What to Wear to a Picnic

It’s that time of year where picnics are a must! The weather is not too hot and not too cold, flowers are blooming, grass is greener, and everyone seems to be in a good mood. But sometimes it’s hard to decide what to wear to a picnic because you want to be comfortable since you will probably be eating on the floor, but you also want to look nice!

So what I like to do is wear some nice shorts. I really like how high-waisted shorts look when going out for a picnic; they give the occasion a sort of vintage feeling. These red shorts over at Delia*s are a really good option; they’re comfortable and you can sit on the ground without worrying too much about stains. A nice top to wear with these would be a sleeveless button-up shirt with a tie-hem; I really like this one from Forever21 in yellow.

As for shoes, I would normally say wedges but in this case I’m gonna have to pass on that. I think for a picnic wedges can be a little bit too much, so I would rather wear some top-siders or sandals. Accessorize with a fedora or – my personal fave – a big floppy straw hat, add some oversized shades and red lipstick and enjoy the perfect picnic.

How do you dress for the perfect picnic? I’d love to know!

Until next time!

XOXO,

CR

What to Wear During Extremely Hot Weather

I just love the summer. Colors are brighter, clothes are lighter, and food is fresher. However, sometimes the heat can be a little bit too much and it is hard to find what to wear. And it is even trickier than just finding super light clothes because when you go in a building the AC is super cold and after a while you are freezing.

In these cases I absolutely adore maxi skirts! They’re fun, light, and comfortable and can keep you warm in places where they get overly excited with the AC. One outfit that I especially love right now involves this incredibly fun maxi skirt I found at Forever21 for only $12! The color is so bright and the fabric is just right.

 

Because the skirt is so loud and bright, you have to tone down the rest of the outfit. In this case, I like to style it with a simple white tee that you can find at H&M for about $5. Add a skinny belt to hide the elastic (this one in peach would look great!), some cute sandals and a cool tote. You can even add a fedora to keep the sun out of your face and make it look even more “summer-y.”

 

 

The cool thing about maxi skirts is you can style them a million different ways. You can wear a bandeau, a crop top, or a button up shirt; you can wear wedges, or ballerina flats. You can add a jean jacket or a cropped cardigan. Any way you wear it, the look is fun and effortless.

How would you style a maxi skirt? I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments!

Until next time!

XOXO,

CR

 

 

NOTE!: If you plan to wear wedges with your maxi skirt, make sure its long enough. If the skirt is too short, it will distort your height and will look extremely weird.

What Should I Wear to Sunday Brunch?

Sunday brunch. Considered irrelevant by many, yet everyone ends up going at least once in their life. It is more than just a “quick bite”, it is a social event. Conversations range from the wild night you had the previous Saturday to that important business meeting you have during the week. At a Sunday Brunch you can expand your social circle, close important business deals, or learn the best gossip. To me Sunday Brunch always brings to mind the second episode of Gossip Girl – glamour, gossip, business and good food all in one place. So whether you are a famous socialite from the Upper East Side in NYC or just a college student looking for something fun to do on Sunday, always dress in your – obviously – Sunday best.

I try to keep it conservative enough to look like a lady, but colorful enough to still look youthful. This dress over at LuLu*s is perfect for the occasion: its colorful for a nice spring day, loose for all that great food you are going to eat and it looks very youthful. And it will look even better with these gorgeous wedges I found at Zappos; comfy and chique. Lastly add a little pop of unexpected color – as I usually do – with this bright yellow Steve Madden crossbody bag that you can find at Nordstrom.

Put on a huge ring and either big earrings or a bold necklace, grab your sunglasses, let your lovely hair loose and you are good to go. If it’s a little chilly, I recommend a leather jacket – it will make you look super cool!

Until next time!

XOXO,

CR

What Should I Wear to my Next Cultural Event?

If you are like me, you are a person who loves any type of cultural event. You will always see me at art exhibits, concerts, plays, etc. I just love the artsy vibe at these places. The problem is that I never know what to wear!

Every single one of these events is different; you don’t wear the same thing to an art exhibit and a musical. Lately I’ve been to many Broadway shows and it’s quite sad to see people wearing jeans and flip flops. My advice is to dress comfortable but very nice. These events tend to be very dressy, and sadly most people do not pay attention to the dress code. So stand out!

I like to wear a dress with a blazer and pumps. When I go to any artistic event, I try to be “part of the picture” by wearing a print dress with some artsy theme to it which I tone down with a simple blazer (cream looks really nice in the summer). For accessories I go bold: big earrings, colorful pumps and bag, and dramatic makeup.

A great dress that I myself am considering for my next event is this awesome feather print dress you can find at ModCloth. It gives the illusion that the print is a bunch of brush strokes and the style is great for any art event.

As I’m sure you have noticed by now, I love pairing my clothes with shoes that you would never expect could match the outfit but once they’re on everything looks great. That is why I think this dress would look great with these mustard yellow Jessica Simpson pumps I found on sale at Dillard’s.

I always think a blazer is a nice touch to a classy outfit; it makes is look more “put together.” However, if you choose not to wear it, that’s totally fine. The dress looks great either way. One blazer I’m especially liking right now is this textured cream blazer I found at Target.

As for accessories, go bold! Chandelier earrings and an eye-catching bag are a must. I love these earrings from Forever21 and this bag from Tobi.

In the picture to the right you can see a little outfit I put together about a year ago. I think it depicts exactly what I would wear to a cultural event. And if you don’t feel comfortable wearing such bold things, you can also go for a more classic look like the one my beautiful mom is wearing beside me.

As a little extra, I would like to leave you with an awesome make up tutorial I found on YouTube that I think would look great with the outfit.

Until next time,

XOXO

CR

What to Wear to an Interview

College is full of those and you never know what to wear. Is it too much? Is it too casual? I get it. It is very hard to put together an outfit for an interview. This is why at times like these I apply my KIS method: Keep It Simple.

I personally always wear a dress, simply because I feel it expresses who I am most accurately. However, if you choose to wear dress pants, a nice dress, or a full on suit, I advise you to go with simple neutral colors. Black, white, gray, navy. I’m personally not a fan of brown, but if you want to go ahead. This is an outfit that, although it is pretty generic, has to truly express who you are.

I always try to make sure I wear something the catches the interviewer’s attention, which is usually a little pop of color. It could be my bag, the hem on my dress, my earrings, or whatever. I feel it shows I can be serious, but I can also be fun a creative. And if I’m feeling super confident that day, I even wear a bright pencil skirt with a simple top.

For these types of outfits, I love H&M. They always have a section that has a lot of business attire, and even if it’s a little pricier than the rest of the store, its good quality clothes and it’s a good investment.

Whatever it is you choose to wear, always be yourself. Show the interviewer that you are your own person and that’s enough to make a lasting impression.

What are your ideas for an interview outfit? I’d love to hear your opinions.

Don’t forget to comment!

Until next time,

XOXO,

CR

The Perfect Outfit to go Shopping

Although I am completely exhausted from this weekend, I have to say I loved it. There are times when a girl needs a day to herself to do whatever she wants with no one else to tell her otherwise; however, in my case, instead of being a “me day” it was a whole “me weekend”.

I took the whole weekend for myself to just tour the city, take Georgetown by storm, eat the best food and of course, it wouldn’t be a “me weekend” if I didn’t shop.

On days of extreme shopping I believe it is highly important to wear the most comfortable outfit. Think about it. Do you really want to be juggling all those shopping bags and worrying if your shirt is rising, dealing with pain in your feet because of those lovely heels and trying to untangle those earrings from your hair? I didn’t think so.

So here’s what I do.

The outfit usually varies during the seasons. If it’s a little cold, like during Spring or Fall, I like to wear some colorful pants, with a neutral top, and ballet flats. To accessorize, I go simple: a large bag to hold everything I need, a bracelet, small earrings, and if I’m in an extremely good mood I might even throw on a fedora.

Pants: Forever21

Top: H&M has a variety of basic tees

Ballet flats: Aldo

If its super hot and I don’t want to be uncomfortable in pants, I usually go for a nice loose day dress. Pair it with nice colorful flat sandals, cute accessories (I tend to go a little bolder depending on the simplicity of the dress), and of course, my large tote bag.

Dress: LuLu*s

And finally, when its winter I wear a cool printed pullover, my comfy jeans, and booties so its easier for me to try on shoes. The jacket I wear depends on how cold it is; it could be a nice wool coat, a feather down jacket or a simple leather jacket. Again, keep the accessories simple; you don’t want to keep worrying about them throughout the day.

Pullover: Delia*s

Booties: when it comes to winter shoes (especially boots, because they’re so expensive) I usually wait until all those “end of season” clearances where stores cut down the prices amazingly low.

This is usually how I choose to dress when I spend those amazing days doing what I love: SHOPPING. How do you dress for this amazing day? I’d love to hear your ideas.

Also, don’t be afraid to comment and leave me some ideas of what you’d like me to post about.

Until next time,

XOXO

CR

Lazy (but classy!) Monday Outfit

So tomorrow is that dreadful day of the week that everyone hates: Monday. It is a day during which everything seems awful, even dressing up. Yes, I said it. I hate waking up on Mondays, and having to pretty myself up, and start the week. Usually I do my normal routine and wear a nice outfit, but I’ll admit even I have those days when I really don’t care – sort of…

Once in a while there comes a Monday during which I wear what I like to call a “lazy (but classy) outfit.” It’s comfy, easy to put together, simple, and it doesn’t make you look like a complete hobo.

polyvore.com

It usually goes something like this:

–          Leggings (any color, black, grey, printed… whatever I pull out first), or my most comfortable pair of jeans – it all depends on the weather

–          During winter, an oversized bulky sweater to keep me warm; during summer, a loose top

–          Obviously Uggs, or top-siders/ballet flats

–          As for accessories, I keep it simple: my watch, my everyday bracelets, small earrings and sunglasses.

–          I usually don’t post about makeup, but in this case it’s important. KEEP IT SIMPLE. A simple outfit means simple makeup. I usually just wear some black eyeliner and mascara, light blush and chapstick or lipgloss.

An old post on The Heart Blog sums up exactly what I mean.

http://eliska-h.blogspot.com

Let me remind you, a lazy outfit does not mean that you leave your house looking like a total bum. You still look nice; the only difference is that it takes a little bit less time and effort. It’s just like my post on traveling: don’t forget about dressing to impress, just keep it a little bit simpler.

Where to find it:

Leggings: Forever21

Bulky sweater: LuLu*s

Top: H&M

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Spring Outfit

Hello everyone!

Like I assume most of you have noticed, the weather is changing and this can only mean one thing: SPRING IS NEAR! So start putting all those heavy coats and jackets away and start bringing out those nice cardigans, flowy dresses and colorful wedges!

As you may have noticed in my last post (also dedicated to Spring), in no way did I ever mention flip flops! EVER! Sure, they’re comfy and practical, but they look awful and make any outfit look bad. The only time I ever wear flip flops is at the beach or at a pool. That being said, I really do hope you try to avoid that urge to wear your flip flops with that nice dress and instead opt for maybe some gladiator sandals or nice wedges.

I appreciate your patience over my rant about flip flops… and now, on to the good stuff.

Dressing for Spring can be very tricky, mainly because it not so hot that you can wear shorts and spaghetti straps, but it’s also not so cold to be wearing a heavy coat.

On those breezy days I usually like to wear a basic t-shirt – usually black, white or gray – and pair it with a colorful gauze scarf and a blazer. Put on some jeans and black flats and you’re good to go.

If you want to look a bit more dressy or don’t want the blazer, forget about the scarf and change the tee for a long sleeve polyester button up. Its thin enough to help you beat the heat but the long sleeve keeps you safe from the cold breeze. You can even take this look from day to night by ditching the flats and changing them for a nice pair of colorful pumps.

My beautiful friend Nicole and I

You can find the t-shirt at H&M for about $5

Scarf: Target

Blazer: Tobi

Flats: Aldo

Button up: Forever21

Pumps: DulceCandyXO

BTW! Check DulceCandy out! She’s amazing and truly an inspiration.

Until next time!

XOXO

CR

How To Travel In Style

As a college freshman, every time there is a break from school and I get to go home, I am beyond excited! And right now the excitement is finally here: SPRING BREAK! In just a few weeks I’ll be hopping on a plane en route to Sunny Arizona. However, the one pain in this awesome situation is the actual traveling. In order to go from Washington, DC to my lovely Nogales, AZ it takes me up to 8 hours! All this involves trains, airports, layovers (and trying to grab at least a salad to make it “sort of alive”), an hour long car ride and possibly crying babies in the extremely long plane ride.

But darlings, that’s not even the worst part! While I’m walking down to that far, far away gate where I am to board my plane, I notice countless travelers in not only sneakers but in sweat pants and messy hair, no make-up, sometimes even in their pajamas! It’s just appalling! My eyes actually hurt! In my last post, everything was about looking your best, regardless of comfort, but when it comes to traveling, it doesn’t matter where you’re going or how far it is, you should always look your best. I know it’s not easy because you also look for extreme comfort, but it is NOT impossible. Traveling is always tricky because of weather! If its winter, you want to travel light so you don’t end up crowed by your coats in the airplane but once you get to your destination you don’t want to freeze; if its summer, airplanes are super cold but you don’t want the burden of carrying a jacket once you get to that lovely beach. Well girls, let me show you how I travel in style.

Summer Look

During summertime, I like to travel in a maxi dress. It’s comfortable for running around in airports, it keeps your legs warm in the plane, and it looks adorable. One of my favorite styles right now is this cute piece over at Macy’s. Tribal print AND bright colors AND on sale?! OF COURSE I’LL TAKE IT!

A must-have accessory I take with me when I travel is a cardigan! Airplanes can get really cold, especially if you sit to a person who sweats A LOT and has the AC all the way up! So a cardigan is light enough to carry around the airport and in the cab ride to your hotel, but it’s also perfect for keeping you warm during the plane ride. One place where you can find tons of nice cardigans is the mother of all college-budget stores: Forever21. And one very cute cardi I’ve been eyeing is this shawl-like cardigan (also on sale!).

Lastly, accessorize with lots of bangles and big earrings, nice sandals (NOT FLIP-FLOPS!), and a big tote bag to carry all your travel needs – you can find an awesome one here.

Winter Look

Ah yes, winter time. Isn’t it lovely? The snow, the Christmas spirit, the delicious food… the long lines in airport security?! Not so fun! That is why you need to be super comfortable and warm. And what I find to be the best thing to wear during winter travel is leggings; they look nice and put-together, they’re warm and they’re comfortable! I usually go with black leggings such as these, because you can pair them with practically anything (except brown – never with brown!).

I like to wear a simple white top with a nice scarf, either printed or a very bright color. I personally think this one is extremely cute!

To keep you super warm but not over-bulked, wear a thick knit sweater. Neutral colors like this one are very convenient because they work with whatever outfit you choose to wear!

Finish up your look with simple earrings, a cuff bracelet and your fave black boots and you’re all set to go!

These are my tips for traveling in style, and I hope they are helpful to you.

Do you have any tips for traveling in style? Did this post inspire you to dress up for travel? Leave a comment and let me know!

Until next time,

Xoxo

CR

A Fancy Valentine’s Day Outfit

Hello!

Considering tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, I thought today’s post could be about what to wear to that date with that special someone. I must confess that I loathe this day… restaurants are packed, everything is overpriced, and the stress is just unnecessary! HOWEVER, I know there are some people who wait for this day all year, and that is totally fine.

If I were to go on a very fancy date, I’d like to keep it simple and classic. I know its weird coming from me because my outfits are always over the top, but in this situation your outfit is in a sense part of the scenery. Imagine a beautiful table setting under the stars, candelabras and white (not red!) roses all over, and maybe even a violinist in the background, and you show up in a very rocker outfit! Doesn’t match, right?

I would rather suggest a LBD with a few cut-outs and maybe a certain flow-y-ness in the skirt for a softer look. This dress over at www.lulus.com is amazing! It has a bit of sexiness with the open back and the small cutouts on the side, but its also a modern spin on a more classic look.

Kiss From A Rose Black Dress

And to make this even better, I would pair the dress with these gorgeous pumps from Aldo. The shoe itself looks rough, but the color gives it a softer look that complements the dress extremely well.

Karter

Accessorize with a clutch like this one for a little “pop” and some shiny drop earrings of your choice and you’ll make your guy fall head over heels for you!

You will look amazing and elegant, but remember… these are only suggestions! Don’t forget to be YOU! Because in the end, that’s why that special guy fell madly in love with you.

Until next time!

Xoxo,

CR

p.s.: don’t forget that red lipstick 😉