Category: Personal Style
How to Try Spring Style Trends on a Budget
Tweed, Pink, Plaid and Pleats
With pleats in style for spring last year, they’re back again but lighter and airier. Think a delicate few pleats in flowing fabrics. Not gonna lie, I’m not really into this 70s/90s thing fashion has going on right now but I can work with a pleat here or there.
How to try a style trend on a budget
This outfit is a great example of how you can incorporate a trend seamlessly into your look, without needing to buy an entirely new outfit. In general, trend pieces are not where you want to spend a lot of money, because you likely won’t be wearing them for many seasons. Yes, things do come back into style eventually but only after you’ve finally given those items away. It’s practically a scientific law. Just ask my choker collection, which went MIA just in time for the Great Choker Revival of 2016.
I picked up this skirt last spring when pleats were everywhere, just so I could try the trend. I hadn’t worn pleats since…I don’t know, 2003? The tweed jacket and plaid scarf are items of classic style and good quality. Admittedly, I did not splurge on them as they were given to me secondhand. But they are items I would say you could spend on if you wanted. The designer purse was a splurge (A similar one here is a majorly discounted), the necklace a vintage heirloom and the cowgirl booties and tights were just things I had in my closet.
So the takeaway here is: Save on trendy items + Splurge on quality classics + Combine them into outfits that are the perfect mix of staples you can wear again and on-trend pieces that won’t destroy your clothing budget.
Then you can throw your scarf in the air without a care in the world!
These photos were taken by Mo Ashley. They have a lovely early spring, Secret Garden-inspired aesthetic that I’m really enjoying. It reminds me of my Secret Garden Literary Scarf. For more of her work, see these earlier posts I did with her on my favorite ever Anthropologie dress, transitional season style and subtle colors.
What are you looking forward to this spring?
For more spring inspiration, take a peek at my Style Inspirations board on Pinterest.
For immediate shopping ideas to create your own look, start here:
Spring Formal Dress Trends 2017
Spring formals, parties and weddings are just around the corner, so with the help of sponsor MUEE I’m rounding up some spring formal dress trends to keep an eye on in 2017!
Green dresses
If you haven’t heard yet, Pantone’s color of the year is Greenery! Pantone says “Nature’s neutral, PANTONE Greenery is a versatile “trans-seasonal” shade that lends itself to many color combinations.” I think it’s a refreshing color that reminds me of summer, shade and the lushness of nature. Expect to see lots of bridesmaid dresses and prom dresses in green hues this year.
Tea length dresses
Can we get a round of applause for the tea length dress? This is a highly flattering and feminine length. It’s just nice to have an option for evening dresses and cocktail dresses that’s in between floor length and above the knee. Both of those lengths are lovely too (I loved twirling in this long dress), it’s just nice to have a change. This dress is pretty similar to one I wore last spring, which totally converted me to loving tea length dresses.
1950s flair
As you can see in the above example as well, full skirts and a little bit of a retro vibe are in full swing for 2017. Fun!
Whether you’re in the market for homecoming dresses, first communion dresses or wedding dresses, keep these spring formal dress trends 2017 in mind (and let me know your favorite trends below)!
Mix and Match Your Style with LuLaRoe
I can’t scroll my Facebook feed these days without seeing multiple posts about LuLaRoe fashions. Out and about I’ve seen women wearing it everywhere, even at the Minnesota Blogger Conference. So I decided it was time to try it for myself. With the help of my friend Hanna in Michigan, I tried styling LuLaRoe leggings and a dress and I’m reporting back to you on how you can try it yourself-and snag a super exclusive deal on your first order! I’m especially excited to share my styling tip of fishnets over LuLaRoe leggings further on in the post.
Things to know about shopping for LuLaRoe
LuLa-what? You kind of have to learn new lingo for this brand, so let me help you out. I learned about:
- Where it’s sold. It’s direct sale, so when you shop you’re supporting Stay at Home Moms who run their own LuLaRoe businesses out of their homes. You can buy online through Facebook groups (join Hanna’s here), at home parties or at pop-up shops.
- Patterns. The brand is for its patterned leggings-which come in motifs from dragons to piano keyboards. The patterns are limited edition, so you likely won’t see anyone else wearing the same ones as you (pro) but it can be hard to locate a specific pattern (con). Not to worry if you’re more of a solids and basics gal-there are classic black leggings and almost everything comes in solid colors, too.
- The fabric. I am partial to natural fibers, so what I was most reluctant about was the poly/spandex content. When I tried the leggings and dresses I realized why these are worth breaking my rule for: not only is the fabric is super soft, but the dresses fall just the right way so they are flattering without being tight. And the leggings stretch over your curves without getting stretched out.
- Sizing. Finding the right LuLaRoe size is easy in leggings: there are only two sizes, One Size (OS) for sizes 0-10 and Tall Curvy (TC) for sizes 12+. There are also kids’ sizes for your mini-me. For tops and dresses, I suggest asking a consultant to help as they are experts on their product. It runs large in my opinion-Hanna picked out a size XXS Carly dress for me, and it fit beautifully although I am definitely not a size XXS in any other brand.
- The fit. No thigh gap? No problem! The stretch kind of holds you in for an outfit that’s forgiving, flattering and fun.
Grab this Deal: Coupon and Free Shipping on LuLaRoe!
If you’re new to shopping with Hanna Serena, she has an exclusive deal for my readers. Get a coupon AND free U.S. shipping on your order. I don’t get any kickback from this, I’m just offering it as a perk if you want to try some soft leggings. Head to LuLaRoe Hanna Serena and tell her you found it through me.
LuLaRoe Styling Tips
This brand is designed for mix-and-match. Although you can totally wear head-to-toe ‘Roe, I like pairing them with other things in my closet for endless new looks. For this look, I used fishnets over LuLaRoe solid leggings to make a whole new look! I felt like it dressed up the casual outfit a bit too.
Fishnets Over LuLaRoe
You can see from the photos in this post that I wore the same Carly dress and solid leggings and switched up the color of the accessories (white vs. pink scarf, black vs. pink fishnets) for two totally different looks:
If you have any questions that I didn’t answer here, let me know and I’ll try to help or find someone who can! Do you wear LuLaRoe, and if so what do you have?
75% off Vintage Apparel in Minneapolis
Save on vintage treasures in the Twin Cities – this weekend only
Local shops closing = major deals for Minneapolis shopping! Here’s where to find 75% off vintage apparel this weekend in the Twin Cities.
The Hidden Haberdashery
A men’s resale shop located in the beautiful Blaisdale Manor (pictured at the top of this post) is closings its doors and Sunday, November 13 will be the last day to shop. The well-curated merchandise is all 75% off. As of Saturday when I stopped by, there are men’s blazers and sport coats, ties, leather goods, and miscellaneous accessories still available including a tiny vintage coffee grinder which someone totally needs to snap up. Plus you get to shop in a mansion, which doesn’t happen every day! Find the final shopping hours on Facebook and danmichaelbatista.com.
Rewind Vintage in Uptown
This popular Minneapolis vintage shop is following in the footsteps of Blacklist Vintage and closing its Lyndale Avenue doors. Rewind is also selling everything at 75% off and the racks are still full for shopping. Bargain hunters take note: the store will be open for up to a week, but may close sooner if merchandise sells out. Rewind will continue to impact the Minneapolis vintage sale scene from its remaining location in Northeast.
I hope you have fun shopping whether it’s here or another favorite spot, and if you find any treasures will you let me know? Follow The Pink Paperdoll for more information on store openings, closings and sales – connect on Facebook and Instagram.
The Perfect Gift for Stylish Book Lovers
Which literary classic is your all-time favorite? There’s something soothing about literature that’s stood the test of time. No matter how much our world has changed since the books were written, the adventures of the characters are still the same. Among my favorites from the children’s classics I read growing up is The Secret Garden, which is the theme of the literary scarf I chose when Storiarts offered one to me for review. Believe me, this was a tough choice. Each scarf has a different combination of font and color. You can even get a music notes scarf and fingerless gloves.
Here are a few other Storiarts styles (click an image to shop):
Storiarts Literary Scarf Review
We all know a book lover, right? Maybe the book lover in your life is actually you. Well either way, these scarves make a great holiday or graduation gift.
They are made of double-layered cotton jersey, so the pattern shows on both sides. They are infinity scarves that can be looped once. I would call them mid-weight, as I have scarves that are lighter and scarves that are heavier. Next time I would probably order the summer weight scarf, which is made of the same type of fabric but less of it. The cotton jersey is stretchy and very wearable, but I would love it if Storiarts added more fabric options to the collection for more versatility. It’s a beautiful statement piece and conversation starter that I want to wear all year round, but it will get most of its use in the fall or early spring.
This scarf is on my gift guide for Uncommon Goods and it can also be found directly from Storiarts, a small family business based in Oregon.I decided on The Secret Garden style for my Storiarts literary scarf review because of the green color and the line drawings, which not all the scarves have. Below I’ve included a photo of the scarf folded flat so you can see the full text excerpt and all three illustrations.
Now, I would love to hear what your favorite literary classic is! Today might be the perfect day November day to sit with a cup of tea and read one.
