Fabric, Frills + Lace

Before you go off and buy some self-tan lotion, here's a few tips on wearing off-the-shoulder tops (and other summer trends). White OTS Top, Tokyo, Green Lace Bralette, Francessca's, Embroidered Denim Skirt, Zara, Tan Handbag, Coach, White Sandals, Jack Rogers Summer is here and that means that the colorful trends of the season have arrived. One of the summer trends of 2017 is the off-the-shoulder top. You've probably seen the covetable style at trendy stores like Zara and H&M, but you might be surprised to know that the style is actually two years old. When I was in Tokyo two years ago, the off-the-shoulder top was a huge hit. Every store was selling some version of the OTS top. Now, I'm not saying that Tokyo invented the trend and the U.S. stole it. Instead, I'd like to propose that the OTS is a classic summer staple--one undisturbed by time and place. I didn't want to buy an OTS until I felt much more comfortable with my hairy arms and shoulder...

In case it wasn't obvious, I'm relatively young for the work force. At 22 I'm torn between wearing my favorite trendy and affordable outfits from Forever 21 and that mature A-line dress from the Banana Republic. The modern day office is a tricky environment to navigate. So for this week, I'm going to be doing a series of posts focused on adulting in the workplace. For my first outfit of the week, I choose to rock the classic work staple, the blazer. The first blazer I ever bought was a bright tropical orange. It came equipped with a single clasp instead of buttons and had no room for trivial things like pockets. I wore to school--sometimes--when I wanted to look extra smart. Once college started the blazer did not follow me off to Massachusetts; it earned a permanent spot in the back of my closet. Then senior year began as did a horrible series of unpleasant job interviews. Yet, I was without a blazer. Concerned, my mother took me to H&M where I bought two bl...

Provocative as this title might sound, I try to keep everything PG at the office. I'm lucky that the dress code at the non-profit I work for is business-casual (a complicated term that I'm still trying to define). I've taken the suggested dress code to mean that I can still experiment with cute fashion trends without selling my soul to corporate culture. Case-in-point, I showed up to work in a slip dress. Now for those who have somehow messed the retro-90's fashion trends that have slowly taken over social media, the slip dress was a 90's statement that graced the slim bodies of models like Kate Moss. The look was elegant evening wear that reminded everyone of nocturnal activities. Not exactly work appropriate. My favorite example of the slip dress comes from Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30. The confused actress shows up to work in nothing but her night wear and a fashionable coat. Of course, in Hollywood a woman can get away with this, but what about tho...

For some of us, this might not be news. High-Waisted jeans, shorts, and bathing suit bottoms have been a long time trend and occasional style staple for the fashionista—especially if you rock vintage looks. But, I have to be honest. Sometimes I wonder if high-waisted mom jeans on a pear-shaped-wide-hipped-woman (like myself) are a good look. Sure on a tall and thin model, the high-waisted jeans emphasize what I like to call the ideal ‘hip-to-thigh ratio,’ making them look not too feminine but not too masculine—perfect androgyny. There’s no mistaking my feminine figure. Now I love my body—thunder thighs and all—but the worst feeling is when you don’t feel as if your clothes flatter your natural shape. After all, you spent hard-earned cash on them; they should fit your body shape, not the other way around. Sometimes we fashion pioneers feel think this means we have to avoid certain styles. Short girls beware the maxi dress that makes you look like a child; only the flat che...