Wild Card Wednesday: Sweet Bohemian

Hi everyone!  Hope you're all having a great week!  

Blouse:  Torrid (Sold out on-line; See here)

For the next several posts, I'm featuring some Valentine's Day-inspired looks.  While I have some dressy looks planned for this weekend, today, I'm offering up a casual outfit.

Jeans: Torrid (old)

Shoes:  Christian Siriano for Payless

If you're going casual for the day, there is little better than a pair of comfortable jeans and a romantic top.

Clutch:  Eva Mendes for NY&CO

Here, I paired a sweet bohemian-inspired blouse with skinny jeans and ikat-print heels.  I would wear this outfit for a casual movie date or simply hanging out.

Pendant:  Antiquarian Couture (Find similar here)

Glasses:  Coach

I love that Torrid offers the "extra short" length in many of their denim styles.  With a 25-26" inseam, I can completely avoid alterations on my denim.

Do you have any plans for Valentines' Day?  Dressing up or keeping it casual?

For the jeans in other looks, see here, here, here, and here.

Saint Louis Fashion Week Recap, Part 1: Caleres Emerging Designer Competition

First, let me apologize for being away from the blog for a while.  I've been out living life, working a lot, and spending time visiting family.  Daylight Savings Time has taken more of a toll on me that I expected.  Seriously, this 5 pm darkness is such a drag, and I still haven't gotten on-track with only being able to take blog photos on the weekends.

But, I am back today with some coverage of Saint Louis Fashion Week!

The week included several fashion shows, but the biggest was the Caleres Emerging Designer Competition held at the historic St. Louis Union Station.  Over 1200 people attended this show, including the amazing businesswoman and fashion icon, Iris Apfel!  I was so excited to be in the same room as this QUEEN!

The fashion show featured the five finalists in a national design competition with the winner receiving an impressive $25,000 prize from the Saint Louis Fashion Fund.  Katherine Polk of Houghton took this year's prize with her crowd-pleasing collection.


First up was Jordana Warmflash of NOVIS.  I loved the fun and unique prints and smart use of color.  I found her collection to be one of the most wearable and practical for everyday life and appreciated the interesting cuts, fabric selection, and weaving technique.  While I adored individual pieces from all of the collections, NOVIS showed my favorite collection of the night.

Next up was Azede Jean-Pierre.  Since I love classic pieces with a modern twist and generally prefer to wear neutrals, I was a big fan of this collection.  The denim jumpsuit look was my favorite from this collection, but I really wanted to snag all the blazers.  Working in a business casual office setting, I was drawn to the sophisticated, laid-back twist on suiting.  The tie sleeves on the navy blazer is such a cool touch.

Julie Haus and Jason Alkire of Haus Alkire presented a collection that felt part tropical vacation, part urban day wear.  My favorite pieces from the collection were the tie-dye print maxi dresses and the leather culottes that I would pair for fall with high boots, a crop top, and wool jacket.

Katherine Polk of Houghton, the winner of the night, presented a beautiful, wearable collection of frothy (mostly white) dresses and pretty lace in a range of silhouettes. My favorite look from her collection was the simple lace slip dress with the tan belt.  I would add a black blazer and booties to this look to rock it in pretty much any season!

The last collection of the night was the architectural collection from Eckhaus Latta designers Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta.  This collection included a variety of pretty colors, but the artistic draping and cutouts definitely stole the show.  My favorite look from this collection was the sage mini-dress with its interesting layered effect.

All in all, the show was really amazing, and I loved how individual each collection's point of view was.  As beautiful as these clothes are, I'm holding out for a plus-size collection to make it to the competition next year.  It would be AMAZING to see more body diversity on the runway! Hint, hint!  #plussizeplease

Which collection was your favorite?

Get all the latest on Saint Louis Fashion Week by checking out #STLFW
All photos c/o Mark Schwigen

Thank you so much to the Midwest Influencer Network & Explore St. Louis for making my experience with STLFW possible!!

Color and Confidence 2: Mellow Yellow

I hope you've been enjoying my second Color and Confidence series.  Catch up with my red and orange posts here and here.

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

I've delved into the issue of body policing, especially of women's bodies, as it relates to fashion and to concerns over health, but today, I wanted to step back from these larger socio-cultural issues and get a little more mellow.  Today, I'm going to talk a bit about building confidence through fashion and the barriers to personal style that might be holding you back.

Fashion and style don't necessarily come naturally to everyone.  Some people enjoy fashion more than others.  Maybe your joy in fashion has been tempered by lack of options, lack of money, self-esteem issues or other factors.

Top:  eShakti

Jacket:  LOFT Petites (old)

I'm really of the mindset that fashion is for everybody and for every BODY.

For some people, fashion just isn't their thing and thinking about how they adorn their bodies isn't really a big concern.  That's totally okay - we all have our interests and the things that don't appeal to us.  That said, maybe you've turned away from fashion because it seemed too hard to fit your body, because you don't know what looks good on you, or because you're not loving your body at the moment.  If that's the case, then I'm talking to you today.

Please never wait to lose weight to enjoy fashion.  Fashion is your right simply by having a body.  Throw the rule books out the window and wear whatever the heck you want!

Booties:  Target

Afraid?  The best way to conquer fears is by tackling them head on.  Don't think you'd look good in leather pants?  Want to try the 70s trend this fall, but are worried that fringe will look silly on you?  You won't know until you TRY.  Try everything on in the store.  If something even remotely appeals to you on the hanger, give it a try!  You might be really surprised by how you look or feel.

If your self-esteem is down in the dumps, it can be hard to see your fabulousness no matter what you try on, so I also recommend bringing an honest friend or two with you while shopping as well as a phone or camera to take some dressing room selfies.  Those friends will tell you when something looks great.  They will notice that glimmer in your eyes that maybe you have not let yourself see.  They will encourage you to break out of ruts you may have created as a personal safety zone.

I personally tend to prefer shopping alone, but sometimes I have a hard time deciding if something works for me when I first try it on.  I take dressing room selfies to get a different view and capture the look, sometimes sharing it with a friend for a second opinion.  Often, I will take those images and study them a bit to look at myself more objectively. 

Glasses:  Valentino

Clutch:  c/o Cameo de Bore (Sold out; see other options here)

Maybe you're not partaking in fashion as much as you'd like because you have difficulty finding items that fit your body shape or size.  First, please let me reinforce that most ready-to-wear clothes are made to fit one specific body type.  There is NOTHING wrong with your body if you don't fit into that body type.  Clothes are rarely a perfect fit off the rack for ANYONE regardless of size.

I've talked about this on the blog before, but I can't emphasize how much I highly recommend tailoring.  It is simply amazing what a few small tweaks can do to make a garment your own.  A simple change in hemline can take your look from matronly to modern.  Developing a relationship with a tailor can breathe new perspective to your shopping.  Some of us are NEVER going to find a great fit off the rack.  I'm short and curvy - clothes really aren't made for me.  It can be frustrating at times, but your mind opens up to more possibilities when you recognize that every garment can be changed.  Changing closures, sleeves, adding pleats, etc. can give you pieces that are truly one-of-a-kind.

Even better than tailoring?  A custom fit!  There are more and more on-line retailers, like eShakti, Smart Glamour, and Chubby Cartwheels, to name a few, that offer a custom fit for little to no extra charge.

Extensive tailoring can get expensive, and maybe you steer away from fashion because of lack of money.

I definitely understand this issue.  Money's always going to be a concern to the majority of us, no matter our incomes.  While I'm a little better off today than I have been in the past, I spent most of my life struggling with money and haven't always had as much disposable income or credit to spend on fashion.  Lack of money can definitely be frustrating when you're trying to get your look on, but there are still lots of amazing options.  In my college days, I definitely frequented thrift stores and rummage sales to find unique and interesting fashion pieces at a fraction of the cost.  Thrift shopping has gotten much better over the years, and there are even on-line thrift stores nowadays!!  I love hitting pawn shops for unique jewelry at a fraction of the retail cost.

Fast fashion options like H&M, Forever 21, and City Chic offer the latest trends at a low price, and I always scour the ASOS sale pages for superb deals.  Previously, I offered some of my tips for shopping on a budget, and you can check that post out here.

Earrings:  Target and The Limited

After I had my daughter, I had NO clothes that fit.  My husband was in nursing school at the time, and I was working part-time as a sociology instructor.  We had five kids to support on very little money, so shopping was minimal.  As I slowly started rebuilding my wardrobe, I also learned how to get more creative with my clothing.

I mixed prints and color palettes that I normally would not have.  Dare I say it, being broke actually helped me have better style!  Without the ability just to go buy what I wanted or felt I needed to make an outfit just right, I improvised and in many cases, I came up with something a little more daring and unique.  Coming from a low-income family, as a kid, I became an expert at experimentation, using accessories in creative ways, wearing skirts as dresses, layering pieces to create a new effect, etc. 

I also taught myself some simple sewing techniques as a kid.  Before I could afford to get pants altered, I usually did them myself by hand.  It can be a little time-consuming, but it's a super easy alteration.  I also created higher slits in skirts, took tank tops up in the shoulders, repaired small holes, and replaced buttons myself. 

It is easy to get discouraged by fashion when it feels like the deck is stacked against you, but fashion can be such a great joy in life.  It can help you on a path towards seeing your body in new ways.  For me, fashion can be an incredible confidence booster.  Knowing that you deserve to look and feel amazing in your body can help you see fashion in a new light.

As I've said, fashion experimentation can be really fun.  It can lead you on a path towards developing your own personal style.  It's also fun just to mix things up now and again.  Fashion can help you express all the sides of your personality or your mood on any given day.  For example, today's look is definitely a little outside of my personal style.  I love the skirt and blazer, but I wouldn't have normally thought to pair them together.  The floral crop top is sweet and delicate, and the overall effect of this outfit is so soft and springy.  I usually prefer a more modern and edgy style, but sometimes it's fun to play in a new combo.

As for the color yellow, it's one of my favorite colors to wear!!  I just love the way it adds a pop of sunshine to any look.  For me, it's bold, soft, and feminine all at once.

Here are some of the ways I've worn yellow over the last year:

As an accent color

Left, from top to bottom:  Loving Our Bodies vs. Loving Our Fat; Reader's Choice:  Casual Wear; Skirt Week 2:  50s Flair
Middle:  Style Inspiration from Garner Style
Right, from top to bottom:  Unconditional Body Beautiful - Part 3:  My Journey on My Legs; Summer's End

In a great print

Left to right:  Art of Work; Garden Party

As a Central Color Statement

Left, top to bottom:  Bzzzz...Black and Yellow Aren't Just for Bees; Weekend Natural + JORD Wood Watch Feature
Middle:  11 Twenty Eight Designs
Right:  The Slip Dress

Do you like wearing the color yellow?  Do you feel any barriers to partaking in and enjoying fashion?

For last year's Color and Confidence:  Yellow, see here

Up Close with Fashionable Addictions

Recently, I was introduced to the boutique Fashionable Addictions and had the opportunity to virtually "meet" the woman behind the company, Danielle Seals, also known as Dr. Dannie.  Dr. Dannie owns Fashionable Addictions in Oak Park, IL, but for those of us not from the Chicago area, Fashionable Addictions also has a web site full of trendy clothes in straight and plus sizes, perfect for clubbing, work, the beach, and everything in between.

Identifying herself as a master marketer and celebrity stylist, Danielle worked for 12 years in retail.  She was working as a buyer for a store when it closed down.  At that time, she decided to go into business for herself and Fashionable Addictions was born!

Taking a hands-on approach to business, Danielle is in store during the weekend shopping rushes so that she can interact with more shoppers and stay abreast of customer feedback to help meet the needs and wants of her clientele.  She tries to live by the golden rule "Treat others as you want to be treated" and believes that keeping communication open with her clientele is pertinent to maintaining and growing her business.

Here a few of my favorite plus size pieces from Fashionable Addictions.  I could definitely see myself wearing any of these items.  In fact... I might just have to nab that white maxi skirt for myself!!

White faux leather pleated skirt $55

Mysterious Jumpsuit $72

Black and White Sally Swimsuit $48

Trina Vanity Dress $60

Gold Faux high low skirt $48

Vicky Jumper $49.99

See any pieces you like?  Check out all the offerings at FashionableAddictions.com!!

Stay tuned to the blog tomorrow for the start of a new series featuring summertime looks in my favorite color to wear - black!!

Black & White & Green Florals

Back on the blog today with three looks - two of them involving my black split front skirt from Eloquii.  I really love the versatility of this skirt.  The fact that it is a super comfortable scuba knit doesn't hurt matters either!

I love wearing black and white, so these two looks combine this classic color palette with pops of color in the handbags.

I wore this first look for work a few weeks ago and received a ton of compliments.  I love that it feels very modern while still having enough professional edge. 

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)
Shirt:  The Limited (Available here)

I wish the shirt was a little more fitted, but otherwise, I love the look. 

Boots:  Target
Purse:  Target

Earrings:  Francesca's
Bracelet:  Swarovski (gift)

Necklace:  The Limited (Available here)
Glasses:  c/o Firmoo.com (Available here)

The second outfit is more for evening due to the crop top.  I mixed the look with a citrine and zebra print purse, ikat pumps, and mixed bracelets.  An orange lip created another pop of bold color

Top:  Eloquii (Available here)

Rings:  New York & Company, Francesca's
Bracelets:  Target, New York & Company, World Market

Heels:  Christian Siriano for Payless (Available here)

Glasses:  Diane Von Furstenburg

Purse:  Target

Lastly, I paired my green floral dress with an ivory blazer, green heels, and gold & brown jewelry.  Seeing the longer blazer with this dress makes me want to have it hemmed a few inches, but I'm trying to fight the urge as I feel like I need to stay around knee length for a more professional look. 

Dress:  The Limited (Available here)
Tote:  New York & Company

Earrings:  New York & Company and The Limited

Ring:  Francesca's
Bracelets:  The Limited, Ann Taylor
Watch:  c/o JORD Wood Watches (Available here)

I'm constantly fighting between my fashion instincts and my need for professional work clothes, so the length will likely stay as is. 

Blazer:  Eloquii (Available here)

The green heels pick up one of the shades of green in the dress and help bring out more of the green that the blazer hides on the dress.

Shoes:  Chelsea & Zoe by Kohl's (Available here)

I really liked how the darker brown jewelry played off the lighter colors in the outfit.

Necklace:  Ann Taylor

Which look is your favorite?  When you wear black and white, do you usually add a pop of color?

For the black skirt in other looks, see here and here.
For the crop top in other looks, see here and here.
For the dress in another look, see here.
For the blazer in other looks, see here and here.