**Late Post: Army & Pinstripes**

 

 

 

E here, sorry it's been so long since my last post. :-( As I've mentioned before, I am in retail management so my schedule tends to be pretty hectic. Also, I just got back from vacation. [Lots of great outfit photos from that trip coming soon.] If you follow me on Instagram you know that this post is long overdue, so here it is finally! 

 

What I love about this outfit is the versatility of it. The fun thing about fashion is that you can take clothes and create a look that is unique to you alone. Don't get me wrong, I do follow the current trends, but at the same time I like to put my own spin on things. What I tried to do here; is take the army inspired piece and mix it with more casual pieces, so as to try and downplay its more rigid, masculine features, and make it appear more feminine and stylish. The trick to pulling off any army inspired look, is to try and deflect the rigid, uniform appearance of the piece, and make it seem more modern and stylish. While the jacket offers warmth and comfort, it also adds a sort of rugged-chic feel to the outfit. The best part? I only paid $22.50 for it, and its original tags were still attached for $115.00. If you think that's a great deal, read below to see what other amazing finds I scored.

 

 

Thrifted items; jeans; Else $9.99 (Goodwill,) pinstripe button down: Gap $10.50 (Crossroads Trading Co,) army jacket: Ricki's $22.50 (Crossroads Trading Co,) *boots: American Eagle $12.99 - $.129 (Goodwill.)

 

 

These boots are cute aren't they? Can you guess how much I paid for them? [Hint: under $5.] That's right, the boots were under $5! I paid a whole $1.29 for the boots which were practically new. Its funny because whenever I wear the boots and people ask me how much I paid for them, no one believes me! Even some of the employees at the Goodwill that I purchased them from were shocked that I found such a fabulous deal. I'll admit, I tend to have pretty good luck at Goodwill on $1.29 days, but I have to say that this is the best $1.29 find, (perhaps Goodwill find of all time!)

 

 

I'm telling you, thrifting is the way to go! Are you convinced yet? If not, stick with me and I'll give you tips and advice on how you can nab fabulous deals for yourself. It's quite simply really. First; find out what thrift stores are located in your area, second: do some quick research and see what stores are top-rated, or have the most reviews. I tend to be a Goodwill/Value Village girl, but I also love to check out smaller, private thrift stores/boutiques as well. After all, you never know what gems you might come across! A lot of times, the places that appear to be small, sort of stereotypical "hole's in the wall," turn out to be quite interesting. Every time I check out a new neighborhood, or visit another state I always check to see if there are thrift stores nearby. Make sure to come back again soon, I'm going to embark on a thrifting challenge with a friend and show you just how easy it is. Well that's all for today. See you next time!

-E

It's All In The Details: The Cat's Meow

 

 

 

 

 

E here, I find that when it comes to creating a great ensemble, it's all in the details. When I look at outfits that other people put together I'm always curious to see what sort of accessories they choose. For this outfit I decided to pick a theme, can you guess what it is?

 

 

Okay, I know what you're thinking....is that an animal brooch? Well for the record, who says that brooches are just for old ladies? I think that like other types of jewelry, brooches add just as much, if not more personality and a certain glitz factor to an ensemble. I realize that when most people picture a brooch they imagine someone like their grandma wearing some garish looking brooch. However, if one is willing to have an open mind on the subject, brooches can serve as a fun and playful way to make a bold statement.

 

 

Thrifted items; corduroy blazer: Banana Republic $9.99 (Goodwill,) brown sweater: Sisters $7.99 (Value Village,) leopard print tank: Rock & Republic $9.99 (Crossroads Trading Co.,) belt: $3.99 (Value Village.) *I picked up the brooch and necklace along with some other items of jewelry at an estate sale for about $10 for the whole lot. Non-thrifted items; skirt: Wallflower $10 (Fred Meyer,) riding boots: Bandolino $99 (DSW.)

 

 

I think that in this case, the brooch in combination with the leopard necklace that I'm wearing truly compliments the "jungle fever" theme of my outfit. Well that's all I have for today. Please stop by again soon. Remember, don't be afraid to mix up your wardrobe and reinvent your style. Dare to be different. Happy thrifting! See you next time!

-E



Camouflage & Lace

 

 

E here, another beautiful sunny day in Seattle. It's still quite cold so layering is key. I talk about layering and mixing prints/textures pretty often, so today's outfit is a good example of both. Most people that live in the Northwest tend to throw on a North Face or Columbia jacket, but I tire of wearing the same thing all the time. When creating a layered look its important to try and put outfits together that will keep you warm and look stylish at the same time. Here, I threw on a cardigan on top of layered tanks to keep from getting chilly. This time of year it can still be fairly cold, especially near the water, but if it's sunny you can get away with not wearing a jacket.

 

 

In a city like Seattle you tend to see graffiti and mural art plastered all over buildings, (in this case a bridge,) but this section really stood out to me. I thought the nerds thing was kind of funny. A lot of times you walk by a wall covered in graffiti and you think nothing of it, but I thought that it would make a great contrast against the picturesque views of the Ballard Locks. Below are some shots I took of the railroad bridge with the ocean behind it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My friend Sara was the photographer for this shoot. You may recognize her as one of the blondes from the blog The Blonde Squad. If you haven't already checked out her blog, please take some time to view it. She has a lot of great DIY projects, as well as great outfits!

 

 

Thrifted items; lace tank: Old Navy $4.99 (Goodwill,) booties: Sam Edelman $20 (Goodwill.) Non-thrifted items; camouflage cardigan: Unionbay $15 (Fred Meyer,) jeans: Levi's $25 (Macy's,) monogram necklace: Nordstrom Rack $5.99.

 

 

 

Monogram necklaces have been all the rage lately on other fashion blogs and Instagram. I realize that I'm a little late on this trend, but better late than never right?! After all, a monogrammed necklace is a fun way to personalize any outfit. As you may have noticed, the letter E was all sold out so I had to settle for L instead. But that's ok, I look at it two ways; the L can either represent Lizi, or Logan (for my husband.) If you're interested in picking up a monogram necklace for yourself you can most likely find one at Forever 21, Nordstrom Rack, or on internet shops like BaubleBar. Thanks for stopping by. New thrift posts coming soon. Happy thrifting!

-E 

 

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