Maxi-mize Your Style

A look not for the faint of heart. Take a maxi skirt to a glamorous level in winter white. Play with proportion by wearing a long sweater in a complimenting neutral like nude or cream. Keep the shoes easy, like these white cut-out flats. Take it to the next level by wearing a faux-fur coat, one of the seasons top trends. It will take the maxi skirt trend into evening wear. 

Crewnecks & Scoopnecks by BB Dakota

Maxi-mize Your Style

All over fall runways, maxi skirts were making an appearance. Above we see a lovely printed maxi skirt at Tibi, a luxe white skirt at Reed Krakoff, a long thick sweater over a preppy, yet ethereal camel skirt at Richard Chai, and an all gray ensemble at Michael Kors. While these are definitely runway looks, there is a way to integrate maxi skirts into your day to day look. They add unexpected glamor to basic pieces. So here is the first installment of three ways to wear maxi skirts!

Pair a maxi skirt with simple separates to keep it chic - not over the top. A white tee shirt tucked in with a chain link belt, a buttery leather jacket, a black and silver bib necklace and black booties give this look polish while maintaining some edginess.

Longsleeve Tops by Charlotte Russe

Casual Fridays

A friend of mine made the point that she feels like she knows how to dress professionally for when she goes to work everyday, and formally for nice events, and then at the opposite end of the spectrum she feels comfortable in yoga pants and a sweatshirt. She feels as if she doesn't know how to look good while dressing "casually." Casual dressing just doesn't come naturally to her. Since most people work nine-to-five jobs, they wear professional dress Monday through Friday, so casual clothes are more associated with weekend dressing. Therefore, inspired by my good friend, I am going to start the Casual Friday series. Every Friday I will post a cute way to look casual, just in time for the weekend! Here is the first installment...

A way to look casual and cute is instead of wearing just an old tee shirt, get something that has a little something extra. Don't make the material fancy, like silk, but get something with ruffles, a fun print like on-trend leopard, or just like this one: an asymmetrical hem and long sleeves. I can't recommend scarves more highly - they are a great way to add some layering, a print, or a pop of color to an outfit. If you wear a top in a print, pick a solid scarf, and vice versa. So pair this trapeze top with distressed skinny jeans, a printed eternity scarf, flats or Rainbows, aviators, and a quilted chain bag. Casual success!

Sandals at Nordstrom

Dear, Santa

My birthday is November 30th. Therefore, this is about the time I make my birthday list, and since I have presents on the mind, I blow right through my birthday and work on my Christmas list as well.

Christmas is absolutely my favorite time of year. I have to fight the urge to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, and the minute December 1st rolls around I set my radio to the two local stations that play nonstop Christmas music. The day after Thanksgiving we buy our tree, and my father and I always put the lights on. Now this is not an average light decorating that my father and I take on. I believe there are about 1,000 bulbs on the tree once we get done - yes, we wrap the trunk twice and each branch individually with light. We fill our home with holiday candles, ornaments and lights. I can't wait.

I will be blogging my Christmas list in several segments, and explaining how I plan to wear the things I hope that Santa will bring me. Perhaps you will add some things to your list too!

Not only do I enjoy stalking the fashion shows, celebrities' and models' styles, and ten or so shopping websites I look at on a day-to-day basis, but I love to read about fashion. Specifically about personal style. 

Personal style is such an interesting term. It means you have style, but it is somehow individualized. I think most of us girls are in the search for our perfect personal style. Mine has evolved many times over the years. In high school, I was your classic Blair Waldorf prepster, but I soon found that too stuffy and I now define my style as mainly classic Americana with a touch of feminine and edginess thrown in when the right trend comes along - picture more of a Lauren Conrad or Rachel Bilson. I would spend days pouring over these books, and return to them over and over: The Ellements of Style, Harper's Bazaar Fashion: Your Guide to Personal Style, and Street View: The New Nylon Guide Book of Global Style, which is why these personal style books top my Christmas list.

One of the books is not about personal style: the one in the top left, 100 Years of Fashion Illustration. It looks so beautiful I want to rip all the pages out for my inspiration board. The book not only features gorgeous illustrations, but also plenty of fashion history and suggestions for further reading.

Are you reading Santa?