Copycat

With this outfit, I was a copycat...I found an outfit I liked on Pinterest and put my own spin on it! 

Here's the original outfit: 

Image from gochicorgohome.com

I liked how the white shirt, gray sweater, brown belt and tan shoes didn't compete with the cuffed bright green pants. When I saw this pin, my mind immediately imagined a similar outfit. Here's my take: 

Outfit details: Sweater: Abercrombie and Fitch / Shirt: Gap / Pants: Gap / Shoes: Sperry / Belt: Vintage / Headband: LOFT / Necklace: Gifted 

I like how the outfit turned out. I added a bejeweled headband for a personal touch. This is my favorite headband - it matches almost everything. 

Another little piece of inspiration found on Pinterest for your day:

So true! Have an amazing day. 

Colorblocking

I wore this colorblocked outfit recently for a Mother's Day lunch with my family. We went out to a local Chinese restaurant. I wanted to style a pair of statement earrings and I decided to match them to a bright colored outfit. I debated whether I wanted to wear the belt and decided to in the end because it helped transition the shirt and the skirt. It also matches my sandals, which are super comfortable. I believe comfort is most important when it comes to shoes. I don't care how good a pair of shoes looks, if I'm in pain, I don't want to wear them! 

Outfit details: Blouse: Mine via TJMaxx / Belt: LOFT / Skirt: H&M / Purse: BCBGeneration / Sandals: Franco Sarto via Lord and Taylor / Earrings: Lord and Taylor 

Here's a closer look at the earrings. 

I love how they combine all my favorite colors. 

Have a wonderful day! 

Peppermint Patties

When I saw this hat in my room, I thought it would be a fun addition to this outfit! In this outfit, I combined white, brown, and mint for a slightly bohemian yet coordinated look. When I wear this top, I like to tuck in the front because it looks less bohemian, and leave the back loose so it is more casual. I added the leopard-print shoes to mix up the colors and patterns, while staying with brown colors.

Outfit details: Top: LOFT / Pants: American Eagle / Bag: Dooney & Burke / Belt: Vintage / Necklace: DIY / Earrings: Urban Outfitters / Flats: Nine West 

This hat was a gift from my grandmother. It's going to be a lovely addition to Spring and Summer dresses and skirts! I always make sure to wear plenty of SPF when I go outside. A straw hat like this will be essential for shielding my skin from the sun's rays. I believe that skin protection starts from a young age, and that healthy skin is beautiful skin. I recently read this article about skin care at different ages here on Refinery 29, and I'll be sure to follow it as I get older! 

I always try to remember that happiness and health are the most beautiful accessories a woman can have :)

Spring Green

By now, you've probably noticed that I like the color green...

Green is one of my favorite colors, as this cardigan can attest! My outfit matched the wreath on my door. Very springy and lovely! I chose this lace dress and green cardigan because the weather was so fantastic, and added the leather belt to pull it all together. The necklace was a mini DIY project - I took a LOFT hair tie that had a cute turquoise and gold embellishment and cut it to remove the embellishment. I never used that hair tie, but I thought the charm would make a great pendant necklace. Then I attached it onto a long chain from another necklace and created my one-of-a-kind necklace.

Outfit details: Dress: Lush via Nordstrom / Cardigan: Abercrombie and Fitch / Necklace: DIY / Belt: Vintage / Shoes: Sperry / Sunglasses: Google / Earrings: Urban Outfitters / Purse: Secondhand Vera Bradley

A closer look at the necklace...

I had this bag on but I took it off when the photos were being taken by my friend Liana! 

Photo from Wanelo.com

It was hard to see my earrings but I found this photo of them online. I like how dainty they are - I'm all about the little details! 

Hope you're having a lovely day. 

Remixing - Same but Different

In this post, I'll be talking about the art of remixing, so amazingly mastered by Kendi! I would like to be better at reworking the clothes in my own closet. This outfit is one of my first experiments in remixing an old outfit with some different pieces. 

Here's the original outfit (post here)

And here's the remixed outfit: 

Haha! Posed the same way too :) 
Outfit details: Shirt: LOFT / Tank: Aeropostale / Pants: Gap / Belt: LOFT / Boots: Nine West / Scarf: Vintage (mom's) / Earrings: Jewelry store in Venice, Italy

This time, I tied the scarf in a different way. This way shows more of its colors - it's really got all the colors of the rainbow! 

Hair: Clipped back with a medium-sized clip

I chose these earrings to match my scarf. They're iridescent glass earrings that shine in rainbow colors. I used to wear these more often, but I find that my crystal posts match more. Maybe I'll wear these earrings more in the spring with bright colors, though! 

I like how this outfit allowed me to stretch my closet more and combine different colors. When I bought these blue velvet pants, I never thought I would wear them this way. I think it's great to try new things and I am definitely looking forward to unexpected yet stylish combinations in the next few seasons. 

I hope you're having an amazing day, and I wanted to share this quote with you. I feel like it defines a lot of what I believe about true beauty. 

Image from laurenconrad.com via Pinterest 

When you feel good about yourself, you shine from the inside out!

Don't Be Afraid

This outfit was a bit more daring for me. I remember planning it out and asking myself: is this going to work? Should I go with a more neutral shirt? What color boots should I wear? Looking at these pictures, I think the choices were bold, but worked well. I tried the colorblocking trend with two of my favorite colors and mixed in my handmade necklace - I can tell it's going to become a staple!

Outfit details: Blouse: Mine via TJMaxx / Jeans: American Eagle / Boots: Nine West / Necklace: Handmade

In my first post about this necklace, I wore it short by knotting it in the back. This time, I'm letting it hang to its full length. It matches my shirt pretty well! 

It brought a smile to my face to look at my bright-colored outfit :) Does your outfit influence your mood sometimes too? Like Xuewei mentioned, a lot of times you need confidence to pull something off. Although this was more bold than my usual look, I liked it - and I felt good wearing the blue and aqua. I think it all comes down to whether or not you feel good wearing your clothes. I'll remember that for the future - and I'm definitely excited to incorporating brights into my outfits in the Spring. Have a great day!

Nature's Healing

These outfit photos were taken in my school's greenhouse, a wonderfully rejuvenating center of growth and nature. I loved being in there to soak up the sun and smell the plants growing. My outfit features another scarf from my ever-expanding collection!

Outfit details: Sweater: Gap / Jeans (one of my favorite pairs - super comfortable): Gap / Scarf: Gifted (from China) / Boots: Nine West / Earrings: Pandora

Hair: Washed, then Dutch braided when almost dry and left in overnight. Two 1-inch braids on each side and clipped in the center. 

I love being around nature. I feel like my most natural and relaxed state is when I am surrounded by water and plants. Just the sound of running water or the feeling of a breeze is enough to relax me. My school got a courtyard a few years ago and I can't wait to start eating lunch there when the weather gets nicer!

Wishing for Spring

I wore this outfit last week when I was wishing wistfully for Spring to arrive. Although the pretty snowflakes and snow-covered streets of winter are lovely, I always find myself looking forward to warmer weather, skirts, and sun around the beginning of March. This outfit and all its bright colors was my way of telling Spring to come a little sooner :) 

Outfit details: Shirt: Ann Taylor LOFT / Jeans: Gap / Boots: Nine West / Belt: Ann Taylor LOFT / Scarf: Vintage / Earrings: Anthropologie 

This scarf was not a vintage flea market find - it used to be my mom's! I have never worn it but I decided to wear it with the jeans and the belt because the colors matched well. Like my last outfit, there was color coordination without going overboard. The colors were light and vibrant, but my boots made it winter-appropriate. 

Hairstyle: 2 inch sections braided on each side, clipped back with a small black clip. My friend pointed out to me that the way I clipped it made the different strands of the braid separate nicely - that was completely unintentional, but really interesting! I usually like to wear my hair half-up half-down: it keeps my hair out of my face, and it also balances out my face shape. A lot of times I read magazines that offer tips on what kind of clothes or hairstyles to wear, but I usually need to try things out first. It's all about understanding how something works with your own proportions. 

I've got my fingers crossed for better weather in the next few weeks! 

Style has nothing to do with fashion

This weekend I was away on a college visit but I had time to style my first outfit featured in this blog. My style philosophy has always been about a balance of colors and comfort. I tend to lean toward classic styles rather than trendy ones, and find that certain pieces have become staples in my closet. Take this dress, for example. Guess when I got it? Seventh grade, for a semiformal dance. I love the tunic length, which lengthens my legs; the 3/4 sleeves, which don't cut my long arms off in an awkward place like so many dresses I've tried on, and the babydoll shape, which is soo comfortable. Over the years, I've found this dress to work really well in casual outfits.

Outfit details: Dress: H&M/ Leggings: Aerie/ Coat: Hollister/ Earrings: Gift shop in North Carolina/ Mittens: American Eagle/ Boots: Nine West/ Purse: Dooney & Burke

Being tall (I'm 5'8'') it can be hard to find clothes that fit me well. Advice for other tall ladies out there: Don't sell yourself short! (pun intended) :) Those shorts may look great on the hanger, but if you try them out and they make you look like you're not wearing any pants, don't buy them. Same goes for dresses and skirts. I believe looking classy should always be a priority.

These Native American-inspired earrings are so pretty. I'll show a better photo of them in a future post - I wear them pretty often in the spring, which is (thankfully) coming soon. I love the winter, but the cold and drying weather can get tiring! I love finding unique pieces of jewelry. I've never really gotten into the statement jewelry style - I prefer small and dainty pieces that complement my outfits instead of drawing all the attention.

This purse was a gift from my lovely mother. I love how spacious yet streamlined it is. I could never carry just a tiny crossbody purse because I carry a ton with me - all "just in case" items such as Advil, tissues, Chapstick, hand cream, water bottle, Neosporin, bandaids, hand sanitizer, sunscreen... Seriously, I should be on a survival show or something, even though I'd probably only last a few days! I like wearing this crossbody on just one side instead of across my body. That's where my height comes to an advantage :)

Here I am with two of my friends. 

I hope this post finds you well and here is a quote for your day. So true! What do you think about this quote? Do you agree or disagree? 

via fixatedonfashion.tumblr.com