Stark Raving Chic

Whew! What a past couple of weeks. Between the snow and deep freeze we've been dealing with here in the 'Burgh (But hey, at least we should have weather in the forties over the weekend!) and me heading back to class at Point Park University, I feel as though I already need some down time. So today, since my first class was cancelled and I had a little extra time, I decided that before heading to the city for my later two classes, I'd grab some comfort food for lunch at my favorite local pub Bridgetown Tap House.

But, before grabbing my Velvet Elvis Burger and a Guinness, since school and the cold weather have also cut into my winter styling (Admittedly, I have been more concerned about being warm these days than carefully layering and styling my outfits), I took a little extra time today to put together a cool but classic winter look, that did not sacrifice any warmth for style.

Winter Greens

For this winter street style look, I chose to pair an over sized, olive green sweater from my sponsor and affiliate Amazon Fashion along with my long loved leather moto pants from my other affiliate and sponsor SheIn! The reason I chose these two pieces for my lunch outing followed by a day filled with classes, is because both of these pieces are perfect for winter due to the fact they are so warm. I also love these two pieces together because they make for a very grunge chic look, which is great for walking around the city between class breaks as well as looking stylish on campus.

The sweater itself I have to say though, is the most impressive in the warmth department. Though this sweater is not very heavy, it is made of a polyester cashmere blend making this piece extra warm, soft, and snugly. Personally, I would say that this sweater (which comes in five colors) is a must have staple piece in anyone's winter wardrobe. Since receiving this piece it has become my go to favorite because it is so versatile. For one, due to it being over sized, you can style this piece in many different ways, such as with tights or leggings and belting it at the waist, or off the shoulder with a strappy sports bra along with some yoga pants and sneakers for an awesome athleisure look. And of course, you can style this sweater for a more grunge chic or glam look like I have in this post! So, that's three winter looks out of one piece, and who doesn't love versatility?

The reason I chose to style this piece for a more glam look this time around though, is because the '90s are making a comeback this year (I may just be a little overly excited) and we will be seeing many styles reminiscent of the grunge fashion scene in the 1990s. So, I decided to get into the trend bright and early by pairing this over sized sweater with these black leather moto pants, some huge sunglasses, and my sky high Daf Booties just to add some extra edge to my look.

The reason these pieces work so well together is because though they are somewhat contrasting in style, they both bring something to the table. The sweater keeps the look casual enough that it dials down the glamorous vibe that the boots have when paired with the moto pants. And by pairing the latter two pieces with this laid back sweater, you have the perfect balance of edgy and casual, which is perfect for the grunge clothing trend this season.

To really pull my impromptu outfit of the day together, I chose to really load it up with some accessories to add to the grunge chic feel. The accessories I chose to pair with this look are my Manhattan sunglasses, House of Harlow 1960's hoop earrings along with two of their statement rings, and lastly my Hermes scarf. The reason I chose these accessories are because I felt they complemented the over all outfit and that the colors all blended very nicely.

Finally, for my makeup, I chose to keep it simple with my City Minis Palette by Maybelline, Dior's "My Rose" blush, and the "Fawn Over Me" Liquid Lip Creme by Marc Jacobs Beauty. The reason I chose these simple shades is because I wanted to keep this look casual, and considering I went more glam with my accessories, I did not want my makeup to be too bold and take away from the outfits cool and laid back vibe.

One Last Look

What are some style trends you are super stoked about this season? And, do you have any favorite versatile winter pieces? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic! Have a super cute versatile piece you just want to show off? 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 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!

P.P.S. 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!

Hey babes, happy new year! Though 2017 literally just ended yesterday, I already am beginning to feel like 2018 is going to be a much better year, and quite possibly the fresh start I think we all have been needing. As I mentioned in my 2017 recap post, I think we can all agree that 2017 was a rough year, however, now that we have a fresh start (I mean, it is a new year and a new week after all!) I'm personally stepping into the new year with an even more positive attitude, along with making some of my own positive changes (which I may or may not write about later on in the year). And I don't know about you guys, but I definitely feel like I rang in the new year on a great note and am most definitely starting 2018 off on the right foot!

I have to say, though my New Year's Eve wasn't anything incredibly fancy, it was honestly everything I wanted. I was home among my family and dearest friends (Except Nic, who is now in Canada with his fiance, but him and Ben were most certainly with us in spirit!), and though it was not a formal affair like our Christmas holiday parties tend to be, I decided to dress up a bit. Why? Because though dressing up was not required, I decided I wanted to be my "best" self going into this new year, so I chose to wear one of my favorite pieces in my closet, which happens to be this black caped jumpsuit from my longtime sponsor, SheIn.

Love & Layers

Even though I didn't spend my New Year's Eve at Pittsburgh's first night celebration, and I din't travel to watch the ball drop in New York City, I was still thrilled because honestly, this is the first year I have actually been home for New Year's Eve in six years! Yeah, I know, that's a really long time. However, though in New Year's past I enjoyed being away and what I was doing to celebrate them, I have to say I was a bit homesick. Not only because I was away from home, and I know I will not settle in my hometown after I receive my doctorate, "home" for me will always be here, simply because this is where my family is. So, even though my father teased me the entire night because I insisted on wearing stilettos to sit around in the dining room, drinking scotch, and later champagne, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. And that is why this New Year's was so perfect for me.

Though I am sure you all don't mind hearing a bit about my New Year's Eve, I know most, if not all of you are here to check out how I styled my New Year's look, so let's jump into it (pun totally intended)! To start off, though I initially wanted to wear this jumper on its own, it is sleeveless and for those of you who don't live in the snow belt or haven't watched the weather channel, sleeveless was not cutting it for Pittsburgh's weather, not even indoors. So, determined to wear the one piece in my closet that I have grown to feel my most fabulous in, I decided to layer it with this lovely "perfect shirt" blouse from my other sponsor, Ann Taylor. By doing this, I was able to stay warm and keep looking chic and polished.

The jumpsuit itself fits incredibly well, with and without the blouse. However, without the blouse, it has more of a sexy and sophisticated feel and would be a great alternative to wear to a black tie affair (but for more traditional options, check out this dress.) But with the blouse, this jumpsuit transforms into a casual chic piece, and is perfect for work or play! Aside from its versatility, I also love this jumpsuit because of its cape. Though I love jumpsuits and rompers in general, this one is unique due to this attribute, and I feel it adds a great amount of elegance to the piece, and I just honestly feel bad-ass while wearing it. The blouse, from Ann Taylor, is also a great piece due to the fact you can style it with just about anything and it is comfortable to wear. The final main piece to this ensemble, is my Kate Spade heels, which though they are sky high, they are actually very comfortable.

Though I wasn't out of the house much, I still wanted to accessorize this look. So, to complete the outfit, I chose to pair it with my Jenny Bird "Frida Collar" and my cobalt blue Kendra Scott earrings. And for the short time I was out (a.k.a. to do this shoot and grab some bubbly!) I paired this lovely look with my favorite Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses.

And lastly, to complete my New Year's look, I chose to do something a little more flashy with my makeup. Though I used my normal bareMinerals products and City Minis palette, I decided to mix it up with the palette and do a smoky eye look by using some of the darker colors. I also switched up my normally neutral lipstick and went with NARS, bold, semi matte, Bette, which I received for Christmas this year.

One Last Look

How did everyone else spend their New Year's Eve? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me about it at @StarkRavingChic! Have an awesome New Year's Eve outfit you would just love to show off? I'd love to see it, so feel free to tag me in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic. Later dolls, and I wish you the happiest new year, let's make sure 2018 rocks!

Xx, Bree

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!