In Search of: Spring Denim

I'm currently on the hunt for a new pair of dark wash skinny jeans to replace the Forever 21 pair I've been wearing for the past couple years, which finally bit the dust this month. But in addition to a practical pair of denim, I'm looking for a fun pair as well. Everywhere you look, store windows and magazine pages are full of colorful and patterned pairs of jeans. And I think a pair is just the thing to punch up my wardrobe this spring )a bright pair of pants will make my lazy day outfits 100x more exciting). Because I am both small (approximately 5' tall) but not completely lacking curves, finding pants that fit me is a bit of a chore. So I plan on doing a thorough search of the mall (yes, I live in the suburbs) as soon as possible. Any suggestions? 

{denim images via Piperlime}

And the winner is...: the Shabby Apple "Academy Award" skirt

Since I posted about my ever evolving personal style yesterday, which includes a healthy dose of tutu-love, I figured it was a great time for this post. Back in February (or was it January?) I entered a Shabby Apple giveaway on Fashion Is Spinach (a blog I've followed since I've followed style/fashion blogs) for a tulle skirt and by some small miracle, I won (it was a weird month - I also won a Banana Republic Mad Men collection ring and a year's subscription to New York magazine over the course of a few weeks). I ended up with an awesome black tulle skirt. But though it is awesome, I couldn't help but wonder how on earth I would incorporate it into my wardrobe and what I would wear it for. But then I got an idea. I could use it to fulfill one of my high school style dreams (which will give you an idea of how my style has evolved). I could use it to fulfill my dream of dressing like a dead girl. Not just any dead girl though, the dancing corpse from My Chemical Romance's "Helena" video...or at least one of her funeral attendants. So that's what I did.

{worn with Charlotte Russe bustier, Target heels}

The Personal Style Conundrum

  Me on March 10, 2010 and March 6, 2012. I don't wear quite as many knee socks nowadays.

As a person who writes a blog that focuses partially on fashion and style, reads a lot of fashion and style magazines/blogs and has to dress herself every day, I think a lot about personal style. As much as I know what I do and don’t like (hint: you’ll never see me wearing or suggesting any kind of romper) I have a hard time trying to explain my personal style. In the fall, when applying for a class that I took in the winter, I had to describe my personal style (it was a class about fashion). And though I’m sure I should have used adjectives it came out in some sort of roundabout stream-of-consciousness jumble. 

Sometimes I’m envious of people with a set personal style. People who identify as “bohemian” or “preppy” enough to put it in the name of their blog or Tumblr and don’t have to change it because their style doesn’t change. On some level, I feel like it would be nice to have a signature style. But then I think, wouldn’t that get boring? Not to say that people who have a signature style are bored or boring, just that without the ability to experiment I would quickly get tired of my wardrobe.

When describing my personal style, I’d love to be able to say that it’s classic, prep-inspired and color-infused. Doesn’t that sound simple and chic? But that wouldn’t account for my love of anything that resembles a tutu or the fact that I own (and occasionally wear) a flower crown or the fact that khaki pants and shorts make me want to throw myself off a tall building. I used to say that my style was traditionally feminine (even though the word feminine irks me. I won’t get into it.) during a period when my friends would ask me if something was wrong when I wore pants, but because I’ve since welcomed pants back into my life it feels a little strange to say. 

For now I’ve decided that my personal style doesn’t have to be anything but what I’m wearing or what’s in my wardrobe. My clothes and the way that I wear them are my personal style. Maybe someday my closet will be carefully edited and all of my outfits will exude the same essence. But for now, I’m young. I like the idea that one day I could look one way and the next another. Maybe my personal style isn’t easily definable, but it’s me.

All About Spring Colors

 Sephora by OPI nail colour in Havana Dreams, Revlon Nail Enamel in Minted, 

Sally Hansen Smooth Perfect ColorCare in Whisper

I'm all about spring colors right now. As I clean out my closet it becomes ever more apparent that, except for replacing a few certain things, I really don't need any more clothing right now (though we'll see if that keeps me from shopping). So I tried to seek out some of this season's pastels and bright shades in my wardrobe. The nail polish above and the mint shoes below are part of what I found. I'll be honest, the lavender polish was a February purchase and the shoes (which I wore to a job interview) are less than a month old, but everything else has been in my closet at least since summer. I'm so excited for the chance to break out bright colors again without getting weird looks (people aren't quite used to bright pink in the middle of winter in Chicago).

Michael Michael Kors loafers, Jessica Simpson pumps, Zara court shoe

Flower Power: Spring's Floral Statement Necklaces

Kate Spade Gerbera Garden Statement Necklace / DKNY + BaubleBar Pink Poppy Bib / J.Crew Flower Patch Necklace

With the start of spring and the early blooms thanks to unseasonably warm weather, I can't help but think of incorporating florals into my wardrobe (cue Miranda Priestly disdain here). With the cherry blossoms out, the dogwoods just emerging and the azaleas budding, I'm in search of some flowery accents to add to my already overflowing wardrobe. I'm enamored with several floral statement necklaces this season - I can't think of anything more cheery to go with all of my spring outfits. And since they're necklaces and not floral pants or blazers, they wouldn't take up any more room in my closet. I'm partial to the ones above (and even more of them from Kate Spade) but I'm going to have to do more searching to find something in my price range.

Spring Cleaning: Closet Edition

Now that I've moved back home and all my boxes from school have arrived, I'm going through a major organization and purge, especially of my closet. My closet and other clothing storage space (pictured above and below) are fairly limited. That said, I have more than enough space for a full wardrobe. The problem is, I have way more clothes than what one would call a full wardrobe. So it's time for a little spring cleaning and purging.

Here's my space:

So what am I going to do with it? My goal is to remove the smaller drawer unit in the closet to free up some space for hanging clothes (the bottoms of my dresses tend to get smushed against the top of that unit). I'm also hoping to free up some space on the top shelf so that I can store out-of-season clothes (like my bajillion fall/winter sweaters) up there. And I'm replacing my plastic hangers too and replacing them with the slim velvety huggable hangers I had at school - I could definitely use the extra space they provide me. Of course to do this I'm going to need to take a hard line with my clothes - time to get real about what I really will or won't wear. I'm not going through this alone though - I've got tips from Lucky's amazing closet organization guide and Real Simple's checklist, plus my mother is more than willing to encourage me (especially when I'm getting rid of stuff). Have you ever received any great closet organization advice?

Write this Down: In search of the perfect stationery

 From top: Inslee by Design 'chamomile' notecard / Minted 'paris + from stripes to chevrons' personalized stationery / Kate Spade monogram notecard / Rifle Paper Co. 'hello' telephone card

Once I confirmed the date and time of the interview I had almost two weeks ago, I immediately started to panic. What would I wear, what did I need to pack? As I started making my list (and I did start making a list immediately) I kept thinking of all the various things I would need to bring with me, including my computer, toiletries and copies of my resume. A couple of days later it hit me that I would also need to send my interviewer a thank you note. Which meant that I needed stationery. And though I knew that Papyrus was right down the street from the building I was interviewing in, I didn’t want to leave anything up to chance. Now, I do in fact own stationery – some beautiful embossed cards with my name on them that were a gift from my mother a few years ago – the kind of stationery that makes you feel like a super elegant adult. But it was at home. And so I started my search for the perfect stationery on which to write sophisticated interview thank you’s. The selections above are what I’d buy if I had an unlimited stationery budget (Wouldn’t that be ridiculous?).

p.s. I did just end up going to the Papyrus down the street and picking up some sweet Martha Stewart peony print cards.

The Start of Spring

It may just be the first days of spring here, but it feels a little more like we're rapidly approaching summer. I'm enjoying the warm days at home by breaking out my spring/summer wardrobe (like the platform wedge sandals that have been in hiding since summer and my new, bought-on-sale-as-a-grad-gift-to-myself, striped sweater) and admiring the flowers. We're in all the stages of bloom right now - the azalea bushes are budding, some flowers are just blooming and the daffodils have been smiling at us for long enough that some of them are already dying. Are you having unseasonably warm weather where you are? Or is winter still rearing its blustery head?

{outfit details: J.Crew sweater / Old Navy shorts / Aldo wedges}

That's Just Swell

Do you remember Swell?

With the news of Domino's quasi-return, I got to thinking about the now defunct line of housewares that Cynthia Rowley and Ilene Rosenzweig designed for Target back in the early 2000s. I remember loving the fun, slightly kitschy, whimsical home goods and their equally fun commercials. I think it's time for a comeback, wouldn't you say?

Trend Crush: Neons

Clockwise from top left: BaubleBar necklace / Aldo sandals / Diesel watch / Aldo wedges

As a lover of bright colors, I'm pretty excited about all the neon hitting the market right now. A couple weekends ago, I spotted the shoes pictured above on a shopping trip and I knew that I must add some saturated electric hues to my wardrobe (I think I pointed to the shoes and said to my friend "later this spring, those are happening"). I'm not quite the type to go all out on a trend, so I'm partial to the items above. The necklace and watch provide a point of interest without being overwhelming (important, because I'm so petite) and the shoes with their neon trim on neutral bases can be worn with just about anything. I'm really crushing on the necklace (which also comes in a pink/yellow combination) and with a ship date of late April I can't help but think it would make a perfect 22nd birthday gift.