As if by miracle, Dallas had a cold front come through yesterday! It was amazing. 75 degrees and I almost considered the need for a sweater. It might not sound "cold' to some of you, but I cannot tell you how grateful I was to step outside in jeans (!!) and not sweat right through them. Getting in my car was not like walking through the gates of hell! Whooooppeee!!
I am quite intrigued, by the way, with this box hair color. It started out as a nice brown... then the blonde started showing through... and now it seems somewhat golden-like with red roots (you can kinda see it in the last picture if you click on it to make it bigger). Hmmm. I'm still ok with it considering the cost! But about this top... I've worn it before with shorts but I just love the way it looks with a fancy necklace and jeans. So cute! Plus it will be great with a chunky sweater when the temps get even colder than 75, sort of like they did on the product page of Nordie's site. (Which I'm not a huge fan of after the change. Thoughts?)
(Quick update! Please go check out my post on Jen's blog, The Look For Less. I participated in her "3 Wishes" summer series and had so much fun doing so. Thank you, Jen!!)
Yesterday, the loverley Erinn gave me a shout-out on her bliggity blog for being a flowy blouse repeat-offender. Can't argue there! :) Today, I'm throwing her a shout-out in the way of one of her fave staple pieces: the grey cardigan. This may be a go-to for her, but for me, it's really unusual. And I'm totally loving it. (maybe it's a cheat, because isn't it reminiscent of a blazer? oh, me.) Last night, I paired it with my lacy shorts, a cream colored tee and a bib necklace to create what I'd like to think is "laid-back chic." Ahem.
Road trip! First, I gotta make it through most of the work day... hoping to hit the road by 3. We'll see how that works out. Just a quick outfit of the day... which I won't be wearing in the car, or else these pretty silk pants will end up looking like a crumpled napkin. Yipes. :)
I used to be faithful and loyal to only one magazine: InStyle. Of course, I'm still loyal and faithful, but I admit-- I'm now sharing my editorial love with Harper's Bazaar. Despite the fact I can't afford 7/8s of what's featured, no matter-- the inspiration abounds in those pages! Searching through the pages urged me to pare down a little in my ensembles. Although I love going all out-- mixing textures, colors and patterns-- sometimes it feels nice to have it be simple and streamlined. I gravitated towards a black tee, sleek body con skirt (animal print, natch) and a gorgeous statement necklace that brings in the neutral of the heels. Simple, but elegant, I think. (SPOTTED: the ever-elusive ponytail. For some reason, I hate ponytails on me, but it seemed to work today.)
Also, I'll be posting the Flavanilla giveaway winner tomorrow! Ya'll still have until tonight at midnight to enter, so get to entering. :)
Also also, T-Minus 6 days until I leave for Vegas! Wahoo! I'm in the process of packing, which takes me a while. Involves a process of laying out my favorite items on the bed, pairing them together with other items, photographing them, then accessorizing them. Lots of steps, yep yep.
So as I mentioned before, I purchased the Urban Outfitter's ruffle tap shorts in grey and even recently featured an OOTD with them. (which, by the way! I figured out what was wrong in the pictures. The grey/black tank I wore under the pink shirt! Totally needed a tan/nude tank under. Duh.) The 2's were too big on me, but not by much. Still, I thought the 0's would be better, and they definitely are. In the waist, that is. Somehow, one size smaller also means tons shorter. Yipes. These babies are definitely short-shorts! But it's OK because I still love them so. I wanted to try another outfit with the correct size, but because of the seeming shorter-ness (um...), I wanted to do more conservative on top. I was inspired by Chloe's recent post featuring these shorts and decided to try something similar for myself.
ALSO, you beauty blogging ladies (and I know you're reading! That was my ploy all along, actually. Start a fashion blog and pretend like I know something about clothes and fashion just to get some beauty girls to help me figure out the wide-and-confusing-world of makeup and hair-doing and general prettiness)... might notice the pinkish lips in some of the pics. I decided to get a lipstick--L'Oreal's endless lipstick in Never Ending Rose, as I've been wanting to try a pink color for my lippies. It is a bit brighter in person-- the lighting was dim and I couldn't really catch the color well in the photogs. What do you think? Can I pull it off? Can I pull of even pinker? Or even a bright red? (Help.)
(bum shot, to show ya'll that the back is totally ruffled, too!)
Jacket: F21 peplum jacket
Shirt: F21 purple ruffle tank (it looks black here, but it's purple)
Shorts: UO ruffle tap shorts
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Belt: F21 gold flower belt
Necklace: the jewelry bar, again. :)
Oh and guess what? Today is D-Day... or H-Day. I'm getting my hair did today, so let's say a prayer for the poor Aveda Institute student who has no idea what she's about to deal with. Oh yeah, and pray that I no longer have to post pictures with my heinous roots.
These L.A.M.B. buckle sandals have been on my radar and wishlist for about a month now, and I just haven't pulled the trigger. They are so cute and would definitely satisfy my desire for a nude pair of sandals for the spring/summer.
What a dupe, huh?! There are some diffs-- the CR version seems to be more of a caged bootie than a pump. I obviously still like the L.A.M.B. pair better, but for almost $300 less, I could settle, especially since they may be a little too trendy to spend that much. What do you think: the real thing, or the substitute??
As many of you well know, I've been acting like it's spring for, oh I dunno, like 2 months now. Most of my outfits are shamelessly springy even when it's not really the right weather or right month to be donning my duds. C'est la vie. But last night, whilst in my closet flinging items around, I rediscovered this... velvet blazer. From Anthro, circa 2007 (?). I'll set the scene...
*Enter Justine, fanatically flinging clothes*
"Top... top... get rid of this... keep this.... ehhmm?... velvet blazer... top, top..."
"Wait. Velvet blazer?" *Pan in to face. Look of horror as realization sets in that Fall/Winter is gone and Spring has arrived. Velvet blazer will be null and void in T-minus a few days.*
So I grab some tops, some pants, some accessories and start playing around. It was way too late to be putting anything on my body besides flannel pants and slippies, but I made some "hanger outfits" as per my usual and set them aside for the next morning. Honestly? I didn't like what I did but I kept it out anyway.
Fast-forward, Tuesday morning. Begrudgingly put on the outfit. And what do ya know? I kinda like it. No.
I actually like it!
And so, dear lovies, here's my Lesson of the Day: don't always trust hanger outfits. They can deceive. (oh yeah, and don't rush the seasons so much! and don't cry over spilled milk! and don't kick a gift horse in the mouth! and don't eat year-old mayonnaise!)
(gratuitous ass-shot, whoopie!!)
Blazer: Anthro Odille, ca. 2007ish
Top: EPIC apparel burn out tee
Pants: Express black jeggings? ponte leggings? you decide.
Necklace: super-pretty thing from Nordstrom accessories dept.
Shoes: Chinese Laundry zebra hair wedges
(and please take note of pretty lilac nail polish. I lurve.)
So, Shopbop recently featured a blog post on the "Easy Pant," or the "Soft Pant," which is essentially defined by a jodhpur-esque dropped crotch, lighter material and tapered leg. The look really taps into that laissez-faire styling that spring will be seeing this year. I have to admit, I've been quite intrigued by this look since last year when it started becoming popular but held off in suspicion that it wouldn't last long. Would ya look at that, here they are, back in full force for this spring. I'm excited, really, because no matter how "easy" Shopbop makes it seem, I feel they aren't as easy to pull off. A challenge! The blog recommends a loose fitted blouse with a jacket, or a simple tank. Hmmm. I think I have other styling ideas:
1. Keep the colors neutral. This is just a personal thing, really, and the reason I say so is because it is so quintessentially Spring 2010 that it just seems right to pair it with a soft, muted pallate.
2. Pair with a structured jacket. I tried lots of different looks here, lovies, and photographed them all to see what worked. To be honest, the tailored jacket worked best. The boyfriend jacket seemed way too unstructured and maybe even pajama-ey. So here's my example of how to pull it off:
Necklace: Nordstrom (forget the designer's name but she is super cool...)
3. If you are to do a more loose fitted top, just make sure it doesn't look like you rolled out of bed. I tried to achieve this with the statement necklace, but it could be taken further with a great updo and some bold, fun makeup. I also liked that this cardigan had some depth to it with the fluttering ruffles, so maybe that helped keep it polished and not too loungey.
4. Tailor them if they bunch. I haven't done this yet, but I think if the length were more at the ankle instead of bunched at the shoe, it would just look better. (That's on the to-do list.)
And if a jacket or cardigan is not in the books (i.e., when it's way too hot out there to wear more layers), I do think a pretty embellished tee or tank would work, just like was recommended on Shopbop's blog post. Ground the look with some chunky platforms or wedges. I'll definitely be keeping these comfortable pants in the running through the warmer months and I can't wait.
What do ya'll think? Is this look easy to pull off, or is it on the "Black Diamond" level of fashion?
What better way to deal with indecision and stress than to SHOP SHOPPITY SHOPEROO?
(Heh.)
I'm thinking about ordering this, but do I need another lacey item? It's sorta like my F21 lace skirt... hmm...
And I tried this on in store and love love LOVED it. Soooo cute. But they didn't have my size...
I did manage to get a F21 striped skirt (similar to this skirt but in grey and white with thinner stripes, and a bit longer), and a light denim jacket (which I've been eyeing to pair with more feminine outfits). Now I just need some spring-ey tops to pair with my fun new skirts...
And I've been eyeing Mink Pink lately-- anyone tried them? I love this dress, even though I have no freekin' clue where I'd wear it. Hmm. Shopping makes a Justine happy. And less headachey. Yep. :)
OH. Also. Had to share this: I called the F21 today to find out about my hotly desired Silk Bow Dress, which I was told was in shipment and on it's way to the store for invoice this week. And come to find out, they're NOT getting the dress. (wtf, sales associate? Do you know how upset you've made me?! and yes the world DOES revolve around me! Duh!!) So this morning, it was sold out in small online and I was stuck in the same situation as last week and wanted to kick myself in the butt for not just jumping on it when I could. Almost as if it were meant to be, I checked the site again tonight for shits and giggles, and guess what lovies? There it was, in a small, in pink, staring at me in the face. So I wasted NOTIME and clicked purchase, along with this and this. Hey F21, you're like crack. Stop it. Or keep it up, I dunno, but I need more restraint. NO more F21 for me for a while; I need to be buying slightly higher quality from now on. End of story.
I love her. She's so pretty and so comfy and so... short.
I've been giving this some thought lately. Here's what I've come up with:
1. You're only young once.
2. If you've got it, flaunt it (within reason).
3. Why the hell not?
These thoughts have spurred from the question: Can I really wear things this short? I prefer short to knee length because I feel it looks best on my legs, which have little shape to the calf. And it seems I've really been eyein' the shorter hems lately (courtesy Spring Runway trends) and adding them to my closet. The stripey tunic is an example. So it's made me think a little:
1. You're only young once. Right? I want to look back at myself in 25 years and say, nice job, younger-Justine! Taking advantage of your youth.
2. If you've got it, flaunt it (within reason). There are a lot of things about my body I don't like, but it's much more fun to talk about what I do like-- my legs are one of them. They may be lanky, but they're pretty long and lean. I remember my mom always saying she loved her legs and she got 'em from her momma. Now I say the same thing! And hey... I should show 'em off once in a while, no?
(And let's get this clear-- I am NOT wearing short hemlines at the office, at church, at buisiness functions or on my interviews. This is the "within reason" part. This skirt, and other one's like it, are reserved for dancing, Vegas (!), dinner with friends and weekend drinks. Maybe a fun shopping/lunch date, but only if I'm headed to Highland Park Village or Northpark, heh.)
3. Why the hell not? I guess this one doesn't really have an explanation. Yup.
So to sum, my lovies: It's (almost) (will be) spring. I like short skirts. I'm doing it while I can. Amen. :)
And ohmigosh burnout leopard print with ruffles? Die.
I really don't recommend mixing animal prints. It can look a little less laissez-faire and a little more like crazy-cat-lady.
However. I was curious.
Honestly, I still don't recommend, even if it was as subtle as I could think of. Yeah. Just a general no.
Sweater: F21 bow neck cardigan
Jeans: AE Super Skinnies
Belt: Rodarte for Target bow belt
Shoes: Steve Madden zebra printies
Earrings: ModCloth drop earrings
When forced to choose which animal print I'd keep, it'd be the shoes. The belt is sorta unnecessary in the outfit, so it went. But I was a little excited to discover that these earrings, which I got free from a past ModCloth order, worked well with the pearlized buttons on this sweater. I hadn't worn them before because they're a little loud (to say the least), but a necklace just wouldn't do with the neckline on this cardigan and it definitely called for some danglies.
I felt like doing a poll (which woulda made more sense in the post from Saturday), so here ya're: Will you mix your animal prints?
Yes, my lovies, more of what I want. I was very surprised by this new spring trend I've noticed, mostly because I really don't recall seeing it on the runways. However, it's definitely infiltrated all of fashion-America. At first, I was not OK. I recall a few years ago the nautical-trend was in full force, and while cute, just a little too "costumey" for my liking. However, this year's "nautical" is slightly more toned-down and appropriate. It's come to us in the form of stripes.
Horizontal stripes. And they're everywhere.
(cries of horror heard throughout the blogosphere.)
No, I don't dislike stripes. But I know a million others detest the horizontal highlights across one's (INSERT HATED BODY PART HERE). Sure, I guess stripes can be unflattering, but they can also be super cute. Like under a blazer-- this way, the pattern isn't all-encompassing and is relegated to a little snippet of sight. But for those of you who are ready and willing to try the stripe trend, here are my picksies. Yay.
THE STAPLE STRIPE
Ahh, yes, the look that started it all. A simple tee to pair under a number of things (cardis, blazers, lightweight jackets, etc). This one ($28) is affordable, and let's be honest-- there is NO need to spend a fortune on a striped cotton shirt. Right? right.
THE SCREEN PRINT STRIPE
Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs are doing it. I love this look, and here F21 has a fantastic look for less... which I almost bought today, and am now a little angry I decided against it. Drats.
THE ASSYMETRICAL STRIPE
A lot of the stripe patterns spice it up with differing line thicknesses and striped patterns (woah, a little crazy, I know.). Just another way of adding some oomph to a basic print, I guess! But I do quite like it.
This is a huge category, obvi, and there are a million kinds of "striped dresses" one can do. You can try the twofer ensemble dress for just a tad bit of stripe, go all out with the full-on stripe, or mix the stripe with a pattern to be more avant garde (yes, see a few notes above). To be honest, I don't think there is a "right" or "wrong" way to do this-- either off the charts colorful or a bit more toned down, I'm just an all-around fan.
And I definitely did end my shopping hiatus today with F21's new arrivals. I bought my own striped dress, which I'll feature on the blog when it arrives. Also planning on buying this one (in grey/pink) when it hits my Highland Park store on 2/15 (yes, I know the date of it's arrival, shuddup). Anyone else have their fave stripey picks? Or staying away from this one all together?
Ok. I'll admit it. This is not my outfit today. But a girl can dream, right? I like this outfit because it doesn't look super-feminine, but it totally is. I mean, ruffles, sequins and rosettes? Totes femme. But somehow, this pulls of an edgy chicness that came together pretty dern well. A great weekend-evening outfit that may not be my OOTD, but will be in the future. (When it's 50 degrees warmer, also.)
Shoes: Badgley Mischka Halworth pump (1 left; now on sale!)
Necklace: EPIC apparel
Bracelet: A.V. Max
I cannot wait for the weekend. When you're spoiled with mini vacays, you start wanting them more... since last weekend my sister in law was in town, I had Monday off. And now I have a half-day on Friday because we're road-tripping to San Antone this weekend. But it's still not enough, want more weekend. :) I'm really looking forward to San Antonio because we get to not only see our friends, but also spend some time in sunshine... Dallas has been a rainy, tranny mess for way too long. But I need to stop complaining on this thing because I'm getting sick of hearing it, too. OK. Good thoughts. Ummm... yay Thursday night television! (That's all I got.)
