Warm weather, for the love of GAWD, where are you?
You know what, I’m done. I’m done waiting. I’m done bitching. I’m done. I’m just going to indulge in warm weather fashion no matter WHAT the temp is. And I loathe being cold, like most, but hey, I’ll sacrifice. Hell. I’m planning on wearing a maxi skirt this week at some point, and it won’t even be 60 degrees. Suck on THAT, Mother Nature.
Look … my winter clothes are worn out. Aren’t yours? It’s just no longer fun. I literally yawn and put no effort in my outfits anymore because I’m SO bored with it all. I just want to do a pencil dive into spring/summer fashion. Hence why I want to discuss with you my strange, but slightly awesome, obsession with fringe.
Fringe? Me? I know right … weird. But I find it fascinating, so much that I desperately want to adopt it into my wardrobe. And I love the idea of doing the twist in it and/or twirl around and have a Stevie Nicks moment. Jesus … I almost bought a brown fringe Steve Madden bag at TJ Maxx last weekend. Number 1: I don’t wear brown. Number 2: Fringe is a little country … which is SO not me. But I just HAVE to have it. In any way, shape or form.
As you may or may not be aware, I have a serious costume jewelry addiction. If any of you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw the contraption I bought at Home Goods yesterday in an effort to keep all of my necklaces organized and no longer in a jumbled pile. Turns out that contraption made me re-connect with a lot of bling I had neglected over the years … and is overall genius. I suggest any fellow costume jewelry-hoarders to invest in this. See above.
Listen, I’m not the Cartier ride-or-die kind of gal. I mean, sure I wouldn’t turn down a Love bracelet, I’m not a fool … but there is something about costume jewelry that makes my heart flutter … like Julia Roberts getting her hand bit by a jewelry box fluttered. It is fun, and most importantly, inexpensive so you can play around with different styles as much as you want. Throw on a pair of jeans, a random t-shirt and a statement necklace … and THAT, my friends, is what it is all about. THAT is magic.
A lot of people don’t get down with costume jewelry because of how fast it falls apart … and to that I say, that is straight up lazy person talk. It is all about how you take care for it. If you don’t polish silver, it tarnishes, right? And if you don’t care for your costume jewelry in a delicate manner, it will fall apart. I own several necklaces from Forever 21 that I’ve had for years. Why? Because I care for them. I don’t sleep in them, I don’t leave them on my floor to get stepped on, I don’t throw them in my purse … I treat them probably better than I treat most things … and people.
With that being said … my newest obsession is tribal-inspired jewels. It all started when I stole my mother’s tribal necklace she got in Mexico in the 70’s years back. It’s current state is … well … hmmm … fragile … and slightly falling apart … aaaaaaand I need to get it fixed. So I scoured the Interwebs for new tribal additions to my collection. I was beyond jazzed about what I found … my back account? Meh … not so much.
So yeah … I’m designating tribal-inspired jewels the bling of spring. Whether you are rocking a simple look and need a pop of color, or want to make a look more dynamic with mixing patterns and textures … this is this where its at, my friends. A
And now … let’s indulge in some of my faves, shall we?
I hate winter. Die Polar Vortex. Down with the chill. Etc. Etc. Blah, blah, I’m cold.
I’m over talking about winter. Really, I am. But you know what I’m NOT over talking about? Spring and my soon-to-be established spring wardrobe. I literally broke out in a sweat when I heard it was going to be 60 degrees this week because I’ve been existing in bulky sweaters. Hell, I’ve been so layered I almost forgot I had taas.
Starting a new seasonal wardrobe is not only intimidating, it’s overwhelming. I need skirts, and tops, and oh my Gawd are they really going to make me wear crop tops this season?! And so on and so forth. So I like to keep it simple and fun when starting this process. Lucky for me this week while on a hunt on the interwebs to find something that would make me happy, I found flat mecca, also known as the ModCloth shoe section.
If I could only use one website, besides Gmail, Twitter and Facebook (I feel like they don’t count), I would absolutely take ShopStyle.com and run. If you’ve never used it, I’m about to ba-low ya mind. So say you are in the market for purple polka dotted tights (I have no idea where this example came from), and you didn’t feel like visiting a million and five websites to find said tights. Well, my friends, you hop to ShopStyle, type in “purple polka dotted tights,” and boom! There ya have it. Millions of options. The only thing that bums me out when I use this tool is when I forget to set my price limits and the first thing that pops up is like this to-die-for Celine handbag that I THINK I can afford, but alas, can’t. This girl lives in the $1-$100 range on ShopStyle. Whomp. Whomp.
Anywho, I realized my black flats needed to be retired (I mean I was coloring them in with a black Sharpie … it was time to go), so I went to ShopStyle and typed in “black flats” and henceforth found shoe mecca on ModCloth. Not only are these styles affordable, they are different and not in a hipster, trendy, “I’m too cool for oxygen” kind of way. I literally was salivating and had to stop myself from buying 10 pairs. Why not heels you ask? Because I work in the city, and unfortunately had to give up my four-inch heel obsession for a bit, as my tootsies couldn’t handle it. Anyways we are talking flats here, duh!
So in an effort to ignite spring wardrobes all over the country, I give you my favorite pairs of flats from ModCloth. All affordable … and all will be mine … one day. Don’t they make you just want to frolic?
When you’ve been living in a polar vortex for weeks and weeks on end and all of a sudden a 60 degree “heat wave” hits, it might be the most uncomfortable thing in the world. And I’m not talking about uncomfortable like awkward, I’m talking about uncomfortable like you just ate way too many carbs and happen to be wearing Spanx.
On days like today, ladies feel the need to throw their stockings to the wind, burn their boots and rock a naked leg underneath a skirt or dress. “Short shorts for all!,” they said … but you will find me standing there, arms crossed, in full resting bitch face saying, “bitch, please.”
I know, I know … it’s tempting to expose your epidermis at the first inkling of warmth. And today I stood in front of my closet and had the classic battle of, do I risk freezing my ass off all day and show a little skin, or do I just stick to my winter regime and sweat a little. At first I reached for my short sleeve dress and flats, but shook my head no, and reached for a T-shirt and blazer, black skinnies with heels … but that was all wrong. Then after much debate went with the sheer top (with something underneath it, of course … pervs), jeans, boots and a light trench. And now said sheer top is making me itch beyond belief, and it’s a little drafty where I’m sitting. I mean, can I win?!
If I could stay the same temperature all day, I would be happy. But spring is a saucy minx that continuously switches it up. After my 10 minute walk to the train, I’m sweating. I cool off on my train ride, but by the time I get to my desk I’m over heated. Then depending if my office decided to be freezing or stuffy that day, I unfortunately have to suffer through something (I know, right? Waaaaaaa, poor me). I mean, planning outfits for days like to day means you’re sacrificing something … or that you need to dress in layers, which is annoying … sometimes. Then you’ll find me on the train, over heated like a woman going through menopause ripping layers of clothing off. Hawt, right?
So no, I am not ready to show some leg. Mostly because I have refused to look at my legs all winter and fear the paleness will blind innocent bystanders. Before I throw myself into the spring wind, I need a spray tan, I probably need to do a thoroughly shaving of my legs (come on, we ALL use the winter as the lazy girl’s excuse for lack of leg shaving), and I probably need to thoroughly moisturize (don’t my legs sound hot right now?). So once I complete those tasks, sure … epidermis for all … wait, what?
Until then, I’m preparing to be uncomfortable for a couple of painful weeks. Sigh … I’m already stressing about what I will wear tomorrow.
For most of my life, a crewneck sweatshirt would send chills down my spine. It reminded me of geeky suburban dads at soccer games cheering on their kids at 7am (not that there is anything wrong with that). Or the 80’s. Either or. I was always a straight up hoodie type of gal.
And the idea of wearing a sweatshirt anywhere else but the comfort of your couch, hungover on a Sunday morning made me cringe. Who in their right mind would ever rock a sweatshirt to work or to a bar, right? Welp, kids … with a little styling, you can take slob fest to chic fest … wait … did I just say that? Woof.
Annnnyyyywho … who ever thought you could fancify a crewneck sweatshirt, right? It is more than possible. My advice would be to steer clear of any college sweatshirts. Like cool, you went to Harvard … yeah, no one cares. No, no I kid … but seriously they tend to be on the baggier side and turn to stone after one wash. Am I right?
Lots of “trendy” stores are selling crewneck sweatshirts with bold prints and patterns, and of course plain Jane ones for the less adventurous. The thinner the sweatshirt, the better in my book.
So I bet you are wondering how you turn a look that is meant for hangovers, laziness, and illnesses into something you can rock out in public with pride? Well now … let me explain … ahem:
1. Statement necklace: The more bling the better. This thing needs to pop on the sweatshirt. I tend to drool over the DANNIJO collection of necklaces, but alas cannot fathom spending close to $500 on a beautiful necklace like that … right now. So if you are like me and can’t ball out just yet, luckily for us there are a ton of DANNIJO look-a-likes, like this guy from Topshop. Just as cute AND pocket-friendly. Swoon.
2. Lipstick That’s Poppin’: Jazzing up your lips is a must. I’m obsessed with the NARS collection, but make sure your lips are fully hydrated before applying as these colors can dry out your lips a bit. And no one likes cracked, red lips, now do we?
3. Skirt it Up: Trade in your trousers for a fun flowy skirt to pair with you crewneck sweat look. It gives a more traditional look an edgier feel. I know, I know … sweatshirts with skirts, who are we? But come now, what is fashion without a little risk, am I right?
4. Take It Up A Notch: With heels, that is. Whether you are pairing your crewneck sweatshirt look with jeans or even a pair of black or patterned skinnies, pair it with some rockin’ heels. I won’t go on and on about which style to choose, since we all have our own preference. Confidence rocks the most when you feel comfortable in everything that you are wearing.
5. Layer: “Wait, so you want me to wear a crewneck sweatshirt AND a collared shirt underneath? Who am I?” I bet that is what you are thinking, right? Well who you will be is bad ass, trust. Mixing patterns by layering gives a look a richer, more fashion-forward feel. I swear you won’t look like a square.
Life Sucks In A Strapless Bra 