11.30.2011

Sorry for the radio silence, my dears.  I was too busy enjoying the lovely holiday and stuffing my cheeks full of turkey and apple crisp to think about outfits :)

This past weekend, I realized I've been wearing the same outfit lately in a variety of different ways.  It consists of the following items:

I've got the market cornered on striped shirts, so it's possible I could wear this outfit for the rest of Fall and Winter, but I digress.  Here's how you can create my favorite "go-to" look for this time of year!

1 ) Coat $19 2) Striped Top $60 3) Jeans $60 4) Moccasins  $20

5) Wellies $120 6) Earmuffs $40 7) Scarf $58  8) Nail Polish $8

White Tee - Day Three

Continuing the White Tee fun this week, next I want to show you how to dress it up a little with an eclectic look.  This is also a relatively affordable look, especially if you already have some flat leather boots!  The white tee gives off a "cool, casual" vibe when paired with the multi-colored patterned skirt from Forever21.   For a summer look, you would wear the skirt + tee combo with a pair of leather sandals or ballet flats, but for Fall, layer a comfy sweater in a complementary color (I chose blue here, but almost any color would work with the patterned skirt).  Add a bright color in the form of accessories, like this pretty Zara purse and hammered metal Top Shop earrings, and ground the look with rich, dark boots.  Combine all of these elements for a seriously easy, laid back look!

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White Tee Guest Post: 26 and Counting

I am excited to introduce you to our guest blogger, Liz, of
26 and Counting!  She'll introduce herself a little more below, but I've been following her blog for a while and LOVE it because she features corporate-friendly style with a twist.  I asked Liz if she'd join in on the "White Tee" fun this week and she obliged!  Without further ado, here is Liz with a lovely work-friendly look!
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Well hello! My name is Liz and I blog over at 26 and Counting. Like Lauren, I’m a corporate gal who likes to dabble in a little style blogging on the side. I’m also a fellow Cincinnatian – so we have that in common too. When Lauren asked me to style an outfit around a white tee, I jumped at the chance. Immediately this red skirt came to mind and after a few trials and adjustments I ended up with this finished look.






What’s white and black and red all over? Apparently, me {if you answered newspaper or sunburnt zebra – you’d also be correct}.
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A HUGE thank you to Liz for contributing today!  Head on over to her blog to be schooled in mixing colors and patterns for fun and inspiring work-friendly looks.  Also a reminder to any new readers - if my facebook page gets 250 likes by December 1, I will be doing an exciting giveaway!  Please click the "like" button in the top right corner of the page, or head to MY FACEBOOK PAGE and like it there!

White Tee - Day One

Happy Monday! This week, I wanted to focus on an item that almost ALL of us have in our wardrobe:  The White Tee (um, $7?, buy 5 of them!).  This piece is such a versatile, basic piece of clothing and is often overlooked when putting an outfit together.  Throughout the week, I'd like to embrace the white tee and show you how easy it is to incorporate into your look and still look polished and stylish!  Later in the week, I'm excited to feature Liz from 26 and Counting, and also I will show you a white tee look for the man in your life!

To kick things off, I put together a casual, daytime friendly look:

The white tee is a perfect backdrop for an earth-tone inspired look.  The true-blue straight-legged cuffed jeans look so "all american" when paired with the classic white tee shirt; make the look a little more interesting with the addition of the caramel colored boots.  Layer another earth-tone into the outfit with the addition of the green multi-pocket cardigan.  Wear the cardigan open and add a scarf around your neck, which pulls another layer, pattern, and tone into the outfit.  Top the look off with a lush, butter-soft orange folding clutch from my favorite K.Slademade for a stylish lady-on-the-go look!

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11.16.2011

Hi there lovelies!  I wanted to give you another idea for your holiday parties, well in advance so that you have time to buy these beautiful pieces to make your party outfits extra special.  Today's look is sparkly and fun, but not over-the-top dressy.  This look would be good for a cocktail or dinner party.  How gorgeous is the jeweled detail on the silk top?  You don't even need a necklace, and those back buttons are such a gorgeous and unique detail, so wear your hair in a simple side-swept bun (credit to Sarah Markle for introducing me to the SOCK BUN!).  The swiss dot tights are an all-time favorite of mine:  they're classic mixed with a bit of playfulness, and always feminine.  What do you think, would you wear this for a holiday party this season?

Shirt / Skirt / Tights / Shoes / Ring / Polish

11.14.2011

Happy Monday!  I am enjoying the last day of a FOUR DAY WEEKEND!  It has been really wonderful, filled with lots of relaxation, movies, and good food (if you're in the Cincinnati area, definitely give Taste of Belgium in OTR a try... the pumpkin waffle.... yum!).  I didn't spend a lot of the weekend out in public, so there were lots of leggings and sweatshirt outfit combinations for me, but when I did go out this weekend I took advantage of the beautiful and mild fall weather we've been having.  I picked up a pair of legwarmers at Aldo on Friday and wore them basically all weekend - they are SO comfortable and look so cute underneath a pair of boots (think comfy casual rather than 80's throwback).  Here is a way to incorporate leggings into your fall outfit, oh and HERE are the leggings I picked up on Friday, if you're interested! 

Remember, if I get to 250 facebook fans by December 1, I am doing a GIVEAWAY!  Please spread the word and go to Stylized Existence and "Like" the page!

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11.08.2011

While working with a client this weekend, I was emphasizing the importance of layering different patterns, textures, and colors into an outfit in order to make the overall look more interesting.  I tend to show less layering on the blog because it is a bit harder to convey in outfit collages, but it's an important technique to employ when trying to create a finished look.  There is a limit to the number of different layers, fabrics, colors, patterns you put into one outfit, but if you use complementary colors and thin layers, the end result will be a polished, well-thought out look.

Although this look only has a blouse and a blazer layer, there are many different textures that make up the overall look.  The flowy, polka dotted blouse with the ochre structured blazer create an interesting look on top.  Add a tortoise shell link necklace on top of the silky blouse, and then finish it off by adding in another color/texture combo in the form of the red, crocodile clutch.

So tell me, do you layer?  What are your favorite layering combinations?  Does it make you feel more finished?

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FB Fans = Giveaway!

Hi there friends!  Wanted to spread the word here that if my facebook fan page gets 250 fans by December 1, I will be doing a giveaway!!  So head on over to Facebook and "like" Stylized Existence to get blog updates and other random musings :)  You can either click the words Stylized Existence or you can follow through to Facebook via the right-side toolbar!

Thank you SO MUCH for your support!   And, as always, if you are in the Cincinnati area and interested in closet or shopping services, E-mail me at StylizedEx@gmail.com!

Thrifty Thursday 11.02.11

Okay, so I have a confession about this post.  The clutch is not OVERLY thrifty..... however, in my defense, the rest of the outfit is VERY thrifty so I think you could stand to drop a cool $40 on the super awesome, massive striped clutch that is kind of ridiculous but so fun and will add some drama to so many different outfits.  You can thank me later.

Onwards to the savings!

This rust-brown colored skirt is feminine and classy - and initially I thought of pairing it with an animal print (just as Forever21 styled it for their site) but decided to go with something more streamlined and instead chose a black dolman top and a dramatic black collar necklace instead.  Paired with a simple pair of black heels and the amazing striped clutch, this outfit has some great details for a small amount of change!  Happy Thursday dears, see you back here tomorrow!

Ring Shirt or Shirt Skirt Necklace Shoes Clutch

11.01.2011

Guys, can you believe it is NOVEMBER?  I really cannot... seems just yesterday I was soaking up the sun on a warm July day.  It's going to start snowing soon and I will probably cry.  I think I get a bit seasonally depressed.... but you know what turns that frown upside-down? The HOLIDAYS!  I love Christmas so much.  Everything about it makes me smile - the music, showering other people with gifts, the cookies, spending time with family, the parties.... DRESSING for the parties!!!!!  So let's get down to business.  You'll probably have some holiday parties to attend, so I can help you crack the riddle of what to wear.
 

First step, pick out a fun dress, preferably one that can be worn outside of the holiday season.  This Zara green dress could be worn throughout the year, but is also perfectly jazzed up for a holiday look.  Since you'd most likely be cool without anything covering your arms or shoulders, this faux fur shawl is glamorous and rich looking - perfect for dressing up a look.  Lastly, add some glitzy accessories to top off and dress up the look just a bit more.  Follow these three steps and you'll easily put together a seasonably-appropriate party look!

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