Day 337 of No Shopping

Growing up in rural Michigan, there we not a lot of “dress-up” opportunities for us.  Our house was surrounded by farms and corn fields, and the closest mall was a 20 minute drive from my house.  Despite all of this, my Mother always instilled in us a sense of pride in ourselves growing up. Going to Sunday Mass in jeans was simply unacceptable and getting a new dress outfit for Christmas and Easter was the norm.

The point is that you should always be presentable and take pride in your appearance. There is a fine line between being vain and being put together.  There is always an appropriate outfit for every occasion.  I'm of the opinion that its better to be a little overdressed than under dressed.

I am not suggesting that you don a pair of heels and pearls for a trip to the grocery store, but please rethink those flip flops and worn out sweat pants before you leave the house. Throw on some light makeup and a casual sundress, or for the winter jeggings, a sweater and boots. It will take you the same amount of time to put on that ratty old outfit as it would for you to put on something sensible. You never know who you might run into at the grocery store...

Fashion Tip of the Day:  We have had a number of rainy, wet days in Atlanta recently and having a fun pair of wellies has helped to brighten my spirits on those grey days. Wellies are functional and very in style right now.  Throw on a pair of skinny jeans, tuck them into your wellies and you're off to play in the puddles.  My personal favorite brand of wellies is Hunter. They are reasonably priced and a well-justified purchase.

Day 321 of no shopping

One of the perks of living in the south is the weather. It's hard to believe it's January 1st and 62 degrees outside. But if you are stuck in a more northern place, winter doldrums are sure to set in and your wardrobe  options are limited to turtlenecks and over sized sweaters. I love the idea of a slouchy sweater paired with skinny jeans/jeggings and boots, but often times the look is less than sexy.  Make sure when you purchase an over sized sweater that the sweater is actually meant to be baggy and you aren't just going up 2 sizes to be able to pair the item of clothing with leggings. This will inevitably make you look like a bag woman.  Look for sweaters that flatter your over all figure and fit properly. For a more polished look, try wearing a skinny belt around the sweater. I like to pair my neutral sweaters with a pop of pattern like an animal print belt. Throw on a pair of heels/heeled boots instead of flat boots and your ensemble is both warm and functional, without looking like a throwback to 1983.

Fashion tip of the day: Another winter friendly look is to pair fun patterned tights with your favorite dress or skirt. You are able to add visual interest to the outfit and stay fashionable without sacrificing warmth. But under no circumstances should you be wearing white tights, ever. Stick neutrals like navy, gray, black and brown. Don't be afraid of fishnets - the smaller the fishnet, the better. I am a big fan of nude fishnets which are more subtle than black.