I have a fab Friday Find for you ladies…. a silk blouse that won’t cost as much as a car payment. Nice right? You’ve heard me talk about not spending too much on overly-trending items since they usually aren’t around for very long (what a waste of your hard earned $$). Well, here’s a silk blouse at a great price point so I say “Go ahead! Buy that trendy print!” It’s from Joe Fresh and is $49! Yes, you read that right. It comes in other prints as well (I love the last one). You may have seen this print over the last year or so (shoes, belts, clutches, etc) but so what? If you like it and it works for you… and it’s the right price point, why not add it to your wardrobe? If you prefer any of the other prints, opt for that instead. I have two style tips for you: Make sure this blouse (whatever print you’re interested in) can be incorporated into your wardrobe in 3 different outfits. I totally understand that prints may seem overwhelming. My suggestion is to keep the rest of your outfit fairly simple so that the print can stand out (unless you’re awesome at mixing prints or taking style risks… then go for it). Make sure you play up your style though. Here are some ideas for a casual weekend outfit: Happy Friday!
Are your buttons holding on for dear life?
Ladies, I’ve seen you do this. Often. That’s right, I’ve seen you go out and about in the world wearing a button down dress shirt that is too tight for you. It’s so tight that it looks like the buttons are holding on for dear life. I have to be honest with you. This doesn’t look good. Not one little bit. It’s doing nothing to highlight your style. More importantly, this look actually takes away from your credibility! Why would you want to do this to yourself? Regardless of how you’re wearing a classic button down shirt (to work, out for dinner, on the weekend, to a show or anything else), here are some tips to make sure the shirt fits your shape. If your dress shirt is too tight, get rid of it (donate it please) and start from scratch. First, wiht the buttons fully done up, make sure the dress shirt fits you at the widest part of your body. You want it to comfortable across your widest part without any pulling. Ladies, this will likely be across your chest or your hips. See if the shirt’s shoulder seem is aligned to your shoulder. If the shirt is too big, the shoulder will hang down. If the shirt is too small, it will be tight across your shoulders. At this point, you should be able to see where the shirt is too big and where it is too small. Now, it’s time to tailor that shirt! Men do this right? When they buy a new dress shirt, they often have it tailored. I have to say, I rarely see women do this. An experienced tailor will be able to see what needs to be taken in. For example, if you are your widest across the chest (make sure those button do up without any pulling!!!), it’s likely that you’ll need some darting in the body/torso of the shirt so that the shirt skims your frame – without being too fitted. You may also need to take in the shoulders so that the seem fits at your actual shoulder. These alterations will avoid the “I’m wearing a tent” look. Once all alterations are done, try it on. You’ll want to make sure that it’s fitted to your frame and that you can move pretty easily. If additional alterations are needed, go back to your tailor and have the shirt fixed! Lastly, make sure you iron that dress shirt before wearing it. ;) If you have any questions about fit or need some tailoring suggestions, drop me a line.
Reader Spotlight: I bought this blazer and don’t know what to wear with it
Hi Lazina, I bought this awesome Smythe blazer earlier this season. I love it but I’m not sure what to do with it or how to wear it to work. Can I still wear it now? What about wearing it into fall? Thanks for your help. A. Smythe Lace Blazer- Mint Hi A, Great blazer! I can certainly appreciate the fact that this colour may be tricky to wear. Here are some suggestions to create a work-appropriate look. I’d go with a light-medium grey pencil skirt (maybe a subtle pinstripe if you have that). This will work well into fall so not need to switch it out for the obvious black pant or skirt for the change in season. I like the lines in this skirt; this will be very flattering. I’d go with a soft patterned blouse that is light and flowy. It’ll still have a summery feel but, under a blazer, it will transition well to the early days of fall. Also, make sure you look for something that isn’t too matchy-matchy. Here’s my suggestions (and this one is on sale… yay!). For the rest of summer, I’d opt for a nude pump (open toe is great). For fall, switch to a classic pump with a bit of a twist (navy suade.. yes!). Here is a suggestion for the fall (I’m sure you’ve got nude pumps covered). Here are s few accessory ideas for you. Happy styling!