I have no spine... at least when it comes to shoes.

All right, I’ll be honest, up until about a month ago, I loathed the ankle boot. I simply failed to see the beauty in hacking off the calf section of a boot and then wearing what was left with a mini skirt as to expose the hideous mutilation that is the ankle boot. Try as I may, I couldn’t get with it. That is until I was flipping through my fashion bible, aka Vogue, and saw a glowing ad, full of purple goodness, and lo, there on the oversized feet of the giant model, what did I see?

Purple suede ankle boots.

The look had me at purple, and I was in love… and in denial! I really wrestled with myself for a minute, resisting the thought that I too was falling prey to a trend that I had, at the on set of my journey through Vogue just five minutes before, hated. I was feeling weak, and as I gazed longer at the glossy page, I felt weaker.

And then, I caved.

What can I say? I truly liked the look, and honestly, I hoped then and still do that the ankle boot is here to stay. I think at a root level I had been resisting the ankle boot because it was a throw back to the 80’s and I’ve never heard anyone say anything nice about 80’s fashion! (And thank goodness, because there is nothing nice to say!) I guess I felt like the problem was that designers were getting bored and regurgitating forgotten looks; looks that should have stayed forgotten! However, perhaps the problem lay not with the designers, but with my perspective. Instead of seeing ankle boots as a hideous mutation, I needed to appreciate them as an inspired revival; one that looked much better the second time around!

That said, I feel there are a few guidelines one must keep in mind when attempting to wear the ankle boot. To me, it seems that though the ankle boot has shed its calf, it cannot stand alone. Meaning, the ankle boot looks better when worn with a legging of a similar color. The ad in Vogue supported this idea as the purple ankle boot was worn with purple leggings. The picture I’m showing here also show this.

Perhaps it’s that I haven’t researched the ankle boot thoroughly or that I just haven’t seen many women wearing them in Austin, but I think the boot looks best when worn with a skirt, more specifically, a mini skirt.If y’all have any other ideas for this fabulous shoe, please let me know!

Wowza!

I found this picture of Drew Berrymore on one of the celebrity news sites I stalk every now and then.

I love her look!

She is so pretty and I really, really like this picture. I recently saw a dress at Target that kind of looks like the shirt she's wearing, though I couldn't find an example to show you here. Obviously she's filming a movie, but I think "yes" for the blouse at least!

Me Likey: Chanel Inspired Cuffs

Chanel is above all others, my very favorite designer. Among the many wonders of Chanel is its ability to inspire trends. While recently flipping through a picture book about Chanel, I spotted beautiful jeweled cuffs. Today, while going about my online stalkng on Banana Republic, I spotted what looked like an almost exact replica of the cuff featured in the book! Immediately I knew I had to seek out these cuffs on all my other online sources and this is what I found. There is a good spectrum of prices, ranging from $48 to $6.80, all well below Chanel's asking price of about $1500!

Enjoy!

My favorite cuff: from Banana Republic; asking price $48.00.

A steal found at Forever21 for just $6.80!

Gem colored rhinestones on this cuff make it 'of the now'. $16.19 at Target of course.

Lightly Sprinkle with Some Sequins: A Very Pretty Trend

I LOVE VOGUE!

That said, in October's issue of Vogue there was a two page spread about glamming one's outfit up with a little sparkle by way of a well placed item of sequins. This could be in the form of a bag or an adorable shoe or a bolder top, one could even pull this look off with wearing a beautiful dress.

Although the word sequins can conjure up scary memories of a hideous 70's dress found at the back of a Goodwill rack, it's important to remember that when used sparingly and in good taste, everything, including sequins, can be fashionable.

I had a lot of fun researching for this post; I haunted a few of my favorite websites and came up with a wealth of different options.

Enjoy!

This beautiful little clutch via Tar-zhay could be used with both day and night looks. It's simple and classic; something that could be kept and used for years.
I actually saw these flats yesterday while I was at Old Navy. They are a wonderful twist on blue suede shoes, don't you think?
I love, love, love this top. Oh my goodness, I love it so much. The sequins is placed just right so that one wouldn't have to wear much jewelry with it and it's just enough sparkle to shine!
Why not try to add a little sparkle to your fingers? This geometric ring is pretty and very in right now; great for any hand!

Oh, how I have been looking for the perfect sequin tank to wear under a sharply tailored blazer for day or a cute, but light shrug for night and now I've found it! (I just wish it came in creme too.)

Look of the Day

“Wow, oh wow, oh wow!” is all I could think about today’s ‘Look of the Day’. It’s a deceptively simple turtleneck dress that can be worn so many different ways that it’s a must have for every woman’s closet. I’ve seen more than a few women walking around in this cute lil’ number and it’s easy to see why; this piece is classic, cute, versatile, and above all other things, affordable! In five minutes alone I found FIVE different online stores that had a version of this dress available in prices ranging from cheap, $21.99 on sale at Kohls to pricey at $298.00 for a cashmere version at Banana Republic. There is simply no reason you should not own one.

I’ve chosen to picture the outfit I found at Old Navy because I especially adore this combo; simple, yet chic. I love (and would wear) the other versions I’ve seen though; like pairing a burgundy dress with black leggings and black knee high boots, even vary that look by swapping out the boots for some adorable patent leather Mary Jane heels from Tar-zhay. How ‘bout taking a heather grey version of this dress and making it pop with a bold colored legging, such as yellow or purple and really rock it with a pair of brown heals or colorful flats. Oh, the possibilities are endless!!

Goodness, I hope y’all enjoy this outfit as much as I am!

Me Likey: My favorite kind of Look

While I was surfing one of my favorite fashion blogs ‘Kingdom of Style’, I came upon this post of Adam + Eve’s new line called ADAM. Me likey everything I see. It’s all beautifully understated; the clothes really hold there own and speak for themselves. This is my favorite kind of look!

You can click here to read the rest of the article and see even more lovely pics. Enjoy!

What to do?! What to do?!

Okay, for those of you who know me, y’all know that I LOVE coats. I collect them, I dream about them, they are what makes my world go ‘round. So you can imagine the thrill that went through me when I saw this jacket at Net-a-Porter; it’s gorgeous! It’s so elegant and ladylike and it’s so me!! It’s also 795.00… that’s like half a mortgage payment for some people and it’s certainly way outside my price range. Then I remembered a shift coat I’d seen at Target some months ago from their Go International line and I was on a mad search to find it. I could not be stopped; I would find that coat if it was the last thing that I ever did!

Of course I was successful in finding it, but I’ll be honest with you, I was mighty disappointed when I finally found it! Why you ask? Well, it wasn’t that the beauty of the coat had diminished in the months since I'd last seen it; it was still as lovely and chic as ever; to be sure, the root of my frustration lie in the price! I distinctly remember this coat being no more than about $40 at Target and now whoever was trying to resell it was asking a whopping $69.99. Now, I know this price is a steal compare to the steep price tag of the other coat, but seventy bucks for one item is still quite a lot for a girl on a budget! Nevertheless, I am torn; should I splurge a little and invest in this timeless gem, or should I let it go and put it out of my mind? I really don’t know what I should do!



( left)Beautiful designer coat with a scary price tag (right) Lovely Target coat with hateful price increase.

Look of the Day

This morning I made my weekly trek to Target and spotted this cute lil’ number. It’s a silky shirtdress and in my opinion, it’s a dream! This is a lovely example of a classic and timeless piece of clothing that will go anywhere with you. It’s also a steal at just 19.99.

I’ve decided it would be fun to start posting what I’ll call, “Look of the Day”. This beauty of a dress and these black flats, which by the way, can also be found at Target, will have the honor of being my first ‘look’. Pair these two together and you'll always have a winning combination.

Me Likey

A black and white Lumberjack’s jacket.(Say that three times fast ;-)) Cute huh? I thought so. It’s a twist on the more classic kind of clothing I like (also, I’m obsessed with jackets, I have at least six or seven, which is a lot for someone who lives in Texas.)

Somehow I can see Kathryn Hepburn sporting this cute lil’ number. That in itself makes it rather attractive to me and black and white are so versatile and can go with any primary color; imagine this jacket paired with this red dress for First Thursday on SoCo,

or with a yellow scoop neck and a chunky bright red necklace with black skinny jeans tucked into knee high boots…. Ohhh, me likey a lot. :-)

This jacket is a steal at only 29.80. Pick it up at Forever21-

FREAK OUT!!!!

Holy moly people!! This very evening I was going about my normal act of stalking all of my favorite clothing sites and on Forever21 I found this PERFECT little black dress for.... $10.50!!!!!!

Yeah! I couldn't believe it either! I ordered myself one so fast that I made my own head spin! My heart was beating, and my mouth was getting dry for fear of getting a dreaded message that the dress was sold out... thankfully it wasn't! Another huge plus of this wonderful little find is that the dress comes in several different colors, so if you feel the need to order it in every color, have at it!

Everyone who is anyone needs a cute and essential little black dress. Speaking of essentials, I'll be posting about what I think are the essential pieces to every wardrobe. Stay tuned!!

It's a twist... I think.

Last Thursday I made a quick run to Target, (one of my most frequented haunts), in search of a birthday present for a sis-in law when I came upon these: At first, my reaction was disgust; how could any respectable woman dare to don a pair of see-through jelly slippers? My judgement went on: these were obviously for some pre-teen with big feet or a 40 year old mother trying desperately to look younger by dressing like her 8 year old daughter... and then I put them on. Don't ask me why, I honestly think I was trying to prove to my imaginary friend with whom I go everywhere (yes it's true, I have an imaginary friend, but to everyone else it just looks like I have a bad habit of talking to myself all the time. This friend remains unnamed though, as to give the appearance of looking like I'm just talking to myself. ;-)). Anyway, back to my putting on this plastic slipper... So I slipped it on and lo, it was really quite cute. I was shocked, in disbelief and really beside myself with how something so hideous off of my foot could look so cute on it. Often, in the past, I have seen an item of clothing or even a piece of furniture and thought it hideous at first sight but later have witnessed the item in a different context and absolutely loved it. Come on ladies, you've had this happen to you before too, I'm sure!

I decided to carry them around with me while I finished shopping to think on it and in the end, I decided to get them. I later decided that they were a good purchase, albeit, an odd one for me as I normally stick to, how shall I say this, less see-through or pre-school type items of footwear, but got them because they are flats (which I LIVE in) and because they are my style but with a twist. And who doesn't love a twist in the ordinary every now and then? Certainly I do, and besides, I'm not still young enough to pull of such a bold option for footwear and I did get a complement on them the very next day... sure, she was a 3 year old girl but she liked my shoes nonetheless!

Call me a Poser... or call me a Genius, your call.

So, I don't know about anyone else, but when I feel like my style is getting a bit stale and my wardrobe needs some vamping up, I turn to some of my favorite online sources to get some ideas for how to make a new outfit. I'm sad to admit that I don't think I was born with that "natural style" that I sometimes think other people have. The story of my life has been that I try very hard to look like I wasn't trying very hard and rarely if ever do I come up with a cute outfit idea on my own. Often times, if I do happen upon something cute all by myself, it's more than likely an accident. I have spent many an hour flipping through the many fashion books, magazines, blogs, and sites I've collected to help myself with my style. I care a lot about it. As I've read through these sources, it's occurred to me that maybe some of the Fashion Icons I look up to did the very same thing... I wonder if Jakie O put so much brain power into her look, or if Audrey Hepburn had a stack of Vogue's taller than a 2 year old...

Anyway, all that to say, here are some pictures I've recently found that I think are amazing outfits. I've come upon most of these outfits by religiously reading one of my favorite fashion blogs. The blog is all about finding clothes and dressing on a budget which is also the story of my life.

I think it's important to also note that every outfit I "source out" I take as merely an idea and try to make it my own. Obviously, coping an outfit exactly isn't really having a style of one's own, so I strive to make whatever idea I take my own. I personally have a great love for the classic look, this is a look that works well with my body type, so I try to have a signature piece that I wear with most things, like my pearl necklace and earrings, or big rings. I'm young though, so I can still pull of a bolder look well enough... it would be dreadful to take the "classic look" and turn it into "the old woman look".

Enjoy:

Perfect for work.

I actually wore this very outfit to the doctor's office. I got a few compliments but best of all, I actually had a white dress and tailored jean jacket already, but just never though to put it together. Ta-da!

It rarely gets cold in Texas, but when it does , you'll see me sporting something similar to these two little numbers.

I L-O-V-E the idea of pairing an adorable black shirt dress with a long sleeved shirt and BRIGHT red shoes. Not only is the color scheme classic but edgy, this ensemble also pairs together something that I could wear in two different seasons: for the summer heat I could skip the long sleeved shirt underneath and wear the dress alone; and for the winter chill, I could work this number as is pictured. Gotta love clothes that are multi-faceted.