Shopping Day

On Monday, my husband's day off, we decided to enjoy spending gift cards from Christmas. We were in book stores, in shoes stores, in clothing stores, and made trips to the food court for samples of mango chicken to stave off hunger while saving money. 

In line at DSW...where I bought wonderful summer wedge slingbacks entirely
on a gift card with enough left over for buying another new pair later!

How cool is this? Urban uses the California sun to cast a shadow of the
storefront letters. 

People jokingly refer to "retail therapy"...I find it's at its best for me when it involves as little as possible of my own money! I got a top on clearance at Banana Republic with a gift card, aforementioned shoes on sale, as well as a gumball from the machine because it's a guilty pleasure. 

Mix It Up Monday: Navy Wrap Dress

"Navy Dress" had been on my shopping list for over 2 years; then this past Christmas my parents gifted this lovely item to me! Navy is great in the winter because it's not so stark against less-than-sun-kissed skin as black tends to be, yet it has all the staying power as the LBD. In terms of elegance, class, and timeless appeal, navy stands tall. 

A mock-wrap design for highlighting the waist
V-neck to elongate the body
Knee length to transition from day-time appropriate to semi-formal evening possibility 

Bold colored cardigan and chunky jewelry liven up the dress
Persimmon on left; Violet on right

Any color contained in the necklace would be a great
complimentary cardigan shade.

Navy and grey marry together for lovely simplicity.
Handbag contains each color, as well as a deep purple, cream, and burnt gold
to provide visual contrast in the outfit [pattern & color].

Embellished sage cardigan requires no necklace,
but earrings with substance are a nice option:

Pearl & crystal beaded baubles

Bejeweled disks with hint of vintage flair

Orchid cardigan & layered beaded necklace:
This jewelry is not as visually heavy as the first necklace
featured, yet contains all the same color tones. It also
fills in the V-neck line nicely.

This lace bolero [borrowed from Aubrey!] begs
for a dark backdrop to highlight its intricate detail.
The high neckline gives it stately elegance and the
length blends perfectly into the wrap waist of the dress
so it does not confuse the proportions of the look.

How-To: Organize Your Closet

Choosing an outfit each day can be frustrating or even discouraging. The potential for negative projection onto your wardrobe may be decreased [or even eliminated?] with a well-organized closet. Organization is something I wholeheartedly celebrate and enjoy: I'm always trying to improve on the way my home is ordered to make it the most clean, comfortable, and convenient environment possible. To that end, and for the sake of this blog, let's start in the closet!

Here are some suggestions on how to organize your personal closet:

• Arrange a week's worth of outfits in the front

This way, each day is ready and waiting for you, and you're able to look ahead and plan out your week with some strategy. Make it like a little project at the end of the weekend to plan your next seven days with clothing based on what you know of your plans.

• By color

Sometimes I like to choose what to wear based on what color families I've worn recently. I realize probably not everyone cares about this, but I like to vary color schemes throughout the week instead of, say, wearing five different shades of blue-themed outfits five days in a row. With a closet organized by color, it helps to categorize into families and visually separate like items to help you pick from different sections and use the entirety of your closet's color wheel. 

• By what you've worn recently already

This method makes it easier to avoid repeating a lot of same pieces. If you've worn it and it's come back through the laundry, hang it in the back of the line to assist turning your attention toward some of the pieces that may get less exposure. 

• By season

If you're fortunate enough to have your closet be big enough to hold all your clothes at once, than this method will be nice to create relevance for current weather. You could either hang all warm-weather pieces together and all cool weather pieces together, or you could categorize by piece. For example: hang all your shirts in graduating order: halter/spaghetti strap, tank/sleeveless, cap/short sleeved, 3/4 sleeved, long sleeved, sweaters. 

• By piece

That is, in some order that helps you see in outfit equations instead of just in separates. It could be something like: skirts and pants, then tops, then vests, cardigans, and blazers, and dresses at the end. With this order, you could go down the rack and create an outfit choosing a piece from each major category [bottoms, top, completer (vest, cardigan, or jacket)...and if you're really stuck, skip straight to the dress section and get your outfit in one choice!].  

• By casual to dressy [or vice-versa]

This will make it easier to pick clothing based on occasion [work, leisure, fancy night out, casual dinner with friends, etc]. Instead of having an occasion in mind and taking one glance at your closet before determining you have nothing to wear, you will have already narrowed the field by categories and can determine from your categories something you already deemed situationally appropriate. 

• Space-saving idea:

Hang more than one piece on a hanger. I know it sounds obvious, but it's also very convenient. If you take the time to hang a coordinating top under each cardigan in your closet, then you'll have already assembled outfits ready for the taking--just add a pair of jeans or a skirt. 

Mix It Up Monday: Plum Blouse

This satin-y plum blouse sets a wonderful rich tone with lovely feminine detailing in the ruffled sleeves and collar. Slight seaming throughout allow for optimum fit, so the top is neither shapeless nor tight. 

Top: The Limited

Golden straight skirt & bronze skinny belt
with monogram letter necklace [gift from Kyle & Nadine]
Notice the blending of metallics: gold, silver and bronze
are all in this outfit. Metallics are neutrals,
therefore, they may be combined. 

Grey Antonio Melani  high waisted, wide-leg trousers & zebra belt.
The animal print acts as the "pop" for this outfit.
High waisted pants give the illusion of longer legs!

With black trumpet flare skirt & multi-jewel toned bauble earrings.
The trumpet skirt is a nice nod to the ruffle detail in the top, just set on a larger scale.

With dark wash straight-leg jeans & black cross-body purse [birthday gift from Mom & Dad!].
Here the purse can stand in for jewelry because of the woven patent & gold chain.
See detail for the purse: sequins, a bow, and satin lining in the same color as the top!

Colorblocking For Beginners

There is absolutely no easier way to express style without stressing than by wearing a dress! No frantic attempts to match a skirt or shirt to an item you're not sure exists in your wardrobe. No rooting through dresser drawers only to find the right completer piece is actually in the hamper.
With a dress, it's like one-stop shopping--you'll be ready faster & with less effort; the work is done for you with choosing colors and patterns. 

Here are some great examples of colorblocked dresses to take all the mystery out of applying this trend. Click here to see one of the above dresses taken in a different direction than colorblocking. It will prove to you that this trend isn't limiting--there's more life to this dress than just three colors! 

How-To: Colorblocking Basics

The principles of color-blocking are, like any style principles, up for creative interpretation. That being said, there are certain guidelines that will make it easier to achieve the look with confidence. 

First things first: some visual aids:

Now, those above examples may seem inaccessible, but they are the prototype for a look you may achieve in much simpler terms. You should know where you're coming from in order to create an alternative route. Take the extreme factor down a couple notches, maintain inspiration, and you can create outfits with more wear-ability for your daily life. 


Let's start with the basics: color. 
Here are a couple easy formulas to use in color-blocking:



2 neutrals + 1 bright
     Examples: navy + grey + hot pink
                        black + tan + bright orange
                        white + navy + lime green                


2 brights + 1 neutral 
     Examples: violet + kiwi + black
                        daffodil + cerulean + grey
                        lilac + sky blue + navy

As I stated on Monday, use large blocks of solid color to create drama in your outfit. Usually there are three main colors, though it may be done with 2 or more than 3, when calculated well. 

Here's a great tool from Style Prompt to give you a starting point:

“The most popular theory for combining colors is called the rule of two-thirds. How you achieve the rule of two-thirds starts by making an equilateral triangle (a triangle with 3 equal sides) on the color wheel… From there, you pick two of the three colors that the triangle touches. These colors will almost always harmonize together beautifully.”

Basically, choose a color on this wheel, skip three colors to the right or left, and those two will marry well in clothing. Obviously, not every color is represented in this wheel, so once you're comfortable with the concept, branch out to varying shades just a couple steps off what you see here. 


It's also about the silhouette of your clothing. Colorblocking has the most dramatic effect when done with very simple pieces--a boxy top, a straight skirt, a wide belt. 
Generally, it loses its effect if done with floaty/light fabrics and designs. This is because the cut of the clothes needs to be in balance with the pattern or color they are given. The graphic extreme of a straight skirt and a simple top is lost if the skirt has to compete with a frilly top. The details need to create cohesion, not cacophony. 


That's not to say you can't wear a piece with embellishment when colorblocking, but the key is to let the color speak as loud as the design. Take the first picture in this post, for example: the third outfit from the left and the third outfit from the right both use a ruffled top--but the ruffles blend into the top, they are not further set apart by a border or trim. 


The same idea goes for accessories. A bracelet or necklace is a great low-risk way to introduce a little color into your look. To interpret it into the topic at hand, find a very simple, but obvious piece--something with substance, but not show-stealing. 

Think of it this way: in colorblocking, a bold bangle will get you a lot further than a chandelier earring. Keep the design geometric and add some sparkle to your colorblocking! 

Mix It Up Monday: B&W Colorblocked Skirt

A trend that began to gain steam last spring is still going strong: colorblocking. It's just like it sounds--using large blocks of solid color to create a dramatic outfit. Usually there are three main colors, though it may be done with 2 or more than 3, when calculated well. It was showcased again at this month's Fashion Week in NYC--a sure sign that you can count on seeing variations of it from most clothing retailers. This trend is anything but slowing down. 

This skirt does a lot of the work for you in creating
a colorblocked look: it contains two bold tones already,
meaning you'd only have to add one more color [most of the time]
to create the ideal pallet mix. 

This coral t-shirt is suddenly dressed up by being paired with the
skirt and coordinating coral heels. Even the basics have so much
potential when given the right boost! 

Electric blue against the black and white--
a strong contrast, tied together with sequined shoes.

Red drape-wrapped top and strappy black heels maintain a bold energy.

The patterned top works with this skirt because
both black & white are in each piece, while the
additional colors are daring enough to keep up
with the strong statement the skirt makes. 

This is a good way to show participation in two current trends--
colorblocking and yellow as an accent color. The necklace
polishes off the look with a nod at the geometric overtones.  

Again, another bold & bright top with some personality of its own
(beading) to create an outfit with a feminine strength to it. 

Stay tuned this week for more posts regarding colorblocking, including tips on how to mix colors and maintain harmony for the outfit!

Comical

I've always enjoyed the comics section of the newspaper. I had a routine starting in junior high to grab the section from the Akron Beacon Journal and read my favorites before moving on to solve the Jumble, Crossword, and Sudoku. After getting married and moving out of my parents' place, I no longer got the newspaper, but on Sundays when my family gathers for lunch, it is not unusual for my brothers and I to sift through the stack of ads, news, and extras that compose the Sunday paper to find the colored comics and pass them around.

Just as common is the practice we have of cutting out favorites (Get Fuzzy, Pearls Before Swine, and Baby Blues are frequent choices) and posting them on the fridge. Usually the strips deemed fridge-worthy remind us all of one of the members of the family...or just bond us together because of our shared appreciation for sarcastic wit. 

My parents' fridge

It is always amusing, though, when a comic strip seems to so accurately illustrate a personal experience or feeling. It can come as a bit of a surprise to see a personality with which you're so familiar (your brother's, your parents'...your own) branded on a page of humor for the community.


All of that being said, there were a few times throughout college that my mom mailed me a comic from the hometown newspaper. Pictured below is my favorite that now resides on my own fridge...

I can't say it hasn't made me think of some fun re-arranging possibilities...!

Stationary Style

You know how clothes always look better on a person than on a hanger? Well, the thing with jewelry is that it can look just as cute on display as on your person. Case in point: this ring-holding high heel and sequined dress-wearing necklace & bracelet tree. 

Left: gift from Mom; Right: gift from Derek

These two make their home in my window seat. I suppose this epitomizes "all dressed up & no place to go."

Mix It Up Monday: Marigold Top

Silky charmeuse has a way of turning an ordinary top into a must-have with it's sheen and ability to bounce between weekend casual & office appropriate without missing a beat. When I wear this top, I feel like it captures the essence of "Beauty & the Beast"-ballgown-meets-"casual Friday."

Delicately pleated sleeves, keyhole front detail, stretchy and silky material...
I only wish I had this top in more colors.

A great summer-time look!
White shorts keep it light,
colorful necklace keeps it bright.

Bringing back the grey jeans from last week's post,
 they are perfectly complemented by the top, grey floral necklace [gift from Vicki]
and yellow and grey marbled cuff.

A nod to nautical--
deep navy creates an even stronger pop for the yellow
geometric necklace in silver, yellow, navy, & green
plays up the note of shimmer in the top. 

Paired with wide leg pinstriped trousers for a bold silhouette,
metallic belt for definition,
and statement necklace for bling.

Patterned skirt & clean-cut blazer make for
a sophisticated & fun suit-like outfit. 

When combined with a grey pencil skirt, pinstriped vest, and knotted pearls,
the golden top says "office appropriate" without also saying
"working for the man."

For more inspiration:
pair with dark jeans and any contrasting bright cardigan
 [ie: orchid or turquoise (both pictured here), medium green, sky blue, etc...]
for an easy weekend go-to.