Style Tips for Statement Pieces Part 1 - Jewelry

There is a very simple step to great style everyday and that step is called the statement piece. You can wear a (properly fitted) t-shirt and jeans and throw in a statement piece to your outfit and your style factor can go through the roof. Statement pieces do not have to be strictly jewelry, they can come in all shapes and sizes. Today's post is all about jewelry though, we'll get to the other statement pieces in the following installments.

1). Classic All Black and a Statement Necklace.

I absolutely ADORE this outfit. It is so simple yet so amazing. Black skinnies, a black t-shirt (with awesome leather sleeves), black kitten heels, and a neutral bag. This outfit is still nice without the statement piece but do you see how different it would be without it? Without that incredible necklace it is just a really great all black outfit. The necklace brings an element of style that would be missing otherwise. If you are super uncomfortable with that amount of bling then you can go a little simpler. Statement pieces don't always have to be really large like that. The key to a great statement piece is that it stands out. The point is that the piece of jewelry draws the eye. It could be simpler but really geometric. (Photo Cred: www.gurl.com)

2). The Perfectly Styled Chambray Shirt.

There is nothing easier to look amazing in than a chambray shirt. If you don't have one, get one. I think it's a primary staple for you wardrobe. This does not mean go out and by a typical denim button down. Look for a tailored fit and thin fabric. You can do light or dark, totally up to you. Note that the necklace is underneath the collar. Some people can pull off the fully buttoned shirt with a bib style necklace over the shirt but you have to have a pretty darn long and thin neck to make that work. If you're not sure than I would stick with under like this photo. You could also choose a longer statement necklace and that would definitely go over the shirt. The key to statement pieces is to pick what you like. If you think it's fun or really pretty, it's probably going to be awesome.
(Photo Cred: www.gurl.com)

3). T-Shirt And Jeans

Do you see how simple this is? T-shirt, jeans, and great jewelry. This piece is more simple but the color of the metal, the bright purple, and the geometric shapes make it stand out. When you have a canvas as simple as a gray t-shirt like this you can do anything. Any color, any size, any shape, and any length! Also, don't you love her hair and glasses?
(Photo Cred: www.buyerselect.com)

Here are a few final tips:

1). Watch your necklines. Notice how the necklace and the t-shirt in the hit at almost the same place. When you have a higher neckline it's best to find a necklace that lands right at the same line or significantly below it. You don't want your shirt to bunch up under your necklace.

2). Try not to over think it! Statement jewelry is meant to be fun and express your personality.

3). You don't need to spend a lot of money on statement pieces. You can get some really great pieces at Target and Walmart (yep! Walmart).

I hope you get creative and dress up your simple every day outfits. Enjoy this fun aspect of style and fashion!

Monochromatic Outfits Aren't Just for Grandma Anymore

One of the best ways to create a streamlined, sleek, and slimming outfit is to wear all one color. It's a vital tool in your style arsenal but it can also go terribly wrong. There are several different ways you can utilize monochromatic outfits. That's what today's post is all about! I will walk you through two  different ways to create flawless monochromatic outfits that take 10 lbs off of your body and make you look effortlessly stylish and chic.

1). Different Shades of One Color

One really great way to do a monochromatic look is to pick out pieces that are technically the same color but are varied by shade.  The outfit I put together is all in the olive green family but each piece is a slightly different shade. I added a little bit of pattern in with the shoes too just for fun. The color family is still the same though!

This version of Monochromatic is probably the least slimming because of the different gradients of color but it is still chic and flattering (if your clothes fit properly!). Fit is still absolutely key! No color can help you if your clothes don't fit properly. Also, these pants are just an example of a pants that are lighter shade than the top. You don't necessarily have to go with lighter on bottom, I just like it. Also, if your thighs are an area that you don't want accentuated then I would recommend avoiding pants with pockets like this on the side of your thighs. Who else is drooling over that bag?

2). The Ever Classic All Black

You cannot get any classier than all black. It's just not possible. When I see classic cuts in all black I can't help but think of Audrey Hepburn. Especially with these pants. Black itself is incredibly slimming, but the stream lining also helps with that. Behold:



You could do 100% black if you want to, including the accessories, but I really like gold accessories with black so that's what I did. Also, this outfit is not just for work (although it would be fabulous for work as well!), you could wear this anywhere you want especially if you switch the heels out for black flats or even a black flat sandal or wedge to make it more comfy. Don't you love that jacket? I chose the leather cropped jacket because it made it less professional looking while still being clean enough to wear to work if you wanted to. I chose the leopard print belt because, well, I love leopard. That's really the main reason. You could do black or gold or no belt if you prefer. The blouse is a touch flowy so you could tuck the whole thing in or just the front. If you paired this outfit with black jeans instead of trousers you could also leave it untucked. I picked simple jewelry because the jacket and the shirt have so much detail to them. With a blouse like this I would stay away from a chunky necklace that lays right where the knot does because it won't lay well. Also, if you are larger chested it would be a good idea to wear a longer slimmer necklace to help elongate that area.

The purse is Kate Spade. Oh sweet sweet lovely Kate Spade. It is my goal in life to one day own a Kate Spade bag. I know, life changing goal right? You could pair this outfit with any black bag that you have or like. Even a clutch would look adorable with this outfit depending on your purse needs for that day. Lastly, how AMAZING are those sunglasses?? I'm in love. Now, not every face can pull off glasses that large without looking like a bug. If you have a smaller face than just choose a smaller size frame. Something like Ray Bans or even gold aviators.

What I want you to take away from this post (and any of my posts) is that there are a lot less rules in fashion then people think. The key is to figure out what you like and what looks good on your body. I know that figuring that out is difficult for some people, so please don't hesitate to contact me for help!

So, what color have you always wanted to wear head to toe but haven't?

Athletic Wear at It's Best

If you are anything like me you probably spend more time in yoga pants than you would like to admit. Part of that is due to actual time spent exercising, but a lot of it is just because getting dressed in the morning is exhausting with a toddler. Therefore, I've decided to put together a few outfits that will take you from the gym or just a comfy lounge-wear day, straight to the store or a casual lunch with friends. Athletic wear can completely be fashionable.

 For some of you this may feel like a lot of black, but that's what makes it so easy to transfer from the gym to running errands. Most of this outfit is actually from Target. Their Champion C9 brand is actually really great and cute. If you carry your weight in your bottom half don't be afraid of pants like these. The pattern isn't what makes your butt look big, the fit does. If you buy athletic pants that are too small the fabric will stretch and give that shiny see-through look that not only makes your rear-end look bigger, but it also makes your pants look cheap. You want athletic clothing to fit to point of not falling off but not overly tight. The pattern on these pants will actually work to camouflage (yep, I went there) extra padding on your booty. Solid fabrics in lighter colors are actually the styles you want to stay away from. The mixture of light and dark colors here works great. The tank with the built in sports bra and the cowl neck just adds a little bit of flare to what could otherwise just be a plain old sports bra and tank. It's also super flattering. You can't go wrong with a black pullover and a black hat, however you could always add a pop of color with a brighter colored hat though or bright shoes instead of the black ones from Champion. Neon shoes would be super cute with this outfit.

The next look will take you straight from yoga or a relaxing day at home to a casual lunch with your friends or a day shopping.

I love everything about this outfit. The LuluLemon sports bra gives a pop of color and style while the rest of the outfit is stylish and simple. These pants are great to either slip on after a workout or lounge about the house in. They are more of a fashion statement than just plain black yoga pants or sweats. You can pretty much never go wrong with a basic white tank. Just make sure it's not too thin because that will make it too see through. You could pair this outfit with classic black sneakers like this or with cute sandals or even sneakers like Converse, Keds, or Vans. If you wanted you could also put a simple light denim jacket with this too if you needed another layer.

So there you have it! Two ways to wear athletic wear and still look put together and fantastic. Who else wishes they had both of these outfits in their wardrobe right now?

New Post Coming!

Hi Friends,

There is new post coming tomorrow (hopefully) about flattering and stylish ways to wear active wear. I wrote the whole thing tonight and sadly, it didn't save. So, tomorrow I will rewrite it and hopefully it will not disappear on me again!

Thanks,

Ellie

Style Overhaul

I'm not sure if anyone has hung around while I took a much longer hiatus than I had originally planned, but if you did, hi! Most of the reason for my longer-than-planned hiatus was due to the fact that adjusting to life with a child, 2 jobs, a house to take care of, and a husband to hang out with was a little bit more all consuming than I had thought. The other reason is that with pregnancy came way more weight gain than I ever thought would happen. I honestly didn't know what to say about clothes any more because I felt like all of my ability to dress myself well went out the window with my post baby body. I had no idea what to do with myself. Eighteen months and 35 (almost 40) lbs later I feel like I'm getting my groove back style wise and I've been missing this blog more than I ever thought I would.

Dressing a body that doesn't feel like yours is very difficult. The weight isn't really the issue at all. If you don't feel like you at the size you are than finding your style is incredibly difficult. The stuff you used to love doesn't quite look right anymore, and buying clothes when you are working on losing baby weight (or any weight) is not something you generally feel like doing. However, through it all I've learned some lessons about great style.

The main thing I learned is that your size has nothing to do with great style. If you feel great, you will dress yourself well, and if you dress yourself well you will feel great. It doesn't matter what size you are, it matters how you feel in your clothes. The confidence you get from feeling unstoppable because of a great outfit is priceless (even though the great outfit probably wasn't).

The other thing I learned is that I need to purge my wardrobe. The first step is to just get rid of everything I don't feel great in, anything that doesn't fit, anything with holes or tears (even the most comfy shirt or sweats you've ever owned), anything I have too many duplicates of, and anything I haven't worn in the past 30 days (this specific rule doesn't apply to dresses that are meant for more special occasions... however I would keep those to a minimum. Only 1 or 2 special occasion dresses, just go for the classics!). This step has taken awhile and I am still working through it. I have already filled about 5 or 6 trash bags with clothes to donate and I'm pretty sure I am not done.

This purging of my closet will be leading to my own version of a project that my sister started a few years ago called 20 Pieces. My sister and her friend Julie pared their closets down to 20 pieces of clothing... Total. Yikes! My version will be 50 pieces of clothing... 50 felt more doable for me. Over the next 6 months I will continue to purge my closet and work on collecting classic pieces that are higher quality and are more versatile. When I get my closet worked out I will live for a year only shopping to replace if necessary. That part is going to be incredibly hard for me. I LOVE shopping.

Anyone feel like joining me on this journey to simplify your style and your life? During this I will talk about ideas to change up outfits that could otherwise get mundane with accessories and different styling options. Did I mention that i'm not counting my accessories in the 50? There is no way I could do that. I need my accessories... I need them. However, they do count in the no new purchases unless they need to be replaced rule.

Hope you guys join me again over here at Southern Creative! Once again, I apologize for the extra long disappearance... I will try very hard not to do that to you again. I promise.