Inspiration - Cold Weather Layers

This time of year, moving in and out of the cold when you're doing errands or shopping can be a challenge. The key is layers. You can easily warm up or cool down by quickly adding or removing layers. I love the style of these ladies.

photo credit: stockholdstreetstyle.com

I love everything about the look above, the skinny jeans, the wool biker jacket, the slouchy hat and the sneaks. Fantastic! 

photo credit: trendfashiondesign.com

What's not to love about fur, leather and boots!

photo credit: ministryoffashion.co.uk

Words can't describe how much I want to find this coat. It's perfection.

Inspiration - Layering

It seems as if the weather and temp is changing by the hour, here in the DC area.  I'm sure it's been that way across the country (and world).  Last week I was freezing with temps in the teens and twenties and snow.  Today and yesterday, it feels like spring with temps in the 70's.  Yesterday I was wearing a heavy winter coat and barely needed it when I left the office at 5pm.  I realized that I need to seriously work on my layering skills.  Some fashionistas seems to do this in an effortless way.  They pair layers and textures and it looks amazing.

Layering - for changing weather by Real Girl Runway.  Click above to view the photos.

In almost every case, the layers are very thin.  This is the trick to keep from looking frumpy or bulky.  Also, using items of different length, keeps you from having too may layers stopping in one area, like your hips or your tummy.  All of the photos I chose today show ladies wearing pants but layering can be done with a skirt or dress, just as well.  The same rules apply.

My favorite look from the ones above is the one in the center.  J.Crew Style Director, Jenna Lyons, is a style icon.  She has a casual but pulled together style that always look chic and comfortable at the same time.  She's inspired me to try a similar look with items in my own closet.

Here is a link to a post on Refinery 29 with some great tips about layering.  I love that they address stylish but clever ways to layer some of your spring items with winter items.  I'm a fan of a sweater over a dress for winter. I'm not big on skirts over pants but you could try a similar twist with a skirt over leggings.  I personally don't own any dressy shorts, so the shorts over tights suggestion is also out for me.  They also don't work for me because I don't think shorts are office appropriate unless you work in a casual environment.

I'm going to try out some of the combos from my inspiration photos.  Are you layering during this weather?

Spring Picks for the Budget Girl (part 1)

Can you smell it? That is the smell of smoke coming out of the ears of fashion editors as they list their top picks for Spring. They'll be sure to give you a list of extraordinarily beautiful and outrageously expensive items you can't afford. Or at least most of us can't afford.

I love my family for many reasons but especially because they always supply me with great ideas for posts (thanks Marissa!). Here are my top picks for the warmer months. I'm so excited that it's getting warmer! These items will take you into summer and can be mixed and matched.

In order to prevent this post from becoming a Russian novel, I'm going to split it up. The bold items below are contained in this post. I'll follow up with other posts for the additional items.

TOP SPRING PICKS
1. a solid color flowy maxi skirt
2. wide leg jeans
3. anything 70's inspired
4. biker jacket (leather or faux leather, whatever fits your budget)
5. a sheer sweater (for layering)
6. neutrals in pale tans or blushes (pants or skirt)
7. a Breton striped top
8. bold color tops and bottoms (vary this depending on your life)
9. a pair of neutral booties that can be dressed up or down, heel height is a preference
10. white pants, skirt, or dress
EXTRAS
1. cat eye sunglasses
2. big bangle bracelets
3. anything rose gold
4. obi belts or wide sashes
5. colorful scarves
6. lady like bags


To view the buying information for the options, click on the picture. It will take you to a site where you can click on each item and get the details.

In the next post, I'll help you find more options for Spring. We'll also explore mixing and matching your new Spring items.

SALE is not a four letter word...

It's sale time! YAAAY!  I love this time of year when the weather is still warm enough for short sleeves but you might need a jacket and you can get away with boots or tights sometimes.  The stores are getting rid of their summer merchandise and stocking up on winter. Lots of them are offering sales, mid-season, pre-season, post-season, who cares!? A sale is a sale.

ASOS, one of my favorite net sites is having their mid-season sale. For the uninitiated, ASOS is a British company that is now also catering to the US.  I'm thrilled because their fashion forward items are fantastic. They have great sales and they carry items in a huge range of prices. Plus, they are offering FREE SHIPPING both ways.  Which means, if the items don't fit, you won't even have to pay to return it to them. You can't lose. I bought two dresses (less than $25 each) and a tank ($10) yesterday that will be fantastic transitional pieces. They are spring/summer pieces that can be worn into the fall with a jacket or sweater. Did I mention that ASOS also sells Petite, Plus, Maternity, Men's, beauty products, and tons of great shoes? Check them out.

Coldwater Creek is another site that has a wide range of sizes. They are currently having a 25% off sale. That's 25% off of EVERYTHING! They have great basic and casual pieces. I also love some of their interesting jackets to jazz up a basic black dress or pants. I got an email this morning and loved the suggestion they had for layering.

photo credit: Coldwater Creek

I love the idea of using a vest under a casual jacket to add layers but not bulk. It's fantastic! I think that my NYC thrift store vest will be making an appearance like this very soon.

Shopping various web sites can help you to find cool new pieces at great prices. Don't forget to hit the sales.