My Best Accessories

I find that accessorizing an outfit is just as important-if not more- as the pants, dress or top that provide the foundation for your look.  Sometimes, even if I'm just wearing my juicy sweats or plain, black leggings, I will throw a brightly colored scarf around my neck, or grab one of my fabulous, fancy bags just to go to Target.  Actually utilizing your accessories can give you that little push to make you feel that much more stylish, even if you're not totally thrilled with the outfit you've put together.

While much of the list of my favorite, go-to accessories is comprised of scarves, great bags, cheap jewelry (that doesn't look cheap) and faux fur, several of my faves are not conventional fashion. Below is a short list of the both:

1. Kombucha: A raw food which is thought to bolster energy, boost immunity and enlighten the body, all around. I drink one everyday, even take it out at restaurants or events. This is one chic and healthy beverage!

http://www.synergydrinks.com/enlightened/kombucha_enlightened.aspx

2. Brightly colored, soft scarves: The right scarf can totally punctuate an otherwise boring outfit.       -When shopping for a scarf, look for one that's soft to the touch, since it'll be touching the sensitive skin around your neck all day. 
-Also look for colors that work well with your skin tone, as again, it's what is closest to your face.
-Look for zigzag or animal print patterns that can be incorporated with a variety colors and outfits.
-Finally, pick up a few Spring/Summer weight scarves made from cotton or linen. They always come in handy in the evening and add a textured layer to the lightweight fabrics of summer!

Image from: mod.portlandmercury.com

3. MY DOG!!:  One of my BEST accessories is my Mastiff, Lily. I cherish the time I spend with my dog. Taking her on our daily walk, we always get lots of attention since she is bigger than me! I've found the fresh air and exercise isn't just healthy for her, but for me as well. The way she steadily watches me from her bed while I get ready to go out is irreplaceable. Even when she's not with me, her fur is, so I've invested in a life-time supply of travel-size lint rollers that I keep in my bag.  For those of you who have pets, you know that the unconditional love and often goofy antics of your furry buddy provide another BEST accessory- a SMILE :)

4. Faux fur: While we're on the topic of fur, another one of my favorite accessories is faux fur vests, linings and jackets. With the resurgence of the 70's disco trend in fashion, there's been a ton of faux fur out there, ranging in price and magnitude.  Forever 21 does a great job if you're looking for something cheap, especially in the vest department.  The faux fur cropped jacket must be accessorized with care as I've found that most are totally overpowering.  H & M and Forever 21 also have a good selection, without breaking the bank.

xoxo, WEWS

Leggo my Ego!

Just last night, I was made aware by a family friend, Allison E (spicerandbank.blogspot.com), that an even newer phenomenon than blogging itself now exists.  It's called Ego Blogging and typically occurs in the fashion, design and art world.  With regards to the fashion side of Ego Blogging, you basically just take a picture of yourself in a great outfit and credit where each piece is from.

On the surface, this phenomenon seems as vain as its title, however with the advent of Pinterest, Etsy and the like, this is actually an efficient way to reach your blog followers and give them free inspiration as to how you dress, what brands you like, how you put pieces together and how you accessorize.

So, with this being a new chapter in my life, I'll be dabbling in Ego Blogging at least once a week, when I'm rockin' a specifically sassy outfit or loving my accessories. 

**The disclaimer is that have a bit of an issue with pushing pictures of me, in my own clothing through these types of channels, but I'm willing to give this a try in the spirit of entrapreneurialism.

Leopard pony hair pumps, Nine West, House of Harlow ring, flannel and wool vest by Jolt.

Sweater by Missoni, bangles from Forever 21, Labordorite earrings from Anthropologie.

Spring for Neon

If you've walked past (or if you're like me, walked through) The Gap or JCrew lately, you will get a shock to the system taking in all the shocking pink, yellow and lime that's showing up for Spring '12.  While I never really embraced neon the first time it came around, in the 80's, I'm super into it now!

Image: http://www.gap.com/browse/outfit.do?cid=77999&oid=OUT13955

I love more subtle ways the brights show up; as stripes in a cotton sweater or as a patent leather belt or neon scarf.  This trend can be very easy to pull off, if you follow a few simple rules:

1. Pick no more than 2 neon or bright colors to wear at the same time:

2. As shown above and below, pick the top OR the bottom section to electricize:

3. Finally, definitely pick up a few bright accessories; a tote bag, a scarf, a ballet flat or a thin belt are all perfect options to add to any neutral outfit, especially white and khaki:

XOXO, wews!!

These Boots Are Made For Sloshin'

As much as we, the native Seattleites, like to play down the amount of rain we get, being a fashionista in Seattle does pose certain challenges in the shoe department.  Not that there's a lack of cute shoes to be bought in Seattle, but there is a real lack of opportunity to wear said cute shoes.  Rocking a pair of 'weather permitting' pony hair pumps just doesn't have the same appeal as just rocking them. 

As a self-proclaimed fashionista, living in Seattle, I have struggled with this stormy issue for years. You are planning on going out Saturday night, you've got the perfect hot little outfit, complete with your new nude leather pumps or peep-toe heels, 20 minutes before you leave your house the rain is hitting your window and the temperature has dropped 10 more degrees.  There's no sense in ruining your new shoes or catching a cold, walking in the rain and cold.  What's a gal to do? I have come up with a couple ways to allude Miss Soggy Pants Mother Nature, who clearly isn't as fashion-conscious as the rest of us.

1) During the darker, winter evenings, I rotate in a small collection of much less expensive, fake leather or suede options.  Pleather heels or booties, paired with skinnies or leggings work well enough to complete the outfit, without people being able to really decipher the brand or actual material the shoes are made of! Target always has plenty of choices in that vein, as does Payless Shoe Source.

2) Another fashion-forward trend is to wear functional yet trendy rain boots- I like to use the term, "galloshes"... I just like the way it sounds... Some of you may be familiar with the brand, Hunter; these are very pricey, but sophisticated, comfortable and come in several colors and are available at Nordys.  I have also found that places like DSW carry a big selection of rain boots especially in the Fall/Winter.  The key is to get a pair that will go with a variety of outfits, black or a black and white pattern are an obvious choice.  If you already have a basic pair, go for a bright color like yellow or red.  Stay away from youthful patterns, like floral or rubber duckies.  As far as advice on what to wear them with goes, I think it depends.  The BEST look is with leggings; wearing a slimming pant makes it ok to have a clunkier boot on the bottom.  Another cute trend is to get a pair of knee-high socks and pull them up, just above the top of the rain boot, as a middle layer between the boot and leggings.  I think, if you know how to style yourself, you can look great wearing the galloshes and a flowy dress and cardigan.  And if you are an advanced fashionista, you can even make rain boots look good with the right work outfit.  Keeping the rest of your look very simple and sharp, adding a colorful rain boot throws a bit of whimsy into an otherwise dreary outfit and day!

Singlehood and Stilettos....just sayin!

I was recently broken up with by a guy who was, aside from many things, not that much taller than me.  True to form, he was a man with certain insecurities, one of which was being overshadowed (literally and figuratively) by his girlfriend.  Therefore, when getting ready for a night out with him, I automatically ruled out any of my high heel options-god forbid, I make him feel insecure...

Now that I am no longer encumbered by a vertically-challenged man child ( I'm not bitter), I have been pleasantly re-united with a much more reliable accessory: my high heel collection!!!

While this post most certainly is NOT just for single women, reeling from their recent break-ups or let-downs, it does provide a silver lining to the big, grey cloud currently above my head and some good fashion advice on how to wear your high heels with more than just dresses.  As I re-focus my attention to the neglected shoe rack of beautiful patent leather pumps, suede peep-toe platforms and turquoise, studded heels, I feel a surge of excitement.  The options are endless; pair the rock n' roll, studded pumps with skinny jeans and a blazer, pull out the magenta suede booties and wear them with high-waisted bell bottoms and a turtleneck sweater or add opaque stockings to the high-heeled Mary Jane's and wear with a flirty skirt or dress.  Below, Cameron Diaz shows how to wear heels with a more casual outfit, accentuating her already long legs:



XOXO, WEWS

Remember that scene from Pretty Woman...

No, no, I'm not talking about the scene at the clothing boutique where Vivian returns to show the rude sales lady what a mistake she made (although that scene does cross my mind sometimes when a salesperson isn't friendly to me). I'm thinking of the one where Julia Roberts is getting ready one night and uses a permanent marker to shine up her black, thigh-high boots?

I was reminded of that little household trick the other day when pairing a cozy aztec sweater jacket and leggings with the perfect pair of caramel brown knee-high boots.  You know, they kind of have a cowboy boot vibe but much more subtle, so you can wear them with pretty much over any skinny pant AND with skirts or dresses?  Well, these went perfectly with my outfit, but were too scuffed to wear out that night. There were scratches on the toes and the outer sides of both boots.  Luckily, I was prepared for such a dilemna.  Once, after I had scuffed a wooden coffee table, I bought a pack of Sharpie permanent markers at the hardware store, that were meant to cover blemishes on all kinds of wooden furniture.  I had 3 shades of brown; two of which looked like they would work for this quick fix.  I used the darkest brown color on the toe of the boot, since the leather was darkest near the sole, and used my finger to immediately blend the ink into the leather and to soften the pen lines.  I could then use the medium brown tone for the side of the boot, also using my finger to blend the ink into the leather.

This is a cheap and quick trick to salvage a pair of well-worn shoes or boots.  Permanent markers come in every color of the rainbow now, so this fix can work for more than just black or brown leather. My only concern is with very soft or very expensive leather.  Some items are worth spending the extra money to save them from the garbage can!

Check out who else loves my perfect brown boots:

Red Hot!

A bright, red lip trend started last Winter at many of the Spring '11 runways.  The summery shades ranged from corally-orange to a brick terra cotta.  A bold, red lip has continued to be a hot trend this Winter, as many of us saw last Sunday night at the Golden Globes. But, as some of us are paler than 6 months ago, a blueish-red works well for the next few months. Here, Kim K wears it perfectly:

I don't latch on to all make up trends, but this one I definitely love. It's actually very easy to incorporate this pop of color in much of your wardrobe.  Black and denim pieces are go-to's when you want to wear red lipstick.  The jewel tones; emerald green, cobalt blue, bright purple also compliment a bold color on your lips.  And the old rule still applies: don't mix pink and red- in an outfit OR with your makeup!

The golden ticket to wearing a red lip well is to not over-do the eye makeup.  For so long, the smoky eye has been everywhere, making an intense statement at the top of the face, balanced by a pale, glossy lip.  Wearing a bold, red lip, you want to do the opposite and soften the eye with brown or bronzey colors. 

Here's a couple luxurious reds that I absolutely love:

For the orangy-red tones, try NARS' Velvet Matte Lip pencil in Red Square or Stiletto by Kat Von D.

For a more wintery, blue red, M.A.C.'s M.A.C. Red is perfect and for the perfect bricky, tomato-y lipstick, get Rouge Artist Intense, #41, by Make Up For Ever- It's my new fave for the Fall and Winter!

I've also found that less expensive, all-day cream lipsticks work well. Maybelline Color Stay in All Day Cherry is a great color, but it can be drying- just use a lip primer or the clear gloss coat over, to help keep your lips moisturized.

Another key is that a lip liner (one that matches the lipstick) is more important with a bright lipstick, than when you just throw on a lip gloss.  Because the red is so bold, lining the lip to help define the mouth and keep the lipstick from bleeding.

Welcome to my blog! I'm totally new to this arena, so bear with me as I navigate it.  My website is currently being updated to reflect my most current services and pricing. Stay posted and I look forward to lots of styling and organizing. xoxo, WEWS