Is there a more intimidating or thankless project than cleaning out your closet? I have to confess that I usually have it on my To Do list for weeks before I get up the courage and fortitude to tackle the project. Don’t get me wrong, I adore a well-organized closet and am somewhat OCD about keeping it clean day-to-day {bf chuckles}, but a full-on cleaning can be intimidating.
I’ve found that approaching the project with a three-fold plan of attack is what works for me. That and spending days hours on Pinterest drooling over beautifully organized closets to get me in the mood… ❤

- Love It or Leave It – First you need to go through every single piece in your closet and decide whether you want to keep it. Tears optional.
- Share The Love – Once I’ve created a pile of pieces that need a new home I set up a Closet Party with some friends and after that any remaining items will be donated to the Goodwill.
- Live The Dream – Finally, when your closet is filled only with the pieces you’ll be holding onto, it’s time to sort, organize, rearrange, and plan for the future.
Need more details? Read on…
Love It or Leave It:
I become somewhat attached to inanimate objects so after years of carrying clothes that still have the tags on them from one apartment to another, I have had to set rules for myself. If I haven’t worn it in the last year – It has to go. End of discussion.
You may have a home with more storage space or larger closets and be able to keep more clothing and accessories, it’ll be dependent on what you have available to you and how much of a “clothes horse” you are. In general, if you can’t remember the last time you wore something, you probably don’t need to hold onto it. If your shoes are falling apart, you can probably let them go. If a piece has needed hemming or tailoring for as long as you can remember and you still haven’t taken it in, you guessed it, you should probably put it in the “out” pile.

Share The Love:
My favorite thing to do once I’ve created a pile of things that I’m not going to keep is to plan a closet party – I invite some friends over for cocktails or champagne and free reign of my closets. It’s been a tradition for a few years now and I love to include new friends, it’s a fun bonding event. And what’s left over after the closet party gets dropped off at the donations center of Goodwill.

Living The Dream:
Now that you know what you’re working with you can figure out how best to approach the cleaning of your closet. I like to tackle the reorganizing process in three steps:
- First I rearrange by type & color {i.e. pants with pants, solids from black to white, then prints}
- The second step is to consider the season and organize your closet so that the clothes & accessories that you’re wearing now are most readily available. This can mean deploying under-bed organizing trays or boxes to be stacked on shelves out of reach in your closet if need be.
- Finally, after all of that work, I like to take stock of what I have and how it’s arranged and implement some changes to make getting dressed run more smoothly – Like adding accessories holders, changing hangers, or separating work clothes from play.

{All photos from MCLV’s Closet Porn… Board on Pinterest}
You can find some other tips and suggestions in Sincerely Jules’s Details or Cupcakes & Cashmere’s Closet Clean-Up or her Operation Organization: Closet Edition.
So tell me, how often do you overhaul your closet(s)? Do you have a specific process whenever you get started on this project?
Like this:
Like Loading...
January 16, 2013 | Categories: Fashion | Tags: accessories, bags, Black dress, Black Pants, blacks, Boudoir, Button down, button down shirt, casual, Chanel, Clean, cleaning, closet, Closet cleaning, Closet organization, closet organizers, closet organzing, closet party, Closets, clothes, Coat, Coco Chanel, colors, day dress, Donating, donation, donations, Dresses, formal, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, girls night out clothes, gloves, going out clothes, Goodwill, handbags, Hangers, Hats, heels, high heels, how to clean, how to clean the closet, how to organize, how to organize the closet, interview clothes, jacket, jewelry, job clothes, Julie Sarinana, LBD, Little Black Dress, long-sleeved, low-key, motivating, motivation, nighttime clothes, office clothes, Office dress code, Office fashion, office shoes, Office style, Office-appropriate, office-appropriate clothing, organizers, Organizing, organizing accessories, organizing jewelry, organzing, organzing clothes, outerwear, pants, Patterns, Pencil skirt, pieces, prints, pumps, purses, scarves, separates, shoe carriers, shoe holders, Shoes, shoppers, short sleeved, Sincerely Jules, Slacks, sleeveless, striped, Stripes, Summer clothes, summer dresses, Sweater, totes, velvet hangers, work appropriate clothes, work clothes, work dresses, work fashion, work pants, work style, work-appropriate, Wrap dress | 15 Comments
Working in the corporate world means that my office style tends towards classic and traditional – I keep my arms covered and wear knee-length skirts or dresses 4 – 5 days a week. But just because my style is fairly formal doesn’t mean I can’t have fun with work fashion!

{You can shop similar pieces by clicking these hyperlinks: Embellished Empire-Waist Dress – Donna Ricco from Nordstrom, T-Strap Heels – Zara, Top-Handle Handbag – Zara, Black Leather Bow Headband – Banana Republic, Geometric Gold Bracelet – BCBG, Gold Wrap Ring – JewelMint & Black Bow Ring – Forever 21}

{You can view this outfit on both Lookbook.nu and Pose}

{Check out outtakes from this shoot here – Just log into Facebook to view}
What drew me to this was the embellished empire waist, it gave the retro-silhouetted dress a little something extra. And because the waist is already so dramatic I usually skip the necklaces with this dress and just pile on bracelets and rings. Or in this case, a black faux leather bow headband – J’adore! ❤
What’s the dress code in your office? Do you usually dress formally, informally, or business casual like me? Do you have a work “uniform” that you usually wear?
Like this:
Like Loading...
November 13, 2012 | Categories: Fashion, MCLV Style | Tags: Banana Republic, BCBG, BCBG Max Azria, BCBGeneration, BCBGirls, BCBGMazAzria, Black Bow Ring, Black dress, black headband, Blogger, Blogger fashion, Blogger Street Style, Blogger Streetstyle, blogger style, Bow headband, Bow Ring, Classic style, Donna Ricco, dress code, dresscode, Embellished waist dress, empire waist dress, Empire waiste, Fall 2012, Fall 2012 Accessories, Fall 2012 clothes, Fall 2012 Clothing, Fall 2012 Coats, Fall 2012 essentials, Fall 2012 Fashion, Fall 2012 Jackets, Fall 2012 Must Haves, Fall 2012 necessities, Fall 2012 Outerwear, Fall 2012 Style, Fall 2012 Trends, Fall accessories, Fall clothes, Fall Clothing, fall coats, Fall Essentials, Fall Fashion, Fall jackets, Fall Must Haves, Fall Necessities, Fall outerwear, Fall Style, Fall Styling, Fall trends, Fashion, Fashion Blogger, Fashion Blogger Fashion, Fashion Blogger Street Style, Fashion Blogger Streetstyle, Fashion Blogger Style, Forever 21, Geometric bracelet, Girlie style, Gold bracelet, gold ring, Gold Wrap Ring, Harness, harness ring, headband, Hermes style harnes ring, Hermes style ring, JewelMint, Ladylike, leather bow, leather bow headband, leather headband, long-sleeved dress, Mary Jane's, Nordstrom, office, office accessories, office clothes, office clothing, Office do's and don'ts, Office dress code, Office fashion, Office outfits, office pieces, office shoes, Office style, office trends, Office-appropriate, office-appropriate clothing, prim, Prim & proper, Romantic style, San Francisco, San Francisco Blogger, San Francisco Fashion, San Francisco Fashion Blogger, San Francisco Street Style, San Francisco Streetstyle, San Francisco style, SF, SF Blogger, SF Fashion, SF Fashion Blogger, SF Street Style, SF Streetstyle, SF Style, Street style, Streetstyle, Style, Styling, Sweet style, T-Strap heels, T-Straps, Top-handle bag, Vintage style gold ring, work accessories, work clothes, Work clothing, work dress code, work dresscode, work fashion, work pieces, work style, work trends, work-appropriate, work-appropriate black dress, Workwear, Wrap Ring | 1 Comment
This Looks of the Week post is going to be all about PANTS. As you’re stocking up your wardrobe for Fall you’re going to be seeing lots of pants in stores – Every variety you can imagine, from faux leather and brilliantly colored brocades to plaids, stripes, and collegiate tweeds. So before you find yourself standing in front of racks and racks of pants feeling overwhelmed, why not spend some quality time getting inspired by how other fashionable ladies are wearing theirs this season?

Embellished or studded pants are a fun style for weekends. You can go full-on rock n’ roll or you can keep things polished with a trench and classic white button down like in this shot. The look is chic and timeless, but still has an edge.

Holiday sweaters don’t have to be tacky – They can just as easily be the kind of cute pieces that you look forward to wearing all year! This oversized reindeer sweater paired with black leggings and cute flat booties is the perfect look for the holiday season. Festive but oh-so-cute.

If you’re brave enough for a bold animal print than this is the look for you. Take a tip from Lysana, she keeps the look from being over-the-top with minimal chunky gold accessories, a basic black sweater, and cute flat boots.

If you’re thinking about what styles of pants are work-appropriate this shot is a great example of how to make a slim pair of pants fit that bill. Her killer styling keeps the look fun, but still formal enough for a business casual office. The over-the-shoulder bag and similarly colored knee-high boots are the perfect accessories while the chic tweed blazer from H&M tops the look off perfectly.

Plaid shirts aren’t just for trips to the cabin anymore, with seriously cute versions available now you can pair one with virtually any bottoms for a chic, stylish weekend look. This look is spiced up all the more with lacy Dolce & Gabbana ankle boots and a killer Proenza Schouler handbag.

They may say “No White After Labor Day” but this amazing white-pants look will change your mind in a heartbeat. The mixture of prints, colors, and textures makes this look fun and interesting – Chambray polka dot blouse, leopard print heels, a red knit sweater, and white denim all come together to make the perfect look.
{Click on the images above to be taken to the original source}
Are you inspired to try a new pair of pants now that you’ve gotten a chance to check out these fun looks? What is the first style, fabric, or silhouette pant that you’d like to try for Fall 2012?
Like this:
Like Loading...
October 25, 2012 | Categories: Fashion, Looks of the Week | Tags: Acne, Acne blouse, Aimee Song, American fashion, American Fashion Blogger, American style, Animal head, animal print heels, animal print pumps, Animal prints, ankle boots, Australia, Australian blogger, Australian fashion, Australian Fashion Blogger, Australian street style, Australian style, Back To Classics, Barcelona, Barcelona Fashion, Barcelona Fashion Blogger, Barcelona Street Style, Barcelona Streetstyle, Barcelona Style, black pumps, Blogger, Blogger fashion, Blogger Street Style, Blogger Streetstyle, blogger style, blouse, booties, boots, British fashion, British Fashion Blogger, British Street Style, British Streetstyle, British style, Brocade, Brocade pants, Brown boots, Button down, Capri, Capri pants, Chambray, Chambray blouse, Chambray button-down, Chambray shirt, Checkered shirt, checkers, cheetah, Christmas fashion, Christmas style, Christmas sweater, classic, classic black pumps, Contrasting patterns, Contrasting prints, Cropped Pants, D&G, Dolce, Dolce & Gabbana, Dolce&Gabbana, Embellished denim, Embellished jeans, Embellished pants, Fall, Fall 2012, Fall 2012 clothes, Fall 2012 Clothing, Fall 2012 dressing, Fall 2012 essentials, Fall 2012 Fashion, Fall 2012 patterns, Fall 2012 Street Style, Fall 2012 Streetstyle, Fall 2012 Style, Fall 2012 Trends, Fall clothes, Fall Dressing, Fall Essentials, FAll pants, Fall Street Style, Fall Streetstyle, Fall Style, Fall trends, Fashion, Fashion Blogger, Fashion Blogger Fashion, Fashion Blogger Street Style, Fashion Blogger Streetstyle, Fashion Blogger Style, Fashion editor, Fashion Editor Fashion, Fashion Editor Street Style, Fashion Editor Streetstyle, Fashion Editor Style, Fashion Obsessed, faux leather, faux leather pants, Festive, Flat ankle boots, Flat booties, flat boots, Flat Peter Pan Booties, Flat Peter Pan Boots, Flat riding boots, Flingly, H&M, H&M Blazer, heels, holiday clothes, Holiday jumper, Holiday style, Holiday sweater, Jumper, Knee boots, Knee-high boots, Knit juper, lace, lace pants, leather, leather pants, Leggings, Leopard ballet flats, leopard flats, Leopard heels, Leopard pants, leopard print, Leopard print flats, leopard print heels, Leopard print pants, leopard print pumps, leopard prints, Leopard pumps, London Fashion, London Street Style, London streetstyle, London style, London-based, looks of the week, Lysana, Lysana Fashion Obsessed, Madeline Becker, Madeline Becker Photography, Mango, Mango jeans, Melbourne, Melbourne fashion, Melbourne Street Style, Melbourne Streetstyle, Melbourne Style, mens button-down, Menswear, Mink Pink Jagger Jeans, Mireia, Mix & match, mix and match, mix n match, mixing & matching, mixing & matching patterns, mixing and matching, mixing animal prints, Mixing colors, mixing patterns, mixing prints, My Daily Style, No White After Labor Day, OASAP, OASAP Sweater, office clothes, Office fashion, Office outfits, Office style, office-appropriate clothing, Oriana Mikulski, over-the-knee boots, Oversized sweater, pants, patterned pants, Patterns, Peter Pan booties, Peter Pan Boots, plaid, Plaid blouse, plaid button down, Plaid pants, plaid shirt, polka dot blouse, Polka dots, printed denim, printed pants, prints, Proenza Schouler, Proenza Schouler bag, Proenza Schouler handbag, Proenza Schouler purse, pumps, Red sweater, Reindeer, Reindeer sweater, riding boots, San Francisco, San Francisco Fashion, San Francisco Fashion Blogger, San Francisco Street Style, San Francisco Streetstyle, San Francisco style, Senso Qimatt boots, SF, SF Fashion, SF Fashion Blogger, SF Street Style, SF Streetstyle, SF Style, skinny pants, slim pants, Song of Style, Spanish Blogger, Spanish fashion, Spanish fashion blogger, Spanish style, Street style, Streetstyle, stripe, striped, Striped pants, Stripes, Studded, Studded jeans, Studded pants, Studs, Style, Style Lovely, Sugar & Space and everything Fashion, Sugar & Spice, Sugar & Spice Fashion, Sweater, Swiss blogger, Swiss fashion, Swiss Fashion Blogger, Swiss Street Style, Tan boots, Texas Blogger, Texas Fashion, Texas Fashion Blogger, Texas Street Style, Texas Streetstyle, Texas Style, The Northern Light, The Tall Blonde, TopShop, traditional, tweed, tweed blazer, Tweed pants, UES Closing Party, waterfalls, White After Labor Day, white button-down, White denim, White jeans, white pants, Witchery, work appropriate clothes, work clothes, Work clothing, work fashion, Work outfits, work style | 3 Comments
Health & Fitness:

I was quite the little baker this Summer and I have to say that this was one of the tastiest and most creative recipes that I tried out – Dark Chocolate Cherry Zucchini Bread.
A short, energizing yoga workout is a great way to de-stress and stretch out after a long day at the office in your desk chair – Women’s Health yoga video.
Love Thy Self! Gala Darling agrees and wants to help you – 10 Radical Self Love Exercises To Boost Your Summer Lovin’!

A vegetable stir fry with either a grain or soy, tempeh, or tofu is one of my favorite quick & easy mid-week dinners so I enjoy finding new sauces and combinations to try out, like Peas And Thank You’s Szechuan Broccoli and Quinoa.
You don’t need a full hour for a workout to be beneficial, fit in some walking and short bursts of exercise whenever you can! Before work, during your lunch break, before a class starts – Get Fit In Only Fifteen Minutes.
Fashion:
Being able to break out all of your jeans is one of the fun things about Fall dressing. Check out FabSugar’s The Ultimate Fall Denim Guide — Every Trend, Cut, Color, and Fit.

My favorite part about Fall is the outerwear – I love full ankle-length coats, peacoats, trenches, blazers, basically anything that I can get my hands on – Coat Check: How to Take Your Look in a Ladylike Direction.
Most of us wish we could get more sleep, so why not save a few precious minutes in the morning by speeding up your beauty and makeup routine? How To Do Your Makeup In 5 Minutes (Really!)
Dressing for work doesn’t need to be boring, from colorful separates to chic suits to fabulous sheath dresses, Harper’s Bazaar has the answers – Stylish Work Clothes.

Celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month with some stylish pink finds – From beauty products to accessories and jewelry, no matter what you’re in the mood for you can support this great cause. Mama’s A Rolling Stone – Our 6 Favorite Breast Cancer Awareness Products.
Like this:
Like Loading...
October 7, 2012 | Categories: Fashion, Fitness, Food, Links You'll Love | Tags: 15 minute workout, Alexa Chung, Alexa Chung style, Amanda Seyfried, ankle-length, ankle-length coat, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor LOFT, Ashley Olsen, beauty, Beauty products, beginner fitness, beginner workouts, beginners fitness, Beginners Guide to Running, Beginners workouts, Between You & Me Lipstick, blazer, blazers, Blogger, Blogger fashion, Blogger Street Style, Blogger Streetstyle, blogger style, Boudoir Chemise, Breast Cancer Awareness, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Awareness products, Broccoli and Quinoa, Brulee, cashmere, Chloe, Chocolate Zucchini Cake, Coat, coat check, Cosabella, Dairy-free, dairy-free milk, dairy-free recipe, Denim, denim guide, denim skirt, Denim Trends, double-breasted coat, energizing yoga, Evan Thomas, Everyday Minerals, Fabsugar, Fall 2012 Collection, Fall 2012 dressing, Fall 2012 Fashion, Fall 2012 Fashion Week, Fall 2012 RTW, Fall 2012 Trends, Fall clothes, Fall Clothing, Fall Dressing, Fall Style, Fall trends, Fashion, Fashion Blogger, Fashion Blogger Fashion, Fashion Blogger Street Style, Fashion Blogger Streetstyle, Fashion Blogger Style, Fitness, Fitness for beginners, flax egg, Food blog, food blogger, Gala Darling, Giuliana Rancic for LOFT, Gluten intolerance, gluten intolerant, Gluten-free, gluten-free cookies, gluten-free cooking, gluten-free desserts, gluten-free diet, Gluten-Free Food, gluten-free meals, gluten-free recipe, gluten-free recipes, grain-free, grain-free dessert, grain-free muffins, grain-free recipe, harper's bazaar, health, healthy baking, healthy life, healthy lifestyle, healthy living, Hope In A Jar, jacket, jean guide, Jean jacket, Jeans, ladylike coat, LOFT, Love Thy Self, makeup, Mama's A Rolling Stone, Marcie Satchel in Paradise Pink, Mary-Kate Olsen, Nutrition, office clothes, Office dress code, Office fashion, office shoes, Office style, Office-appropriate, office-appropriate clothing, Olsens, outerwear, peacoat, Peas and Thank You, Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love, Philosophy, PINK, pink beauty products, pink lipstick, pink pieces, pink products, plaid, Pretty coat, quick beauty regime, quick makeup, quick morning routine, quick routine, quinoa\, Radical Self Love, Radical Self Love Bootcamp, Radical Self Love Exercises, Refinery 29, Refinery29, San Francisco, San Francisco Fashion, San Francisco Fashion Blogger, San Francisco Food Blogger, San Francisco Street Style, San Francisco style, Self Love, SF, SF Fashion, SF Fashion Blogger, SF Food, SF Food Blogger, SF Street Style, SF Style, short workout, Short workouts, short yoga workout, skinny jeans, Slim jeans, slim pants, soy, statement necklace, stiryfry, Street style, Streetstyle, Style, Stylish coat, stylish outerwear, Stylish work clothes, Suave Tube, Szechuan, Szechuan Broccoli, Szechuan Broccoli and Quinoa, tempeh, The Olsen Twins, The Radical Self Love Project, The Wannabe Chef, tofu, Trench, Trench coat, tweed, Vegan, vegan baking, vegan dessert recipe, vegan desserts, Vegan food blogger, Vegan life, Vegan living, vegan recipe, Vegan recipes, vegan stiryfry, veganism, Veganism for beginners, Vegetarian, vegetarian baking, vegetarian dessert recipe, vegetarian desserts, Vegetarian life, Vegetarian living, Vegetarian recipes, vegetarianism, veggie stirfry, Women's Health, Womens Health Mag, wool, work clothes, working out for beginners, workouts, workouts for beginners, Workwear, yoga, yoga video, zucchini, zucchini bread, Zucchini cake, Zucchini Cookies, zucchini dessert, zucchini recipe | Leave a comment
Last year I published a post called What NOT To Wear To Work where I discussed, among other things, whether or not a T-shirt could be considered appropriate office attire. Ultimately my conclusion was that while casual graphic and burn-out tees were out of the question unless you work in fashion-forward industries like fashion, music, or film, there were appropriate possibilities out there if you looked hard enough and styled them properly.

To make this type of look work you just need to keep the pieces clean and simple, and go for a thick, well-made shirt in an appropriate cut, color, and silhouette for the occasion.

In this case I went with a royal purple Zara Basics t-shirt with cap-sleeves paired with a basic black pencil skirt, round-toed pumps, and a vintage-inspired gold belt.

Tee – Zara Basics, Pencil Skirt – Zara, Pumps – Franco Sarto, Bracelets – JewelMint, Vintage, & Forever 21, Rings – Vintage, Multi-Strand Gold Necklace – Express, and Retro Gold Belt – BCBG
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
And believe me, I’m not the only one who enjoys a good tee. Mixing high and low, like adding a basic shirt into a work or night out look, is an art form practiced by many.

A loosely fitted highlighter colored t-shirt can keep a slouchy black suit from being boring or too business-like.

Old-school denim overalls are perfect for a hot summer day and a little white tee is the perfect finishing touch.

If you’re going to work a layering look nothing beats a basic t-shirt. It’s the perfect building block!

You can even roll up the sleeves of your basic t-shirt to give it a more unique and one-of-a-kind feeling.

What better than a basic white tee to pair with denim cut-offs and a vintage style leopard print coat for a walk on the streets of New York City.

Even high-end designers like Oscar de la Renta can’t help but enjoy a good striped tee.
Source
Are you creative when it comes to building new and fun looks using your favorite tees? What do you think about wearing a T-shirt to work – ya or nay?
Like this:
Like Loading...
June 26, 2012 | Categories: Fashion, MCLV Style | Tags: ABS by Allen Schwartz, ABS by Allen Schwartz Chain-Collar Necklace, American fashion, Anna Sui, Appropriate work attire, Asos Fashion Finder, bag from Chanel, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Lightweight Wool Black Pencil Skirt, basic black pumps, basic pieces, basic white tee, basics, BCBG, BCBG Belt, BCBGeneration, BCBGeneration - Starlight Two Pack Bracelets, BCBGirls, Bohemian, boho, brights, business casual, Carolines Mode, corporate fashion, corporate style, cropped jeans, Cropped Pants, cuffed pants, cuffed skinny jeans, cut off shorts, denim overalls, denim romper, dressing appropriately, Express, Fashion Salade, Fashion Vibe, FashionVibe, faux fur coat, faux leather, Forever 21, Franco Sarto, Franco Sarto Cicero High Pumps, Gap, Gap Pure Pocket V Shirt, Gold Sparkle Belt, H&M, Hippie, hippie chic, House of Harlow, House of Harlow Sunburst Cocktail Ring in Black Leather, jean shorts, JewelMint, Layering, layering basics, leather skirt, leopard print, Lookbook.nu, LovelyPepa, Mango, Mini skirt, neon t-shirt, neons, New York City, New York Street Style, Nicole Richie, nude platforms, nude wedges, office clothes, Office fashion, Office style, Olivia Palermo, olivia palermo style, Oscar de la Renta, Oscar PR Girl, overalls, Pencil skirt, Pocket T, purple, Retro, retro belt buckle, rolled sleeves, rolling sleeves, romper, round-toed pumps, royal purple, San Francisco Fashion, San Francisco Street Style, San Francisco style, shirt, shoes from Celine and bracelet from Efva Ettling, Shop the Look, short-sleeved shirt, skinny jeans, slim pants, Spanish fashion, Spanish retailers, Spanish style, Street style, Summer clothes, Summer style, T-shirt, tee, tee from Gina Tricot, The Big Apple, The Real Olivia P, vintage, vintage belt, Vintage cocktail ring, Vintage denim romper, vintage gold jewelry, vintage sapphire ring, Vintage-inspired belt, vintage-style coat, warm weather clothes, warm weather style, What Do I Wear?, what not to wear to work, What to wear to work, white t-shirt, Winter Kate, work, work clothes, work fashionw, work style, Workwear, workwear basics, Yellow t-shirt, Zara, Zara Basics, zip-up skirt | 2 Comments
Happy – it’s almost the end of the week – Thursday! To celebrate I’d like to share some of my recent looks so that I can show how hard I’m working to meet my June fashion goals.
I have to confess, one of my favorite parts about having a stand-up desk at work is that I can wear pleated skirts to the office without having to worry about the pleats getting squished by sitting on them all day!
It’s the little things in life. 🙂





Skirt – Vince Camuto from Bloomingdale’s, Wide-strap tank – Zara, Cardigan – H&M, Mary Jane’s – Merona from Target, Rings – JewelMint, Vintage & Juicy Couture, and Watch – Vintage
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu or shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder or by clicking the hyperlinks in the outfit breakdown above.
When I saw this skirt I knew that it was going to be mine, I loved both the stripes and the pleats. It’s also a fun length, almost like a cheerleader skirt (which I’ve never worn.,I swear). This whole look was inspired by the brightly colored, stripe-filled Jason Wu for Target Collection. And my love of stripes, of course.

Source
I also recently made my first peplum attempt of the season. I’ve seen so many cute variations of this trend lately – from simple peplum tops to fun & wild peplum dresses – and I wanted to give it a try as well.

Source
Liz from Late Afternoon has a fabulous and one-of-a-kind style, she frequently appears in my Looks of the Week posts, and I took her peplum outfit above as the inspiration for the look that I put together below.





Floral Dress – Vintage from Belle Cose, Peplum top – Zara, Patent (faux) Leather Oxford Booties – Wild Diva, Necklace – Express, Rings – JewelMint, Vintage & Juicy Couture, and Bracelets – JewelMint & Forever 21
In these photos is doesn’t appear that my body type is ideal for the peplum trend, but I decided that it was just the silhouette of the dress I’d chosen to wear under the peplum top. Besides, as far as I’m concerned the highlight of this look is the jewelry anyway. The finger-length floral ring is a recent acquisition from JewelMint and I’m madly madly in love.
Peplum Attempt Take II




Peplum Top – Zara, Pencil Skirt – Zara, Black & White Jacket – Zara, Round Toe Pumps – Very Volatile, Tweed Handbag – Kate Spade, Necklace – Asos, and Rings & Bracelets – JewelMint, Vintage, Forever 21 & BCBG
You can HYPE these looks on Lookbook.nu or shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder or by clicking the hyperlinks in the outfit breakdown above.
“I’m a Zara girl, in a Zara world…” I was definitely singing Barbie Girl in my head all morning. 🙂 The pencil skirt did a much better job of complementing the volume of the peplum top than the floral dress that I chose the first day. I’m glad that I gave this another try and didn’t give up after the first attempt was a disappointment!
What do you guys think? Are you willing to try interesting new trends each season? Or do you prefer to stick to your tried-and-true personal style?
A special thank you to my friend Liz for her help with these pictures, I’m an awful subject because I’m so uncomfortable in front of the camera, and I appreciate her never-ending patience with me!
Like this:
Like Loading...
June 14, 2012 | Categories: Fashion, MCLV Style | Tags: 2012 Campaigns, 2013 Resort Collections, 50's inspired, 50's silhouette, 50's style, a little peplum does the trick, Asos, Asos Fashion Finder, Asos.com, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Ana Cardigan, Basic Peplum Top, BCBG, BCBGeneration, BCBGirls, Belle Cose, Black, black & white florals, Bloomindale's, Bloomingdales, Bohemian, boho, Braided hair, Carribean Stripe Skirt, Chanel-style pumps, Colorblock shoes, Cuff watch, Designer collaberation, Express, Fashion show, Fashion Week, Forever 21, Gap, GO International, Gold Plated Cuff Bracelet Watch, H&M, Hippie, hippie chic, Jason Wu, Jason Wu for Target Collection, Jason Wu for Target Collection Lookbook, Jason Wu Resort 2013 Collection, JewelMint, Juicy Couture, Kate Spade, Kate Spade Handbag, lace-up booties, ladylike handbag, Late afternoon, Liz Cherkasova, Longchamp, Longchamp le Pliage, Longchamp Luggage, Lookbook.nu, MAISON SCOTCH, Mango, Marni, Mary Jane's, Merona, Merona Mary Jane's, Mini skirt, Miss Selfridge, Molte Cose, Moschino Cheap and Chic, Mossimo, Mossimo Vena Patent Mary Jane Platform Pump, nylon bag, Office-appropriate, office-appropriate clothing, Oxford booties, patent leather booties, Pencil skirt, Peplum, Peplum top, Pleated mini, Pleated Skirt, pleats, red, Red & blue, Retro, RewardStyle, Roberto Cavalli, Round Toe Pumps, Runway Shows, San Francisco Fashion, San Francisco shopping, San Francisco Street Style, San Francisco style, San Francisco vintage shops, Seamless Black Tank Top, shopping online, stacking bracelets, Stacking Rings, Star scarf, stars, Striped collection, Striped mini, Striped skirt, Stripes, Style Tryst, style.com, Summer clothes, summer wear, Targe, Target, TopShop, Tweed Handbag, Very Volatile, Vince Camuto, Vince Camuto 'Caribbean Stripe' Skirt, vintage, Vintage dress, Vintage Gold Bracelets, vintage gold jewelry, vintage jewelry, Vintage watch, Wannabe Wu, Want And Afford, wantandafford.com, warm weather clothes, white & blue, Wild Diva, work clothes, work updo, Workwear, Zara, Zara Basics, Zara Pencil Skirt, Zara Peplum Top, Zara Skirt | 5 Comments
Fashion isn’t just about what you wear, what goes on your body. It’s truly an expression of yourself that extends far beyond your clothes.
“Fashion is everything. Art, music, furniture design, graphic design, hair, makeup, architecture, the way cars look – all those things go together to make a moment in time.” – Tom Ford
And just as fashion isn’t limited to the cloth that we wrap ourselves in, inspiration can also be found in many forms.

I began clipping pictures from magazines as a pre-adolescent, not so much fashion photos, just pictures that caught my eye, things that I found eye-catching or memorable or mesmerizing.

As I became interested in fashion however, my clipping habits became more focused. And while I don’t confine myself to photographs of clothing and accessories, I’ve found that my love of fashion gives this activity more direction and purpose. I’ve found that even without context, pictures can serve a creative function.
They excite. They encourage. They inspire.

The beauty and artistry captured by a photographer can be moving, regardless of the medium. Advertisements, promotional materials, editorials, art, home decor…



I’ve found that by keeping these images available to myself I can stay out of a fashion rut. They provide new ideas and inspiration, get my creative juices flowing, and motivate me to grow and evolved. I highly recommend creating and maintaining a Look Book, a collection of images that make you smile, that invigorate you, that make you push your boundaries.
Whether it’s a physical book filled with clippings like mine are, or Boards on Pinterest, this is a great creative and inspirational outlet. Keeping pictures of looks that you like, styles that call to you, photos that take your breath away, can all be great tools to keep your approach to fashion fresh and interesting.
What’s your favorite way to get inspired?
Like this:
Like Loading...
June 27, 2011 | Categories: Fashion | Tags: accessories, advertisements, adverts, Ali Larter, Amy Adams, Ashley Olsen, bag, beauty, Birkin Bag, blazer, Bohemian, boho, boho chic, Burberry, Burberry Prorsum, Celebrity fashion, celebrity style, Chanel, Chanel bag, Chanel beauty, Chanel beauty products, Chanel bracelet, Chanel perfume, Coat, Coco Chanel, Coco Madmoiselle, corporate fashion, corporate style, cropped blazer, designer, Dolce & Gabbana, editorials, elbow-length gloves, Elle, Elle UK, Fashion, fashion advertisements, Fashion inspiration, Fashion Magazine, fashion model, Fashion photos, Flats, Hair, hairstyles, handbag, harper's bazaar, Harper's Bazaar UK, heels, Hermes, Hermes Birkin, Hippie, hippie chic, inspiration, InStyle, jacket, jane birkin, Karl, Karl Lagerfeld, Karlie Kloss, Kate Hudson, Kate Moss, Layering, Lily Donaldson, look book, Lookbook, Louis Vuitton, Louis Vuitton bag, Louis Vuitton duffle, Louis Vuitton Trunks, magazine, magazine clippings, Magdalena Frackowiak, makeover, makeup, Makeup routine, Margarite Missoni, Mary-Kate & Ashley, Mary-Kate Olsen, military inspired, missoni, Model fashion, Model Style, Models, models adverts, Nicole Kidman, office clothes, Office fashion, opera length gloves, outerwear, oversized bag, Paris, pearl collar, pearl necklace, pearl necklaces, pearls, Poppy Delevingne, Purse, Rachel Zoe, red hair, redhead, reese witherspoon, Retro, San Francisco Fashion, San Francisco Fashion Blogger, San Francisco shopping, San Francisco Street Style, San Francisco style, Sasha Pivovarova, scarves, Seine, SF Fashion, SF Fashion Blogger, SF Shopping, SF Street Style, SF Style, stacking, Street style, Style, Stylist, The Seine, Updo, vintage, vintage clothes, vintage gold jewelry, Vintage inspired, vintage jewelry, Vintage style, Vintage trunks, Visual inspiration, Vogue, Vogue UK, work clothes, work fashion, Workwear | 4 Comments