If you haven’t checked out Dolly’s blog yet, get over and do so! She’s adorable and amazing!

Also, THIS cracks me up so much – Hot Feet!

Reunions are complicated things.  On the one hand, you fear that you’ll need to impress people with how much better your life is than it was in High School.  (No brainer – it TOTALLY IS)  And you might feel the need to be able to say, “I’ve made something of myself!”  You also think to yourself, “Why would I want to go?  These people are just going to be as stuck up as they were in High School.”  But listen, it’s up to you a) to decide that you want to go and b) to decide that it’s going to be fun.  If you waltz in with an air of “you’re all assholes” superiority, you’re going to miss out on what makes these parties fun.

So, going into this, remember:  These people are just people, just like you, who’ve done wonderful things, who are loved by people, who have probably made mistakes and made up for them.  The first thing you need to put on when preparing for your reunion is a smile.  The second thing you’re going to do is put on your war face – You’re going to need to be a little brave, because I’m going to suggest you go and talk to everyone you can remember, and even some of the people you don’t remember!  The third thing I’m going to suggest is to maybe eat before hand, and don’t automatically bum-rush the bar (if there’s a bar).  Nobody wants to see you carried out to a taxi halfway through the party.  Be smart about your alcohol consumption.

Oh, and nobody wants to relive that humiliating junior prom – you remember, the one where you had a blemish the size of Vesuvius on your chin, after stressing about a gal-pal going with your ex-flame.  Take a breather, maybe book a facial a few weeks ahead of time.  It’s time to plan what to wear.

Add a lot of drama by mixing high contrast colors.  Toss in a pop of raspberry or coral to keep it fresh.  This look is great for both day-time and evening events, and you’ll totally turn heads…

Or Ultra-Boheme -

Now that you’ve got your “what to wear”, take a minute to survey the room and put on a smile.

What did you wear to your reunion?  Got any tips for reunion-bound babes?

Whether we realize it or not, we are all influenced by something, whether it be celebrities, trends or designs of the past. This week’s links a la mode celebrates influencers and the voices we create from our inspiration. As fashion bloggers, we have each other to look for when we are feeling uninspired and this community is something we should never take for granted!

Links à la Mode: July 28st

• 1972projects: WASTED
• a tout le monde: Simple & to the Point!
• Beyond Fabric: The Lost Art of Keeping it Simple
• Bespoke Baroque: The Challenge to Wear Less Black (and Grey and Beige)
• Bonnie Vie: Body Con(scious)
• Britt + Whit: Wall Art
• Chanel and Something Else: The Naked Back
• Dress With Courage: How do you define blogging success?
• Fashables: Forever 21 Dresses
• FASHSTASH: Redefining the Gender Boundaries in Fashion
• I Got Style and I’m Fab: A Reflection on Small-Town Fashion
• IFB: What Makes a Blogger Influential?
• Interrobangs Anonymous: Revolution Through Sweaty Apathy
• Kings Rule Together: A Kings Response: GQ 40 Worst-Dress Cities in America
• Lifestyles of the Thrifty and Shameless: Everybody, Everywear (again)
• Panache Offblast: Bring Out Your Inner Geek-Chic!
• Pretty Innovative: Geeked Out Over eCommerce
• Style Island: I’ll be on your side forever more..that’s what trends are for
• Styling You: 10 Ways to Dress for French Champagne on an Aussie Beer Budget
• The Loudmouth Lifestyle: Competing, Comparing Confessing

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I got to talking with Ashe this morning about fashion bloggers and the money we’ll spend on the things we find worth spending on.  She mused, “… Do people get expensive tastes from being bloggers or have [expensive tastes] and then become bloggers?”

Ashe mentioned that her mom always bought the best she could for the best value – growing up with quality over quantity, she notes, is one of the reasons she has such a good eye.  Out of a lineup of 20 white oxfords, her “eye will like the most expensive pair best, without knowing the designers or cost”.

Thinking about it – part of being a fashion blogger, for me, came from an obsession with what I couldn’t have, while inspirational style images peered out at me through the pages of catalogues and magazines, not to mention MTV.  My parents didn’t buy name-brand clothing (with 3 kids, who can!?).  We thrifted – and with the idea that things would be worn by at least 2 girls, even our thrifted pieces needed to be quality.  I was also involved in theater and costuming (you know, Thespian Troupe President,  and my senior portraits were voted most theatrical since I had old-timey photos taken instead of the very-posed norm).  I learned to sew.  I read books on costume history, researched vintage clothes and was always, constantly inspired.

In our small town, there was no GAP or Express.  I remember receiving Delia’s catalogues, and I bought all the teen-appropriate fashion mags I could find, circling looks and outfit pieces in each one.  This might be why I still flip through the Vicki’s catalogues, circling things and drawing moustaches on the models.  These catalogues showed me the clothes that weren’t available to me and the styles that I coveted.  I became kind of.. enamored with branded stuff.  As I grew into my tastes, I was able to weed out the styles that didn’t suit me, but have always had a soft spot for the inspiration in a well curated editorial – whether or not it was “my style”.

I worked retail when I first moved to the big city.  Through that experience, I learned about thread count, different fabrics, and differences in quality.  I saw how once-coveted items fell apart at the seams – literally.  With new shops to explore on every corner, my tastes evolved along with my paychecks.  I was still buying a lot of stuff on the cheap (often, quantity over quality), but I got tired of having to repair everything I bought that wasn’t well-made.

I find that now, I have priorities that I’d gladly spend money on.  It’s been a lot of trial-and-error, but I also a labor of love.  As I see the glint of my Tiffany heart pendant in my monitor, I realize I’ve always liked having “nice things”, not just because of the quality, but also because of the status involved.  Did blogging give me more expensive tastes?  Maybe, but I also worked in retail for years and spent a lot of time repairing cheaply-bought items and coveting things that had a certain aesthetic.  I was also exposed to so much more because I was in a more metropolitan area.

It wasn’t till I started truly blogging that I started to fill out what I thought my style should be.  Again, exposure was a key part of my growth as a blogger.  I realized that style is something you can tailor and create.  I went back to fashion magazines for inspiration, and dug out all my vintage pieces and acquired tastes.  I looked to other bloggers around me, found pieces that appealed to me and wanted things I thought I’d never afford.  Over time, I began to make more money, and my tastes evolved towards the wider market available to me.  Blogging does influence what I think is fashionable – seeing girls carrying it-bags, looking ever so stylish is an inspiration to look for my own it-bag.  Of course, I’ll always do it in my own style, whether the bag is vintage, or merely it-bag inspired.

So what gives?  Does being a fashion or style blogger instantly mean you have expensive tastes?  Or do expensive tastes turn you into a fashion blogger?  Or do your tastes and your paychecks and your style all grow together.  Does the fashion blogging world push us to spend more?  Or do we spend more to keep up?

My answer – all of the above.  A little of everything.   I’d be interested in hearing your point of view, readers.  Did fashion blogging inspire you to have expensive tastes?  Or did having expensive tastes lend to becoming a fashion blogger.

For Bonus Points, read The Chicken or The Egg Debate Between Fashion and Art

"Why won't my suitcase close!?"

I know I’m not the only person who’s got travel plans for this summer, and with travel plans come great big bags and hefty baggage fees.  In order to avoid those fees, I’ve figured out a few tricks to packing light for any occasion and still look amazing.

1. Plan it out. Know where you’re going.  Know what you absolutely need.

Example: You’re going to Vegas for a weekend with the girlies.  I know this means you want to sport a different outfit every night, BUT consider this:  When you come home, everything is going to smell like the inside of a casino.  So pack accordingly.  Bring things you can mix and match, that easily go from day to night and you’ll have no problem.  Also, bring one extra outfit to travel in, so you don’t have to stew in that stink for the entire ride home.  Hell, you could even skip the day clothes for the most part because all you really need is a swimsuit and a light cover up, right?

Planning it out lets you figure out how many days/activities you need clothes for, and where you can pare down on one or two things.  And having a list of the outfits you’re going to pack means you can coordinate your kicks so that you pack the most optimal pair that you can wear all the time (or pairs, cos I often bring a pair of sandals too).

2. Keep it Simple.  Add pieces you can coordinate, like a couple lightweight solid tees.  They don’t necessarily need to be neutral, but they do need to be things that you can dress up or dress down according to your destination.

Example:  During my London trip, I had a stash of tees (a couple bright, a couple neutral) that could be worn with pants or skirts.  When we went to explore, I wore skinnies and tees with a blazer and flats.  When we went out dancing, I paired that same outfit with fun jewelry and outrageous shoes.  In the blog-world you hear so much about how you can dress up jeans and a tee, or dress down – I took that to heart when packing, knowing that staple items look good either way.  And since tees are knits, they’ll resist wrinkles and roll up nicely into your luggage.

Example 2:  A thing I read recently said bring along summery high-waisted skirts.  The author mentioned that she loved local t-shirts when traveling, and ended up wearing them tucked into skirts to make the tees less “tourist” and more like a fashion statement.  I kind of liked that idea – you get a souvenir and a stylish addition all in one.  Of course, pack accordingly if you plan to purchase local.

In the same vein, if you plan on going out, an easy “day to night” dress simplifies everything when packing. Opt for a dress you can put on for the beach or your daytime activities, then throw a blazer or cardigan over it to wear to dinner.  The same goes for your makeup – if I’m taking my makeup, I usually pick one eye palette, one eyeliner, foundation and a translucent powder (if it’s summer, maybe bronzer), and then I get creative with that combination.  One of the reasons I like buying pre-made eye palettes is that I can do that.  I can take one set, and run with it.  Think what will transition from day to night.

3.  If you want to get wild, go with accessories. Use pieces like headbands, scarves, necklaces and earrings to instantly change the mood of an outfit.  Accessories take up little space in your suitcase and when packed in zipper bags, can be stuffed into your extra pair of shoes.  They’re your key to dressing up outfits, and adding a little “flair”.  The great thing is – accessories are easy purchases wherever you are.  They’ll have awesome souvenir value, you’ll use them over and over, and they’re easy to pack into your luggage to take home.  I loooove the sunglasses I got in London (a late birthday present from my friend Sean) – I wear them all the time, and they were so easy to pack in and out.

Also, treat your bag like an accessory. I often pack a small purse inside a larger tote bag.  The small purse holds my wallet, glasses, keys, phone – and can be pulled out at a moment’s notice. It also doubles as a lightweight handbag/clutch when needed and the larger tote can be used as a beach bag or shopper.

4.  Shopping while you’re there:  If you’re going to do it, go unique.  My #1 rule of thumb is this: If I can buy it at home, why should I buy it in another country – UNLESS it is a necessary item that I cannot live without until I get home.

For example, say you forgot socks – go ahead and buy the cutest pair you find.  But say I walked by an H&M – I’m not going to shop there, because there’s one down the hill from my apartment.  When I shop, while I’m out, I will look for fun jewelry, goofy tourist tees to pair with cute outfits, etc.  And unless I’m in town only to shop, I’m not going to be making purchases that I could otherwise make at home.  Know why?  If you’re out of the country, you’ve got transaction fees and exchange rates to think about.  If I’m in the next state over – well, I don’t really need it that bad, do I?  Because it’s going to be a beast to bring back home in an already-stuffed suitcase.  I also have more money to do things (not own things) while I’m on vacation.  You know, they say people appreciate experience more than belongings.  Don’t get me wrong – I like belongings, but I can see the wisdom in saving my pennies for fun adventures.

Got any more summer travel tips – packing or otherwise?  Share ‘em here!

Stepping outside about mid-project, I realized the sun had come out and the temperature had risen at least 10 degrees.  I strapped on a pair of shoes and prepared to run some errands -snapping a few photos first.

I don’t need the sweater anymore… apparently.

Also, let’s talk about this necklace.  I received a giant box of amazing granny jewelry from a friend as a gift.  I kind of love amazing granny jewelry – and this box had some real gems!  (HA!)  Of course, one of my favorite little pieces was this clip on earring, which posed 2 problems.  A) Clip on earrings hurt.  And B) I was missing the other half of the set.  Of course, you can be creative and clip them onto other things though – shoes, skirts, belts, tops…  But since there was only one earring, I looped the clip over a spare chain I had, and have been wearing it as a pendant.  A little JB Weld under the clip will hold the clip down, so the earring doesn’t slide off the clip.  Voila!  Instant jewel party.

The entire outfit feels very nautical.  For my trek outside, I paired it with this white Céline bag (from Rice and Beans Vintage – she does layaway so I can afford nice things) and a pair of silver Saltwater sandals.

What I wore:

• Striped Top – Forever 21
• Maxi Skirt – Nordstrom BP (Pre-anniversary sale.  There was a haul.  More on that later)
• Necklace – assembled by me!  Thrifty!
• Cleves Ring – Wendy Brandes (LOOOVE!)
• Sweater – Erin Brinié Online
• Bag – Céline from Rice and Beans Vintage

I love the maxi-skirts because they’re light for summer, but since our summers are so fickle they’re still warm enough to brave our cloudy mornings.  Also, I just love the silhouette of a long, slim skirt.   They’re one of my favorite summer pieces right now, along with this white bag, and Saltwater sandals.

Oh, by the way, Gustav says hi!

Hai!

What’s your current favorite summer piece?

PS – Tweet this for a chance to win a Honey Bronze set from the Body Shop (You have until Friday!)!    Help @birdiee and @thebodyshopusa stop Sex Trafficking! Sign the petition (& comment, to win a Honey Bronze set). http://bit.ly/j6VYsK

Staying stylish isn’t necessarily about carrying around that latest Marc Jacobs handbag (mmmm pretty) or knowing exactly what’s on trend.  At a recent party, I was talking to a francophone friend of mine who mentioned my Style and the Sartorialist article.  She pointed out how inspiring French ladies are with their limited means, even on their day off – because they know, almost innately, how to add a dash of flair to an otherwise every-day outfit.  I thought about it a bit and it dawned on me that anyone can be that stylish by just adding a bit of their personality  and quirks into their every-day look.  You could be tomboy chic, and girl next door glam – as long as you add a touch of your personality to your style, you’re instantly more mesmerizing.

This unexpected touch of personality gets a lot of reactions – for example, I love turbans for their classic (40′s) style and because they’re more quirky than throwing a hat on, or tying all my hair up in a twist.  The thing is – the turban is such a classic piece, but nobody would expect it with, say, denim and a silk vest thrown over a long, floaty tee.  The vintage touch adds a lot of me into an otherwise every-day outfit.  People are instantly drawn to and amazed by it.  For me, it’s a good way to cover up bad hair.

Often, throwing the unexpected into an outfit creates a lasting impression.  And just like with your personality, the more unique and expressive, the more intriguing and magnetic your style will be.  Love shiny things?  Add rhinestones to an otherwise boring outfit.  Love the beauty counter at your local department store?  Do yourself up while dressing down.  Love the comfort of yoga pants?  Wear them under a long, floating top with fun sandals for a lazy day outfit.  Want the ease of that 70′s boho style?  Wear a long printed dress under a motorcycle jacket, or pair it with a giant floppy sun hat while lazing about.  Need to add some brights to your blackblackblack wardrobe?  Try bright bags, or colorful print shoes.  Whatever trend you embrace, often the simplest way to make an outfit shine is to play off your own quirky personality.

How do you add a touch of your personality to your day-to-day style?

I was pleased because I was able to show off this super cute Deco Modiste skirt – at what some would call the “Impossible Skirt Length”, falling below my knee.

I love this little jacket – thrifted by Kimberlee from Deco Modiste.  I know someone’s saying, “Jackets!?!”  This June has been chilly.  The temperature stays somewhere between 65 and 72…

Excuse the silly camera angle – I’ve been kind of lazy when it comes to outfit photos.  It just seems like such a process to get out my DSLR and snap pics – especially when it’s already full of photos from events, or Deco Modiste shoots.  I also work from home so my outfits aren’t usually this dressed up. Â

I paired the entire outfit with white accessories – a headband, a bag, and some super cute shoes to lighten up all the gray.

You can kind of see the neon nails in this photo.  Also the fact that I regularly wear several different shades of gray.   Sassy!  Also, I am a shaggy pony.  Someone needs a haircut, yes?

The outfit garnered quite a few complements – mostly on the shoes.

I wore:

• Green wrap skirt – Deco Modiste Clothing
• Gray henley – Fluxus
• Gray wool jacket – Thrifted
• Black and White shoes – Diesel
• Headband – ?  Who knows
• Bag – Céline from Rice and Beans Vintage

Did you participate in Bloggers Do It Better?  What did you wear?

PS – Don’t forget to enter the Haute Summer Night Fashion Event Giveaway! You have until the end of the day, and you have a very good chance of winning. Please, and Thank you! xoxo.

This is probably the cutest thing I’ve seen all day! Special thanks to David the Majestic and Beautiful Laura of Birdie Royale Adornments. The music is Ondulé by Mathieu Boogaerts. I love this video so much – and we had such a great time shooting photo and filming! Yay!

Thanks again to Laura and David (especially since Laura was one of our models too!), to Gorgeous Kirsten for being one of our models, to Mitsy for modeling, and to Kimberlee of Deco Modiste for designing all the clothing and for letting us raid her house. More photos will come, eventually… Stay tuned!

PS – Don’t forget to enter the Haute Summer Night Fashion Event Giveaway! There are only a few entries so you have a very good chance of winning. Please, and Thank you! xoxo.

And I agree.  It’s nuts that I can buy anywhere from a 00/XS to a 06/S-M.  And it’s nuts that when I order jeans, I can be anywhere from a 25 to a 28.  My waistline doesn’t fluctuate that much!

Which is why, when considering the new hang-tags for Deco Modiste, we decided to go with inch measurements – which means, that if the waistline is the most restricting part of a skirt (because it’s an A-line), we’ll tell you the waist and hip measurement in inches.  Or if it’s a cute jumper dress, we’ll put in the bust, waist and hip measurements in inches – because we know how ridiculous vanity sizing is.

If you’re in Seattle, you can find some of our current designs at Velouria in Ballard.  If you’re not – we’ll have the Etsy shop up shortly!  And stay tuned, because we’re working on photos of our fall pieces right now.