OOTD: I'm blue.

I seriously detest that this shirt never photographs in it's actual color. Which is actually teal. While this makes it seem bright blue. All frustrations aside, I really love this blouse and never knew how much wear I would get from it at the time I bought it. Who would have thought I would become a silk blouse freak? All the better, because these pretty little babies will get me through the fall and winter under the blazers I plan on buying.

(p.s.: T-minus 1 day until my DC excursion!)

Blouse: BCBGMax Azria

Skirt: F21 stripe knit skirt

Shoes: Chinese Laundry zebra hair shoes

I really hate to say it, but this is about as print-mixing as I will go. I've seen bunches of other bloggies pulling off the print mix look, but I just can't seem to do it well. This blouse has a pseudo-cheetah print embossed on it; the skirt is striped; and the shoes are zebra. Wild and crazy, eh? I think there must be something about the look that is a little too hectic for me, and especially given the neutral tones of this past spring and now fall, I feel the urge to minimize rather than maximize. (Not that I'm all that great at minimalism, anyway.) (The first step is realizing you have a problem. The second step is realizing you don't want to do anything about it. :) )

OOTD: It's a skirt, it's a tube...

... iiiitttt's SUPER TOP!

(Admittedly ridiculous. Sorry.)

But no, seriously. Way back when I bought this skirt, I was excited to try it as a tube top, too. See, I don't buy strapless tops or dresses all that often. Not only are they not the most flattering on me, but I lack the equipment to hold them up. But sometimes, I like the idea of them, so this skirt was perfect-- I was buying it as a skirt (and would get most use out of it that way), but also knew I could dip my toes into the pond of tube tops, too. Problem solved.

Plus, after yesterday's outfit, which was pretty mainstreamed, I wanted to spice up my new bell bottoms. I mean, don'chall miss it when I don't wear wacky things?  :)

Top/Skirt: F21 striped mini

Belt: Rodarte for Target leopard bow belt

Jeans: J Brand Lovestory in Falcon

Shoes: Steve Madden Tristano heels

Bracelet: A.V. Max pyramid studded cuff (and... eeeppp!)

Ring: MbMJ bow ring, won from ELECTRICFRINGE (thanks, lady!)

OOTN: "I change shapes..."

Last night, I saw Miike Snow in concert. For those of you who've never heard them, it's actually the band's name, not a guy who can't spell his name correctly (which is what I initially thought!). They have a unique techno/dance/pop/rock sound that I love. Lemme tell you-- amazing performance! I highly recommend seeing them in person, as they put on a great show.

Here's what I wore, which isn't that "new" or innovative for me... but hey, sometimes I like the looks I've created so much that I only tweak them a little. This was sort of one of those times.

(I realize my arms are up in each of these pics. What gives, me?!)

Tank: Old Navy ribbed tank

Skirt: F21 striped skirt

Belt: ??

Necklace: Baker's multi-chain necklace

Shoes: Go Jane cheapie booties

I thought it was an appropriate look for a concert, since it's a little edgy but still keeps my personality. Plus, these are comfortable shoes. Seriously. Who would have thought these $20ish shoes would be more comfortable than some of my $300-plus shoes? Crazy.

Also, I have fun news: I'm going to DC at the end of July to meet some fellow bloggers and some other gals I've come to know over time with this blog! I'll have more deets soon, so stay tuned for that. Thank you to all you fabulous readers/bloggers who have become my friends over the past year. This blog has opened doors for me I never imagined would be opened, and most of those doors aren't even related to fashion! It means the world to me that some of you have reached out and told me your story and have become my friends. Ya'll are the best, ya hear? :)

Also also (I know, I'm a little of everywhere today)-- even though I recently re-did my blog header, I should be unveiling a new blog look and header soon. I like what I made, but it's just not right. I've enlisted the assistance of a wonderful fellow-blogger, but more on that when the time comes nearer. Be excited!  :)

OOTD: The pink parade.

Lots of the outfits I've put together recently have included a pink hue, whether it be blush or barbie hot pink. Not sure the source of my recent pink-madness, but I must say I'm enjoying it. I'm a girly-girl. There's no doubt. Pink has always been my favorite color, and with my light-ish colored skin and ruddy complexion (which oddly carries a more yellow tone on the rest of my body), I find I can (usually) wear it and have it be complementary. So, a premature apology for the amount of pink you're likely to see in the next few weeks.

(It really doesn't help that my new pink Zara blazer goes with just about everything in my closet... I heart it and want need it in black, stat!)

Top: BCBG Max Azria cashmere tee

Belt: BCBG Max Azria (the original Snakebite belt, heh)

Skirt: F21 striped mini

Shoes: Liliana Bardor pumps

Scarf: Tolani ombre linen scarf

(p.s., This is my "recreated" look from the post I did on Bazaar's recent issue.... most definitely inspired rather than a direct copy, but the mag gave me the idea, at least!)

Was it just in Dallas, or did Tolani scarfs take over the summer last year? It was probably regional, but  Tolani was the "hot" scarf to own... seen on Jessica Alba and Hillary Duff, most notoriously. The boutique I worked in carried tons, and all we did was dress in scarves last summer. Which means I have a ton, and I never seem to wear them anymore. I'm attempting to fix that and re-incorporate them into my spring wardrobe. We'll see how that goes... and if the weather cooperates!

OOTD: relax, max.

I just freekin' love this weather, peeps! It's been in the high 70s/low 80s and SUN. LOTS OF SUN. Heart. Its putting me in the summer-state-of-mind, and when I feel like that, I feel like relaxin'and'maxin'. (I just made that up, with the help of 90's sitcom reruns, I think.)

Tee: Old Navy perfect fit tee shirt

Vest: Monrow cotton vest

Skirt: F21 striped body con skirt

Shoes: MICHAEL Michael Kors cage sandals

Necklace: Baker's multi-strand chain necklace

I feel like this is a very Cali-inspired outfit. Just seems so laid-back and chill, which is what I was going for. Sometimes, all I want to do is wear my sweatpants outside, so instead of succumbing to the badness that is flannels-in-public, I reach in my closet for the most comfortable pieces and see if they work. I got lucky today, lovies. It did. (and a little inspiration was found in Harper's Bazaar, who suggested the vest to be paired with a tight skirt. Nice.)

OOTD, and wha'cha think?!

Yay! 

Welcome to Fetching Fashions 2.0   :)

You afternoon/evening readers get to see the unveiling a little early. :) An anonymous reader yesterday commented that she's happy the "lady giving birth" is gone. Heh. I'd never thought of it that way (I just liked Ms. Jacobs' shoes and the fact she "shopped til she dropped") but hey, it's gone and no more frightening birth scenes here! Wahoo!

Let me know what ya'll think. That stupid header took several hours and tons of YouTube scouring to figure out. I am so bad at this.

Anyway, figured I'd slap an OOTD post on here for my first post of the new look. And yes, I'm back to my old spring ways. Then again, can't deny it's spring when it's almost 70 degrees every day and there's beautiful sunshine. Lovies? THAT is why I'm staying in the good ole' Tejas. :)

(Justine, doing her best Miley Cirus a la the Oscars)

Top: F21 stripey tunic

Skirt: F21 pink side ruffle skirt

Jacket: Charlotte Russe military blazer

Shoes: N.Y.L.A. Extravaganza pumps

Necklace: F21 flower statement necklace

Belt: F21 bow belt 

(Hey F21? You can send my check whenever, kthanks)

(HA! Only kidding... (kinda))

OOTD: Nautically inspired

Good Saturday morning to all!

I've added the Pages feature to my blog to make some things easier and a little less crowded on my sidebar. I'm really wanting to clean this all up a bit (because I feel like my blog is getting a bit cluttered) but I'm struggling with not knowing how to do anything unless blogger spells it out for me. I'm trying to learn HTML... but it's coming slowly. 

I wore this outfit the other night when going out for a happy hour. All of these items have been worn before (and recently) in other outfit posts but really seem to come together to make a totally new aesthetic when worn like this. I'm not really a preppy kind of gal, and I think the nautical look is preppier than I am. But I like the way it came out and I just love these pieces individually. So hell. Why not.

 

  

  

 

Jacket: F21 Articulate Jacket

Top: F21 striped tunic

Jeans: AE super skinnies

Shoes: I really have no idea.

Yeah, funny thing about the shoes: it's so weird for me to own a pair that I don't know the brand. All I know is there is some funny tan leather logo inside and I can't quite make out the deets. There used to be this shoe boutique in Dallas' West Village (you Dallas gals will know where I'm talkin' about) and it was great. They sold tons of stuff and tons of brands I'd never heard of. Best part was at season's end, the sales were legendary-- $200 shoes on sale for $20. Fabulous. Anyway, that's where these babies are from. Sad part of this story is that the boutique eventually went out of business. Probably because they were selling $200 for $20, but oh well. Got some deals out of it while it lasted, I suppose!

Have a fantabulous Saturday, lovies. I'm off for one last hurrah at this interviewing/school checking-out thing. Yippee.

Justine's take on Stripe Hype!

I was rather excited to see a F21 package sitting on my doorstep yesterday evening! For any of you who follow my Twitter feed, you'll know how fah-reeekin annoyed I was with UPS the past two days. Needless to say, this package shoulda gotten here LAST WEEK and it just came today. Argh. But it's here, and I'm happy. Yay!

One of the items I purchased was part of an effort to amass some striped items for the spring. I had this fabulous idea of a striped dress that could also work cinched up as a tunic. I found the perrrrrfect item to fulfill this wish.

(Warning: lots of leg photos coming up! Yipes short dress!)

  

  

  

Okokokok.... I'll put some clothes on, sheesh.  :)

  

  

Tunic dress/top: F21 striped tunic (other colors here)

Belt: F21 bow belt 

Hat: Nordstrom 2009

Shoes: Chinese Laundry (1st pic); Steve Madden (2nd pic)

Necklace: F21 gold chain link oldie

Perfect for Vegas, no?? :)  I feel a little "Lauren Conrad" in the second set of pics. And a little Amber-inspired in the first... maybe it's the use of the hat. Who knows. For review purposes, I had to order this top/dress in a size Med, since the smalls were sold out (and now all sizes in this color are sold out). So it fits a little loosely in my waist, but definitely fits well in the... ahem... buttocks area. As you can tell. I'm almost happy I was forced to get a size up because I'm not sure I could make this a dress with any less material. I'm almost not sure I can make it a dress now! But like I said, for Vegas, definitely fine. Some of ya'll shorter ladies will do OK with this probably. 

And thanks for all the help with the elusive bow dress! Pammy has basically convinced me to buy the blue instead and stop fretting about the pink... but oh that pink....