Sunday, September 29, 2013

My Style Muses: Who Are Yours??



I truly believe that everyone on earth has their own, unique style. Just as no two people are the same, no two styles are the same. That said, I still think the "study" of other styles can really help cultivate your own. I pull style inspiration from every angle, whether it’s from the colors in nature, a famous cartoon character, or a celebrity I see everyday in magazines. I love seeing a variety of looks and really making them my own. Though I will never allow myself to copy another’s style, I love creating my own, individual ensembles from what I discover in the world around me. So, in this post, I am pulling inspiration from some of my favorite style muses, showing you how I create looks from what inspires me while staying true to my own style.

Eloise at the Plaza

Eloise (at the plaza) wears a look that has a distinct red, black, and white color combination. I chose to embrace those color choices, but with different pieces. She wears a black skirt, white top, and red ribbon, whereas I'm wearing a red skirt, white top, and black ribbon (around my waist.).
Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly is such an icon and I absolutely adore her timeless style, unique fashion sense, and impeccable taste.  This particular look inspired the following ensemble...
I adopted Kelly's look, but edged it out with a mesh top- I thought it was a cool look.
Please ignore my non-manicured toe nails....
A closer look at the top...

Betty Boop

What a cutie.
I remained in keeping with Boop's signature red attire, sporting a black mini skirt, a red bandeaux, red heels, and some awesome jewelry...
I thought the green earrings complemented the red tones in the outfit really nicely.
A feathered headband!!! I love it.
The jewelry.
My fabulous red shoes.
The same outfit but I paired it with a jean jacket to make it a little more practical.
Lady


In this ensemble, I wanted to emulate Lady's coloring - she has beige, brown, and tan tones in her hair, and I wanted an outfit with the same hues. Her collar is blue and gold, so I am wearing a blue and gold necklace.
My necklace....
I put a jean vest over it, which has faux-fur lining - making me look more, well, like a dog. 
These shoes kind of remind me of paws so I thought they were perfect....
Jackie O

I love Jackie's style - she has such incredible taste, and this light pink dress is absolutely beautiful on her!! A true style icon!
I'm sporting a dress with the same pink-tone and length as Jackie's... but chose to accessorize the piece with my evil-eye necklace, statement earrings, and a headband.
My Jackie shoes - they make me feel so glamorous....
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey in a simple, black swing dress.
Like Audrey, I'm wearing a simple black dress. I chose to pair it with a silver statement necklace, simple earrings, black pumps, sunglasses, and an orange scarf tied around my head.
A close up.....
How could I create an Audrey outfit without my favorite Audrey-Breakfast-At-Tiffany's Trench? I love this coat and it really is a staple in my wardrobe. I wear it all the time in the fall/winter :-)
Penny Lane

I love her fluffy jacket...
...so I created an outfit with my favorite fluffy sweater. You can't really see them in the picture, but I'm wearing cut-off jean shorts with tights underneath. I chose to pair them with a light peasant top, a headband, and some booties. I love this outfit - it's so comfortable and really effortless.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn in her famous white, halter dress.
The outfit I'm wearing is very similar to Marilyn's, except I'm rocking it in black. I'm actually wearing a halter leotard with a skirt and sneakers. It looks like one piece, doesn't it?!

It's backless!!
My sneakers. I could've paired the outfit with some heels, but I love wearing sneakers with pieces that are seemingly more sophisticated. I think it's such a cool look and it's incredibly comfortable!

So this is just a little glimpse of how I incorporate what inspires me into my wardrobe, making each look compatible with my own style. Despite how different my muses may be, I really love being creative with my wardrobe and constructing looks that suit me. So I hope this post encouraged you to be a little more creative with your own style, and seek inspiration wherever you can! Next time you get dressed, see if you can create a few looks from what inspires you - it really is so much fun and I would love to see what you come up with! Don't be shy!! :-)

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Fave Fall Basics Pt. II: How Do You Maximize Your Wardrobe?


I had so much fun with my last post that I immediately deliberated new ideas for another fashion post after I published it - I was thinking and thinking and thinking, then I had an epiphany: At the conclusion of the post, I encouraged readers to create three outfits from pieces in their wardrobe. Then, from the pieces in those looks, I wanted them to see what other, completely different ensembles they could come up with. So, in this post, I am creating completely different looks from each and every piece I used in my last post, adding no more and no less. I wanna put my money where my mouth is, and show all of you  that it really isn’t that hard to get the most out of your wardrobe. I promise that I’ll change it up in future posts, but I though this would be a perfect follow up :)
My newest fave accessory, Little Enzo :) We were picture perfect until he decided to make my ear his latest chew toy.
This is my jean dress - I chose to pair it with my red eyelet scarf, wrap belt, yellow heels, and silver earrings this time...
My favorite basic black skirt. I love the colors in this ensemble - from the blue earrings, to the orange top, to the red belt, to the yellow heels...
Kept the skirt, complementing them with stiletto booties, black corset, shawl, and my orange earrings....
This is a really basic look. Just some jeans, sneakers, my green top, and blue-pink earrings...
Cowboy boots, tutu, and that top is actually my black mini dress...
Same outfit without the tutu....
Kept the dress on, threw my Ramones T-shirt over it, and belted it - complemented w/ ear cuffs and my fave fall booties.
The earcuffs...
My black skirt strikes again - with brown boots, earrings, and my favorite gray sweater.
Threw on my leather leggings, studded heels, and belted the top. This is an easily adaptable look - I could easily switch out the heels for some boots or flats. 
Kept the leggings on, and threw my lace up boots on. You can't really see it, but underneath the green top is my lavender bandeaux - it looks much cooler in person.

Kept the leggings for this look as well, paired with black pumps. Wearing my white button down w/ my royal blue bandeaux underneath along with my wrap belt.
My fave fall dress paired with black flats and my green tie. I  would probably wear this with my leather jacket or even a light sweater because this look is a little too sweet for me, but, of course, very comfy.
My brown slip with my leather jacket and nude flats.... 
And again with my yellow heels.



Alright so I hope this was a little helpful and showed you that maximizing your wardrobe is possible when you have a certain amount of clothes to work with! This definitely helped me organize my insane wardrobe as well as maximize it - even though I have enough clothes to last me about 12 lifetimes...

P.S. I forgot two items in this post that were present in my last one - Can you guess what they are?? :)




Monday, September 16, 2013

A Few of My Fave Fall Basics: What Are You Wearing This Season?


Though I definitely like making a statement with the pieces I wear, I really do value balance when putting an outfit together. I love feeling comfortable and I don’t like wearing a combo of clothes that would give me, or anyone else, a headache (Trust me, I’ve definitely had my moments......). So if I wear a midriff bearing top, I’ll pair it with jeans or a floor length skirt, and possibly with a jacket or simple sweater. If I wear a dress and heels that show a lot of leg, I’ll likely throw a light cardigan on or wear a dress that has more coverage up top. When it comes to color in my outfits, I like working with hues that complement one another rather than ones that completely match. 
So, I guess you could say I have a creative, comfortable, expressive daily style. I like making a statement in understated looks, if that makes any sense - except for Halloween and other special occasions... 
But I’ve really been trying to save money and organize/maximize my wardrobe, and I seriously don’t need anymore clothes for now, so I thought I could pull together a few looks from pieces I already have - and, as much as I hate to admit it, it gives me more incentive to take this seriously when I share it with people! 
So, here it is, just a few of my favorite Fall looks in a compacted, capsulized blueprint, and looks that I plan to build on with other pieces in my wardrobe throughout the season.  You should make your own little list of favorite Fall basics - you never know what you could come up with, or even what brilliant outfits you could create!! Cool prepared outfits make life so much easier....


So this is one of my favorite basics - It's a jean dress and I chose to complement it with a red-wicker belt, some boots, and a favorite pair of statement earrings. I let the dress hang off-the-shoulder to make the ensemble a little more interesting, but I've worn the piece completely buttoned up with various scarves, leggings, jewelry, and shoes! It goes with everything and that's why I love it. 
The boots - they go with everything and they're absolutely perfect for Fall.
Okay so for this look I pulled together some of my favorite basics, including that black skirt, which I absolutely adore (as you will see...). I paired the skirt with a green top (which is THE fall color!), a wrap belt, cowboy boots, and earrings with orange detailing.
I thought the orange and the green worked together really nicely....
Here is the black skirt again! I paired it with a white short sleeve button down, earrings, and black flats for a more professional look. I found a long, rather thin piece of green fabric in my closet, so I tied it around the collar of my blouse for a little more detailing.
A close up of my green "tie" with my blue and pink earrings....
Here's the black skirt again! Alright, I know this is a little more revealing, but I wanted to show how versatile this black basic is whether I wanna look more casual, professional, or...sexy. I paired the skirt with a belt my friend got me from a thrift store- it's from Morocco and it's.so.cool. I'm also wearing a royal blue lace bandeaux and a black pair of pumps (both staples in my wardrobe!!) with the skirt. Since it is Fall, however, this ensemble isn't the most practical without something to keep you warm! So I could pair it with a simple wrap, or even wear a white, tight fitted top tucked into the skirt with the bandeaux over top...
I love this dress, not only for its warm, Fall-red coloring, but also for its comfort, versatility, and fit. I paired it with blue statement earrings and sneakers while, again, leaving one sleeve off the shoulder. There is so much room to be creative with this dress and I love it. When it gets cooler, I plan to wear it with leggings, boots, scarves anddd you name it!
The blue statement earrings.
I love these sneakers and I wear them casually all the time. I love the dynamic look of wearing pieces that are super casual with other items that are a little more sophisticated. As you will see later...
How could I talk about my Fall style without my tutu?? So, this is my "ballerina" look, and I chose to complement the tutu with a lavender lace bandeaux, nude flats, and ear cuffs.
These are my ear cuffs.
So I wanted to edge the tutu out a little bit, and I did that with a black corset,  studded heels, and silver statement earrings.
The earrings. I love them.
Aren't these so killer?? 

Then I chose make the tutu a little more casual with a Ramones shirt that I've had forever, silver 3-tiered statement earrings, a red headband w/ black polka dots, and lace up boots.
A close up!
The boots!! I didn't lace them up all the way because I thought they looked cool like this and ....I also didn't really feel like it.
I kept the tutu and boots on, and chose to complement them with my favorite gray sweater that I've had for years, a finely stitched red eyelet scarf, and the same earrings.
Now this really is one of my signature Fall looks! I kept my grey sweater on and paired it with a different white/blue scarf, jeans, brown boots, and different statement earrings. There is such a potential for so many unique looks on the canvas of a gray sweater-jeans-boot combo. There are so many other scarves and jewelry choices I could work into this. Definitely one of my favorite basic looks. Very comfy and incredibly chic! 
So I ditched the scarf and sweater, trading it in for this orange, loose fitted sleeveless top. I kept the earrings,  jeans, and boots, adding a gold wire headband.
I then added this awesome leather jacket. I could have paired it with a sweater, cardigan, or cover up, but I thought this look was really cool - it gave me inspiration for the rest of my looks, as you will see...
I replaced the jeans and boots with a pair of leather leggings and stiletto booties,  making the whole look a little fiercer...
I then changed into my Catwoman gear to go fight crime. Kidding!! But I replaced the orange top and leather jacket with a tight fitted black mini dress, which works well with the leggings and stiletto booties.
I lost the leggings and booties for this look, keeping the dress and earrings. I chose to complement this fun party look with a pair of yellow heels. So much you can do with all of these pieces!
I wear this little slip so much, whether I'm relaxing at home, having a chill day outside, or just hanging out with friends. I definitely love the way it fits me, its comfort, and its adaptability.
I paired the dress with some statement earrings, a little shawl, and the boots I wore in my first look.
Alright, so thanks so much for reading! Style really is one of my passions and I really wanted to do this, not only to share my own style with others, but to show people how to get the most out of their wardrobes! From the pieces I presented to you today, there are already so many looks I could come up with that I didn't pair together in this little outline. Honestly, when you make the effort to construct outfits, it really helps you understand what could and couldn't work well with other pieces you have. Even after completing this post, it gave me the chance to think about how many more ensembles I could get from these pieces, as well as the rest of my wardrobe, that I didn't think about when I put all of this together. For example, I could wear my yellow heels and leather jacket with the brown slip in my last look. Or I could even wear my black corset under my shawl(pictured in the last outfit) with my jeans and stiletto booties. The possibilities are endless! I cannot stress this enough, but putting looks together will help you think outside the box and work on top of what you've already created!  

So, I challenge you to look in your wardrobe and create three or more new outfits - after you've created those, think about what other outfit combinations you could come up with from the pieces in those ensembles. Always remember, however, don't create looks just to create looks- if something doesn't work well, then it doesn't work well - No worries :-) But definitely try and push yourself and good luck!

P.S. I know I may in future posts, but I didn't brand-drop once in this post, not because I'm afraid to (trust me, I get irritated when I read fashion blogs, see a piece I love, and the designer is not stated...), but I really think we shouldn't be so quick to only desire brand labels when we shop. Of course, I have a weakness for specific designers and brands, but it's only because their pieces work for me. You should also be very conscious of whether an item is worth it or not - never ever spend money on pieces that you do not believe are worth their nauseating price! Go for what is perfect for you, your taste, and price range.