Sunday, September 30, 2007

high heel heaven

happy sunday fashionistas! i hope your weekends were enjoyable. i got home today from a weekend trip to philadelphia. yep, that's right! patent leather shoes made an appearance in one of america's finest cities. every time i go to philadelphia i am pleasantly surprised by my endeavors. it was nice to enjoy restaurant week there. and the weather was unbelievable, which made walking through the streets even more pleasant.

i sported my navy patent leather pumps to the city, paired with my wide leg trouser jeans by seven, and my short-sleeve white tory burch blouse. also.. i wore my black leather belt. it was a great clashing hit! comfortable for the drive.. and chic for our nice dinner.

if you can believe it, i have never been to king of prussia. yes, the second largest shopping mall in america. i have heard girls gushing over the stores and going on and on about the endless shopping opportunities within this arena of retailers. my girlfriends and i had plans to make a saturday afternoon shopping trip to the mega-center (unfortunately this did not work out.. boo) to buy a pair of heels for my roommate. note.. these would be the only pair of heels she would own. okay, some girls were born in heels (like myself, over here in high heel heaven.. i'm super tall and i still insist on purchasing 4 inch heels) and others favor the flats (which is fine in the summer months, especially at parties on grassy areas).. either way, i think each co-ed needs a bit of assortment. heels and flats to liven things up a bit. i'm very upset this trip didn't go as planned because every girl needs heels.

back to my roommate.. some of my fashionista crazes have rubbed off on her.. i've gotten her to match her hardware, clash colors, and wear a long necklace (it 's fun.. i get to accessorize her night outfits!) now.. once we get her that pair of heels, we will be in 'heaven'.

Friday, September 21, 2007

i am fashion

check it out fashionistas!

it's my claim to fame...

btw... i was not wearing silver flats, i was actually wearing pewter flats. like i have said before, i do not pair silver and gold together.

my legs look kinda short here.. hmm.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

wednesday campus inspirations

wednesday campus inspirations.. a weekly post commenting on trends and styles i see on campus. sit back, relax, and enjoy..

and a special thanks to ms. angeline for providing me with my first weekly review!

channeling some retro styles, combined with a touch preppiness, add in a little school spirit.. and you have angeline's fabulous combination of a youth crew neck sweatshirt paired with a pink polo shirt. when i first got to class this afternoon, i commented on her adorable polo.. white and pink stripes.. it was a great top for this warm weathered day!

afterwards, during our walk downtown together we were discussing the awkwardness of fall weather. how the early morning hours are in the freezing cold forties! while the sun shines and heats up campus into the seventies by early afternoon. well.. this combination of cold and warm does not provide for ideal wardrobe options for any fashionista. nobody wants to walk outside in the cold with short sleeves on.. nor does any collegiate fashionista want to lug around a jacket all afternoon when, after all, their outfit was designed around those adorable tory burch buttons showcased on its front (yes.. i am referring to a specific ivory jacket i have from tb.. and my clothing choices are usually channeled around this one piece when i wear it).

so angeline's solution to the problem this morning was to pair a youth crew school sweatshirt (which she got for sale at work.. yay for saving a few bucks!) over her collared shirt. she was able to fold her sweatshirt away by 3 pm and not worry about wrinkles or distracting others from her adorable polo shirt. well.. i must say angeline.. a job well done! this combination was a hit. navy sweatshirt with a pink collar was uber cute. it was preppy, conservative, school spirited, and fashion-risque all at the same time!

while some of you fashionistas may be frowning at the sound of this combination.. please take a second and absorb it. think about the ever popular spin-off.. t-shirts paired with polos underneath. it provides for a preppy sport look. i know i am a fan of these.. especially at football games.

it's been a while since i've paired a crew neck -- sweatshirt or t-shirt -- with a polo.. but thanks to angeline, i have a feeling that i will be thinking up many combinations in my head for the near future.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

college boys and their mouths...

so my friend frank and i are here drinking merlot and watching the yankee game, and i'm checking all my bloglines updates and he goes.. "you're such a blog queen"

hahaha.. yayy!!

ps-- he wears argyle socks that are so uber cute!

look how cute frank and i are here... we went to a charity ball together and we're dancing like goofs :)
props on your outfit frank.. any guy with a baby blue shirt and pink tie has a good sense of style
ps-- my dress is a "chetta b" black cocktail dress that my mom sent up from home.

to: metrosexual dads from: fashionista daughters

happy sunday blogosphere! i hope your weekends were enjoyable! well, here i am.. 7:30 sunday night, all caught up on my homework.. sipping a glass of merlot.. and waiting for my veggie burger to finish cooking for dinner.

my daddy came to visit me at school this weekend!! yay for parent visits, because you seriously get the best [free] food!!

i have to say, one great thing about my dad is how well he keeps himself together. he is always dressed to the nines.. and groomed meticulously.

he's also very fashion conscious (minus his futuristic sunglasses that we bicker over constantly).. when we went golfing today he was buying a wind breaker. he couldn't decide between the beige or the navy (which actually looked like black in the store.) so.. he asked for moi's advice.. his personal shopper/collegiate fashionista.

daddy wanted to know which was the better purchase.. since he wears black and tan pants paired with a collection of solid colored shirts. he ended up buying both.. but it was still really cool to offer him my trendy fashion advice for his golf attire. i swear, every time i see my dad i am more and more impressed by the trends he notices.. and the designer jeans that he buys!

so this blog is dedicated to all metrosexual dad's out there.. thanks for making your fashionista daughters proud!!

Friday, September 14, 2007

fashion forward friday



buenas tardes fashionistas!

here is my fashion forward friday outfit.

obviously, going trendy. since the minis are phasing out, i thought i'd get this cute jumper in one last time.. especially since it's chilly out today (68* right now! ..brr!)

i paired it with my new navy tights from we love colors.. and my via spiga boots which i am just in love with! i got them for my birthday last year and i wear them all the time. they're so comfortable and chic, the slouching leather is my favorite thing about them. plus, the luggage color goes with my leather Burberry bag that i carry to class.


one of my favorite things about this outfit, is that i can wear my huge navy cocktail ring from express. it's such an adorable accessory and it's very attention grabbing.

plus, check out the dress pattern: navy, black, and brown (clashing colors in for fall!)

classic with a twist is officially documented

happy friday fashionistas! you will never believe what happened to me yesterday afternoon..

so i'm drinking a vanilla soy latte from starbucks, talking on the phone with my friend, about to walk in the door to work (approx 10 feet away).. and these two girls come up to me and tap me on my back.. "i'm sorry to interrupt you, but we're from the style of the week section from the school newspaper, and we loooooove your outfit! can we take your picture and ask you a few quick questions?"

well.. that just made my day!! so next thursday, my trends will be officially documented online and in print. don't worry all.. i will post the article when it comes out!

and in case you were wondering, i was wearing:
--brown juicy couture cashmere sweater dress (i got that at loehmanns!)
--black tights from welovecolors.com
--peuter metallic flats from coach (metallic is so in right now!)
--my Burberry leather tote bag with my books
--and some cute gold jewelry

i still can't believe they chose me out of thousands (and i mean thousands!) of other students.. it's a fashionista's dream come true! so my style: trendy (obviously, look what i was wearing).. preppy and conservative. but generally --> classic with a twist!!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

manicures are not always an option

when i'm away at school, like most college students.. i don't have much disposible income to play around with. so i have to make due with what i have. this means the manicures i would love to get every week or so are not usually an option. especially when all the salons around here are not so inexpensive.. unfortunately there are no cheap asian nail salons like at home. let me tell you.. those asian ladies know exactly what they are doing!

so once a week or so i like to change up my nail colors. as i'm sure you know, my hue of choice last week was navy (which i love!). but this week i decided to switch over to 'sole mate' by essie. it's a great aubergine (eggplant-like) purple. and they complement my leopard peep toe flats i'm sporting today!

but, my go-to nail combination: 'adore-a-ball' and 'sugar daddy,' both by essie. i love this combination, it's a great pale pink that's subtle enough to go with everything but opaque enough to make a statement.

what's your favorite polish combo?

and, another thought to ponder.. have you tried nude polish? i love it on my fingers with navy toes. and i have only ventured that way once, because i'm still nervous that a beige polish will not work with my skin tone. but, honestly i loved it. so if you happen to come across a shade you favor please let me know!

thanks, and happy tuesday!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

it's raining it's pouring!!

rain drop on roses.. whiskers of kittens.. i'm wearing rain boots.. and everyone's smitten!

ok, bad way to rewrite sound of music.. but it's raining, and you know what that means! i get to wear my new Burberry rain boots.





what do you think??
are the colors too "fall" for mid-september?
since autumn is only 10 days away i thought it would be okay to put this together.. that, and i'm slightly anal and had to wear a top the color of a stripe in my rain boot


ps.. here is a close up of my rain boots (how cute are they?!?!)

Monday, September 10, 2007

my mother.. the professional shopper/style guru/master budgeter

ok, so i mentioned my mom on my prior post, let me just say, somehow she is able to budget her money and get the things most fashionistas only dream about and read about in the pages of vogue and instyle. but this woman can talk her way into a friends and family sample sale, get discounts off designer products for being a familiar face, and knows exactly when to buy which current trend. so this afternoon after a quick 5 minute phone call with her this afternoon i just had to tell you this..

some background info--
so last night i was e-browsing (what i like to consider the online version of window shopping.. you know, looking at christian louboutin booties and prada flats that don't quite fit into the budget of a college student) in between homework assignments and i found myself -- as i commonly do -- missing manhattan.. the hustle and bustle of everything, the sleek black suits worn by wall street men that are just gorgeous to look at, and of course 5th and madison.. every shopaholics dream. and then it hit me.. i have not yet visited sak's shoe department. yes, of course i am referring to 10022-shoe.. the 10,000 square feet home to 100,000 pairs of premier designers. so after e-browsing through their large collection i of course visited burberry.com because i like to see what one of my favorite top designers is up to. especially since i experienced their incredible sample sale this summer and all of the wonderful, wonderful findings i came across at 75-90% off. well i showed my roommate their adorable little red patent manor bag on their homepage, commenting on the black one my mother recently purchased. although, i couldn't help but notice their complementing shoes, uber cute!

so, it's monday afternoon and i'm walking to class, and i decide to give my mother a ring to see what she is up to. well of course she answers the phone and tells me she and her two close girlfriends are at saks eighth floor shoe department (yep, 10022-shoe).. i couldn't believe it. well.. then she goes on to tell me that she is "trying on the cutest burberry flats, patent leather that.." and i interrupt "..match your patent leather manor bag?!" now that is some powerful fashion esp right there ladies! she said "yes, they are posted..""..on their homepage next to the manor bag," i finished her words again, "i saw it last night!" well we had a quick laugh and i was off to learn about the stock market in economics class. not far from my mind though were the peuter and black patent flats that i had convinced my mother to buy ..because with a shoe that cute you can't miss up on an opportunity of them both being in stock!

so what are your thoughts?? wouldn't you buy both if you could?!

Thursday, September 6, 2007

these boots were made for walking

boots are all over. and with the fall season approaching it's really hard to resist them. so get your toes pedicured one last time, and prep your feet for some indoor coverage. that's right ladies... flip flop season is almost over. and there are plenty (and i mean plenty!) of options to snuggle your feet into this season.

rain boots have been around ever since april showers brought may flowers. but lately they have been seen on every pair of feet and in every retailer. and with so many styles and fabrics available, who wouldn't want to sport this fashionable and functional shoe?!?! for once, it made my father very happy that i bought a shoe that had a "purpose." one of the things i love most about rain boots is their individuality.. anybody can express a mood or a personality through them (this may be why i'm so passionate about shoes). for example, take sperry's rain boot it is stylish with its tweed lining and tailored cuts.. and the wedge heel adds a little bit of height to the wearer. and target has even carried walls and walls of rain boot options from polka dots to animal prints. but above all, the pariah of rain boots.. Burberry.

i own two pairs of rain boots... both Burberry. there is just something about that traditional plaid.. it's so chic and preppy, it goes with everything. i've worn them so often, and with my recently expanded (and expanding...) Burberry collection i have so many things to pair with them. combined with skinny jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black blazer it makes for such an easy, comfortable outfit on rainy days.. and i still get to look cute walking to class! my other pair are also Burberry. but they're novacheck print in pale colors, very cute. especially in warm, rainy weather. i recently got these and haven't had the opportunity to wear them yet.. but i have a few outfits put together in my head for that first rain drop.

so booties have been making quite a commotion on the shoe racks. they have been the talk of many fashion writers and bloggers since last winter. i was anxious for this hybrid-heel, a mix of a pump and a boot.. it's a bootie! but the stores out at school had none last season. i just didn't understand, all i heard was bootie this and bootie that.. but they were nowhere to be found, not because they were sold out, but because these stores didn't have them. well thanks to my fashion conscious mother (i'm still trying to learn her ways and become as shopping savvy as she is) i came home for a weekend and found two pairs of donald j. pliner booties (one black and one brown) waiting for me in my room. i got good use out of them, and they shall be making a return this fall season. but this year, upon my return to school and my browsing through the stores downtown i noticed a selection of booties. not only did this make my happy because i could finally show my friends what booties were but because this fashion item finally found it's way out to non-urban america.

for this season i recommend the via spiga 'alice' bootie ..because the button adds some subtle flair and these will pair great with tights and a pencil skirt. and the christian louboutin goya boot plain booties ..because it features their trademarked hidden platform and every shoe made by this designer is drop dead gorgeous [i am anxiously waiting for the day i buy my first pair!]

Monday, September 3, 2007

navy for fall

so if you are any way in touch with the fashion and style world then you are very much aware that navy is in for fall! it has been making quite an appearance [in many of my fall purchases..] from blazers to pants to shoes and even nail polish. also a bit of fashion 411.. clashing is in. i know it breaks every fashion rule in the book, but try pairing black and navy together.. it's certainly an interesting combination. recently, i took a deep breath and while wearing a navy dress with silver jack rodgers and silver jewelry i carried along a black prada bag. i have to admit my instincts were initially focused on the bag's silver hardware, versus my brown bags with gold hardware (its going to be quite some time before i mix my hardware finishes... no silver jewelry and gold belt buckle on this fashionista) it was even hard for me to put my money and lip gloss in the black bag while wearing navy, but i was glad that i did. it was something new and invigorating for me, be a little daring. check it out.. i urge you all to try it!

and in case you haven't heard, OPI makes a navy nail polish which I am uber excited to try!! last month i went on a hunt for navy polish because i was just dying to paint my toes with it. well i did stumble across one in sally and i, of course, purchased it and went to get a pedicure. it was so cute.. almost black, but when it hit the light it shined and really caught your eye. i wore sandals for a solid two weeks to show off my navy tootsies.. and i was very happy with my purchase, it's a great shiny blue but i believe the OPI is a bit more matte, but i am anxious for it nonetheless.


here's a picture of the polish on my roommates toes (thanks for modeling!)





blazers have been seen all over lately. layering with sweaters and oxfords leans towards a more conservative, preppy look. but pairing with a silky halter and skinny jeans adds class (and warmth) to a cute outfit for a night out this fall. i usually don't pair my jeans with any blue top, so to wear my new tory burch navy blazer i may have to leave the dark denims at home in the closet. but with brown suede trim and fabulously shiny gold buttons i don't think i'll have any hesitations. i'm just waiting for the fall weather to sink in so that i can premiere it on campus.

another navy accessory that i'm looking forward to
premiering shortly are my new navy patent leather pumps! with an almond toe (so in right now) and 3 inch heel they are cute and flirtatious. the navy is a great alternative to a brown or tan heel i would have previously chosen to pair with a neutral-toned outfit. i really can't wait to wear them.. they have been waiting patiently for me in their box since i brought them home last week.

so after a long weekend (thanks labor day) of partying back at school i woke up and thought, 'what better way to cure a morning hangover than with a little bit of shopping?!' well i began missing my loehmanns that i frequent at home, the best department store with the best designer deals, so i did some web surfing and came across the loehmanns web site at smartbargains.com that's where i stumbled into this pair of purple oversized gucci sunglasses i have been thinking about for nearly two months so i added them to my shopping cart then i proceeded to the tory burch clothing of their site (because i recently bought some tb clothes at loehmanns at home, and was very happy with their selection and prices, and i also have a slight obsession with the whole tory burch line) and that's where they were... navy wool sailor cut pants. i don't have a pair of navy pants and the wool would be great for those cold winter months that are approaching.. plus they were only $79.99, what a steal! i am very excited for these to come because tory burch pants tend to run really long and fit super well.

so with fashion week approaching and every designer's spring trends premiering on the runway this week keep an eye out for navy.. and i encourage you to pair it with a little bit of black.. take a chance see how it goes. in closing, something to ponder.. now that black and navy can be paired, does this mean we can wear white after labor day??