Today's Everyday Fashion: Red Shoes

What is it about red shoes that make an outfit? Is it the proverbial cherry on top, only it's on the bottom? Or you're an exclamation point and the dot is your red shoes? They are the fire extinguisher of your closet, only they start fires instead of putting them out? Whatever the appeal, I have loved red shoes since I got these 5 years ago. At the time, I had no idea what I would ever wear them with (fashion is a journey, I wasn't always this stylish or confident!). Now I consider red shoes a must and will always keep a pair of red pumps in my closet "in case of emergency." Throw on a pair of red shoes with pretty much anything and you are bound to look chic and sexy! Do you love red shoes? What statement piece do you throw on in a fashion emergency?

Inspiration photo: New York & Company
Shirt: Express, really old
Jeans: Gap, $35
Scarf: H&M, $18
Belt: Forever 21, $8
Shoes: Delicious via Shoe Carnival, $10
Watch: Michael Kors, family gift
Bracelets: Forever 21, $8

ps. If you are a blogger in the Central Florida area - be sure to attend the blogging conference this Saturday! I will be speaking at two of the sessions and hope to see you there! Click here for details.

Today's Everyday Fashion: Exotic Locations

The minute I saw this Lucky Magazine spread, I fell in love. The tribal patterns, the bright colors, the relaxed feel. It made me want to hop on a plane to an exotic destination for vacation! Instead I hopped on over to my closet to see if I couldn't create the same feeling using items I already had. I loved the idea of wearing my green cargos with bright colors, and the idea of pairing a patterned necklace with pattered top. I think this outfit is proof that you don't have to sacrifice on style, no matter how casual the occasion!

Inspiration photo: Lucky
Occasion: Errands
Shirt: Forever 21, $18
Belt: Gap, $10
Pants: Sanctuary Surplus via Nordstrom Rack, $40
Bib necklace: JcPenney, $15 (recent)
Long necklaces: American Eagle, $5 each
Shoes: Express, $15 (recent)
Purse: Juicy Couture via Neiman Marcus, $115

Today's Everyday Fashion: Tory Burch

I may not be able to afford the real thing, but I am a tad obsessed with the Tory Burch aesthetic this summer. When I first spotted these shorts at the Gap, my mind went straight to Tory Burch and the prints she often shows (example: photo left). I drooled over them for months until they finally went on sale to $15 at my local store. I'm still not convinced that print shorts are the best investment for someone on a tight budget, but anything and everything "Tory Burch" is making me happy right now, so I decided to go for it. What designers do you pine over and wish you could afford?

Inspiration photo: Tory Burch
Occasion: Errands and meetings
Shirt: H&M, $18 (recent)
Shorts: Gap, $15 (recent)
Necklace: J's Stella & Dot website
Shoes: Steve Madden Riddgge c/o MJR Sales, $40
Watch: Michael Kors, family gift
Bracelets: Forever 21, $8
Purse: c/o It's in the Bag, $63

Win a Jewelry Set of Your Choice! [now closed]

Today I'm excited to introduce you to a jewelry company called Just Jewelry. They feature adorable jewelry with an amazing price point of $26 and under. One lucky reader will win a jewelry set of their choice (necklace + earrings) from consultant Angie Tyson. Simply follow the instructions below for entering, and be sure to check out the full catalog with all your choices here. (I'm personally a huge fan of the turquoise necklace/yellow shirt combo in the photo above!)

To enter:
1. Become a fan of Angie's Just Jewelry Facebook page.
2. Leave a comment below telling us your favorite piece!

Good luck! The winner will be drawn at random on Monday, July 18th.

Congrats Rachelle!

 

Today's Everyday Fashion: Diving Sticks

I was one of those kids that could swim before I could walk. I grew up exactly one block away from my grandpa, and he had a full-sized underground pool (a real luxury for a Kansas resident), and I was there - all. the. time. I had all my birthday parties at that pool, I spent every waking moment of summer at that pool. To this day, I love pools. What does this have to do with today's outfit? Well, one of my very favorite things as a kid were my diving sticks. Sure, I loved to dive for things, but mostly I was just obsessed with their neon colors. To this day, I always think about those sticks as a fashion influence and today's outfit was inspired by their colorful delight. Do you have any fashion influences from childhood? If so, what are they?

Inspiration photo: Diving Sticks
Occasion: Church
Shirt: Victoria's Secret c/o MJR Sales, $6
Belt: Gap, $10
Skirt: Limited, $35
Necklace: Forever 21, $8
Shoes: Diba via Nordstrom Rack, $30
Purse: c/o It's in the Bag, $63

Today's Everyday Fashion: Mixed Prints

Why this works: I'm a huge fan of mixing black and brown in outfit (as seen in this post!), but I've been stuck in a rut with only using a yellow-brown/cognac color. That's why I found the taupe brown color they used in the inspiration photo so refreshing! I definitely wanted to give it a try. The taupe color in my sweater ties in the taupe color in my shoes. I also chose a shirt with "light black" print, versus something with a dark black print, making it blend more easily with the brown. The prints are different, but one is very large (shirt), and one is very small (my shoes) so they work nicely together. I piled on some gold jewelry and a matching belt and I am good to go! Have you mixed taupe and black together? What are your tips for wearing two different animal prints at once?

Inspiration photo: Ann Taylor
Shirt: TJ Maxx, $15
Cardigan: Banana Republic, $35
Shorts: Forever 21, $20
Belt: Limited, $10
Shoes: H&M, $13
Watch: Michael Kors, family gift
Bracelets: Forever 21, $8
Short necklace: J's Stella & Dot website (similar)
Long chain: J's Stella & Dot website (30 inch, gold)
Charm: J's Stella & Dot website

Today's Everyday Fashion: Fire and Ice

Last night I pulled my sorry self out of the house to attend Yelp's big event of the year. The dress code was red and white (fire and ice), so I thought it was the perfect time to pull out my new orangish red Varga dress. I switched out the elastic belt for a brown leather one, added some colorful earrings, and put on some sandals. I never wear flat shoes to events (and felt extremely short!) but I didn't feel comfy wearing heels with the stitches in my knee. Yelp always puts on good events, and I was in good company with my friend Ashley, so it's no surprise that it was a great night!

About the dress: I'm wearing a size S. The fit is insane on this dress (as in, really good!) The color is more vibrant as shown in my photo. The fabric is a tad thin, but with some nude undergarments you are good to go! Overall, I'm a huge fan.

(ps. I know someone is going to comment on how tan I look - but this was a high flash + low lighting situation so it's just the lighting of the photo. *promise*)

Occasion: Yelp event
Dress: c/o Varga, $44
Belt: Gap, $12
Earrings: Forever 21, $6
Shoes: Diba via Nordstrom Rack, $30
Watch: Michael Kors, family gift
Bracelets: Forever 21, $8

May & June Budget

Confession: I don't always spend my monthly allowance within that same month. Sometimes I spend into next month, and sometimes I go a whole month without spending anything at all. It's actually part of my budgeting strategy though. I am a big believer in everyone having a clothing budget, no matter what your income level. But just because you have a set amount of $ to spend in a month doesn't mean you should go out and try to spend that whole amount in any given month. What if you don't find anything you like? Or have zero time to go shopping? In that case, I really think it's better to hold onto your allowance and use it later. 

My budget for May and June were both $100. I skipped shopping in May (it was a busy month for me!) and did all my shopping in June (and went a teensy bit over). Another bonus to this strategy: there were amazing sales in June, so my money went further than it would have in May! Here's what I bought:

1. H&M ivory blouse, $18
2. H&M striped shirt, $10
3. Gap shorts, $24*
4. Limited shirt, $33 (purchased online with a coupon code, price includes shipping)
5. American Eagle dress, $20* 
6.  Gap leather belts, $7 and $12*
7. Gap neon belt, $11*
8. Forever 21 earrings, $6
9. H&M necklace, $13
10. JcPenney necklace, $15
11. H&M flower, $4
12. American Eagle feather necklaces, $5 each*
13. Express sandals, $16*
14. Nordstrom Rack sandals, $30                            Grand Total = $234

*Purchased in the store during a sale. No coupon was used. In-store prices are usually much lower than online prices.

Today's Everyday Fashion: Art in Translation

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! Mine got off to a rough start, but ended on a high note. I had mole surgery on Friday and was not expecting recovery to be so complicated. The doctor axed our plans to go to the beach, and the four stitches in my armpit made for some serious pain and I haven't been able to move my right arm much. Why am I telling you this? 1. To remind everyone to have a mole screening if you haven't lately! I made an appointment thinking I was being silly, but it turns out that two moles needed to be removed, and one of them was pretty serious. (Note: My moles were not at all related to being in the sun. I have very dark skin naturally and I use SPF, but melanoma can be genetic, etc. and can happen to ANYONE, even if you are very careful about being in the sun.) Please don't miss this important check up no matter who you are! 2. I have such limited use of my arm, it's really hard to get dressed, so just a heads up that I might not be posting outfits for a couple days until I heal. (Boo.)

About my outfit: I absolutely love the idea of using art and/or a general color story for inspiration for an outfit. This page of Lucky magazine was just so pretty, I knew had to save it, and it inspired this outfit. I did more of a brown color (versus the gray) with my green and yellow, but I love their pairing as well. Tell me - where is the most random place you have gotten fashion inspiration from?

Inspiration photo: Lucky magazine
Shirt: Banana Republic, $35
Necklace: Charlotte Russe, $9
Belt: H&M, $20
Shorts: Gap, $25
Shoes: c/o Chinese Laundry

Today's Everyday Fashion: July 4th

Happy 4th of July! (a little early) I love red, white and blue so it's not hard for me to show patriotism on my favorite holiday! This year I decided to focus on stripes and created two looks to choose from. I will most likely wear the top one tomorrow, but I love them both. I'm taking the day off from blogging to enjoy the holiday with my family and friends, so I want to see what YOU are wearing for July 4th. Please link to your outfits in the comments section, or upload them to my Facebook page! Happy Independence Day!

Inspiration photo: Zappos (reader submitted)
Skirt: H&M, $35
Shirt: H&M, $18 (recent)
Belt: Forever 21, $5
Shoes: Steve Madden Riddgge c/o MJR Sales, $40
Necklace: Stella & Dot

Inspiration photo: FabSugar
Shirt: Moda c/o MJR Sales, $12
Shorts: Gap, $22
Belt: Forever 21, $5
Purse: Juicy Couture via Macy's
Shoes: Banana Republic, $25
Necklace: Stella & Dot
Bracelets: Forever 21, $8

Today's Everyday Fashion: Fantasy or Real Life?

This outfit may look familiar (it's very similar to what I wore for my photo shoot with Layne Haley  here). A photo shoot is fantasy though, and I want to talk about how an outfit like this could work for real life. I like to say that you shouldn't leave the house in an outfit that could fit in at a costume party - and I think this look might be pushing those boundaries. On the other hand, though, 70's is such a huge trend and I have seen girls wearing headbands like this and they always look ah-dorable. Tell me what you think - does this work in real life? Would you wear a headband like this and where would you wear it?

Occasion: Music festival?
Inspiration photo: Express
Shirt: c/o MJR Sales, $14
Shorts: American Eagle, $25
Necklace: H&M, $8
Belt: Aberrombie, really old
Shoes: c/o Chinese Laundry
Headband: A 50 cent piece of leather from a craft store

Today's Everyday Fashion: The "It" Dress

Ladies, meet my new favorite dress. There are three areas in which I score a dress - fit, color and wearability. This dress scores a perfect 30 for me! Fit gets a 10 out of 10. The pleating and slight ruching is amazing and gives the illusion of curves while also covering up any lumps and bumps. Color also gets a 10 because this is a favorite color of mine and it works well with my skin tone. And finally, wearability - while most dresses are only for day OR night, this dress gets a 10 because it is equally at home for a wedding, a dinner date, a girls night out, a networking event (where I wore it on Wednesday night), a daytime event and even church. A crazy amount of places you could wear this dress - and trust me, you will see me wearing it again at some point! Good clothes are too good to let them just sit in your closet after all. :-)

Tell me - based on what characteristics do you score your dresses/clothes? Do you have a dress in your closet that seems to fit many different occasions?

Occasion: Women's networking event
Dress: C. Luce c/o McAuley's
Belt: Limited, $15
Shoes: BCBG via Ross, $20
Necklace: JcPenney, $9
Purse: Juicy Couture via Macy's

Today's Everyday Fashion: That's My Style

You guys know I like to dabble in all types of styles, but if I had to pick just one it would be something like this. Very Tory Burch, very preppy, a bit tribal. This is pretty much "me" in an outfit. :-) I will be running all over town today wearing this - I have a couple of meetings and some errands. I liked both pairs of shoes with this outfit so I decided to show both. I'll start the day in wedges and if my feet get tired I'll switch to flats!

Tell me - how do you know when something is "your style"? 

Occasion: Meetings and errands
Shirt: Moda c/o MJR Sales, $16
Necklace: c/o Shop It Beverly Hills, $31.99
Shorts: Gap, $22
Purse: c/o It's in the Bag, $78
Shoes (left): Steve Madden Riddgge c/o MJR Sales, $40
Shoes (right): Rampage via Endless.com, $20

Win an Item of Your Choice From Elegantees! [now closed]

I'm so excited to be doing a giving away with Elegantees, a luxury tee shirt company whose mission is to fight sex trafficking! Three lucky readers will win any Elegantees item of their choice by entering the giveaway below, and right now everyone is a winner because you will receive a coupon for 25% off your purchase when you enter. To enter the giveaway simply provide your email address in the box below to sign up for Elegantees emails. Three winners will be selected randomly on Wednesday, July 6th, and everyone will receive the coupon code. Good luck!

About Elegantees

Katie Behnke is a clothing designer from Iowa, currently in New York City working on her brand Elegantees, which is exactly what she’s dreamed to do since youth! She says, “The joy of my heart is the source of my anger – sex trafficking. As my company continues to grow and once the investors are paid back, I’ll donate 100% of the dividends to the fight against sex trafficking.” Currently, she’s prospering connections with some factories in Peru and Nepal that are transforming the community, some rescuing sex trafficked victims and giving them sewing skills, and some giving employment to those at “red light risk.” Whenever you purchase the affordable Elegantees, you are helping the mission of this company. 

We have three winners! They will be notified via email. Thanks for entering!

 

Today's Everyday Fashion: Take My Picture

One of the most interesting things I've learned from blogging is how different something can look in a photo. I found this skirt at Ross recently for $8 and was so excited because a. $8 is a steal, and b. I thought it was really flattering. That's until I took a photo... You may or may not agree that this skirt is unflattering on me, but the point is that it looks totally different in a photo than it did when I looked at it in the mirror!! Not at all what I was expecting and I ultimately decided to return it. What I'm hoping we can learn from today's fail outfit:

1. Try taking a photo. Blogging has changed me forever - I will run home and take photos of my new purchases to make sure they fit well, probably for the rest of my life. Don't feel silly about doing this - especially if you are unsure of the fit on something, or if it's an important event such as engagement photos.

2. Return unwanted items. I am a big fan of returning something if you decide you don't love it. Of course, making smart choices while you're shopping is the better strategy, but if you don't wear something within the first 20 days or so, then I say don't be shy about returning it!

Tell me - Do you ever return items to the store? Have you ever had a clothing item look totally different in a photo than what you were expecting?

Cardigan: Gap (returned it)
Skirt: Ross, $8 (returned it)
Shirt: J.Crew, $20
Belt: Gap, $10 (recent)
Shoes: Guess via DSW, $20
Necklaces: c/o Stella & Dot

Today's Everyday Fashion: Perfect Harmony

I love it when seemingly random colors come together and form the perfect pairing. It's almost like music notes making a song. Ingredients are just ingredients until you use them to make something beautiful! In my head, these colors - electric blue, lime green, seafoam and mustard - should not go together. But they work for some reason. My hypothesis? Colors from the same "family" (blues/greens/yellows) make the perfect outfit. Try selecting one side of the color wheel to make an unexpected but harmonious outfit that works for you!

Occasion: Work
Inspiration photo: Found in my Closet
Cardigan: H&M, $18
Shirt: J.Crew, $25 (similar)
Belt: Gap, $10
Skirt: Banana Republic, $40
Shoes: Bandolino via TJ Maxx, $25 (similar)
Necklace: Charlotte Russe, $9

Today's Everyday Fashion: Kim Kardashian

I know a lot of you really like Kim Kardashian's style and it's easy to see why. She always looks very put together and unlike some celebs who are a bit much with their style (Lady Gaga, Rhianna), the Kardashians have very accessible style. Most of their stuff is easy to re-create, such as this look today. I absolutely loved the combination of Kim's red skirt, blush pink shirt and utility belt and so I had to give it a try using items from my own closet! Tell me - who are your favorite celebrity style icons? What celeb closet would you want to raid?

Inspiration photo: Lucky
Shirt: J.Crew, $40
Skirt: Forever 21, $16
Belt (worn backwards): Banana Republic, $35
Necklace: c/o Stella & Dot
Watch: Michael Kors, family gift
Bracelets: Forever 21, $8
Shoes: Steve Madden Riddgge c/o MJR Sales, $40

A Peek Inside My Closet

Where the magic happens

My closet may not be all that sexy, or beautiful or even all that organized, but I know many of you have expressed an interest in seeing it, so I finally decided to satisfy your curiosity! I thougt a video would be the easiest way to explain what everything is. It's about 2 minutes long and I give you the full tour. (The only thing I left out: all those shoe boxes up top are empty. I just like to hang onto them since we have the room, but all of my shoes are actually down below.) I'm excited to hear what you think - is my closet much smaller than what you would have guessed? Anything else surprise you about it? How do you organize your own closet?

My section of the closet

Wall of necklaces

Today's Everyday Fashion: Arts and Crafts

I like to call this my "arts and crafts" necklace set. I'm loving the combination so much, I will be repeating it many times this summer with other outfits. I think it is also the name of a trend, and it reminds me of the friendship bracelets that are coming back into style full-force. This necklace is mostly made of cloth, with electric blue rhinestones. It totally looks like something you would make during arts and crafts, and makes me feel like I'm at summer camp all over again! (happy sigh)

My take: I really try not to play favorites with my outfits, but this might be my favorite! (at least for the time being) It's rare when I find an outfit, with flats, that I can wear in the 100 degree heat and still be stylish! How do you stay stylish in the summer heat? Are you a fan of the "arts and crafts" trend?

Inspiration photo: Rachel Roy SS2011 via FabSugar
Occasion: Errands/shopping
Shirt: TJ Maxx, $15 (recent)
Skirt: Forever 21, $15
Shoes: Express, $15 (recent)
Purse: c/o It's in the Bag, $78
Bib necklace: JcPenney, $15 (recent)
Feather necklaces: American Eagle, $5/each

ps. If you are a blogger check out this great online conference that I'm really excited to be a part of! I will speaking on Saturday, July 9th about "how to market your blog." You can buy tickets here, and read the full agenda here.

Today's Everyday Fashion: Neoprene

Believe it or not - neoprene, the stuff you find in wetsuits, has been a big trend on runways for the past few seasons. I have always been oddly fascinated with this trend. There's something about it that I find really appealing, maybe the reference to scuba diving reminds me of the ocean which equals happy times? Either way, I've really been wanting to give it a try. I scaled it way back (obviously) and focused on colors (seafoam and the pop of orange) and fabric (this skirt has a total wetsuit vibe if you've seen it in person) to create a neoprene-inspired look for work! Tell me - do you like the neoprene trend? Have you ever tried to wear it in everyday life?

Inspiration photo: Cynthia Rowley for Roxy
Occasion: Work
Blazer: Banana Republic, $35
T-shirt: Forever 21, $8
Necklace: Charlotte Russe, $9
Skirt: LOFT, $55
Shoes: Aldo, $50