flower power

"She wore flowers in her hair and carried magic secrets in her eyes."
-Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

It was absolutely perfect weather yesterday for Mother's Day. After brunch, I went over to a local park to walk around and soak in the sun... and it happened to be a good spot for a couple blog photos!

I'm really getting into the flower headband trend. I know that's all it is-- a trend-- but even still, I've jumped aboard the bandwagon. I picked up this daisy headband at Target.

Want to Get Jessed Up?

Headband: Target, $5.99

Dress: Old Navy, Similar $36.94

Sandals: Nine West, Similar $49.99

More flower headbands:

Target, $5.99

Francesca's, $14

Francesca's, $14

Nordstrom, $22

Forever 21, $5.80

Forever 21, $3.80

Urban Outfitters, $20

Urban Outfitters, $16

Spring is in the air!

"She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
'Winter is Dead.'"
-A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

No outfit post is complete without a selfie :)

This shirt/sweater duo is gearing up to be one of my favorite outfits for Spring. The floral print paired with the bright cardi is as easy-breezy as it gets. Colorful, feminine, and effortless.

Want to Get Jessed Up? 

Floating-Floral Cotton Shirt c/o Talbots, $69.50

V-Neck Cardigan c/o Talbots, $79.50

Wedges, Franco Sarto, $59.95

Recent Wardrobe Additions :)

Although I don't even have enough room in my closet as it is, I've recently added two great pieces to my wardrobe. I'm excited to integrate them into future spring and summer outfits!

1) Elisabeta Blouse, Anthropologie, $89.95
I seriously cannot wait to put this on. Seriously. Given it's sheer lace material, I feel like it's more appropriate for an evening outfit. I hope I have a reason to go out and get Jessed up soon! (I'm sure I can find a reason if I have to...)

2) Cotton Tiered Lace Skirt, Loft, $79.50

I'm probably most excited for this skirt because it's so versatile, and not to mention, gorgeous! It can be dressed down with a chambray shirt, or dressed up with a silky blouse. Either way, the layered lace in a soft neutral makes for a perfect summer staple.

Have you picked up anything fabulous lately? Please share. I always welcome suggestions :)

Coachella Trend: The Bra Top

The Coachella music festival took place the last two weekends, and with it came an array of hippie-inspired garb. One trend I noticed quite a bit was the bra top. Sometimes referred to as a bandeau, the bra top is an emerging trend this season. Often paired with high-waisted skirts or shorts, bra tops show some skin without being too risque for walking around in public.

Some celebs rocking the bra top at Coachella include:

Vanessa Hudgens

Julianne Hough

Katy Perry

Fun Fact: Selena Gomez recently wore the same Dolce & Gabbana floral bra top to an event promoting her new movie Spring Breakers. The real question is: Who wore it best?

Selena Gomez

Here's how some top designers are showing bra tops in their collections:

Versace, Proenza Schouler, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Carven. 

Retailers seem to be embracing the bra top trend. Want one for yourself? I found a bunch of options just for you if you want to try it out for yourself :)

Forever 21, $11.80

Urban Outfitters, $29

Top Shop, $16

Pac Sun, $26.50 (oh hey, Kylie Jenner! Kendall and Kylie
have a line at Pac Sun, apparently)

So.. is the bra top something you would try? I would maybe try it out once it's warmer... and I'd probably pair it with a high-waisted flowy skirt, a la Vanessa Hudgens. My inner hippie loves that look on her!

*photos from Elle.com, Glamour.com, The Honesty Hour, HollyWire.com

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)

Save vs. Splurge: Spring Must-Haves!

While I pride myself on being a savvy shopper, finding great deals and discounts in the depths of my favorite department stores... I also have a problem. I gravitate to the most expensive things in every store. So, if you're like me (a baller on a budget) it's important to know where to find stylish substitutes. Or, if you have the go-big-or-go-home mentality (and wallet to match) here are some fabulous finds for you!

Here are my top picks to start off your Spring season:

Save

BP. Nordstrom Sugar Skull Print Scarf, $18

Splurge

Alexander McQueen 'Skull' Chiffon Scarf, $295

Save

AE Embroidered Mesh Peplum Tank, $34.95

Splurge

Free People Daydream Lace Tank, $78

Save

H&M Polka Dot Dress, $29.95

Splurge

J. Crew Arabelle Dress in Polka Dot, $275

Save

Payless Women's Murphy Studded Flat Sling, $19.99

Splurge

KORS Michael Kors 'Jaina' Sandal, $225

Have any "saves" you want to share with GJU? Email them to me, along with their "splurge" counterparts, at GetJessedUp(at)gmail(dot)com!

Happy Monday :)

NYFW: Spring Fashion 2013

My go-to accessories guru Abby Draper shares her thoughts on top trends that came down the runway during this Spring's fashion week.
----

It’s a wrap. This year’s New York Fashion Week has ended and trends have been spotted. Ladies, get ready for stripes, sheers, midriffs, and lots of white.

My favorites from the runway and how you can make them your own:

Runway Stripes

I cannot get enough of this Oscar de la Renta. I’m also a fan of how it’s been accessorized. 

 

Make stripes your own

Banana Republic does a nice job of keeping up with trends, and this can be worn in fall, too. 

Runway Sheers

I recently learned of Timo Weiland and am now obsessed. I love this look and will definitely rock this spring. 

Make sheers your own

I found this LBD at Lulu’s and can’t wait for it to arrive. A very simple, sexy piece.

Runway Midriffs

If you find a way to stop staring at this, please let me know. (I told you I’m obsessed with Timo Weiland) 

Make midriffs your own

It hasn’t hit the shelves yet, but this Michael Kors dress combines two of the Spring trends, and is subtly sexy for any occasion. 

Runway White (Side note, did you see Victoria Beckhams’ white collection? Amazing)

Diane von Furstenberg. Enough said. 

Make white your own

This is such a timeless piece that gives you so many options to accessorize. A jacket, chunky jewelry, any color shoe you want. Michael Kors always knows how to make one piece multi-functional that lasts forever. 

 

I want to hear what you thought of #NYFW. Tweet me @AbbyDraper

Get the Look: Lea Michele in Avon

You guys know I'm a huge fan of Avon-- and I'm also shamelessly in love with Glee. Today's post combines both of those loves. I'll show you how you can achieve celebrity Lea Michele's make up at with the same Avon products used to create her flawless look.

Celebrity Makeup Artist Melanie Inglessis was behind Lea Michele's beauty application at the recent Met Ball. Melanie put the focus on Lea’s eyes by lining them with a deep plum liner and then layered copper toned eye shadows on the actress’s lids. 

Using a soft crease brush, she blended the edges of the liner with the shadow to create definition and give that smokey eye effect. Melanie then upped the drama (which you know I love) by swiping a dark eye shadow over the liner and adding two coats of black mascara. 


To offset the intensity of the eyes, Melanie kept the rest of Lea’s face simple: she added a rosy flush of color on her cheekbones and opted for a natural lip, using a pale lipstick to enhance Lea’s own lip color.




Make it Your Own to Get the Look:

EYES:
Avon Eye Brightening Pencil in Honey Blue ($7-- currently on sale for $3.99!)
Avon Eye Brightening Pencil in Plum Berry ($7)
Avon ExtraLasting Mascara in Extreme Black ($9.50-- currently on sale for $4.99!)
Chanel Ombré Essentielle in Mahogany 51 ($28.50)
Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Enrapture ($26)

FACE:
Avon Be Blushed in Icy Petal ($8)
Kevyn Aucoin 'The Sculpting' Powder in Medium ($42)


LIPS:
Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick in Spiced Cream ($25)