Monday's Fashion: A Little Dose of Color!

A great Casual Friday or Weekend Look is easier than you think!

Hello again everyone, I hope you're doing well after our Daylight Savings change yesterday. Today I have a great, easy way to update your Casual Friday or Weekend Look with a few of this spring's fashion trends.

A few weeks ago I showed you a great outfit of patterned browns: http://lowallergykitchen.blogspot.com/2012/02/fashionable-browns-and-whats-new-this.html but today is all about COLOR!
Bright colors are very in (and SO refreshing after a winter of white, grey and brown!), and really easy to do if you know how. I know brightly colored, pencil-thin jeans are really in style, but I'm going to be honest - I have normal curves, these kinds of jeans don't really look all that great on my curves. If I were a super-skinny size 00, and looked like the models in all the adverts, it might be a different story, but that is life, and I'm working with what I have :)

So, to get us a nice pop of those super-stylish colors everyone is talking about, why not go with a poppy red jacket? It'll brighten up your grey, rainy mornings, that's for sure! Red is a nice warm, happy color, and this great cropped pea coat from Gap.com is fantastic. It is bright, but still stylish and is a great shape for almost any body type. For a casual Friday, put on a nice white button down shirt underneath and you're ready to roll. For weekends, try a white or black t-shirt. Good to go!

For a casual Friday look, it is usually advisable to go with a dark jean, which is infinitely more flattering to our rear regions, so I found a fantastic pair of "Kimmie" 7 For All Mankind Jeans from Bloomingdales.com that are great for those of us with curves. They are a mid-waist, with a dark wash and nicely positioned pockets to flatter our bottoms. A slight flare helps to elongate our legs, which is always nice!

For your feet, why not try a sexy black flat? These "Lula" black patent flats from JCrew.com are a bit of a splurge, but they'll last for years, and keep your feet feeling great. For a little extra oomph, try a black court heel. It'll lengthen your legs and give your bum a little lift, which is always nice too :)

For accessories, stacked bracelets are very in style, so how about this great set of 5 adjustable bracelets? This "Summer Seduction Set of 5 Bracelets" in my shop on Etsy, found here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/93557147/summer-seduction-set-of-5-multicolored is great no matter what your wrist size, and because there are 5 different bracelets, you can wear all of them, or just a few, depending on your mood. This necklace is also great - the "Boudicca Coins Celtic Spiral Necklace" is right on trend with mixes metals and wire work. Find it here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/14703105/boudicca-coins-celtic-spiral-necklace It is a great mid-length so that it can easily be worn over a collared shirt, but isn't too big and  busy so it still looks great for work.

What do you think? Would you wear this? What would you change?

Coming up this week: A new bracelet, Arwen's staying healthy, a great feature on a children's clothing artist and your weekend dose of Squee. Keep checking back for more great posts!

Fashionable Browns and What's New This Week

Brown and Animal Prints are Very In Style Right Now, Why Not Try it Yourself? Here's How!

This week I've got some great things for you on the blog, but first I'm going to start something that I've wanted to do for a while - style posts. I love fashion (I do make jewelry after all, so I suppose it's to be expected!). Sure, I may wear yoga pants and t-shirts at home when I'm running around like an idiot, but when I have any excuse, I like to dress nicely. I pour over fashion magazines, stalk the stylish online stores, and think of how the latest trends match with my (pretty conservative-classic) style.

Now I really want to share with you some ideas for how to wear the current trends, how to style jewelry with them, how to match trends with safe-for-work-wear, and how to go from day-to-night in a jiffy. And please give me your feedback on what you want to see and any questions you have!

See that pin board up there? These are a few trends that are very apparent now, but are still classic enough to wear for years. Recently, the Duchess of Cambridge was seen wearing a beautiful brown and tan shirt-dress style that has everyone talking up a storm (in a very good way!). Of course, hers was printed with birds, and was well tailored and probably cost a fortune, but there is no reason that "the rest of us" can't look just as good at a quarter of the price! Now, first-off, one of the biggest keys to looking good is tailoring. No one has the same measurements for every off-the-rack garment. Take an item of clothing, from jeans to an expensive dress, have it tailored or hemmed (anywhere from $10-$200, depending on what you need done) and see how magically your wardrobe is transformed from nice to WOW! Keep that in mind when trying on items. If it is a little loose in one area, take it to a tailor and get it fixed. You'll look and feel like a million bucks :)

Back to fashion! Browns and animal prints are very in style right now. Though I am not normally an animal print person, this dress "Tucker Slim Fit Shirt Dress" from Bloomingdale's (http://www.bloomingdales.com/) is very nice. The animal print isn't too wild and bold, so you could easily wear this to work with a few modifications and still look professional. The key is to not tie the waist tie too tightly, and not have the buttons all undone. Maybe one at most, should be undone, to show a very nice necklace underneath, or have it on top of your dress (see below for necklace ideas). For day time office-wear, perhaps add a dark, single color cardigan, and put your hair in a simple bun. To finish, do a simple berry lip, and understated eyes. Accent either eyes or lips, not both (you'll look like a clown, not the best thing when wanting a raise!). For night, let your hair down, maybe unbutton just 2 buttons, and put just a bit more lipstick on. You want to darken your makeup a bit more, but not too much (we ARE ladies after all, and want to look feminine and still respectable!)

Catherine was also seen wearing booties similar to the ones on the pin board as well, though these probably aren't the same. These "Brown Lumiati Maddy Booties" are considerably more affordable, and yet very stylish, from 6PM.com (http://www.6pm.com/). She also paired the outfit with dark brown opaque tights, which is perfect for those of us still knee-deep in snow (don't worry, I'm hoping the snow will disappear soon too!). If you're looking for something a little lighter, go for nude hose. BUT ALWAYS WEAR SOME SORT OF HOSIERY! Nothing screams "Unprofessional!" like nekkid legs. Seriously. Don't do it! For the office, I'd probably go with brown flats (save your feet for the killer heels when you go out later that night!)

To add your own personal style, add some pretty, yet not too flashy jewelry. The Cleopatra's Blue Goddess Necklace (http://www.etsy.com/listing/91033798/cleopatras-blue-goddess-necklace) is displaying some of the most popular trends right now - turquoise, gold, blue, green, amber, and multiple strands, to name a few. It is demur enough for the office, yet will easily transition to night. Pair it with the matching Cleopatra's Blue Goddess Bracelet (http://www.etsy.com/listing/93540180/cleopatras-blue-goddess-bracelet) and you have a surefire win in your hands. You'll look put-together, polished and professional, while not looking like another cookie-cutter office zombie.

What do you think? What is your style?

Coming up this week: Tuesday has new earrings you won't want to miss, on Wednesday Arwen gets serious about doggy health, Thursday shows a beautiful Treasury of Etsy items to usher in spring, there will be a fantastic feature on Friday of a very talented photographer, and another seriously cute Saturday Squee animal to start your weekend off right.

See you tomorrow!