Monday, September 20, 2010

Fall: Menswear Edition

It has come to my attention that I have been extremely neglectful of my male audience.  Although there are only a handful of gentlemen that read my blog, I don't want to leave you out -- especially since we are on the brink of a new season, which is an opportune time to make a change to your style.  I picked out some of my favorite pieces for fall that could be staples in your wardrobe and be used to mix and match to make quite a few casual or more dressed up looks. 


Fall for Men


If there is one thing I could force every male to purchase, it would be a nice, sophisticated, beautiful pair of dress shoes (or better yet, two pairs: a pair in brown and a pair in black, if the piggy bank allows).  I can't tell you how much more professional a man looks when he has a sleek pair of shoes on with his well-tailored pants, compared to his pleated-pants (these will make you look fat), clunky-plastic-looking-fake-leather-shoe-wearing counterpart.  For the love of all fashion gods above, PLEASE do yourself a favor and buy a nice pair of dress shoes.  Oh, and maybe pick up a few of the other things above too.  Your wife/girlfriend/future girlfriend will thank you :)
Leather work bag
$170 - bananarepublic.gap.com



All-Son New Military Jacket
$68 - urbanoutfitters.com



Silk/cotton/cashmere cardigan
$90 - bananarepublic.gap.com



Speery Chukka Boot
$85 - urbanoutfitters.com



Nixon The Mellor
$160 - urbanoutfitters.com



Nike 'Capri II Mid' Sneaker
$60 - nordstrom.com



$100 - aldoshoes.com


Saturday, September 18, 2010

Fall into it all

Fall is approaching (although it doesn't feel like it here in Cincinnati where temperatures are still hovering in the high 80's and low 90's) and I am thinking carefully about the items I want to add to my wardrobe for the new season.  There are some trends I am really not into, one in particular being the high heeled lace-up boots - sorry, it wasn't a good look when Timberland made them and they were featured in rap videos, and it's still not a good look.  I have always been a very classic dresser in the fall - I am drawn to rich colors and soft, comforting fabrics.  This fall, I've found some beautiful pieces that I am really excited about - and most of them won't leave my bank account crying for mercy.  Below I've laid out a few things that have caught my eye.
Fall



What do you have your eye on for this fall?  Anything you are currently feeling like you NEED?
Longline Silk Top
$33 - forever21.com

Kimchi Blue Cutaway Cardigan Jacket
$58 - urbanoutfitters.com

Buffalo Chuck Shirt
$70 - jcrew.com

BDG Schoolboy Blazer
$78 - urbanoutfitters.com





Gap Always skinny cords
$60 - gap.com





Botkins Heels
$90 - aldoshoes.com





Large Canvas Bag
$25 - forever21.com





$28 - urbanoutfitters.com




Saturday, August 28, 2010

Budget Friendly Wedding

My sister has a wedding to attend in September and asked for some tips on putting together a classy, yet budget-friendly look.  She already has a black dress almost exactly like the one below, but needed some ideas for accessorizing.

My sister has a great blog centered around sharing money-saving tips and ideas.  One of her recent posts was for stackable coupon codes at Kohl's.  Kohl's (surprisingly, at least to me) carries some really pretty jewelry, specifically, the Vera Wang collection.  The VW collection is made up of beautiful necklaces and classic earrings, amongst other things.  I found every piece for Alison's outfit (except for the hair pins) on the Kohl's site!  Yes, that's right - the necklace, the earrings, the clutch, and the shoes are available at Kohl's website, and with the help from her blog, my sister could apply both a 20% and 15% coupon code to the total cost and buy all of the accessories for under $60 total!  This is a fantastic deal when you consider that originally, the shoes were $50 and the necklace was $36.  With the addition of a few delicate foral bobby pins from Forever 21 - for a steal at $1.50 - to give her hair a romantic feel, she's got a sophisticated evening wedding look for just about $60 .....but she'll look like a million bucks!

If you'd like to visit Alison's blog, you can click here to visit it!

September Wedding


Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Personal Style

On our weekend getaway to Boston a few weeks ago, the hostess in the restaurant near Fenway caught my eye because she had a very unique sense of style ...she put her outfit together seamlessly. Every piece contributed to making the outfit complete, with an exquisite attention to detail. For me, it all started with her shoes.  The cream and black snakeskin Tory Burch flat was a fierce jumping off point for the outfit - might sound like a bit much but they added just enough drama to the look. She added another interesting touch with a cream blazer that would have otherwise been a basic piece.....except for the fact that there were silver sequins around the cuffs of the short sleeves. I used to follow the rule of thumb that sequins should be saved for New Years Eve or some equally ridiculous occasion, but J. Crew and this stylish girl have started to change my mind.   





The other well put together portion of her look was the collection of jewelry on her wrist.  She mixed metal (a watch and a few thin bracelets) with different color studded leather straps for an interesting look that complemented the rest of her outfit without being overwhelming at all. 


She kept the rest of the look pretty minimalist with black skinny jeans and a grey top underneath the blazer (with a tiny bit of black embellishment sneaking out from the top).  She had post earrings on and a David Yurman carved cable disc necklace. She kept her makeup and hair natural, with just a bit of eyeliner and a relaxed chignon bun. All in all, this girl did a fantastic job putting together an outfit that looks effortless but screams that she pays attention to detail - let this be your inspiration next time you're in a style slump - I know I will.