Bundled Up In Sunshine

 

 

 

 

 

E here, can you believe its almost February? I don't know about you, but I'm ready for spring. As the weather starts to warm up, so does my wardrobe! Lately the rain has been fairly minimal so I've been able to pull some of the lighter pieces out of my closet. The key to wearing skirts and dresses this time of year is to bundle up in warm layers.

 

 

Thrifted items; wool coat: Banana Republic $29.97 (Goodwill,) sweater: Ann Taylor Loft $7.99 (Goodwill,) print skirt: Forever 21 $5.99 (Value Village.) Non-thrifted items; geometric necklace: Forever 21 $6.99, watch: Fossil $69.97 (Nordstrom Rack,) boots: Pink & Pepper $30 (Fred Meyer,) blue tights: Legale $4.00 (Fred Meyer.)

 

 

As you may have guessed by now, I like colored tights. Since the weather in Seattle is typically too chilly for bare legs, I wear tights to provide a little extra protection from the elements. Besides, colored tights are a fun and easy way to add a little color and personality to an outfit. Right now mustard colored tights are all the rage but unfortunately that color doesn't work for me.

 

 

I have a fair complexion so I try to pick colors that will contrast nicely with my hair, but won't wash me out at the same time.  When picking colored tights/leggings you want to try and pick colors that compliment your complexion and skin tone. If you want to be bold and venture out of your comfort zone, colors such as red, blue, green, yellow, and purple are pretty easy to find at most stores or online. I recommend brands like Hue, Legale, and Chinese Laundry because they hold up really well in the wash, and they tend to come in a wide variety of colors, textures, and sizes.

Well thanks for stopping by! Until next time.

-E



Cat Lady Chic

 

 

E here, its been awhile since my last post. Unfortunately, life has been somewhat hectic for me lately. My New Year's resolution was to be a better blogger, and I'm really trying! Ironically, the title of this post is Cat Lady Chic, and believe me I've felt like a bit of one lately!

 

 

[Taken at Toulouse Petit; crawfish, shrimp, and Andouille sausage over creamy grits, with scrambled eggs.]

 

In addition to blogging about my outfits and thrifting adventures, I'm going to start posting pictures of food. I don't know about you, but I'm a serious foodie. I have a very diverse palette and love trying new things. Pictured above is one of the best breakfasts in town. If you're ever in Seattle make sure to stop by this place, I guarantee you won't be disappointed! I've been to New Orleans twice and I think that this restaurant does a great job of capturing the creole flavor of Louisiana. My recommendation - order anything with crawfish in it!

 

 

Thrifted items; trench coat: Gap $20 (Crossroads Trading Co.,) wedge flats: Aldo $12.99 (Goodwill.) Non-thrifted items; cat sweater: Love By Design $10 (Fred Meyer,) sheer blouse: Forever 21, jeans: JCPenny's $25, vintage necklace: gifted. 

 

 

The interesting thing about this outfit is that these shoes are probably the most expensive pair that I've ever thrifted that aren't designer. In the same shopping trip that I got these shoes I bought; Marc Jacobs heels, Coach loafers, Tahari and Sperry Top Sider flats, all of which retail for more than Aldo. [I'll be posting the details of the thrift haul that these shoes came from soon.] But that's the funny thing about thrifting, sometimes items are under or overpriced.

 

 

Ultimately I made the right decision in purchasing these shoes because they are a great style staple for any closet. Just like having a little black dress, black shoes go with just about anything from jeans and a tee, to a flirty blouse and skirt. Also, pointy shoes such as these dress up any outfit and make you look chic. Whether its jeans or a skirt, you can make any outfit classy and sophisticated. All it takes is a few extra touches to give any outfit that extra oomph. Take my necklace for example, it was given to me by a friend who found it at a flea market. Besides adding a pop of color to the outfit, it also gives it a retro feel. Remember, it doesn't take much to look like a million bucks, so see what you have laying around that you could use to boost an outfit.

 

 

Well that's all for today. More posts coming soon. Happy thrifting!

-E

I'm Preppy and I Know It

 

 

E here, another lovely day in Seattle. I hope that your new year has gotten off to a good start, mine definitely has. I recently went on quite the massive thrift haul, check back soon for the details on that adventure. Today I went for a preppy chic look. Over the past couple of years I have gone through several style reinventions and phases, but I have always been drawn to the preppy look. The funny thing about this outfit is that the sweater/button down combo that I'm wearing is actually one piece.

 

 

 I typically stay away from built-in one piece combos because I find them to look tacky. However, in this case I don't think that you can even tell that the sweater and undershirt are sewn together. Either way, I think that the sweater really adds to the overall look of the outfit, so much so that it reminds of my private school days! I worked really hard to make sure that this outfit looked polished-preppy, and not school-girl preppy. In order to pull off the polished-preppy look without it looking like a uniform, its important not to get carried away with making the pieces too matchy-matchy that they appear looking uniform.

 

 

 

Here, I took some pieces from my latest haul (my Coach loafers) and paired them with some great pieces that I already had in my closet. The key to perfecting the polished-preppy look is to stick with items that you are comfortable wearing. After all, I don't know about you, but polo shirt dresses are just not my thing. Whenever I put together an outfit that has preppy qualities to it, I try not to overdo it by making the outfit as casual chic as possible. If the preppy look is not your style, than just stick to basic style staples from the preppy look-book to enhance your closet (i.e. - trench coats, loafers, cardigans, etc.)

 

 

Thrifted items; two piece sweater: Forever 21 $3.99 (Value Village,) trench coat: Banana Republic $10 (Value Village,) loafers: Coach $7.99 (Value Village.) Non thrifted items; jeans: JCPenny's $25, scarf (not pictured) Nordstrom - B.P. department $10.

 

 

Don't get me wrong I definitely keep up with what's currently trending, but ultimately, I will always prefer the classic look because its simply timeless. However as I have said before, you don't need to spend a lot of money to look and feel like a million bucks. Each look that I create is practically 85% thrifted, everything else that I am wearing I've spent a bit more of money on to get longer use value out of. Well that's all for now, as I mentioned earlier I will post the details of my latest thrift haul soon. I guarantee that you will want to read all about it once you see what coveted designer brands I snatched up! Also, I will provide some great shopping and styling tips to help you achieve maximum results on your next thrifting adventure. Ta-tah for now!

-E

Layering 101: Corduroy

 

 

 

E here, corduroy was never my thing growing up, but as I got older I started to look at it differently. For a long time I had always thought of corduroy as being really dated, but then I saw other people wearing it and I changed my tune. When paired with the right pieces corduroy can look refined and polished.

 

 

The thing about corduroy is knowing what to pair it with so it doesn't end up looking too frumpy. Since corduroy is so structured, I decided to pair it with plaid and a delicate feminine scarf to create contrast. Most people think that everything needs to be matchy-matchy but I find that to be boring. Outfits are more interesting when you mix them with different prints and textures.

 

 

Thrifted items; corduroy blazer: Banana Republic $9.99 (Goodwill,) plaid button down: Indigo $4.99 (Goodwill.) Non-thrifted items; jeans: Levi's $15 (Macy's,) boots: Pink & Pepper $30 (Fred Meyer,) scarf: H&M $8, aviators: Sperry's $30 (Nordstrom Rack.)

 

 

 

Here I tried to keep it simple and go for a casual, laid back, layered look. It might have been sunnier here than the rest of the country, but it was still cold! When putting together layered looks, I try to go for pieces that will layer easily (in terms of movement.) I always make sure when I buy blazers or jackets that they are a size bigger so that I am still able to layer underneath them. Well that's all for now, hope my tips help. Until next time!

-E