Thursdays on First

Every Thursday in the city I live there is an epic street fair. It has food vendors, crafts, and concerts along with hundreds of people mingling about. It is the perfect time to show off my emerging tan (even though I wear sunscreen religiously) and my new summer outfits. Last week was a scorcher both day and night; just a reminder from Mother Nature that we are currently in the hottest season of the year. Well Mother Nature cannot dictate my fashion choices. During fun summertime events, such as concerts or street fairs, it is best to take advantage of tube tops, sundresses, shorty shorts, and sandals. Show off that beautiful body that God gave you!

To prevent myself from feeling like a hot dog in the roasting heat I chose a short and sweet strapless sun dress. I knew that while walking around for hours I would not attain those horrid strap tan lines, especially since I was wearing SPF 50. I also paired a stylish fedora with the outfit to protect my scalp and face from the blistering, cloudless sky. In addition, hats keep hair color from fading due to excessive sun exposure. Hats always have a double purpose; trendy fashion accessory and head/hair protector. I went with my "go-to" rose gold Tiffany necklace and a classic Fossil rose gold watch to tie it all together. I always get this feeling of victory when I can supplement an outfit with matching jewelry.

I had the clothing and accessories picked out, now I had to decide upon the right shoes. There were several choices laid out in front of me; wedges, flats, or boat shoes. Each of them worked perfectly, however, each provided a completely different look. I wanted to make sure that I made a statement with my outfit since I would more than likely run into people I knew. Ultimately, I opted for the wedges. Wedges are always an magnificent option for ladies with large calves, such as myself. I love to add a little bit of height to elongate my legs, particularly when I am wearing a shorter dress. Basically I used a simple template (the sundress) and added accessories to make it faultless.

Here are the items that I used in my outfit:
-Sundress: Gilly Hicks, $10 (clearance from previous summer season)
-Fedora: Target, $11.99
-Wedges: Macy's, Style&Co, $33.04 (originally $59, discounted to $41.30 with a 20% off coupon)
-Rose gold Fossil watch: Lord and Taylor, $86.50 with the help of a coupon
-Rose gold necklace: Tiffany, $$$ (present from my amazing boyfriend)
*In a previous post I talked about where to buy "look alike" jewelry for cheap; definitely take advantage of these options!

This time of the year is great to start looking for cute summery dresses. Online shopping is convenient to check out the current deals, but sometimes you need to try on the dress to make sure you are comfortable with the fit and length. With places like Macy's and JcPenny's there are excellent sales and coupons to take advantage of. Make sure to check the clearance and sale racks before anything else; that is usually the only place I shop due to my college budget. You can normally find superb items for cheap. Who does not like to save a little $$$. Girls should not have to sacrifice their fashion wardrobe for other groceries or gas. Ok, maybe shopping for clothes has to be put on hold sometimes because of a college budget, but, it should not be put to back burner forever if it makes you happy. Throughout my next few blog posts I will provide great places and tips to find epic fashion deals (let's just say some are pretty mind blowing). Keep an eye out!

Peace, love, and (fashion) happiness,
Belle
 

Summertime makes for some epic fashion chances

I know, I know, I know. I am so sorry, I have been on an extremely long hiatus from my blogging duties. I will be more on top of this site because I know all you crazy college girls are always looking for some fashion advice on a low budget (trust me, I am one of them as well). Let's just say it is a great time to begin anew. Summertime equals stellar adventures with equally stellar outfits. It is the season to take risks and find your "fashion self."
I have a great outfit to show you guys today! I stepped outside this morning expecting a warm breeze and the feeling of the sunshine on my face. Instead I got stagnant heat and a cloudy sky. Beads of sweat running down your face is never a great thing to accessorize with. My outfit goal today was minimal clothing for the extreme heat and bright colors for the lack of sun without looking like a floozy. There can be a fine line between looking cute for the daytime and looking cute for the bedroom when wearing items such as crop tops, bodycon dresses, or daisy duke shorts. I love each of those pieces of clothing, but they must be worn properly. In your 20's you want to establish a positive fashion reputation, one you can grow with for years. That isn't to say you should not take the occasional risk with your clothing choices and step out of your comfort bubble. If it turns out bad or you feel extremely uncomfortable with your choices, then change. No biggies. Word of advice though; do not attempt these fashion risks before a big event, such as an interview or class presentation. Test them out when you go to the mall with friends or out to a party first; in other words, try new trends during appropriate occasions.
 
Ok, back to my outfit that I chose today. I began with a black crop top from Forever 21,then built my outfit around that piece. I wanted to keep more coverage on the bottom since the top was already pretty exposed. I dug through my skirts and came upon the perfect match. Since the top was solid black I chose a pleated, flower patterned skirt. It would give that "pop" of pattern to counteract the black on top. Not to mention the girly, flowery pattern would downplay the edginess of the crop top. To tie the whole outfit together I decided upon a yellow pumps and a flower necklace. Not everyone loves the idea of heels during the day, so black or purple flats would be a great match as well. It works best to match the color scheme that is already established in the skirt. The draping of the necklace is perfect for the high neckline. You want to chose a necklace that is not too tight around the neck and not one that hanging too low on the chest. The picture helps to depict the length that I am referring to.

Here are the items in my outfit today:
-Crop top: Forever 21, $7.80
-Pleated, flower skirt: Material Girl, Macy's, $10 (it was on the clearance rack this past fall)
-Yellow pumps: Worthington, JcPenny's, $14
-Flower necklace: Charlotte Russe, $6

Such a simple outfit altogether. I am sure most of you ladies have something similar to these four items shoved in your (too small ) closet somewhere. With this outfit I was able to stroll around town without dying of heat exhaustion or become a sweaty mess. In addition, I received a few compliments during my errands; this definitely meant it would be perfect for my blog post today.
I hope that I was able to help at least one girl out there looking to sport her crop top or find a new summer trend to show off to her friends. Take risks, it is summer! Embrace the heat and the cute trends.

Peace, love, and  (fashion) happiness,
Belle

These past few days have been harsh... lots of studying, lots of green tea, and very little time for getting ready (especially when it came to changing out of my pj's). It felt nice to actually put on an outfit today and step outside to feel the sun my face; two days cooped up inside gives you the hermit feeling. Today I wanted to wear something airy and summery since the weather was GORGEOUS! I shifted through my dress collection, as I would call it, and found something that hit the bulls-eye; a short, light, and comfortable dress to wear during my two classes I had today. It has a 50's feel, with the polka dots and bow-tie neckline. How could I resist wearing it?! Dresses are perfect for the spring/summer weather that is finally beginning to develop. They are easy to "dress-up" or "dress-down" (no pun intended) and can pair easily with accessories. Dresses don't require the search for pants or a shirt to match; put the dress on and voila! I added a jean jacket to the outfit to keep warm in class. I was torn between four pairs of shoes to wear, but ended up deciding on the black kitten heels (they have a 50's look, too). They are super comfortable and the perfect height so that I didn't look formal for school. I topped off the outfit with a belt to cinch the waist. It helped that the belt had a mint color band so that I could add a splash of color and make the outfit
 more fun and chic.

                                                                     










Here are the items in my outfit (from bottom layer up):
-Polka dotted dress: Forever 21, $12 (I just love this store, their dresses are so affordable)
-Mint and (fake) leather belt: H&M, $9.99
-Black kitten heels: Target, $12.99
  -There are only three core pieces to this outfit, so simple! The rest is just jewelry.

-Rose gold Fossil watch: Lord and Taylor, $115 (however, I got mine for $86.50 because I had a 25% off coupon for the store and it conveniently worked on watches!

-Rose gold heart necklace: Tiffany, $$$ (gift from my boyfriend)

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and it was finally warm enough to wear a dress again. This outfit definitely added that bubbly, warm skip to my step. There are so many options to pair with this dress I wore. You can add a cardigan instead of a jean jacket, flats instead of heels, or silver jewelry instead of gold. It all depends on what you have in your closet. If you go with a black and white palette of color, add a splash of color with a belt (like I did), or a bright colored sweater; it gives you a happier appearance with summer approaching. Purses and hats are also great accessories to bring about color. If I had worn a more "plain" belt, I could have paired a bright red purse I own to bring a POP into the outfit. With the stores bringing out so many colorful options there is no way to go wrong. Just make sure not to throw together things in an outfit just because you feel you need to. Keep things simple, and add one or two bright colors to a "plain" outfit so it doesn't look too out of control. Keep a consistent pattern and you will look polished and stylish 

Peace, love, and (fashion) happiness,

Belle

Hi, fashionista friends! Hope all is well and you are enjoying my crazy clothes rants. Here is my outfit for today. I wanted to wear something "cute" for my best friend's jewelry party she was hosting. I had a dress picked out until I found out the high for today was 44 degrees and rainy. Yucky spring weather! I had to switch up my options, which like I said only takes five minutes tops to pick out something new. I needed an outfit that would keep me warm yet still have that "springy" look. I decided to start with the basics; a pair of jeggings. Yes I know, jean leggings; they are very versatile, and look great when worn correctly. They look perfect when tucked into boots; especially with a body type like mine. I have very large calves from years of playing sports (tennis and softball). Because of this straight-legged jeans and leggings don't exactly work unless they are tucked into boots. It all just depends on your body type and what you feel comfortable in. If you like the look and feel comfortable in it, then strut your stuff and let no one tell you differently. Fashion is all about taking risks and loving every minute of it. But back to my outfit I was describing.  I then found a sweater to pair with the jeggings, since it was along the same color scheme chose. I was wearing dark blue/almost grayish, green, white, and brown. I tied the whole outfit together with silver jewelry. It was a perfect outfit for the occasion; nothing considered "dressed-up," but flawless for an afternoon with the gals browsing at gorgeous jewelry. I have to side-track a little bit and talk about my wonderful boots I wore with this outfit. Like I stated before, I have VERY large calves (almost the same size as my thighs). For years I have struggled with not being able to fit into skinny jeans or boots. No boots would fit over my enormous muscular legs. That is until I went to Macy’s and found this magical pair of boots. They are made for “athletic” legs. They have a separate zipper extender for when your legs are bigger than the average size. All the hours spent trying on hundreds of boots finally paid off. For all those girls who have been struggling with this ridiculous problem like me, you know what it feels like. Some say, why not just give up on looking for a pair? Umm, maybe because I want to wear boots like every other “normal sized calf” person out there. Thank god I finally can now.

Ok, so here are the items in my outfit (starting from the bottom layer):

-Jeggings: Aerie, $9.99 (there was a sale, and I had a coupon... most perfect jeggings EVER)

-White cami: Aeropostle, $6.99

-White flowered, button-up shirt: Gilly Hicks, $14.99 (on sale for spring)

-Grayish/blue and green striped sweater: Gilly Hicks, $9.99 (clearance rack)

-Brown belt: Aerie, $5.99

-Brown Aerosoles boots: Macy's, $79.99

-Silver Guess watch: Macy's, $$$ (gift from my grandmother for Christmas)

-Silver owl pendant: Jcpenny's, $25

 There are so many things that can be interchanged in this outfit. Any white shirt can go underneath a sweater and then belted. You can chose not to belt it, but the belt helps to create a waistline. Furthermore, belts work for all shapes and sizes; they create a perfect hourglass look. Also, any sweater can be used that you have in your closet. If it is warmer out, you can wear flats instead of boots. The only rule of thumb is to use the same color scheme throughout your outfit; it helps to bring everything together. The same goes for the jewelry; you can chose all silver or all gold, and work it from there. There are times when gold and silver can be mixed together, but with this outfit it wouldn’t work too well. If you decide you are missing something or need more jewelry, Target and Forever 21 have cute, and extremely cheap, options.

It is so easy to create simple, adorable outfits. Hope this blog post helped in some way or another. I will be posting many more outfits in the future! Any comments or questions send them my way!

Peace, love, and (fashion) happiness,

Belle

Ok, so this is my first attempt at a blog; please forgive me if it is horrible. I made this to help all those college girls out there in a fashion rut. I have been told by my friends that it probably takes me hours and tons of money to put together what I wear. My response, "No and no." It is so much easier than some people believe to look fashionably cute on a college (aka poor girl) budget. Most of the time you have everything you need in your closet, it's just pairing the right things to get the great outfit.

To start off, I am going to describe myself a little bit. I am about 5'8, size 4-6 (completely depends on the brand, as most girls would understand), and have a very athletic body type. Since everyone is different what I wear and post might not be what would look best on you. I will try to include some variations to what else would look good for others, and why I feel the outfit "works". I will also post where I got the clothes (some stuff might be a few years old), and how much it was. Strangely enough I remember where 99% of my clothes were bought and for how much money; it is definitely an odd thing to be able to do.

So here is my first outfit, nothing too special. I wore this out to lunch and house hunting with my aunt; so exciting!

I was in the mood to look casual  and comfy. Since it was a bit chilly out today the blazer helped to add a little warmth without looking bulky or out of place.  The blazer has a "man" look to it (especially paired with the watch), so I added a cute blouse and some curve hugging jeans to give it a "feminine" touch. The jeans I am wearing are by far the comfiest jeans I own, and because I was doing some walking around I chose flats as my shoes of choice. The leopard print fits in just nicely because of the color scheme I chose; black, cream, and gold.

Here are the items in my outfit (starting from the bottom layer up):
-Cream colored lace cami: Aeropostle, $6
-Cream colored blouse: Target brand Xhiliration, $4.99 (clearance rack)
-Jeans: Abercrombie, $35 (store-wide sale during Christmas, best time to buy)
-Black blazer: Forever 21, $22
-Leopard print flats: Forever 21, $6 (yellow tag deal)
-Rose gold Fossil watch: Lord and Taylor, $115 (however, I got mine for $86.50 because I had a 25% off coupon for the store and it conveniently worked on watches!)
-Rose gold heart necklace: Tiffany, $$$ (gift from my boyfriend, and he still won't give me the price)

In terms of the jewelry, let's just say that any cute, cheap rose gold (or just gold) necklace will work in it's place. I know Forever 21 has some great $1.50 necklaces, and Target has cheap (yet adorable) watches. I posted the links to them below.

This outfit was perfect for my day. It was casual, but I felt put-together. Add a cute handbag and some sunglasses and you are ready for anything the day has to throw at you. Also, this outfit can easily interchange from afternoon lunch with the girls to a night out. For something more dressy change out the jeans for a pair of solid black pants. Ta-da! It is as simple as that, nothing else to do.

Hope this first post sounds alright, and I don't sound like a crazy, clothes-obsessed lunatic (haha). Feel free to leave any comments about what I should change or include, or anything you have on your mind. I am always glad to answer any fashion questions!

Peace, love, and (fashion) happiness,
Belle






P.S here are those links I promised:
Target watch:
http://www.target.com/p/Round-Mother-Of-Pearl-Dial-Case-Gold-Finish-Bracelet-Watch/-/A-13145340#?lnk=sc_qi_detailimage

Forever 21 necklaces, $1.50 and up (how could you go wrong?!)
http://www.forever21.com/Product/Category.aspx?BR=f21&Category=acc_necklace&SORT=3