#OOTD: Ardent Academic (Feat. Light In The Box)

in

Well I have to admit, up until recently, though I was excited to be heading back to college to earn my second degree, I wasn't really sure how I was going to feel about being back on a school schedule. I mean, after being out of school and working in my field for two years, I thought it might be hard to get back into the college swing of things. However, with the spring semester starting up next Monday at Point Park University, I have say that I have been in full on back to school mode, and I just can't welcome it more! While working on my articles for my Style Guru internship with CollegeFashionista, I forgot how much I enjoyed being in the heart of downtown, and became just as giddy as I was when I was eighteen and first heading to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I'm also thrilled to once again style myself for college and have fun with my wardrobe, and not just be stuck wearing boring office attire everyday. 

Class Is In Session 

To embrace my newly rekindled academic spirit, while out running some errands closer to home as well as downtown, I decided to dress up a little bit and add some color to my life, considering Pittsburgh has been incredibly grey and rainy the past few weeks. To achieve this pop of color I decided to style two of my newest pieces from my sponsor and affiliate Light In The Box, who kindly supplied me with this gorgeous red coat and hunter green dress free of charge! The reason I decided to pair these two pieces together was due to how the lush green of the dress balances out the bright red of the coat. Though both of these pieces would work wonderfully on their own, they also make an excellent pair. 

The first thing I noticed about this coat when I received it was how heavy it was. Now, I don't mean this at all in a bad way because I'm sure anyone who lives in a cold climate knows that when winter hits the heavier the coat, the better it is to keep you warm! Also to ensure warmness, this coat is also lined with an additional layer of silky smooth polyester. This coat is also incredibly soft to the touch, has a gorgeous silhouette, and as you can see is absolutely vibrant.

The reason I loved this coat wasn't only because of the high quality craftsmanship (Though of course that does have something to do with it!), but because I absolutely adored how gorgeous and rich the color of this coat is. As many of my long time readers know, being and Aries at heart, I absolutely love to stand out and be the center of attention. Well, in this show stopping coat, there is no doubt everyone's eyes will be on you, whether it's raining or in the midst of a blizzard. So needless to say this luxurious red coat will definitely be one of my staple pieces this semester while trekking around the 'Burgh for my internship.

What can I say, this dress is a perfect example of a typical casual dress I would (well, will be wearing!) to class. This lovely green dress is the perfect choice if you would like to give off a soft feminine vibe while studying in the library or local coffee shop. The reason I loved this dress so much was due to it's flowing a-line shape as well as it darling floral, button up collar. This dress is also very soft and comfortable due to the fact it is made from a jersey knit like material. Lastly, to further style these two lovely pieces, I chose to keep it simple with some girly opal earrings, my tortoise shell eye glasses, and some basic black pumps with gold accents. 

One Last Look

What are some of your favorite back to school looks? I'd love to chat about them in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic! Have a back to school style you just need to show off? Feel free to tag me on Instagram at @StarkRavingChic. Later babes.

Xx, Bree

#OOTD: Eloquent Elephants (New Year's Eve Style)

in

Well I have to say, my New Year's Eve this year (or last year?? Eh, close enough) was actually one of the best ones I have had in a long time. Normally, New Year's Eve is not a big to do for me. The most common thing my friends, family, and I do is partake in a taco margarita party and play Cards Against Humanity until it's time to watch the ball drop. So this means no dressing up (honestly I'm usually in my pajamas by 8:30PM every year) and certainly not going out.

Well this year was a bit different as well as a bit more special for me because my wonderful boyfriend, John, actually surprised me by coming up from Florida to visit me so we could be together on New Year's Eve (cue the big "awwwwww how adorable!"'s). Needless to say I was absolutely thrilled to be able to spend the holiday with my beau, so I decided that this year, New Year's Eve called for some dressing up!

An Elephant Never Forgets

The dress I chose for John and I's New Year's Eve date is this gorgeous, gold embroidered elephant dress from my sponsor SheIn. For those of you who may recognize this dress, it's because it was actually on one of my old Wish-list Wednesday Posts. I know, I know, I was supposed to have a post about it up after Thanksgiving dinner with John's family (which I did wear it too by the way!) however I got a bit busy in Florida and just didn't have the chance, but hey like I always say, better late than never!

To start off I have to say this dress is impeccably made. Now note that all of SheIn's clothes are well made, however this dress is from their "Boutique Collection" and I would say it is more comparable to clothes from Anthropologie or Madewell, not like SheIn's other pieces that are more comparable to Forever 21 or H&M. 

The first thing I noticed about this dress was how heavy the material is. The dress itself is made of a thick, wool like material, and then is lined with polyester to keep you comfy. The stitching of this dress is also immaculate, as you can see in the photograph above, not a pleat is out of place and the elephant pattern just looks darling.

Another thing I love about this dress is it's fit and flare shape. The sizing for starters was absolutely perfect and this dress fit me like a glove! The waist of the dress is neatly  fitted and really accentuates my curves. The pleating of the dress also adds the perfect amount of fullness to it, giving it a fun but sophisticated flare. Which was perfect for John and I's mini outing to Sewickley for the holiday as well as our quiet, romantic dinner at his family's home in Fox Chapel. 

Lastly, to accessorize this piece, I chose to carry my grandmother's vintage Coach mini bag and pair this pretty dress with my simple hammered Gorjana bracelet, compliments of my sponsor Rocksbox. The reason I chose these dainty accessories is simply because I did not want my accessories to overpower this gorgeous dress.

One Last Look

So babes, what did you all style for New Year's Eve? I'd love to chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic. Want to show off your New Year's Eve look? Feel free to tag me on Instagram at @StarkRavingChic!

Once again, I am wishing everyone a safe, healthy, and happy New Year. Remember to enjoy yourself this year, and let's make some memories in 2017!

Xx, Bree

My Style Resolutions for 2017 (Feat. Saks Fifth Avenue + Info to Save You Cash)

in

Another year has come and gone, and boy what a year 2016 was! If you follow me on Instagram, I'm sure you've seen my "2016 Best Nine" that I posted on Christmas Eve, however if you haven't yet you can check out my best nine photo collage here. But a quick recap of my year is as follows:

I took a hiatus from blogging for the summer because I was very busy with my job at DSG and had a couple concerts and events I wanted to go to, so I just couldn't do it all! But at one of those concerts (Warped Tour, actually) I met my boyfriend, John. Then in October, I was accepted into Point Park University's psychology program as a transfer student and was awarded a $14,000 a year scholarship for good academic merit! And the news about college just continued getting better when I was accepted into CollegeFashionista's internship program as a Style Guru, starting next semester (aka, January, well tomorrow!). And now, the super exciting and most recent news of 2016 (what this article is actually about!!) is that on December 20th, I became an affiliate of Saks Fifth Avenue, which is only the greatest department store in the world! And this post is the first of many that I will be partnering up with Saks for.

For this first post though, I decided to share my 2017 Style Resolutions with you all. However, that's not all I am sharing! After I tell you about my style resolutions, I also have a little something for my readers to enjoy, compliments of Saks, that might just help you get a jump on some of your own style resolutions.

My Style Resolutions for 2017

 

 

Lace It Up

Something I've been wanting to incorporate a little more into my wardrobe are pretty, romantic, lacy dresses and/or skirts. Though normally my looks tend to be more soft grunge or modern, lately I've been feeling a need to add a softer and romantic side to my wardrobe. Another reason this is a style resolution of mine is because I feel like adding lace to some of my more edgy looks cold be a fun thing to experiment with. Not to mention, due to the fact I will still be spending time in the sunshine state next year, I just think lace pieces would make for marvelous bohemian looks one the boardwalk and the beach.

 

 

Treat Yourself to Some Luxury Goods

One thing I have decided that I am going to treat myself to for my birthday next year is a brand new Prada purse, not a used one from Tradesy, but a brand spanking new Saffiano Leather Tote in (hopefully if it's not sold out or is restocked) black and red. Not only is treating yourself to a luxury good rewarding because you'll have a timeless piece of fashion, but because you saved for it and you earned it. I know that for me personally, saving and being on a budget can be a bit tricky, however, I am currently bribing myself to save for this beautiful bag, as well as for other things that I would like to do/purchase in 2017.

 

 

Prints Please

Another thing I would love to experiment with in my wardrobe next year is wild prints. Though I have made good on my promise to add more color to my closet, I have only actually added two printed items. So, for spring and summer of 2017, I am vowing to find some fun printed pieces so that I can add a touch of fun to my office wardrobe. But why just stop there? I can even experiment with printed casual wear too such as shorts, skirts, and some darling patterned blouses!

 

 

 

 

Get Prettier Undies

Okay, okay, I know underwear isn't exactly something most people would put under "style resolutions" but hey I am, and for good reason! In my opinion, I feel my best and most confident when I am in a dress, killer heels, and have on some sexy undergarments to go along with them. That being said, though I have many cute panties, most of my bras are just a basic white, nude, or black. Pretty boring, huh? Well recently I treated myself to four new sets of gorgeous bras and panties, and I have to say, even though they go under my favorite pieces to style, I feel like they really have made a difference and helped boost my confidence. With that being said,  2017 is the time to buy four more pretty sets!

 

 

Wear More Pink

In the year 2017, I want to embrace my inner Audrey Hepburn and fall in love with the color pink. Now note, I've never hated the color and honestly feel like I would look pretty good in it due to my blonde hair (Elle Woods anyone?) but while going through my closet recently I noticed I own nothing pink. The I began to speculate if I ever had, so much so I called my mother to see if she recalled. Her response? "Well you have that one blouse from Ann Taylor that is kinda pink, but personally I would say it's more of a light blush. So no, I don't think you own anything pink." And there you have it. So needless to say in the next year I'm going to have to get at least one pink item. (Hopefully that item will be this dress!)

 

Stop Saving Certain Clothes for a "Special Occasion"

One thing I always do, that John actually pointed out when I visited him on Thanksgiving, is: I always get dressed in something for a night out, decide I look too over dressed and immediately change. Well come 2017 not anymore! The reason I say this is because when you think about it, when you get dressed up you aren't doing it for anyone else but yourself. So if you feel pretty and confident in what you are wearing, then why shouldn't you rock it? The only way someone is going to judge you on being over (or under) dressed for an occasion is if you appear uncomfortable or if you seem to be lacking confidence in your styling decision. So with that being said, chin up and wear that fancy evening gown to dinner! 

 

Style Something Gender Neutral 

During the course of 2016, something that I have been playing with the idea of styling has been menswear, or in my case "boyfriend wear". This being said, I figured after I tackle that early next year, what if I stepped up my game and tried out styling a few outfits that would be considered "gender neutral"? What I mean by that is, I would love to style pieces that would look great on both women and men, meaning lots of structured jackets, clean lines, minimalist silhouettes, and of course suits! I just feel like this would be a fun but tough look to style, but hey, I am always up for a good challenge and trying something new.

 

 

 

 

Longer Lengths

Something else I'm really digging the idea of for 2017 is styling more maxi dresses and skirts. Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't styled them more frequently in the past. The reason I say this is because due to the fact I am tall (not to mention all legs), maxis are actually very flattering to my height as well as body shape. The other thing I love about maxi dresses and skirts is much like lace garments, maxis can be soft, pretty, and romantic, which are some styles I definitely want to style more of next year.

 

 

Wear Heels More Often

As I mentioned in my last resolution, I am tall. This being said, along time ago when I was still in high school I got in the habit of not wearing heels because the guy I dated during that time didn't like it because they made me taller than him. Though this wasn't a personal issue with future guys I would go on to date, after having that stigma throughout my junior and senior year of high school it just kind of stuck with me personally and made me feel self conscious. Well I've decided in 2017 I'll definitely be rocking my Louboutin Daf Bootys more often than not, even though they make me a good two inches  taller than John. (Sorry, not sorry babe!)

 

 

Embrace the Basics

My last style resolution is definitely the simplest, but might also be the most important. While going through my closet I realized that I hardly have any plain tank tops or tee shirts. So needless to say I've decided that I need to acquire at least one white, grey, and black one of each this coming year! The reason these basic pieces are so important is because they can add depth to an outfit via layering and can also work well on their own. One of my favorite laid back summer styles is just a basic white tank top, bell bottom jeans, heels, and some over sized sunnies. This simple look was so fun to accessorize though, I loved to pair it with head scarves, big hoop earrings, and jewelry. (Now why do I feel like this is going to be an outfit of the day this coming summer?!)

 

 

Saks Fifth Avenue Final Sale 

Since I mentioned there is something in this for my readers, you're all probably wondering "what's in this for me?". Well I am thrilled to announce that since I am now an affiliate of Saks Fifth Avenue, I will now be able to keep my readers in the know about exclusive deals and sales that Saks is running at any given time, pretty sweet, huh? With that being said the sale that Saks is currently having is one I am totally thrilled to let you in on. 

The sale that Saks is currently having is their Final Sale, which can save you up to 70% off on luxury items. I'm talking Vince tank tops for as low as $14 (when they are normally $48), and Rebecca Minkoff Bags as low as $81! So since I know most of you are like me and couldn't possibly pass such a sweet deal up, let me tell you how to snag these designer items at awesome prices: All you need to do is click the photo below and you will instantly be directed to Saks Fifth Avenue's website where you can choose which section of the Final Sale you would like to shop. These categories include: Women's Apparel, Shoes, Handbags, Men's, and Kids'! 

Note: The dates that this sale is running are December 31, 2016 (aka today) through February 15, 2017, meaning if you want to get a loved one (or treat yourself to) something for Valentine's Day, you have plenty of time to snag it! And again the dates this sale is running are December 31, 2016 through February 15, 2017.

So everybody, what are some of your style resolutions for 2017? I'd love to hear about them, so let's chat in the comment section below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic! Have a photo of your steal from Saks Fifth Avenue that you wanna show off? Just snap a picture and tag me on Instagram at @StarkRavingChic.

And lastly, I am wishing all of my readers the happiest of New Year's and I cannot wait to see what the year of 2017 has in store for me, but here's to hoping it's even bigger and better than the wonderful year 2016 has been. Happy New Year babes!

Xx, Bree