Praise For Christa Taylor

I bought a new wool coat. Not because I was in desperate need of it for these chilly summer months, but because it was on sale, I’d been thinking about it for a long time, and it was in my favorite color. How could I resist buying the Newark Avenue Coat in blue from Christa Taylor?

Christa Taylor is a clothing line started by a Christian girl who was frustrated by mainstream clothing so she began designing her own apparel that was beautiful, modest, feminine, and well made. ALL of her items are well worth looking at if you are tired of the endless searching for clothing that is modest but also pretty and stylish.

Within a few days of ordering my coat it arrived in the mail:

I was duly impressed by the wonderful make and feel of the coat the moment I opened the package. The wool is heavy enough to protect me from California winters, but also versatile enough to wear over any outfit, whether it be jeans and a blouse, or a pretty dress. The classic length and single breast styling is elegant, graceful and durable.

Take some time to shop her clothing line; Christa Taylor will not disappoint your expectations!

Anna

Please Don’t

I may be hitting a few nerves here but I really wanted to address this issue because the great global warming trend is making it pop up all the more.

Layering two skin tight tanks over each other and calling it a top. Or making a spaghetti strap top squeak by the radar by layering a flimsy tank under that. *Sigh* Stop. Slow down. Let’s think about this for a moment before we head out the door, shall we?

I have absolutely nothing against pretty colored, dainty tanks and camisoles. My own closet possesses a whole lot of them and I use them all the time but not like this:

These looks that I have seen so many girls sporting don’t appear so great in person. Most of the time it accentuates any flabbiness they might possess (since we don’t all have the bodies of 12 year olds, like the girl in the top picture), exposes way too much cleavage, is uncomfortable since you have to constantly be tugging your tanks back into place, or run the risk of things popping out, and makes it look like you forgot to put on that last extra layer before you headed out the door. It’s a cheap look.

Seeing girls wear this look is akin to walking up a flight of stairs and landing your foot funny at the top because for some reason you thought there was an extra step. Where’s the extra layer?

I love the look of layering, just do it right! Instead of the above said, do this:

Take this red tank and put it underneath a crisp white shirt for a polished, summery look.

Or try this:

Under this:

Very cute, and a lot more stylish and imaginative than just two tanks together, try it!

Some more shirts suitable for layering:

Almost all of these tanks and tops were taken from American Eagle the coolest place for teens to shop, right? They had plenty of cute tops that work just fine for layering. You have no excuse for not doing it properly.

Anna

Investments For Your Summer Closet

Shopping is a difficult task when there are so many choices and options and new styles for summer just makes it all the harder.

Investing your money in a few different pieces of clothing or trends can really help the rest of your wardrobe fall into place.

These are what I have invested in:

1. A low maintenance haircut. Keep those ends trimmed at the least! For summer time ALWAYS opt for an easy hairdo that won’t take half a dozen hair products, blow dryer and a straightening iron to make it look good. Go with a single layer mid-length bob with side swept bangs. Or get your shoulder length hair lightly layered to frame your face.

Curly girls look good with long, loose layers, but keep the look polished by not letting your hair grow below your bosom.

In the summertime, try to skip blow drying your hair as much as possible and stick to a style that looks good drying by itself.

2.
Dresses and skirts are the ruling silhouettes. Skip the pants when you are trying to figure out what to wear. Reach for a knee-length cotton skirt and pair it with a simple cotton tee or sleeveless top (Old Navy or Target are good places to find different colors and styles of tees and tops).

I already posted about wearing lots of dresses this summer. The versatility, comfort, and ease of just slipping on a dress is hard to beat! Pair it with your favorite summer purse slip on sandals, (not flip-flops) and you’re ready to go!

3.
Instead of JUST wearing t-shirts spend $10-15 more dollars and buy a cotton shirt that will last a lot longer and be cool and comfortable in when the temperatures rise. Or buy a knit shirt. Read Angie’s following post for more information on why you should invest in cotton and knit tops instead of t-shirts.

Breathable, cotton shirts are polished looking when paired with dark denim jeans, or white bermudas and they’ll keep you cool in the hot weather!

4.
Feminine styling, floral patterns, volume, and colors are tres chic this season. However, the rule I mentioned about volume applies to these trends as well. If you wear a brightly colored, patterned feminine styled top keep the bottom neutral and tailored.

If you’re wearing a flowy, printed skirt wear a single color, smooth-fitting top.

Of course, a printed dress always look smashing!

What are your investment pieces for this Summer?

Anna

2 For the Price of One!

After writing my last post I felt inspired to buy a couple of summer dresses and went shopping on Chadwick’s. This is what I bought:

Colorblock Dressfor= $29.00

And a duplicate of a dress that I already purchased since I like it so much, but in a different color this time.

Puff Sleeve Knit Dress for= $22.99

Let’s see… the total with shipping should come to… hmm, $58.99? That’s a pretty fair price for two summer dresses, compared to how much I could spend at Banana Republic, or Ann Taylor, or Anthropologie.

Let’s enter a coupon code: CH14533

Wow! Using that coupon code I got one of the two dresses entirely for free! Instead of having to pay $58.00 I got it down to only $35.00 for 2 dresses, including shipping! Yipee!

Don’t miss out on this fabulous deal, just enter the coupon code at checkout and get a dress for free!

Anna

Dress it Up, Not Down

Summertime is warm and it is natural to wear less than in the wintertime; obviously no one expects you to walk around wearing long sleeves, a sweater and a jacket, that would be insane! But just as insane are the amount of girls who walk around apparently wearing little more than a towel around their bodies.

Too much skin isn’t pretty or sexy, it’s ugly and revolting, not just to fellow girls but to guys as well. Where is the propriety in this? Even if you do have the “body” for pulling it off (and few girls do, especially the majority of girls who seem drawn to wearing these revealing sorts of outfits) why does that make it all right?

I Am Fashion posts about revealing too much skin this summer. You can’t stop staring! She compares seeing such sights to seeing a car wreck on the side of the road, there is a certain fascination that comes with the gruesome.

Don’t assume that just because you are buying the mass produced styles on the store racks that you are being fashionable, or stylish, or classic. Classic isn’t easy!

Use that nest egg that you have saved up for Summer fashion to buy tasteful, pretty, feminine dresses this season:

Crochet Dress from GAP= $47.99

Easy Tieback Dress from J.C. Penney= $29.99

Merona Cap-Sleeve Dress from Target= $24.99

Merona Print-Knit Dress from Target= $24.99

Spend a little time looking around. It is worth it to have some REAL dresses in your wardrobe this summer. Patience pays off.

Anna

*Tip* If your dress is a little too revealing on the bodice put a tank or camisole under it to remedy the problem.

Summer Tips

Sorry for my dearth of posts lately! The burst of Summer heat has kept me very busy watering and gardening and has created a slew of activities that has depleted much of my energy and left my brain a hopeless mush in the evenings.

 

Well, it’s not quite that bad, but tending to my sunburned skin and worn out feet got me thinking of some summer tips, here they are:

 

1. Wear moisturizer with SPF in it! You don’t want your face looking like a piece of rawhide when you are 40. Take a good look at all those tanned girls walking around and then look at their 40 year old counterparts and shudder! Pleeeeze wear sunscreen It’s not just for looks either, sunburns hurt like the nothing else and they CAN make you physically sick now even if you don’t get skin cancer later in life.

 

2. Ease off on the makeup for the sweaty, sticky, humid months ahead. Moisturizer, concealer, bronzer and mascara are all you really need to pull off the casual, summery look. I still like to wear a small amount of sheer eyeshadow. Think light and sheer. Summer is the time to nurture your skin by feeding it well with lots of fruits and vegetables, protecting it from the sun with SPF, and drinking enough water. Having great skin is the key to being able to wear less makeup. 

 

3. Keep your feet sandal worthy by using a pumice stone on those hard heels and moisturizing them after a long day of activity. Either keep your pedicure immaculate or don’t wear one at all. At the moment I’m not wearing any polish at all because I can’t keep my feet out of the dirt when I’m gardening and I don’t have the energy to redo my nails every night. Hot colors for this Summer are fire engine red, cobalt blue or just a clear coat. Really, though, any color that is your preference is great! Just keep it maintained.

 

4. Wear sunglasses when you’re outside! It will block out many of the ultraviolet rays that could lead to you getting an eye disease when you’re older. Plus it helps fend off the crows feet.

 

5. Buy a pair of good quality sandals as opposed to flip flops. I have nothing against flip flops, I think they are very convenient and use them a lot when I have to run outside, but they are the epitome of casual. If you are going for a polished look but still  want to be comfortable then buy a pair of leather sandals; try out a pair of low-heeled wedges or gladiator style sandals. 

I have one pair of Azaleia sandals and the leather is wonderful! Try out this brand if you are looking for comfy sandals.

 

6. Wear lots of casual dresses and skirts! Feminine shapes and silhouettes are in for this Summer which means lots of choices and great prices for those of us who already desire to dress more femininely. Just remember to pair your dress or skirt with a small heel to keep your legs looking longer. 

 

Anna