Is there such a thing as too many shoes? Maybe a better question is how many shoes can you afford? The lady featured in the Today Show clip below has over 1,200 designer pairs of shoes. Jealous? But she can (seemingly) afford them. I counted my shoe collection this morning and I have 55 pairs; including flip-flops, boots, and athletic shoes. Like many women, I adore shoes. But in recent years I've purchased fewer pairs because I'd rather have two or three awesome new shoes per year instead of 10 or 20 pairs of average ones.
How many shoes do you own right now in every closet, nook, and cranny?
Recently I've had several conversations about what to do with a basic black suit that looks, well, boring. The people wearing these boring suits are about as boring as Kanye West at an awards show. I'm guessing you're not a bore either so here are some easy ideas to turn a wardrobe basic into a fun, fashionable look.
The key to remember is color and print. And don't be shy.
Image: Tee with blocks of color and beaded shoulders on sale for $39.95 at Anthropologie.com.
Or try color and texture like lace.
Image: Pretty lace tee in a vibrant coral color on sale at Anthropologie for $39.95.
I like my Mondays simple. And this burgundy button-down with ruffles and gray pinstriped pencil skirt satisfied that requirement. I found this shirt at Goodwill the day before for only $2.50.
TUESDAY
Okay, I'm going to point this out before any of you do. I know this skirt is too big. I have to cinch it with a tight belt under my blouse just to hold it up! But I love it so. I guess it's time (past time!) to get it altered.
I had a long overdue eye appointment so I threw on jeans, a t-shirt, and a blazer for the perfect mix of casual fashion.
WEDNESDAY
One of my go-to dresses for those days when you need to get dressed quickly. I found this one at Target last year. Don't shy away from plain dresses. You can do so much with them by pairing them with different accessories. I opted for a cream, studded belt and my light blue pumps.
THURSDAY
Continuing my love for mixing prints, I paired this floral, silk blouse with black pinstriped pants. This was my favorite outfit of the week.
FRIDAY
The best thing about this outfit is the fact that I hadn't touched my hair yet but it looks good to go. I love wake up and go hair. Anyhoo, this H&M dress is a bit casual for work but I'm only in the office for a few hours so the long sweater and low heels should suffice.
We're all looking for fashionable choices for those hot summer days and nights. This video from the Today Show provides some great ideas to do just that. But be careful with that romper recommendation. I saw a lady trying one on recently and all I could think was, "BMW- body made wrong!"
The last few months, I've spent a lot of time shopping and dining out with friends. Sounds expensive, huh? But not really. With a few key changes, I've managed to increase activities I love without going broke. Want to know how you can do it too? Read on!
Deals on Clothing
I love to shop. Duh. But my current budget doesn't have much room for my designer clothing desires. Well, at least not at retail prices. But once my friend P reminded me of the gems waiting to be discovered at thrift stores, I started shopping again and spending very little money. Some of the name brands I've discovered at Goodwill for the affordable price of $5 or less include Theory, BCBG, Banana Republic, and J. Crew. The question I always get how do you find this stuff?
The two main things to remember are:
Find out when the thrift store has its sale on clothing. At Goodwill, the sale starts every Sunday. They select a color on Sunday and that color is 50% off all week. This sale includes everything in the store marked with that color. At my the Salvation Army, the 50% off sale on clothing is on Wednesdays.
Have a shopping list in mind. If you don't target your search, you can easily spend hours shifting through racks. If you only focus on one or two sections you won't become overwhelmed. If you're like me and you want to look at everything before your make a choice, dive in! And read my previous post on thrift store shopping tips so you'll be ready to grab all those deals!
Deals on Dining Out, Fitness, Etc.
Most people have heard of Groupon and Living Social. Those are the daily deal sites that allow you to pre-pay for meals, workouts, movies and a host of other things at a severely reduced rate. I've used Groupon twice to purchase discounted bootcamp sessions at an unbelievably discount price. But when it comes to dining out, I exclusively use Scoutmob.
If you're not familiar with Scoutmob, you are throwing money away! This start-up hails from Atlanta and has recently expanded to many major cities in the US. The reason I choose Scoutmob is because I can save 50% off on my meals at a ton of cool restaurants without paying for anything upfront like other sites. After snagging the day's Scoutmob deal via email or text message, just show your discount on your phone at the restaurant. The same process applies to boutiques, hair salons, and any other sale being offered on the site. Or download the free app and you'll have all the Scoutmob deals in your hand. The app also let's you quickly see which Scoutmob deals are nearby or expiring soon. I absolutely love this site! Check the Scoutmob site to see if this wonderful service is in your city.
And if you don't have time to check all these sites for daily deals, visit Yipit.com instead. My friend Monique just told me about this site. (Thanks, Moni!) It's basically an aggregator site that compiles all the deals available in your area. With a quick search, you'll know what all these sites are offering with very minimal effort. Which is exactly what we all want, right?
It's official. It's time to get rid of these pants. They are really too big. And besides, the wide-leg pant is just not flattering on my body frame. At least not to me. Anyhoo, I added the light blue blazer to brighten up all the black and gray I was wearing. Average look. Nothing fancy.
TUESDAY
Ah, Tuesday. I feel better than the day before. Though I'm still wearing pants that are too big. (By design, this time. Some days you just need a little extra room.) my basic brown pants don't seem so boring when paired with a floral print vintage blouse and matte gold blazer.
WEDNESDAY
I needed a get dressed quick scheme and this dress came to my aid. I wanted to make the dark gray look more fun so I added the red coral necklace and emerald green wedges. Red and green are not only reserved for the holidays.
THURSDAY
Sleep has been eluding me all week. So my late start required something easy to wear today. I don't normally endorse repeating outfits but often, it is a fantastic time saver. This time I decided to wear taupe suede and patent leather pumps.
FRIDAY
The end of the week has arrived! I decided on this lovely top I bought from The Limited a couple of weeks ago for $6. And I added the black and white striped pants and shoes for a little extra flavor. It's the perfect relaxed look for Friday.
We're all looking for ways to dress cute and comfortably during this summer's pervasive heatwave. And while many are reaching for the easy style of a summer dress, why not consider a pair of shorts to help cool you down?
Also at The Loft, tees and tanks are 50% off full-priced styles. Take an extra 40% off all sale items too. Enjoy free shipping for purchase of $75 or more.
This video from Today Show style contributor, Jill Martin, contains some creative solutions for some of life's pesky fashion annoyances. How does a complete wardrobe in a bag sound to you? Or how would you like to finally wear that belt that's too big and leaves all that long belt tail hanging off on the side? Watch the video for easy, affordable fixes for fashion (and a few life) challenges. (Sidenote: That cereal bowl is hilarious!)
I get a lot of questions about how to put outfits together that aren't the same old blah blah looks. And since I believe a visual example is a lot more salient than a verbal one, here's a simple way to show you that your work look doesn't have to be boring.....
I pulled this outfit together from Bananarepublic.com. It's not a bad look by any means. A basic button-down shirt, pencil skirt, and peep-toe pumps is a classic work outfit that never goes out of style. But it could be so much more by making one small change like replacing the cotton shirt for...
Or why not make big changes and totally mix it up like this...
The bird printed tank $79.50 is more interesting than the button-down. Add the pink cardigan $49.50 (cause you know the office air conditioner will be blaring down on your neck) and grey T-strap heels $120. The new look is fresh and honestly, it just looks more chic.
All of these outfits are fine and perfectly acceptable to wear to work. But instead of reaching for your typical wardrobe choices, why not skip boring and go straight to soaring!
I love July. Stores are looking to get rid of summer merchandise to make room for fall. And we're all looking for a great deal. What a perfect combination!
With that in mind, this sale is quite befitting. Take 35% off your entire purchase online at Banana Republic, Gap, and Old Navy. Use promo code BRONGAP35. Offer good through Tuesday, July 12th. There are some restrictions so be sure to read the fine print.
Another short week with the 4th of July wrapping up a super long weekend on Monday. My four-day weekend made it extra challenging to get going this week. But I managed to put a few decent looks together. Barely.
TUESDAY
Blazer, blouse, and pants. My unofficial uniform for my summer wardrobe. It was the first thing I grabbed that morning.
WEDNESDAY
This sleeveless wrap dress is a swift solution for getting dressed quickly on a hot, summer day.
And this is how I looked at the office with its super-duper air conditioning. Add sweater and pashmina. Still freezing!
THURSDAY
I put a little more effort into my outfit towards the end of the week. A brown vintage style blouse paired with a brown and white textured skirt and blue pumps.
And for a late dinner with friends, I traded the skirt for a pair of skinny jeans. Oh, and I added a leopard print bag, which has proven to be my go-to bag of the summer.
FRIDAY
Since my office has a more relaxed dress code for the summer months, I thought I'd whip out these khaki capri pants I found at Goodwill for $2.47. Most of you know I'm not a fan of capris but I like these because they have a close fit and they don't look too horrible with slingback wedges. Though they would look better if they hit at the knee. Oh wells! It's Friday so it's all good!
I know what you're thinking. How can I wear yellow without the inevitable Big Bird reference? It may not be as hard as you think. You can tackle the yellow trend with a little, muted color. Or you can go all out and douse yourself in the bright yellow stuff. Here are some ideas to get your creative, color juices going. You can find all these items at Bloomingdales.com.
Image: Tahari ASL dress sheath dress in pretty yellow and a sexy V shape in the back for $158.
Image: If a dress or a pair of yellow pants proves to be too much for your wardrobe's color palette, consider this yellow striped shopper tote from Marc by Marc Jacobs for only $58. The polka dots are a lovely bonus.
Image: Why not add this bubbly, bright hue on your feet! Try this Tory Burch "Eddie" patent leather flats for $178.
Image: Why not carry your iPad in a stylish sleeve that's not black? Also from Marc by Marc Jacobs and on sale for $40.60.
Will you take a chance and add yellow to your closet? Why or why not?
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