Friday Casual

Happy Friday!

Today's look is a loose interpretation of one of my favorite blogger's outfits. I've linked to and mentioned J's Everyday Fashion before, because  that particular blog is one of the reasons I started my own. It was one of my biggest inspirations in doing this whole project!

For today's outfit, I did a work-appropriate (but a bit more casual) modification of this look:

As you can see, I wore a similar jacket style, as well a polka dot top to match J's dress. I added a large jewel necklace as well to match the inspiration photo. It was a bit colder out so instead of a dress, I wore a top and pants.. but it still resembles the original outfit. (These black pants are actually black denim.. they're the BEST for a work day when you really just don't want to wear suit pants/dress/skirt and want to take it easy. They look like nice pants, but have the comfort of jeans!)

Also-- Loving this new nail polish! It's such a great color for the start of Fall; sort of a merlot-ish hue. It's called "Miami Beet" by OPI.

Thoughts?!

Have a great weekend!

Make it your own:
Jacket: Loft (Similar)
Shirt: Gap $34.99
Pants: Gap (Similar)
Necklace: J. Crew (Similar)
Nail Color: Miami Beet, OPI $8

Thursday Trend: Mad for Missoni

I'm sure you all know that Missoni for Target launched a few weeks ago, and there was a mad rush to every Target across the United States. Except for me.. because I was at work. Missoni is amazing... and at low Target prices, it's even better.

Even though I didn't make it to a Target first thing in the morning the day of the launch, I still somehow managed to pick up several great pieces! I got a pair of rain boots, a pair of heels, a bra, a corduroy jacket, and two different comforters/bedsets. Eeek! So exciting!

For today's outfit, I paired two of my Missoni items together for a simple, everyday work wearable look. I wore my beautiful new wine color corduroy jacket along with these adorable black pumps.

Were you able to score any Missoni for Target pieces? I'd love to know what you got!

Make it your own:

Shirt: Gap $39.99 (I got it when Gap was having a sale for about $20!)

Skirt: Ann Taylor

Belt: J. Crew $34.50

Necklace: J. Crew (Similar)

Pumps: Missoni for Target $39.99 (couldn't even find these on the Target website anymore!)

Jacket: Missoni for Target (in Rose Wine) $69.99 

Win it Wednesday-- Winner Update!

Remember last month when I held my first giveaway on Get Jessed Up?? The winner, Jackie I., received the beautiful jewelry and loves it! Check out this photo where she shows off her fabulous new earrings from EveryOccasionDesigns!

Doesn't she look gorgeous in those!?

Also-- exciting news! I will be hosting another giveaway from another talented designer in October, so keep checking back for more details :)

Tuesday in the Trenches

This post comes just in time for the gloomy, rainy weather in Baltimore this morning!

Fall is the perfect season to break out the trench coats. It's not too cold that you would need a parka, but it's often windy/rainy (ahem.. today)-- perfect for a light cover up. You can often find trenches in darker colors such as black, brown and navy. However, this Fall, the trend is to go lighter in color with beige/natural tone jackets. Here are some great ways to rock the look:

Top left: Liv Tyler

Top right: Victoria Beckham

Bottom Left: Kim Kardashian

Bottom Right: Claudia Schiffer





For my outfit, I wore my light trench from Gap, over a textured black pencil skirt and purple top. I love the collar on this shirt! I also put on some fun purple earrings that are actually made from paint chips :)

Make it your own:

Trench: Gap (last year, Gap outlet, around $20)

Skirt: Ann Taylor

Top: Target (Clearance rack, around $4)

Flats: Steve Madden

Earrings: Hand-made gift from a craft fair

My New Skirt!

I browse Chictopia on a daily basis for outfit ideas, design inspiration, and beauty tips. A lot of my outfit inspiration photos are from that site, including today's! When I stumbled across this picture, I was so excited. I just got a green skirt I've been dying to wear, and it would be the perfect piece to use for this outfit!

For my outfit, my skirt is actually green... but in this photo it looks more blue-ish. I added the pink belt to draw in the colors from the model's necklace, and a bold watch. The black top and black pumps complete the look! What do you think? Would you wear a green (or a different bright color) pencil skirt to work?

Make it your own:

Skirt: J.Crew (in Viridian Green) $120

Top: Gap $24.99

Belt: J.Crew (in Dahlia) $34.50

Shoes: DSW $44.95

Fall Florals: Get Invested.

It's starting to get cooler outside, and that means it's time to break out your opaque tights and boots (woot woot)! I love this outfit. I love the femininity that comes through between the flowy sleeves & the florals, and the loose, wavy hairstyle with clean, pure makeup.

Photo courtesy of Chictopia

For my outfit, I wore my (favorite) puffy green vest- it's super cozy! I swapped the colors on the top and bottom of my inspiration photo-- so instead, I incorporated a pink floral blouse and dark skirt. I added in my own unique style elements with a bright purple skinny belt and brown boots, versus black. For fun, I also complimented the color story of this outfit with a turquoise cocktail ring. I went with a really natural hairstyle and makeup application to match the photo above. What do you guys think?

Make it your own:
Shirt: Nordstrom $39.90
Tank: Target (in "Bookoo Leaf") 9
Skirt: Gap $17.99 (I actually got this on clearance for $7!)
Belt: J.Crew (in "Dahlia") $34.50
Boots: Civico 10 from DSW, $49.94

Weekend Style Mid-Week: Denim & Leather

So you guys know by now that I work in a office environment, which influences how I dress myself each morning. I love being corporate Barbie on a daily basis!

However, not all of you work in offices and can be a bit more casual during the week. Hopefully, this post speaks to you!

I was inspired by a couple different outfits I saw pairing leather jackets with straight or skinny dark denims.

Here's my modification of the denim & leather look. It's a casual interpretation complete with skinny dark jeans, a loose embellished black top, and a black leather jacket. [[I also curled my hair for fun, inspired by the last pair of images above!]]

With the jacket...

And without the jacket :)

So throw on your leather jacket and dark denims, and rock it out this week!

Make it your own:

Shirt: Gap (Similar) $16.99-$24.99

Jeans: Kensie $29.99

Flats: Steve Madden $46.99

Jacket: Colebrook ( I actually picked up this jacket when I was spending the weekend Philly for $20!)

Today's Style: Mash it Up

Today's outfit doesn't have one particular inspiration photo. It's a compilation of many of my favorite style elements- Color blocking, patterned pants, ruffles, the colorful skinny belt, & the nude flat. I like to call this: Mash it Up!

This type of look can be modified to fit anyone's personal style and aesthetic. Pants can be mixed and matched with skirts, tanks can be swapped with tee's, and the flats can be dropped for heels. This sort of outfit presents an opportunity to take risks with your everyday style and try something new-- something I'm always encouraging!

Make it your own:
Pants: Talbot's Outlet (Similar) $38.99
Top: J.Crew (Similar) $88
Belt: Target, about $12
Flats: Urban Outfitters

Sunny Monday :)

Hey everyone! Hope you had a relaxing weekend! I tried to relax, since I've been going non-stop over the past couple of weeks.

Mondays are always tough. It's hard getting back into the swing of things, so here's an outfit post that may help brighten your morning. Since it's sunny out today, I thought I'd celebrate with a bright yellow dress. (Also, it's starting to get colder out ...all of the sudden... so I wanted to get in this sundress while I could.)

My inspiration photo is below. She added a green military-style blouse over the dress. Such an easy way to transition into fall, and still keep bright hues in your wardrobe!

For my look, I used the same color palette to create a similar dress + jacket outfit. I also incorporated my new Warby Parker Huxley glasses to match the photo! I'm obsessed with these specs! Here's my modified version of this look:

Make it your own:

Dress: Banana Republic Raw Ribbons Halter Dress (Orig. $130; I got for $40!)

Jacket: Loft (Similar)

Shoes: Steve Madden (Similar) $69.95

Glasses: Warby Parker, Huxley in Whiskey Tortoise $95

Friday is here!!

I came across this photo and immediately knew this outfit would be great for an office environment. I really like the solid bright top paired with the patterned skirt! Women are often afraid to wear patterns on the lower half because they think it will make them look bigger, and draw attention to their problem areas. However, if worn correctly, a fun, patterned skirt or pair of pants can take an outfit from ordinary to fabulous!

[[NOTE: I took that top right picture in my hotel room (I was at a work conference!) so please excuse the poor lighting!]]

While I was at the conference, I was able to get a slightly better photo taken, this time wearing the black sweater I brought to pair with the outfit. (I'm also sporting my handy name tag/badge. Super stylin'!)

Make it your own:
Top: Target (On the clearance rack for $4!)
Skirt: Ann Taylor (picked this up about 5 years ago)
Sweater: J.Crew
Shoes: Tahari (Marshalls find!)

Angelina Jolie - Casually Business

I love this look on Angelina Jolie because she so nonchalantly mixed work & casual by wearing a loose v-neck sweater with a fitted pencil skirt. I also really love her color choice-- the contrast between the bright yellow/green and the black is eye-catching, and makes business casual clothing fun!

This look is perfect for a day at the office, and it's super versatile.. I can mix and match any color sweater on top and achieve the same great look! I pushed up my sleeves a bit to match A.Jo's, as well as added a pair of black pumps. I wore very minimal jewelry to keep my wrists and neckline bare, similar to the outfit inspiration photo.

I think I recreated this look pretty well! What do you guys think?

Make it your own:

Skirt: J.Crew $69.99

Sweater. J.Crew $39.99

Heels: Tahari (about $30... got on sale from Marshalls!)

Glamorous in Gold- Fashion's Night Out!

So, it's only appropriate for my Fashion's Night Out post to be fashionably late...

These photos are exactly the look I wanted to recreate for Baltimore's First Annual Fashion's Night Out. I was on the marketing committee for the first year bringing this awesome event to Maryland, so I wanted to award myself with a sparkly, fun dress for all the effort and time I'd put into making this event happen. I think these actresses look gorgeous on the red carpet-- these dresses shine & bring out their inner radiance!

Photo courtesy of MTV

I didn't take too many full length pictures of myself that night (because I was battling a cold/sinus issues and didn't think I was looking too great).. but I think this one shows the dress well. I really love how the light reflected off the gold sequins! The combination of the draped, soft cowlneck and the satin ribbon to cinch the waist gave this dress the ultimate feminine silhouette. I'm already looking forward to wearing this dress again.. I'm thinking probably for New Years!

What are your thoughts on the dress? Would you wear this to an event?

Make it your own:

Dress: Cache (got this on sale for $79 from $158!)

Heels: Guess $44.95

Hope you guys had a great weekend :)

<3 Jess

Thursday Trend: Recycling!

Happy Thursday!

One of the reasons I start this blog was to prove that you can re-use and recycle articles of clothing in your wardrobe to create new & unique outfits. You don't have to go out and buy all the latest & greatest-- there's a way to make it work with what you have. (Admittedly, I have a slight shopping shopping problem.. so I should probably listen to my own advice more often.. but you get the point!)

So for today's trend, it's all about recycling. Go green! (or in this case, yellow!)

Here's how to incorporate 1 sweater, 5 ways.

As you can see, all of those outfits are different, but the yellow cardigan is a constant throughout. What's great about this particular post is that a yellow cardigan doesn't necessarily scream "the go-to sweater." It's bright, and that often deters people from pairing it with their outfits. 

I hope this inspires you to try to incorporate an item of clothing into several different looks, whether it's a favorite dress, skirt, top... If you do, please take pictures of your "collection" and show me!

Yay for Friday eve :)

Modern Take On Military

There's something casually sexy about combining the neutral tones associated with the military-- greens, blacks, browns. It's a look that's versatile, easy to create throughout all four seasons, and simply chic.

I think the way Diane Kruger worked this look is perfect. She paired a black dress with a green military jacket to create an everyday outfit. I love how she combined the sweet, feminine frock with the edginess of the jacket. Her studded high-top sneakers and chain shoulder purse added feminine funk to this look!

Photo courtesy of Just Jared

For my outfit, I wore a Banana Republic braided halter dress, and a jacket from Ann Taylor Loft. I'm obsessed with this Jacket! It's lightweight, so I can wear it all year round. To work, I obviously can't wear studded sneakers... so I opted for embellished sandals from Steve Madden (that I picked up at Filene's Basement for almost nothing-- such a steal!).  I finished off my outfit with gold &coral earrings, and a gold ring, which gave the ensemble a more polished look for the office (I mean, as polished as it can be with a military jacket in the mix)! 

This doesn't show perfectly in the photo, but I also painted my nails in gold glitter polish just for fun :)

Make it your own:

Dress: Banana Republic Outlet (Similar)

Jacket: Ann Taylor Loft (Similar-- this is the newer version)
Shoes: Steve Madden $20
Ring: Gift, Antique from London
Earrings: EveryOccasionDesigns
Nail Polish: CVS (generic brand) about $2 or $3

The Grey Shift Dress

At the end of summer, as we transition into fall, you'll be seeing a lot of grey's and neutrals going down the runways. What's great about grey tones is that they can be spiced up with bright accents, and can also be calmed down by keeping within a neutral palette. That's what makes grey such a great base color for work wear!

My outfit for today was inspired by a photo of Cat Deeley in a grey shift dress with a cinched center. Her dress has a bit of shimmer in the fabric which looks great outdoors-- totally glimmers from the sun! I like how she chose a nude shoe to elongate her legs-- it also allows all attention to be on her dress!

 

(Photo courtesy of La Belle et le Blog)

My dress doesn't have any shimmer to it, but it has a great cut out detail on the top in a really pretty dark purple. I tied a grey ribbon around the waist to mimic the cinched look in Cat's dress, and threw on my favorite nude sandals to complete the look. I think this is a great outfit for the first week of Fall!

Other great ways to rock grey shifts this season:

Kate Middleton in Catherine Walker

Adrianna Papell Lace Shift Dress

Olivia Wilde- loving the leather jacket paired with this dress!

Emma Stone-- The bright red pumps add flair and personality to this look!

Make it your own:
Dress: Target (picked it up last summer, about $28)
Shoes: Kelly & Katie $39.95

Weekend Dress Adventures: Fashion's Night Out!

I'm sure you guys have all heard of Fashion's Night Out-- the ultimate after-hours shopping extravaganza that takes place in major cities around the world, such as New York, Atlanta, and Milan.

Well... this year, I'm so honored to be a part of the marketing committee for Baltimore's First Annual Fashion's Night Out! I was ecstatic to learn that this event was coming to my hometown, and jumped on the opportunity to help spread the word.

Since I love dressing up for events, I was excited to plan an outfit for FNO. It's this upcoming Thursday-- so close! As I was looking through my closet, I couldn't find the right dress for the occasion. I needed something fun, flirty, a little flashy... but also with a touch of elegance.

The search was on! I tried on a LOT of dresses-- when I left the mall, it felt like I'd just finished a hardcore workout. No joke.

I took some pics as I was trying on dresses so that I could share them on the blog and get your feedback. Here are the photos of some of my favorites. What do you think?

This last one, with the gold sequins, is the one I chose for Fashion's Night Out! I think it had the perfect combination of class & sass!

I seriously can't wait for this event on Thursday! I'll take a pic when I'm there to show you guys the final look :)

<3 Jess