crop tops & high waists

I gave in.

At first, I wasn't feeling this look: crop tops and high waisted skirts/bottoms. I thought it was borderline trashy to show your stomach, and mainly I avoided the look because I don't have the smallest figure ideal for this style. But... one day I was wasting time perusing the aisles of Marshall's and after spotting a super cute colorful crop top with a cut out back (double-duty!), I decided to give it a go.

Turns out: it didn't look so bad! What makes it work is that the part of your stomach that's bare is the smallest part. I paired the top with a high waisted skirt that flows over my hips/tummy, accentuating my waist and flattering my curvier curves. I'm a believer now that this style can be flattering on different body types when styled correctly.

Fast-forward two weeks: I've become a little more comfortable with the look and have managed to wear it out and about without being completely self-conscious. At this point, I'd only wear a crop top with a high waisted skirt. Some people pair crop tops with skater skirts (short, flared skirts) or high waisted shorts, but I don't think those options would be as flattering for my body type and shape.

This is the original outfit from Marshall's:

Since I broke the crop top seal, I've picked up a couple other ones to add to my wardrobe... all from the same place, actually.  I randomly stopped into Abercrombie & Fitch (because I had a sneaking suspicion they'd have them) and BOOM. Crop tops everywhere. I haven't shopped there in a while for a couple reasons: 1) Their clothes are cut way too small for me and 2) I kind of outgrew the California dreamin' graphic tee phase. However, I was pleasantly surprised with what I found. Lots of feminine, pretty lace tops and floral pieces perfect for summer style.

Here are the three tops I snagged that day:

Rylie Crop Top, A&F, Similar Style, $38
Don't have a full body pic, but I wore this top with this floral maxi skirt.

Natasha Crop Top, A&E, $28

Natasha Crop Top, A&F, $28
Wore this one on the 4th of July with the white skirt from Marshall's and a red striped scarf

As the summer days get warmer, I am excited to try out new variations of this look. Here is some of my current inspiration...

Friend In Fashion

Bedazzles After Dark

Vanessa Hudgens, E! Online

Lupita Nyong'o, Handbag.com

Kaley Cuoco, Reveal

Free People

Is this something you'd try? Do you have a favorite crop top and high waist look for summer? Do share, please!

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 :)

Yellow, Blue, & Turquoise

I really like this outfit, so when I stumbled across this photo on Chictopia, I immediately wanted to recreate it. These colors together remind me so much of the beach... and I really love the touch of yellow in the belt to bright up the blue and teal!

For my interpretation of the outfit, I substituted the blue pants for a silk full skirt.

Trend Alert: Full skirts have been gracing the runways in many of the upcoming Fall designer collections. Fashionologie, one of my top fashion reads, noted that "Designers like Vena Cava, Marc b Marc Jacobs, and Proenza Schouler" sent this silhouette skirts down their runways.

I wore a white tank to pull in the white detail from her sandals, and added the turquoise necklace to match that color in the inspiration photo. To tie in the yellow, I wore this this great belt I snagged from Target!

[[Style Tip:  Here's a great way to avoid having to buy two separate belts: If you want to be able to wear a belt both on your hips, as well as on your upper natural waist, buy it to fit your hips (or where your pants sit comfortably). Then, wrap it around your upper waist and measure where it fits. Drill a tiny hole, and wah-lah! You can wear it both ways!]]

I just discovered instagram. My apologies in advance :)

Make it your own:
Skirt: Talbots $29.49 (on sale now!)
Top: Target $8
Belt: Target $12
Shoes: Nine West (Similar)
Necklace: H&M about $12