Tis the Season For Layering

Old man Winter is upon us here in Philadelphia, maybe. The temps dip below freezing one day and the next it's a mild 60 degree day, with a possibility of humidity in the mix! It's been a very confusing season so far, but I'm not complaining, as long as Winter can hold back on the snow for a few more weeks! Weather can be quite a fickle thing, and because of that working on mastering your layers can be pretty helpful. You never know what the day will bring!

White Linen

Wearing your whites for the summer is now new fad. Wearing whites for the warmer seasons has been the thing to do since Jacqueline Onassis has been donning it, back in the 60s. Wearing white also keeps you cooler, darker colors tend to draw more heat and make you sweat more. I think I sweat quite enough, so wearing clothes of the lightest hue is definitely my go to for hot Philadelphian summers! 

#InstyleEssentials

I recently had the pleasure to meet and hang out with InStyle Magazine's fashion editors for a chat about finding the right fit when it comes to white button downs! I also got to chat with Drew Paluba, one of the co founders of the Trio fit sizing for the shirts, it basically ensures that you won't ever have a gap in your shirt while wearing it, when it's the right size. Finding the right size is also made easy by sizing them in bra sizes rather than small, medium, and large because let's face it, not all of us can fit into that mold!

Print Persuasion

I recently attended a wedding, and believe me when I say I totally understand the frustration with picking an outfit to wear that's appropriate and yet still exude your style personality! In my case, it's eccentricity! When you go to a wedding you don't want to outshine the most important person there on her special day, the bride. The only thing with that is if you're like me, you like to dress over the top and extravagant, it's in my nature! I chose to go with this outfit because it  felt very "Me"and loud without too much outshining capabilities. If it wasn't this look it would have been something that showed some midriff action and I don't think that would have gone too well with the family! Yes this outfit has some white in it but the other colors over power it so that it fits in the rules of wedding wear. Plus who doesn't love a little peplum!?

My favorite part about this outfit is that it's actually two pieces, when combined together it looks like a whole dress. I love pieces with functional versatility! Print on print action, my favorite way to wear prints! This way i'm not stuck with a dress i'll only wear a few times a year. 

Top and skirt: Club Monaco, jewelry: Anthropologie, H&M, Gorjana, second hand thrifted, shoes: Zara(similar)

Dear readers, what do you wear to a wedding? What are some of the rules you stick to when choosing an outfit for a wedding? Do you care if your style personality shows through?

Floral Persuasion

Photos by Melissa Alam

You would never think that at one point in my life, I loathed floral patterns! I was very much a "tomboy" growing up, you wouldn't catch me dead in a flower print! Time has changed and I have welcomed the florals into my life. Nowadays, I cannot take off this fantastic Spring print, all thanks to my first Philadelphia Flower Show a few years ago. Change is good! Although, I did manage to channel my tomboy phase with the parka jacket over the dress. It was my way of making this very feminine silhouette into something very edgy! 

Dress: Club Monaco, jacket: H&M(Similar),  belt: Forever21, socks: American Apparel, pumps: Schutz, rings: Aoki, gifted, sunnies: Firmoo

Definitely going to see a lot more of the floral persuasion from me this season! Dear readers, how do you feel about floral prints, you love them or hate them?

Always Sunny in Philadelphia?

Who really says that [Post Title] anyways?! For all of my years living in Philadelphia, I think there have seen many cloudy days over the sunshine. Seriously, all of these cloudy, rainy and snowy days tend to make me pick out the most muted colors to wear. One of those colors being grey. Don't get me wrong, I love the color grey, it's one of those colors that can camouflage itself with other colors and still look good. I'll admit it, it's one of my favorite neutrals! 

I paired this very neutral palette with a bright mustard yellow to remind me that sunny days are ahead!

Coat: Express, tee: J.Crew, trousers & socks: Club Monaco,  belt & scarf: H&M, heels: Forever21

Dear readers, does the weather factor in on what you plan to wear? It most definitely does for me and I don't usually notice it! 

PS, Don't forget to enter my giveaway for $100 to spend with SweepStreet!!!

Remixed, Striped Dress

I'm really trying to be better about wearing pieces in my wardrobe more often. I find that months later i'll find a piece a wore once and wonder why I forgot it. With the reason being, that it may be a piece that's very specific to a certain season. This dress for instance, simple, horizontally striped, 3/4 sleeves and fitted. It's super comfy, and super thin, and because of that I tend to wear it in the warmer months. Well, I wanted to challenge that perception and save some money! And here are two of my results!

Jacket: Zara, dress: H&M, scarf: Urban Outfitters, bag: Forever21, wedges: Steve Madden

I absolutely adore the print mixing trend, I try to abide by it every day! Stripes paired with an ethnic print seemed like the perfect free spirited look for a rainy day. 

Jacket and skirt: Forever21, dress: H&M, belt: thrifted, pumps: shoedazzle, satchel: Urban Outfitters

Another one of my favorite trends, the monochromatic look, shades of the same color family. This is a fun way to revamp your dresses, wearing a skirt over it, adds a new feeling to it! Blue skirt and blazer, with accents of gold felt very appropriate for an afternoon brunch. 

As you have seen, the key to this thin, summery dress is layers. By adding or subtracting layers, one can turn any article of clothing into a summer or winter appropriate piece. By treating the dress as a canvas, I was able to variate the colors and prints to pair with it. Also, tights/ hosiery are your best friends through out the winter! 

Dear readers, what do you think of these looks? How would you style this dress?

Androgynous Style

Have I mentioned my love for the menswear inspired trend going on?! I seriously love the big shoulders, the defined lapels, the boxy shapes, and the cigarette straight pants that the trend has to offer. Not to mention that it just feels so much more comfortable than skin tight skinnies or body contouring dresses!

Trousers: Club Monaco, overcoat: Express, bomber jacket: Guess, tee shirt and scarf: H&M,  belt: J.crew, booties: Steve Madden

I absolutely love these pants from Club Monaco, they're the perfect pair of trousers to influence the menswear trend. Cigarette styled, wool, leather trim around the pockets, with a great color blocked inspiration... makes me think of the old school law enforcement uniforms! I'm just a big fan of androgynous and unisex pieces, those are the pieces I like to consider timeless because it really won't go out out of style. When a woman can rock pieces that are originally for men or inspired by mens clothes, that woman truly knows great fashion! 

Photos by Chaucee Stillman

With this look, I really tried to play down the "dressiness" factor of the pants. It's very expected to throw on a silk blouse and a blazer with trousers, but what about a white tee and some chains? End result an edgy, casual look! It's a fun way to take something in your wardrobe that may seem to dressy for taking your dog to the park or running errands and reinventing it to fit into your schedule! How do you take something dressy and give it a more casual appeal?

                                                                                                   Xoxo,

                                                                                                            Jacqui

Unisex, Revamped

Sweater and pants: American Apparel, scarf: H&M, trench: DIYed from Forever21,  shoes: Nastygal

Everyone of us has "that" sweater. The one that we wear for comfort and are okay if it isn't quite flattering. That is how I feel about this sweater, don't get me wrong, I love it! The fact that it is unisex makes it a plus! Tops and sweaters like this are the perfect combo for shopping escapades, dental visits, dog walking, movie date nights at home and endless more possibilities. 

I used to think that unisex meant shapeless and ugly. Unisex is actually quite fun because it gives you and your SF (that's if you're okay with letting him/her borrow it!) styling options and its fun to see how they will wear it!

Next time you see this sweater, my BF will be wearing it in his own way. Style off!

                                                              Xoxo,

                                                                        Jacqui