i’m in florida for a slightly longer than long weekend with the family :) what do you expect *your* arm party would look like after spending time with the kids for the easter holiday & a day at the zoo? hahaha!
wearing: duct tape “spike” bracelet made by a friend’s daughter || bracelets via the butterfly, stingray & dino trek exhibits at the zoo :)
i was a big fan of colorblocking waaaaay back in the day…like 2012! hahaha! then, it was all about pairing big blocks of color…your blouse, your skirt & your shoes. i think the spring mix of colors will be like this dress, more a play on form with interesting lines, shapes & patterns instead, but still keeping to a more solid color scheme. also, it seems *bright*, like neon bright, hues are still legit for the warm weather from what i’ve seen. hooray for that!!!
wearing: prabal gurung x target mint/orange dress || target sunglasses || UO leather cuff (old) || modern vintage mary jane heels
if you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you’ve come to find that i’m a big goodwill fan. not just of shopping their stores to find that *one* (or 2 or 10) unique item(s), but also of their mission statement of helping individuals achieve independence & dignity through work.
i attended the grand reopening of their renovated south boston store yesterday (thanks again, melissa, for the invitation!) & was impressed with the bright look, spacious layout & the new goodwill branding, even though i’ve never been to the store before. you could tell by the response of the staff there, they were very proud of their like-new space. even the president & CEO of goodwill, joanne hilferty, was there & gave a very passionate & enthusiastic speech about the work that goodwill does. see that book she’s holding? it’s the south boston’s business ledger from 1922…yes 1922!…that described the store’s operating costs was $50 a day. incredible! what history goodwill has in the boston area!
after the ribbon cutting & chatting with the directors & staff members, it was time to shop! even though i’ve been feeling all shopped out lately, i can never resist treasure hunting at goodwill! i was thoroughly impressed with the shelf displays, especially with the housewares. tell me that you wouldn’t think any of these items were from home goods or pier one? had i any room in my house, i would have *definitely* taken home those blue & white ginger jars!
all in in all, it was a great time as usual with goodwill & blogger friends. of course, i discovered a few special clothing & jewelry items that i can’t wait to wear. i even found friend & founder of bow & drape, aubrie’s, BCBG coat which had fallen between the racks that i *almost* bought! whew…close call!
disclaimer: i was given a very generous 50% shopping discount by goodwill but the heartfelt opinions are 100% my own ^_^
oona’s experienced clothing $5 a bag sale was too good…i had to go back the next day! i stopped by on the way to the neiman marcus event. as many disappointed shoppers who came to the sale too late found, all that were left were piles of plaid shirts. nevertheless, i found some cute fitted ones, plus some other items, including even an XL men’s navy shirt for MDH! when i was done at NM, on a whim, i called oona’s & was told that they did restock, so off i went again! got many more items this third time around: 4 plaid shirts, 3 beanies, mint fair isle sweater, pink/white/black skirt, lavender floral dress, yellow sheer blouse, green fringe skirt, red silk floral bowtie cape (like seriously a cape…only appropriate to wear to phantom of the opera CAPE!), camel/white long wool jacket, green/blue silk floral top, two 70’s style print shift dresses/tunics, beige/black piping belted tunic, yellow print cotton sundress, white collared blouse, lavender/yellow polka dot shorts & 3 belts/sashes. between this, the first round at oona’s & other assorted clearance items i picked up from h&m & target…i’m *done* with clothes shopping…like ever! plus, get ready for an eclectic shift in my personal style over the coming weeks as i try to incorporate some of these unusual pieces into my wardrobe ^_^
this is what i wore to attend the neiman marcus spring trends presentation the other day. i thought it was the perfect opportunity to finally bring out this navy with white piping blazer that i got from the neiman marcus x target holiday collaboration….when it was 70% off ^_^
not *quite* warmer weather yet but decided to dress nice & spring-like between snowstorms while i had the chance :) plus, i learned during the NM talk that blue is a popular color for spring, so hey, don’t i feel all kinds of smart!
wearing: thom browne x NM x target blazer || target chevron dress || pour la victoire pony-hair heeled leather wedges (via gilt warehouse sale)
my good photographer friend, smita, invited me to the neiman marcus boston presentation of spring fashion trends yesterday morning, hosted by anamaria pImental, nm accessories fashion director. i was only there for a brief time, but got the whole spring story targeting the following upcoming trends :)
1. BLUE - one of the hit colors for the spring is blue…not just cobalt, but turquoise, navy…every hue :) whether an entire outfit or a pop of the bright color, there are many ways to incorporate blue into your closet. featured items…cobalt blue saint laurent purse, prada handbag & judith leiber prince william frog minauderie.
2. SHOES - pretty much anything goes here…platforms, pumps, flats, stilettos….studs, colorblocking…it’s all still relevant. there’s also definitely a resurgent in the “gladiator” sandals from years past. i think strappy shoes are always in style, so no need to call them gladiators specifically. featured item…charlotte olympia kitty flats.
3. ORANGE - another popular color for the spring…whether bold & citrusy or subtle & peachy. orange is a hard color for me. i can’t tell if it’s unflattering for my coloring or not. however i’ll definitely have to try with it being so popular! featured item…alexander mcqueen dress (similar)
4. BAGS - bigger handbags seem to be making a comeback, also more multifunctional. bags with both short handles & convertible longer straps to transition into shoulder or crossbody ease. as a bonus, get one matching one of the color stories above & voilá…2 trends at once :) featured item…stella mccartney fringe tote bag.
5. RELAXED CHIC - this i can actually get down with. clothes that are more comfortable, but you don’t have to resort to yoga pants & hooded zipups. flowy silk pants, a simple cardigan or vest over fit & flare dresses, unstructured jackets. i’ve always been down for flared skirts, so glad the trend is catching up to me…hahaha! also, i’m planning a DIY involving more the “sporty” side of relaxed chic…wait for it…wait for it ^_^
6. PRINT ON PRINT - *very* glad to see this is still popular. i’ve been a fan of print mixing from the start. it can be challenging, but it’s fun! if it seems too intimidating, think like the photo above, mix a print with texture instead & stick to a simple color scheme.
it was a really fun presentation & i was glad to see what’s hot & upcoming for spring. as a final note, how *CUTE* is my buddy, smita? i like her photographer stance with heel down & toes up! talk about having signature style!
having an unexpected morning free, i decided to check out the $5 all-you-can-fit-in-a-bag sale that was going on at the most well-loved & well-established vintage clothing store in harvard square, oona’s. i decided to go right when they open at 11 am & good thing! the line was already 10-15 deep when i got there! luckily, the wait wasn’t too long & we went right on in. i paid $5 for a medium-sized paper shopper bag & got to it!
like oona’s name, i’m also a bit experienced in fill-a-bag sales. it’s pretty embarrassing how i get all ikea flat precise packing, jigsaw puzzle anally perfect to maximize my money! i didn’t even rip my bag nor did the handle tear off! who’s an expert? *this* girl!!! within half an hour, i had already filled my bag with 15 lovely items: a velvet black/silver ribbon belted party dress, a turquoise 60’s satin sheath, a black/red asymmetrical hem sweater, 2 white crinoline type underskirts (which could easily pass for regular skirts), 2 crazy 70s print button down shirts, 3 brocade jackets/tops, a faux fur shawl (my fave!), a custo barcelona (one of my favorite brands) dress, a lacy slip, a cute tapestry handbag & finally, a bergdorf goodman vintage lace/tulle fascinator! three items didn’t even have tags, so my overall haul was retail over $792!!! what is that…like 99.999999999% off? beyond crazy! by the time i left, the racks & even floor of oona’s was pretty well-picked over. i hope they restock. i might just have to stop back in for another bag tomorrow :)
even with fresh snow still here on the ground in new england, happy first day of spring! h&m is having a great clearance sale right now…half off already reduced items. this originally $25 dress i snagged for $5! however, it wasn’t the incredibly low price point that got me…but rather the design reminded me of the 2012 collection from my favorite designers…dolce & gabbana. i don’t know what it is about old world italian floral print that speaks to me, but it sure does!
coincidentally, this dress also has that “mirror” or “kaleidoscope” pattern trend that seems to be on the rise these days…also evoked by my PB x target sweatshirt. whatever…it’s bright, it’s colorful & especially on this still windy & chilly “spring” day, i’ll take it!
wearing: h&m floral print long-sleeved dress || h&m gold collar necklace || c/o kmart black tights || isabel toledo x payless booties
i’m sure you’re like me & salivating for the season 3 premiere of game of thrones! as much as i love the fur & leather fashions on the fantastical show, it’s also amazing to see the characters “out of character”, especially all gussied up for a red carpet! i love these 2 dresses from my 2 favorite “blonde” characters on the show…daenerys targaryen & cersi (lannister) baratheon…both vying for ownership of the throne for different reasons. simple monochromatic looks, yet powerful & regal. soooo excited! are you excited?!?! check out the rest of the red carpet cast here :)
photos via hollywoodlife.com
the fine folks with clarks, the famous UK footwear giant, invited me to their new spring/summer collection at concepts in harvard square. i only know about clarks because my husband (who will readily admit he has no fashion sense) loves the quality of his own rugged pair of clarks.
it was a rocking party that night with plenty of beer, appetizers & DJ action going on. the new collection is actually pretty snazzy. i like how their famous desert boot came in a fashion forward leopard pony hair print! now, leopard print is nothing to us girls, but it takes a pretty hip & happening dude to sport the leopard! they even had some supple, soft camel leather boots that were tremendously airy & lightweight! i could see them being super comfortable for daytime wear, but still fashionable enough to step out on the town at night. very cool!
to add to the party atmosphere, the concepts store even had a branding station to label your new shoes. clarks generously gave me a pair of my own bright blue clarks originals vinyl desert boot that, of course, i got branded with the concepts logo… so i’ll always know where i got them :)
seriously, if you have any street fashion savvy guys in your life, tell them to check out the clarks collection at concepts. it’s limited edition & won’t be around for very long ^_^
disclaimer: i was gifted an awesome pair of shoes & a duffel bag by clarks & concepts, but opinions are 100% my own.
