November Monthly Archives

After 5: Pleated Skirt

Can you imagine throwing on your favorite Luis Vuitton red bottoms with a pair of fitted joggers? How about wearing a pleated skirt, blouse, and cardigan with a pair of converses? Yes, we know both of these scenarios sound a little extreme, but you can tell where we are going with this already.

Finding a healthy balance between style and comfort can be a very difficult task for many women. There are some women that can easily mix and match casual and trendy items with little to no effort, while others fail miserably. It’s one of those developed skills that you acquire through everyday practice, but takes a long time to master.

For every fashion conscious woman who wants to save a little time, money, and effort, this post is for you! Recently, we had the opportunity to catch up with our home girl Alicia. Today, she shows us how to mix business and pleasure at the same time. Check out her full feature below!

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There is nothing like a woman that knows how to look casual, comfortable, and chic at the same time. For our girl Alicia, she wears this type outfit all the time.

If you are having problems pulling together a casual, chic look, think about your daily agenda. Where are you going? Who are you hanging with? What time are you coming home? By answering these simple questions, your outfit can be put together in no time.

Suppose you decided to catch up with friends after work, but you hate looking like a business women walking into dinner. What should you do? Before you walked out the house, maybe you should have dressed down your outfit. For example, if you have wore a blazer, pull a pair of jeans from your closet. If you wore heels, throw on a pair of pixie ankle pants with a cashmere sweater. Remember, all is fair in the world of fashion and personal style!

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“The skirt and sweater outfit truly defines who I am.  I live for comfort but at the same time like to be stylish.   My outfits are usually transitional from daytime to night.”

Most women would wear this sweater with jeans or pants, but Alicia went in a completely different direction. A woman that lives for comfortable clothes that are both stylish and classy, Alicia decided to dress up her GAP sweater with a pleated skirt and pair of heels from H&M.

In most cases, you can never go wrong with a pleated skirt. Long or short, these skirts can be worn with most blouses, sweaters, and shirts.

post_woman2_091414_03Sweater: GAP | Skirt: H&M | Heels: H&M

 We also love the color choices Alicia selected for today’s feature. Beige, black, and brown are a good look, especially during the fall season. She states, “This black skirt is one of my favorites because I can dress it up or down.  It also goes with mostly anything.”

It sure does Alicia and great job. Another outfit well done!

Now, we want to thank everyone for reading! If you are interested in Alicia’s outfits, check out her Instagram @Aliciakimnyc.

Let’s continue the conversation in the comments section below. How do you mix casual and chic together?

Outfits: November 2014

Outfits: November 2014Doublju Mens Wool Slim Double Breasted Half Trench Coat: $33
Scotch Plaid Flannel Shirt, Traditional Fit: $10
Selected Shfabios – Skinny Fit Skinny Fit Jeans: $87
Jeffery-West Desire Dashwood Chelsea Boots: $430

Men’s Style Mondays

During the months of September and December, the temperature can easily change from 70 to 30 degrees within a twenty four hour period. With that information in mind, it’s important to be prepared for unpredictable temperature changes each day. What’s a better way to prepare than wearing a few extra layers of clothing.

Furthermore, a discussion of autumn layering leads to this week’s #MensStyleMondays post. Today, I decided to show off one of my business casual, work outfits. Check out the full feature below!

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post_bryce2_110714_05Button-Down: Ralph Lauren | Waist Coat: Ralph Lauren
Jersey Blazer: Forever 21 | Denim Jeans: Hot Topic
Socks: H&M | Saddle Shoes: G.H. Bass

Personally, I am very proud of this outfit. The colors went perfectly together.

At first, I was unsure of how to incorporate the various colors of autumn into my outfit. After mixing and matching a few items, I figured out how to a create a natural look with different layers. Typically, the foundation for most of my outfits consist of two primary colors. In this particular case, I started this outfit with the green and white striped button-down and navy necktie.

For anyone that has checked out one of our #MensStyleMondays posts in the past, you understand my love for waistcoats and vests. So, I decided to wear a brown, tweed waistcoat to help keep me warm and elongate my torso.

Although the tweed waist coat looked perfect over my green button-down and navy necktie, there was still something missing. At the last minute, I threw on my grey jersey blazer with a polka dot pocket square.

Since this was a semi-casual look, I decided to dress down my outfit with a pair of denim jeans. These jeans were purchased from Hot Topic some time last year. Every once in a while, I get the opportunity to wear these jeans with a few blazers. Finally, I finished off my outfit with a pair of suede saddle shoes.

How do you layer your clothes during the cooler months? Tell us in the comment section below!

Casual: The Thrift Store

“The whole thing of clothes is insane. You can spend a dollar on a jacket in a thrift store. And you can spend a thousand dollars on a jacket in a shop. And if you saw those two jackets walking down the street, you probably wouldn’t know which was which.” -Helen Mirren

As we strive for greatness in our work, most of us dream about the  finer things life. Just imagine living a life of luxury in a spectacular mansion, with a closet full of designer jackets, shirts, pants, skirts, and shoes at your disposal. Sounds to us like you are living in a fashion heaven, right? Well, if you are the average twenty something year old that is currently putting themselves through college or working a 9 to 5 in corporate America, you may not reach this particular socioeconomic status until much later in life. So, it’s important that you start making conscientious decisions about your spending habits.

Within the context of fashion and retail, many of us spend too much money on items that we can barely afford. So, if you are that girl struggling with expensive shopping habits, this post for you. Recently, we had the opportunity to catch up with Julia, a twenty two year old full-time graduate student. Today, Julia put her spending habits to the test and she demonstrates how to find an entire outfit from the thrift store.

post_women1_100314_04“My most favored articles of clothing in my closet are from thrift stores.” -Julia

A store filled with used clothes and accessories, thrift stores offer a large collection of quality items for an affordable price. Depending on where you shop, the clothing ranges in price anywhere from $1 to $50. So, you can almost think of it as a playground for fashion enthusiasts like our friend Julia!

For less than twenty dollars, Julia purchased her knitted sweater, denim boyfriend capris, and open-toed wedged heels from the thrift store. Yes, only tweny dollars! This is why every thrift shore should be your second home.

post_women1_100314_03Not only did Julia find a great pair of boyfriend capris, she was crafty enough to distress them herself. Why not save yourself a $100 and create your own for free.

To further clarify, let’s use the following scenario as an example. Suppose you have a pair of vintage jeans from the thrift store, but you don’t know how to cut them up properly. What should you do next?

Come on folks, it’s all about utilizing your resources. There are plenty of self help, youtube videos that will show you how to distress your jeans. So, when you have a minute or two, check out the following “Do It Yourself” videos from JairWoo, Rachelleea, and LaurDIY.

post_women1_100314_01Sweater: Thrift Store | Capris: Thrift Store | Wedges: Thrift Store |
Earrings: Urban Outfitters

Overall, we love Julia’s outfit! The low neckline and sheer-look of her sweater match perfectly with the denim capris and black wedges. When you get a minute or two, show Julia some love on Instagram @ijulia_.

Have you ever purchased an entire outfit from the thrift store? If so, tell us your experience below!