style – Page 16 – Making it Lovely

Style: August ’09

I know August is still warm, but I suppose I’m looking ahead to fall already.

I love a classic striped shirt paired with a bright skirt and a simple fabric bag. The suede Crosby Sandals are a good summer to fall shoe, and I just ordered a pair for myself so hopefully they’re as cute in person as they are online. And then there’s that Sedum Cuff. Oh, how I want it! It’s substantial and delicate and the same time. I already own a Honey Locust necklace by Prismera, so perhaps it’s time to add to the collection, eh?

August 6, 2009

Style: July ’09 (Includes the Behind-the-Scenes Process)

I’m asked constantly how I put these style posts together, so today I’m showing you the behind-the-scenes process.

It works the same way whether I’m making a board for an outfit or a room. I may have a good idea of everything in my head first, but usually there’s a lot of looking around at different options before I hit upon exactly the look I want. Once I’ve chosen all of the items I want to use, I put them all together, erasing backgrounds and photo editing where necessary. Here’s a screenshot of all the windows I had open in Photoshop for this month’s post…

And here’s a breakdown of where it all came from (items that made the final cut are highlighted in bold)…

Each of those dresses work for nursing which I know is not something that everyone needs, but it’s a requirement for me these days. Oh, and I’ve included the Ada Pleats shoes before, but with good reason: I absolutely love them. I have a pair in yellow, and they make my $25 Target dress look a whole lot nicer. See, I only recommend items I’ve actually bought (or would buy) for myself… I’m like a consumer advocate that way. ;)

July 6, 2009

Style: June ’09

I packed away all of my maternity clothes today (yay!). I was tired of wearing them, even though my one-month postpartum body still looks a bit pregnant. Now I need to focus on clothes that fit my slightly more rotund figure, are easy to take care of, and work for nursing. I suppose it’s time to reevaluate my wardrobe a bit.

I actually just bought this printed cami the other day. While it looks nothing like it does on the model when it’s on me, I actually think it looks better in real life. I wear mine tucked in and under a white cardigan with a simple black skirt.

To complete the outfit, I’d add this brown bag (which looks more expensive than it is), nude flats, and a charming initial necklace. Easy and cute!

June 2, 2009

Style: May ’09

I put together my May style post a bit early, frankly because I could use the distraction. No, the baby has not arrived yet. Looks like I’ll be going from overdue to truly post-term. I’m scheduled to be induced tomorrow morning.

So for now… fashion! Glorious frivolity!

I’m eager to wear normal clothes again, though I’m sure it will take me a while to get back to my pre-pregnancy size. Plus I know babies do lovely things like spit-up, so I’m trying to be practical and choose easy wash and wear clothing. A comfy stretchy skirt and a ruffled henley should fit the bill. And how awesome would Moop’s Fraulein Tote be as a diaper bag? I think it would work exceedingly well.

I saw the red t-strap shoes in the Urban Outfitters catalog about a month ago and I’ve been pining for them ever since. They’re pretty much perfect— the low heel looks like a good height to add some style but still be a very walking-friendly shoe. A kicky striped bangle would pick up the red nicely, and gold hoop earrings would be a nice touch too.

OK, that was fun. Didn’t really take my mind off things since I’m basing my wardrobe choices around my upcoming new lifestyle as a mom (!), but it was fun nonetheless. Now I’m off to worry about tomorrow…

April 27, 2009

Style: April ’09

Oh, April. My last month being pregnant, hooray! One last maternity look before I have to start dressing 24-7 for easy boob access.

I like this maternity shirt dress, and of course it’s easy to find shirt dresses like this one for the majority of you that are not currently pregnant. I often wear simple dresses because when the dress is understated, everything else stands out. For jewelry, I would wear something like this pink and gold pearl bracelet on one side and this lovely ring on the other.

I hadn’t bought a new purse since early last year (I bought the one in my very first style post), so when I fell in love with this yellow ruffled purse I decided to splurge. In fact, in that post I was talking about how I’d rather buy one quality item than five less than stellar cheapies, and I’ve stuck with that!

OK… until I got to the shoes. These little white flats are cheapies, but they’re so cute! And comfortable! And I needed a pair of shoes in a larger size because I can’t very well walk around barefoot in public and none of my other shoes fit at this point. Besides, I don’t think every item needs to be an investment piece – a nice mix of high and low is always nice. Wouldn’t you agree?

April 2, 2009

Style: March ’09

Spring is almost here! Maybe that’s why I’m loving bright kelly green these days…

For my fellow pregnant ladies, this maternity smocked shirt dress is pretty cute. And for everyone else? This silk pleated dress is beautiful, but this keyhole dress is really sweet and more casual (though I’d lose the belt).

I love wearing big, bold jewelry. This bracelet can stand on its own, or maybe with some silver earrings that complement it but don’t don’t compete. And I’m a fan of pattern (surprised?), so I’d add a cute fabric bag and then some architectural shoes to finish off the outfit.

March 1, 2009

Tag: style