Sunday, September 18, 2011

Mix it up






Colors, prints, fabrics and silhouettes are made to mingle so don’t be afraid to mix it up. Motivated by J.Crew, lately I have been mixing and matching traditional fall fabrics like these trousers with bright bold colors. Rust and Cobalt Blue, who knew?  By grounding the brazen color with a traditional, tailored piece like these pants by Sandro that I picked up for $15 at TJ Maxx, my outfit felt fun and not over the top. I felt funky and professional at the same time, I love that the two can coexist in one outfit.  



Shop the Look:
Pants: TJ Maxx Shirt: Gussini Shoes: Joey O
Sweater: Merona Jewlery: Claire's Purse: Ross

 

Saturday, September 17, 2011

J.Crew's Unmatchy Matchy Vintage Fall Ready to Wear Look





Taking a note from the unmatchy matchy vintage look of J.Crew’s fall ready to wear line don’t be afraid to integrate a bold color into one of your more transitionally fall ensembles.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Casual



One of my young professional readers in college wrote in asking which inexpensive versatile pieces could she add to her wardrobe that could also transition to her on campus style. My response was to invest in a work suit if possible.  JC Penny’s and Kohl’s sell inexpensive separates that will work great and this is why. If you have a professional position, a suit really makes the kind of impression that you want to leave behind. According to Fast Company, the impact of a typical presentation is 55% visual (how you look), 38% vocal (how you talk), and only 7% verbal (on what you say).  In other words, you don't deliver presentations, you perform them and how you look is an important factor.

The great thing about a suit is that it be broken up to create many different on campus or work outfits.  Another great option for a more casual work  environment, is  a relaxed blazer.  Combine it with a casual shirt dress and you have an outfit that can take you from the office to the streets.(Make sure the fit of the shirt dress is appropriate for an office environment, the focus should be on your work and style not on you hemline).  I picked up this blazer from AE on sale for $29. I just added a shirt dress, a statement piece of jewelry and some blue suede pumps I got from Charlotte Russe for $15. I wore pumps but you could easily throw on some sandals for the campus look if you would like. If $30 is a little out of your price range, check out the local Salvation Army, they sometimes have blazers starting around $6. There are many affordable ways to put together a great multipurpose outfit. So get out there and put some together!

 Shop the Look:
Blazer: American Eagle Shirt Dress: Ross Pumps: Charlotte Russe
Jewelry: Lei from a Flea Market in Hawaii Purse: Coach Outlet

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Career Smart Must Haves

I am often asked what career smart pieces must a women have in their wardrobe when living the suite life? And I say start off with the basics! These career smart pieces are no big surprise however they still allude us.  Each one of these pieces done right (great condition and fit) will become the foundations of any work wardrobe:
 A classic white shirt- This item could be the most versatile piece in your wardrobe. A good classic shirt is timeless, can be worn with everything and will never go out of style.
A classic belt- it doesn’t matter if it is skinny, wide colorful or basic black. Get a belt that really fits your body type and your style. It can really take your outfit up a notch.
A great skirt- Find the style that fits your body the best.  I prefer the pencil skirt because it gives you the coverage that you want in an office setting while still making you feel like a woman.
A little black dress- this simple piece can be worn with so many things and at a moment’s notice takes you seamlessly from work to play. I prefer a solid but a print like this can be versatile as well.
A cardigan- Regardless of the style and pattern, having a cardigan is a must in workplace.  You never know temperature the office will be, plus they come in so many colors and styles.
Statement Jewelry - Weather it is earrings, necklace or a set. Everyone should own a piece that makes them look and feel amazing. Pearls are great, even if they are not real. They can bring simple elegance to any outfit.
Black pants-a great pair of black pants can last you for years. It is the staple of your wardrobe, however be careful or it can become a uniform. A great pair of heels- there are different types, heights and colors.  You are sure to find a pair that work for you. They will add height to your frame which elongates your legs and silhouette.  Not to mention they help you stand up straight and move with a more authority.
 A Power suit- This is the go-to suit that makes you feel like a million bucks, everyone should have a great fitting power suit in their wardrobe. Keep it a solid and fabric and you can mix it with many different pieces and make may outfit. Keep it within an arm’s reach you never know when you might need to take over the world. You can see here that you can easily that the blazer and pair it with jeans or another outfit.
Go through you closet right know and make sure you own all of them.  Make sure the fit and make you feel great.  In a world full of options we can easily complicate things. Let’s not forget to invest in the items that we can build on. Let's see you put together an outfit using these classic pieces email shots to shawnacwalker@gmail.com and I will post a few examples of how ladies are living career smart. The above pictures were provided by Ruche and are avaiable in their fall collection.

Make a Statement with Red

Don’t you feel like a kid in a candy store in fall?  There are so many choices of colors and designer delights.  I almost can’t contain myself.  I picked these BCBG heels up at Ross last week for $23.00.  Every season there is a go to color and this fall season it seems to be red. To be honest, I think anything spicy will do. I picked this Studio I dress up for $16.99 to spice up my looks for the season.  So whether you want to make a big statement by wearing it head to toe or just spice up an outfit for fall by adding just a pop of color through a red belt or shoes. Here’s my first red look for season.

Shop this Look:
Dress: Sudio I  Shoes: BCBG Jacket: Jessica Howard
Belt: H&M  Jewlery: Macys

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Fall Favorites

Last fall, I really embraced rich chocolaty brown colors. They seemed to combine the richness of the season with warmth I was looking for, but this year, I’m gravitating towards the opposite side of the spectrum with spicy colors of the season and bright popping jewel tones. Whether wearing across your shoulders or on your toe nails, adding a pop of color will really spice up this seasons otherwise neutral color palette. Check below for my Fall Favorites:

1.     Shopping on Bing- Get It Skinny Belt – Mustard- $25.46

2.     Romwe.com- Polka Dot Chiffon Shirt- $27.99

3.     Zappos.com- Call It Spring MCGray $39.99

4.     Forever 21 Purple Paisley Scarf- $10.80

5.     Rouche.com- Pink Lemonade Belted Dress- $42.99

6.      Zappos.com- Purple Promiscuous Serena $59

7.     Romwe.com- Button Feeling Blue Chiffon Shirt - $28.99

8.     Forever 21- Woven Trimmed Leatherette Handbag- $16.99

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Spicing Up A Rainy Day





I just got the sad news that we are supposed to have rain for an entire week so I tried to spice it up by adding a new color from fall. Bring on the mustard! Did you really think that it was a coincidence that my umbrella is super cute and the right shade for fall? I think not!


Shop the Look:
Scarf: TJ Maxx Belt: Ross Shirt: Tammy Mars from Marshalls 
Earrings: Claire's Pants: Larry Levine Trench: Kohl's Shoes: Joey O

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Fall Outfit Algorithm from Ruche

Checked out the great fall fashion ideas from Ruche:
Formula= Pair summer statement pieces with tweed and  fall textures. 










Formula= Pair cozy knot sweaters with delicates garments. Check out more Outfit Algorithm at Ruche.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Sun Setting Summer Trends

As summer sails away, I was inspired to pull together one last nautical outfit as a tribute to the sun setting of summer trends! Summer was hot and we celebrated many great trends like bold pops of color, immerging prints of all kind, the power of white and today’s inspiration everything nautical.  As summer sails off into the horizon, I am nothing but excited for what fall has in store.


Shop the Look:
Pants: Banana Repulic Shirt: One Clothing from Ross
 Necklace: Ann Taylor Outlet Sweater:  Fever from Ross Shoes: Rampage