Playing with Poly

Thank the fashion gods for Polyvore where the creative can slap together their favorite trends and voila! Trend board!

This board reflects everything I want for fall. The leather skirt is at the top of my list, it is everywhere this season and ridiculously versatile. I love the idea of a graphic sweatshirt to make the skirt more casual and very street style cool. Pair some caged sandals for a an evening look or the leather ankle boots for daytime casual.

Another item I have on my fall shopping list is a wide brim hat. Fall is the best time to wear hats and not look like a bag lady. The wide brim fedora is a nice update from the floppy boho hat from previous seasons but still has the same relaxed feel.

I am definitely posting more boards from Polyvore so you guys can see the trends I'm loving for the season.

Style on little warriors!

Chic as Sh*t

Chic as Sh*t by jessica-gibbs featuring a black skirt

Long sleeve shirt
target.com

Simonetta Ravizza black skirt
farfetch.com

Alexandre Birman special occasion shoes
saksfifthavenue.com

Rag & Bone suede boots
forwardforward.com

Alexis Bittar ring
stylebop.com

Alexis Bittar bangle bracelet
saksfifthavenue.com

Alexis Bittar bracelet
bloomingdales.com

Black hat
$355 - avenue32.com

Shameless Hauling

When I started my first blog a few years back I decided for a particular post I would share some of the clothes I bought from several recent shopping trips. I do still have some of the clothes I posted pictures of (go me!) and for a little while continued to share my treasures from shopping excursions. This was maybe four or five years ago and I no longer have that blog. I'm sure it's still floating out there in the dark recesses of the internet.

I will confess that for the most part I'm always a little behind when it comes to finding the next big thing on YouTube, so when my friend Abbi asked me if I had seen any 'My Haul' videos I was confused. First, I thought she said 'hall' like hall closet or something. Second, I didn't understand why anyone would do this or who would care to watch. I went home and looked up some videos to see what the deal was and I couldn't believe how many postings there were. What was most interesting was there were popular vloggers for this particular topic. I'll be honest, not impressed with the videos. I was rolling my eyes so often it hurt my face.

Then it hit me- I've done this before! Of course, at the time YouTube was not what it is today and I still don't know how to upload a video. I realized I had done the same thing many years before and then felt very silly for doing so. However, I recently went on a shopping trip and felt like I needed to share. So here it is, (sigh)...my haul.

Ugghh

I promise it's not as annoying as the teenage YouTube girls talking about a top they bought and saying "Um, I dunno, I just really liked the color and it's totally cute (winky duck face)!"

*I don't know how to make a winky duck face, but they do!

Drool

 I am so in love with this bag, but I'm waiting until Fall to use it. It is the Rebecca Minkoff 'Cupid' bag and I cannot wait to love it.

 I have been looking for black boots that I deemed worthy for a very long time. I wanted a riding boot that wasn't narrow around the ankle and I could tuck my skinny jeans into. These are Sam Edelman and they have a zipper along the back of the boot which makes for easy wear-ability.

 I like these a lot. That is all.

 The fashion community/ Pantone have deemed Emerald the color of the year and I could not agree more. I love this color, it is flattering on everybody. This dolman sweater is great for fall and is ridiculously comfortable, I foresee wearing it often and this makes me happy.

I'm a solid gold dancer, mom!

 I walked past this top several times at work looking longingly each time. I finally walked up to it nervously, this was the first time we met and I wanted to make a good impression. As soon as we touched I was in love and we haven't parted ways since. Sorry to get mushy, but I can't hide all my feels. I'm gonna layer this baby with everything!

 I love track pants, they are going to be the go to pant for the Fall. This navy blue pair is great as a neutral to pair with a lot of pieces, plus they have zippers down the front of the ankle! They look great unzipped a little with sky high pumps.

Again, drool

I'm gonna go ahead and say Burgundy/ Port/ Oxblood, what have you, will be a standout color for the Fall season as well. Also, these pumps kick ass.

My haul was probably more enduring than a YouTube video, I hope. I am really looking forward to Fall to wear all these pieces out and I hope you have some inspiration for the coming season!

Style on little warriors

*Note: I wrote this post about a month ago and have recently moved and even more recently acquired internet so please excuse the lateness of my posting. I have since worn pretty much every piece of clothing I posted on here and I must say I am so happy with my buying decisions. Also, it has since been NYFW (New York Fashion Week) and I still want to post about it so bear with me. I will still be up to date with the rest of the world's fashion weeks. Right now it's London!

Selfie

I don't normally take selfies because they end up looking, well like this. It's dark and you can't even see my shoes! Sigh, life is hard. Anywho, I really like this necklace. I bought it awhile ago at Anthroplogie and it added life to my very blah, preppy outfit.

I promise to take better selfies in the future. Style in little warriors. 

Fall is Here!

It came! It came! It finally came! The Vogue September issue arrived in the mail today and features an actress worthy of the cover- Jennifer Lawrence!

I want to be besties with her. 

I can't wait to flip through the issue while simultaneously working out my triceps. 902 pages!

Daaamn!

Style on little warriors

Breaking News

Philip Lim is creating a collection for Target! He is one of my top favorite designers and his coveted Pashli bag will be available for 34.99!!! I've never camped out in front of a store, but I might have to change that come September. 

Photo courtesy of refinery29.com

Pants off, dance off

I'll be honest, I feel awkward in front of the camera. Once in awhile I'll have a decent candid photo, but it's rare. Today Morgan suggested we take photos of my outfit because I was rockin' some awesome pantalons. I remembered why I can't model so here you go!

Like I said, I can't model. I make weird awkward faces that would make Tyra cringe. I always have Tyra in mind when people happen to be taking pictures of me. These are the best of the batch, though. 

Enough about my poor excuse for posing. These pants are so comfortable and light weight and I found them at Target. At Target! For the win!

Style on little warriors!

Trend Forecasting

Recently I applied to be the Associate Trend Forecaster for Nordstrom. As you can imagine I was very excited, this was the dream job. I already worked for the company and I have a degree in apparel merchandising, I was two for two! I waited for weeks to hear back from the recruiter and the day finally came. I was chosen to take part in the interviewing process.

This was no normal interview, which I loved because it required my creativity and was a nice distraction from work. Sometimes a little bit too much of a distraction (oops)! The first step was a small three part project, and when they say small they mean kinda big. I was to watch the movie The Piano first and then create an inspiration board taking photos from the film and any other type of picture that I found inspiring. Then I was to create a trend board for Fall 2014 from that inspiration board. If you've never seen The Piano or even if you have it is the most uninspiring movie for fashion I have ever encountered. If it was any other day I might have enjoyed the film because it stars a mute Holly Hunter and I find her voice rather annoying.

I sat there for quite awhile tugging at my brain for some tiny iota of inspiration and eventually came up with something as you will see below. I didn't want to be too literal because it is a period piece, but I also didn't want to stray too far either.

The second part was to do a store report and create a visual storyboard on a store/boutique of your choice. I chose local boutique, Fancy Tiger, in Denver that was nice enough to let me take pictures of the inside of their store.

The third part of the project was to show off your personal fashion taste and create a trend board for Fall 2014. I had a blonde moment when I first read that, thinking "Well how am I supposed to know what's going to be in trend next year? Oh yeah, that'll be my job." I'm super smart.

I submitted the project and kept my fingers crossed and tried to keep the most positive mindset possible hoping my good vibes would reach the recruiter and hiring manager. About a week later I received the email saying they had decided to continue on with other candidates.

Seriously?! I was heartbroken. But I had to move on and couldn't dwell for too long on the negative. I wiped my tears and told myself something else even more amazing was going to come along and I was going to dominate it!

So below is the project in its entirety. I thought my blog would be a good place to showcase it where it will receive the love and attention it deserves. Enjoy!

Inspiration Board

Trend Board

Store Report

Trend Board

I want to thank all of my friends who listened to my incessant whining and kept my spirits up with their encouraging words, this is dedicated to all of you!

Style on little warriors!

She's got legs, she knows how to use 'em

"Have you met Morgan? She's a dancer. Look at her legs!"

This is how we usually introduce our friend Morgan to other people. This is also why I chose her to be my model because she looks fabulous and is pretty much game for anything.

I chose a couple summer looks and used the beautiful Roxborough Park as the backdrop. Also, Morgan lives in Roxborough so it was sort of a convenience thing.

Look at those legs! I just had to do that, moving on

I don't care what insecure people say, hats are making a comeback! It is becoming more acceptable to rock a fedora or even something as fantastic as this wide-brim hat. The hat was the inspiration for the outfit and I love it. I paired black lace shorts with this blouse tank with leather trim and pockets. It is easy enough to wear for any casual occasion and isn't sloppy. Did I mention I love the hat? I love the hat. 

WARNING! The next couple of pictures are full of so much fabulosity Kimora Lee would pass out.

I'm like totally melting into this rock

This is by far my top fave

Sooo I'm a little obsessed with the photos I took of Morgan in this outfit. I couldn't pick just one because they were all so damn fabulous! The floral top is sheer so I layered a faux leather bustier underneath and paired it with high waisted shorts. Here's the thing you need to remember with the cut-off top trend: you must wear high waisted bottoms with the top. There should only be a little space between the top and the bottom. It's called modesty, become friendly with it.

She looks like a regal lioness on the serengeti 

A chambray top is a staple everyone needs in their wardrobe. This one I paired with a high-low dress. The shirt has a southwestern vibe from the pattern on the yoke and adds some casualty for a daytime look. 

Oh! And we saw a deer and I was super excited

Haaay!

It seems lately the go-to fashion style is what I like to call 'festival go-er', which means everyone and their mom looks like they're going to Coachella. It's a fun casual look, but I don't think it's easy to wear most of the pieces. There's a lot of mid-riff showing and cut-offs with the pockets hanging out. Didn't Britney Spears wear those a few years ago, pre head shaving, with Uggs? While I may not be able to pull of most of the looks part of this trend my fabulous model Morgan here can. 

"Oh, what? Yeah, just hangin' out looking awesome. nbd"

Who knew a tennis court could be so inspiring

Add caption

I know earlier I stated that if you're wearing a cropped top you should probably consider wearing high waisted bottoms. These last pictures kind of spit in the face of that statement and say "F you, that's what!" First off, Morgan can rock this and not many people can. Second, these are actually my shorts and they are high waisted. I, however, do not possess the lithe waistline like my companion here and am therefore not a model. Before we started taking the photos I thought the shorts were going to fall off her hips!

In conclusion, Morgan is fabulous and I hope you have a some inspiration for the summer.

Style on little warriors!

LOLing

I'm gonna start with a little promotion here and say I love Refinery29.com. I read it almost everyday to get my daily dose of fashion and perhaps a little celebrity gossip. Today I was reading an article about awful trends that have died and need to remain in the grave. They were pretty spot-on with everything. I mean, were fur covered boots really that cool? They were glorified mops and now Go-Go dancers wear them, sooo there's that. It was a funny post but one of my favorite quotes was "Because Snookie is where trends go to die." 

Truth. Dying. 

Just had to share that little gem

        (Photo courtesy of posh24.com)

        SOMEBODY SAVE THAT DOG!

The Colors of Spring

I needed some inspiration for spring pretty bad and decided to see what Pantone had in store for the coming season. When I found the chart with their spring color trends I was practically in tears, the colors were so awesome. Immediately I headed to style.com to view the runway photos from some of my favorite designers RTW Spring '13 collections. Again, tears. Everything is so beautiful, effortless, and cool.

I pulled quite a few looks that represent the colors from Pantone from each collection. Please enjoy.

First up is Linen, a great neutral that compliments all of the colors in the chart. I like it because it makes the other colors stand out and it is a lightweight shade that evokes a feeling of warmer weather.

Comme des Garçon

Alexander McQueen

Comme des Garçon

Next is Lemon Zest, which I think is a beautiful color. However, I'm not sure I'm the type who can pull off yellow. It doesn't mean I love it any less and it makes me happy to look at so that's got to count for something.

Alexander McQueen

Dolce & Gabbana 

Louis Vuitton

Again, another color I might have trouble wearing a lot of, but I still think it's perfect for spring. Personally, I might just wear it in my accessories. The color is Nectarine and the color actually evokes the same images as you might see when thinking of the fruit. Usually color names are never close to what color you actually think of, but I'm right with Pantone on this one. 

Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana

Poppy Red is something I'm excited about because I already own several pieces that are very similar in color. It's a color pretty much anyone can wear and red is known to make us more excited and probably raised endorphin levels (according to me) and that makes everyone happy so you can't go wrong.

Dolce & Gabbana

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Alexander McQueen

Purple is my all time favorite color and when I saw African Violet on the list I was beyond ecstatic. It's. just. so. pretty. Plus, any pieces in this color add an element of cool that pretty much anyone will be envious of your ballsiness. Yeah, I said it.

3.1 Phillip Lim

3.1 Phillip Lim

Next is Emerald, a jewel tone green. I like wearing jewel tones on their own so that nothing else really outshines them (pun intended). This green pairs well with brighter tones in the color chart if you're feeling daring.

Band of Outsiders

Band of Outsiders

Dolce & Gabbana

This next color is probably the most equivocal to spring time: Tender Shoots. Even the name sounds like spring time.

Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana

Louis Vuitton

Grayed Jade is a variation on one of my other favorite colors seafoam green/turquoise. The pale greenish color pairs well with a lot of different colors so I would treat it as a neutral. If that worries you look at it as more of a gray than an actual color. Then suck it up and go strut your stuff!

Band of Outsiders

Louis Vuitton

3.1 Phillip Lim

Dusk blue evokes feelings of the ocean or a cloudless day. It is an easy color to wear and you probably already have something like it in your closet. Look at you trendsetter, high-five!

Band of Outsiders

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Our last color, Moroccan Blue is really very pretty. I love it because it is not a navy and has a little bit of vibrancy to it making the other colors pop. 

Band of Outsiders

Band of Outsiders

3.1 Phillip Lim

3.1 Phillip Lim

I am very excited for spring. There will be a lot of Mod styling as well as this effortless cool look from 3.1 Phillip Lim, Band of Outsiders, and Marc by Marc Jacobs. The colors are fun and attainable, and you most likely already own pieces in several of them. Now go out and shop little warriors!