A Step Above: How to Wear Heeled Sandals

I have always been an advocate for the “oh this outfit? I just threw it together, no biggie” look. I like when your clothes look effortlessly put together, even if it really took your 45 minutes to perfect it.

Three simple rules are all I follow:

1. Don’t over accessorize

2. Less is more

3. When in doubt, black is best choice.

From staring at my closet for an hour and a half not knowing what to wear to having under 15 minutes to get out the door, these rules have led me to success on many occasions. Despite this, they have also led me away from a variety of pieces and accessories, including heeled sandals.

This is one shoe I avidly avoided. Who needed a slight, two-inch heel? It didn’t make sense. Either be five inches tall, a solid wedge or completely flat. The in-between felt like it was trying too hard. This spring though, I have come to love heeled sandals. In the right styles and colors, they add a level of chicness to any daytime look or an element of casual to any night outfit. With cuffs at the ankles, multiple buckles, color blocking or studs, these baby heels are taking spring wardrobes to the next step.

 

 

Still not convinced? Here are my favorite things to wear with heeled sandals:

• Distressed denim shorts: High waisted or hip huggers, a loose pair of distressed denim paired with a graphic T-shirt and a patterned blazer is the perfect day look.
• Loose sundress: Dress up a loose frock with a little bit of heel height. Pick dresses in bright colors and styles that only hug your chest for the ultimate feminine touch.
• Dropped hem skirt: Tight around the toosh with a ruffle dropped below. Paired with a crop top or tank top, this look gives the ideal flirtatious, playful attitude.
• Asymmetrical skort: The bold, Zara-inspired envelope skirts killed it this past fall with heeled booties. Continue the look with a white or patterned skort and heeled sandals. Similar effect, but a more summery vibe.

The key? Play with loose silhouettes and shorter garments. The small heel with slim and lengthen your legs without the pain of a higher heel.

 

Collage links: Zara, Lulu’s, Isabel Marant, Steve Madden

5 Essentials for Spring

 

This has been quite the dreary and never-ending winter. With abnormally cold temperatures and wintery mixed precipitation, it has been difficult to kiss our parkas goodbye and bid spring a warm welcome.

Usher in this spring with bold floral prints and feminine silhouettes because 2014 is all about the girly-girl in you. Not sure where to start? Here are five essentials for this spring:

1. White sleeveless blouse from H&M, 2. Floral skirt from Lulu’s, 3. Red fringe tote from Zara, 4. Steve Madden red heels, 5. Paul & Joe Patterned drawstring shorts from Net-A-Porter

1. White blouses with high collars– Button-up those blouses to the top button; this spring it is all about the neckline. Tucked into a floral pencil skirt or high-waisted work trousers, this modern, crisp blouse is the perfect staple for your spring closet. White blouses can have the office, up-tight stigma but you can dodge this by picking studded collars or accessorizing with a bold statement necklace.

2. Fuller skirts – Ditch the tight, body-con skirts and accentuate your waist with a fuller, flowing skirt. Modernize the shape with a tighter crop top or a day-time bustier. These skirts are the best in floral patterns or pastel colors.

3. Fringe bags– Don’t worry, these bags are not comparable to hippie sacks from the 70’s. In bold jeweled tone hues or your basic neutrals, this fringe adds texture and character to any look. Selecting rectangular or square shaped bags will also help you avoid the vintage, rounded sack look.

4. Ankle-strapped heels– Give your feet a break and steer clear of mile-high pumps. This season it is easy to achieve a girly, feminine it look with a shorter heel, an ankle strap and a playful color.

5. Drawstring shorts– This spring is all about the sporty-chic, but that doesn’t mean you have to resort to gym shorts and Nike sneakers. Similar sleek looks can be accomplished with looser shorts detailed with a drawstring waist band. Floral or geometric prints, pastel colors and suede or cotton materials will give the look the necessary feminine, warm attitude. Paired with a graphic t-shirt or a basic tank and you’re ready for a day out and about.

Mindy Kaling : Subscription to Beauty

The amount of love I have for this woman is treading dangerously close to obsession. Let’s just get that out there right off the bat.

It wasn’t until this year that I began to struggle with my weight, and that has a lot to do with the fact that I was living with my boyfriend – pizza and ramen were staples in our diet. When I say struggle, I mean that for the first time in my life, I couldn’t down an entire pizza and cheesy bread without bloating. The struggle was real. My metabolism had finally leveled out with my age and now I was paying for all those late night TacoBell runs.

But here’s the thing – at least I don’t have to subject myself to the aggressive commentary of the public (just my mother’s judgmental eyes when I go for that second baked potato). For those of you who are familiar with Mindy Kaling, you know that she is outrageously funny. After Elle used a cropped image of her for their cover rather than the full body shot it used for other cover-girls, Kaling became a pioneer for those women who didn’t fit the super-skinny stereotype.

Kaling never expected to become a role model or ground-breaking woman in Hollywood. Watch this segment of her interview with Jimmy Kimmel and see how she feels about the new coverage:

 

So basically, good ol’ Mindy is one kick-ass woman. She made some really incredible points in her interview with Jimmy, and I think she is spot on. She is a NORMAL woman. She cares about how she looks. She enjoys experimenting with fashion trends. She looks for relationships. She has a sense of self-confidence, but she is still prone to insecurities. Just because she is not shamed into a corner for not looking like the vast majority of her colleagues does not by any means imply that she is immune to the commentary – backhanded or not. Kaling is simply allowing herself to be herself with no intention of becoming a hero to anyone – though if she becomes one along the way, she certainly wont complain.

6 Things Twenty-Somethings Want For Their Birthday’s

As we grow up, sometimes it’s harder to think of good presents for those around us, or harder for our parents, siblings and family to figure out what exactly it is that we really want. In honor of our co-founder Amanda’s birthday today, we decided to clear the air about six things that twenty-somethings actually want for their birthdays. Go forth and gift.

1. Money

That’s right, cat’s out of the bag. We want money. We are broke around 90% of the time; and you may think that it isn’t a “fun gift”, but honestly, we don’t care. There is always something that we have had our eye on, and we will use that money to get it. No one knows us better than we know ourselves.

2. Designer Life Planners

A life planner. Another fact- most of us are severely over-committed. We would love a Lilly Pulitzer, or Erin Condren life planner to help us keep track of everything on our very full plates. We love sitting down with a multi-colored pack of pens to write in our various assignments, work trips, meetings, days off, and birthdays (there are even color-coded stickers). Very few things are more satisfying than knowing your week is organized and ready to be tackled.

3. Fun Wine Glasses & Wine

These are both classics. From the time we turn twenty-one (and maybe beforehand), we love to receive these on our birthdays. Going through our twenties there are different ways we interact with them. Yes, we may stick a straw in the bottle and call it a day at 21 and 22, but at 25 we may have two glasses with girlfriends before heading out on the town, and at 28 we may use it to create a romantic evening with a loved one, or drink a glass after a crazy work day. The fact is, wine and beautiful wine glasses are an essential part of our twenties.

4. Accessories

Nail Polish, a killer ring, a cute headband, a good watch, a funky pair of earrings. Accessories are the most fun you can have without taking your clothes off. Okay, that isn’t true, but they definitely can spice up an outfit. The most mundane of work day clothes can be brightened and make personal by adding the perfect accessory, and we are always looking. So if you spot one, share it with us.

5. Magazine Subscriptions

This is something that I received as a gift this past year, and I love it. How many times are we temped at the store to buy that People or InStyle? If you are like me it is basically every time we see a new cover. However, it can get expensive, and back to number 1 – we are mostly poor this decade. A subscription service to your favorite two magazines is surprisingly affordable. You can give a People Magazine subscription for around $2.00 an issue, and and a year of InStyle costs around $1.50 an issue.

6. A Beauty Box

For me, BirchBox is the first one that comes to mind. But there are many other options, such as Sample Society, GlossyBox, Ipsy, Beauty Army, and Goode Box. These are great for many reasons, you can pick a service that matches your price range, and you can chose either test or full sized samples. The recipient gets to try samples of make up from companies they may not otherwise have tried, and can find new go to shades to purchase moving forward.

Nailed It! Spring 2014 Edition

Confession: I bite my nails. My total inability to grow my nails past my fingertips has resulted in an all too consuming obsession with nail polish and nail art. Twisted, right? Well, lucky for y’all, I have compiled all the latest trends for your enjoyment. Pictures for you to pull up when you’re out with your girls getting mani – pedis OR drool over with unnecessary longing:

Spring 2014 Colors

 

Spring 2014 Designs 

Chevron Tips –

Glitter Ombre –

Nature’s Best – 

 

Oil Shine –

Bright White –

Nude –

Half Moons –

Metallic –

Diagonal French –

Gold Accents –

So there you have it! A perfect guide for the spring. Please do not follow my lead and destroy your nail beds. I am forever lusting after the long, glamorous nails of my friends, and painfully enduring the tsk tsk-ing of the manicurists who are so unfortunate enough as to have me as their client. Therefore, I will continue to dream and live vicariously through your exquisite nail art!

Spring 2014 Fashion Trends

It’s officially spring! Now that warmer weather is here to stay, my online shopping time has increased exponentially. I’ve been so excited for the roll-down-the-windows weather that I’ve been preparing by spending way too much time browsing online selections. And watching Netflix.
Thanks to Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, and InStyle Magazine, I was able to quickly find inspiration by researching the Spring 2014 top trends. Although you may be thinking ahead to summer wear, keep in mind some of these current fads.

Long Skirts

Across the board, longer skirts are what a lot of people are wanting to wear right now. From thin, beachy material to business wear, skirts that are longer than the knees are in.

Pastels

One of the top spring trends every year is to wear bright and vibrant pastels. Pastels can be paired with neutrals fairly easily, so you can mix and match all spring long.

Crop Tops

Surprisingly enough, crop tops are still very popular. Many celebrities have gotten credit for their red carpet style wear by pairing a crop top with a high-waisted skirt or trousers. Although I probably would not be able to rock a crop top like Diane Kruger, I still love this trend.

For more ideas of how to wear your crop top, you can go to this article from Huffington Post.

Nice Shirts

Pressed work shirts are in, as well as button downs. White button-downs are also wonderful for springtime, as they can be mixed and matched with many different colors and styles.

Holographic

This is one of my favorite trends from this year’s spring “it list.” Holographic and shiny metallic clothes and accessories are in, which you can pair with neutrals/pastels or neon if you’re daring enough. These may be a little bit more difficult to find, but ASOS has a whole section dedicated to this trend if you’re interested.

Sheer/Lace Apparel

Slightly to very sheer tops and bottoms are trending this spring and will be cool enough for summertime. Wear with more layers during the spring and then pair with a bathing suit for summer!

Signature Scent

When I was about four-years-old, I drank a bottle of my dad’s cologne. I had taken if off of the counter in my parents bathroom while they were unsuspectingly running me a bath – I’ve been looking for the perfect scent ever since.

After this incident, my scent usage was strictly monitored, but still enjoyed immensely. I, like many little girls, loved to play with my mothers makeup growing up. There was something so awe-inducing about reaching into my dress-up bin, pulling out some sort of princess dress, and putting on makeup. It was almost like I was an adult. Slipping into my mom’s way-too-big Jimmy Choos and tripping through the house with makeup that resembled that of a clown, I felt on top of the world. Little did I know that picking out the fragrance for me would be so difficult in later years.

The world, and mall, is full of perfumes. Different brands, different seasons, different marketing tricks and bottles. How the heck is a girl supposed to figure out which scent “embodies her” (a line once given to me by an enthusiastic Ed Hardy saleswomen – I think not.).

After wading through clouds of perfume, I decided upon my three – yep that’s right three- scents. There is no scent that strictly embodies my personality. Sometimes, to the shock and horror of many a salesperson, I switch between five perfumes. I do have favorites though, as I expect many of you do – and I’ll let you in on the secret of what they are…

1. Chanel No. 5

An oldie but a goodie. This scent makes me feel powerful, and there is nothing better than starting the day feeling like you can take on the world.

2. Miss Dior (Cherie)

Light, soft, flowery, slightly sweet but not overwhelming – it is perfection in a beautiful bottle.

3. Juicy Couture

A great friend gave this to my for my high school graduation, and I love it. Sometimes people know your scent better than you do.

So ladies, there may not be one signature scent for you, but I bet there are a few. It may take time, sometime even years, to track down the right ones, the perfect fits, but they are there – hiding one test station over at the mall.

5 Ways to Wear Radiant Orchid

2014 is the year of Radiant Orchid according to Pantone.

A gorgeous shade of purple, this color embodies the beautiful feelings and colors of spring. The question is – How can I work this color into my wardrobe?

1. Nails

For the color shy, when you just want to test it out or brighten up an otherwise colorless outfit, your nails can be the way to go. Personally, having my nails done and looking good always makes me feel brighter. Try a nail lacquer for that gel like finish that will keep the chips at bay.

2. Lips

Taking a cue from stars like Lipita Nyong’o, take this bold color for a test run on your lips. You never know, this may be your new favorite hue.

3. Purses

Who doesn’t love the perfect bag? Especially now that we are all lusting after spring weather, sunshine, blooming flowers, and bright colors. One thing that I love about bag purchases is that you can transition them from season to season, and pair them with multitudes of outfits. This bag may be in the color of the year for 2014 – but next year you may need a pop of color to brighten up an all black outfit for work – and bam, this bag will come to the rescue.

4. Shoes

Yesterday I was window shopping in Neiman Marcus (because, lets be real, their things are out of my price range) and there were pairs upon pairs of gorgeous radiant orchid shoes from the likes of Jimmy Choo, Giuseppe Zanotti, Manolo Blahnik and more. Get in my closet? Luckily for those of us on an entry level salary there are many affordable options.

5. Jeans

For the past few years colorful spring jeans have been on everyone’s mind and body. This year try spicing it up with a radiant orchid pair and a white tee. Simple, classic, and still on trend.