Friday's Fashion Finds: Utility Jackets

Hello friends! I'm super excited for this post because it's the first one that involves photos from my new camera! I decided to treat myself to a Nikon D3200 for a grad gift. Although I will admit that I may have shed a tear (and my debit card might have too) while actually making the purchase, I think it was definitely worth it. So today I had a mini self-timer photo shoot in my drive way (where I may have received some questioning looks from some of my neighbors), so please bear with me and my super awkward posing for now!

And now we're on to what you actually came here to read about: the fashion! So I don't know if it's because I spent all spring on a college campus, but I feel like everywhere I look I've been seeing girls in utility jackets. I loved the look so much that I made it a point to pick one up for myself! I've always loved the layered look, so it's no surprise that a jacket has become a favorite piece in my current wardrobe. I nabbed this one from Old Navy a few weeks ago and the two of us have been practically inseparable ever since! 

Probably my favorite thing about this jacket (besides the fact that I got it on sale-- your girl is broke!)  is that it has a tie that runs throughout the waistline so you can cinch it in a little bit which makes the cut super flattering! Is there really anything worse than super boxy jacket? I don't think so.

Since the jacket has a military feel to it, I wanted to keep it paired with some feminine pieces since that's more my style. I already had this lace v-neck in my closet from years ago, so it was a perfect match! Especially since I love coral and army green together, such a great color combo for spring time.

And then I threw on these sandals from Target that I have been living in ever since the temperature came into the 50s. They had them in so many colors you would not believe the will power it took for me to only walk away with one of them.

Jacket- Old Navy

Shirt- Forever21 (old)

Jeans- Old Navy

Shoes- Target

Necklace- Burlington Coat Factory

Other Utility Jackets

Macy's / JC Penny / Forever21

Do you have any favorite spring trends? For you fashion bloggers out there, any posing tips for me? Can't wait to hear from you guys! 

Fashion Tips from Baby Elise

Well everyone, I'm officially a college graduate! And now that I'm done with school I'll be having much more time on my hands. So I promise that I'll get back onto a schedule of more than one post per week. And to kick things off with a bang and celebrate the end of an era, I thought we'd take a trip down memory lane and get some fashion tips from baby Elise. So here are the fashion rules I live by (even 20 years later).

1) Always match your shoes to your bag.

You don't always have to be as matchy matchy as mini-me was, but it's nice to have cohesion within an outfit. I like my accessories to finish a look, so I want them to be contributing to a similar theme. If I have one really loud accessory, I usually keep the others neutral. Or if everything is neutral I usually try to keep them in the same color family (browns and tans vs. blacks and grays).

2) Florals are always in.

You know what they say, April showers bring May flowers. And now that it's May it is definitely floral season! If you've been following this blog for a while then you know that my style is definitely on the more feminine side, so working in romantic floral patterns is one of my favorite ways to make an outfit. I've heard it's going to be a hot summer, so I'll be stocking up on flowy floral dresses to stay cool and look cute this summer.

3) Don't sacrifice practicality for style.

I'm better about this now, but in high school I would rather freeze to death than wear a winter coat on a regular basis because it wasn't "in". Then I went to college and all of a sudden the trends seemed to be based around what was practical (who knew that wearing a parka down to your knees would ever be considered chic?) At least here in the US it'll be a while before you have to bundle up again, but keep in mind that you should never sacrifice comfort for fashion and even practical pieces can still be cute!  So keep that in mind the next time 6 inch heels are calling your name. 

4) No matter what the outfit is, you just need to commit.

Stepping out of your comfort zone? Good for you! I know it can be nerve racking to walk around all day in something you haven't tried before, but a little confidence can go along way. You'll never look ridiculous if you hold your head up high and walk around like you and your outfit own the place.  So when trying something new, be sure to fully commit and I promise you that the feedback will be positive!

I'd love to hear your favorite holy grail fashion tips and if you do a similar post I'd love it if you left me the link in the comments so that I could check it out :)

Friday's Fashion Finds: Watches

(Source)

I haven't always been into watches, but ever since I received one for Christmas last year they've been one of my go-to accessories. Not only are they super stylish and can dress up any outfit, but they actually serve a legitimate purpose! Gotta love functional fashion! 

Here are some of my top picks!

Menswear

(Charming Charlie)

Now in a perfect world I would probably be rocking a Rose Gold Michael Kohr's watch on the regular, but this girl lives on a budget. So when I found this dupe from Charming Charlie for under $30 you can bet I swooped in there and snatched that baby up. I reach for it every day and it shows limited signs of wear and tear so I'm super excited about that! I love the menswear vibe, but the rose gold metal keeps it feminine which is an important part of my personal style.

Patterned Face

(Charming Charlie)

Usually I try to be diverse with the stores I decide to feature on here, but HOW CUTE IS THIS? For real guys, I couldn't find anything similar that I liked nearly as much, so it's Charming Charlie's lucky day! They had so many of these pattern face watches which I thought were so cute for spring! They had lots of different patterns to choose from and they were all in pastel shades (you know how much pastels make me happy)! Because they had so many I feel like they must be on trend and will start to pop up all over the place once spring gets rolling. These are a lot daintier than the menswear pieces so you could definitely wear this with other jewelry too which I always think is nice.

Layering

(Source)

While the watches on their own can look nice, I love stacking them with other bracelets as well! Lately I've been in a "more is more" kind of mood when accessorizing my outfits and I refuse to apologize! I especially love how this look keeps with the cohesive color scheme while varying with the styles and textures of each piece. It really ties it all in!

Please share what your favorite accessory of the moment is? Are you a watch person or is your cellphone clock all you need?

Until next time!

Friday's Fashion Finds: LC Lauren Conrad

I have to be honest with you, when I think back to the Laguna Beach days, I'm a Team Kristin girl at heart. But one thing I can give Lauren credit for is that her fashion sense is spot on. I was checking out her collection for Kohl's online (and despite it being a bit pricey for a broke college girl like me) the pieces are absolutely to die for. Not to mention the photo shoot itself is flawless. She has two collections out right now, but all my favorites came from her "Blue Mood" line.

Look #1

(Find it at Kohls)

There are so many things that I'm loving about this outfit. The cut of the skirt is perfect for me since I prefer flowy things for day time (and really all the time). Floral prints are one of my favorite things for spring (I know,  florals? for spring? groundbreaking!) I just love soft feminine looks and the chiffon blouse with a floral skirt is so light and romantic. It's definitely something I want to wear this season.

Look #2

(Find it at Kohls)

You may have noticed a pattern sneaking into all my fashion posts recently and that would be blazers! I'm really gravitating towards a more put together look these days, especially as I start to enter the professional world and you never know when you'll run into a networking opportunity! Again, I love the shape of the skirt! I think it tones down the outfit and makes it appropriate for wearing out and about. Plus, even though they're technically different blouses, you could definitely use the same white top to recreate both of the first two outfits!

Look #3

(Find it at Kohls)

And we're back to the florals! I love this button down, and I also love it paired with the lighter wash jeans. As much as I love to look at skirts and dresses, I'm always more comfortable in pieces that are a bit more casual, so this is a more realistic look for me. I feel like this is a perfect transition look from spring into winter because you get the aesthetics of spring without having to sacrifice warmth just yet.

Overall, I am absolutely loving this collection and spring fashion in general. Let me know your favorite spring trends or your style icons in the comments!

Friday's Fashion Finds: Coral

So the weather has been teasing us lately, giving us a taste of spring and then following up with snow the next day. I have faith that warm weather is right around the corner though! 

Nothing says spring time to me like fun colors! Lately I've been lusting after all things coral. So here are a few of my favorite pieces.

(The Happy Wardrobe)

Not only am I loving the fact that a I could potentially get my hands on a coral blazer (did I mention my recent obsession with blazers?) but I love the way this is styled! I love the idea of pairing it with a statement necklace, and the jeans make it into an outfit that I could wear to class which is ideal for me since I don't have a reason to get dressed up too often. Unfortunately the one from this picture is sold out right now, but there is a very similar one that I saw at Target earlier today (and the target one was cheaper anyway)!!

(River Island)

I'm also in love with this skater skirt. How cute would this be with a chambray button down tucked in?! Or with something white and lace to keep it light for the summer time. (There's still snow on the ground here but a girl can dream right?)

(Forever 21)

And finally these earrings! I think I bought this exact pair already in mint and I love them. I may actually pick them up in coral as well. I've been really into bold accessories lately, but dangle earrings have never been for me. Some thing like this is perfect though! There's nothing I love more than a pair of sassy studs.

What's your favorite color for the spring time? Let me know in the comments!