Looks of the Week
Welcome back to another Looks of the Week Monday! I hope that everyone had a great weekend and is wringing every drop of Summer fun out of these August days as they can. Let’s start our week out right with some fabulous fashionistas showing off everything from statement jewelry to mixing prints to bright colors.
Enjoy!
Nothing says Summer as effortlessly or stylishly as a white dress. And while this drapping, asymmetrical white dress is stunning it’s Kristina’s accessories that make this look stand out so well. The studded red Zara shoulder bag and killer gold spiked collar from H&M are both incredibly striking & eye-catching, they really bring this look to a whole other level.
This is a low-key but striking and sassy combination that should really motivate you to spice things up before walking out the door. Colorblocking is a great way to make a look really POP.
A sweater can be tough for men to make work for them, but this is a great example of how to put together a clean-cut, stylish look using one. Navy pants + white button down + a sweater with a flattering pattern and cut. Bonus for the killer accessories – Retro shades, white watch strap, and fabulous bag.
Love love love! This is a fabulous look from head to toe. The Versace for H&M studded top pairs beautifully with this nude, pleated leather skirt. And to top it all off, I couldn’t have picked a better clutch or more fabulous booties to add to this outfit.
This is an interesting and really eye-catching look despite the fact that there’s not a lot of color. The sequined stripes are great and I love that she chose a looser, more relaxed top to mix with the dramatic midi-length skirt. Well done!
The art of wearing lady pants is something every woman really should master. Finding the right cut and silhouette to suit your figure can take years of trial and error. If you’ve ever felt like giving up, you’ll enjoy this shot of the perfect pink pants. And those are definitely three words I never thought I’d write. 🙂
High-Low hemlines aren’t always my favorite style but I couldn’t take my eyes off of this look. The colors, the prints, and the textures are so eye-catching and deliciously Summery that I couldn’t tear myself away from the screen. Nothing short of fabulous!
Neutrals don’t have to be boring as this look proves. Stunning Victoria’s Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel shows us how to put together a relaxed, but fashionable Summertime look with this nude pleated mini, a basic white t-shirt, and cute braided sandals.
Why not make your shopping trip or errand run a bit more fun with some bold color or printed separates? This basic shorts & tank look is fun and stylish with the addition of a killer handbag, flattering green shorts, and animal print flats.
This makes me miss Fall SO MUCH. I love a great coat and this corset belted olive-green military coat is killer. Her accessorizing – bowler hat & high boots – make it even more eye-catching and cold weather-appropriate.
Chic! I love a great Summer dress and this is a phenomenal color on her. And after finding a great color & style, she personalized it and made it more “her” with the tooled leather Rebecca Minkoff bag and fabulous 3.1 Phillip Lim gladiator sandals.
And just in case you missed the fabulousness that was the Team Supermodel walk during last night’s Closing Ceremonies in London, here are some pictures and great commentary to console you – Team Supermodel Strikes Gold In London!
{Click on images above to visit the original source}
Which picture is your favorite of the shots above? Does seeing fun new looks put together by stylish people motivate and inspire you to mix things up when you’re planning your own outfits?
Inspiration Saturday
Happy Saturday!
Why not start this weekend off with some beautiful photographs and inspiring words? The perfect way to prepare for a fun, fashionable day if you ask me. Enjoy!
{Sources: Vintage Virgin, Champagne & Strawberries & Pinterest}
Hope you all have a great weekend!
10 Day Style Challenge – Part IV
This is the 4th of the five posts that I’m going to publish relating to the Freckles in April Winter Style Challenge. By way of background, the purpose of this little exercise is to challenge myself to try new styles, put together interesting clothing combinations that I haven’t tried before and learn to look outside the box when it comes to my personal approach to fashion.
If you’d like to catch up on what you missed so far, here are the previous installments: Part I, Part II & Part III.
Day 7: Bright Colors
Winter tends to be a time of blacks, grays and browns. My trips into public places have been awash in people clad in dark neutrals. It fits the weather and, sometimes, our moods, but bright colors have their place in winter too! For tomorrow I want you to add bright color to your winter wardrobe. It can be all over color or a small splash- whatever works for you.
Rather than do an all-over color or even a single neon piece, I wanted to simply do a splash of color to brighten up an otherwise traditional look. Luckily I found some great inspiration on three fashion blogs that I like to frequent on occasion.
What I liked about each of these looks – and what I hoped to achieve with the outfit that I was putting together for myself – was to use the color as a way to highlight and emphasize. A way to draw the eye to certain pieces that I wanted to show off. In this case my accessories – gloves, scarf and gorgeous faux leather planner.
Bags - Vintage & Longchamp, Coat - bought in Rome yeeears ago, Scarf - from Manila market, Dress - Max Studio, Ballet Flats - Lucky, Jewelry - Vintage & Gloves - A gift from my mother
I absolutely love this coat and I was thrilled to be able to make it part of my look after rescuing it from the depths of my closet. Which I have to admit was half the reason that I wanted to do this challenge in the first place, rediscovering buried treasure!
Day 8: Dress Up A Coat
Coats in and of themselves tend to be icing. I think just about everyone who lives in a cooler climate has a decent, good-looking coat that adds instant polish or style to their outfit. The idea of dressing up a coat hadn’t really occurred to me (possibly just because I live in AZ which doesn’t have a real winter) until I saw this post from Elsie at A Beautiful Mess.
Want to know what went through my head when I read this prompt?
THIS IS MINE!!! MIIINE!!! (Insert evil laugh here)
And why, you ask? Because right behind ‘purse addiction’ on the list of reasons why my friends and family will one day send me to rehab is ‘coat fetish.’ I kid. You. Not.
Clearly my issue was going to be narrowing it down. Then I had a moment of blind panic when I realized that I had already worn my two favorite coats. OH. MY. G*D.
P.S. I refuse to apologize for the fact that clothes, my closets and getting dressed make me so emotional – it’s just who I am. 🙂
The next step was to find some direction and then pick which coat would become the foundation of my look. Similar to the great post that Kayla found on A Beautiful Mess, I found a fab Do It Yourself style post that included one of my favorite things in the world – PEARLS. The Beaded Collar Blouse post that Moda, Moda published was a simple-to-follow How To on spicing up a standard blouse with extras like studs, beads or pearls.
Perfect! And while I’m determined to try this out on one of my blouses in the very near future, I didn’t want to do anything quite this drastic to my chosen coat yet so I used this as inspiration and went a slightly different route…
Rather than glue individual pearls to my coat lapels, I deconstructed a couple of costume jewelry pearl necklaces and sewed the strands on either side, under the adorable Peter Pan collar of my cropped coat. As a finishing touch I pinned some cute vintage heart charms to one of the strands of pearls, to give it a retro-feel.
Stay tuned for the final Challenge post next week!
MCLV’s Style File – Miranda Kerr
Welcome back to MCLV’s Style File for a breakdown on this great low-key outfit spotted on Victoria’s Secret model and busy mom Miranda Kerr in Australia a few weeks ago.
What I like most about this look is the high-low combination. The striped dress is stylish but casual and comfortable, the blazer is well-tailored and adds a bit of structure, and the red bag is an eye-catching splash of color that completes the look.
See below for some affordable picks for these pieces:
{Left to Right: G-Star – $78 @ Asos, French Connection – $78 @ Bloomingdale‘s & Swell Paula Dress – $55 @ Swell}
Depending on your mood you could rock a casual black and white striped mini like Mrs. Orlando Bloom, go for nautical-inspired navy & white stripes, or even pair a striped maxi dress with the rest of these pieces.
{Left to Right: Classic Blazer – $98 @ GAP, Boyfriend Blazer w/ Striped Cuff – $98 @ Asos & Cuffed Blazer – $80 @ Victoria’s Secret} A cropped or fitted blazer, boyfriend blazer, or even a casual rolled sleeve blazer would all work well in this outfit. You can follow Miranda’s lead and go for a classic black or navy blazer, but I think that a neutral tan or grey would look lovely as well.
{Left to Right: ADELAIDE Leather Chelsea Ankle Boots – $80 @ Asos, Sofft Cadence – $110 @ Shoebuy.com & Nina Bold – $50 @ Shoebuy.com}
You can give your look a sassy twist with a pair of flat ankle boots or lace-up heeled Oxfords, or you could even try a simple pair of black ballet flats depending on your personal style and – of course – how far you’re planning on walking.
{Left to Right: Longchamp ‘Le Pliage’ Medium Shoulder Tote – $100 @ Nordstrom, Contrast Colored Quilted Handbag – $65 @ Oasap & Kate Spade New York Tote – $175 @ Piperlime}
I know that these bags are a little pricier than the other pieces that I picked out above, but they’re all quality pieces that you’ll really be able to hang on to. I’m a huge fan of Longchamp’s Le Pliage line as well as simple Kate Spade totes, there’s really something for everyone in this eye-catching hue!
You can also check out past MCLV Style File looks below:
Moi Contre La Vie 