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!

Parisian Charm

Shirt: Forever21, Skirt: Forever21, Shoes: TOMs

 Today's outfit was inspired by the classic Parisian look. Something about stripes and red immediately associate with Paris. Look up "Parisian Outfit" and you'll see what I mean.

With a black-and-white striped shirt, a flowy red skirt, and blue TOMs, the outfit pays its respect to the colors of the French flag. Originally, I had hoped the weather would be warm enough to wear skirt, but because the mornings were still chilly, I threw on some slightly sheer tights.

 And, since an outfit is never complete without accessories, I added some gold bangle bracelets and an adorable hedgehog (porcupine?) necklace for a quirky touch.

Necklace: Forever21, Bracelets: Forever21

So is it a porcupine or a hedgehog??

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! 

From 2-D to 3-D: Adding More to an Outfit

Blazer: Material Girl, Shirt: Forever21, Jeans: Bebe, Sneaker Wedges: Material Girl

Sometimes, the best outfits are the outfits that draw from a variety of styles and a variety of influences (Same goes for everything in life!). In this outfit, I paired my graphic tee with sneaker wedges and ripped jeans for a slightly grungy, street-fashion look. This is as tough as a 5-ft tall person can get!

I've actually been wanting sneaker wedges for so long now. They're one of the few high heel shoes I can wear to high school without being judged. The sneaker wedges have studs on the side and a metallic heel. 

I have an obsession with studs on shoes!

 At this point, the outfit is two-dimensional and flat (sort of like an AP Lit/Lang essay that receives a score of 5). Nice to look at, but that's it. 

Adding the sleek black blazer with sharp shoulders and tux-inspired sleeves brings the outfit to the third dimension. It adds interest so that people might take a second look when you walk by them. Now the outfit's equivalent to an 8 essay in AP Lit or Lang (That's almost a full score!).

 Now if you want a 9 essay (full score), add some jewelry and accessories!

Okay, I'm done with the school references for now. Clearly, my English teacher is getting into my head.

Bye for now!

Thinking Out of the Box

Hey ladies! I'm going to apologize first for my absence this past week on the blog. I had a period without much inspiration so I didn't write any new posts. Poor Michelle had to keep the blog updated on her own (I'm sorry Michelle!).

Recently I stumbled upon DailyLook.com which is an online store that has daily outfits which you can buy altogether or just purchase separate pieces of the outfit. It's rather expensive, so I haven't actually been buying anything, but getting daily emails with outfit ideas is a great way to inspire new outfits.

I found this outfit called Globe Trotter and knew I had to try it out. It's very earthy with its red and brown hues.

I have a pair of red jeans and a lightweight scarf I've been wanting to try out. Originally, I planned to wear this white collared shirt I found in the back of my closet that I've never worn before, but the morning of school, I put it on and it looked pretty terrible. It was one of those panicked moments when my mentally-pictured outfit doesn't work out and I have a few minutes to fix it. I grabbed my other white shirt which has a black peter pan collar with studs in it and flipped the collar in. It wasn't perfect, but not noticeable.

Crisis averted. Thank goodness for thinking out of the box!


Anyway, I ended up with this:

Sorry for the blurriness! My camera's been acting up lately.

That's it for today! I hope you had a wonderful Spring Break! I had a rather interesting vacation, but I spent most of my time organizing/decorating my room.

Colonial Williamsburg, VA

Shenandoah Park, VA

My spring decorations! Isn't the bird cute? I got the idea from Youtube guru Lifeannstyle.

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!