#BLOGMAS: Holiday Party Style Guide 2017

Wow, I cannot believe that there are only three more days until Christmas! Is it just me or has this holiday season just flown right by? However, with Christmas coming up quick, for those of us who celebrate it, means that there are many Christmas Eve and Christmas parties in the upcoming days as well, and if you're anything like me you might be trying to plan the best outfits for this year's Yuletide events. So in order to help you (and myself) brainstorm, I've decided to put together this holiday party style guide, which I am sure will have a little something for everyone as well as every occasion.

Greensleeves

This first look if perfect for a holiday cocktail hour with your girlfriends. Due to this green, lace dress' fun hemline and short cut, it's sure to be a show stopper at all those trendy Christmas pop-up bars and shops I'm sure you'll be hitting up. And of course you need some shimmery accessories to accompany this playful look, so try pairing it with these gorgeous earrings and fun faux pearl studded bag. Then, to complete this look, you can try something a little unconventional and pair it with these fun over the knee boots! (So this way you'll be rocking one of the hottest trends this winter and you'll keep your legs warm.)

Items Left to Right: Green Lace Dress, Gold & Bronze Earrings, Faux Pearl Studded Purse, Over The Knee Black Boots.

Rudolph Reds

This next outfit is a great choice for your office Christmas party. The reason this dress is a great choice is for this occasion because it is not overly formal and is comfortable for wear around the office, but also because it is super chic and easy to glam up a bit. To add some shimmer to this fabulous number, I paired it with a layer necklace along with a gorgeous gold and berry bracelet, along with this pretty envelope clutch. Then to top off this outfit, I chose to pair it with these nude, lace up stilettos.

Items Left to Right: Red/Orange Bell Sleeve Dress (Love this dress? See how I styled it here!), Layered Necklace, Gold and Berry Bracelet, Black Glitter Clutch, Lace Up Nude Stilettos.

Starry Night

The next look is for a more formal occasion, and features this beautiful star studded evening dress. Due to this dress' elegant nature, I chose to keep its accessories simple with a gorgeous rose gold pendant necklace and simple evening bag. But to up the wow factor, though this dress is gorgeous enough on its own, I chose to wrap up this formal look with these show stopping, diamond strap heels.

Items Left to Right: Black Star Mesh Evening Dress, Rose Gold Pendant Necklace, Black Evening Clutch, Diamond Ankle Strap Heels.

Blue Christmas

For those of you who want to put a twist on the classic holiday colors, I also always am a fan of the color blue for Christmas simply because it is so underrated this time of year. So, for the outfit I chose to style this pretty blue and silver lace dress. (Doesn't the lace remind you of frost? Which is totally perfect for this time of year.) The reason I chose this dress is because it is super versatile, meaning you can wear it to just about any type of holiday party without it being inappropriate. To style this piece, I chose some gorgeous drop earrings, a beautiful crystal clutch, and to complete this look I chose some faux pearl accented, glitter pumps.

Items Left to Right: Blue & Silver Lace Dress, Silver Drop Earrings, Crystal Clutch, Faux Pearl Accented Glitter Pumps.

Naughty or Nice

This next pretty holiday look is perfect for your more semi-formal occasions with friends and family. Much like the first outfit in this guide, this two piece dress would make for a perfect cocktail outfit while out with your girls, or even just for a casual holiday brunch with your family. To accessorize this pretty two piece, I chose to pair it with a gorgeous delicate choker, a fun fringe cuff, and a plain but chic evening clutch. And to add some extra shimmer to this outfit, I decided it would look best with some diamond accented heels. 

Items Left to Right: Red Two Piece Dress, Delicate Gold Choker, Gold Fringe Cuff, Red Evening Clutch, Red Diamond Accented Heels.

Silver & Gold

This last look is one of the more traditional variety. For this outfit I chose to go with this classic silver dress, which would be perfect for those of us who have traditional family Christmas parties to attend. The reason I went with this silver dress is simply because its just so pretty and its classic cut would be flattering on anybody. To style this gorgeous classic, I chose some pretty chandelier earrings, a nifty clutch, and some pretty, bedazzled pumps. 

Items Left to Right: Silver Dress, Chandelier Earrings, Silver Clutch, Bedazzled Pumps. 

What are you wearing to your holiday parties this year? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet about it at @StarkRavingChic! Wanna show off your favorite holiday party outfit? I'd love to see it! So feel free to tag me in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic. Later, babes!

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% FREE when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!

Also, I am now a proud member of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it! Meaning you can shop straight from my Instagram feed when you click here or here. Don't know what LIKEtoKNOW.it is all about? Learn more, here!

#BLOGMAS: Style Steals & Holiday Deals (Feat. SheIn + Company)

Happy December, everybody! Though technically the Christmas shopping season started a little over a week ago during Black Friday, I'm sure many of you are like me and probably still have quite a bit of shopping to do this holiday season for your loved ones, and potentially even treating yourself to something a little special too. So, to kick off my annual December #BLOGMAS posts, I decided to partner with my long time sponsor SheIn, along with a handful of my other sponsors, featuring some ongoing holiday steals and deals that everyone can jump on right now! So let's get to some yuletide deals, shall we?

Makeup & Accessories

Though not every girl is totally into beauty and makeup products (myself included in that category), I think it is safe to say most of us like to have at least a minimal supply of it for some occasions. I also think it is a safe bet to assume that during this time of year many of us ladies (beauty experts and all) are probably getting ready to clean out our makeup boxes for the year and make room for some new goodies. And if it's new goodies you're looking for, look no further because many of my cosmetic sponsors are having huge ongoing sales all throughout December and they'll be sure to give you bang for your buck! These include, but are not limited to, bareMinerals (who I recently did a post on their new product which you can check out here!), BH Cosmetics, SheIn, and Light In The Box. 

Items Left to Right: bareMinerals BarePro foundation, BH Cosmetics 42 Color Eye Shadow Palette, BH Cosmetics Matte Lipstick, Real Techniques Miracle Sponge, SheIn Brush Set, Light In The Box 32 Brush Set. 

Athleisure Apparel 

As we all know, Athleisure is a trend that began popping up early this year and my friends, I think it is here to stay, at the very least, through 2018. And though many of these outfits make for some killer styling, they can also double for gym wear on the go (yeah, I know, duh). But this is great because while you are looking great on the go, you can also gear up for a healthier you for the new year, and maybe get a jump start on some New Year's resolutions. Not to mention, Athleisure gear is totally comfy which makes it a great gift choice for any of the girls on your gift list!

Items Left to Right: Sports Bra, WTF Graphic Tee, Cat Graphic Tank Top, Red and Black Leggings, Strappy Leggings.

Sweaters & Such

Though I can't speak for all of the regions of the country (to my south and south west readers, I totally eyeing you with envy),I know here in the 'Burgh it sure gets cold this time of year and will stay frigid until about mid to late March. So, pretty much from now until my third blogiversary, I will be picking up sweaters left and right because I just can't stand to be cold. And of course, for my fellow north eastern readers, sweaters are most definitely a style staple for the winter season, because aside from keeping us nice and toasty, they are also versatile and can be worn in so many different ways. 

Items Left to Right: Charcoal Sweater, Wink Graphic Sweatshirt, Color Block Sweater, I Am Freaking Cold Sweatshirt, Olive Green Sweater.

Holiday Party Attire

Of course it wouldn't be the holiday season without holiday parties, and holiday parties also mean the perfect opportunity to dress up! And though designer party dresses tend to be a bit pricey, luckily many of my sponsors who sell them have their prices way down for the holiday shopping season meaning you can get the perfect dress for your company Christmas party without having to completely empty your wallet. So, you're saving money while looking like a million bucks, total win right?

Items Left to Right: Red Sequined Dress, Green Frilled Dress (you can see how I styled it here), White Cape Dress, Navy Lace Dress, High-low Red Dress.

Boots

Last but not least, who couldn't use a new pair boots for the winter season? Whether you need something serviceable for trekking around campus or if you're just looking for some cute new booties to style, my sponsors got you covered with these awesome choices and then some! So treat yourself (or your friends) by giving the gift of warm feet this year.

Items Left to Right: Black and Brown Fur Boot, Knee High Boot, Stiletto Bootie, Combat Boot.

What are some steals and deals that you've found so far this holiday season? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me about it at @StarkRavingChic. And be sure to follow me on Instagram at @StarkRavingChic to stay updated on all the #BLOGMAS fun this holiday season as well as my regular posts. Later, babes. 

Xx, Bree

P.S. In case you haven't heard, I am now a proud member of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it! Meaning you can shop straight from my Instagram feed when you click here or here. Don't know what LIKEtoKNOW.it is all about? Learn more, here!

Top 10 Style Picks: Summer 2017

Though summer is winding down (can you believe that it's already the end of July?!), I still think that it is totally fitting to share some of my favorite trends that have arose in summer 2017. From cool festival inspired looks, awesome athlesiure attire, and my personal favorite, the return of the crop top. Sure, this post is a little overdue, but as I always say, better late than never! And considering we still have over a month of summer left, there is still plenty of time for all of us to try out these fun and fearless trends for ourselves, not to mention start planning how to transition some of these cool looks for early fall. Now without any further to do, let's talk about my top ten style picks for summer 2017!

1. Sheer Delight

Shop these looks from my sponsor, SheIn. (And, a quick note to save you some cash: SheIn will be providing FREE shipping this weekend no matter the price of your order! So if you want to snag any of these looks, be sure to grab them this weekend, July 29th & July 30th!)

As I'm sure many of you can remember from a few of my past "outfit of the day" posts, I've been digging the sheer trend for quite some time now. So needless to say, I was ecstatic to see this this sweet spring look has stuck around for the summer. The reason I love this style trend is because it adds a subtle, but playful, sexiness to any look. Whether it be a simple sheer tee or a gorgeous summer dress, this trend is definitely for the girl with a more daring side.  

(Looks Left to Right: Graphic Patch Sheer Tee, Red Sheer Tee, Sheer Peacock Feather Patterned Dress, Green Sheer & Lace Dress.)

2. Think Pink

Shop these looks from my sponsor, Make Me Chic.

The next hot fashion trend this season is literally fifty shades of pink. Whether it be a dusty rose, pretty pastel, or shocking, I'm sure you've probably been seeing it in all forms where ever you may be shopping! The reason this trend is one of my top picks is though it is as simple as a color, I love that this trend embraces an airy romantic feel for the summer, as well as upholding a very feminine feel. This trend is absolutely perfect for the traditional "girly-girl".

(Looks Left to Right: Off the Shoulder Asymmetrical Blouse, Pleated Pink Pants, Pleated Pink Maxi Skirt, Hot Pink Shift Dress.)

3. Flower Power

Shop these looks from my sponsor, StyleWe.

Yes I know, in the words of Miranda Priestly, "Florals? Ground breaking." However, unlike the traditional florals we see around this time of year (think pinks, reds, and yellows), this summer the floral trend has become a bit more abstract. How so? Well as you can see above, summer of 2017 seems to be the year of more organic floral patterns instead of the cookie cutter patterns we've seen in years past, and I don't know about you but I think it is a very welcomed change. The other update I like to this traditional trend is the use of nontraditional colors as well as incorporating the trend into lace patterns, giving this classic look more depth than in the past.

(Looks Left to Right: Green & Blue Floral Blouse, Black & White Floral Shorts, Olive Floral Jumpsuit, Pink & Blue Floral Mini Dress.)

4. Awesome Accessories

Shop these jewelry pieces from my sponsor, Rocksbox. And you can find these sunglasses and more over at Make Me Chic.

Of course this list couldn't be completed with out accessories! And I have to say I'm thrilled by this years summer accessories due to their laid back nature and boho vibes. As you can see above, one huge trend this year is rose gold everything. From sunnies to bracelets you better believe you'll be seeing this color everywhere. Another cool trend is lots of beading and tassels, which is perfect for any girl who embraces her inner bohemian goddess. One last fun thing about 2017 summer accessories: The wrap bracelet is a huge must have this year, and the neat thing about this trend is not only can you style these babies as a traditional bracelet, you can also totally mix it up and wear it as an anklet, hooray of versatility, am I right? 

(Looks Left to Right: Red Tassel Earrings, Rose Gold Sunglasses, Layered Necklace, Wrap Bracelet.)

5. Just Swimmingly

Shop these looks from my sponsor, Light In The Box.

I don't know about you guys, but one of my favorite things about summer is swimming! Which by default means I love swimsuit shopping. And I have to say, the swim trends this year are pretty awesome. This year when you hit the beach (or the local pool) you'll be seeing lost of straps, plunging necklines, illusive patterns, along with sporty looks. So, I think it's safe to say with all of these sweet swimwear trends in one season, everyone will be happy!

(Looks Left to Right: Royal Blue Bikini, Black & Nude Bikini, Floral Swimsuit, High waisted Bralette Bikini.)

6. Captivating Cover-Ups

Shop these looks from my sponsors, Make Me Chic, Light In The Box, SheIn, and StyleWe.

Though this next category totally goes hand in hand with swimwear, I felt that it was only necessary to talk about cover-ups, simply because much like the robe trend we saw in the spring as well as the on going sheer trend, cover-ups are a must for your beach excursions. The reason I'm digging cover ups so much this year is because much like the swim trends this year, cover-ups pretty much have every type of girl's style in mind. From boho, to girly, to sporty, and classic, I'm sure all of you can agree that there's no losing here! And with so many options, it can even help us step out of our comfort zone, I personally am trying to hop on the sporty bandwagon this season. 

(Looks Left to Right: White Mesh Cover-Up, Black Lace Kimono Cover-Up, White Knit Cover-Up, Pink Lace Cover-Up.)

7. Easy, Breezy, Maxis

Shop these looks from my sponsors, SheIn and Make Me Chic. (Love the last look? Check out how I styled it, here!)

Ahhh, maxi dresses, A.K.A. my favorite type of dress. Though maxi dresses have been around the fashion scene for ages, they always seem to get lost in the background, however this year has changed all of that! Though I'm not sure why people have decided to trade in their traditional short length garments for longer lengths this season, I'm certainly not complaining about it. The best reason I can come up with is that much like myself, people have fallen in love with the feminine, bohemian vibe that these dresses have, not to mention, though they're long they are surprisingly cool, meaning they're the perfect choice for hot summer days. 

(Looks Left to Right: Blue Off The Shoulder Maxi Dress, Floral Maxi Dress, Orange Maxi Dress, Brown Tie-Dyed Maxi Dress.)

8. Crop Tops

Shop these looks from my sponsors, SheIn and Make Me Chic.

Though it is a pretty simple look, this next trend is my favorite: the return of the crop top. I don't know if I love this look so much due to my 90s nostalgia or just because I genuinely think that crop tops are cute, but for the purpose of this article, we are going to go with my latter argument. The reason I love this summer trend so much is because crop tops are great casual wear and are a good way of keeping cool. They also have a laid back sexy vibe to them which makes them perfect for all kinds of summer activities ranging from heading to the amusement park or just spending a day exploring your favorite city.

(Looks Left to Right: Black Tie back Crop Top, Blue Bandanna Crop Top, Pink Cactus Print Crop Top, Red V-Neck Crop Top.) 

9. Just for Frills

Shop these looks from my sponsors, SheIn and Make Me Chic.

This is yet another awesome spring trend that I was thrilled stuck around for the summer, because I absolutely loved styling it last spring. The reason why I love ruffled detailing  is because it has such a feminine and sweet look to it, and is perfect for so may occasions. For instance any of the pieces above would be suitable for the office and could also be dressed down for school or weekend activities, making these looks very versatile as well as a necessity in any girls closet. 

(Looks Left to Right: White Frilled Blouse, Mustard Tie Back Ruffled Blouse, Blue Ruffled Dress, Tan Ruffled Shorts.)

10. Kaleidoscope Colors

Shop these looks from my sponsor, StyleWe.

The last trend to close out the list is none other than the clashing of colors. Yes, that's right, clashing colors. Kind of sounds like a fashion "don't" right? Well surprisingly, this trend hit, and hit hard this year with some surprisingly pleasing results. The reason why I love this trend is because it brings something new to the table. Sure, we've mixed and matched colors and patterns in the past, but this year has taken that to a whole new level. This look is perfect for the girl who is bold and artistic. 

(Looks Left to Right: Floral Color Block Dress, White Patterned A-Line Dress, Pink Pineapple Dress, Geometric Print Dress.)

What are some of your favorite style trends this summer? I'd love to hear about them! So, let's chat in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic. Rocking one of these awesome trends and just have to show it off? Feel free to tag me on Instagram or in your Instagram Story at @StarkRavingChic. Later, babes!

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry I styled in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% FREE when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!

Also, In case you haven't heard, I am a proud member of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it! Meaning you can shop straight from my Instagram feed when you click here or here. Don't know what LIKEtoKNOW.it is all about? Learn more, here!