive touches to an outfit.  Pins and shoe clips are simple, affordable ways (even for me, someone without a job) to make your blazer and shoes more fun.  But to go even further, or avoid the purchase of anything else, why not find a really nice, interesting go-to piece, (like I’ve mention about 400 times in this post) to spice things up.

*This is a sponsored post, as Mink and Stone has gifted and/or compensated me to write this post.  All opinions are my own, as I truly love the idea of designing your own piece of jewelry.  View my full disclaimer here.