Cut Outs & Crop Tops

Crop Top :: H&M similar style here

Skirt :: bebe similar style here

Clutch :: Gift with purchase bebe

Shoes :: NYLA from DSW

Whenever I tend to wear a particular garment frequently, I always try to pair it with items that haven't seen the light of day in awhile. This John and Yoko crop top has been coming out a bit more lately, but I've felt like I was running out of ways to style it. Of course, this required me to dig through my clothing to try to find something else to wear when I came across this skirt that I haven't worn in months. I knew the sleek fit with a mesh cut out would look really cute with the loose fit of the crop top, and suddenly I had an excuse to wear this shirt again. I wanted to add more edgy detail with these strappy wedge sandals and a contrasting rose gold clutch. I would personally wear this outfit for a casual day just because, but it is definitely great for a more casual night out.

Culottes and Crop Tops

Top :: Windsor Store

Culottes :: Nabee similar here

Heels :: H&M similar here

Bag :: Coach similar here

Watch :: bebe similar here

Rings :: Club Monaco

When you spend a lot of time around fashionable influences, you start to pick up an interest in the style. Having spent the last three months working for a pair of designers, I've noticed that I have a growing interest in more loose fit pants. With that being said, I was never entirely certain if I could pull of the look of a karate pant or culotte outside of the Tae Kwon Do classes I took as a kid. I recently tried these culottes on, just for the heck of it, and I was blown away by how much I fell in love with them!

As shorts like these have a lot more volume, I find that it is best to either pair them with a fitted top or a crop top. I chose to wear heels with this look to elongate my legs, but you can wear a loafer or sandals with something like this as well. 

Oh! And a little tip, don't be afraid to mix navy and black together. I was always told that these two colors were mutually exclusive (particularly with suiting) but this is completely untrue! When layered you can really play up the differences in the colors. Another option is to accessorize the look with a complimentary color of both navy and black OR to wear pieces with different textures that can make the colors really pop against each other.

Sleeveless Collared Dress

H&M blazer - similar here, H&M sleeveless collar dress - similar here and here, Steve Madden wedges - similar here, Tumi briefcase

I don't know about all of you, but I am in love with sleeveless collared dresses. For some reason them make me think of the 1950s, something about them screams retro to me (of course in the 50's there was much more volume in the skirts of dresses). As much as I love running out in this dress on it's own, I wanted to dress it up so I added this structured blazer. Pairing a structured piece with a flowing dress such as this really plays up the best features of the dress. I love this look for a casual spring event or even for something business casual (preferably your legs aren't as long as mine or the skirt of the dress be a bit longer). Either way this look is fun and comfortable and can be made more casual with flats instead of heels or a cardigan instead of a blazer.

Hope you like the look and I'll see you all on Monday! Oh! And stay posted as I have a great surprise in the works for you next week :)

xxAlli

Printed Floral Vest

vintage vest, bebe blouse - similar style here, H&M shorts - similar style here and here, We Who See heels from Urban Outfitters - similar here and here, vintage hat

Do you not love this vest? I've personally always had an attraction towards bright colors and crazy prints but this is just amazing! I've worn it just a few times before and liked it's unique look, but taking a full look at it on camera really makes me fall in love with it all over again. It previously belonged to my grandmother but I'm happy to make it a part of my own collection.

Since it is finally April and we've had a few straight days of warm weather here on the east coast, I was inspired to pull out some late spring attire. With such a bright and colorful vest I wanted a simple yet bright shirt to pair with it and I thought this pink one worked perfectly. Simple black dress shorts prevent this look from getting too crazy. I paired the outfit with grey heels to mix things up a bit and I like the detail that the hat adds, otherwise it just felt like the look was missing something. Overall I think it's a really fun look to try out whether you've got a casual day planned or are considering going to a festival.

Thanks for reading!!

xxAlli

Suiting & A Bold Lip

H&M blazer, Loft t-shirt - similar here and here, Vince Camuto pants - similar here, Vince Camuto heels, Francescas bag - similar here and here, Sephora lip gloss - from this collection similar color here

Hello and Happy Friday!

For today's look I really wanted to bring in some pops of color. I know the look is largely black, but I think it makes the bright shirt and lip shine that much more. I wanted a sleek look with a simple a and classic silhouette which I achieved by pairing these satin pants with a short blazer. I paired these different materials together because I think it adds more detail to the look in texture and tone. Simple black heels and a crossbody bag complete the look.

Hope you like the look and I'll see you all next week! As always, thanks for reading!

xxAlli

Casual Day Look: Leather Wrap Watch & Printed Denim

H&M blazer - similar here, Loft tank top, Cotton On denim - similar here, Jessica Carlyle watch, BCBGeneration heels - similar here

Happy Friday!! You've all made it through the week which means the weekend is finally here and you can kick back and relax. Today's post is just a casual day look great for a simple dinner, happy hour with the girls, or (since it's got some green in it) some mid-day St. Patty's Day festivities.

The one piece that I really built this outfit around was the watch which was gifted to me for my birthday. Since it has a brown band I wanted to try to stay away from black BUT that's always next to impossible for me. Luckily I have these funky palm tree print jeans, the green goes great with brown and gold but I still get my black in the backdrop of the print. I kind of have an obsession with collecting clothes that have cool prints and any time I pass on something I deeply regret it SO of course I ended up with these. I paired the look with a deep green tank and a dark navy blazer. To keep things simple I topped the look off with some nude pumps.

As always, thanks for reading!

xxAlli

Flare Skirt & Purple Peacoat

Loft top - similar here, Tome paneled flare skirt, H&M peacoat - similar here and here, Sam Edelman boots, Aldo clutch - similar here, Kathy Jeanne hat - similar here, Lips - Portland Black Lipstick Co, in Artificial Amethyst

Hello hello and happy Fashion Week readers! 

I know I've been talking about it nonstop in these last few posts, but we do not stop getting snow up in the northeast! I am so tired of wearing a ridiculous amount of layers and covering up which inspired today's post. I wanted to pull out a skirt and show off a little skin but still be warm enough to fare the outdoors.

The first two pieces I grabbed when putting this look together were my purple H&M coat and my Sam Edelman boots. I love this coat because it's warm and, unlike most of my wardrobe these days, brings some color into this dreary winter. The boots are so comfortable and I love that I can pair them with anything from skirts and dresses to leggings and jeans. They're great for a night out or just a casual day around town. 

Inspired by fashion week and the AMAZING show I unfortunately had to miss due to work, I wanted to wear this beautiful flare skirt from Tome. If you want to check out their newest collection you can watch the runway show here or just click through the collection here. These designers are always inspired but such amazing women and want to make clothes that any woman could wear. Their collections are always super chic.

I topped off the look with this shell from Loft and a Kathy Jeanne hat that belonged to my grandmother. I wanted to add some texture to the look so I thought this top would be perfect, it actually is two layers with a sheer black top layer and a nude cotton slip underneath. It definitely adds some sophisticated detail to a basic black look. The hat is 100% wool and is a chic way to stay keep my head warm and my hair dry while it's snowing. I do love the look of a floppy brimmed hat, but I really do like the structure that hats like this bring to a look.

Thanks for reading! I'll be posting some Valentine's Day inspired looks later in the week :)

xxAlli

All Black Everything With A Pop of Gold

American Rag Faux Leather Peplum Top - seen here, H&M faux fur vest - seen here, bebe basic legging, Loft flats - similar here, gold belt from a dress - similar here, vintage necklace

Happy Wednesday my lovely readers!

This weeks post is an outfit that I wore to work the other day. I wanted to dress up but still be warm enough to survive this week of snow storms, if you haven't heard the NorthEast keeps getting hit with snow storms :( 

I paired this cute peplum top with my faux fur vest to both stay warm and hide the fact that this top doesn't quite fit me around the shoulders. (Quick tip: when it comes to items that don't quite fit right but you're not sure about hemming, layering is a super easy way to hide the imperfections and get creative with your looks!) 

I really wanted this necklace to stand out with this look, hence the black on black on black. It belonged to my grandmother and I found it while rummaging through some things of hers that I had. I thought it was super chic and modern but loved that it was vintage! I added the gold belt, which came with a random dress, to make the color pop a bit more. A quick sock bun, some black flats, and my go-to black and gold watch completed this look.

How do you make your focal pieces pop? Let me know in the comments below<3

As always, thanks for reading!!

xxAlli