The Shirt-dress

Like every other women, I fully support spending hours in front of the mirror, trying on clothes and figuring out the right combination of layers to put together the perfect outfit. Of course, there is also something wholly gratifying about the other end of the spectrum - throwing something on and heading out the door. Shirt dresses are the perfect piece to seal this deal.

Shirt-dresses are such an effortlessly cool trend. It's an item that can be worn in the summer with wedges and a straw hat or in the Fall with riding boots and a cardigan. In the Winter time you can add tights and a faux fur vest or jacket - depending on how cold it is - and you are ready to go.

The classic shirt-dress has such a timeless silhouette, it can go from work to play instantaneously with the swap of accessories. With the addition of a belt, it will complement our womanly curves and roll up the sleeves to give yourself that casual, cool and laid-back sort of attitude. 

I paired this outfit with my tall-shafted riding boots to complete this simple look. These boots have a low wedge heel which adds a feminine touch to my otherwise plain ensemble. Every time I wear these riding boots I have the notion of jumping on a horse and galloping away. Sadly there were no adult-horse riding events nearby. But my children had quite a blast riding on their horses at our Annual Local Autumn Festival ;)

I love this trend because the base of this look is a piece of cake - any long shirt will do. If you don't have your own long shirt than you can borrow a big shirt from your boyfriend, husband, father's closet. [Men have the best plaid shirts so take your pick ladies] Just make sure you take full advantage of the simple foundation by adding accessories that show off your personal taste. I hope this entry will give you ladies creative ideas for tackling any simple long shirt, have fun!

[Outfit]

Cardigan :: Banana Republic

Shirt-dress :: Old Navy

Boots :: Steve Madden Intyce

Bag :: LV Neverfull

Earrings :: Gift

Necklace used as bracelet :: Swapped

Thanks for reading!

The Scarf

Today I want to focus on my dearly beloved scarf. Truth be told I was never a fan of scarves. I used to think that scarves are worn by older women as a means of protecting their hair from the wind or to warm their necks. This was my mother and mother-in-law's generation where scarves were more a practical tool rather than a fashion item. Today, with the expansion of a variety of different fabrics, colors and style to choose from, the scarf of old has become more sophisticated and a stable in many womens' wardrobe.

After a week of color-blocking and geometric pattern outfits, I was all colored out and decided to stick with a monochromatic outfit of gray and black. To add some spice to an otherwise boring outfit I paired it with my leopard print scarf. Animal print items are so trendy this season, they're fun, colorful and really adds a chic factor to any outfit. This scarf is a chiffon-like material so it's lightweight and comfy.

Depending on the fabric and color that you choose, a scarf can really add a special touch to any outfit. Make sure you take into consideration the color and texture of the scarf before making a purchase - does your eyes sparkle and your hair complement the hues in the scarf - let the color of the scarf bring out your best look. I am on a mission this weekend to search for one. Below are some that I am considering:

        

Mustard Pashmina - cashmere blended and very soft and warm

Mustard Flower Print - beautiful flower pattern

 

Sequined Mustard Scarf -  sequin and mustard, what could be better!

Any suggestions from you ladies on where to find a Mustard scarf would be greatly appreciated as well. Have a great weekend!

[Outfit]

Scarf :: H&M

Top :: TJ Maxx

Bottom :: Free People via TJ Maxx

Shoes :: Aldo Baltierra

Earrings :: Gift

Necklace used as bracelet :: Swapped

Thanks for reading!





Mod Fashion and H&M Dress

I know this is just a simple dress, but I wanted to show you ladies this affordable find while it's still in stores. This houndstooth dress was a recent purchase at H&M.

As a short petite and with a heavy bottom figure, I was never a fan of the 1960's wardrobe with the high-waist shorts, slim bell-bottom jeans or the short-hemmed jackets. But when I saw this dress it reminded me of the Mod dresses that Twiggy wore back in the swinging sixties and that era's iconic early looks filled with minis, tweeds and A-line frocks.

This particular dress had such a streamlined and minimal silhouette, it was clean, chic and fuss-free. As a busy working mom and student I appreciate all the convenient things in life - i.e not having to iron my clothes! And because the houndstooth pattern is eye-catching enough on its own, I didn't need much in terms of accessories to complete the look. Here I had on a pair of earrings and a bangle and I am out the door.

To finish off this look, I paired it with my highest nude pumps to give myself some height. In my humble opinion all women should own a pair of nude pumps - it does wonders to elongate your legs.I really like this dress a lot. The silhouette and geometric pattern gives it just the right amount of interest to an otherwise clean and polished look.

This dress is $17.95 and currently in H&M stores. Other than this houndstooth pattern - it also comes in cream, black and black with a cream collar. I also purchased the black with cream collar but am undecided if I will keep both. I hope this review was helpful to you and if you decide to get the dress I would love to see pictures!

[Outfit]

Shoes :: Aldo

Earrings :: Gift

Bangle :: Swapped

Thanks for reading!





Mustard and Color-Blocking Wheel

For months now I have been searching everywhere for any piece of clothing that was a mustard color at an affordable price. I figured with the color-blocking trend, which has been around for quite some time now, that this will be the focal color of an outfit that I will attempt to put together. Finally this past weekend I found this skirt at F21 for $6.50. If you've read my previous posts you know that I am not a fan of F21 and their return policy but for $6.50 I figure I can always exchange it for some accessories if I didn't like it.

For this outfit I chose two analogous colors - orange and yellow and paired it with a cream lace vest to soften the brightness and beige shoes to balance everything out.

These days I love anything with lace details, it just adds such a romantic and elegant look to any outfit. This chiffon blouse is very soft and flowy - initially I was going to add a belt to shape my figure but I decided to pair it with this vest instead to give it a little more structure on top.

This is my first attempt at putting together a color-blocking outfit. I've seen this trend worn by many fellow bloggers and have always been intrigued but never dared to try it. I had to do a little bit research before I made this attempt. Over at TalkNerdy2Me I found a helpful color-blocking wheel:

To achieve a look using a combination of colors you can you this wheel to see which colors are complementary.

• In my outfit above I used analogous colors - which are any three colors that are lined up on the color wheel (ex. yellow, orange/yellow, orange)
• Complementary colors are any colors that are directly across from each other (ex. yellow and violet) [I actually have a purple pencil skirt that I want to complement with a yellow top - just need to find a nice yellow top ;)]
• Pair colors that form a 90 degree angle with each other (ex. yellow and red/orange)
• Pair colors that form an X (ex. blue, orange, violet-red & yellow)
• Pair colors that form a T (ex. yellow, blue-green & red-orange)
• Or you can do a color-family combination where you can substitute pink (tint) with red and still be able to pull off the combos based on the color wheel.

I am by no means an expert in this trend but I wanted to share with you ladies what I found during my research. I really like this trend a lot because there's so many affordable ways you can put together an outfit. These days there are many options to choose from when picking out a colorful piece of clothing - F21, H&M, the thrift store...once you find that one key color you can pick anything else in your closet to pair it with. Its such a challenging but at the same time fun trend and I hope you guys have as much fun pairing different colors together like I did. I hope that this was helpful and let me know how it worked out for you.

[Outfit]

Vest :: Material Girls

Top :: H&M

Cami :: Gap

Bottom :: F21

Shoes :: Aldo Gwenda

Thanks for reading!





Lace and Cashmere

Another one of my favorite transition piece from Summer to Fall is a cashmere wrap. Cashmere is fine in texture, and strong, light, and soft therefore it provides excellent insulation to keep you warm during the chilly season.

I purchased this cashmere wrap a couple of years ago from Gap. They continue to make really nice and affordable cashmere-blended pieces. I really love how this wrap has no real structure and it can slouch and drape in different ways depending on how you are sitting or standing.

To offset the slouchiness and softness of the wrap, I paired it with a detailed and intricate lace sleeveless blouse. Although still a soft chiffon material the lace details gives it a romantic and elegant look.

When looking for key pieces to buy for my wardrobe, especially pricier items, a key element that I look for is versatility. I need to know that I can wear it for any occasion and any time of the year. And this wrap definitely fits the bill. I've worn this wrap both casually and elegantly as seen in this POST and I have to say I love it more and more each time.

[Outfit]

Wrap :: GAP

Cami :: GAP

Top :: American Rag

Bottom :: American Eagle

Shoes :: Swapped

Bracelet :: Swapped

Earrings :: Gift

Thanks for reading!

Apples and Burgundy

Autumn is finally here in full force and you can tell by the leaves changing color and by how packed the Apple orchards are :) I love the Autumn season because everywhere you turn there is a burst of color - bright orange pumpkins, red delicious apples, yellow leaves...A little fun fact about me - my name Thu when translated in English means Autumn. Therefore this season always hold a special place in my heart. This past weekend the family and I spent our Saturday at a local farm for their annual Autumn festival. Autumn is never the same unless we indulge ourselves with hand-picked apples, fresh baked apples donuts and yummy apple cider - all made fresh and grown on the farm. I think I may have eaten 7 donuts by myself but who's counting ;)

My favorite part about the Autumn season is that you can start to bring out dark colors from your closet. The temperature was in the high 70s this weekend so I wanted to choose something light and cool. This H&M top was a recent purchase from the clearance rack. It did not come with a belt so when I first saw it I thought - wow, this shirt is huge, plus the deep burgundy color was more appropriate for the Fall season but the material is so light I would freeze to death. But for $7 bucks I took the chance and purchase it anyways. Turned out Saturday was the perfect day to wear it. The weather was warm and we were going to a farm which will be bursting with all the Fall colors, I was sure I would blend in well.

I found a belt from another dress that matched well with the cream part of the shorts and used that to cinch the top. I really liked how it turned out creating an hour-glass shape and cascading ripples down the side. The top came out nicer than I expected!

 

Of course - mini me wanted in on some photo-posing action as well. She is wearing an H&M shirt that was quite long so I turned it into a shirt dress. She loves wearing her faux fur boots from Old Navy and folded them down herself!

[Outfit]

Top :: H&M

Cami :: GAP

Bottom :: H&M

Belt :: Came from another H&M dress

Shoes :: Aldo

Bag :: LV Neverfull

Thanks for reading!

Faux Fur

[Outfit]

Coat :: Banana Republic

Wrap :: Gap

Top :: Gap

Bottom :: XOXO

Belt :: Came from a Rampage Romper

Shoes :: Aldo Cannistratro

Bag :: Coach Sophia Gathered Leather Satchel

Today I thought I'd give you guys a break from looking at blurry iPhone pictures so I sorted through some old pictures and came upon these. These were taken probably around March during Boston's restaurant week. You might be wondering, why the heck is she posting an outfit post from months ago now. Well...the reason is because I want to tell you ladies about the coat that I was wearing. My husband purchased it for me about three maybe four years ago as a Christmas gift. When I opened the package and saw it I stared at it for a good 5 minutes. At that time I seriously thought it was hideous! The color was wrong, it was too long, and what the heck is with the fur collar! I didn't want to make my husband feel bad so I thanked him and put it away. A couple of times I actually was tempted to ask him for the receipt to return it but being the nice wife that I am I didn't ;) 

Anyways, beginning of this year I started to see the camel and beige color on everything - shoes, bags, jackets. So I brought this coat out for a closer inspection, tried it on with different outfits and shoes and realized that I LOVED IT. I am not sure if my taste has changed or the fact that I am starting to take more risk adding color and texture to my wardrobe but since following the blog community I was more willing to try things out. In any case, this coat is now a stable in my closet and would you know it this Fall season I think faux fur is making a come-back. I am beginning to see it everywhere. Just yesterday I was in H&M (I know again!) and most of their coats also had faux fur on them.

This one above was particularly nice. And if you already have a coat and just want to embellish it with fur, they also have a detachable fur collar. I've seen this collar on many fellow bloggers before.

It comes in brown, beige and light grey.

So I guess the lesson I learned is that I shouldn't disregard an item or piece of clothing, especially one that my husband has spent his time and energy to pick out for me, at first sight. Finding out what works and what doesn't for me is a trail and error process. I just need to take some time, maybe do a little research, and see what I can pair it with. And of course I will always have my fellow bloggers to go to for inspiration!

Thanks for reading!