Leggings!

Oh leggings.  How I love thee.  You are a cross between pants and tights and should be treated so.  With your forgiving waistband, stretchy material and unlimited colors and prints, you hug my bottom-half in all the right places.  Although, leggings... you have been used and abused by far too many.  You are debate-ably one of the longest lasting and most popular trends I've seen in my lifetime.  With all that fashion power, I wonder why we just can't seem to get you right.

Generally speaking, leggings are a thick, footless version of tights.  Would you walk out the door in tights and a top that shows your crotch and butt?  Sweet Lord, I hope not.  So, please, stop doing it with leggings.  Of course, there are a few exceptions to the rule.  Working out?  Lycra leggings (designed for supportive exercise, with zero sheerness) are fine for the gym or running.  Under 21?  Go ahead.  Take advantage of that adorable perky young butt.  Jeggings?  Absolutely.  As long as there's pockets, belt loops and a zipper or button closure, you're good.  Don't care about rules?  Okay.

So, realizing you've been breaking legging rules?  Welcome to the club.  I would say almost 50% of women I see in leggings these days, aren't wearing them right.  To each their own.  I wear leggings just as much as I wear any other kind of pants, but I always try to follow the "Leggings Golden Rule: Always cover your crotch and butt with a dress, tunic or layering piece when wearing leggings".  The "camel toe" trend did NOT make it and if your bottom is wider than your hip bones (which is a yes for most women), showing that part of your body off in a tight, thin material isn't doing you any justice.

With all that said, fashion rules are meant for breaking and if you feel great, you will probably look great too.  A few pro tips to finding the right legging for your body: (1) The waistband is everything.  To avoid pulling your leggings up constantly, find a pair with a thick, wide waistband.  (2)  Sizing.  Your leggings should not pinch, bunch or strain at the seams.  The fit should compliment your bottom half.  I struggle finding leggings that are long enough.  A great solution to a pair that might fall too short or too long is to fold them up a couple times at the hem.  A very fashion forward move.  (3) Balance.  I emphasize balance on my Blog a lot.  The general rule is, if you are wearing leggings (which fit snug), balance them with a more flowy tunic or cardigan.  (4) Print.  I love print.  Sometimes too much.  Unless you're a fashion pro, stick to one piece with print.  Pair your floral print leggings with sandals and a solid swingy dress and you've got a look that can go from day to night.

My look above breaks all the legging rules... but I don't care!  My off-shoulder pink top (Forever21) perfectly complimented the high-waisted olive green leggings (Forever21) and peep-toe sandals (Steve Madden).  It was the perfect look for an outdoor concert, which screams for trendy comfort.  

Mother's Day

I've had some crappy jobs in my lifetime.  Who knew plunging toilets came with the waitress job description?  But, you do what you have to when you gotta make money.  I figured, as long as there was a paycheck involved, I could clean just about anything.  Then, my son was born.  Everything disgusting that the human body does, his tiny little body did.  And I cleaned every bit of it.  No paycheck involved.  Because when you're a mom, it doesn't matter.  You love that tiny little being so much, you'll do anything.  It's called unconditional love, and it comes automatically, when you become a Mom.

I think it's a bit ridiculous that we celebrate moms only one day a year.  Moms give 100% of themselves 364 days a year, without any praise, and people think one day of recognition is sufficient?  Get out of here!  Moms should be celebrated everyday.  For getting up at the crack of dawn, because the kids are up.  For making breakfast, lunch, dinner AND doing the dishes.  For spending their entire Saturday watching Little League and their entire Sunday working on his science project.  For staying up late to bake the class apple chips for the school fair tomorrow.  We do it all in the name of love.

Don't just give your mom flowers and a card this year.  She deserves something special and unique, just like her.  Not sure what the perfect gift is?  Give her the gift of Personal Shopping and Wardrobe Organization.  Hire ME (a certified and experienced Fashion Consultant) to help Mom weed out the wardrobe pieces she shouldn't wear and assist her in shopping for new updated clothing and accessories, so she can feel fabulous all year long.  Every time Mom puts on a new top that she got while using her Personal Shopping gift, she'll feel the love that you gave back to her.  I work with any budget and the first hour Consultation is always FREE.

Contact me at:

Chelsea K. Ray

Fashion Consultant & Blogger

150 Falmouth Street

Portland, ME 04102

(207) 615-4028

chelseakray@gmail.com

Http://chelseakray.com

MD Maternity Shapewear

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a shapewear company to test out a few of their maternity pieces.  I'm not pregnant, but fortunately, I have a couple girlfriends who are.  They were thrilled at the opportunity to try on samples of quality shapewear, for their growing bodies.  When they're pregnant, some moms only grow in their bellies.  Other moms, like me, grow everywhere!  All the way from my neck to my ankles.  Luckily, maternity wear has taken leaps and bounds in support, function and fashion.  

My pregnant friend, Teresa, is expecting her second baby girl in August and was put on bed rest for most of her pregnancy.  Teresa and baby are doing well, her body is changing even more than her last pregnancy.  She's just starting to show in her belly, but her breasts began to grow very early on in her pregnancy.  She needed support and comfort and chose two MD Maternity Shapewear pieces.  The first piece:

 MD's Nursing Bras Push Up Cute Best Comfortable Breastfeeding Sports Bra, fit great.  The straps were soft, adjustable.  The material of the bra was stretchy, supportive and a high quality.

Teresa also tried on: 

MD Maternity Underwear Activewear Pregnancy Shirts Belly Support Band Long Sleeve Undershirt Again, the shapewear was stretchy, supportive and a high quality.  Teresa felt as though the long sleeve undershirt was a bit tight in all areas and said she would order a size up next time in this style top.  Hopefully, my dear pregnant friend will soon be able to venture out (a.k.a. be taken off bed rest) in her comfortable and supportive new shapewear from MD.  A big thank you to MD Shapewear for the great samples and to Teresa for being such a sport during her pregnancy.  

DressesOfGirl

This time of year, I'm always looking for special occasion dresses.  Whether it's for a Client's daughter in need of the perfect Homecoming Dresses or helping my best friend find her bridal gown, I'm always sending them to shop online first.  Online Boutiques, like DressesofGirl, have the biggest and most affordable selection of special occasion dresses available.  

dressesofgirl.com is a one stop shop for wedding and parties. We offer a range of beautiful dresses, matching shoes, exquisite accessories for brides and fashion ladies. The dress collections will be updated every season according to the fashion trend, in order to provide with you with the latest styles. Moreover, at dressesofgirl.com, you can also have your dresses or gowns custom made if you can’t find a right size.

We aim to be budget-friendly the moment we establish dressesofgirl.com. No matter where you are or who you are. dressesofgirl.com offers same low price to you. Whether you’re a retailer who refuses to pay too much in your country, or a wondering customer desires to catch the latest fashion, we provide unbeatable low price for you.

dressesofgirl.com offers a safe and easy online purchasing experience. Our payment processes guarantee a safe and secure purchasing environment. dressesofgirl.com has taken out the hassle of international trade—from product sourcing, secure payment and shipping.

Behind dressesofgirl.com is an amazing team of real, live specialists who are happy to handle any issue you may have. The customer service is always ready to solve the problems you may come up, so feel free to turn to our customer service when you need help or have any question.

We know that the dress means a lot to you, so we ensure that each dress is handled with care and arrives from our warehouse in style! Additionally, we offer fast delivery to have you get the dress in time for your big event.

                                                                                                                                                  -dressesofgirl.com

Homecoming and Prom are right around the corner.  Want to find a dress that no one else has, but is still in your budget?  DressesOfGirl has hundreds of brand new styles for under $100.  You won't find deals like that at the Mall.  And with the money you save on your stunning dress, you can even get the perfect pair of heels to match.  DressesOfGirl has everything you need from head to toe for your special occasion needs.

Concerned about sizing and fit when shopping online?  Check out DressesOfGirl's quality guarantee.

We Make Luxury Affordable

Glamorous styling, dramatic silhouettes, and rich embroidery are what make dressesofgirl.com one of the most exciting and sought-after online shop. Despite the amazing-look dresses, our prices (most under $200) are a fraction of the price of similar designer dresses.

We do... Cut out the middleman and link you directly to designers and manufatures Save you 50%-80% on high street dress shops Use professional dress makers who worked with high street big names Deliver to your with UPS or DHL Build extra materials into dresses, to enable possible alternation                          -dressesofgirl.com

My Spring Wishlist

My Spring wishlist is super long, but to save us all time, I'll narrow it down to the must-haves:

Off-Shoulder Top

We saw off the shoulder tops emerge last summer.  I was a bit weary to jump on the trend, because it's exclusively a Spring/Summer look, but seeing that it's here to stay, I MUST have one.  A couple tips to styling an off-shoulder top, (1) Pair a more loose fitting off-shoulder top with slim-fitting bottoms, and (2) Invest in a comfortable and supportive strapless bra, so you can wear this look all season long.

Fruit Inspired Accessories

Anyone who knows me, knows why I selected a cherry printed bag.  I've had a thing for cherries since High School.  I even have cherries tattooed to my hip.  Hard-core cherry fan.  Luckily, cherries, pineapple, watermelon, whatever fruit you like is all the rage for Spring.  You'll see me with cherry earrings, shoes, bags, clothes...  One tip to styling fruit inspired pieces is to stick to one fruit at a time.  Fruit salad isn't in, just yet. 

Raw Hem Denim

Whether it's a denim skirt, shorts or pants, a raw hem is everything this Spring.  Don't invest a lot into this trend.  It's likely to be short-lived, but an absolute must-have for the season.  You can always make your own raw hem by cutting the sewn hem off your favorite denim or even removing the stitches and letting the hem hang down raw.  Just wash your raw hem denim a few times and voila.

Mules

Mules are another trend that I had to give a moment to make sure they were going to stick around.  I wasn't sure I loved the trend until I saw peep-toe high-heel mules.  Now that's sexy.  The best part of wearing mules is that they're easy to slide on and off, but an added bonus is that they go with everything.  Cropped denim?  Yes.  Sexy cocktail dress?  Heck yes.  Yoga pants?  No.  Sorry, mules go with everything but yoga pants.  

Drop Waist Dress

The world's most figure flattering dress, the drop waist.  Get one.  Love it.  Get more.  Done.

Choker

Chokers took the 90's by storm and they're back.  Like, all they way back.  I have an insanely long neck, so a choker always looks right, but if you don't resemble a giraffe like me, be sure to wear your choker only with tops that show enough skin to not interfere or overlap your necklace.  Also, wearing your choker too tight will literally choke you.  Don't do it.  Wearing it too loose, the choker will turn around all day.  Find a choker that fits your neck just right.

All the pieces featured above are from Shein.  Click on the image to see their amazing prices and selection.

90's Fashion is Back

Ten years ago, if you asked me if 90's fashion would ever come back I would have said, "there's no way".  No way "Mom jeans" and acid wash, chokers and baby tees or lug sole shoes and satin dresses are EVER going to re-emerge in the fashion world.  Obviously, I don't know shit.  Because all of it is back.  Not just back, but like, exactly how I wore it as a young girl.  I should have known when my mom always told me, "I can't believe that is back in style.  I used to have those exact same jeans", that every decade is going to make a comeback at some point.

A couple of my favorite looks from the 90's were school-girl skirts with over-the-knee socks, AND layering a dress or tank over a baby tee.  Think Clueless, and you've nailed it.  Normally, this is where I'd suggest making alterations to the original 90's fashion to make it more current, but not much has changed.  For those of you who were not fortunate enough to experience this fashion trend the first time, I'll give you a quick run-down of do's and don'ts that will keep your look fun and age appropriate.

Do layer a satin or velour dress over a baby tee or under a jacket.  Despite the midriff baring trend, showing too much skin is a definite don't.  Just like in current fashion, the 90's were all about a balance of tight and loose fitting clothing, along with contrasting silhouettes.  Balance a mid-length dress with a bootie, or close the leg gap on a short hem with over-the-knee socks.  A chunky lug sole shoe is easy to walk in and brings the height of your heel even higher.  With snow still being on the ground here in Maine, having a waterproof shoe that grips is a function and fashion DO.

There are several advantages to layering a baby tee or turtleneck under a top/dress with spaghetti straps.  First of all, it's super cute, but also showing bra straps is a big don't.  I find a bra with straps to be much more comfortable and supportive compared to a strapless.  Not having to worry about your bra straps peaking out or constantly adjusting your strapless bra, because you're covered, is awesome.  The layered baby tee is definitely a 90's trend that I hope sticks around.  Be sure to balance your baby tee with a less fitted layering piece.  Luckily the tight on tight trend has not reemerged.  

  

A choker and some dark matte lipstick and you're ready to bring the 90's back to 2017.  Keep your look grown-up with appropriately fitted layering pieces and keep your colors rich.  Florescent is for the kids.  Although it's officially Spring, lug soles and layering pieces are still necessary.  There's such a feeling of nostalgia when you bring a trend back to your current look.  I'm loving it all.  Bring it on, 90's!

Faux Leather Jacket: Target (old)

Gold Satin Midi Dress: H&M (old)

Lug Sole Booties: Steve Madden

Baby Tee: H&M (old)

Blue Satin Slip Dress: H&M

Black Choker: Forever21

Milly Bridal UK

Milly Bridal UK

Sometimes we overthink things.  They can be as simple as what to wear or as complicated as someone's well-being.  I've laid in bed late at night overthinking both.  Should I tell her that her husband is cheating?  Should I wear a pantsuit or a cocktail dress?  Of course one deserves more thought than the other, but when you just don't know the answer... things can get really complicated.  I can't help you with the deep stuff, but I have a solution to your fashion dilemma.  Don't overthink it.  Just go to Millybridal UK for all your dressed up looks, for less. 

One Stop Dress Shop

Millybridal UK offers a range of beautiful wedding dresses, elegant bridesmaid dresses, matching shoes and exquisite accessories for brides. All the dresses are fine-designed and made from high quality fabric. With unbeatable low prices, you will not go bank-broke if shopping here

Excellent Customer Service

Behind Millybridal UK is an amazing team of real, live specialists who are happy to handle any issue you may have. The customer service is always ready to solve the problems you may come up, so feel free to contact us when you need help.

Vision & Value

Millybridal UK offers ethereal, classic and fashion-forward wedding attires that match your figure and personality. We aim to keep the prices low, so that every bride can afford the dress she's been dreaming of. Your satisfaction is our ultimate goal!

Ten years ago, princess wedding dresses were all the rage.  For a while, princess took a back seat to the sexier mermaid style, but are now making a comeback for 2017.  Not sure which style dress is best for you?  Millybridal UK offers a way to determine which silhouette and neckline look best on your body-type.  From the size train to the length veil.  They offer a full range of bridal and special occasion accessories.  Don't overthink it.  Whether you're attending a formal event, prom or getting married, visit Millybridal UK for an incredible selection at an affordable price.  

Millybridal is a professional wedding & events dress design and manufacturing company located in China. Mr. Feng Yu, the company founder, is a USA Certified Public Accountant, who lived in the US and in Canada for several years, and moved back to China to establish millybridal in 2003.

Mr. Feng started millybridal with a basic idea of helping the bride, not the middleman. After hearing lots of friends and family members complaining about high cost of wedding attires in US, Mr. Feng established millybridal soon after his own wedding. With the hope of offering brides dream wedding dresses without bank-breaking price, the company soon gained popularity.

After a few successful years in the local and Asian market, millybridal expanded and started selling their top-quality dresses worldwide, mostly in Europe, American Australia and etc.

millybridal Europe,US represents millybridal in Netherlands, Atlanta and is dedicated to serve European and North American brides who want their dream wedding gown, custom made to their order and size, at a fraction of the price of similar or lower quality dresses.

millybridal aims to make it as easy and hassle-free as possible for the brides-to-be to order their dream wedding dresses, by offering superior products, the best prices possible, excellent and quick customer care, and pricing in$ € or ￡ which always includes shipping so there are no hidden costs or surprises. Import tax is not included but more often than not our brides are not charged ANY import taxes when receiving their dresses.

millybridal wedding dress is an embodiment of dignity, elegance and fashion. From rich style with magnificent lace to the simple and natural pure style, every bride-to-be could find her dream dress for her wedding day.

If you have any question or would like more information, please email us at service@millybridal.org.