1980's Dance Night

Going out for a girl's night is always fun, especially getting to get dressed up! For me, dancing makes me think of the 1980's, a time of color, fun and music. This outfit was my way of taking what I love about the 80's but adding a modern cleanness.

It does not come across very well, but the tights are green, the same ones I wore during my challenge (Day 35). The striped racer-back tank was bought at H&M for $14.95! The skirt was $5 at Forever 21, in total the clothes cost about $30, not too shabby. There is no need to spend billions on a cute outfit, just check the quality and make sure you don't spend much on trendy clothes you might not be into next year. Save your money for pieces you will love forever, like these Steve Madden boots that are a huge go-to item for me.

To rock it out a little more, I added my favorite Ann Taylor motorcycle denim jacket, which also looks cute with the sleeves rolled up. For the first time, I threw this jacket in the wash as was super happy to find that it came out perfectly. I tend to wash all of my clothes with cold water on the delicate cycle and it really helps to preserve the clothes. You may also notice my $3 H&M neo shades! LOVE THEM! Not to be worn with every outfit, but a fun accessory to have in my bag.

Stripes!

I really can’t say enough about how excited I am that stripes are big right now. I used to think horizontal stripes just make you look bigger than you are. The truth is it is easy to use stripes to flatter your body.

Here I am dressed for a meeting. This particular top has good size stripes and a little give, making it forgiving in the midsection.  The stripes continue over the arms; this is a great trick if you have broad shoulders, the sleeves also help to make my arms look longer and thinner. To make a black pencil skirt a little less Joan on Madmen and a bit more conservative, I added black tights and black pumps. I am still on my quest for pointed pumps, which would have worked much better with the outfit. The pashmina scarf adds texture and color. For some reason, I have it in my mind that if I wear a watch people will think I am punctual and dependable so I added my Mac Jacobs watch.

I often work from home with little chance that anyone will see me, however, I never know what my day is going to look like. Wearing a cropped (shorter, not necessarily belly showing) striped top can actually make you look skinnier when paired with a tight, long tank. Comfy, dark wash jeans and Toms make me feel homey but ready. Since I don’t like wearing makeup when I’m home, putting on red lipstick is a fun trick to help me feel feminine and takes about 2 seconds to apply. 

If you are not sure which size stripe will look good on you, consult a professional or try on every stripe top you can find in a store and have a trusty friend with you to help you be objective. Stores like Forever 21 are great for having many variations of the same style. This is especially helpful if you have a hard time NOT criticizing yourself while trying on clothes. The second striped top is one that was picked out by my stylist, Minh Le. Having her pick out the top gave me an idea of what I should look for when shopping by myself. 

Have a fun, stripe-filled summer!

59 Days of Style: Day 56-59: The End Of My Challenge

Day 59... Amazing that I completed this challenge. My clothing is way more personal than I thought it would be. I will admit that, looking back on the past 59 days, I did have some blunders. The core of this challenge was to be creative with my outfit choices by wearing a new combination each day without repeat or adding to my freshly cleaned out closet. Learning first how to dress my body by having a wardrobe overhaul by Minh Le, then taking those tools and really using them has shown me a new side of myself. A classier, more polished version of myself. In high school I was always complimented for my "unique" style which was mainly made up of old-lady thrift store clothes. Matching was boring and the more colors I could thrown in one outfit, the better. I have come a long way from there! With my new tools, and some new favorite outfits, my style has transformed from "unique" to beautiful, fun, polished and maybe even a bit sexy ;)

Inspired by my friend Loreal's Italian flair, I layered dark pieces with a scarf.

Going to the 2011 Wiener Festival had to wear jeans and a T, good thing I have my doxie pin my friend Cate gave me!

I don't know what I was thinking. Trying to wear this skirt has always been hard for me.

Last day! Love having light, short sleeve cardis to put over tanks for a more layered spring look.

Now that my 59 day challenge has ended I'm working on coming up with some ideas for a new challenge, preferably a shorter one so I don't lose interest. I am off to the airport in 3 hours to go to San Padro, Belize for vacation. I'll start my blog back up with a nod to vacation style. Thanks for reading!

59 Days of Style Day 48, 49 & 50: One Dress, Five Outfits and Toms Shoes!

My friend told me Saturday that, since I was painting my bathroom and not wearing a cute outfit on Friday, I needed to make up the day with an extra outfit.  I had some time on my hands so I decided to take one “fancy” dress and make 5 different outfits out of it. 

The dress with nude peep-toe heels.

This is the outfit Minh Le put together for me. Love the volume of the sleeves (Day 4 Day 11 Day 33) to balance the skirt. Nude fats; a great way to make this outfit versatile.

Here is a quirky option of adding a mustard jacket (Day 1, Day 13, Day28)to the coral and white dress. The navy scarf brings the outfit together and adds warmth.

Casual look, even beach appropriate, with a denim motorcycle jacket (Day 5, Day 6, Day 19, Day 34) and gladiator sandals.

I would wear this look to work with the Steve Madden cognac boots and black jacket (Day 17).

Adding an antique broach adds polish.

Here is what I ended up wearing. These coral shoes are the shoes I wore at my wedding. The “skirt” and shoes are feminine while the jacket is casual. Perfect for today!

 

Saturday was lunch, shopping and a birthday party.

 

I love wearing this belt around my hips, never thought of this before meeting my stylist. I’m a big fan of Toms shoes. Super comfy and a nice alternative to nude flats, if there can be such a thing. 

Outfit with my Gap shawl collar sweater= slouchy-comfy!

59 Days of Style Day 44 & 45: Forever 21 and Michael Kors Stripes

Since I'm nearing the end of my 59 day challenge, I am looking for ways to improve my blog and getting ready for my next challenge/ topic. One of the things I have done is added the response buttons. If you would like to leave a reaction to the posts, you can click the buttons at the bottom. Thanks!

Yesterday I had a casual work lunch. The weather is still wavering between cold and warm so a sweater and sandals it is! (Don't mind my dachshunds in the photos, they just get excited when I get ready to leave)

I love this stripped Forever 21 top ((Day 10 Day 23) with a cropped cardigan (Day 22). The stripped sleeve peeking out of the cardigan keeps this look fresh. This Gap corduroy pencil skirt (Day 7) is a great basic. My favorite part of this outfit has to be my vintage jade beads my husband gave me. If you are curious why there is an extra thick white stripe at the bottom of my shirt, it is just my white tank top showing up. The top is a little thin and too short for me to wear with this skirt- the white tank is key!

I'm working from home today and going to my friend's pilates class tonight. Not in the mood to get all dressed up just to change, I put on this cute, gold-stripped Michael Kors top over my yoga pants and tank top. It's a bit chilly today so I added my sheepskin boots (sadly, not real Uggs) and the hat my Grandma knitted me. (She has started selling them, so let me know if you want one)
Close up of the hat:

If you are like me, you don't like a bunch of makeup on while working out. What I like to do is put on a little concealer (Arbonne makes the creamiest, full-coverage concealer that doesn't dry chalky) with a a bit of mineral powder foundation and mascara. I feel fresh but not over done.

59 Days of Style Day 42 & 43: New Hair Cut!

I love a new look. An important part of staying young and current is to change your look often. Yes, there are specific shapes and cuts that look good on each person but there is a lot of room for change, especially where the hair is concerned :) Here are pictures of me getting my hair done by Minh Le at The Style Lounge in Carlsbad.

Step 1. Get the color on!

Adding in some copper tones.

It may look scary, but it's the truth! I definitely get my eyebrows tinted.

Minh cutting my husband's hair while my color sets.

Tada!

Love my new asymmetrical look and bright color!

Yesterday's outfit- white cardigan (Day 26 Day 39), black twill pants (Day 30 Day 41) I wore the day before under my dress and a pink tank!

Today was a home day, I decided not to take a photo since I finally took a day off. Jeans and a T-shirt with no makeup. Love today's break from taking a photo but excited to come up with something fun to wear tomorrow!

59 Days of Style Day 39, 40 & 41: Personalizing Outfits

It is unbelievable that today is day 41 of my 59 day journey to 1. not buy any new clothes 2. not wear the same outfit twice. At this point, I assumed it would become more difficult for me to reach in my closet and pull out something new. Being bored and discouraged were part of the way I used to get dressed. Having Minh Le work with me to do a complete wardrobe overhaul changed the way I see my closet and myself. Today I saw Minh for the first time since the endeavor, about 6 weeks ago. When I saw her new asymmetrical hair do, I knew I wanted one too. After getting my hair done I realized that that is exactly what she does- inspires you with her style then helps you translate it into a personal look. If anyone is interested in a free consultation with her, give her a call 760-672-1215 (she told me I could post her phone number), she is wonderful to work with. I encourage anyone who has been inspired by my blog to take the next step and call Minh. Alright, now on with the outfits!

 My Mom bought this white cardigan (Day 26) at T.J. Max forever ago. I keep almost getting rid of it, who knows why, but it keeps popping its way into my outfits! This is my alternative to jeans and a T-shirt; jeans, a tank top and a crop cardigan.

Adding unique, vintage jewelry to a casual outfit is my way to personalize my look. Here are a pair of turquoise earrings my Grandma tossed my way in one of her famous "things I don't want anymore" bags.

When I was looking for these earrings, I came across this ring my Grandma had also given me. It is a hand-made brass whale ring. I don't know what it is about animal rings, but they make me happy!

Not sure this outfit was the best idea. I love the flower print silk top by sanctuary but it was battling it out with my skirt and not staying long. Not wanting to try another outfit by the end of the day, I put my chain cardigan (Day 9, Day 14 Day 15) over.

Today!

Going to see Minh, I wanted to wear something cute. Visiting Carlsbad from Temecula, I wanted to have layer options. Here I have on my black twill pants from Ann Taylor (Day 30), sundress from Anthropologie (Day 14 Day 26) and Forever 21 cardigan (Day 20 Day 38) with my wonderful Steve Madden nude flats. Side note, the nude flats were the first item that Minh had me buy. I was skeptical to have such a simple shoe but they are so wonderful!

 

59 Days of Style Day 35 & 36: Inspired by Peter Pan

Today I made up my mind to wear these tights, they were purchased 3 or 4 years ago at Target and the $3.48 clearance tag was still on the packaging. Yes, they remind me a bit of Peter Pan, however, neon tights are the thing this spring. An old habit I had was to wear as many colors as I felt like, believing as long as they go together, I was doing a good thing. Not so, my friend. There is a place for fun patters and colors but not on an everyday basis and not with electric tights like these. A great way to think of using color is base and accents. I chose a Ann Taylor denim pencil skirt and black cowl neck top to keep things simple. Since the tights are the focus, I did not want to cover them up with boots so I chose my Steve Madden nude flats, a great way to style nude flats.

Can't stand only having one color in an outfit? I love adding a touch of color to my nails, this coral shade by OPI is one of my favorites. I also chose one bold, unique accessory- a zebra print flower cuff from Minh Le's line.

Saturday I had a home day, here is my casual outfit. How do I always seem to wear things together from the same place? The jeans and sweater are both from Gap. the scarf was a gift from my husband's grandma. Got to love cashmere!

59 Days of Style Day 34: Putting Together an Outfit

On my way to a birthday party that may be outdoors, may be in, and may include bowling. Layering is a must in these situations, so I though I would run through how I put my outfit together.

Step One: Base

Often people look at an outfit and don't realize there are foundational pieces playing the supporting role. Here I am with my stretchy black, $7 tank from Target, the black leggings from Guess pulled over knee-high striped thick socks. Always put your socks on before your leggings. These are a great pair because they are thick and comfortable and keep me warm. Who wants to highlight lumps and bumps? I don't! Having tight fitting clothes with some stretch in them help smooth out the surface for the other clothes to be able to glide over.

Step Two: Makeup & Hair

I love red lipstick! When I do my makeup, I always start with the area that I'm highlighting. Here I started with my lips then did the rest of my face to compliment my lips. Always stick to one focus area. Heavy eyes, cheeks and lips will make you look dated and overdone. My red lipstick trick is using a lip-liner and lip stain. Put it on, then dab it off with a tissue, then repeat. This will help set the stain so your color will last. I also recommend checking with a friend or a makeup professional to make sure the red you chose goes well with your natural coloring.

Step Three: Fun Top

Having a short-waist and inverted triangle body shape, it is crucial for me to wear long tops. This top is a fun, thick-knit with sequins across the shoulders. I would be comfortable in this if I were to get too hot bowling and still feel like I was in a party outfit. To elongate my legs, I added my black boots.

Step Four: Pulling it Together with a Jacket

Adding a jacket gives a bit more style and warmth to the outfit. I'm a big fan of my Ann Taylor denim motorcycle jacket (Day 5, Day 6, Day 19), the detail around the waist leads to a clean silhouette.

Step Five: Scarf!

On my way out the door, I grabbed this black scarf to accessorize and add a bit more warmth to my outfit. Minh Le, my stylist, encourages the use of scarves and I agree! Before my wardrobe overhaul I rarely ever wore scarves, now they often find their way into my outfits.

Have fun putting outfits together. Always remember to build a foundation for each outfit.

Peace, love and joy
Erin

59 Days of Style Day 30-33: Ruffles, Solids, Florals and Stripes!

I can't believe I've received 936 page views, almost 1,000! Thank you all for your interest in my humble blog. Looking back over the past 4 days worth of outfits shows me how "all-over-the-place" I've been this week. From working to playing, I've had fun trying to put new things together. It is starting to be a real challenge as I've worn all of my favorite pieces and outfits and am now having to try hard to think of new looks. Maybe that explains the random mix of outfits this week!


Monday: Ruffles

This is how I wore this outfit, since I had to be walking around the property, boots were a must. Another sale item from Anthropologie, this ruffle shirt is lots of fun. I love adding a little frill to an outfit. I was working, so I added a plain Gap cardigan and my Anne Taylor twill black skinny pants.

 Alternative look adding some fun peep-toe pumps.

Tuesday: Solids

Super tired Tuesday morning, I couldn't remember what outfits I had already worn. The forecast said it was going to be warm, but I wanted to cover my tattoo on my arm. The fix? Pleated 3/4 sleeve top with wide-leg trouser jeans. A fun bracelet added some razamataz. (Yes, the top and pants are both from Gap and yes, the cost was about $35 combined.)

Wednesday: Florals

Alright, this is one of my all-time favorite outfits. Why? Because this is the dress I bought for my engagement party and have only worn at weddings ever since. Minh, my stylist, told me to throw this cardigan (Day 4 Day 11 ) on and ta-da! daytime AND party time outfit. Grey leggings also help make this outfit casual and more conservative. Gosh, Erin, you sure wear those boots a lot! Well, I love them, so there ;)

Close up of the fun floral-lace pattern. If you want to wear floral, but aren't in to floral tones and patters, pick something like this monochromatic cut-out layered material.













Thursday: Stripes

It's hard to deny that stripes are in style. I, like most people, have a healthy fear of stripes. They can make you look bigger, which nobody wants. However, they are just too cute and stylish to let the classic look go on without us. My other striped shirt (Day 10, Day 23) has cool stripes that go over the shoulder and break up the horizontal lines. This top has small stripes and is nice and long. Since I was in a cozy mood, I chose to break it up with a long cardigan. The rolled up pants and cute flats were inspired by my friend, Heather. Cozy, cute day? Yes, please!

May you be inspired to embrace your eclectic side. Chose a bold piece and have fun!