Love of the Party… My Valentine’s Day Look

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, which leaves approximately four days to find the perfect outfit! Whatever your plans may be, use this day as an excuse to pull of the prettiest look you can imagine. Valentine’s Day is your excuse to wear that dress your bought years ago or that amazing tulle skirt you just had to have! Whatever ridiculously romantic look you are think of, you can pull it off. Today, I am taking my own advice and showing off my Valentine’s Date night look which just happens to include lace AND bright red tulle. With this outfit I’m ready for roses, chocolates or maybe just a night out with friends. You know, in all honesty, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing this Saturday, if you’re single or together, Valentine’s Day is about loving yourself and all those around you! So put on your fanciest dress and let’s party!

All photos by Laurence Tan Photography

Skirt: Asos (on sale!), Top: Chicwish, Shoes: Unknown (blue here, similar here), Bracelet: Banana Republic (on sale!), Clutch: Mason’s (old, similar here), Sunglasses: Grey Dog

It’s Friday, I’m in Love! A sunny southwestern look perfect for the weekend!

First off, TGIF! It’s finally Friday, and a very special one at that! Today, the boyfriend is coming home for the first time this semester, which I know has only just started, but it feels like forever since he has been here. And of course, we have next to nothing to do this weekend, so we are going to spend this wonderful Friday evening watching bad horror movies and eating bags on bags of popcorn. Honestly, I can’t wait. Dom, horror movies and popcorn are like my three favorite things, so I have absolutely no complaints. So in celebration of this happy happy weekend and the warmer weather (seriously, it was snowing like two days ago and now its warm), I am posting a third outfit this week! Yay! Oh and even better news, this adorable dress is back in stock at shopriffraff.com so you can snag one for yourself!

Next week is going to be super duper adorable, I mean come on it is Valentine’s Day next Saturday, were you expecting anything less? So enjoy today’s post, relax this weekend and prepare yourself for the week to come! Happy Fri-YAY y’all!

 

All photos by Laurence Tan Photography

Dress: Riffraff, Sweater, Shoes and Necklace: Riffraff (old), Hat: Target

Hold Your Horses… Another Look for Winter

Well y’all, its official, Mr. Groundhog has declared six more weeks of winter. Six more weeks of cold mornings and even colder nights. However, don’t fret too much, that just leaves six more weeks for you all to get the most out of your winter whites. So today, I am showing this winter weather who’s boss and breaking out the prettiest white dress in my closet, a blue ring that reminds me of spring and even a pair strappy heels. My toes might be a little frozen and it looks like it’s time for another pedicure, but the sun is shining and I don’t even care. So come on winter, you’ve got six more weeks, lets make it the best six weeks yet!

All photos by Laurence Tan Photography

Dress: Chicwish, Shoes: Nicole, Ring: Mason’s (available in-store)

 

Grey’s Anatomy. A monochromatic spring look.

I love color and I love pattern even more, so it takes one heck of an outfit for me to give up both of those things (or maybe it’s the disgusting amount of Grey’s Anatomy I’ve been watching recently). My Pinterest board (follow me here) is full of monochromatic outfits, it is a trend that can go anywhere from the color gray, to the color yellow and anything in-between. Today I decided to tackle the popular look using different shades of grey. Throw in some basic winter (spring?) layering and I have the perfect outfit for a day on campus. I mean, come on, I am a graphic designer, how could this ampersand dress belong anywhere but the art building? With a dolman sweater and a pair of slip on sneakers and I have an outfit ready for my daily trek across my huge college campus and any sudden changes in weather.

All photos by Laurence Tan Photography

 Sweater: BCBGeneration (on sale!), Dress: Oh Sweet Joy (other styles available), Necklace: Forever 21 (old, similar), Bracelet: Banana Republic, Ring: Mason’s (in-store), Shoes: Sam Edelman 

 

New Hair – So care!

For the last 6 years I have had the same little pixie cut. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my short hair, but sometimes you just need a change. About a year ago, I decided to grow my hair out; if any of you have ever tried to grow out a pixie, you understand how miserable it can be. After feeling like Shaggy for the last couple of months, I decided to change up my style and go for an edgier asymmetrical bob. Although I was a little shocked at first, I have grown to love my new do! And, as all of you know, nothing makes a girl feel better than a new haircut and today I am feeling sassy! So I am channeling that inner sass and amping up my usual floral look with some edgier accessories, including my favorite military jacket (which if you follow me on Instagram you see quite frequently), and some black knee-high socks. Finally, I pulled the look together with a simple, architectural gold cuff and a pair of layered necklaces. Hopefully, this style will last and I won’t end up in one of those “I HATE MY HAIR” moments in a few day. Don’t lie, you all know exactly what moment I am talking about.

All photos by Laurence Tan Photography

Jacket: PacSun, Romper: PacSun (old, similar), Socks: Riffraff, Necklace: Stella and Dot, Cuff: Vince Camuto, Wallet: Hobo

5 Pairs of Printed Heels You Need for Spring

I’ve been talking about spring a lot lately, maybe it’s because the weather has finally warmed up around here or maybe it is because my Pinterest feed is full of shorts and sundresses. Whatever the reason, I am already prepping my closet for the day when I can officially say goodbye to my sweaters and break-out the sandals. There are a couple trends that I am dying to try out this spring season, one of which is the patterned heel. If you watched Nicole Miller’s Spring 2015 you were bound to have noticed these gorgeous sandals at least once:

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I mean how could you not? They scream “Hello sunshine! Let’s go on vacation!” So instead of drooling over shoes that I will most-likely never own, I began my search for an affordable alternative. Here’s what I came up with:

The Go-To:

 New Look Wide Fit Preview Faux Ponyskin Heeled Sandals – ASOS ($66.31)

They’re leopard, they’re chunky, they’ll go with everything AND they’re under $100! Need I say more?

 

The Co-Worker:

Leather Pumps – H&M ($99)

A classic silhouette along with time honored print, these pumps will make every co-worker jealous. The low-contrast and muted color palette will keep your work outfit feeling fresh without compromising on professionalism. These are a must have for the corporate girl!

 

The Art Student:

Stella Printed Fabric Pumps – J.Crew ($268)

Okay, these are definitely a lot pricier than most items I post, but if you are in the mood to splurge, get it girl! This is the perfect shoe for spring, especially if you enjoy funkier, vintage inspired patterns like I do. The color palette means you can wear them with anything. The silhouette is beautiful. A chunkier heel means they will be comfortable during those long summer nights and they’re J. Crew. So basically, meet your dream shoe… you’re welcome.

 

The Day Dream:

Thrive Got Work to Do Heel – ModCloth ($144.99)

These. Shoes. Everything about them is just pretty. Definitely buy these shoes if you’re someone who frequents garden parties, spring weddings, baby showers… fairytale castles. Or just buy them. You won’t regret it. Just imagine how they will look with all of those spring yellows!

 

The Statement Maker:

Legra Gem Platform Sandal – Topshop ($60)

Spring doesn’t have to be all about bright colors. Pledge your soul to the monochromatic with these platform sandals. The polka-dot pattern adds a sweet and girly touch to the edgier silhouette, so they will go with any outfit. Imagine how adorable these would look with a cute little sundress?

 

 

 

 

Sweet as Southern Iced Tea

I’ve been a little under the weather and so for the last couple of days it has been me, DayQuil, and my puppy dog watching Grey’s on Netflix. But today, I am headed back to school, so in true school-girl style, I am wearing my favorite plaid skirt and, of course, the classic pair of oxford. I decided to go for a more interesting take on the time honored look by adding a graphic sweater, my felt hat, and some simple gold jewelry. However, how can I be expected to survive Art History without the help of a delicious cup of tea from the cutest little restaurant around? Savoy Tea Company is not only an adorable place to host a tea-party, but is also a great study alternative to the busy coffee shops around town. If you are local and haven’t been to one of the two locations (here), I highly suggest you stop what you’re doing and go now! When you’re there, order a Peach Honey Lemon tea for me please!

All photos by Laurence Tan Photography

Sweater: Kensie (old, similar), Skirt: Banana Republic (sold-out online, similar), Hat: Riffraff Fayetteville (available in-store, similar), Shoes: Maude (available in-store, online here), Cuff: Vince Camuto, Gold Chains: Forever 21 (old, similar)

Weather or Not – A Layered Look for Spring

It has been a sunny 65 degrees here in the Natural State, and it has given me a little bit of hope that spring is coming. Yet, as much as I am loving this weather, it has sent my wardrobe for a loop. Since it has been getting back down into the 30s and 40s after the sun sets, I have had to find outfits that aren’t too hot during the day, but warm enough for night. This is where layering has really saved my butt.

Today I went for a classic mix of patterns (if you want, you can glance back at my Pattern Play post for some more inspiration) for my daytime look. This striped tee goes perfectly with these floral shorts, because of the difference in the weight of the prints. I also purchased these shorts with a coordinating blazer, which can be thrown on at night for a little warmth. Whenever I buy coordinates, I always make sure that I can wear the items separately as well. This gives me TRIPLE the use out of my purchase, by allowing me to create at least three unique outfits from one buy. (You can see the blazer paired with a classic denim outfit here). See, perfect!

Hopefully, this warm weather stays, but if we have a sudden change for the worst, this outfit is ready to brave the cold!

(All photos by Laurence Tan Photography)

Blazer: Missguided,  Skort: Missguided (on sale!), Top: RIffraff (similar or restock wait-list), Wallet: Hobo (old, same style), Shoes: Modcloth

Spring 2015 Trend Report… Top 5 Trends from Fashion Week

Those of you who know me, know my obsession for the 1970s including everything from history, literature, style and music! This year fashion week took a slight trip to the past and brought back my favorite decade. The most exciting thing was seeing a turn from the clichè boho/hippie look that controls pinterest to more causal, tailored and almost glam looks. And of course how can you forget Tommy Hilfiger’s Rock and Roll themed runway show? (If you missed it see Style.com’s review/slideshow here.) I could go on and on about every collection (since I have viewed them all about 20 times now), but enough with the chatter.

Here are the Spring 2015 trends I am most excited for:

Suede

I have approximately 100 different pictures saved on my computer and narrowing the looks down to just my favorites was next to impossible. Suede was everywhere during fashion week, we’re talking coats, dresses, skirts, even some coordinates, and it came in an array of different colors. Of course, there was plenty of the classic 70s camel but I was more excited to see some variations to the classic colors, especially the Chloè pastels. Unfortunately I am still waiting for Tanya Katysheva to strut right off that runway, into my living room, and bring me that Gucci coat.

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Fringe

Of course we couldn’t have suede without at least a little bit of fringe and, just like it’s partner in crime, this trend showed up in a variety of ways. Although some looks didn’t quite take portion control into consideration (specifically in the Alberta Feretti show, but raise your hand if, like me, you totally want to rock her floor length fringe), others used a smaller, more sophisticated amount. Regardless, the good news is I will definitely be showing off my vintage suede fringe vest this spring. Hallelujah!

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 Transparency

Obviously, I can’t even talk about sheer fabrics without mentioning the Valentino Collection, but since I could go on for hours about how beautiful the embroidery was it’s probably best just to give you the link to the entire show. However, Valentino wasn’t the only one showcasing both sheer fabrics, eyelets and even some die-cuts and the styles went from super elegant to street-style edgy. Click through the slideshow below to view my favorites. I’ll try to limit the Valentino images… maybe.

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Whites

It’s spring! Obviously the runway was full of white, but can we all admit that we totally think the designers amped up these styles just a little? In a season that was ruled by “Winter Whites,” these looks had to be a little more exciting than usual to catch our eye. This kind of brings me back to my last category, but since there were so many looks I love, I decided to give the trend it’s own slideshow. (PS: I did not include any of the Rick Owens’ models covered in white paint)

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Yellow

At last! A spring yellow, that isn’t mustard, and might actually be wearable! Lemon Yellow popped up in a number of collections this spring, but was the star of the Michael Kors’ show, along with its classic partner, navy. (Kors real talk: What do I have to do to get my hands on that floral skirt?) This color makes me a nostalgic for a preppy little raincoat and I can’t wait to grab some for my closet. However, I was a little disappointed Rubber Ducky Yellow wasn’t a 2015 Pantone color.

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 Honorable Mentions:

I still have a stack of trends I am obsessing over and I would love to chat more with you all about them! But for time’s sake, here are my honorable mentions, including bold florals, dresses with high necklines, flared pants and more, denim, leather and more.

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Got Mod? A Vintage Look for Everyday Wear

After a week of below freezing temperatures, it is finally starting to warm up around here. In celebration, I broke out this fantastic vintage dress which I nabbed from the sale rack at one of my favorite local stores, Grey Dog.Before I go into more detail about the outfit itself, I want to take a moment to talk about the store itself.

When I was a sophomore in high school, this little beauty of a shop opened in a renovated airstream trailer, and since I couldn’t even drive at the time, I would convince my mother to take me every chance I could. From the very first time I entered the store, the owner, Molly, was nothing but kind. She actually helped me pick out my first vintage dress and the many more that came after it. It has truly been such a joy to see this little store grow and I have had the opportunity throughout the years to further my relationship with every wonderful person who works at that beautiful little dream of a store.

So of course, when I stumbled upon this beautiful little purple mod number, it had to be mine. And despite the fact that it might not have been super weather appropriate, I just couldn’t leave this dress hanging in the closet until spring. So I put on my best pair of booties along with my felt floppy hat, and braved the cold in this pretty purple frock.

All photos by Laurence Tan Photography

Dress: Grey Dog (more vintage dresses here), Bag: Grey Dog (old), Shoes: Riffraff (old but available in black here), Hat: Target, Necklace: Stella and Dot