Outfits Not Just Clothes

Whenever I look at this necklace "All The Single Ladies" song starts playing in my head. dress-BananaRepublic(similar here ), coat-Asos(similar here ), necklace- ModCloth , bracelets- Jcrew / JewelMint , shoes- ShoeMint Spring is upon us and I've busted out these new shoes from Shoe Mint last seen here .  Also, dress month continues and its the perfect weather to wear casual dresses in bright colors.  One of the benefits of wearing a dress is that its just one piece and you can have an outfit without a lot of fuss.  I also think the right kind of dress can serve as either a background to interesting accessories or help amplify/compliment accessories.  I can't decide which category this dress falls into, or maybe it does both.  What do you think?

This is not just a gratuitous shot.  I've struggled with what type of cami to layer under this dress and stumbled up on this sheer camisole that worked perfectly.  When thinking about coverage, sheer or translucent may not seem like an obvious choice, but it can work.  dress/camisole-BananaRepublic(kind of similar here and here ), cardigan- FreePeople , shoes-Target(similar here ), bag-NineWest(similar here ), bracelet/rings- JewelMint , scarf/necklace-gifted Apparently Pittsburgh has more bridges than Venice!  Here we are on the Mission St. Bridge. This dress is just beautifully cut and I love the color.  The neckline is a bit revealing, but with this light grey sheer cami its no longer an issue.  When layering camis under revealing tops one does want to be careful not to disrupt or distract from the top or dress, you want to go for subtle coverage.  The scarf was a gift from my Grammy.  The colors in the scarf lead me to the ...

harness- Zana Bayne (online store is currently on hiatus, but due to be back by April), dress-ModCloth(not at all similar but something totally rad here ), heels-Aldo(somethingk kind of similar here ), cuff-Martin&Osa, necklace-gifted You may recall my post about harnesses here .  Well I finally picked one up and I feel like a total badass!  Reminds me of a holster, and when I'm wearing my coat I feel like an undercover cop, an undercover style cop! These heels from Aldo are what I like to call my "Big Girl Shoes" they take some work getting into and staying upright. As for the dress, I love the shoulder and hip details and I feel it works well with the harness, two outstanding/contrasting pieces that rock it out together.  This combo probably won't fly at the office and I think I may use this harness with more casual pieces, but so far its been fun playing around.

Every month I receive a beauty sampler box from BirchBox for the basement bargain price of $10. They usually have a theme for each box and there's always a nice variety of products.  Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens Stila Smokey Eye Card Traditions by Nick Chavez, Yucca Root Shampooing Cream It's a package inside a package! Makes me feel like there's an additional surprise. Color Club Nail Polish in Lava Lamp , Grandma Stelle's Hand Soap & Kusmi Detox Tea I think this is just genius.  You get to try all sorts of different products for a very minimal price AND discover new products and brands you might not have heard of.  Case in point: Beauty Blender makeup sponge Dermalogical Daily Microfoliant I have purchased these two products after having a test run from my Birch Box sample.  These brands were not even on my radar and they have definitely added a lot to my beauty routine.  The microfoliant is my new showe...

Not only do I write a blog, I read quite a few as well and find inspiration from some very fashionable ladies out there. One of my favorites is Brooklyn Blonde .  She has a great style and her look from this post got my creative outfit wheels turning. Here she paired a leopard print skirt with a horse blouse.  And guess what I also have a leopard print skirt and a horse blouse: I don't think this is working... However, all is not lost.  I think that this might be a better outfit: shirt-Asos(similar here ), skirt 1- MikkatMarke t, skirt 2-BananaRepublic(similar here ), belt-UrbanOutfitters(similar here ), necklace-Forever21(similar here ) bracelet-Jcrew(similar here ), shoes-????(similar here ) The original inspiration experiment didn't really work, it just wasn't flattering.  However, it got me thinking about other printed skirts I have that could be tried out with my horse shirt.  This polka dot skirt in a the same color family work...

I would like to showcase the items I currently have in my Jcrew shopping cart: That's correct, I have 2 DIFFERENT pairs of blue cropped pants in the online cart. And the same t-shirt in 3 different shades. Every outfit needs shoes. So, can you see the theme here?  I have no clue what it means.  But I do know I am feeling a bit of strain with my no shopping ban during this lenten season.  I have been on the look out for bright blue cropped pants for this spring.  I just hope one of these pairs is still available in my size after Easter.  My plan for these cropped pants is to wear them with a striped top and bright blazer/jacket. Something along these lines:  Or I might take a cue from my own shopping cart and wear them with a t-shirt and matching sweater.  It will all depend on the shoes.  Doesn't always depend on the shoes... Jcrew is having 30% sale items with the code MUSTHAVE  I can't take advantage, but that doesn't ...