LA Story: Don’t Wait!

I’m a big believer in wearing my garments and I’m not one to classify my clothing into day and evening wear. It’s all meant to be worn; not hanging around waiting for the right time of day or the right occasion. This way of thinking not only allows us to utilize what’s already in our closets, but it also allows us to expand our creativity that in the end grows our wardrobe without spending any money.

My white satin slip dress, French Connection, leans more on the side of evening with the black lace trim along the empire bodice and deep open neckline. Truth be told, I had no intention of using it as an evening dress due to its odd length and side slits.  It’s too short for heels, even on my 5’3” body but it’s perfect with flat sandals for Summer and for right now with my chunky lug boots, Gisele Tune. I’ve tied a light weight heathered sheer sweater, Vince, around my waist but at an angle to create shape and the low side tie gives the illusion of a longer torso. This dress hangs pretty straight and it’s a little full in the body. It’s fine on its own with flat sandals but a whole different story when worn with chunky boots. Without the tied sweater to break up my body, I’d look squat and chubby. My oversized jacket, Calvin Klein, gives me a nice long line and adds dimensional contrast against the light satin fabric from the dress.

For a little whimsy, I went with a single long strand of pearls and the trending zebra print fur baguette, Fendi. The bag, like the rest of my items are a mash-up of day time, night time, dressy, casual, and funky but it’s those differences that make this look, literally timeless.

*style-tip: don’t wait for an occasion or a season to wear your clothing. It’s a wear now world so enjoy what you’ve got!

LA Story: Summer Cabana Stripes go Spring Preppy 

 Buying a dress is like getting two pieces for the price of one. I mean think about it, It’s a multi-purpose garment, in the sense it can be worn solo or as a skirt; exactly what I’ve done today. My Summer dress, Skylar Belle, has deep navy and burgundy cabana stripes on a creamy of-white ground. Look how it transforms into a (trending for Spring) preppy chic skirt by layering it under a short sleeve crop cable knit sweater, H & M. What I especially love is how long my short torso looks, in what actually becomes an empire waist by pairing them  together.

I’m able to bring out the thin burgundy stripe from my dress by tying a burgundy bandana around my neck. This is a great way to place one of our less dominant colours somewhere to join our items together.

My navy blue boys academy jacket, Gap, helps to drive home my, skirt look, especially with the over the shoulder off-white cable knit sweater, Zara. It’s the quintessential preppy item and the colour ties all of my off-white items together but most important, it’s keeping me warm.

Lucky for me, platform sandals, Steve Madden, are back! And together with my cashmere socks, Amazon, they bring an elevated level of stylish quirk while staying en-pointe with my preppy vibe. Rather than a bag, I went with this crossbody fanny pack, Universal Threads. I love that it hangs higher up on the side of the skirt and the webbed strap reminds me of the ever-preppy webbed belt.

*style-tip: check your closet for transformable items and build a look around them. It’s a great way to grow your wardrobe and it will help you become a smarter shopper.

 *please treat your wardrobe well. many people worked very hard to get it to you.