There's nothing more inspiring to me than a woman who is strong in her beliefs, fearless in her pursuits and gracious to those who who wrong her. I am a firm believer that women can be both tough and feminine, bold and delicate. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by women who inspire me every day with their creative minds and kind hearts and credit half the chances I take to their showing me the way.
That was my inspiration behind this outfit -- I wanted something that made me feel feminine and beautiful but commanded attention and gave me an outlet to assert my confidence.
Read MoreA subtle ruffle is something that can't go wrong when placed correctly and the ruffles on each shoulder of this Zara dress are no exception. I like the variation of this pattern (typically it's white with black) because it feels very warm to me. My closet is pretty monochrome in the work wear department, but this dark navy with a pop of red is something that is still subtle enough for me to wear to a place of employment.
This is one of those pieces you can just throw on and head out the door in without much fuss. You can dress it up by putting your hair in a low bun with some volume or by adding a statement necklace if need be! I am wearing it with my suede peep toe heels from Aldo, but a nice white cutout loafer or pair of nude ballet flats would go great as well.
Read MoreThank God it's Monday.
Yes, I said it! I LOVE Mondays, and here's why: they're the fresh start I need every seven days. Mondays get a really bad rap (Ugh... work! School! Life! No thank you!) but they've been my favorite day for as long as I can remember.
Maybe it's because my life is in a constant state of disarray -- I have places to be, people to see and things to accomplish... oftentimes all at once -- and Mondays give me a clean slate to organize my thoughts and plan my schedule. Nothing ever really changes from Sunday to Monday (I'm always a hot mess by midweek no matter how hard I try), but it always feels like it has the potential to be different. Who knows, maybe this week will bring me something I've never imagined in my entire life! Not to mention, a new week brings seven new opportunities to put together outfits, play with makeup and (hopefully) inspire friends and followers to do the same.
Read MoreSome things never change, like my love for wearing denim to the office.
Oh no! Denim? In the office? Sorry business majors, this post may not be for you. I've never been a business kind of girl -- despite my stint taking business classes to earn a certificate in college. Try to put me in a button down and blazer and I feel completely out of my element. I do own a few blazers, of course, but I never pair them with matching slacks or a pencil skirt. Instead of the stuffy LinkedIn business casual look, I prefer a variation that consists of a cheap and lightweight button up short sleeve shirt with a jean jacket or light colored blazer.
Can and should jean jackets be worn to the workplace? It obviously depends on the profession, but since I'm chasing a creative one (and style is a big part of that focus) I think the answer is YES -- as long as you dress it up and don't look grungy.
Read MoreI was trying to ignore the recent revival of ballet flats, but it's pretty clear this trend is here to stay, at least through the dog days of summer and into the fall.
I'm not one for traditional ballet flats (blame it on my middle school obsession with my white cotton lace pair) so I rounded up a few versions that I can actually stand.
Lace-up ballet flats are making a huge splash in the fashion world right now, and even though I'm not sure I could see myself with a satin pair of those bad boys, I could get on board with some less-lacy pairs.
Read MoreI had a teacher in high school who was always telling us to dress well if we wanted to do well.
She was talking about taking the English AP test, but I took the advice to heart and have made it an integral part of the way I think about style. There are days where my lengthy to-do list nearly keeps me from getting out of bed, and I feel like I can barely look in the mirror let alone pick out a killer outfit for the day. That's probably why I wear black and white so often -- it's easy to mix and match my pieces on the roughest of days.
Below are two of my all-time favorite, go-to pieces to wear to the office or out on the town... Or BOTH! These pieces can transition seamlessly from the duties of the day to happy hour, and I'm now renting them out on Garment Exchange so you can try them out for yourself!
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