TuTu I LOVE you

I think it's because I always wanted to be a ballerina but am way to uncoordinated, but recently, I have been obsessed with all of the ballet inspired pieces that have been popping up for spring and summer. The tutu skirts and tiered dresses are ultra-girly and would just be so perfect for those crisp summer days frolicking through a field with Edward Cullen (did I just say that outloud?).
ANYWAYS my fav is this Marc by Marc Jacobs creation (picture from here). For some reason it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland and I can see it being so perfectly adorable with a cute pair of peep toe pumps. They show them with a white pair in the picture, but I'm a fan of adding exciting accessories to neutral colors. WARNING, if you overdo it with something as intersting as this dress, you may end up looking ridiculous, in this case, less is more.
For about half the price you can scoop up this sweet thang from Urban Minx (picture from here). I personally adore the light pink color, but the black is a little bit safer for those of you who remain skeptical. If I could find a cute cropped tuxedo jacket to go on top I'd be happy as a clam. This one is also super cute and ultra lady-like. It would fit in quite nicely at a country club brunch, or perhaps meeting the boyfriends parents.
If you are super brave and love this ballerina trend as much as I do then you may love this one from ETSY. The designer handpicks fabrics for the skirt and you can choose certain aspects of the dress to better fit your style. This dress can be punked up with black strappy sandals but I think it shines best when you play into it's little-bo-peepness.

Strap Happy

While getting dressed for a formal last weekend I was very disappointed by my evening shoe collection. Naturally, this ignited a feverish search for the majority of Sunday morning. Overstock.com, a site I always seem to forget about, had some cute options from Nine West that are definitely in my price range. I especially like these (picture from here) in pink or black patent. The pink looks more grayish to me but that may be because colors always look slightly different online. Either way it is a fun hue that isn't too bright so it will go with all or most of my neutrals as a way to spice things up a bit. The black patent is a classic so if you're weary of trying to branch out, scoop these up!

The first thing that comes to mind when someone says, "brown leather sandals" is Jesus, or granola. However, these cuties (picture from here) are anything but dowdy. I can see them looking ever so quaint with some short white shorts belted with a gingham button down. Or one of those high-waisted floral skirts I've scooped up for spring.

I LOVE these from theory but I don't think I can buy them with my campus card. For those of you who have some money to spend. GO FOR IT, if I see you sporting these I will literally kiss the ground you walk on.

I also have a crush on these silver puppies (picture from here) . Lord knows how fabulous they would make all of my navy look under a Hamptons sun.

Pick Me Chickadee!

Recently there has been a lot of talk about interview/internship apparel. Now, I know it is expected that women tone down their femininity and don one of those horrific shapeless suits when they enter the workforce, but I just refuse to accept that. I absolutely believe in women dressing like women when they go to work. I mean honestly, what's with all this feminism crap and then turning around and dressing like men. Isn't the point of being a girl being able to flaunt what yo mama gave you (in a completely professional way). Everyone's going to know you're a girl the minute you step into the room so why not enjoy it?

This Sunner dress is my idea of office-appropriate(picture from here). The hemline is modest and the color is plain, but the ruffles dress it up a bit and it's still obviously fashion forward. NOTE: the back detail may not be appropriate for all offices so try it with a cute cropped jacket and then ditch the coat when you leave and voila, you're ready for dinner and drinks.
This adorable white skirt is a perfect summer office staple. It's long enough to be business-like but there's a flattering cut. Try with a simpler blouse on top if you're worried about professionalism but personally I'd put it with something like this and then something like this on top (picture from here). In fact that jacket would be a good office wardrobe investment. It's Chanel like without the pricetag.

If you do need to wear a suit, that doesn't mean you have to wear something with shoulder pads and no shape at all. These Twenty8Twelve pants are adorable with their wide leg and the linen makes them an idea summer pant. JCrew also has a lot of cute options. I would invest in a pair of black trousers and make them the foundation of all outfits to come. Sass them up with a blouse like this one .

AND FINALLY if you have to work in a crazy stiffling enviornment don't forget that you can jazz up anything with the right shoes and jewelry!

SPOTTED modcloth

So I know I've posted on Modcloth items before but really people you MUST go check this site out. Most of the items they carry are vintage inspired and every once in a while there will be something that is authentic vintage which I LOVE.

Perhaps my favorite things that are currently on the site are dresses. I know not everyone is as obsessed with dresses as I am but everyone should have a couple cute ones. This one is super adorable. I can see it being perfect for luncheons or baking cookies (yes I like to wear dresses to bake). Try to jazz it up with pearls for an adorably preppy 50's housewife look, or something more modern, like sexy strappy sandals, for a younger more fresh look.

I am obsessed with this dress for bopping around town or going out to eat with friends. It's playful pattern is oh so summer and the playful shape is both flirty and sophisticated. This dress is similar (picture from here) but a little more casual. Perfect for those days you spend at the beach and want something that you can throw on afterwards that is totally acceptable to wear out afterwards.

This bright pink beauty is called the Daquiri Dress (picture from here). I mean really, how perfect for a girls night out can you get. People are sometimes afraid of wearing colors this bright but you'd be surprised how flattering this hue is on most people. This bright pink color looks great on both blondes and brunettes and totally accentuates your tan!

My favorite thing about clothes is that you can put something on and wear it like a costume. This "morning in monaco" dress is a perfect example of that. It would absolutely make me feel as though I was waking up on the riviera and thrusting open the doors of the balcony off my palace. This "Australia Dress" is another one that would make me feel like I'm somewhere else. Maybe on safari? Lions and Tigers and Bears OH MY

BASICally Awesome

I always find that having a few go-to basics for the summer is ever-so helpful in trying to appear effortlessly chic. Here are a few of my fav's that I found while perusing the world wide web:

This tank dress from Shopbop (picture from here) is awesome because it has multiple purposes. Not only is it adorable as a cover-up for those days at the beach (perhaps with a big floppy hat, like this one) but it is also adorable with a big belt and gladiator sandals. ALSO if you are like me and love to layer, this is the perfect base layer for summer, spring, winter, or fall!
This T-shirt dress from urban is similar and it costs about $60 less!

So obviously if you need to have a T-shirt dress it goes without saying that you sould snatch up a few cute t-shirts. I think that in the summer the simpler-the-better. I am loving this slouchy one from Vikis. And as always American Apparel v-neck T's are great with everything.

ALSO this airy blouse is a perfect summer piece. Wear it over shorts or as a cover-up. I have one in white and I know my sister has a few and she LOVES them. They're currently back in stock but I don't think they'll be there for too long! Scoop up the buffalo plaid for the fall!

Everyone needs a beach sweater (picture from here). Personally, I love this one from Victorias Secret. Who would've thought that lingerie superstar could come up with such cute, simple pieces. This one is great because it's lightweight and at the risk of sounding incredibly tacky, it comes in the most adorable beachy colors, sort of like seaglass. This sweater is another fav of mine from the Viki's website. It's slight empire waist is undoubtably flattering and I always die over heathered knits.

Perhaps the most obvious piece is basic summer shorts. J Crew always has the cutest colors and they come in different lengths. The 3" are my favorite and I would only go with the longer ones if I was planning on using them for golf. My personal lovers, when it comes to shorts, are these from Rugby. I have three pair already and can't wait to add the yellow to my collection.

Ahoy!

So I know it's totally cliche to go all nautical-chic for the summer but I can't help it, I'm obsessed. Lucky for me, one of my staple favorite websites, shopbop.com has a trend watch..which sort of reminds me of a concept board. Anyways, it's the perfect place to go for inspiration. My favorite piece is this fabulously fishy jacket by DVF. So adorable with short shorts or wide-leg white jeans. This dress by Ya Ya is also super cute. I'm obsessed with the detail in the back straps.

If stripes aren't exactly your "cup of tea" try something fun and simple to start out, like a pair of starfish earrings. Juicy has a cute pair and at around $50, they are a great way to update what you already have. This dress on modcloth.com is a cute and subtle way to "get on board" (plus it's relatively inexpensive!)

Sweaters always come in adorably sailor themed AND they're extremely practical for windy nights on the beach. This wrap sweater from splendid is super cute, as is this one from steven alan.

Vintage chic

(picture from here)
I don't know if it's just me but I think that vintage clothing is fantabulous. Many people knew what they were doing forty, fifty,sixty etc...years ago and how lucky are we that we get another chance to rock their styles! Buying vintage can be tricky because not everything is the kind of old clothing that you would want to wear. Some of it is just used and sort of icky. Most people think that the only places you can buy vintage are at thrift stores for pennies or at high-end vintage shops like Resurections in L.A (Rachel Zoe's lover), THIS IS FALSE. There are many great resources online that offer a wide variety of things for not so much money!
Some things to know before you start shopping:

1. sizes have changed ALOT over the years. It may be helpful to take your own measurements (either on yourself or on a garmet that fits well) and keep them on file so that you can compare your measurements to those of the whatever it is you are looking to buy

2. The cuts of the clothes may be slightly different. Think about how boxy everything was in the 80's and how poofy skirts were in the 50's- DO NOT LET THIS DETER YOU FROM BUYING VINTAGE It is totally possible to get things altered ( BUT that doesn't mean that you can take something that wouldn't fit you at all and make it completely different)

3. Some vintage clothing is actually new. Some places call this "old new stock". It basically just means that it was never sold the first time around.

My favorite vintage sights:

Etsy has a million things, not just vintage. They do, however, have a great selection of vintage jewelry and clothing. It helps to know what you're looking for though because otherwise it would take you years and years to go through everything! Picture from here

Ebay is a pretty obvious choice for vintage shopping but you'd be surprised how many people don't ever think of using it!

Vintagevixen.com has great jewelry. Be patient while browsing it may take some time before you find something that you love.
TIP: most vintage earrings are clipons, which is incredibly annoying but what can you do? This dude on e-bay created an "earringbuddy" which converts clip-ons to pierced. GENIUS

Nelda's vintage also has some adorable things. The way their sight is set up makes it pretty easy to use too! (picture from here)

Seer-Suck on that!

SPOTTED most adorable summer coat ever AND it's on sale. I was browsing the Anthropologie website tonight (in lieu of my accounting homework) and found THIS ADORABLY PERFECT SPRING COAT. Not only am I a huge fan of the seersucker (non-preppies beware, this fabric is not only for the Polo shirt-madras short wearing country club crowd) but the double breasted front will certainly be slimming and the pleated back is so dramatically lady-like. I LOVE IT.

March of the Colorful Trench

SPRING IS FINALLY AROUND THE CORNER. It is seventy degrees here in Nashville which means that I am in no mood to look at my winter sweaters, coats, turtlenecks etc... until the fall rolls around and I am ready to jump back into a warm cashmere embrace. The unfortunate thing is that this time of year can be super unpredictable and there is always at least a couple of days that demand warm clothing. Not to mention, this is rain season! One of the very best ways to ensure that you never have to wear anything dripping with Winter until next fall, is to invest in a fun spring coat in an extravagant color. If you are planning on purchasing one with a busy pattern I suggest keeping the silhouette classic. The less experimental you are with the shape of the coat the more adventurous you can be with the pattern.

Tulle has some amazing pieces for the spring. The nice thing about this brand is that it is relatively inexpensive and they last. Also you can find a variety of options. I am loving this coral one (picture from here) in the boxy shape. It's perfect for pairing with my white jeans I am planning on bringing out of the closet as soon as acceptable! I am also a huge fan of this orange swing jacket with the makeshift portrait collar (picture from here). It's short length makes it perfect for pairing with shorts (because we all know how a long coat with short shorts makes one look naked--if that's your style, go for it, but, for those of us who like letting everyone else know we're clothed, a cropped jacket is a good investment.) Finally, for those of you who may live up North where spring starts in May instead of in March, it may be wise to choose a brightly colored coat with a little more weight too it. This way your spring coat is functional and fun. This pretty little number (picture from here) is adorable. I love the bright coral color but the light pink is super cute too!

I was also pleasantly surprised while perusing on the Gap website. This bright trench is fabulous and it's on sale! This cropped trench has also been marked down and the bright yellow color makes me wish I was five years old again and had some bumble-bee rain boots to match! (puddle-jumping anyone?) Gap's little sister Old Navy is usually pretty hit or miss for me, BUT I did happen to find this floral raincoat in bright pink. I am usually too shy to take a risk with something this bright but it's playful hue and simple shape make it so adorably perfect for dressing up those rainy days down South. Plus, it's only $18 so it's not too big of a risk, right?