District Damsel

It has been freaking freezing in DC the past few days so I figured there wasn’t a more perfect time to do a blanket scarf roundup than now. The manfriend gave me my first blanket scarf last year for Christmas (you can see how I wore it here) and I’ve definitely been utilizing it this winter. I will admit, blanket scarves are not the easiest item to wear due to their bulkiness (I’ve taken to calling my scarf  “the crumb catcher”) but man are these things warm. Shop some of my favorite picks below! 

1. Plaid Scarf | Humble Chic NY
2. Neutral Blanket Scarf | Merona
3. Color Block Scarf | BooHoo
4.  Plaid Scarf | Shoptique
5. Color Block Square Scarf | Forever 21
6. Leopard Print Blanket Scarf | Urban Outfitters

 

From looking at it, you can’t really tell — but this outfit screams 90s-inspired. Choker?Check. Highwaisted jeans? Check. Athletic sneakers? You got it! Throw in the mini backpack and the gang’s all here. Although this look is obviously pulled from another decade, modern updates elevate it to an effortlessly chic, biker-esque look. It’s so crazy how all of the trends come back!

I’m just going to take a time-out here and rave about this sweater because  it’s seriously one of my favorite winter items. Chokers are everywhere nowadays and I love how the trend is translated into this sweater. I’ve been wearing this top on repeat and love how it’s the perfect combination of cozy and on-trend. I’ve worn it for Thanksgiving dinner with a (p)leather skirt, with this exact look for an outing with my work team, to dinner with Gerald’s parents, and the list goes on. When you find an amazing staple that’s under $20 I’m always shocked and so pleasantly surprised.

Moving on. To be honest, this was a look that I literally threw together while I was running out the door to meet up with my team on our Internal Marketing Day Out, but I’m super happy with how it turned out. I’ve been really digging messy buns lately and I think that the casualness of my hair paired with the effortless sweater half-tuck pretty much nailed the biker-off duty look. Can bikers wear buns with helmets? Probably not, but oh well. I challenge you to channel your inner biker babe with a bit of leather and ripped denim — throw in a 90s style piece like a choker sweater or a leather backpack and you look like you could have been one of the cool kids kicking it on set in After The Bell Rings.

Shop My Look Below:

Sweater | Zaful

Jeans | Topshop

Jacket | My parents picked mine up in Italy but this is similar

Shoes | Converse

Backpack | Rose Wholesale

For Christmas this year, I paired a red and navy top with black boots — breaking the rule that navy and black don’t go together. Guess what happened? Nothing. Everything was totally fine. No one said anything! This got me thinking, how many style “rules” are out there that we should be breaking? This post originally started out as a list of fashion guidelines that we should toss to the curb in 2017, but then I decided to put together a laundry list of style tips and tricks that I’m trying out in 2017, and would encourage my fellow fashionistas to do the same.

1. Break the rule that black and navy don’t go together – same goes for black and brown: this outfit is pure evidence that you can mix black and navy together, and mixing black and brown hues together has become one of my favorite combos. I especially like the way cognac, white, and black blend together
2. Mix patterns more: I love the way that stripes and florals look together, or plaid and polka dots, but I rarely try this trend myself. This year I’m pledging to shake things up and try some pattern mixing to give some life to older pieces in my closet that could use an update
3. Get fitted and measured for a bra: I’ve never been properly fitted for a bra before and I was sick of constantly tugging at my undergarments or having the cups gape and show through my shirt. Over the holidays, my mom and I went to a boutique that specializes in fittings and man was it worth it. I was completely off on my sizing (so was my mom!) and we walked away with bras that actually fit — it’s amazing how much confidence a properly fitting bra can give you!
4. Venture out of your comfort zone: I’m not exactly petite (I’m 5’4″) but I was convinced that I couldn’t pull off coulettes because I wasn’t tall or thin enough, but I tried the trend anyways and ended up loving it! You’ll never know if something works for you if you don’t try it
5. Stop buying clothes with the hopes that “you’ll fit into them if you lose five pounds”: Just stop. I’m so guilty of this and I’m pledging that I’m going to get out of this mindset this year. This is the reason why I have a handful of bodycon dresses with the tags still on them in my closet that are literally just a waste of space and money. Spoiler alert — they haven’t motivated me to get to the gym and they just  make me feel bad about myself
6. Purge your closet: Number 5 leads me to this resolution, purge the closet. Just do it. You don’t need that neon dress you bought for a frat party in college anymore. You don’t need that slutty (and cheap looking) formal dress from sophomore year that you can only fit an arm into now. Having items like this hanging around takes up valuable closet space and donating our unwanted clothes to charity will make you feel like a better person
7. Start a skincare routine: I am the worst at offering up beauty tips, but I know that I need to start taking better care of my skin or else I’ll regret it when I’m older. It doesn’t have to be an expensive routine, but find something that works for you and stick with it — I’m good at moisturizing every day but need to start using a toner and legit face wash
8. Take better care of your clothes: I’m guilty of flinging my clothes on the ground or leaving jewelry around the house, only to end up losing something or turning my garments into a wrinkled mess. This year, I’m vowing to read all of the care instructions on my clothing tags and to take the 3 extra minutes to walk to the end of my apartment and put shoes and jewelry in their proper places
9. Invest in more high quality pieces:  I love fast fashion just as much as the next girl, but the sad truth is that these pieces don’t hold up as well as ones that are made with higher quality fabrics. True, these items come with higher prices tags, but it’s worth it to invest in things like boots, handbags, denim, and outerwear. I’ve even found that investing in high quality tees makes me want to wear them more!
10.  Take makeup off before bed: If I go out on the weekends, there’s a fair chance that my head is hitting the pillow before I wash my face and I’m waking up with raccoon eyes and a pillowcase smeared with orange makeup and then paying for it with nasty breakouts the next week. I’m planning on keeping a stash of makeup wipes next to my bed to help fix this issue.

Shop My Look: 

Top | Rose Wholesale

Jeans | Forever 21

Boots | Steve Madden

Earrings | Mallory Shelter Jewelry

Ever since I moved to the city, I’ve kept fresh flowers in my apartment. Growing up, my mom always had bouquets around the house, so I guess I picked it up from her! Something about having vases filled with pretty flowers around my home makes me feel like more of an adult and picking up a fresh bouquet on my way home from work if I’d had a meh day always makes me feel better. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have blooms around the house when you’re taking flat lays 😉

When Farida Floral, a newly launched (and woman-owned!) flower shop in my hometown of Fairfax, VA reached out to me asking me if I’d like to partner with them to promote their beautiful bouquets, I jumped at the chance. This unique arrangement is part of Farida’s winter cone collection and was carefully designed by hand. Personally, I think these cones would make perfect bridesmaid bouquets, and I think they’re a fun departure from your typical arrangements that come in a vase. Head to over to FaridaFloral.com to peruse their beautiful selection of bouquets and get 15% off if you place an order before January 31st!

Shop my look:

Sweater | Rose Wholesale

Leggings | Forever 21

Purse | Ralph Lauren

Boots | Steve Madden

Photography by Dave Mentzer

Do you guys have a go-to outfit for work events? For some reason, this polkadot blouse and suede button-up skirt pairing is the first outfit I reach for when I want to look chic and polished for work events, but still let my personal style show through. I’ve worn this exact look multiple times – to an interview at Trunk Club, a networking cocktail party hosted by my company, and even to client meetings. I’m very lucky that my office dress codes have always been super relaxed, so I can get away with outfits that wouldn’t typically fly in an office with professional dress codes. My former bosses have told me that at creative firms, you should dress the part and that if your team showed up to a client meeting in suits, it totally wouldn’t give off the same vibes as your company culture.

While this all sounds great and dandy, with lenient dress codes, there’s a fine line about what’s appropriate to wear to the office and what’s not. I’ve certainly seen my fair share of outfits that probably shouldn’t be worn to the office, and probably been guilty of my own wardrobe mishaps (sorry for that time I wore a strapless romper to work, YMC). I’m sure sometimes I still teeter on that line (like when I wore the graphic tee Caroline gave to me for secret santa with ripped boyfriend jeans this week), but I have picked up a few tricks to determine whether my outfit is okay to talk to my boss in, or if it should be reserved for after-hours. Read on for some of my tips below, but keep in mind my office is 100% cool with us wearing jeans and (cute) sneakers pretty much every day.

• The fingertip test: Did that phrase just make you cringe and think of your high school days? I still swear by it. For those of you who don’t know, the fingertip test is if you put your arms down by your sides, your skirt should fall below your fingertips, or else it’s too short and you’ll get sent home or have to put on your gym sweatpants. In all seriousness though, it is a good test. If you’re not sure that your skirt passes it – layer your look with some tights.

• Sky-high heels: This one is tricky, because some people think that heels over 3 inches are unprofessional, but I don’t abide by that rule. I think that as long as you can elegantly walk in your heels, you should rock them in your client meeting. Teetering and tottering on your way to the conference room is more unprofessional than some added height.

• Leggings as pants: Some people think this is a major faux pas, but I think that this can be done tastefully and do ofter wear leggings in the winter. Rule of thumb, your butt should be covered by your sweater or tunic and if you bend over your leggings better not be see through. Don’t you dare pair them with sneakers though or else you’re crossing the line to athleisure.

• Arms above the head test: I love a good crop top, but this is not okay at work. I do the arms above my head test if I’m wearing a shirt on the shorter side – if I raise my arms above my head and my stomach shows, then it goes back in the closet. (Except for that time I wore a crop to to my office holiday party…oops.)

• Ripped jeans: This can also be tricky. I wear ripped jeans at least once a week, but again, my office is SUPER casual. Unless you’re a creative firm, I’d probably steer clear of these. If you do try it out, don’t go full-on shredded. Try slight distress marks or minimal rips at the knees, but keep the rest of your outfit slightly more polished if you’re unsure if your office allows this.

• Open-toe shoes and sandals: This might be veering into one of my personal pet-peeves, but if you’re going to go for open-toe, make sure your feet are taken care of, por favor. You don’t need a fresh pedi, but if your nail polish is peeling off, maybe opt for booties.

Shop my look:

Skirt | Forever 21

Blouse | Lord & Taylor (similar)

Booties | Ann Taylor (similar)

 

Confession time – I hadn’t cut my hair in over 6 months. We’re talking my split ends had split ends. When Ashley from Shapes Salon & Day Spa in Fairfax Station invited me for a cut and blowout, I instantly jumped at the chance to have her transform my locks. I’m originally from Fairfax Station, VA so I’d walked by the salon a million times but never gone in. I usually go to budget hair salons (a la Hair Cuttery) but after my amazing experience at Shapes I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to the cheap spots!

My appointment started with a consultation in Ashley’s chair where we talked about my hair care routine and what type of look I was trying to achieve (she was kind enough to not berate me about my disgusting split ends and frizziness.) I chopped my hair off into a lob in February (ragrets) and since then I’ve been trimming my ends but not adding anything fun like layers or angles back into my cut to try and keep the length goin’. I told Ashley that I was trying to achieve a more voluminous look, and she suggested that we try layers to help add some more shape to my blunt cut.

Next up was an amazing scalp massage, wash, and conditioning treatment. My mom came with me to get a blowout for our Christmas Eve dinner and she even got a complimentary hand scrub! Talk about being pampered. During my cut, Ashley and I chatted about two of our favorite things – dogs and shopping. (We’re both fellow shopaholics.) She’s truly an expert with her shears and I didn’t realize the cut was done until she pulled out her blowdryer!

Fun fact – I asked Ashley how to get good volume when doing a blowout and she taught me that when you turn your head over and blow dry your hair upside down, it doesn’t truly create any volume. Anyone else guilty of doing this too when you style your hair!? Ashley taught me that when you pull your hair up by the roots (the best way to describe it would be to pinch at the roots and pull up) that you actually create more volume.

My appointment ended with a flawless blowout (perfect for our dinner at the MGM later that night) and Ashley hooked me up with a clarifying shampoo that will help with my dandruff. This really is a confessional post – sharing my secrets about split ends and dandruff! But seriously, Ashley assured me that dandruff is normal so if you have it too, you’re not alone!

All in all, it was a great experience and Ashley and the ladies at Shapes are true experts at what they do. I highly recommend a trip to Shapes Salon for your next cut touchup or color treatment!

Jumpsuit | H&M

Shoes | Violet Boutique

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – when you can get away with adding glitter into any aspect of your outfit! Shop some of my favorite picks below – perfect for NYE or when you want to add a little sparkle to your look.

H&M | Sequined Dress: This dress screams NYE to me – perfect silhouette and gold looks bomb on blondes 😉

Express | Glitter Foldover Clutch: This clutch comes with a strap, and is a bit more subdued than full on glitter

BooHoo | Glitter Booties: These remind me of Blonde In The District, pair with a LBD for NYE and a graphic tee and boyfriend jeans for daytime

Essie Nail Polish | Hors D’Oeuvres Special Effect: I love adding tiny circles of glitter at my cuticles for NYE, but by all means go for a full glitter nail!

H&M | Pleated Jumpsuit: Idk why, but I really like this. I got it as a back-up for my company holiday party and think I’m wearing it to the MGM tomorrow for Christmas Eve dinner!

Essie Nail Polish | Hors D’Oeuvres Special Effect: I love adding tiny circles of glitter at my cuticles for NYE, but by all means go for a full glitter nail!

Whistle & Wild | Shimmy Next To You Top: This top is everything. Whenever I put it on I seriously want to shimmy! I’m more than likely wearing this for NYE with black jeans.

Charming Charlie | Glitter Choker Necklace: Top off dresses, off-the-shoulder tops, leos, everything with this. And at $8, you can’t beat the price!

Steve Madden | Glitter Caged Heels: YAS. Just YAS. Glass of Glam has these in red and they are SO fierce!

Rebecca Minkoff | Glitter Envelope Clutch: Envelope clutches add a touch of sophistication to any look, but make sure you don’t set it down at the bar after midnight!

Urban Outfitters | Sequin Bodysuit: I saw this in the window of Urban a few weeks ago and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it! *heart eyes* pair with OTK boots and high-waisted jeans to balance out the amount of skin you’re showing.

Photography  by Dave Mentzer

Do you guys use the app TimeHop? I don’t know why, but I love checking mine every morning and seeing what I was up to the same day in the past. The other morning, a Tweet popped up on my feed from three years ago that said “I don’t own any sweaters!” in response to someone suggesting that I pair my new leather skater skirt with one. Oh how the times have changed. 

To be honest, I used to hate sweaters. In my head, a sweater was a ribbed, boxy, crewneck garment that was reserved for those who loved touting an embroidered horse on their chest. No offense if these are your thing (the manfriend practically lives in POLO) the preppy pullovers just aren’t my personal taste but yes – some people pull them off perfectly. Fast forward a few years – now I have a fairly large collection of sweaters that don’t meet my stereotypical idea of them. 

The thing about fashion is that you have to figure out what works for you and your taste. (And if you don’t want to figure it out yourself, I have a long list of fabulous stylists that I can refer you to!) I’ve figured out that I like pieces that veer from the traditional, so I naturally gravitate towards sweaters with unique details like cold shoulder cutouts, cropped cuts, or interesting structural designs. (You can take a peek at some of my current favorites here.) I also like topping sweaters with fur vests or pairing them with coated leggings to make them match my edgier, boho vibe. Just figure out what style makes you happy and go for it, even if it veers from the norm! 

Sweater | Cupshe

Jeans | Free People

Boots | Steve Madden

Choker | Rose Wholesale

I’ve mentioned it before, but I took ballet classes from as soon as I could walk until I went off to college. Somehow, even after spending 16 years in tights and leotards, I’m still drawn to ballet-inspired pieces and this outfit is 100% a modern take on the prima ballerina. 

The dress code for my company’s holiday party this year was “festive cocktail” and I thought I had my outfit on lock – a sparkly off-the-shoulder top and black jeans – until I found out the majority of my coworkers were getting more dressed up. Cue instant panic the night before the party as I realized I hated everything in my closet that had sequins on it. I spent a few hours frantically digging through clothing racks around Metro Center the night before and when I saw this skirt in H&M I instantly wanted it for no reason just because of its ballerina-esque silhouette and tulle fabric. I ended up getting a sparkly jumpsuit for the holiday party but of course, on my walk home I made up my mind that I already wanted to return it. Back to square one. 

That night, we watched Black Swan for the first time (I know, I’ve been living under a rock) and after I got over the shock of the movie, its beautiful costumes pretty much solidified next year’s Halloween get up as well as the fact that I was going to make my new tutu skirt work for the holiday party the next night. 

It was a little bold to wear a crop top to an office holiday party, but the sliver of skin it showed was so slight that I don’t even think half of my coworkers realized it wasn’t a dress. Sparkly accessories helped this look  meet the mandated “festive” part of the dress code and my go-to strappy heels elevated the combo to be cocktail appropriate. (Full disclaimer – I did actually brush my hair for the party instead of wearing it tucked into a messy bun. we didn’t have enough time to shoot before because it gets DARK SO EARLY but this look was good enough to drag my hungover butt out the door the next morning and document it.) Shop my look below!

Crop Top | Forever 21

Necklace | Forever 21

Skirt | H&M (pink available in stores)

Bracelet | Kate Spade

Clutch | ASOS (similar)

Heels | LuLu*s

As soon as the temperatures drop below 60 degrees, my pretty pastel polishes get pushed to the back of my (overflowing) nail polish stash and out come the vampy colors. Blame it on the fact that it gets dark outside at 4 pm, but I’ve always gravitated towards darker polish colors in the fall and winter. My number one go-to winter polish is OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark – the perfect vampy shade that almost looks black until you see it in the light and you can tell that it’s a deep purple – but alas I get bored easily so I do have a few other favorites which I’ve rounded up below! (I do have my eye on CIA, one of the new colors from the DC collection, but I have yet to find it in a store!) 

The reason these are all OPI is because my mom got me a holiday pack a few years ago for Christmas and they were seriously all such perfect shades I haven’t ventured into other polishes! Plus let’s be real, the OPI brushes are some of the best out there. 

Road House Blues (Russian Navy is extremely similar but with more sparkle)

Bullish On OPI

Lincoln Park After Dark 

Visions Of Love