Today's Everyday Fashion: What to Keep, What to Toss

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By now you guys know that I tend to hold onto items for a really long time. In fact, I have a whole collection of blazers from 5+ years ago that I'm still rocking today. Take this jacket from H&M - I bought it in 2006, haven't worn it in ages, but decided to bust it out of the closet today! How did I know I would wear this again? Check out my tips below for cleaning out your closet and what to keep/what to toss. But first...

Why this works: This jacket can be very costume-y. I didn't want to look like I was headed to a costume party, so I was very careful about what I paired the jacket with. Flares look really modern, and in the Victorian era they weren't around. I mixed my styles (Victorian and 70's) to create a funky, modern look!

Jacket: H&M
Shirt: Forever 21, $8
Jeans: Gap, $15
Shoes: Restricted/Endless.com, $39

What to toss: When making a toss/maybes pile, don't listen to experts that tell you to throw something out if you haven't worn it for 6 months to a year. I have held onto tops for a full 5 years before they came back in style, and every time I am really thankful that I held onto them. When to toss:
  • If something is ripped, stained or worn out.
  • If you are only holding onto it for sentimental reasons.
  • If something doesn't fit you size-wise. (one exception: if it can be used for maternity wear later on) 
  • If something doesn't fit you style-wise. Pants often don't keep well, because the styles change (skinny, flare, etc.) so I don't generally hold onto them for very long.
  • If you don't love it anymore. (we all grow out of our younger styles eventually!)
What to keep:  In general, these are the principles I follow in deciding what to keep:
  • If you still really love it, the fit is great, it just feels out of date. Keep it - it will probably come back into style!
  • If it's a high quality item such as a blazer, coat or shoes (only keep the shoes if they are in excellent condition though!).
  • If it's a unique item such as a beaded top or special occasion dress.
How do you decide what to keep?

Today's Everyday Fashion: I Heart the Gap

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Today's look is head-to-toe Gap, inspired by Gap! It's no secret that I love that store - almost all of my jeans are from there and I wear this green army jacket a LOT. Why do I love the Gap so much? Well,  I always say that a girl finds that one brand that really works for them and then sticks to it. For me, the fit of Gap jeans are right-on, and the fact that I can usually get them on sale for $15-30 is even better! Tell me - what brands of jeans fit you best? Do you have a go-to store for jeans?

Photo left: Gap.com
Shirt: Gap, $14
Jacket: Gap, $25
Jeans: Gap, $35
Boots: Cynthia Rowley/TJ Maxx, $85
Belt: Forever 21, $8

ps. Would love your help with a little something. Could you please vote for me in Refinery 29's Hunt for the next Style Blogger? It's really easy - just go here and click the little pink heart on my picture! You can only vote once. Thank you!!!

smartwater + Brink magazine

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J's smartwater ad in Brink magazine


























I recently teamed up with smartwater to re-create one of their iconic Jennifer Aniston ads. She is the most beautiful woman alive and I have always loved the ads she did with them. This picture does make me chuckle, though. For one, I'm not wearing a shirt. For two, I'm not smiling and I always smile. I was trying to achieve her look though - I used a self-timer and a tripod and this was the first take, not too shabby, right? ;-)

Along with my blog post on how to transition workout gear, this smartwater ad was published in the most recent issue of Brink magazine! I was so excited when I saw it - I love Brink and smartwater and I just wanted to say "thank you!" Love, J.

Black Supplex Pants: c/o Brazilian Moda
Black/Pink Sports bra: c/o Brazilian Moda

J' s blog post in Brink magazine

Flashback Friday: Camel Leather Jacket

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This week's Flashback Friday is one of my favorite - and most expensive - clothing items. Last spring I invested in this camel leather jacket from Banana Republic. I hardly ever spend this much on one item (it was $150 with a coupon), but I loved it sooo much. How much? If you can see yourself wearing the jacket with nothing but a white t-shirt and jeans, you know it's love. :-) Other ways I knew it was okay? I had a $250 budget that month, and wasn't in the market for anything in particular, so I knew I could use my budget on this "splurge" and still have plenty left over.

Tell me - what items have you splurged on? Which outfit in today's feature is your favorite?

Today's Everyday Fashion: It's in the Mag

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Do you ever look at a picture in a magazine and say to yourself "I could never look like that"? Well stop that right now! Some outfits might be unobtainable, and some of them no one should be wearing, but some are just what you need for a fresh take on your closet.  Take today's inspiration from Lucky magazine (left). I had all the pieces I needed, this picture just gave me a little boost to make it happen. Anyone can do it - now get to collecting those magazine photos! :-)

Occasion: Work
Photo left: Lucky magazine
Jacket: Banana Republic, $75
Cardigan: Banana Republic, $30
Shirt: H&M, $14
Jeans: Gap, $35
Belt: H&M, $20
Shoes: Restricted/Endless.com, $39
Earrings: Urban Outfitters, $5

Today's Everyday Fashion: Orange Olivia

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I looove Olivia Palermo's style so when I saw this photo on FabSugar, I know I had to re-create it! I don't have an orange blazer, so I switched things around and wore an orange shirt and brown cardigan. (Note: hard to tell from the photo, but my pants are also plaid.)

Why this works: One way to experiment with color is to stick to colors that are all from the same "family." This combo works because all of the colors in the outfit are similar shades of brown/orange/yellow, which live on the same side of the color wheel!

Occasion: Work
Photo left: FabSugar.com
Cardigan: Banana Republic, $30
Shirt: Limited, $30
Pants: Banana Republic outlet
Belt: Limited, $15
Shoes: Bandolino/TJ Maxx, $25
Watch: Michael Kors, Christmas present
Earrings: Banana Republic, $20

How to Dress for Air Travel

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Air travel is one of the hardest occasions to dress for, especially when it involves traveling between different climates. I recently made an overnight trip from Orlando to Washington DC, a temperature difference of more than 40 degrees. Here’s how I managed to stay stylish, all while adjusting to changing temperatures, in just four easy steps!

1. Select shoes for the cooler climate. The first step is selecting your shoes. You’ll need to remove them in the security line, so something that slips off easily is best. I recommend picking a shoe that works for the colder climate. You can suffer through having too-warm toes in the warm climate, but you don’t want to freeze in the cooler climate. I went with these boots, which are both easy to slip off and kept me warm while up north! 

























2. Select tops for the warm climate. The second step is to select some tops that will work in the warmer climate. Choose lightweight shirts that will balance out your warm feet and look cute with the shoes you already selected.


















3. Select some layering pieces. The next step is to pick more layers that you can add (or remove) as the climate changes. I laid some options on the bed to see if everything went together. It looked like this:































4. Try everything on. The last step is to quickly try everything on and make sure it fits and is comfortable. Your pants should be comfortable for sitting and you’ll want plenty of warm layers to pile on once you reach your destination. Here is the final result. Stylish on both ends of my flight - and in between! :-)

























Shirt: Forever 21, $15
Belt: H&M
Jeans: American Eagle, $33
Boots: Bakers, $95
Sweater: J.Crew, $27
Coat: LOFT, $50
Gloves: Filene's Basement, $20
Fur collar: H&M, $15
Watch: Michael Kors, Christmas present

























Shirt: H&M, $13
Belt: H&M
Jeans: American Eagle, $33
Boots: Bakers, $95
Sweater: Gap, $50
Coat: LOFT, $50
Gloves: Filene's Basement, $20
Fur collar: H&M, $15

What are your best fashion tips for air travel?

Today's Everyday Fashion: Neon Love

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I'm pulling another look from the archives today because I'm still sick! I gave myself a day to rest and do nothing which is good for my health but bad for the blog. :-) I put this outfit together a couple months ago but haven't had a chance to wear it yet. I love neon, so I was thrilled to find a way to make it work for winter. What do you guys think - is neon a yes or a no in the winter?

ps. Check out a new section on the blog "Favorite Posts and Videos" which has links to my most popular, how-to and video posts!

Dress: H&M, $35
Blazer: Express
Belt: Urban Outfitters, $30
Boots: Cynthia Rowley/TJ Maxx, $85
Earrings: Urban Outfitters, $5

Why I don't 30x30

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I’m going to start with some disclaimers right up front!
  1. There is absolutely no judgment on fashion bloggers who do this challenge. These are solely my opinions and what I feel is best for my own blog. I do not advocate "boycotting" all fashion bloggers during the remix, nor is that my intent with this post.
  2. I am posting my opinion to: a. answer those who have asked if I am planning to do it and b. because I think it’s fun to think outside the box and not just go with what is popular, but to throw in some dissenting opinions too!
By now you have gathered that I will not be doing the 30x30 challenge. (The 30x30 is a challenge that hundreds of personal style bloggers participate in. They pick 30 pieces of clothing/shoes and in 30 days that’s all they can wear. They post pictures of the 30 outfits they came up with.) Here's why:
  1. The biggest reason - 30x30 does not fit in with my blog’s mission statement. My mission is to keep it real and represent real-life clothing situations at all times. The only time a real-life 30x30 situation happens is if you take a trip that lasts 30 days. I don’t feel this situation happens enough to warrant “practicing”. This also goes again some of the principles I teach on this blog, such as: use everything you have! Wear that blazer you haven’t worn in 5 years! Why leave out the rest of your clothes for a month? This doesn’t make good sense in real life.
  2. My mission is also to help people get creative and feel good about themselves with clothes. I'm writing for an audience of real people who are not pros (neither am I!) and I see the 30x30 as a potentially stressful situation: "what items do I choose?" "how do I put them together?" I can literally see someone crying in their closet over it, which takes all the FUN out of fashion! The challenge seems like it's better suited for a talented fashion blogger or stylist, not an everyday girl.
  3. I treasure the fact that my blog is unique and there isn’t another one out there like it. Blogs are such personal and specialized little slices of heaven – for the life of me I can’t figure out why everyone wants to be posting the same things at the same time for a month?
  4. From a reader perspective, if you do the 30x30 challenge I pretty much stop reading your blog for a month. Not because I'm a hater, but because I find it boring. (Again, I'm not advocating boycotting 30x30 bloggers here, I'm just stating my opinion as a reader. If it's boring to me, I certainly wouldn't want to post about it, right? My reasons for not being interested are the same as above, simply because it's not a realistic situation. I love the Biggest Loser and American Idol, which are competitions that make differences in people's lives. But 30x30 is like watching Minute to Win It - why are they trying to balance golf balls on their forehead again?)
  5. Last week I came up with these four challenges off the top of my head. I think they are better suited for the everyday girl, and these situations DO occur in real life:
  • When you are out of ideas: wear the same shirt or dress 4 times this month, in different ways.
  • When you need to do laundry: wear the same pants or skirt M-F, in different ways.
  • When you have no $: challenge yourself to not buy a single new item for 60 days, and use what you already have.
  • When you bored with your clothes: challenge yourself to wear 10 items this month that you haven't worn in 6+ months.
I’m interested in hearing your thoughts! Is the 30x30 something you would like to see on this blog? Or any of the other challenges I listed? How do you feel about doing the 30x30 on your blog and why? Please let me know what you think in the comments section!

Today's Everyday Fashion: The Gun Show

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 I was faced with an interesting question yesterday: what does one wear to a gun show? I went with comfy jeans, comfy shoes and my latest find at TJ Maxx - a floral shirt that I though fit the bill. I tried taking my picture while we were at the show (how cool is this old Phillips 66 sign?!) but the sun wasn't cooperating so I snapped the left photo when I got home (don't hate, I'm still sick and had been crying = not cute). I shot a gun for the first time in my life and the whole experience freaked me out so much I cried - am I the only one this has happened to? I mean, I'm from the sticks of Kansas so you would think this would be no big deal, but I had never been that close to a gun and they are scary. I managed to shoot it twice and I'm determined to try again, but it was quite the adventure! :-)

Occasion: Gun show
Sweater: Gap, $25
Shirt: Silence & Noise/TJ Maxx, $15
Belt: American Eagle/Filene's Basement, $5
Jeans: American Eagle, $33
Boots: Forever 21, $33
Necklace: c/o Designs by Mandi, $14
Purse: Juicy Couture/Neiman Marcus Last Call, $115

Today's Everyday Fashion: Friday Night Fever

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The title of this post is my attempt to be funny. This is what I wore on Friday night, when I was just getting over a fever, get it? :-) I've been sick all week but I didn't want to miss the first-ever Orlando fashion bloggers meet-up organized by yours truly (if you are a fashion blogger in Orlando please email me!). A dress was the easiest thing I could think of and with some makeup and hair you couldn't even tell I was getting over being sick. Mission accomplished.

Why this works: This dress is boxy and I have very little curves, so I added a belt to define my waist and give my body some shape. I added tights for warmth, and to balance out the short hemline of the dress!

Occasion: Blogger dinner
Dress: c/o Unique Closet
Belt: Express, came with another dress
Blazer (left): Express
Scarf (left): Banana Republic, $20
Tights: Hue/TJ Maxx, $5
Boots: Cynthia Rowley/TJ Maxx, $85
Purse: Urban Outfitters, $30
Earrings: Boston boutique, $15
Bracelets: Banana Republic, $10-15

A group shot after dinner! Check out their blogs (from left to right): Work Your Closet, Fashion the Like, and Machine Wash Warm.

Photo courtesy of Machine Wash Warm

Review of ASOS.com

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I have spent the past year drooling over the items on ASOS.com, a United Kingdom retailer. They stock some of the most unique special occasion dresses I have ever seen and when items go on sale the prices are amazing! The company announced that they "moved" to the US in September and with that came free shipping in both directions. I decided to stop drooling and finally placed my first order a couple weeks ago. Here's what I learned:

1. Shipping: Shipping is free in both directions, but it is slow. Like really slow. I'm used to ordering from Forever 21, and they move at a snail's pace but ASOS was way worse. Expect a long wait time if you order (up to two weeks).
2. Quality: I ordered two sale skirts for $20 and $25 (one is pictured above). For the price, the pieces were great quality! Way better than I was expecting, way better than Forever 21. I felt like the prices were great for the quality of the items.
3. Sizing: The sizing is WAY off. This part almost brought me to tears. I ordered a size up *just to be safe* and the skirts are still way too small. This is great news if you are a petite person who wears a 000, but if you are normally in the larger numbers at the Gap, then you might have to skip this website. (For reference, I wear a size 2 in bottoms at Gap/Banana/LOFT/Abercrombie. I ordered a US size 4 in the skirt above, and a US size 6 in another skirt because it was Petite. BOTH are way tiny on me and I can't even zip them up.)
4. Foreign Transaction Fee: This is another part of the experience i really could have lived without. My credit card charged me a foreign transaction fee for ordering from them. This part confused me since they are supposed to be located in the US now? Luckily, when I return the skirts this should get refunded but it was still a bummer to see this on my credit card statement! (Note: my charge was $3 for a $45 order, but this varies by credit card provider and is a charge from them, not ASOS.)

Overall, I'm a bit disappointed. I probably won't order again unless I'm really desperate for one of their special occasion dresses, which I will order at least two sizes larger than normal. :-)

Today's Everyday Fashion: Game Day

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I came down with a bronchitis thing this week so I pulled this look from the archives. I absolutely love this color combo, although living in Florida now it reminds me a bit of Gators colors! (make no mistake - I'm a Jayhawk fan, my alma matter) This could be one creative way to dress up for game day if you were a Gators fan, however. Tell me - what teams do you follow and what creative game day gear do you wear?

Cardigan: H&M, $18
Shirt: c/o Elegantees
Belt: Gap, $40
Jeans: Hudson/Filene's Basement, $70
Shoes: Restricted/Endless.com, $39
Earrings: Banana Republic, $20

Today's Everyday Fashion: Who Wears the Pants?

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This is my second outfit with these red pants. The first outfit was met with... mixed reviews. In today's look, I paired my tomato red pants with leopard and black. A bit less busy than my last outfit, but the pants are still quite the statement, so I'm looking forward to hearing your reactions! Tell me - which outfit do you like better? Would you wear this look (or any red pants look for that matter)?

Blazer: Express
Shirt: Express, $35
Pants: Gap, $17
Belt: Forever 21, $8
Boots: Cynthia Rowley/TJ Maxx, $85

Today's Everyday Fashion: That 70's Plaid

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Claudia Schiffer is working this look in People StyleWatch! I decided to re-create using my new flared jeans. Even though the wash is darker, I think the flared shape looks perfectly sassy paired with the red belt and plaid shirt.

Why this works: Bell-bottom jeans have a lot of volume, so it's best to pair them with a slim-fitting top. A top with an empire waist, or one that's longer, creates too much volume overall and not only looks sloppy but also adds pounds to your frame. (no bueno)

Photo left: People StyleWatch
Sweater: Gap
Shirt: Forever 21, $18
Belt: Forever 21, $5
Jeans: Gap, $15
Shoes: Restricted/Endless.com, $39

What to Wear for a Photo Session

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I teamed up with a couple photographers to help answer the question - "what should I wear to my photo session?" I also hear this from readers (usually for engagement or family portraits), so here are my tips + outfit suggestions!

The first part is an article I wrote for Jonathan Ivy Photography in Dallas. The second part contains some outfits I put together for Andi Mans Photography in Orlando. Hope you enjoy! :-)

































To see the details of these outfit on Polyvore, click here, then select the photo you'd like to view.

Today's Everyday Fashion: Who What Wear

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Today's look is inspired by one of my favorite fashion newsletters, WhoWhatWear.com. They always feature the most inspiring outfits and I look forward to their email every day. (I highly recommend subscribing!) I loved the idea of layering a white collared shirt under my polka-dot blouse and since both shirts are lightweight and sheer, it was a match made in heaven.

Occasion: Work or weekend
Photo left: WhoWhatWear.com
Trench: New York & Company, $50
Fur collar: H&M, $15
Polka dot shirt: J.Crew, $45
White shirt: H&M, $13
Belt: H&M, $20
Jeans: Gap, $35
Boots: Aldo, $75
Necklace: LOFT, $15
Purse: Juicy Couture/Neiman Marcus Last Call, $115

Video: NYE with OrlandoLIVE

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Watch live streaming video from orlando_live at livestream.com

New Years Eve has always been one of my favorite nights of the year, but this year was extra special! Check out this OrlandoLIVE episode I had the pleasure of co-hosting. My favorite part was interviewing people on the red carpet about their outfits! Thanks to Peter Murphy, Sean McCabe and the whole crew - it was a blast!


Chatting it up on-camera with Sean McCabe (left) and Peter Murphy (right)

Today's Everyday Fashion: Herringbone, Take Two

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This outfit is really similar to the one posted here. The difference? I am actually wearing this today because it's cold enough to wear this blazer (yay!). I also switched out the shirt and added a bunch of fun accessories so I thought it was worth posting again. It's herringbone, take two. :-)

Occasion: Church and lunch
Blazer: Urban Behavior, approx. $30
Shirt: Banana Republic, $15
Belt: American Eagle/Filene's Basement, $5
Jeans: American Eagle, $33
Boots: Aldo, $75
Brooch: Banana Republic, $15
Purse: Juicy Couture/Neiman Marcus Last Call, $115
Watch: Michael Kors, Christmas present
Scarf: c/o The Vintage Scarf  - (receive 20% OFF with code FASHION20 until 2/28!)