Sparkly, Shiny, and Dangling Things

It has been a few weeks since I have created a new blog post. I have been so busy that I haven't had much free time. However, I have been surfing the web for fashion and lately this seasons jewelry has really caught my eyes. I have seen fabulous items that are gem based in great jewel tones. I have also been witness to great metal pieces whether they be shiny or brushed, gold or silver. I just cleaned out my jewelry armoire so I can make some more space for the pieces I have my eye on. Just a note.....if you have any jewelry that is gently used, take it to your local Clothes Mentor(resale shop) for cash so you can pick up some new pieces at no price to you!!
OK so lets start with fabulous!! These two pieces are definitely splurges, but the holidays are right around the corner, so put them on your list!

I absolutely want the necklace on the left with mine and my sweetheart's first name initials. Its too cute. I also adore the little girl kissing a boy necklace. Its just different and cute. Both of these necklaces are from jenniferzeuner.com and the one on the left is $143 and the right is $176. JenniferZeuner.com has some great pieces but they are all pricey, yet they can be customized for a one of a kind item.

 

Anthropologie is one of my favorite stores for accessories because of their items are so colorful and eclectic. If you are familiar with Anthroplogie you probably know that some of their items are in the hundreds of dollars. I tried to keep all the items from them under $100 unless I am just obsessed, like this first pair.

 

I adore these fish skeleton dangling earrings. They are so cute, however they are $118.

 These dainty and delicate looking rose and gem earrings are a perfect combination of traditional style with fabulous gems. They run for $38.

I love gold anything. I try to step outside of my little box and where other metal tones but I really love gold. These brushed gold cluster flower earrings are so pretty and feminine, and they are $48.

 

 

I am really digging this geometrical inspired necklace. I love all the reds and beiges and small hints of green. I think this a great necklace for winter! It retails for $78.

This necklace is so different. I love that in incorporates two different metal tones and a pop of color around the clasp. It is $118, but it is so fabulous and sparkly!

This sunburst toned gem necklace is the perfect pop of color to any outfit! And the best news of all, it is only $48.

Last but not least from Anthrolpologie is the branch cuff. It is also only $48, and as you know I am attracted to gold pieces so, of course it caught my eye.

 

I saw a few pieces from BCBGeneration that I am loving right now. I have seen many of those collar necklaces and they have one that I really like. It's sparkly and fun but it can be paired with many pieces of clothing and it's only $48. I am also a sucker for double finger rings, and I found this dingle finger ring that looks double for $18.

 

The three piece set below is an offer I cannot refuse. It is from Shoedazzle.com and retails for $39.95. I love how all the pieces are fun for the upcoming holiday and winter season. I love the tones of the green jeweled earrings and the sparkly black and white danglers. I can't wait until it arrives on my doorstep!

 

Last but not least I have found a hue selection of great jewelry from Stella&Dot. The line can be pretty pricey, but if you host a show for one of their stylist, you can snag some major discounts and even free items. I could not get the pictures to save any bigger, but it like what you see, check out their site!!

The cluster necklace and bracelet below are so clean and polished! They are the perfect bit of spunk to add to any outfit without it being too much. Both pieces run at $59 each.

 I also love the smoke toned gem stacked ring. It has the perfect sparkle and pizazz and its not too clunky. I think it transitions well too, from work to cocktails! It runs for $54.

The necklace below is a multi-stranded (at least ten strands) red and gold beaded necklace. It is a bit of a splurge at $128 but can be worn with almost anything, especially solids.

Lastly, I have chosen two similar colored earrings. I love the sea blue tones on both of these pieces. I think the hoops are amazing for any fay around town and the danglers are perfect to a cream colored party dress. The danglers are $49 and the hoops are $54.

 

Don't forget that jewelry can make any outfit. It can take it from night to day, work to cocktails, and plain to casually charming.

 

 

Oh My MANGO

So I just went on a trip to visit the love of my life in Ankara, Turkey. Of course one of the things I did while I was there was check out the fashion. The gals of Turkey dress to impress! I was drooling the entire time I was there, whether it was because of the amazing historical sites, the scrumptious foods, or the fierce fashion. The fashion is very Euro-chic and on trend, but I have to say, it's got a dash of professionalism going on. The structure of the clothing, and the lines are more than just a bump up from casual but at the same time, they all look comfortable. One of the stores that I love that is all over Turkey is MANGO. Luckily for us gals in the U.S., there are about 20 stores in the states, and most importantly, they have a website that offers all the pieces available in stores. It is very hard for me not to put every piece of MANGO's collection on my blog because I pretty much love all of it. However, I will just pick a few items that I think can do no wrong and give you an itty bitty taste of what this store has to offer.
Starting off with dresses!!! The first dress is a charming black lace cocktail style dress for $119. I love that it comes with such a contrasting belt that is so strong, while the dress is so feminine. The animal print dress is another one I couldn't resist sharing. I love it because it incorporates two trends with the hi-lo hem and the one shoulder trend, and it goes for $79. I love how flowy and sheer it is too.

The next three dresses are more business/casual. The one on the left has a great print and fit. Its loose enough to be comfortable, but still chic. I love the tie at the waist and the pockets. It is $49. The next dress is one of my absolute favorites. I love the illusion it creates with the contrast of solid and print. I also love the tiny belt that cinches at the waist, and I love the color choice and length of this dress. It can do no wrong for me; it runs for $79. The last item is a romper. It looks great alone with some delicate or chunky jewelry or pair it with a blazer. It goes for $59.

 

Next up: blouses! This is hard because there are so many cute ones!! The first one I actually loved it so much that I couldn't resist returning home without it. It is a long sleeved matte silk stud-snap blouse. I bought the olive green one, but I was very tempted to get the white too. If you really like something, get it in more than one color. Its so fabulous and fierce and the studs are so glossy. It really is a statement shirt. It fits perfectly, a little loose and then cuts in a little at the waist; it is $69. The next one is an adorable peplum style sleeveless top. It pairs great with a pencil skirt or skinnies and throw a bold necklace on with it and you're set. It runs for $49 and comes in a few other colors.

 The next two tops are somewhat casual, but still very unique. I really like this two toned long sleeves blouse. It's just super comfortable and hangs well on the body and I like the small detail that makes it stand out. The next one is just your average sweater, but I love the color choice and I love the color blocking of the arms and hems. Both of these are $39.

 The last three tops are structured and fun and perfect for jeans or trousers or skirts. You can make them casual or dressed up. Again, I like how the collection has contrasting prints or colors from body to sleeve and then the piping or the hemlines are different also. The first top shows that detail and goes for $59. Just like every girl needs a LBD, I also think every gal needs a button up sheer black blouse. They can go with pretty much everything. The one at MANGO runs for $49. The black peplum blouse on the bottom is just too cute not to include. Again, it cane go with a lot of pieces as well. Pair it with a mini or pencil skirt or some skinnies and let it do the talking. It is also $49.

 We will move to bottoms, starting off with trousers. I did notice that a lot of the gals either wear extremely baggy pants or harem pants, or a tapered skinny or trouser style pant. Here are my picks!The first one is black tapered skinny trouser that is a must for any closet. They are so fabulous and can be worn so many ways. I really like these ones at $59, but there are so many to choose from on their website. The next pants are a fun print tapered trouser that are a bit looser up top but not exactly reaching harem status. They are bold and maintain sophistication. They also come in a pink print at $49.

 The skirts below are a unique take on your pencil or leather mini. I really like this leather mini because its not body hugging; there's room to walk or take more than a foot long step, and the zipper detail separates it from all the other leather skirts out there. It is $59. The houndstooth print pencil is another skirt that separates itself from the average pencil skirt. It is $49 and can be paired with either that black sheer top above to stay safe, or throw in some color and brighten up your look. I love both of these.

 MANGO also has a huge selection of blazers and jackets at pretty moderate prices. Here are a couple of my favs. The first one is a cute denim jacket. I like it because its got that leather jacket style, but they switched it up and made it denim. I actually love the color of the denim too. It is $69. The blue tweed jacket is one of my favorites because its not too "stuffy". Sometimes tweed jackets come off stuffy to me, but this one is kind of edgy and I like the large button detail versus a zipper or clasps. It is $79 and also comes in a cream color. The last one is a structured black blazer. I love the lines and angles of this jackets. I know Kate Moss can make anything look good but this jacket is BAD(in a good way)! It is $89 but it is also something fierce.

If you ever get the chance to go into a MANGO store, please do! You will be impressed with the quality and uniqueness of their clothing. If you can't find one near you, visit the website and you will be in Euro-fashion heaven! Take a minute to browse the many pages of fabulousness and find yourself something casually charming to wear on your next day of work, on a date, or to a dinner party!

Historic Prints are Modern Again

As I was browsing many of my favorite fashion magazines like People StyleWatch and InStyle, I noticed many of the high end labels are incorporating tribal prints and geometric prints into their lines this fall. Personally, I think these looks are absolutely adorable, however I can see how it can be completely easy to mess it up and overdo it. So I did some research and checked out the moderately priced and even low priced shops I love to venture into to see what they have to offer, and I was pleasantly surprised. I have a ton of great pieces to show you that I am so excited about!

So first, I found this adorable chiffon A-line skirt from Bar III at Macy's. Its on sale for $34.99! Its black and white for those afraid of color, however I think the top they paired it with is perfect. It is also from BarIII and on sale at Macys for $22.99. This is exactly the kind of top you want to pair with a tribal/geometric print. This yellow button down top is bright and fun, and just as attention-grabbing as the skirt, yet they don't clash. They completely compliment each other. I would add minimal accessories to this outfit, and I would probably stick to something rose gold just to add a little bit of the unexpected. These rose gold studs(far right in their picture), are part of an $18 3-pack at UrbanOutfitters.com and the studded bracelet is also from UrbanOutfitters.com for $14.

I found some other skirts that I adore as well. Just remember to pair them with something kind of plain so you don't clash with your tribal/geometric piece. Both skirts are from Express, the one of the left goes for $49.90 and the one on the right is $59.90. You have a bit more freedom with the one on the left to add a bright colored top or some super funky jewelry, but with the one on the right, because the skirt is sequined and colorful, stick with a top that is the same or close to one of the colors in the skirt. Maybe like a dark blue or black. Personally I wouldn't wear a light colored top with this because I think the darker tops look better; more polished.

I have found seven adorable tops suitable for many different occasions with extremely charming tribal or geometric prints.
The first two are tanks from Forever21. The one on the left is $12.80 and the one on the right is $14.90. You can sport these casually with jeans pants or shorts. Or you can dress them up by adding a blazer and some heels. They are very affordable and adorable!

 

 

These next three are still casual but more professional standing alone than the first two. They would be great tucked into a pencil skirt or with black slacks. They would also look fabulous paired with some skinnies. You have many options!

The first one is a long sleeve tribal button-up blouse from Macys by BarIII for $69. The slit shouldered tribal blouse is by Vince Camuto and sold at Dillards for $99. The one on the bottom is a long sleeve button-up geometric blouse at Dillards by I.N. Studio for $39.

 

 

 

Lastly, I have added some fun edgy peplum styled geometric blouses from UrbanOutfitters that pair perfect with skinnies, minis, and pencil skirts. They are both by Pins and Needles and go for $39.

 As always, I have to add some gorgeous dresses in these prints. Some of these are to die for.

 

 The yellow one is a belted hi-lo hem dress by BCBG and can be found at Macys and Dillards for $118. It can be worn casually with braided sandals or dressed up with some flirty heels. The next one is a Juniors Dress by Material Girl at Macys for $12.99. This would look perfect with a blazer and some fun colored earrings. I have the perfect red pair for them I will add at the end of the blog. The next one is a BCBGMAXAZRIA stunner sequined geometric print dress. Its absolutely gorgeous. However, it is quite the splurge at $378. The next one is a black and white geometric print shift dress from Forever 21 that goes for $24.80; it is an amazing steal. It looks great alone, with a blazer, and with some fun and funky earrings. The last dress I have included is a beloved maxi dress from UrbanOutfitters at $64.

I have also found some super cute accessories that can go with any of these tops or dresses, or you may prefer to pair them with non-geometric pieces just to add some flair.

This adorable scarf can be found on UrbanOutfitters.com. It is by Silence and Noise and retails at $14.99 and is perfect for the transition into fall.             


 

These two items will be great paired together with non geometric or tribal printed pieces or individually with a printed piece. The red earrings are from Forever21 for $3.80 and the black and white cuff is also from Forever21 for $8.80.

 The two gold items are from Macys. The earrings are by Rachel Roy and retail at $46 and the cuff is by Haskell for $35.50. These two pair great together and can be paired with many of the pieces I included in this blog. Especially for those of you who prefer to wear metallics versus colored jewelry.

Last but never least, I have included some super funky pieces from TopShop. TopShop.com carries some really neat jewelry and just odd and eye-catching items that I really like. The ring and earring set goes for 7.50 Euros and the necklace which actually has different colored snake printed triangles goes for 12.50 Euros. No worries, TopShop distributes to the U.S. and they actually have stores located in the U.S. If  you shop on their website, they will convert the Euro to U.S. Dollar.

 

 I know that some people might consider wearing tribal prints or geometrics as a risk or a little out of their comfort zone. If you are that kind of gal, start with something small like a tank or a piece of jewelry, or even a scarf. These prints can be totally fun and add a pop of color to your outfit. Just remember to pair it with a complimenting solid or jewelry this isn't the over the top, and trust me you will look casually charming!