Category: Personal Style
Welcome Summer with a Gingham Headband
Gingham for Summer
You could say that gingham is the fabric of the summer. Its midcentury appeal is gracing everything from sundresses to bikinis. I found the perfect gingham headband in red and black to wear while traveling this summer. In fact, I used it to keep my hair in place while ghost town hunting! The hunt was somewhat successful since the photo above is taken in an old schoolhouse is Oregon. I have more pictures of it for a future post which I am so excited to share with you! But back to the gingham. To add to its versatility, I also used the headband as a hat ribbon to decorate an old straw hat for summer.
Get the gingham headband look
You can even get a gingham headband that to show off your college athletic team pride. Or go more traditional with this Anthropologie gingham headband. The store also carries this one by Dauphines of New York, which is a brand I partnered with in 2015 that makes quality headbands. Excitingly, it also comes in pink.
Best of all they’re all on sale right now.
More gingham looks to love
Here are some more gingham inspiration looks to jump start your summer. I’ve seen a lot of gingham dresses in an off-the-shoulder silhouette, another trend of the season. If you’re wondering how to wear a gingham headband, gingham pairs with florals and solid colors (especially white).
Will you be wearing gingham this summer or saving it for your picnic tablecloth?
Stylish Eco-Friendly Living
Eco-friendly doesn’t mean losing out on style.
Think Eco-friendly doesn’t equal aesthetically pleasing? Think again. Something as simple as stylish reusable shopping bags can be a fashion statement, not a fashion fail.
Here’s my outfit from Tech Fashion Week (reader selected by you!) plus a farmer’s market friendly tote bag. It shows that fashionable and Eco-friendly can coexist.
Non-ugly reusable shopping bags
California has a plastic bag ban, which makes sense because the Pacific Ocean doesn’t need any more plastic bags floating in it.
When I think of reusable shopping bags, I think of the free scratchy-fabric promotional totes given out at conferences and vendor fairs. Luckily, they’re not all like that. See why.
Cute reusable shopping bags
My roommate got the Marks and Spencer tote pictured above while she was living in London. I like to keep a packable nylon tote in my purse like these from Kate Spade so I’ll never be stuck without a bag when I need one. The are washable and the nylon holds up well. It makes a good lunch bag, too.
Thrifted white tulle and lace skirt
I found the white skirt at Goodwill of Silicon Valley for $8! I linked to some similar skirts at the end of this post so you don’t have to scour your local thrift shops. Like reusable shopping totes, secondhand shopping is good for the environment because it keeps clothing out of landfills. I do a mix of secondhand and new clothes. Like going green with your pet and gardening to save the bees, it’s all about small, doable actions to be more Eco-friendly.
Small ways to be stylishly green
Borrowing clothes is great too — just check out these gorgeous shoes that are definitely not mine but I loved wearing them!
Outfit Details
White Skirt – Jealous Tomato. Scored at Goodwill of Silicon Valley for $8!
Jacket – Anthropologie – newest style here
Shoes – Betsey Johnson
Exploring South Dakota’s Black Hills
Thanks to the South Dakota Department of Tourism for sponsoring this post. I’m excited to share part 1 of my recent cross-country road trip with you!
Leaving Home
Arriving at the Badlands as the sun turned the rock formations to gold was therapeutic, to end a long day’s journey with such a beautiful destination.
History of the Badlands
I picked up all the brochures about the Badlands because the history of the place is so interesting. The Lakota Sioux and the French settlers both called the place the Badlands in their respective languages. After driving through the flat expanse of South Dakota, to find this serene change in the cartography is stirring. It’s been described as otherworldly, and I have to agree. There’s plenty of history within the Black Hills region as a whole as well. The South Dakota Board of Tourism can help you plan a history-rich visit.
The following day we saw Mount Rushmore, which is a must see if you’re in the area, but there’s also so much more to the Black Hills region. Other destinations the area include Devils Tower and more. We had so much ground to cover on the journey we could only spend one night, but there was absolutely more to see so take your time in the Badlands region.
Dog Friendly Badlands, South Dakota
Bringing a dog? Perry was allowed on the trails with us, which isn’t the case at all National Parks. But keep pets leashed at all times! You can see the sign in the photo warning about rattlesnakes. I did observe a few places that looked like a place a rattlesnake would like to live. We were happy to find plenty of dog friendly choices for places to stay as well. This link has a dog friendly itinerary for the Black Hills and more info on places to stay.
Like these pics? Follow me on Instagram for more!
Fourth of July in the Black Hills
If you want to do something incredibly memorable for Independence Day this year, I found out by peeking at the event calendar that the Black Hills Rodeo is held that weekend, complete with a fireworks show. It says that most of the little towns in the area have their own Fourth of July festivals, which sounds so quaintly full of Americana I want to drive right back for it!
Save money on National Parks entry fees
One of the appealing things about vacationing in the Black Hills is the amount of memorable activities to do on a budget. If Badlands National Park (where all these photos were taken) is on your itinerary, you can save with an annual pass. We bought the America the Beautiful pass at the park gate, because we knew that would be seeing more parks on the journey. If you’re traveling with an American citizen who is over 62, they qualify for a lifetime pass to all the National Parks for only $10, so make sure to take advantage of that! We met quite a few retired folks on the journey who had the senior pass. There are also free passes available for U.S. Military, individuals with disabilities and 4th grade students.
I’m definitely yearning to see more of the beautiful United States now. Stay tuned for more about my cross country trip.
What to Wear – Get the Look
Chi Chi London Dress Review
Formal and Fancy
Today I’m sharing what is quite possibly my favorite dress yet. It’s from Chi Chi London out of the U.K. This dress comes in many other lovely colors including white and blue, navy, and cream. I think it looks very striking in every color! This Chi Chi London dress review post is not sponsored in any way, I just couldn’t contain my love for this dress. I have included shoppable links that earn a few cents per click. As I often say, it’s a paper doll-sized amount!
Story of My Dress
The story behind this dress is that I needed it last year to be onstage. This dress had the right amount of modesty and frill that I was looking for! It’s so elegant and princessy. If you have a chance to try a Chi Chi London dress, do! I think this style would be appropriate for many weddings, military balls, and other formal events depending on the dress code for the occasion.
Chi Chi London Dress Review
If you read reviews of this dress, there are only two critical things that people mention. One is that the lace at the bodice is floppy and doesn’t stick to your skin. You can see this in the picture above. I didn’t mind it to be honest. It’s just part of the dress. If you wanted to, you could use a small adhesive fashion tape to hold it into place, but then it would cover the collarbone so I don’t think it’s truly necessary. The other review I’ve seen is that the lace is a bit itchy. I could feel the lace, but again it wasn’t a deal breaker. I hate itchy fabrics, and I didn’t mind this dress.
Vintage Inspired Lace
The skirt is also very poufy! It has several layers of tulle underneath. I almost cut out a couple layers because I felt like a cupcake! But as you can tell from the photos, it’s just part of the silhouette, which has a lovely retro appeal.
Shop the Look
I’ve compiled some of my favorite similar styles below. The style in my photos above is sold at Modcloth under the name Exquisite Elegance Lace Dress, at Asos, and directly from Chi Chi London.
The Return of the 1920s Style Formal Dress Trend
So you’re getting ready for all those fun spring events and you need a dress…if all the current trends of today aren’t quite your thing, or you just want to stand out, why not look to the past for inspiration? Gatsby style may have fizzled a little since the 2012 movie heyday, but 1920s inspired party fashion is a perennial classic (and my own personal favorite fashion era). Honestly who wouldn’t want to wear the flowing fabrics and beaded accessories?
This post is sponsored by Wardrobe Shop, a kind of a one stop shop for finding your next outfit for spring formals, weddings, or just looking really, really good for brunch. You can look like you just stepped off the set of Downtown Abbey.
Let’s take a look at three fun ways to incorporate a vintage 1920s look into your formal wear. Go for the entire head to toe look, or choose just one fashion element to elevate your look with a hint of vintage glam.
Hats
Fascinators and decorative hats are for more than royal weddings and the Kentucky Derby. Dress up your look by taking a cue from the stylish women of history. Choose a hat with a plume (see photo below), flowers, ribbon or a combination of all three.
Dresses
Formal wear trends frequently borrow from decades past, and styles this season are no exception. You can find the ruffles, tulle and lace of yesteryear in styles that will fit right in at weddings, parties and dances.
Faux Fur
A faux fur (or “vegan fur”) wrap is just like what my great-grandmother wore, but better because it’s cruelty free. It adds a bit of warmth on chilly nights, but way more importantly a lot of glam.
Shoes
Don’t forget shoes! Pair any of the above looks with your favorite heels or check out button up boots and vintage inspired shoe styles.
