Channeling Grace

Since today is Valentine's Day I thought I would showcase one of my favorite fashion icons whose style I absolutely love.

I have adored Grace Kelly's style ever since I was a little girl. A picture of her has hung in my room for over 10 years now.  Ms. Kelly epitomized style, class, elegance and of course, grace.  Her look is timeless and can easily be translated into present-day fashion.  Never underestimate the potential of simple yet chic looks in the workplace. I would recommend you finding a style icon of your own.  Be it past or present, whose look(s) do you admire?  For myself, I've realized that I prefer a modern chic style. Some trends I love and others I know are not for me.  And if I could offer you one piece of advice, just because something is "trendy" or "in style" does NOT mean that it is for everyone.  For example, leggings as pants paired with a short shirt.  No, no, no!  Feel free to share your favorite fashionistas!

Weekend Style

What a perfect weekend it was to spend some time outdoors.  I can officially say that I have spring fever.  Pretty soon it will be time to put away the sweaters and boots in exchange for skirts and sandals.  I cannot wait!

Oh and in case you didn't know it's Fashion Week in NYC right now.  I'll do my best to keep you up-to-date on what's in store for next fall.  You may be wondering "why do I need to know what's going to be in style for fall right now?" I can tell you that when I worked in fashion in Atlanta I stayed confused about which season it was because in fashion you are always one season ahead.  No worries, I'll be sure to let you know your spring must-haves before I tell you what's in store for fall.  

Sweater jacket: Ann  Taylor Loft

Leopard print shirt: The Limited

Jeans: Gap

Boots: Urban Outfitters

Earrings: Fossil

Coral lipstick: Sephora 

Bejeweled

Bright colors have been "in" for quite some time thanks to the resurgence of 80's fashion.  You can expect to see bejeweled tones through spring and summer as well.  Case in point, this month's cover of Elle with Katy Perry decked out in bold colors.

Friday's are typically "jean" day for me unless I have a meeting or an event to attend.  Today I wore a bright pink cardigan with a yellow cami underneath.  I love mixing different colors and patterns.  Try it sometime!

 

Cardigan: Forever 21

Cami: Ann Taylor Loft

Jeans: H&M

Boots: Banana Republic 

Don't Benchmark Yourself to Mediocrity

Today I had the opportunity to hear Glen Senk, the CEO of URBN Inc., speak about leadership and what it meant to be the CEO of a major retail corporation.  URBN Inc. is responsible for popular brands such as Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People.  He gave very candid answers to most of the questions, but one thing he said that stood out to me most was "don't benchmark yourself to mediocrity".  What a profound statement. He gave that answer in response to "Why are your brands so successful and where do you get your inspiration from?"  He essentially said they strive very hard to be different and it is out their profound love for the customer that they continue to be successful.  And successful they've been, last year they had over 100,000 people apply to their corporate headquarters in Philadelphia and they hired 400. That's remarkable.  On my other blog I will give some big news about their newest venture which will launch on Valentine's Day.  To read about it visit: Reveling Life

On to the outfit(s) of the day. My stylish gal pal and roommate Jenna agreed to let me take some pics of her outfit today.  She always dresses fabulously for her job.

Glen Senk addressing MBA students at Darden 

My Outfit:

Sweater: Banana Republic

Skirt: Forever 21

Boots: ?

Belt: H&M

Bracelet: Fossil 

Watch: Michael Kors

Purse: Liz Claiborne 

Sunglasses: Ray Ban 

Make a Statement

One of my favorite color combinations besides the classic, always stylish, black and white is light pink and coral.  Coral is a universally flattering color on most women and goes great with any neutral. I'm longing for spring and warmer weather so today I chose to wear a coral sweater paired with my "pink" statement necklace for Valentine's week.  One trend that's been popular for quite some time are statement necklaces. The same rule for sequins during work hours can be applied to big necklaces.  Again the key is to keep the rest of your outfit conservative, unless you work in a creative environment...if that's the case I say go all out!

You can't really tell but my shoes are leopard print

Frame in my office 

 

Close-up of my bauble necklace 

Statement Necklace

Necklace: Talbots

Sweater: Gap

Pants: Target

Shoes: I can't remember 

Rose Gold watch: Michael Kors 

 

Sparkle Appropriate

There's been a lot of debate on whether or not sequins/sparkles are appropriate work attire, and unless you work in an ultra conservative office a hint of glitz is perfectly acceptable.  The key is to keep the rest of your outfit conservative.  I chose to wear one of my favorite sparkly shirts under a boyfriend blazer and paired it with a black skirt.

Ann Taylor Sequined Tank

 Heart Shoe Clips

Boyfriend Jacket: Forever 21
Sequined Shirt: J. Crew
Skirt: Old Navy
Tights: Hue
Booties: Belk
Watch: Michael Kors
Ring and Earrings: Banana Republic
Lip Gloss: Inglot (my absolute favorite)

Je t'aime

Today's look was inspired by one of my favorite places, Paris.  I recommend watching Paris, Je t'aime if you've never seen it.  The film consists of 18 short films depicting the various types of love.  Some are quite heart-warming and emotional and a few are, well...interesting to say the least.