Hidden Gem: Target Hats

I was at Target the other day to pick up a few things  - you know how it goes at Target, you go there with four things on your list and end up with a bill of $100 or more.  I didn't really have anywhere to be that day, so I took some time to peruse my favorite parts of the store, and unexpectedly, found an abundance of adorable hats.  I love hats as accessories, so it's shocking that I walked away without buying one.  I have a cute basic beret from Target that I love, but I didn't realize the store was such a great place to find hats!  What really makes them awesome is that most of the winter hats (my favorite) are wool or mostly wool, which is a big thing because quality is important to me when it comes to accessories.  I know where I'll be doing a lot of my winter accessorizing from now on!  A few of my personal favorites from Target's selection:

I find this one especially interesting because it has the floppy shape of a summer sun hat, but is made of wool to make it a winter hat.  I think it would lend the wearer an unexpected air of mystery.

 

Neutrals: Lovely or Lifeless?

Yet another week has slipped through my fingers, what with all my job hunting and deep-cleaning my apartment, but now that I've landed a job (two, in fact!) and my apartment is clean, it's time to get back on track.  I was recently skimming Global Fashion News and other fashion news sites, and in addition to "rediscovered classics" I saw a continuation of the trend of wearing neutral colors that's been going for the past few seasons.

This is a trend that I just can't get fully on board with.  I see the allure of soft pinks and ivories (I have a few pieces in those colors), and I understand the versatility of the color family, but I can't understand the appeal of beiges, taupes, and browns.  To me, trying to match your clothes to your skin color looks dowdy and lifeless.  Fashion magazine after fashion magazine has encouraged choosing shades closest to your skin tone, and I just don't see how that does anything for the wearer.  When I went shoe-shopping recently, I even tried to like a few pairs of flesh-toned ballet flats because of the versatility, and I couldn't.

What does everyone think?  Am I crazy, or are neutral-toned outfits weird to more people than just me?

Smell of Summer

I really wanted to do a shoot in the mountains because the Flatirons are so beautiful, and they really capture the feeling of summer right now.  This is one of my favorite dresses - I usually only wear it in the fall because of the colors, but I thought it would work really well with the atmosphere of the mountains.

The pictures ended up with a little more of a senior portrait-y feel than I usually like, and they don't focus as much on the outfit. But it was still a lot of fun, and the effects on some of the shots are really cool!

On My Radar: The Sartorialist

Hello, my fellow bloggers!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful Friday evening.  Personally, I've been hiding inside (at the mall, in the yoga studio, etc.) for the past few days avoiding the searing heat.

My hairstylist introduced me to a wonderful fashion blog called The Sartorialist.  I'm sure some of you (if not all, and I'm just incredibly airheaded) have heard of it, since Scott Schuman and blog have become quite famous in the fashion world.  I particularly relate to The Sartorialist because his documentation of everyday street style that he comes across in his amazing adventures is what I hope to achieve eventually with my blog.

I'm not going to dilute his work by reposting his photography, so here's just the link: http://www.thesartorialist.com/
The blog is really inspiring, so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

Shopping Spree: Much-Needed "Essentials"

I hit the mall yesterday with a girlfriend for a little back-to-school shopping (so it's a little early yet - sue me) and ended up with some things I've had on my "wanted" list for a while - I hadn't necessarily been planning to buy them yesterday, but I couldn't pass them up when I saw them.

When I was getting shots of everything, I was really glad my closet makes a decent backdrop so my horribly messy room didn't have to be in the background, haha.

I love this skirt!  I've been wanting a skirt with a floaty, balletic feel to it for a while, and this color is perfect.  Pink-tinged, but not just straight pink. I think it will transition well into fall with tights and boots once the season for bare legs is over (not yet, thank goodness). From Forever21.

I was so excited to find this sweater.  I have a sleeveless dress that's ivory with an almost peachy tint to it, and have been searching for the perfect color of cardigan to go over it for a long time. I can't wait to pair them! From New York & Co.  

Finally got the light gray bodycon skirt I wanted :) It's a little big because they were out of my size, but for the price I paid, I can deal with it.  From Charlotte Russe.

My wardrobe is gasping for ballet flats since a lot of the ones I have are really worn out. I have a bit of a dilemma with ballet flats because I love them, but they get beat up so quickly walking everywhere on campus. But these have pretty decent soles, and I didn't have to spend too much on them.  I'll just have to keep getting them re-soled. From BCBGeneration.

I sort of got some animal print into my wardrobe with the snake-embossed flats!  I need to get some more flats in the near future, though.

Hipster Charm

Hello fellow bloggers!

I've always loved how much personality the Pearl Street Mall has, so I just had to get some shots at some of the storefronts.  The Urban Outfitters is in a really cool old space, which fits the character of the store perfectly.  There are some really cute sushi restaurants on little side streets, too.  The idea to shoot in front of locations like these was inspired by some of my favorite Anthropologie catalogs, and this is one of my favorite old outfits.  We tried to move away from the straight portrait-style shots of the other shoots so far.  I had a lot of fun!

I like this one because the angle makes my legs look sort of long - something I'm always trying for.

I think this is my favorite shot.

Late to the Party: Wardrobe Gap

It has come to my attention that there is not a single animal-print item anywhere in my wardrobe.  This is a serious problem - I almost feel like I should revoke my own fashionista status.  Needless to say, the situation needs to be rectified immediately, and luckily I'm going shopping with one of my friends on Monday.  I'm going to keep my eyes open for something irresistible in an animal print.  I'm browsing online now for back-to-school clothes, and I found a few things to consider as ideas.  I'm especially partial to the cheetah-print skirt since I love the bodycon silhouette so much, but we'll see what I discover on Monday that makes me purr.

 

 Meow!