Color Yourself

One of the hottest trends this summer is bright and colorful nails! And what better way to celebrate the warm weather and the fact that it’s summer than with exciting new nail polish colors! With colors like Sea. I told You, I’m his Coral Friend, If the Fuchsia Fits, and Banana Bandana (from OPI) there’s no way not to have fun when you get your nails done. Now don’t be afraid to try out this trend. Just have fun with it and pick your most favorite wacky color. . . and remember, you can’t go wrong as long as it's bright and flashy!

Happy Colorful Summer!!

Tis the Season

Tis the season- Wedding Season that is!  This means lots of invitations to lots of different weddings.  It can be hard to decide what is appropriate to wear to a wedding.  To help you out I have chosen four different looks for four different kinds of weddings.

 The Plaza in June

This is your formal, uber chic, big to do wedding.  So maybe the wedding you will be attending is not at the Plaza, but non-the less this is the wedding of the season. Everyone and their mother’s will be attending.  So what do you wear? In look one, I have chosen to wear my most chic and fancy couture dress. I have paired it with opera length pearls and a green satin clutch to add a pop of color.  This look can be worn for both black-tie and cocktail attire.

Country-Club Nuptials

This is your classic wedding.  Ceremony at the church followed by a reception at the country club.  I have chosen to wear a summery royal blue dress with embroidered details at the neck and hem. This is not the wedding to wear your flashiest dress or jewelry. Choose a look that is a bit more on the modest side.

 A Southern Affair

Nothing is more garish at a preppy southern wedding than edgy couture. Stick to pastel tea-length or eyelet dresses and strappy elegant heals. 

Beachfront Blowout

The long, printed maxi dress was made for exotic locations. Since you've spent your savings on a ticket, skip the shoe splurge and slip into metallic gladiator sandals.

 

Dress Like Me

Today I am wearing my skinny J Brand jeans paired with a blouse I bought at a thrift store and a really old Robert Rodriquez blazer that I still wear to this day! I am wearing this to work today and since I work in a more casual atmosphere this is totally fine.  This is also a great outfit for “casual Fridays" at work- for some of course.  Since it's still a little on the cool side here this look works great for me, but for some this might be too warm of an outfit at this time of the year.  Instead of jeans you could pair the top and blazer with white shorts or a skirt of your choice. Or you could switch out the blouse and put on a white cotton t-shirt under the blazer. Decide what is best for your day and find inspiration in this outfit to help you create your next look.  

Flip-ity Flop-ity

What is the easiest shoe to throw on and go during the warm summer months? That’s right, Flip Flops! I just love flip flops- they are just too easy! I usually throw my flip flops on with whatever I am wearing: a sun dress, shorts, jeans, etc. Nine times out of ten they work with everything. Now there are a lot of flip flops out there and I think it is important to choose a flip flop with some style. There are some flip flops that are a little on the dull side. Don’t let this be your flip flop’s case. Choose a flip flop that is fun and full of life. They are a casual shoe so why not add some pizzazz to them, plus it’s an easy way to spruce up your ensemble for the day.

Above I have shown some of my favorite flip flops that are out there. All of these have an extra element of excitement to them- none are just a simple ole flip flop. The brands shown above are Havaianas, Mystique, J-Crew, and Bernardo, plus all of the shoes shown are a reasonable price-anywhere between $24-$140. With thousands and thousands of flip flops to choose from pick a style that fits you and your personality. Have a couple different pairs in your closet so anytime you are out and about you have a fun and stylish shoe to throw on and go!

Dress Like Me

So once a week I thought I would do a blog called “Dress like Me.” I will take a picture of what I am wearing for the day. This way you can see some of my outfits and get a better understanding of who I am and what my style is. Also, most importantly I want you to find inspiration in my outfits and be able to apply it to your wardrobe. Hopefully they will help spark ideas of how you can put together your clothes so you can create stylish new looks with the clothes you already have in your closet!

Here I am wearing a little black cotton v-neck dress. . . nothing fancy. I have paired it with a chunky yellow necklace and my turquoise gladiator sandals, there my fav-which gives my simple black dress instant style and pizzazz! This is a great summer weekend look- lunch with the girls, trotting around town doing errands, or even a casual summer night out. Whichever you prefer, this is an effortlessly casual and chic look!

A Suit of Course

What is the most classic and conservative thing you can wear to work? A suit of course. A suit is a wonderful way to portray yourself at work- a suit says your professional, focused and hard working. Of course in some industries a suit is more of a required attire, but none the less you can never go wrong with a suit at work. Above I have shown three different ways to wear your classic suit. I am wearing a white Theory suit, which I have had forever, literally. I chose white instead of black to mix it up a bit. It is summer now and everyone is always in a black suit so why not do something different. The suit over the years has developed a not so “cool” reputation. It has a tendency to be conservative and boring at times, but this is not the way it has to be.

When buying a suit make sure you buy one that fits and flatters you. Make sure the jacket is fitted enough that it gives you a waist. The worst is when a woman puts on a suite jacket and it looks like she crawled inside a box of fabric. I know you want to look professional but this doesn’t mean you have to completely give up style and looking good. I mean, HELLO we are women and God gave us all curves so it’s ok to show them off a little, it’s who we are! Also, make sure your pants are long enough to wear with heals and that they are not too loose on the legs. Of course you don’t want them skin tight but a little fitted is always better then baggy. Also, you don’t always have to wear your classic white or blue oxford button down starched shirt. Mix it up a little.

Above, I have shown how I mix up the way I wear my suit. I have also mixed up my suit by pairing the pants with a different blazer. Now I work in the fashion industry so this is totally acceptable. I understand if you work in a more regimented profession, but this is just an example of how you don’t always have to play by the rules. Change it up a little, have fun, and be different. All three of these looks are professional and conservative, but still show my personality through my clothes, and guess what? I still look like I have a figure and some style.

Now, if you are finding these looks just won’t cut it at work then trying pairing a classic black suit with a fun and different blouse. Take inspirations from what I have done above and apply it to your wardrobe and work environment. And remember looking conservative doesn’t mean you have to look uptight and boring. Play with your clothes and have fun with it. . . Life is too short to look boring!

Spring Cleanin' Time!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial weekend! Now that’s its officially summer, you know what that means, it’s Spring Cleanin' Time! If you haven’t done so already, its time to clean out and change over the clothes in your closet. Living in NY this is a must for me at least twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. I always put away the winter close and bring out my summer clothes! I have found when tackling spring cleaning there are three steps that make the process so much easier.

1. Before putting away your winter clothes go though everything. If you did not wear something this season or last then it is time to give it away. If your clothes have holes in them, your sweaters have pilling on them, or it looks worn to death then give it away! I know it is hard to part with your precious clothes, but it’s so important to clean out and edit your old clothes to make room for new items next season. Know that I definitely struggle with this all the time—I have a tendency to be a packrat and never like to give anything away, but I bite my lip and do it anyways

2. Now its time to put away your winter clothes. A great space saving way to store your clothes are “Space Bags.” Oh yes, these are the big plastic bags you see on infomercials. You put your clothes in then and suction the air out so the bag is almost flat. I have used these for a couple years now . . . I Love them! I usually put my sweaters and turtlenecks in them and stick them under my bed. I also use canvas like drawers that have cedar in them. I put the rest of my clothes in them and stick them under my bed as well. Cedar is really great when storing clothes. Cedar keeps your clothes clean and fresh and most of all keeps bugs and moths from getting into your clothes and eating holes in them. Thank goodness for bed skirts because under my bed probably looks like a war zone but non-the less, it is organized and my clothes are kept safe during the off-season.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=15966920
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=106378&RN=1007

3. So now that everything is put away its time to put out your summer clothes. I like organizing my hanging clothes by short sleeve, skirts, pants, dresses, etc. This makes it easy for me to find what I need when going into my closet looking for something to wear. Everyone is different in how they like their things organized, some maybe like their clothes organized by color, but it’s important to find a strategy that works for you. A great space saving tool when hanging your clothes are thin hangers. It’s amazing how thick and bulky hangers take up so much space on your clothes rack. My favorite hangers are from Bed Bath & Beyond. They are thin, rounded corners, and velvet covered so your clothes don’t slide off.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14000887

Make time to clean out your closet at least twice a year and use these three easy steps to help the process go more smoothly! It does take some time, but when all said and done it feels so good to have everything organized and clean. It’s frustrating when you know you have something but can’t find it amongst the mess. Keeping your things organized helps to eliminate unneeded stress in your life. . . So get Spring Cleanin'!