Tag Archives: outfit of the day

Day to Night Transition Tips

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I know that it might not seem like it, given that I take a good portion of the month of October to watch really, really bad horror movies on Netflix or go to comic-conventions to stock up on t-shirts and trinkets- but I’m a pretty busy woman. I work long hours at my office (including on Saturdays!), I have a packed planner filled with appointments, gatherings, dinners and social events- I bring my eight year old niece to school twice a week, and I still have to make time to cook, clean, get a good workout in, spend time with my family (and my dog!), do my blogging- and manage to get enough sleep to keep me functioning like a normal person.

It’s a lot, and when you’re living on a schedule and deadlines have to be met- sometimes I don’t have as much time as I’d like in-between leaving my office and racing to catch dinner with my friends to re-do my makeup or get glammed up. For that reason, I’ve become a sort of master of easily transitioning my daytime look into a “nighttime” look- and all I need are a couple of pieces to add to my ensemble and two or three makeup products that can easily be stored in my bag.

To demonstrate how the process takes literally 2 minutes of my time- I thought I’d go with a regular, “standard” outfit for me on my days off when I’m running errands- jeans, a t-shirt, and my black knee-high boots (it also works with leather or velvet ankle booties!) It’s classic, it’s chic- but most importantly- it’s comfortable. I’m not terribly concerned with looking like a runway model when I’m doing laundry or couponing at my local grocery store. I just want to be cozy!

BUT- once the sun begins to set and I have to hop on over to whatever I have planned in the evening- there’s a few essentials that make me look more put together and get me feeling more confident:

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– THE LEATHER JACKET –

The quintessential “cool girl” piece, I pair my leather jacket with much pretty much anything and everything in the evenings- jeans, mini-dresses, pencil skirts and blouses, rompers/jumpsuits or sweaters. It always takes my outfit from looking professional from work or casual from my days off to looking effortlessly chic. This particular jacket features my HYDRA pin from Marvel- which I think adds a neat, badass touch.

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– THE STATEMENT JEWELRY PIECE –

With Halloween approaching, I’m having a blast busting out my more creepy pieces to wear out and about at night at friends’ costume parties or when checking out haunted houses/hay rides. The above-pictured tarantula bangle is one of my favorites, but during the other 11 months of the year when those types of pieces aren’t exactly considered seasonal (or appropriate)– I keep my jewelry simple but noticeable.

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One of the best “All Day Wear” pieces I’ve come across recently is this minimalist gold bar necklace from AUrate New York. What I love most about this 14K Yellow Gold piece (which also comes in Rose Gold- my favorite, and White Gold) is that it really pulls together my workday outfits, but also gives me just the right amount of subtle sparkle at night. It’s the perfect transitional piece that I don’t have to worry about misplacing since I can keep it on from morning through the evening!

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– THE RED LIP –

During the day, my makeup is definitely on the neutral side. Light eye shadow, barely-there-blush, and my usual rose-colored matte lipstick. I like to look fresh-faced and awake at work, and I find this color scheme works well for me- even on my most exhausting of days. At night, however- I swap out my usual pale lipstick for bright reds or deep oxblood hues to make my lips pop or give me that vampy look I covet around this time of year.

If I’m feeling a bit more daring- I can also get my eye look to catch up to me in the evenings by adding a cat-eye effect with a swipe of eyeliner or add a bit more of a darker shadow to my crease to give me a nice smokey eye.

Overall, my entire transition process- from a day look to a night look- takes me less than 10 minutes to achieve. All of the pieces/products I’ve listed and shown above can transform any outfit- nearly anything you’re wearing- from on-the-go to out-on-the-town in little to no time at all!

Do you have transitional tips/tricks or must-haves when you go from your daily activities to nighttime excursions? Feel free to share!

xx

Closet Crushes: C.K. in D.C.

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It’s been forever and a day since I’ve done a proper “Closet Crushes” post- mainly because my usual staples in Fall/Winter aren’t really worth blogging about- but also because it’s hard to find the time to properly photograph an ensemble with my often busy and packed schedule. It’s much easier and time-friendly for me to write about my monthly subscription boxes or bad horror movies than it is for me to jump in front of a camera and hope I’m not pulling an awful face when the timer goes off (spoiler alert: I’m ALWAYS pulling an awful face.)

I had some luck with my recent trip to Alexandria/Washington D.C., however- having loved my choice of dress (and shoes!) to attend a wedding so much that I knew I had to revisit the world of fashion blogging and share it.  There’s something about Spring and incorporating actual colors into my wardrobe that makes me feel flirty and fun- and I think this sky blue Calvin Klein sheath dress- bursting with blooming white flowers- really captures that.

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I love how lightweight this dress is. It was classy enough for the church ceremony but loose-fitting and flowing enough where I could party at the reception and still be comfortable. The blue also compliments my red hair and fair skin- but it a pretty close match to my eye color, too.

When it came to shoes, I paired this dress with matching sky blue pointed toe heels (with a small heel- so that I could look fancy- not alarmingly taller than my date- and still move around!) and carried along a pair of nude flats in my bag in case my feet started to get a little sore as the night wore on. Thankfully, it wasn’t an issue.

I also carried along a white cardigan with me in case it got cold- which it most certainly did as the afternoon wore on. The cardigan did little to block the frigid temperatures as I was maneuvering to/from my rental car- and I owe my friend and date Duncan for being such a gentleman and wrapping his jacket around my shoulders more than once so I wouldn’t freeze to death!

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Since I’ve given up on my hair being anything other than curly and huge at all times (flat-ironing it takes a little more than an hour, maybe two- and I didn’t have that time to spare while I was getting ready since I had to get moving!) I let it air dry after combing some coconut milk serum and mousse through it- and kept my makeup subtle- using soft pink eye shadow, rosy/nude lipstick, and minimal blush to round out my springtime look.

Overall, I loved this entire ensemble- and I have a couple of semi-formal events coming up in the Summer where I’ll be able to wear this again (I’m not one to wear an outfit only once!)

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xx

Closet Crushes: Practical Festival Wear.

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Oh, “Closet Crushes” posts- how I’ve missed you. It’s been well over a year- maybe a year and a half- since I’ve shared some of the contents of my wardrobe on here. With work, travel, geeking out at comic-conventions, and more recently- unpredictable weather- I haven’t had much time or motivation to primp and pose outdoors in some of my favorite pieces in recent months- and the “Closet Crushes” posts sort of fell to the wayside as a result.

But now, with beautiful weather here at last and my closet recently cleaned out and organized from a LOT of Spring cleaning- I’ve been inspired to start them up again- and with the first leg of Coachella wrapping up this past weekend (and the festival fashion recap posts emerging online)– I thought I’d share two of my favorite, practical, but still stylish ensembles to wear for such an occasion.

Here’s the thing about Coachella. Over the years, the festival has become less about music and more about which celebrity can show up wearing the most outlandish, impractical, and uncomfortable looking outfits (sometimes engaging in some cultural appropriation along the way.) How someone can enjoy a band’s set in 75+ degree weather, surrounded by a mass of other sweating, sticky bodies, and trying to decide between succumbing to dehydration or spending $12 on a bottle of water- all while wearing layers upon layers of leather, fringe, suede, feathers, tulle (the worst fabric imaginable,) and three pounds of metal bangle bracelets- is beyond me. That sounds like a miserable time!

I’ve been to a few outdoor music festivals throughout the years, and I’ve always made it a point to dress in clothing that was comfortable and suitable for the elements. Jeans, t-shirts, and waterproof boots in case of rain or puddles were pretty much mandatory- but sometimes the heat and the sun beating down during the day could make me feel like I was roasting- and I turned to more flowing, breathable fabrics that let me stay cool and able to move around (and dance!) freely without looking like an insane person.

I love my shin-length, nude-colored cotton crochet skirt (in the left hand side of the photo above,) which I usually layer with a tank top and a lightweight sweater in case it cools down at all during the day- and my white, cotton crochet dress (right side of the photo above,) is loose-fitting and feminine- making me feel pretty and comfortable. I especially love the design of it’s bell sleeves- which give me some serious BoHo vibes.

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For accessories, I try to keep it simple. Too much dangling from my neck and arms is uncomfortable, at least for me- so I tend to stick to one or two pieces- like a unique and lightweight necklace and one or two chunky bracelets that won’t interfere with my movements too much. I like these pieces since I can barely feel them whenever I wear them.

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Lastly, the finishing touches- my footwear and my sunglasses. I love these faux-leather cowboy style boots year-round, since they’re comfortable and look pretty chic with jeans and dresses alike, regardless of the season (I once paired them with short shorts when I was in Las Vegas- and it looked pretty cool.) Best of all? They keep my feet dry in the case of an unexpected downpour, and are easy to clean should I encounter the dreaded outdoor festival mud pile. Ick.

The sunglasses, large and round- are back in style this season, and have been all but permanently attached to my face as of late. They’re also going to be making another appearance in an upcoming “Inspired By” post!

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And those are just two of my favorite, and practical- outdoor festival looks.

Do you have any practical festival fashion must-haves? Feel free to share in the comments!