summer – Page 3 – the Spiff

Pinterest Pick: Easy Summer Style

July 31, 2014 No Comments

In the event that you were still on the fence about boyfriend jeans and their magical abilities, I’ve got another picture for you…

Look how gorgeous she is, yet this outfit could not be simpler: black shirt, black pumps, black bag, boyfriend jeans. Boom.

This girl didn’t even have time to cuff the other leg, THAT’s how cool she looks. She knows she’s rocking it so she keeps on walking.

Maybe these non-distressed, light washed boyfriend jeans will persuade you of their powers. Go buy a pair already (here’s a cute pair from JCP, or maybe Stein Mart’s more your speed).

My thanks to this blog for the picture I found on Pinterest!

Fashion, jackets, summer, Why this works

How to Dress Down a Lacey Skirt

July 28, 2014 No Comments

One day I may consider putting myself on a clothes buying freeze, just to see how far I can go with what’s in my closet.

There’s a special thrill that comes from creating new outfits out of pieces that have been hanging in your possession for a long time. In fact, I rarely wear anything I own the same way twice. I love to challenge myself and see how far I can stretch a piece.

This skirt is a great example of that. I’ve worn it now three different ways (admittedly I repeated one of those ways once). I absolutely love the edges and how it looks like it’s pretending to be a tulle skirt. This works just fine for me, because while in it I’m pretending the same thing.

I want to wear this girly/lacey/edgy number as many times as I can, so I thought about how to dress it down a bit. What better way to dress anything down than with a white t-shirt and jean jacket? Seriously, these two could have their own reality show. They’d show up to houses of unsuspecting cocktail dresses and sparkly skirts and hang out together, showing them all how to be a little more chill.

The key to pulling off the white shirt is to tuck it in only in the front. By having it hang out all over looked too sloppy, and tucked in all the way didn’t give the outfit quite the right shape. So I experimented with the front tuck and it was juuust right. Accessory wise I could have gone two ways…

I could have paired this with a bunch of necklaces and kept the laid back/rock and roll edge going, but I wanted to go with something that equaled the skirt in elegance. This statement necklace brings both elegance and edge to the table so it works just fine.

As it is with everything in style (and really life) balance is key. This black lace skirt is balanced by the laid back vibe of a t-shirt and jean jacket. Try the combination for yourself this summer!

Beauty, beauty products, hair, summer

Spite Humidity, Have a Good Hair Day

July 21, 2014 No Comments

As I type this, I’m sitting outside enjoying a 75 degree day, completely humidity free.

That’s something I never could have done in the middle of a Floridian July (I am wearing my Jacksonville t-shirt, just so you know I haven’t completely lost allegiance ;) But I did want to point out that my humidity fighting resume includes battling it in Florida where the air sweats for you.

I’m certain our fight with humidity here in Tennessee isn’t over yet (in fact, two days later it’s in full swing again), so I wanted to pass on a few tips on how to help you fight the humidity battle…and win.

The very first step to fighting frizz and humidity, is to suck all of the moisture from your strands.

This means you’ve got to spend extra time under the blow dryer, but it’s worth it. Because when you don’t dry your hair completely, the moisture that’s left in it reacts to the moisture that’s in the air, and that’s what helps to bring about the frizzies.

Next, find a hair spray that has the words, “all day humidity resistance,” on it. This one from TRESemme has worked really well for me all summer. Spray over hair that you’ve styled or even just spritz it on a day when you’re wearing your hair straight for an extra layer of defense.

You could always lean into the humidity and allow it to work for you by going with some sea salt spray. I talk about this stuff a lot this time of year because it works so well. Unlike mousse it’s not going to harden your hair and make it crunchy. No, instead it’s going to give it a soft, matte texture. Even if you don’t have any wave to your hair, spray this stuff in and let it air dry for that tousled/bedhead/I’m a model off duty look.

And of course, you can always revert to throwing it up in a pretty bun, then taming your flyway’s with a cutie little hair tie like this one. It’s fabric that surrounds wire, so it stays put and doesn’t hurt your head, stopping humidity right in its tracks because it’s too busy saying, “Dang girl! You’re looking good!”

fall fashion, Fashion, summer

The Transitional Skirt

July 17, 2014 No Comments

Here’s a sentence no woman has ever uttered out loud, “the sales need to stop.”

I’m not saying they need to stop, but this time of year when the discount signs start becoming complex math problems, it starts to get mentally overwhelming (“Extra 35% off everything that’s been marked down 40% x 2 divided by 14!”). What I like to do when I’m shopping July sales, is keep an eye out for those transitional pieces that I can get on super discount. That way I’m not just buying for the here and now, I’m stocking up for the coming cooler months.

This skirt is a great example of what I’m talking about.

It’s got a denim quality to it, making it perfect for both the summer and fall months. It sits right at my natural waist line, which means I get more use out of shorter tops by tucking them in. And I can throw a sweater and a scarf over the whole thing later on to make the outfit fall appropriate. The pictures also prove that it can work in the office, or running errands.

Skirts, jackets, lightweight sweaters (especially cardigans), darker colored tops – all of these things will work well in your wardrobe for months to come, so keep an eye out!

(I purchased this skirt at Forever21 a couple years back, but you can find a similar denim pencil skirt at The Limited).

Fashion, pinterest, Pinterest pick, summer

Pinterest Pick – Nude Sandals

July 15, 2014 No Comments

It usually takes me a minute or two to find an outfit on Pinterest that I love so much, I could immediately write a 200 word blog about it (ok, sometimes it’s ~~300~~ 400).

But the second I saw this picture, a slew of words flooded my brain. Good words. Because I’ve been looking for nude sandals just like these to add to my summer looks. And now that I’ve got visual proof (and not just what’s going on in my head), I’m amp-ing up the search.

Don’t you just love how these sandals make a classic black and white ensemble appear so fresh, so summer appropriate? Just imagine if they were black sandals. The dark, edgy gladiator look would over-power the sweetness of the top and wouldn’t work at all with the length of the skirt. But because the shoes are in a softer color, like this nude-brown, they add just enough visual interest without being overpowering.

Instead of matching it to the belt, I probably would have cinched the waste with something leopard, which would also play well against the striped bag while still tying in the blacks and browns, but that belt works just fine as well. This just goes to show you how far a pair of sandals like this can go in one’s closet.

I love love love this look, and need to quit typing so I can go out and find a pair of nude sandals. I’m also going to keep the website it came from on my radar, since most of the looks I saw on there would suit me just fine.

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