Cut Outs

 

 

Ready for Spring but the weather got you down?  Me too.  This sucks.  It was 5 degrees outside this morning on my way to the gym.  5.  Come on Spring!  Where are you?  Guess I'll just have to fake it, until it comes.  Which means, showing just a tiny bit of skin until this weather warms up.

 

The perfect way to do that?  Cut outs.  They're totally on-trend this season and can be pulled off by anyone with any body type.  I'm so in love with the cut out dress* I wore to dinner last Fall in Charleston (pictured above).  It's got coverage everywhere I want and shows off the parts of my body that I love (i.e. covers my sunburnt chest and paunchy belly and features the smallest part of my body, my waist and long legs).  I specifically chose this dress with cut outs in that exact spot because I knew it would be flattering to my body type.

 

There's endless places that you can find clothing items with cut outs.  Don't want to show off your waist?  Cut outs at the shoulders are incredibly sexy without being too showy.  Love your back?  Wear a top or dress that has a cut out in the back.  Got great boobs?  I've seen some incredible tops that are cut out right above your cleavage, showing off exactly what your mama gave you. 

 

One of the easiest ways to feature the cut out trend is wearing distressed denim.  Boyfriend jeans are all the rage.  The look is casual and usually features worn holes around the knee area (see my blog about Distressed Boyfriends).  You can show off as little or as much as you want depending on how many "holes" or cut outs you have going along the jean. 

 

Anyone can wear cut outs.  Get creative and show off whatever part of your body you like the most.  You'll feel contemporary and you might actually feel like Spring is on it's way.  Or at least you can fake it until it comes.

 

*My cut out dress is from Burlington Coat Factory for under $20.00.  The shoes are Steve Madden from DSW.

Power Color

Check out my girl, Olivia.  That red dress* makes her look like she could take on the world.  A couple kids, an awesome husband, a full time career... Liv's got it.  She definitely found her "power color" and you have one too!

Your power color doesn't have to be something bold, like red.  I've seen some men in an all black suit that makes them look better than any color could.  Skin tone has a lot to do with it.  Check out the chart to see what colors look best on your warm or cool skin tone.

 

With Olivia's dark hair and eyes and warm skin tone, she nails her power color perfectly with red.  Someone with light eyes and cool skin tone should stick with blue and purple hues.  They're just going to compliment your natural features.

 

Strangely enough, one of my favorite power colors is a lack of color completely, white.  I feel crisp, clean and slightly innocent when I wear white.  Plus it makes my skin tone look darker and my hair color look richer.  For Spring, avoid white head to toe.  Pair a white sundress with a bright sandal or layer a denim jacket over it.  White pants are dangerous, so for a smart look, wear a delicate white cotton top with a pair of pastel colored bottoms.  Pastels are everything this Spring!

 

Find your power color this season and let the confidence it gives you allow you to take on the world.

 

*Olivia's stunning red dress is by Laundry and she scored it at Nordstrom Rack. 

 





 



Print

I never realized how much I like print until a friend saw my closet and her first reaction was, "Wow.  You have a lot of florals".  I was like, yes I do.  I guess I hadn't realized how much I like floral print and how it's actually become a bit of an obstacle in the dressing process.  As a general fashion rule, you should really not mix prints unless you have a really good grasp of the ever changing seasonal concepts.  Even I can't keep it straight.  Plaid with polka dots?  Gingham with floral?  Who knows?

To not look like a print overload, I usually keep print to just my top or just my bottom.  Some people may cringe that I'm saying this, but I'm really speaking generally.  Too much print can overwhelm anyone's look.  Especially large print.  Sometimes large stripes or large flowers can well, make you look large.  Pinstripes are always flattering and a tight plaid always looks crisp. 

The dress (pictured above, I got at H&M on clearance for $7) has a great balance of print.  The sleeves and skirt of the dress are plain black, but the bodice of the dress has a landscape graphic floral print which is everything right now.  I've even seen dresses that have a graphic print over the entire front.  They're gorgeous, but can potentially distract from the rest of your look.  Find a print you love and pair it with a solid.  You'll never go wrong.



Travel in Style

I used to travel in Juicy Couture tracksuits and Nike sneakers.  Until I started traveling with my husband who is the most spontaneous person, and would end up at an extravagant dinner in New York City... in my tracksuit and sneakers.  Yes, comfort is necessary when riding in a car or flying in a plane all day, but you never know where your travels will take you and it's always important to look appropriate. 

I now travel in comfort, but also style.  The picture above captures the exact reason why I amp up my travel look these days.  Our flight out of Boston was canceled due to snow, so we booked a hotel downtown and saw the sights.  If I was wearing my usual tracksuit, I would have had to go to the hotel, change and annoy the crap out of the whole group we were traveling with.  Instead, I was smart and wore something that was comfortable enough to fly in, but also cute enough to go straight to shopping and dinner in downtown Boston.

My outfit above is a great outfit to travel in.  The black boots are Franco Sarto (an extremely comfortable and durable shoe designer) and have just a slight wedge to give my legs length but also tackle the snowy sidewalks of Boston and the long airport terminals.  I got them at DSW for less than $100!  I'm wearing super stretchy faux leather leggings from Bebe and my t-shirt is from H&M.

My last tip for traveling in style is to be sure and wear layers.  Whether you are driving, flying or taking a train, you'll experience being hot, then cold, then hot, constantly.  I always wear a t-shirt or tank underneath with a thin cardigan or pullover and then another warmer layer over it (cause going from a terminal to outside is usually a pretty drastic temperature change).  Next time you travel, travel in style.  You never know where your trip may take you!



Valentine's Day Red Dress

 

 

I got the opportunity to write as a Guest Blogger!

Check out my Valentine's Day Guest Blog on: Http://mintcupoftea.blogspot.com/

 





The Jumpsuit

Oh jumpsuit.  How I love thee.  And hate thee.  Jumpsuits either work or don't.  There's no way around it.  I've tried on about a hundred jumpsuits and I would say 80% of them didn't work.  It's not an easy piece to wear.  But when you find that right fitting jumpsuit, you'll know it.  Here are some guidelines for finding the right one for you:

1.) Balance is important.  If the top of the jumpsuit is fitted or smaller, the bottom should be a bit more flowing.  Think wide leg bottoms to compliment the tighter top.  Same with if the top is more blousy, the bottom should be more fitted, possibly cropped or shorts.

2.)  Be sure that there is a defined waist on the jumpsuit.  If the jumpsuit goes straight down to the floor, it's going to make your body look just that, straight down to the floor with no shape.  I find a jumpsuit with a drawstring or elastic waist is the easiest to cinch in the right place.

3.)  A full pattern jumpsuit can sometimes be difficult to pull off.  When you're head to toe with the same bold pattern, the person can potentially get lost in the print.  If you like the print, keep it in neutral tones or just two colors.  Color blocking is a great way to add color without being over the top.  Or try one solid color jumpsuit with contrasting textures, like leather accents or a metal embellishments.

4.)  Lastly, being six feet tall, I almost never buy anything that has to be worn exclusively with heels, but a jumpsuit is one exception.  Heels will lengthen your legs and keeps you looking like a sophisticated lady and not a toddler girl.

You CAN wear a jumpsuit and when you find the right fitting one, you'll know it.  I got my fabulous jumpsuit (pictured above) for under $40 at HAVAIANAS in Miami. 



Leather Embellishments

Leather is so hot right now.  Leather pants, leather moto jackets, leather shells, leather cuffs, leather boots... I could go on and on.  Leather may be "hot", but it's also expensive and requires major upkeep.  It also takes a bit of boldness to pull off.  If you're not totally ready to go leather head to toe, a perfect and stylish solution is wearing leather embellishments.

Take my peach and white color blocked shell for example (pictured above).  It's made of chiffon, but with leather embellishment, it makes the look more edgy and current.  It also compliments my leather sandals and purse and ties the whole look together.  Combining delicate pieces with leather accents is the perfect way to pull off this current leather trend.

The chiffon maxi and top with leather embellishments are both from HAVAIANAS in Miami and the block heel leather sandals are from Target.  Try a little leather this winter.  It will give you an edgy look, without feeling like a total motorcycle mama.