Excessorize

Top, Tracy Reese.  Skirt & belt, 3.1 Phillip Lim.  Shoes, Cynthia Vincent for Target.

I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a minimalist, but I've never been one to overload a look with extra pieces.  I tend to let the clean lines or fun patterns of my clothes speak for themselves rather than layering on belts and jewelry- I hate feeling and looking cluttered!  But going through backlogs of my blog (say that 5 times fast!), I can see that there is room to liven up my look with a few well-placed accessories!

The mission of today's outfit was to wear what I once considered to be 'too many' extras, and see how it looked on camera.  To my surprise, I think this outfit looks both fun and unfussy- even though I'm wearing a necklace, earrings, a ring, sunnies, and a double-looped belt!  Because the pieces I chose blend together so nicely, the overall effect is exquisite rather than excessive.

Bag & sunnies, vintage.  Necklace, So Good.  

Earrings/ring, H&M.

This top by Tracy Reese has a lot going on- the colors are vibrant and the print showcases people, buildings, and even donkeys!  I decided to center the rest of the outfit around the tan base of the shirt to tone it down a bit.  This 3.1 Phillip Lim skirt was the perfect neutral bottom.  I recently found it at Second Time Around during their Memorial Day sale- what a steal!!  It fits perfectly, and the double belt it came with is so different from any other belt I own!   Then I added my Cynthia Vincent for Target wedges, because they matched the colors in the top perfectly.   

Though the top and shoes are both full of color, I picked just one color to accent.  My orange earrings, ring, and bag pulled the outfit together and gave it a little kick!

And the shirt shows off my tattoo, which is always a plus :)

All in all, I learned a valuable lesson from this outfit: while simplicity always has a place in the fashion world, it's fun to ditch the classics and spice up your life with excessive accessories every once in a while!

American Beauty

Sweater, Ralph Lauren.  Shorts, Vintage.  Belt, Pierre Cardin  Shoes, Mossimo.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

I wanted to celebrate the great USofA by wearing red, white, and blue (which just happen to be my favorite colors anyway...) for a lovely Saturday of exploring Boston with an old friend.  The Ralph Lauren sweater and vintage shorts combine to create a casual chic look; I was comfortable enough to walk around town all day, but I still felt pulled-together!

This first picture could totally be a snapshot from the 1950s...I love the timelessness of classic pieces!

Lately I've fallen into a rut of sorts, choosing to exclusivly wear dresses.  Dresses are an obvious choice for me because they provide a full outfit in just one piece- but I've decided to challenge myself for the next couple days and focus on mixing and matching seperates to create new and exciting looks!  It definitely makes getting dressed in the morning more fun.

I've also been neglecting to indulge in the outfit-changing power of accessories.  So today I piled on the pearls, cinched my waist with a belt, and carried around my navy patent Ferragamo tote bag to add some intrigue to the simple sweater/shorts combo.

Then I added some vintage sunnies!

Went for a little stroll along the Charles River...Boston really is a beautiful city and I'll be sad when I leave it soon!  Although I've lived here for 4 years, I feel like there is so much I still haven't seen...

A big thanks to Patrick for snapping these pics!!

And an even bigger thanks to all the troops who keep us safe every day :)

Happy Memorial Day!

Nauti-Cool

Dress, Betsey Johnson.  Shoes, Max Studio.

Hardly any style can claim to be on-trend all the time, but the nautical look beats the odds and remains fashionable every single season.  For spring, nothing tops the eternal elegance of sailor suits or Breton stripes; these are pieces that can spend years on rotation in your wardrobe and still look crisp and fresh with every wear.  

This Betsey Johnson dress puts a funky spin on a classic look, making it feel both timeless and of-the-moment.  I know I'll get seasons and seasons of wear out of it!

And the best part?  The dress comes complete with a detachable sailor collar!!  

There are just so many ways to rock this look- I've worn this three times in as many weeks!  For these pictures I chose to let the dress stand alone and paired it with nude wedges from Max Studio.  But the look is easily sexed up with red patent peep-toe pumps, or toned down with a denim jacket and white Keds.  

I've found my go-to outfit of the season!

Patent Pending

Dress, vintage.  Shoes, Mossimo.  Belt, Betsey Johnson.  Bag, Mulberry for Target. 

I took advantage of having three consecutive days off of work this week and spent a few wonderful days with my family in New Jersey!   One of my favorite parts of hanging with the fam is having my outfits critiqued by my very opinionated and stylish younger sisters- I always make sure that I bring home my newest, most interesting pieces to get their uncensored feedback.  Sometimes they can be harsh, but this printed 50s sundress got the OK from both of my girlies!

Sunnies, H&M.

I scored this flirty 50s frock from Cafe Society in Brookline, MA for only $25!  The top is a bit more blousy than what I usually like to wear, so I tried to cinch in that extra fabric with a wide patent leather belt from Betsey Johnson.  I added matching patent shoes and handbag (borrowed from my younger sis, Valerie) and finished off the look with my new favorite sunglasses!  I think the exaggerated cat-eye shape suits my new haircut.

I was also drawn to this dress for another reason:  it's cut super low in the back, which makes it the perfect outfit to show off my NEW TATTOO!

I got some fresh ink last Monday, and couldn't wait to show it off to my family!  These letters stand for all of our first initials:  Hector, Cindy, Jessica, Joe, Rachel, and Valerie.  As some readers may know, I'm quite the Scrabble champion, so I thought the initials in the Scrabble tiles would be the best way to show off my family love.  The tattoo came out beautifully; it's a permanent fashion statement!

Thanks to Momma for the pics!

In With the New

Dress and shoes, DVF.  Necklace, So Good.  Bracelet, Marc Jacobs.

Lately I find myself hopping, skipping, and jumping out of my comfort zones.  Ever since graduating, I've been feeling like I need a big change in my life...so of course I started with the fun changes: new clothes and a new haircut!

This silk jersey dress from DVF is SO far out from my normal waist-whittling wardrobe, but for some reason I couldn't resist the contrast of the dramatic draping on the comfortable tee-shirt material.  When I wear this I feel like a completely different person- but I like it!

I added a statement necklace to break up the high neck line and add some intrigue to the solid grey.  Worn with DVF sparkly slingbacks, because every outfit needs a touch of glitter!

And from this angle you can see my fresh new 'do!

The wonderful stylist Anna Kathryn at Umi salon on Newbury St chopped my bangs and introduced my eyebrows to the world!  She also cut my curly locks super short in the back and angled them longer towards the front.   I never thought I could pull off such an edgy look, but I absolutely love it!  I've been so inspired to try new things ever since the big chop...it's amazing how something as simple as a new haircut can give you the confidence to tackle the complicated parts of life.

This might not be a look that I'll rock forever, but I'm loving it right now!

The Graduate

Dress, Betsey Johnson.  Shoes, Prada.

As of May 7th, 2011, I am officially a college grad!

While finishing college was exciting, it wasn't nearly as thrilling as hunting for and finding the perfect dress for the occasion.   I knew this Betsey Johnson number was the dress the moment I laid eyes on the exaggerated floral print and the pretty pleated skirt.   Plus, the deep red perfectly complimented my new Prada pumps...how could I resist?

I've had a lot of 'special events' lately, and I've used every single one as an excuse to buy a new outfit.  My searches have been blissfully brief, though, thanks to the Betsey Johnson boutique.  Although I've worked down the street from Betsey for 4 years, I'd never set foot in the store until a few weeks ago- and I regret neglecting this mecca of quirky 50s/80s glamour for so long!  Every rack was filled with flirty frocks that I couldn't wait to try on, and I ended up walking away with 3 new dresses (all at 40% off!).

I told my Mom (Happy Mother's Day, Momma!) about my newfound obsession, and she gave me the coolest graduation present I can imagine:

Purse, Betsey Johnson.

What a sassy little bag!  The lips on this purse are calling my name, and I plan on carrying it with my everywhere-  at least until my next Betsey shopping spree.  

Checkerboard Chick

Dress and belt, Betsey Johnson.  Shoes, Prada.

Whenever I'm stressed out, I turn to shopping.   Seeing as it's my last week of college and I have quite a few papers begging to be written, you could say that I'm pretty frazzled!  Therefore, this week has been full of in-between-classes shopping trips and late night eBay purchases.

I bought this awesome little dress from Betsey Johnson instead of finishing a PowerPoint presentation, and it was so worth it!  The material is a stretchy thick-knit that simultaneously hugs my curves and holds them in.  The peplum skirt keeps it from looking too skin-tight or showy, and the thick black belt ensures that my waistline isn't lost in the checkerboard print.  

This dress makes me feel like a slightly more 'rockabilly' version of myself.  Whenever I wear it, I act like a rockstar-  I think it's key to have an outfit in your closet that makes you feel like a badass!  

However, I have to admit that my favorite part of this outfit is MY NEW PRADA SHOES!!  I bought them on eBay a few weeks ago and they finally arrived in the mail from Spain the other day.  I haven't taken them off of my feet since!

I'd been drooling over this pair ever since the AW10 collections, and even though they're two seasons old, I feel like they'll never go out of style.  The deep red color will match pretty much everything in my wardrobe and flirty bows are the ultimate detail!  I'm in love.

Now if only these new additions to my closet could write my final papers for me...