Guest Posting and Shoe Gushing

Earlier this week I was privileged enough to guest post for the lovely ladies at Paper Moss. Tuesday is always Shoesday on their blog, and they let me gush over a fabulous budget-friendly take on a gorgeous designer shoe. What was it? Visit to find out. One clue. Well, the original designer rhymes with papel (Spanish for paper) and here's the wallet friendly take. That was two.

Menswear Moment

[Blouse: J.Crew factory; Pants: Gap (old); Necklace: J.Crew factory; Shoes: Sperry; Sunglasses: Ray-Ban; Earrings: BaubleBar; Nails: Essie Lilacism; Ring: Old Navy]

I wouldn't say my style is man-repelling, but more man-admiring. Meaning, I love taking a menswear approach to how I dress. Flat shoes? Yes please. Button downs? Yup. Straight, tailored pants? Uh-huh. Before you call me crazy, taket at look at this, this, or this and tell me how chic it looks.  So, you can imagine how happy I was when the #StyleMeAugust prompt a couple weeks ago was Menswear Moment. 

I'm also trying to get some serious wear out of my Sperrys before Labor Day hits. Boat shoes don't exactly scream fall and winter, do they? Unless they're made of fur or flannel, which I haven't seen yet. Sperry, are you listening? Get on that. 

All photos by Mikhail Glabets

Hi-lo Stripes

Dress: Asos; Necklace: J.Crew factory; Shoes: Payless (old); Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

I wasn't sure that the high-low trend was for me, but then I came across this lovely dress on Asos. The floaty shape and the bright candy colors were too much to resist. I had been saving this frock for my dear friend's bridal shower, which we held this weekend. A happy dress for a very happy occasion (please pardon the band-aid).

All photos by Mikhail Glabets

Power Blouse

[Top: Crossroads Trading Co.; Shorts: Forever 21; Sunglasses: Ray-Ban; Shoes: Thrifted from Goodwill; Bracelets: SoWa Vintage]

I get that the Olympics are over, but red, white, and blue outfits should never be. I wore this getup to lunch with my family, and my mom, never one to miss an opportunity for a fashion history lesson, informed me that the blouse with the built-in neck tie was the ultimate top to go under an 80's power suit. Bring on the big shoulder pads.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets

Comfy Chic

[Pants: Banana Republic outlet (old, last seen here); Top: Barney's New York outlet (old, last seen here); Sandals: Madewell; Necklace: J.Crew factory, recent]

I am not ready to kiss summer and its cute clothing goodbye yet, so I have been gravitating toward white pants lately. Here I paired it with a top I love for its versatility. It can go casual (with jeans or leggings) or dressy (with patterned tights and heels), and work during warm weather (with light floaty pants), and cold (with more chunky knits layered on and finished off with boots). I admit, the jagged shape threw me off when I first got it as a gift, but it's been a wardrobe ace.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets 

Airline Chic

[Blazer: Forever 21; Top: J.Crew factory (old; last seen here); Shorts: DIY cutoffs from old J.Crew toothpick jeans; Flats: Old Navy; Necklace: Forever 21]

Gotta love some good ol' Pinterest inspiration. (I refuse to call it Pinspiration—it looks/sounds like perspiration.)

I always thought loose-fitting navy blazers were just a one neck tie shy of an airline counter attendant uniform. Then I saw this amazing shot of Style.com market director Marina Larroudè on Pinterest. Weeks later I somehow ended up in Forever 21 (shocking, I'm never there), saw this baby on the rack, and threw it on over my floral top and cutoff shorts.  A fabulous street style look replicated for fast-fashion and DIY prices. You can call it an impulse buy; I call it a classic piece on the cheap. And the perfect transition item: great with shorts and white jeans in the summer, and can totally work over long-sleeve tops, print blouses, and knit dresses in the fall and (no, please not yet) winter.

My most recent outfit was a transition from my stripes kick (or obsession), to a floral one. I think this one will be a bit more short lived than the last, though.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets 

A Floral Touch

[Dress: Forever 21 (earlier this year); Scarf: Forever 21 (old but cool options here); Rings: Forever 21 (different color left); Earrings: Forever 21; Sandals: Madewell]

This scarf has been my favorite last-minute chic accessory for the last four years. It transforms a basic white t-shirt and jeans, and spices up an already bold, bright dress.

[All photos by Mikhail Glabets] 

Simple

[Dress: Cynthia Rowley via T.J. Maxx; Shoes: Old Navy; Necklace: J.Crew factory (recent); Sunglasses: Ray-Ban]

Navy just might be my favorite color to pair neon with. (Evidence here, here, and here).

I giggled when I saw "Bond Girl Confidence" as the #StyleMeAugust prompt this week.  I figured a slightly stretchy, form-fitting dress was the best chance I got.  And Bond girls totally wear neon, right? Minimal accessories, too. Either way, I felt cool, comfy, and chic despite the sweltering heat and humidity this week. Still not ready for it to end, though.

[All photos by Mikhail Glabets] 

Things Inspiring Me Lately

Uh Oh. It's about to get sentimental in here. But really, when your blog photographer (husband) is a wedding photographer and it's the middle of his busy season, it's just not fair to ask him to shoot and edit outfit photos at the pace he used to. I regret that it leaves me with a sparser blog lately, but I'd like to see Mikhail get some sleep :).

But, I don't want to go dark here. So without further ado, here are three articles/posts/ideas that I've found to be inspiring reads in the last week. And I'll be back with an outfit soon.

1. "Techies Break a Fashion Taboo." The New York Times

It's all about women tech executives in Silicon Valley boldly embracing their fashion sense. I write about tech, work in an area with thousands of others people who work in tech, and always struggle with exactly how much of my fashion-loving self I can show at the office. I was just talking to someone about the fact that being dressed up in Silicon Valley makes you look like a not-so-serious entreprenuer, and then came back to my desk and saw this gem.

Granted, the brands mentioned in the wardrobes of these Silicon Valley power ladies are ones I will never be able to afford, but I love the sentiments expressed here. That actually paying attention to and caring about how you dress doesn't make you any less serious or qualified as a business person. It's shocking that this needs to be spelled out, but really, it does. This quote is my favorite: “It’s possible to hold your femininity and love of fashion... Now I feel not at all at risk that people would say, ‘How can she care about dressing well and run a billion-dollar company or be smart?’ ”

2. "33." Erin Gates of Elements of Style

Erin only recently came onto my radar, thanks to an awesome interview in The Everygirl that tracked her career trajectory and how she came to starting her own interior design business. I pretty much immediately considered her a rockstar. She started blogging in 2007 (pretty early on in the game), built a wonderful audience, and leveraged that to start her own interior decorating business. Her 33rd-birthday post this week talks about her experience not being a mother yet while all the friends around her are. Is it creepy that this inspires me? I find it inspiring because she is honest and open about a challenge in her life, and an area where she struggles with comparison and gets all sorts of mixed advice. I love how her post is honest about this challenge, but also brings in valuable perspective and patience: "Something in me feels like when the time is right, it’ll happen."

3. "for me. because of you." Jessica of How Sweet Eats

If I could even pick a favorite blogger, I think it would be Jessica. Yes, I get that my own blog hinges on personal style and I subscribe to maybe 50-something fashion bloggers in my Google Reader, but this is really my first love. Not only does she post the most delicious food ever, but she tells everything with such drama and stream-of-consciousness hilarity that the recipes are just so fun to read. Oh, and my family and in-laws especially think I am an amazing cook, and it's all because I pull recipes from her blog. Blueberry donuts? Brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies? Baked buffalo chicken pasta? Oh my gosh.

Jessica posted a while back about how as a child all she wanted to do was write, that she spent hours in her off-time writing, but then high school came and she became too cool for it.  Years later, after leaving her personal trainer career for another job that she hated so much she quit and focused on the blog full time, she is yearning to write again. And she's pretty awesome at it, per her blog. I how raw and real her desire is: "I WANT TO WRITE SO BADLY I FEEL LIKE I COULD EXPLODE. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted something so badly in my entire life."

Well, I can relate. All through middle school and most of high school I dreamed of being a fashion designer. I had a big art pad that I would draw misshapen figures wearing fabulous, Oscar-style gowns in, and I would spend my spare time watching runway and makeover shows on the Style Network (yes, you have permission to laugh). High school went on and I got too distracted to take the sewing and art classes that would be really beneficial in applying to fashion design school, and I decided (at the suggestion of some family) to pursue journalism, because I was very good in writing and language classes. I don't regret that decision because it brought me to Boston and brought lots of amazing people into my life as a result, and writing as my job is truly awesome, but I often wonder what it would be like to work in the fashion world. I think I would have loved to be a fashion stylist. This is why I play dress up in my own closet. It's why I started this blog. And I can't even explain about how happy it makes me happy lately when friends text me telling me about their Forever 21 hauls, or when they ask me what colors to wear together or how to accessorize an outfit for a special occasion. I feel like it's given me this little outlet for doing something I've always wanted to do. I know this is small-time stuff, but it has brought me so much joy. So, thank you all.

Guest Posting: Party Looks

Here's a snippet from a guest post I did last week for Kimberlee over at I Have A Degree In This

...Summer equals cute dress season in my mind. Boston's weather really limits me to jeans, boots, sweaters, and scarves for most of the year, so I take every chance I get during these warm months to sport a short, swingy, patterned, or just plain fun dress.

Because it's been so hot and humid lately, I like to make a statement with the dress as much as I possibly can, and leave the accessorizing and layering to a minimum. This dress is one of my favorite examples. The bright color and detailed neckline don't need much accessorizing at all. I actually wore this to the office one day, but I've also taken it for a spin for social events like a friend's bridal shower two summers ago (yes, this baby is old).

I rounded up some of my favorite types of simple-but-statement-making dresses, mostly drawn from my favorite cheap chic stores (Forever21, Asos, and Dorothy Perkins, which I have yet to buy from but absolutely love to browse).

Clockwise from the top left: One/ Two/ Three/ Four/ Five/ Six

Why six dresses you ask? Well because birthdays should be-week long affairs, and I'm leaving the seventh day up to you to figure out.  (Plus six looked best laid out like this :).) As you can see, I love the shift dress shape! It's simple and sexy and can handle a bold color, pattern, texture, or embellishment. Dresses 2 and 3 have really fabulous low backs and cutouts—a detail that's too risky for the office, but perfect for a celebratory look. I'm also big fan of swingy skirts and fun stripes. I actually have Dress #6 in my closet and am planning on taking it for a birthday spin. I wasn't too sure about the high-low shape that's been big this season, but the stripes come in my favorite colors and the rest of the dress is so cute and classic, I couldn't resist.  

Finish these off with some bright studs or chandeliers (BaubleBar is my favorite source for those), classic espadrilles or peep toe heels, and fun nails (I've been rotating Essie's Turquoise & Caicos, Tart Deco, and Lilacism all summer long). 

Nautical Blush

[Dress: H&M, earlier this year; Jacket: Forever 21; Shoes: Zara; Necklace: H&M; Earrings & Ring: Forever 21;] 

The shape of this dress is oh-so-girly, so I paired it with the more dude-like jacket (minus the shiny pink-ness of it, of course). We took these photos minutes before last Saturday's downpour began, so I was quickly back home and in comfies, ready for a night of Mexican food and movies with family that was visiting. Happy weekend, all! Don't melt.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets

Almost Peplum

[Top: Forever 21 (last year); Jeans: Gap; Necklace: Banana Republic outlet (old); Wedges: Thrifted at Goodwill; Ring: Old Navy; Bangles: SoWaVintage; Nails: Essie Turquoise & Caicos]

This is the closest to peplum you'll ever see me wearing. I've resisted buying a top in the ultra-trendy shape for fear that it would cut my already-too-short torso in half. But this bubble shirt was a buy for vacation last year and was perfect for pool and beachside covering up. I paired it with jeans and wedges to work for daytime. It mimics the peplum fit-and-flair shape while giving my torso the length it needs. Dress for your body top, people. Your awkward proportions will thank you for it.

On another note, Mikhail and I discovered this awesome historic house just a street over from ours. It's pretty as a photo backdrop, and pretty secluded from onlookers. My perfect picture setting! Happy August! 

All photos by Mikhail Glabets