There's Always a First Time for Everything

With this outfit, worn to a picnic last weekend, I debuted my first maxidress! So I've worn long dresses before, for prom, but those have been on the formal side - this is a casual maxi dress that I'm loving. One of my favorite parts is the sheer skirt. There's a black skirt underneath a sheer panel covered with brilliant blooms. I love the colors of this dress - they're what initially drew me to it when I spotted it at TJ Maxx. 

Since I started working at summer camp, I've gotten a lot more creative with my hairstyles. I spend time poring over hair tutorials online and in magazines, trying to figure out the best ways to keep my hair off my neck and out of my face for work. One technique I've discovered is braiding and pinning or clipping my hair up into buns. This is one of my favorite updos, and it's deceptively simple and foolproof. I've written out the steps below!

Outfit details: Dress: W118 by Walter Baker via TJ Maxx / Sandals: Franco Sarto / Earrings: Shop in China / Sunglasses: Target 

Hair Tutorial: Braided Side Bun

Make a deep part to one side. Separate 2 inches of hair in the front. Begin Dutch braiding hair, starting from the part, toward the other side of the head. Keep the braid close to the hairline. 

 When you get to the side of the head above the ear, begin to gather more hair into the Dutch braid. When you get past the ear, gather up the remainder of the hair into a braid and continue to work around the head until you get to the other ear. Continue to braid until you have a side braid. 

 Tie off the braid with a small elastic (I used black ones because my hair is black, but you can use clear ones as well). Twist the braid up toward the front of the head and insert a bobby pin to secure. Continue twisting the braid around and tuck the end of the braid behind the first part of the braid that was twisted upward. Add more bobby pins until the bun feels secure. 

Good luck with the hairstyle! I'm so glad last week's heat wave has passed. I'll still be trying new hairstyles and showing them on the blog. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks of milder summer weather - lovely!

Have a great day.

Flowy Floral Skirt

This is one of my favorite skirts - it's colorful, floral, and flowy! I wore it with a bright blue blouse to play up the loose textures, paired it with neutral brown leather sandals, gunmetal accessories, and a denim bag. Guess what? These pictures were taken a few weeks ago. I've since gotten my hair cut... so stay tuned for that!

Outfit details: Blouse: Mine via T.J.Maxx / Skirt: Express / Sandals: Franco Sarto / Necklace: LOFT / Earrings: Gifted / Bag: Gap 

Soon I won't be able to take advantage of my school's geography for my photos! Graduating is an exciting event and it reminds me of how close college is! I guess now I won't be saying I'm a high school student - I'm a college student now!

Blossoming with Contrasts

As the weather gets nicer, I'll be taking more of my photos outdoors! The first photo was taken in my school's courtyard, dedicated to one of our teachers who passed away two years ago. It has a wonderful waterfall and beautiful flowers. I love how it has tables and benches for students to sit, eat lunch, chat, and do some homework. 

When I planned this outfit, I wanted to pair the floral tank, a more formal piece that I usually wear with black blazers and pants for presentations or competitions, with my casual white pants. Since the top is sleeveless, I wanted to add another layer on top. I decided on a navy blazer, since the navy blue color pairs well with the cool tones in the top. I added a headband from LOFT, one of my favorite hair accessories. It's got green and blue stone details and matches so much of my wardrobe since I have a lot of aqua and blue! I love the cute lining of the blazer and how the striped pattern contrasts with the floral top. It brings unity to the outfit because it's light colored, like my pants. 

Outfit details: Blazer: H&M / Top: LOFT / Pants: American Eagle / Shoes: TOMS / Headband: LOFT 

In front of my school is a colorful garden. It's nice to walk outside and be able to see natural beauty all around me! 

My hairstyle is the same as the one in this post.

This was how the sky looked that day. Beautiful. It took my breath away.

This is a tree blossoming beside the Environmental Science Building (where I took the photos for this lookbook). I love it!

Hope you're having a spectacular day! 

Chambray Take 2

Shirt: Delia's / Skirt: Forever21 / Shoes: American Eagle

Earlier this month, I put together an outfit mixing chambray and lace for a chic western look. Now, I'm bringing back my chambray shirt and remixing it with a less fancy and more casual, feminine floral skirt.

To bring the two pieces together, I added a boho-inspired brown belt and finished off with brown lace-up booties.

For perfect, lovely spring days, I always like to keep my outfits simple and casual to embrace the weather.

Chicago Trip

Apologies for the hiatus on Becoming Ladies! I've been away on a biology competition in Chicago, but regular posting will resume again next week. Thanks for your patience! :) 

Spring flowers are in bloom...here's some from last Spring at the National Botanical Gardens in Washington, DC. Aren't these beautiful? The color seems unreal! 

If you're looking for some positive inspiration for your day, I highly recommend this article! 

I sometimes think that planning time for relaxation is silly, but after reading this article, I think it's really important to set aside time for doing things for fun. 

See you next week! 

Balancing Act

This outfit was an experiment in balancing the masculine and the feminine. My style tends to sit on the fence - neither super feminine nor very masculine. Simply put, I wear what makes me feel comfortable, so that may be plaid shirts or lace dresses. In putting together this outfit, I thought about ways to balance out the boyfriend jeans, brown leather belt, and boat shoes with the floral blouse, grass green sweater, and bow clip. In the end, I created an outfit that's sweet and simple. 

Outfit details: Sweater: Abercrombie and Fitch / Blouse: Abercrombie and Fitch / Cami: Gap / Jeans: American Eagle / Belt: Vintage (gift from mom) / Shoes: Sperry / Earrings: Museum of Native American History / Necklace: Gifted

Hair: Parted on the side, Dutch braided, and clipped. This bow clip is one of my favorite hair accessories. It adds a touch of prep to any outfit! 

Here's a nice quote on balance - so true. 

Hope you're finding your own balance, whether it's in style, or in life!

Spring Staples

Lately when I've been planning my outfits, I find myself gravitating toward the same pieces, so I wanted to share those pieces with you. I consider these my Spring staples for this season, but they are all timeless items I am sure I will continue to turn to season after season. 

Floral Blazer
This staple is so easy to work into my wardrobe. Although many of my clothes are in the cool spectrum (blues, greens, and purples) I've found that this blazer pulls together my outfits that are in the warm spectrum (creams, pinks) and adds something special to black pants and dresses. As you can see in the following picture, the multicolored blazer pairs well with light blue. It's the perfect light layer to add to my Spring outfits on those cooler mornings that transform into sunny, warm afternoons. 

Seen on me:

Find it here: Save, Spend or I love this kimono style blazer, Splurge

Boat Shoes
Seen on me: 

Although they have a masculine silhouette, these shoes are surprisingly feminine when paired with classics. Now I've been wearing them with my denim and colored jeans, but I imagine wearing them with cuffed shorts and floral skirts when the weather gets nicer. An added benefit? They're waterproof, so I don't need to worry about getting them wet! They're super comfortable, and I can imagine exploring new places and going on bike rides and picnics wearing them all Spring and Summer. They come in all different colors and styles. I like how mine match almost everything in my closet - the plaid adds a bit of surprise and contrast. 

Find it here: Save, Spend, Splurge

Lace or Crochet Skirt
I bought one of these a few weeks ago at Forever 21 but I haven't gotten to wear it yet since it's still been chilly out, but I can tell that it is going to match so many of my tops. A cream crochet skirt is a great way to dress up T-shirts or dress down a button-up. It's right in between casual and fancy and therefore could go either way. When I wear mine, I'm going to make sure to keep the rest of my outfit simple, so that the skirt and its detailing can take center stage. Any color skirt could work, but I think cream is the most versatile since it can be paired with both cool and warm tones. 

Find it here: Save, Spend (on sale!), Splurge

What about you? What are your favorite Spring staples? Do you find that you keep reaching for the same pieces, or do you change up your wardrobe every day? 

Have a fantastic day! 

Love this! 

Pop of Color

This outfit is black, white and grey...with a little pop of some Spring green! Making the green color the focus of the outfit, I kept everything else neutral. There's a tiny bit of green in my hair - my crystal hair clip peeking through the braid. This is the same braid hairstyle I featured here. The necklace and top both belonged to my mom, but she gave them to me :) She has amazing taste and I think she has been a huge influence on me as I develop my own personal style. 

Outfit details: Top: LOFT / Sweater: Gap / Jeans: Gap / Boots: Luxury Rebel / Necklace: Gifted / Earrings: Anthropologie

Hope you're having a wonderful day. It's starting to finally feel like Spring! 

I just love this quote so much.

Versatility

I never expected this floral blazer to be so versatile! Since I got it last year, I've found myself wearing it with everything from jeans (here) to boots (here) to dresses! This outfit was taken at the science symposium where I saw Angelica, and we actually matched that day. Here's a photo of the two of us flaunting our floral, black, pink, and blazers! 

For this outfit, I had to look formal but I still wanted to show my personality. Rather than choose a plain black blazer, I paired the black dress with my floral blazer. The black in the blazer coordinates well with the dress. This dress is also one of the most versatile pieces in my closet, and I am so happy to have found this LBD. I've used it quite often throughout high school and I know that I will take it with me to college. 

Outfit details: Dress: Tadashi via Saks Off Fifth / Blazer: Lush via Nordstrom / Flats: Libby Edelman / Earrings: Anthropologie (gifted) / Necklace: Forever 21 (gifted) / Purse: Thrifted 

These earrings and necklace were a gift from my wonderful friend Angela! The purse is a cute yard sale find - it's got a lovely vintage vibe and I can't help but wonder about its previous life every time I reach for it. 

I hope you have a fantastic day! 

Mixing Prints

For the past three weeks, I've been suffering from itchy and red eyes and a runny nose. A few days ago, my mom introduced me to my new best friend: Allergy medicine! Now that my symptoms are alleviated, I've been feeling so much better. These photos were taken on a day when I had, unfortunately, not started taking the allergy medicine. That also is one explanation for why I usually am not wearing makeup in my photos. I don't like to wear makeup when my eyes hurt, but I think the allergy medicine might change things up a bit! 

Outfit details: Blazer: Lush via Nordstrom / Shirt: Gap / Jeans: American Eagle / Boat shoes: Sperry / Necklace: Forever 21 / Earrings: Anthropologie 

For someone who loves nature as much as I do, being able to deal with my allergies is such a relief. 

Now onto the style theory behind this...I've wanted to wear this floral blazer with something striped for a while, but I've always been wary of mixing prints. I finally decided to give it a try and I like how it turned out. I think having this blog has made me more adventurous in my outfit choices :) I kept the shoes and jeans neutral so my outfit would not be a visual overload. These are one of my favorite pairs of jeans - super comfortable and I like the flare style! It goes with my more bohemian, casual side. 

Hope you're having a fantastic day! Here's a quote for your day. 

Flowers in the Snow

I took these shots outside today when it was snowing! The snow was falling all around and it was pretty but a little chilly. It looks like temperatures are supposed to be rising next week, so I think Winter is just deciding to go out with a bang. Today's outfit incorporated some pieces that I usually don't wear. Sometimes I tend to fall back on the same outfits over and over without trying new things or older pieces. Reincorporating them into my outfits helps me realize how versatile my wardrobe is!

Outfit details: Blazer: Lush via Nordstrom / Shirt: Delia's / Pants: Ann Taylor / Boots: Luxury Rebel / Belt: Ann Taylor LOFT / Necklace: Forever 21 (gifted) / Earrings: Anthropologie (gifted)

Admiring the snow! 

I've always been really impressed by bloggers who challenge themselves to remixes, like Kendi of kendieveryday.com (check out her 30 x 30 remixes!). Maybe I'll try one?

Hair: 2-inch sections braided back and clipped in the center (as usual - maybe I should experiment more?)

As much as I like the snow, I can't wait for sun and warmth! I feel lucky to be able to experience all 4 seasons though. Have a great day!