Graphic Tees

Mens' Target Star Wars tee
JC Penny Fluted Skirt, similar here
Piperlime BCBGeneration Heels, similar here and here
Banana Republic belt, similar here
Kate Spade Quilted Leather Bag, similar here
Target Bracelet, similar here

I bought an Arrested Development t-shirt from the Men's department of Target a few months ago, and I was really pleased with the fit and feel of it. It seems like Forever 21 and American Apparel try to make women's t-shirts with this same softness and slouch, but are not usually very successful at it. I like slouchy t-shirts for running errands with shorts or leggings, but I also like them dressed up. This is just another way to rework some of your skirts you already own. Tuck it in, add and belt, and then you can either play it up with heels to make it dressier, or down with Keds or Converse. Target has a several different awesome Star Wars t-shirts (like this one), along with some classic movie shirts like Jaws, and even Game of Thrones...I will limit my self to just three...or four...Stay tuned for my blog post later this week, which will feature another graphic t-shirt for a business casual setting. Thanks for reading!

Cali

Heels + Socks

Forever 21 Coat, similar here
Forever 21 silk dress, similar here
Kate Spade Saturday heels, similar here
Target socks, similar here
Vintage Gucci clutch
Lips, NYX soft matte lip cream in Prague

This trend is nostalgic for me. I haven't "exposed" my socks since I had an excuse to as a kid in the 90's. I know some people think that fashion trends are materialistic, and that recreating a trend from the runway makes you a follower, but that is not how I interpret it. It's like a recipe. We search cookbooks and Pinterest looking for new recipes because we get tired of cooking the same things. There are trendy chefs, vegetables, genres of foods and cooking appliances (think crockpots, food trucks, and Truffle Mac N' Cheese), but that's okay. It puts a spotlight on something that has been forgotten and unappreciated. Fashion does the same thing. I know I have said this before, but I don't adopt a trend to fit in; I adopt new trends because they are inspiring, and give me a fresh take on items I already own, or things that would be a nice addition to my closet. So back to heels and socks. Where have socks been all this time? Did this trend come out of nowhere? Not really. If you think about it, "leg wear" has slowly been working its way back into fashion. First, it was knee high boots with socks (which I still love), then we started seeing tights again, opaque, colored, printed and FLEECED-lined. Amazing. Then leggings, and now socks with heels and boots. When you start looking at fashion objectively, you will start to see the evolution of it, and the jumping off points that designers spring from. Ultimately, they are just reinventing trends from past decades, but freshening them. As you can see with this small evolution in just leg-wear, many 90's trends are back. The grungy, sporty, loose-fitted vibe of the 90's is evolving.  I would ease into this trend with some thick, chunky socks and a pair of ankle boots. Try it with leggings and an over sized sweater (socks outside the leggings), or a flowy dress and big sweater over it. The look of sportswear is becoming our new everyday uniform. Enjoy it while you can. It's comfortable, and in this case, it keeps your feet warm. Thanks for reading xx

More examples:

Wedding Attire: Spring to Fall Weddings with one dress

 

Somehow, my age snuck up on me. My fridge is full of "Save the Dates". Luckily, I love going to weddings, and I love getting dolled up.  This past Spring I realized I needed a good party dress that could effortlessly flow from my Spring/Summer weddings to my Fall/Winter ones. This is all about accessories and how easy it can be to alter the feel of a dress. I bought this dress at Asos for $80, so I wanted to make sure I would get a few uses out of it. This pink dress has been more versatile than I was expecting. For the wedding in March, I wore it with some nude heels and a vintage navy blue clutch (from Savers). This Winter, I will be wearing it with my coat pictured above, closed-toed suede shoes and sparkly clutch. It's still warm in Arizona, so I may not need a jacket, but if I do, this one from JC Penny works amazingly well (It was only $40!). The sheen of the jacket also pairs well with the sheen of the dress. Try taking a party dress like this and see if you can morph it's look into the appropriate season with accessories. If you're anything like me, you won't have a choice, I'm booked solid through next year with weddings!

Small changes in the accessories: 

Asos party dress, similar here
Zara heels, similar here
Free clutch, similar here
JC Penny Coat, similar here

Colored Leather + lightweight blouse

Beaded shell, Forever 21, similar here
Forever 21 leather mini skirt
Leopard sandals, similar here
Vintage Gucci clutch
Betsy Johnson Wayfarer, similar here

Colored leather doesn't need to be extreme, and its actually a good way to use your neutrals without having a boring outfit. I was finding a lot of colored leather skirts, and I thought  they would be a good way to wear Fall clothing while still staying cool. The good thing about leather (or faux leather) is that its such a unique texture, and even looks good when it is paired with the same color, as well. For example, you could pair a burgundy leather skirt with a burgundy sweater, and the mix in textures between the fabrics makes a really interesting outfit. I chose to use a lightweight shell with this outfit because I liked mixing the toughness of a leather shirt with a really girly, beaded blouse. Leopard print matches so well with so many things, I couldn't pass up pairing them with the cream and burgundy.

Here are more leather skirt and lightweight blouse combos below. Thanks for reading!

Gray on Gray

Oasap ruffle halter dress
Shoemint Cassandra boot
TJ Maxx Bag, similar here and here
Target Sunglasses, similar here
Ivanka Trump watch, similar here

Mixing different shades of the same color has allowed for many new outfit combinations in my closet. One of the most popular monochromatic looks I have seen is gray on gray. Let's skip right past the "50 shades of Gray" puns because I can't bare to hear anymore of them...

Pay attention to the tones of gray you're wearing. Usually grays are either warm based (taupe/pinkish) or cool based (bluish). Keep the tones the same when mixing grays. This trend just gives you more ways to wear the clothes you have. Most everyone has multiple gray pieces in their wardrobe because it's a neutral. Monochromatic looks tend to look very put together and effortless without a lot of planning. Mix the textures (heavier knits/ lighter knits, leather, fur, wool etc) to make it more visually interesting, and to avoid it from looking accidental. Don't "match" anything. I like to keep it at a max of 2-3 different shades of gray at a time. I also like incorporating other colors into the rest of my outfit because gray is an excellent canvas to display other colors against. Try mixing gray with camel, or with bright accessories (anyone else have bright colored shoes they never wear?) Gray looks surprisingly good with colors like: bright pink, orange, oxblood, navy, army green, purple, even brown! Also, if there was ever a time to mix gray and gold jewelry, its now.

Here are some gray on gray examples. All of the pieces in these examples are in the low to mid price range.

Thanks for reading! Happy Friday.

Cali