Fall Fashion: Preview

I know it's not even August, BUT the fall pieces are rolling in, and as I love all fall fashions (jeans, sweaters, & boots), I can't help myself but be excited!!!

HarpersBazaar recently wrote about the fall 2012 trends from the NY runway:

The New York fashion verdict is in. Your grandmother’s closet will be at the top of your shopping list next fall, with a retro mix of florals and lace, knit tweeds and, yes, shawls making the sartorial cut. Chic sportsmanship will be of importance as well, especially when channeling the great outdoors or reveling in the new take on military. Travel the globe in style with your arsenal of luxe essentials — fur accents and elegant embroidery required. And a host of cool options in the way of black leather or all-white means there will definitely be something for everyone.

The colors for fall are pretty typical this season, but with even more of an emphasis on the dark: 

Black Black Black....

and then of course the fabulous jewel tones...those gorgeous deep hues of Emerald, Sapphire, & Rust...LOVE!!!  We'll not only see these colors in sweaters, blouses, and jewelry, but also in our colored denim! Love that too! I can't seem to get enough of the colored & printed denim!!!

Along with the colored denim, we'll also see lots of prints, and mainly animal prints, for bottoms. From snakeskin to cheetah, we'll see these in denim, twill, and skirts.

Polka dots are also staying "in style" (I am very excited about this!!)....there are a ton of dotted prints in JCrew's fall looks. Here are a few of my current picks:

I love this look from JCrew as well, the mixing of prints is fabulous, and I LOVE wearing shorts in the fall/winter! 

They look so great with tights + boots!

And, as we often see in the fall, the Western-influence will continue to show up as we see cowboy boots in all styles, chunky knits, sweaters, and ponchos. I mean who doesn't love Frye boots??!!

Although I am in no way wishing away this gorgeous summer weather, I'm very ready for a wardrobe change & there's SO much to be excited for....

Quality

What does the word "quality" mean to you?

I have been re-examining my wardrobe (even more than usual) since my shopaholic challenge, and I have been really trying to make an effort to only add "quality" pieces that I LOVE to my closet.

I've been shopping all my life and still have nothing to wear.  ~Author Unknown

I don't want this above quote to be a description that fits me & my closet, I want to love every piece I own and have a hard time choosing what I want to wear every morning-not because I don't like any of it or I'm tired of it, but because I love it all, and can't pick just one outfit!!!

By no means does "quality" have to be a designer label or a piece of clothing that costs 100s of dollars, but yet it's that item that you know you won't get tired of, and will last. It may even be one of those pieces that your daughter covets and is so excited that you saved it, as it's now an excellent vintage piece! 

(I only WISH that had happened to me....Mom: you had great style, why oh why didn't you KEEP any of it?!?!)

Although the item doesn't have to be a high priced piece, it can be. This doesn't mean that your entire closet contains expensive name brand items, but you may have some, because as we know, typically the more you spend on something-the better the quality! (No, that's not always the case, but usually!)  Besides....

A bargain is something you can't use at a price you can't resist.  ~Franklin P. Jones

How many times have you purchased something just because it was on sale, only to find it in your closet 6 months later still with the tags on??!!  Hmmm.....guess you didn't really love that one, you just loved the price!

A bargain ain't a bargain unless it's something you need.  ~Sidney Carroll

I think one way to think about trying to buy quality pieces, is thinking of your wardrobe as an investment. You want things to last... you don't want to see the $$ end up in a bag to be donated!  Again, just as saving/investing your money, you don't put all you have into one place at one time, you add/save slowly. So think about your closet in the same way. Slowly begin to weed out the items you don't love and one by one add those quality pieces you will love forever.

One place to invest in is your denim. I am a true believer in the quality of "premium" denim. It really does last, and it FITS & WEARS so much better than the less expensive brands. Now I'm not saying Gap denim is horrible, but I do know that I can only wear my Gap skinnies once or twice before I get that "saggy butt" versus my James, AG, or 7 for All Mankind jeans!  I wear jeans every day, even in the summer, so this is an easy category for me to "invest" in. I don't have to wear "dress pants" to work, I can wear jeans every day, and I pretty much do!!  When investing in a good pair of jeans, make sure you TRY ON lots of different styles, sizes, and brands....you will most definitely be a different size in every brand and style.....and who cares about the size, you want the best pair that makes you look and feel great!

Another place to invest is your shoes. You not only want shoes that are comfortable, but also shoes/boots that will last!  I have become a lover of Frye, and I now own 3 pairs of Frye boots that I absolutely love!  (I definitely didn't buy all 3 at the same time, but rather one pair per year, slowly adding to my wardrobe.) Now these can definitely be harder on the wallet, BUT right now, during all the summer sales, is the best time to buy!  I believe I have purchased all 3 of my Frye boots on sale!  Check out the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, they always have Frye boots marked down!

Now, I'm not telling you to stop shopping at H&M or Kohls or even Target. I just want you to think about the pieces you are purchasing and truly love each item that you add to your closet. Especially with more "trendy" items, it's better to spend less as you play with the trend and determine if it works for you, then you can always find a similar, higher quality piece like it. 

If you need more pointers in investing in your wardrobe, check out some of our earliest posts: here or here, read the style guide books by Nina Garcia, or check out Tim Gunn's book: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style!  If nothing else, he can at least offer some advice in helping you "Make it Work!"

The best wardrobe is one where you have that perfect blend of the inexpensive pieces with the more expensive items.  Have fun, experiment with your style, and don't be afraid to "invest" in those "quality" pieces... You'll find yourself saving more money in the end than you might think!

Summer into Fall: Chambray

Chambray/Denim shirts have returned!  These "80s" style tops are back, but with a bit more "style/shape" & available in so many shades of denim making them more versatile and so easy to wear. I've heard that the denim shirt will be the "new cardi" for fall, which sounds great to me, as I own 3 that I love and I'm always glad to hear that what's in my closet is still "in style," right?!!

The denim shirt has complimented all the colored and printed denim we've seen this spring/summer....it's a perfect piece to add, giving a casual, yet stylish look.

I wouldn't suggest pairing the denim shirt with your regular denim jeans UNLESS you can pull it off as stylishly as this:

The two denims MUST be VERY different in wash colors....you wouldn't want to appear as if you are attempting the "Canadian tuxedo" look!!  I'd highly suggest keeping the bottom the dark wash, as that always gives a more slimming look, and then find a lighter, even distressed washed denim shirt....add heels + accessories & you're ready for a girls' night out or even a casual Friday at work!

It will definitely be a perfect piece to wear as the weather begins to turn cooler in the evenings & we head into Fall weather & fashion!  I do love the look of this "colorblocked" version from JBrand (pictured below), available at Nordstrom.

The Chambray shirt is a staple piece to add to your wardrobe, so if you haven't yet succumbed to purchasing one yet, I highly recommend it!

Here are a few places that have several options of 

chambray/denim shirts:

Madewell

JCrew

Urban Outfitters

Nordstrom

Anthropologie

Happy Shopping!

Success

.....the 30 day challenge has ended successfully!!


I completed 30 days of no shopping, and to be honest, it really wasn't all that bad!
I think that the fact that I did this during the months of June/July made a difference, as there is less product brought into stores during these mid-summer months, and I'm not as much a lover of summer fashion as I am so much more a fall fashion girl: loving denim, boots, and sweaters. So all those tank tops and denim shorts didn't tempt me as much as perhaps new dark denim & boots might do to me in September or October. 
Maybe I'll just have to give that a try?!!





So....what did I learn over these 30 days??
I definitely feel that I'm more satisfied with my wardrobe, jewelry included!  


I did a complete jewelry "clean-out" last week and feel so much better about the pieces I own. It was time to get rid of those cheaper, but fun, pieces that I just don't wear anymore.  Just like with my clothes, I really believe in having a jewelry collection that represents my style and is of high quality. Meaning, the rings and earrings that turn your fingers green and start to hurt your ears after an hour of wearing had to go!  ....and those pieces that were a random buy that I've only worn once or twice (the feather earrings), they are gone too!  But I'm left with all of my favorite pieces that I know I wear and will want to keep for years to come, as perhaps they will eventually become vintage pieces coveted by someone else!!


I did a quick clean-out of my closet and have an appointment at a consignment boutique in August, as the majority of my pieces are fall/winter styles. I did get rid of 6 pairs of jeans, 4 of which I'll be bringing to the consignment shop and 2 that I will donate!  So I'm down to about 24 pairs....but again, that includes crops and prints and colors--all which I wear year round, daily!


Do I currently have my eye on any pieces to purchase?  
Confession: yes!  
But, I am more patient with my shopping now, giving myself time to think about how I'd wear the new pieces and if I can't stop thinking about them after 3-5 days, then perhaps I'll consider a purchase.
I would love to add a new pair of black skinny jeans to my wardrobe, as I know next summer in Europe I will wear them often, as most Europeans don't wear our traditional denim as we do here in the US.  There is also a gorgeous emerald green sweater I have my eye on that would look amazing with the black denim and with the one new purchase I did make thus far,  rust/camel colored skinnies!  But again....I'll hold off for now, and see if anything else I love even more comes along!


I know I still have a few pieces in my wardrobe that I'm perhaps not completely in love with, but I'll continue to weed those out as the summer moves on into fall...I've got lots of time to truly get my wardrobe where I want it to be, there's no rush!!

The quickest way to know a woman 

is to go shopping with her.  

~Marcelene Cox

So again, this has been an exciting, challenging, yet successful 30 days, and I'm glad I did it! I now, more than ever, truly believe that investing in a few QUALITY pieces at a time is a much better way to add to my wardrobe than constantly adding several lower quality pieces that I become tired of after a couple wearings. This "challenge" has not only helped me get my spending under control, but has also gotten me on the road to truly loving my wardrobe-a wardrobe that represents me and who I am style-wise. 

Why we LOVE...

MINT & Lace

....how can you not love this look??!!  I have always been a lover of anything LACE....from lace tops, skirts, to details on chiffon blouses, I can't resist!


Perhaps it's my love of vintage that brings out the love of lace, but whatever it is, I'm a sucker for it!

Mint is a new love of mine, and it's become one of the hottest colors this spring/summer season!  Being a redhead with green eyes, all shades of green are typically colors I love and enjoy wearing, but I'd never been one to venture into the pastel range, until this season! I can't seem to get enough mint, and was told by a good friend that perhaps it's my new "power color" -you know, that color that you just look amazing wearing!!

I wish I had a few more pieces of mint in my wardrobe, but I just can't seem to find the next piece. I am in LOVE with the one mint blouse I picked up from shopsosie.com.(pictured below) It was such a great price, and even has a rather "vintage" vibe to it!

I've also found that I love adding in and using nude pieces to accent the lace, mint, and even denim this spring & summer. It's such a fabulous color, and I love it paired with mint! I think the blouse & cardi up above are fantastic with the nude + mint combo.

Here's to the last 2.5 days of my shopaholic challenge & to enjoying these light, fun summer colors...


Black is Back for Fall 2012....expect to see tons of black and rich, dark colors this fall season!

Summer Fashion: the Blouse

Fun, flirty, floral, lightweight, button sleeves, sheer....the list could go on to describe a basic wardrobe essential: the Blouse.  

The blouse has come a long way from how it was first informally worn back in the mid 1800s giving a more peasantry style, and then later on into the 1900s very practically with a skirt as women entered the workforce.

Not until the 1910s did the more elaborate, or "lingerie blouses" appear with intricate details such as lace, embroidery, or even bows. Since then, we have seen the blouse become a staple in most everyone's wardrobe, whether it be a "work appropriate" top or a fun and flirty date night favorite.

This spring/summer chiffon & silk blouses seem to have shown up everywhere....from the major department stores & retailers to the small boutiques. It seems to have become a summer staple, specifically these light weight chiffon and silk styles, as they are easy, cool pieces that can be layered for work or worn more casually for an evening out.

I have found the number of chiffon tops in my closet has increased a bit this season, as they are easy pieces for me to wear with those 25+ pairs of jeans that I own. They can easily be worn casually with sandals or flats or dressed up with heels. The price-point on most chiffon blouses makes them affordable, ranging from approximately $30-$65+ depending on the brand, style, and specific material. Obviously the 100% silk blouses will be at the much higher end of the price range, but are usually worth the investment.

Here are two of my many chiffon tops.....one I added to my closet this summer, from The Vintage Gypsy, & the other was a purchase from last summer, but I changed up the look & wore it backwards!

I've found that there can often be multiple ways to wear a top, and playing with those options can help make an "older" top that you may be somewhat tired of "new" again!

BTW-today is DAY 26!!  Only 4 more days to go, and I honestly haven't really been tempted to buy, nor do I even have anything on my "wishlist" that I am eager to buy on Day 31!  (well.....maybe one new Blouse??!!  hahaha) Impressed??!!

Here are a few more of my current favorites this season:

(click on the photo to find details about each blouse)