White Hot Bottoms

So, I've been on vacation for a couple days and one of my favorite things about traveling is people-watching for the sake of trend-spotting. Which, if you're fashion-conscious at all, really takes little to no effort once you can relax knowing you're going to make it to your gate on time. Anyways, as always, I noticed a theme in airports.

Drumroll, please...wait for it....white jeans!

Sure, they've been out for a season or two already but I've never seen as many as I've seen lately. I think we can all agree that this one trend we won't mind jumping on the bandwagon for, for the simple fact that white is so versatile and will go with everything. Unfortunately, many people cringe at the thought of wearing white, and it's very true that one must be somewhat choosy about when they wear it. (Your son's t-ball game is likely not the best time to debut your new knickers.) But the good news is you can find cheapies so you won't have to worry as much if you know you're not risking wasting $100. (Try American Eagle, Charlotte Russe, Forever 21, or heck, even eBay or thrift stores!) Maybe just try to steer clear of red beverages or sauces that will stain. Oh, and might I add that white equals instant tan on EVERY skin color!? Have I convinced you yet???

Being that my interest was piqued, I decided to create a set utilizing some ways that I'd wear this trend. I've seen it with flats but I've also seen a lot of wedges this season. Score for the short AND tall ladies!

Now, grab you some "whitey tighties" & get ready to sizzle this summer!

Warming up with CHEVRON

I have to admit I'm pretty crazy about this season's trends.  My husband's cousin used to say I wore a lot of "sherbet" colors - which meant basically anything bright.  I feel like I was a little boring for awhile but with all the fun colors coming back, I'm in hog heaven!  Mint green, peachy coral, and another new favorite is YELLOW.  Anywho, I've also recently tried out some chevron print palazzo pants and whoa, are they fun!  I wore the outfit on the bottom left last sunday but wanted to explore some various ideas.  The pic shows a skirt but the pants are so wide legged that they look very similar.  I designed this set to try to get an idea of how to mix these two trends based on clothing I already have (or plan to get, such as the coral wedges.)  I don't like to buy anything I can only wear one way - what a waste!  I have a good feeling these pants will serve me well in the coming warmer months, as they are not only cute but very loose and breezy as well. :))

Sunday Best: A classy pop of red!

I'm sooo excited to be writing this one because it means I FINALLY found red boots!!! I've been looking for them for months but everything I found was so expensive. These are from Charlotte Russe ($40). Mega score! I have no idea where this style idea came from but I wanted to be the first to bring bright boots to our small town. One thing to remember is that red boots are very attention-getting, therefore I try to keep the rest of the outfit fairly neutral & minimally flashy.

Today I was going for a classy look. Here, I am wearing a black top (Sears), nude-colored ribbed skirt (Ross), leopard scarf (Cato), red boots (Charlotte Russe) & a red bracelet. You will often hear me say I shop cheap. This entire outfit cost me about $70 & each piece has so much potential & adaptability for many other looks, which is what it's all about. I rarely buy anything that can only be worn one way.

I've also worn these boots with black leggings, a gray tunic & red jewelry for a more casual look.

I can't wait to see what other looks I can create with them!!

Workwear: Legging Love!

Casual work wear, but work wear all the same. I love leggings & tunics! So I'm wearing black leggings, a long brown top, brown riding boots & a scarf with black, brown & gray to pull all the colors together. It's very simple & very comfortable, yet it looks put-together & dressy. And the great thing about this season is that you can pair leggings & riding boots with basically ANY color top & scarf. I'd stick with neutrals if you don't want to stand out too much but, by all means, add color if you don't mind being noticed! This is such a great style!!

Tuesday Tip: Color Your World

One of the biggest favors you can do yourself when it comes to fashion is to figure out your "colors". Meaning find out which colors work for you and best accentuate your features. We've all seen the person wearing something that clearly didn't work for them but on the flip side, we've all seen someone and noticed how well something DID work for them. The thing to remember is that not all colors work for everyone. Personally, having dark, warmer features (dark hair & eyes, yellowy, warm skin), I find my best colors to be reds, pinks, light colors, cremes, peachy oranges, turquoise, dark greens, bright colors (neons), purples, and of course black goes for almost anyone. It may sound like I can wear anything but the specific shade of any of the above listed is crucial. That's what you have to pay attention to! Some ways to find your colors are:

1. Try things on! Don't just buy something because you like how it looks on the hanger, mannequin or even on another person. It will look different on you.
*Pay attention to how your skin, eyes & hair looks with any given color. If you look washed out or pasty, this isn't the color for u. If it accentuates your features, buy it.
*Use makeup & accessories to further accentuate without getting "matchy" (don't match your makeup to your clothes to your headband - too 80s!)

2. Get feedback! Ask others & pay attention to what colors you're wearing when others compliment you. This says a lot about what colors work well for you. Just be thick-skinned enough for someone to tell you when something isn't working.

3. Look at people, fashion mags etc. Pay specific attention to people with features identical to yours & look at what colors work well on them, then try those out. Most brunettes with brown eyes and/or blondes with blue eyes can pull off the same color schemes. Pay attention to how their makeup plays a part as well.

It's all about trial & error. When you find your colors, you look better & inevitably feel better about yourself. And who doesn't want that?

It was MINT to be!

So I kept seeing all the colored skinnies that have become so popular and, being the trend-lover that I am, I immediately wanted some - but I really wasn't sure I could pull off the look. My favorite colors were coral and mint but I'd seen so many people wearing coral that I opted for mint green. AND I found the exact color I wanted at a bargain after looking everywhere - score!! I've wore them casual with a solid top and flip-flops but this particular night I dressed them up a bit more. I'm wearing a black off-the-shoulder top, mint green and gold jewelry (earrings and ring) and nude-colored wedges. There are so many style options with colored skinnies - most can be worn with black, gray, white, navy, leopard & red.

I love these kind of pants!! They have become one of my favorite trends to wear right now!! They are so fun and have a retro feel. (Psst...and they make ur legs look long!)

Fashion is my passion!

I'm not sure what happened to this post but somehow I deleted it so I'm going to try to remember what I said.

I've been thinking about creating a fashion blog for some time but just recently decided to take the plunge & go for it. Fashion is my passion! Like most women, I love to shop. I love clothes, shoes, jewelry, purses, everything! Fashion truly is a reflection of who you are & I love the unlimited possibilities of expression that go along with that. I receive compliments pretty often on how I dress & I've always thought anyone could do what I do with just a little effort - until recently. I was discussing this with a few people (who actually suggested that I look into a career in being a stylist of some sort) and through this discussion, I came to the realization that some people truly do not know how to put an outfit together, much less plan for specific events. I suppose the reason this came as such a shock to me is that I begin planning, or in the very least thinking about, my outfits as soon as I know I'm attending any given event. And I mean anything from a casual date, to a small group get-together, to a week-long vacation. I put a lot of thought into how I present myself outwardly. So this blog is my attempt to use my "gift" - if you want to call it that - to help others & hopefully make these things a little less intimidating. Fashion is & should be fun! And it is my belief that women feel better about themselves when they gussy up just a little! ;)

Date night done right.

My husband and I went out for dinner and it also happened to be the beginning of our cool, southern Oklahoma fall season. For me, this means sweaters & scarves! (And boots!)
I opted for red skinnies with leopard accents (scarf & heels). Red = sexy. Leopard = sexy. Red + leopard = super sexy! Perfect for date night. Side note: sexy doesn't always mean showing lots of skin - its highly possible to look good while keeping it modest. The great thing about fashion is that you can use certain colors & fits of clothing to accentuate your specific figure and features, which is always more attractive than showing off everything you have. I topped the outfit off with a cream-colored sweater to 'neutralize' everything else that was going on. It was a fun outfit that made me feel good about myself & kept me warm.

P.S. I actually slipped & almost busted my rear on a slick floor in these sky-high heels....but hubby said my legs looked long & I looked cute so it was worth it! :)