59 Days of Style Day 20-26: Cardigans-Tanks

 My original idea was to showcase the different cardigans I wore Saturday-Monday, however, I didn't get a chance to blog! So here is my catch-up blog.

Forever 21 cardigan with black F21 tank and cuffed jeans (Day 11). This cardigan has the same odd "wing" style as the one I wore on Day 12. Even though it looks strange on a hanger, it is flattering and easy to wear; a nice, shear option for those not-cold-not-hot-days.

What to wear hanging out with friends and going wine tasting? I wanted something pretty, stretchy, lightweight and all-over comfortable. Black leggings with a white tank can be the base of many wonderful outfits. The cardigan is Anne Taylor and the skirt, you guessed it, Forever 21! I LOVE adding a unique necklace to most outfits. This one was given to me by a friend Ellie for my Birthday.

After a busy weekend, I wanted to be comfortable. You should know these black Guess leggings by now, they are an easy go-to item. Inspired by Audrey Hepburn, black flats was a must. The tank top is the same long black one from Forever 21 and the cardigan I wore in Venture on Day 7. I didn't know how much I liked these vintage beads until I started looking through all of these photos of me wearing them! They came from Love Fox Vintage in Ventura. Be happy, Love Fox has an etsy shop!

Going to Disneyland and didn't want to get a sunburn, so I wore a long sleeve top (Day 10) over a black tank and my Gap skinnies (Day 13 and Day 18). My friend asked me if I took a picture of my outfit before going to Disneyland; of course I did! It's the blogging that takes time, not the photos, as you can tell by their amazing quality ;)

HOT! Yesterday was the first of an unexpected heatwave. I began reaching for a plan tank to pair with my "custom" cut offs when I remembered I am being held accountable to my outfits by this blog. Alright, so the goal is to still wear tank tops, but ones that are actually tops, not undershirts. This is a cross back tank I got a Target last summer, it has a fun flower detail at the shoulder and floats nicely away from my tummy :)

Today! Finally made it through. LOVE this Anthro dress (layered on Day 14) I got for about $30, paired with a little white cardigan and some sandals and I'm ready for the 90 degree weather Dallas Rains was threatening me with. It is hard to see my hair, but I want you all to know I am sporting the "bang french". Easy way to get rid of your bangs and add a touch of boho to an outfit.

Want to free your legs from winter but lacking the confidence? Fake it! This self-tanner is awesome because it doesn't have any harmful stuff in it and it actually has SPF 15 so your, actually white, legs are protected from getting burnt. To add some color to my face, I used bronzer in the hollows of my cheeks and for eye shadow (thought you'd like that little trick).

Happy Summer, Californians!

59 Days of Style Day 18 & 19: Nude Flats

The magic of nude, blush, or beige shoes has passed my notice until my stylist, Minh Le, recommended these blush flats by Steve Madden.

These shoes are perfect for elongating the legs when wearing skinny Gap jeans. They are also style neutral so they go with EVERYTHING! Notice the long tank also worn on Day 10. I love the color and it was only about $5 at H&M.

Here is what I'm wearing today. I love this dress I bought for my bridal shower, the 40's style and kelly green brighten my day, but the back of it is all puffy and not flattering at all. What to do? I just put on my Anne Taylor denim jacket (Day 5, Day 6) and rolled up the sleeves. The shoes are again, awesome, since they don't make March legs look any whiter.

The afternoon light was not very bright in my room, so I'm including this super cool picture. I tried something new, using my lip gloss as a liner for a light pink Burt's Bees chap stick. The wand's tip was easy to use as a lip liner and, since it is a lip gloss, very forgiving and easy to blend.









 
Inspiration:
-Try putting a sweater or jacket over a not-so-favorite dress
-Budget to invest in some nude flats or pumps

Thanks for reading!
<3
E

59 Days of Style Day 17: Skirt This!

Skirts make me feel girlie and frilly. That is fine if you aren't needing to woman up to a crazy day.

Trying to challenge myself, I put on my flowy Anthropologie skirt. Needing to add some structure and power to my look, I chose deep colors,  not pastels and florals. This military inspired jacket is comfortable but seemed a bit boxy. Simple solution; I rolled up my sleeves to make it more casual. I also opted to show off my knees so I wasn't dark head to toe. Usually, a black boot would be the choice for an outfit with a black jacket, however choosing brown boots (yes, my favorites from Day 12 and 13) lighten the look.

To carry the look to my face, I did a black-lined eye and a nude lip. Concealer and a dab of lip gloss work great.

Who doesn't need a little glitz in their day? This "diamond" and chain leather cuff by Swank is a great combination of girlie and edgy. Another tip from Minh Le- always wear clear or nude polish when wanting to look professional.




Inspiration: pick something in your closet and wear it in a new way you never have before.


Peace and Love!

59 Days of Style Days 15 & 16: Confidence and Pashmina

Yesterday was an all day work marathon as I prepared for a company-wide meeting that we had last night. Since most people were going to be dress casually, I didn’t want to look too out of place. I selected these wide-leg trouser jeans, an asymmetric patterned Ann Taylor red cow neck top with my chain cardigan. I have had a bit of a hard time figuring out how to wear this read top, since it is bold. By wearing a cardigan, I could show part of the pattern while not being over the top. 

Confidence is huge when it comes to running a meeting, meeting with clients or just to have a productive day. You have now seen me wear this cardigan three times (Day 9, Day 14 )there is a reason for this, it gives me confidence. Not sure if it is the slim fit, the soft material, the deep color or just the awesome chain but something about this sweater says to me “CONFIDENCE”! Everyone should have one go to item in their closet they know will give them this feeling, especially when they are having an off day. As I’m going through this journey I am becoming not only more thoughtful about what I chose to wear but the way I feel in my clothes. That is my challenge to you; ask yourself “how do I feel in this outfit?” Confident? Sexy? Happy? Or just “okay?” On our journey of wardrobe discovery, we might as well discover a thing or two about ourselves.

Today I am worn out, tired and a bit droopy feeling, time to get comfortable. Velour track suit??!?! Hmmmm? Not today, my friend. I pulled on my black crew-neck sweater,  (Day 3) favorite Gap jeans and sheepskin boots. I feel 100% comfortable and cozy. The only way I allowed myself to wear this as an actual outfit was by adding this gorgeous pashmina scarf my Grandma gave me. I also added two current trends: insect jewelry and berry lips. The brooch was in my Great-Grandmother’s “not special” jewelry box passed over by the matriarchs, so I got to adopt it. Berry lips are pretty but I’m not about to commit to a day of thick lipstick when I just want to take the day slow. This lip gloss by Arbonne is perfect, you can layer it on as light or as dark as you want and… it’s not sticky! I can’t stand sticky lip gloss, ick. 

 

Today’s lessons:
-Find out what in your wardrobe makes you feel confident and wear it!
-Have fun with scarves and spruce them up with a vintage or vintage looking, brooch
-Bust out a fun lip color

As always, thanks for reading.
<3
E

59 Days of Style Day 14: Layering is Fun!

My Mom always told me to dress in layers when it's cold out. What about when it's just kind of cold and a chunky sweater would be too much? Here is what I wore today and how I did it.

Step one: black tights, black boots (Day 1) it is cold, after all. This is my favorite sundress from Anthropologie. Super cute but not too appropriate for going to church in March. I also would not pair it with a complete black leg. To rock this on it's own, I would wear sandals or brown boots sans tights.

Step 2: My dark purple, Ann Taylor, cow neck (Day 4) is loose enough so my dress fits nicely underneath but hits at the right place so the dress looks like a skirt.

Step 3: Not quite warm enough so I layer on the black cardigan with the chain detail I wore for my work meeting (Day 9).










All three pieces are not bulky, therefore perfect for layering with different outfits. The dress has a bold print and bright colors. Some might scare away from trying to use it as a layering piece. The best thing to do is pick pieces that can all be categorized as neutrals. Have no fear, dark purple is definitely a neutral. The chain detail breaks up the dark colors on top allowing for a more vertical or "skinny" look. The goal is always to look skinny and tall! No frumpy or bulky here!

59 Days of Style Day 12 & 13: It's Gettin Cold Again

Just when I start to think it's summer time, the temperatures drop to the 50s and 60s. Cold weather like this just makes me want to get in my velour track suit and drink hot chocolate. Why do they call it a "suit" anyways? It didn't help much that Thursday was St. Patty's Day, a holiday known for drinking. That makes getting up and dressed for Friday all the more difficult. Not only am I planning new outfits everyday, but I'm doing my hair and make up daily too.

Friday:

Notice the black leggings worn on Day 10 with cowboy boots. The "skirt" is actually just a long tank from Forever 21. The sweater looked totally crazy on the hanger with the wide top and narrow bottom but totally cute on. If you find a sweater in the store and it has a bizarre shape, try it on, you might end up loving it. This one is also from Forever 21.

Saturday:

Favorite boots? Yes! These Steve Madden boots were recommended by Minh Le, the amazing stylist. Side tip- always check Retail Me Not before ordering anything online, you might find some great coupons. These boots have three notches on the top so you can tighten them up then scrunch them down. Jacket also seen on Day 1 with a dress and the scarf was Day 3 as a casual accessory. Paired with skinny jeans and I'm ready to go to the movies with friends! Look at me, mix-matching outfits :)

59 Days of Style Day 11: Erin Go Bragh!

Before Picture 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It is day 11 of my not wearing the same outfit twice and not buying new clothes journey. The truth is I almost slipped into old habits this morning. With not much time to get ready for work and laziness setting in I was about to grab my routine cardigan and jeans look, as demonstrated by my before picture above. 

Running out of my initial cute outfit ideas, I fought the urges and threw on this black cardigan I wore on with my Rockin it at Work outfit, paired with a green cami for St. Patrick’s Day and I’m good to go. These jeans were too short and a little on the loose side. My wonderful stylist, Minh Le, suggested I make these into rolled up capris. This is easy to do, simply cut off some of the excess at the bottom of the pant and roll twice. If they are still too long, cut a little more. Playing with color will also help the mood, that’s why I opted for these coral satin flats. Reminder- always have your toenails looking nice when you are wearing peep toe shoes or sandals.

Cowboy Boots for All!

Cowboy boots. That's right, everyone needs a good pair of western style boots. Whether you are tromping around in the weeds, dancing at saloon, going shopping or at work, adding a little yee-haw to your life is a good idea. I've had my boots for years. They stay in the closet most of the time but when I want them, they are there for me. It is fun to wear my boots for obvious reasons but I also get a lot of compliments on them. My boots are by Steve Madden. They are slouchy, brown, have a pointed toe and embroidery: all things I was looking for when shopping for them. Since you will be able to wear western boots for many years to come, spend some decent money on a good pair. Genuine leather is always a good step. If you are against leather, there are leather alternatives. Here are my favorite boots I found online.

Candence These are simply beautiful. A nice nod to a western boot without being obvious. The height give them a little extra sex apeal.

$99

Zigi Shoho She's The One Super cute if you are looking for an ankle western. Keep in mind that ankle boots are more likely to go out of style in a few years than a traditional, mid-calf.
$99.99

Crush Need to get some kicking done? These metal toe boots will get your point across. Love the metal detail around the ankle.
$144

Crush Slouch A little less yee-haw but still a good point and I LOVE the color.

$144

Crush Shorty Slouch at 8" (others are around 10") it is not quite an ankle boot but not as tall as the others. The oxford inspired toe with the sticking is so much fun.

$81.26

Roper Slouch Faux Leather Though they are faux, these are a great combination of the above boots.
$74








Happy Shopping! Let me know which you decide to get, or share your own finds.

59 Days of Style Day 8, 9, 10: Business to Casual

Hello friends! After a two day trip to SB my life didn't take a break as I had two days of important meetings on Monday and Tuesday. Here are my outfits for Monday, Tuesday and today, Wednesday.

Here are my two meeting looks. The first was for a more casual meeting with a current client and the other for a big kick off meeting with new clients. The trick to meeting outfits is always plan them out in advance so you don't have to worry about it when you have other things on your mind. I love my necklace from Minh Le, the bag my love, Christine, got for me and my new Forever 21 cardigan. I saw the same looking cardigan in InStyle for $198! It's hard feeling bad about wearing a straight up copy even though you buy it before you know it was designed by someone else. I'll just have to get by with a little guilt and a lot of style. If you weren't aware, chain details are HUGE right now.

Here is me today! Hairsprayed ponytail brushed out and washed. My hair enjoyed the much needed hair mask from Arbonne, so I went curly today. Finally out of slacks and enjoying my new leggings from Guess Inc. with my Forever 21 stripped shirt, vintage beads and Steve Madden cowboy boots. I spent 3 days and went to over 12 stores to find these leggings. My stylist, Minh Le, said I need thick black leggings I can swing as pants. All the leggings I found were great for under knee length dresses but not so much for showing thigh. Guess, Inc had a couple designs left on sale and I was able to find these wonderful leggings. Originally $60, got them for $15! Love a bargain. They do have side zippers on the hips, which are totally cute. When I tried them on I unzipped them first. It took me about 7 min before I realized you can't zip them up after the leggings are on. I took them off, zipped them up, then put them back on. If you take one thing away from this post it is NEVER UNZIP YOUR LEGGINGS.

Can't believe I've already gone 10 days without wearing the same outfit twice. It is so tempting to go back to a favorite outfit instead of trying new things. Love to all!

PS If you ever have tips, suggestions, or just want to say "hi", feel free to leave a comment.

59 Days of Style Days 6 & 7: Weekend in Santa Barbara

We all know it is always difficult to pack for a trip, even a one night trip to Santa Barbara. Are you the over packer wanting to be prepared for every situation, any possible mood? Or are you the under packer, thinking 2 pairs of underwear and one shirt will hold you through a weekend, weather unknown? Being that I'm doing this blog- and yes, I do post pictures of my daily outfits, not one day of trying on lots of outfits and taking pictures-I was faced with making sure my outfits were planned to the Nth. This meant trying on the outfit I packed to make sure I felt comfortable enough in it to not be bummed that was all I had.

  
Saturday: Driving to Santa Barbara, walking around then going to dinner with my husband's family for my brother-in-law's birthday party. I layered my black padded shoulder tank with black tights, my cute Forever 21 shorts with the same Ann Taylor jean jacket from Friday. This outfit is comfortable and edgy. The only problem I had was lots of walking made the flowy shorts ride up a bit :( Might be too much information, but better I tell you not to layer leggings with shorts on days you are doing a lot of walking then you find out the hard way.

Sunday: Going to our old church in Ventura and hanging out with friends at the Ventura Harbor. So happy I planned this outfit Friday night! Remember to always try on any outfit you haven't worn together before to make sure you are happy with the shapes. This corduroy mini skirt came from my pile of not-warn-often pieces. I don't like the way it makes my butt look and feel it is sometimes a bit short. Wearing this nautical sweater with a long tank top and tights literally coveres up my issues. The star of the outfit is these textured tights. If you don't have any textured tights, make sure you pick up a pair and WEAR THEM.

59 Days of Style Day 5: The Canadian Tuxedo

Canadian tuxedo? I think not! There is nothing wrong with wearing two denim items at once though I must admit this is my first time as an adult. I was a mix-matcher trend setting kid, so who knows about what I wore as a child. My Mom lovingly let me pick my own clothes while cringing at my "unique" taste. Alright, so the trick is pairing two different colors, styles, etc. If you do want to be the Denim Monster for Halloween, go ahead and dress head to toe in the same wash of denim. For a less scary look, confidently block off the two separate denim spaces, if you are as chicken about being a Denim Monster as I am. I chose a white long shirt. Don't have a classic white T? Just look in your favorite man's drawer like I did ;) Glam up this look with a pretty necklace and a casual over the shoulder bag for a good day-time look. This purple bag is my favorite. It is made by Lucky and is the softest leather ever.

59 Days of Style Day 4: Rocking it at Work

Ever wanted to let your inner rocker out… at work? I always feel frumpy in work clothes so having a look that’s completely rocking and can go from the office to dinner to dancing is super empowering. The key is super sleek, simple, tight clothes with one volume item. I’m wearing black leggings, black mini skirt, dark purple cowl neck sweater with a fun flower encrusted short sleeve cardigan! The volume from the sleeve helps to narrow the waist and bring attention to my awesome faux hawk. The item of note here really is the black stretchy mini from Forever 21. It is about 7” wide and takes some wiggling to get it on, but it only costs $8 and is the perfect layering piece. Add brown boots to make it a bit more grounded or black, pointed pumps for going out. A fun bracelet, like this zebra print flower cuff from SWANK (Minh's jewelry line) is just the pop of girliness this outfit is hungry for.

Feeling extra daring? I am. This feminine from the front, rocker from the side faux hawk took me about 5 min to do. I teased the top, pinned it back then just pinned the sides towards the middle in a vertical line on each side. Having short hair makes this easy. If you have long hair, you can do a row of lose buns or a french braid.

To do today:

-get some work done!

-go shopping with Mom so she can get an awesome outfit for our meeting next week.

59 Days of Style Day 3

 

Who doesn't want a pair of slouchy, boyfriend jeans? These jeans are called "skinny slouchy" by Gap which means they are loose fitting and tapered. A bad combination for an inverted triangle shaped body. Minh, remember she is a genius, suggested I was wearing these too long. Not the difference between the above and below photos. No mater what your shape, experiment with different pant lengths trying to objectively see which looks best on you with different casual jeans. Don't be like me and keep things the way you buy them at the store or see them in a magazine; that just doesn't work for everyone.

I do also want to note that this crew neck black sweater from Forever 21 is a must have in everyone's closet. This is one of the pieces Minh had me add to my wardrobe. You will see much more of it to come. Since I'm not buying any more clothing, getting an infinity scarf or desert scarf was out of the question even though I've had a hankering for one. Well, my friends, its as simple as looping the scarf around twice and tucking in the ends. Yes, that easy and you too can have the look without buying another item. What if a little of the scarf ends dangle out of the back? Do not fret, 70's style fringe is a good thing.

 

Want to add some edge to a cozy outfit? Add a deer head ring! This one from H&M came in a pack of other animal head rings all for $7. Chictopia agrees.

Thank you, Chris for taking these photos for me on my iPhone! Also props to Max for being a nice accessory. 

Today's to do list:

-Work on rolling banners for my work's upcoming conference

-Go grocery shopping

-Checkout Old Navy's black leggings recommended to me by the lovely Cate