Miss New Bootie

I am so happy it's finally Fall. Pumpkin picking, apple picking, spiked apple cider, crisp air, gorgeous colorful leaves... I could go on and on. This is my all-time favorite time of year.

Along with the changing weather, comes a reason to buy new shoes (right?). A style that's really catching my eye this year is the ankle bootie. I saw people wearing them in previous years but this year, I decided to give it a go.

Yesterday I picked up these babies at DSW. One dark brown suede pair, and one lighter brown leather pair.

Lucky Brand Eastin Bootie, $89.95

Franco Sarto Nino Bootie, $69.95

I also have this gorgeous black suede pair from Talbots that I can't wait to break in!

Willa Silk Suede Ankle Boots, c/o Talbots, $189

Here are some of the looks I'm loving for fall, that I'll definitely be trying out with my new booties!

Alessandra Ambrosio loves her brown suede booties with blue jeans...

...and with her white denim, too!

 

Rachel Bilson in grey ankle booties

Fashion Blogger StylishlyMe shows off her booties with cuffed denim

close up

Leather and lace. In love with this look.

Photos from of A, B, C, D

I'm feeling super inspired by these looks and can't wait to try them out! Are you digging ankle booties? How would you style them?

Til next time,

GJU

A Week from the Mirror's Perspective

Ok, so one major downfall of not having roommates is that outfit photos all have to be selfies. With a fashion blog, outfit photos are kind of important. I do realize the selfie method is a little trite at this point, but I've got no one here to take the pics for me. Bruiser isn't quite that skilled yet ;)

On that same note, when I'm at work, it's a little awkward to have someone take a pic of me posing in the middle of the store... so the selfies take place in the fitting rooms.

Bottom line: I am trying to continue to show outfit photos as requested, but please understand and excuse the fact that most of them I've taken myself.

That said... moving right along!

This past week was a casual one for me. It's still so freakin' cold, but I am tired of winter. A couple days this week, I brought sandals to change into once inside. Pretending it's summer put a smile on my face! Here's what I wore this week:

Flannel: J.Crew, Leggings: Francesca's, Boots: Hunter, Shirt: Nordstrom
Scarf: Handmade, Headband: LOFT

Sweater, Jeans: LOFT, Sandals: Nine West, Jewel Bracelet: J.Crew

Sweater: Gap, Jeans: LOFT

Dress: South Moon Under, Scarf: Francesca's, Flats: Tory Burch,
Bag: LOFT, Jacket (old)

What did you wear this week? Would love to see some looks and get fresh ideas from you guys!

Friday Fashion Inspiration

I know it's been a tense week with everything that's happening in Boston related to the marathon bombers. I just wanted to say my thoughts and prayers are still with the people of Boston. I know you will be resilient, and come out an even stronger community after this tragedy.

That said, I did put together a post for today...

It's a fashion inspiration post today on GJU. I follow several fashion bloggers, and always love the outfit ideas they come up with, and how they pair different pieces together in fresh, new ways.

One of the bloggers I like is Lauren from The Pear Shape: Fashion for the Hip-Endowed. I'm on the same page as Lauren... my hips don't lie.

One of Lauren's posts from last summer really caught my eye. I liked how she paired a casual chambray top, knotted at the bottom, with a more streamlined pencil skirt. To add some color, she layered on a statement necklace in a bright coral hue. 

[GJU Sidenote: Pairing blousy/voluminous tops with slimmer bottoms (such as pencil skirts or skinny jeans) is a really flattering silhouette on curvier women. It created a cinched waist, drawing the eye down and elongating the body.]

Photo from Lauren's post, Purple Haze

Imitation is the ultimate form of flattery, so I decided to recreate this outfit. I changed it up a little, adding some of my own personal touches, and tweaking it to be more weather appropriate for Baltimore. I wore this outfit a couple weeks ago when it was still pretty chilly in Baltimore, so instead of metallic flats, I wore tights and boots. Additionally, I kept it casual by wearing my chambray shirt open with a polka dot shell underneath, instead of knotting it at the bottom.

Is this something you would wear? How would you style it? Would love to hear your thoughts and comments :)

Make it your own:

Chambray top: J. Crew, $78

Polka dot shell: J. Crew, $110

Pencil Skirt: J. Crew, $98

Necklace: LOFT, $44.99

Earrings: The Limited, $19.90

Boots: Madden Girl (Similar style, $42.94)

A little bit country

Sometimes, I feel a little bit country. I think lately my urge to channel the wild, wild west is in part due to my recent cowboy boots purchase.

So... I assembled some fun pieces to wear to work the other day. Here's what I came up with: Loose star ruffle blouse, denim shorts, tights and my fave new boots.

It's sort of an odd combo of clothes but I thought it worked juuuuuust enough to pull it off. Agree/disagree? Thoughts?

Make it your own:

Top: LOFT (Similar)

Necklace: Chico's $79

Shorts: J. Crew $59.50

Boots: Madden Girl (only $59.50 at DSW!)

Tights: Target $12 for a 2 pack :)

Feature Friday: Seeing Double!

Hey y'all!

First & foremost: Happy Friday! Does anyone else feel like this has been the longest week ever? I'm relieved that it's the weekend.

Now to the fashion.

You remember I did a post on black and red a few weeks ago? Well today, GJU is featuring two fabulous fashionistas who took this trend and made it their own.

First up, we have Adellyn. She lives in NYC, and is fierce in her own right. Here's how she rocked the look:

A couple things to address. 

1) Loving those rocker boots & belt! I don't have enough spunk to pull off studs and buckles like this lady can!

2) I now need a red mini. 

3) I need to wear said red mini with a black boyfriend blazer. Smokin' hot. Hot tamale. Other red hot references. 

Loving it. All around, loving it.

Next up, Katie B. is a Baltimore girl with a smart sense of preppy style. Here's how she made Black & Red her own:

I can't handle how adorbs she is in this pic. I love the red cropped pants, the red & gold necklace, and the houndstooth. Moses knows how much I sweat houndstooth in the fall/winter months. 

Let's break this down. Here's how Katie describes her outfit:

"I think this outfit displays a nice mixture of dressing during the ever-difficult transition season of clothes-where it's not warm enough to just wear a sundress or skirts anymore but also not cold enough where you need chords and cable knit layers.

I wanted to not only figure out a good outfit that can be worn in the early fall season, but also repurpose my once summer J. Crew pants to make them more seasonally appropriate. I thought the red and the black and white houndstooth is a nice holiday, festive pairing which is perfect for early November when everyone's starting to feel the holiday soiree vibe! Plus it shows you can seamlessly take summer capris and make them more fall-worthy with the right layering!"

Top-Talbots $119

J. Crew cafe capris-$118

Flats-Nine West apx. $79

Necklace-Kim Last Design
Rings-David Yurman & Tiffany

Watch-Fossil

Bangles-Pink Crab

At this point, she should just have a weekly spot on GJU. 

Hope you guys liked today's double-trouble Feature Friday! If you want to be a featured fashionista, send me some pics of you rockin' a look, and why you chose the pieces in the outfit.

Happy weekend everyone :)

Pippa Perfect

I love Pippa Middleton. I love her name. I love her sass (you guys know I love a woman with sass). I love her confidence. For all intensive purposes- she's perfect. And that includes her wardrobe. The girl can dress.

Thanks, Us Magazine!

Here's my version. What do you think?!

It shouldn't come as a surprise to you that my cardigan is a bright pop of color. I love adding a character into my outfits, so I opted for a bright fuchsia cashmere sweater to Jess Up the look :)

(Also- Pippa's dress is from H&M.. I think.. but I think my Loft version is so close!)

Make it your own:

Dress: Loft (Last winter)

Sweater: Talbots (on final sale for $66 from $170!)

Boots: Civico 10 from DSW

Trench: Michael Kors

Turquoise jewelry: Bracelet - Lucky Brand; Earrings - Handmade from Craft fair

What to Wear Weekend: Dresses & Cowboy Boots

This is definitely a trend I've been seeing a lot more often as people continue to transition their summer wardrobes into fall/winter. You can still wear you favorite dresses, but for added warmth, put on boots instead of sandals. It's a good way to get additional use out of your flirty frocks in cooler months, and it can even work further into the winter by adding tights/jackets/additional layering pieces.

Here are some ways to wear this look:

P.S. T. Swift is adorbs. Like.. all the time. Envious.

A bit blurry-- sorry about that. Didn't have a photographer today!

For my outfit, I wore a feminine, floral dress with brown cowboy boots (sans tights). It was chilly out today, so I also had on a black cardigan and a vest for when I went outside. I cinched the waist of the dress with a leopard print belt. (As you know, I love mixing patterns-- in this case floral and animal print! It's a small detail but it adds a touch of personality and spunk to any outfit!)

Make it your own:

Dress: South Moon Under

Vest: J. Crew

Boots: Civico 10 from DSW

Belt: J. Crew

Cardigan: Talbots

Purse: Longchamp
Pink Cocktail Ring: Family Heirloom

Do or Don't: White After Labor Day??

In my opinion, white pants can most definitely be worn past Labor Day, if done appropriately. You guys know I love J's Everyday Fashion, so of course I perused her blog and found a great example of how to rock white in the winter months. 

J explains on her blog: "Why this works: There is definitely an art to wearing white denim in the winter. But paired with tall leather boots and a navy wool jacket, white jeans are just as appropriate in January as any other month!"

I totally agree with her! I actually have a blue striped sweater and navy jacket I could have worn to recreate this exact look. Maybe I'll do that for a future post...

But instead... I really wanted to wear this scarf (and my new cardi), so I changed it up a little bit. What do you think-- would you wear white in winter?

Make it your own:

Cardigan: Ralph Lauren Polo Outlet, about $20 (I had additional coupons!)

Pants: Gap (also from an outlet store; got these for $7 last year-- FAB deal)

Boots: Civico 10 from DSW

Tank: Old Navy

Scarf: Urban Outfitters

Glasses: Warby Parker Huxley's in Whiskey Tortoise, $95

Chambray & Lace

...Or in my case, tweed and an oxford. But it has the same look/you get the idea!

I saw this ad for Ann Taylor Loft and really loved the whole ensemble. I love laying a bold, statement necklace over a button down top. It's a sort of preppy/girly vibe that I'm really into these days. Also, in my opinion, the structure of the blouse (pockets, scrunches sleeves, collar) paired with the simplicity of the skirt (simple a-line shape) creates a really pretty silhouette for more curvy women-- and I happen to be one. That works out nicely for me!

One of these days I'll pick up a lace pencil skirt, but until then, this gorgeous multicolor tweed skirt from J. Crew factory store is a great alternative! I don't own a chambray top, so instead I rolled up the sleeves of a blue Polo oxford. This necklace I'm wearing is one of my favorites! I picked it up from J.Crew (shocker) a few years ago when I was in college. It ties as a ribbon in the back-- beautiful detail when I wear simple tops/tanks/dresses where my neck is visible. Lastly, I wore nude heels to match the Loft ad and to finish the look.

I also modified the look for when you leave the office and it's a bit colder outside
by swapping out heels for boots, and layering on a puffy vest for warmth :)

Is this an outfit you would recreate with your own wardrobe? I'd love to see pics if you do! I'll feature them on my blog if you send them to me :)

Make it your own:

Skirt: J. Crew Factory (Similar) orig. $89.50 (I picked up on sale!)

Boots: Civico 10 from DSW (Similar)

Shirt: Ralph Lauren Polo (I got mine from the outlet, but this one's similar)

Vest: J. Crew (Similar) 

Necklace: J. Crew

Bracelet: Handmade piece from local craft fair

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