Leather and Lace

Jacket- H&M, Dress (worn as top)- Zara (similar on sale!), Skirt- Forever 21 (similar on sale $12!), Boots- Calvin Klein, Chain Necklace- similar on sale, Spike Necklace- Nordstrom

Leather and lace is such a typical pairing, and I can totally see why. Feminine lace and edgy leather create the perfect outfit combination for those of us who don't like our leather jackets to take us too far towards the dark side. (Check out my other recent feminine/edgy pairings here and here.) Of course, I had to pair my leather and lace with a pleated skirt, which I have been living in lately. And these boots. These boots! I'd been waiting for just the right moment to pick them up, and at 30% off I just HAD to. Yeah, maybe I jumped the gun because they didn't quite fit in my monthly budget, but I'll make sure my purchase was worth it. I can't even express my love for them in words, but they are definitely my new favorite pair of shoes. Like, ever. And I'll stick to that until the next gorgeous pair comes along :)

Linking up with My Style Monday | Style Sessions

Fall Fashion: Lace

Tee- old (love this, this), Vest- Forever 21, Skirt- Forever 21 (similar), Heels- Charlotte Russe, Necklace- Forever 21 (similar, on my wishlist), Watch- Fossil, Bracelet- Forever 21 (similar), Bag- Just Fab (similar, love this)

Photography: Envision Images

You can get away with lace year-round, but for fall, I like the idea of wearing it a little less ladylike and a little more edgy. I love the combination of lace and distressed denim to achieve an edgier look. Another great way to wear lace for fall is to pair it with military inspired pieces (teaser for tomorrow's look!).

I'm normally not a huge fan of wearing pencil skirts anywhere but work, so to make sure the look read "casual-wear," I paired my skirt with a simple graphic tee. (And, no, I didn't go to Harvard, but I did get this tee probably about 7 years ago at Charlotte Russe. Its just random enough to fit in with the graphic tee trend that's been going around.)

Now, let's discuss one of the typical reasons why you might be scared to wear lace. As Johanna pointed out in a blog comment yesterday, you may be afraid to look like a doily. This problem is easily solved by breaking up your look using separates. Wear a lace top with bottoms of a different texture. Or, pair a lace skirt with a blousy button up to create the perfect feminine work look. But don't be afraid to wear a lace dress! Add a jacket on top (blazer, denim, military), or even just a belt at your waist to add a non-lace element to your outfit. Another great option for lace dresses are those with panels or trim in a different fabric, like the Modcloth dress I included in the Shop the Trend section below.

How do you feel about wearing lace? Will you be rocking the trend this fall?

Shop the Trend:

Linking up with  Style Sessions | Real Girl Style

 source

Although the weather is still warm, we are getting closer to fall, which means its time to start talking fall fashion. Practical shopping includes thoughtful planning, and this is especially important at the beginning of each season. I enjoy keeping up with seasonal trends and love to incorporate them into my daily style. It's important to figure out first of all, what is going to be popular for fall? Once I nail down some trends I know I want to wear, I can go through my closet and see what I already have that will work. Then, I can decide on a handful of pieces I want to add to my wardrobe to achieve the style I'm going for in the new season.

Do some of these trends intimidate you? They certainly do me! That's why we are going to take these trends and figure out how to style them in wearable ways. Keep reading this week for four looks where I incorporate these trends into something that makes sense for the average woman. I've also done some shopping for you based on each trend so you can start creating a fall wish list of your own.

Linking up with Kayla

White Out

 Top- Forever 21, Blazer- Primark (similar) Jeans- (similar), Heels- Zara (similar), Watch- Fossil, White Pave Bracelet- Gigglosophy, Pave Bracelet- similar

I love a good monochromatic outfit, and white is just about the easiest color to pull it off with. While other colors come in multiple shades, making it a little tricky to match, white is just good ol' white. I wanted to make this look even more classy by wearing white shoes and jewelry to go with the monochrome theme. Or maybe, I just want to get in as much white as I can before Labor Day! (Though you will catch me breaking that rule anyway. White can totally work for fall and winter.)

Linking up with Kayla | Lauren | Amber | Tara

<3 Katie

Day to Night: Lace LBD

 Dress- Forever 21, Sandals- Target, Belt- similar, Watch- Fossil, Earrings- Forever 21 (similar), Nails- Sally Hansen Pacific Blue

 

Heels- Lulu's, Necklace- Forever 21 (similar), Earrings- Dorothy Perkins, Bracelet- similar

Have you entered my group giveaway yet? Click here for a chance to win 1 of 3 giftcards to Lulus.com, Victoria's Secret, or Sephora!

Linking up with Amy, Amber, Christina, Tara, Bonnie, and Kristen!

<3 Katie

Spring Brights

Top- Forever 12, Jeans- Zara, Booties- Wanted, Purse- Target, Necklace- Forever 21 (similar), Earrings- Target (in stores), Yellow Bracelet- eBay, Mint Link Bracelet- Glamour Me Jewels, Bangle- Forever 21, Watch- Fossil

As soon as I saw this color combo on Hello Fashion, I knew I was going to be a copycat. And I won't lie to you, I went out and bought that yellow bag the day I wore this outfit since I didn't have enough yellow accessories (you'll see soon that I have the same bag in hot pink...haha). There is just something about hot pink and mint for spring that I am LOVING! And the pop of yellow...so creative. What do you think of it?

Since you're getting to see more close ups now, you may have noticed I have quite a few piercings, including 3 cartilage, tragus, rook, and nose, along with my earlobes. The nose came first my sophomore year of college and I suddenly became addicted to piercings. I like to wear dainty jewelry in all of them, of course. We're going for girly, not goth. Now that I've had my nose pierced for five and a half years, I sometimes wonder if I'll ever take it out. It's basically a permanent fixture!

Click here to see if you won the Banana Republic/Gap/Old Navy gift card!

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

<3 Katie

Spring Tweed

Blouse- Forever 21, Blazer- Primark (similar), Jeans- American Eagle, Shoes- Asos (similar), Purse- Primark (similar)

Photography by Shutterberry

I have been on the lookout for a tweed jacket for a while now, and I finally found the perfect one in London! This jacket was on sale for 10₤ (equivalent of $15), so I had to pick it up! Of course I was thrilled that it was mint since I love that color for spring. Since the jacket doesn't have a collar, I added a white blouse with a faux leather collar. I really like the cutouts on the collar for some added detail. Now I just hope the weather in Texas doesn't warm up too quick so I can get some use out of my jacket!

I did decide it was warm enough for that first pedicure of the season the other day and treated myself to some hot pink toes! The color is OPI That's Hot! Pink. 

<3 Katie