Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Lessons Learned

I think everyone has style highs and lows.  There are some looks I've created that I love and some I'd rather not look back on...  Today, I'm reflecting on the looks I love and what I learned from creating them.  

I also go through all the looks I didn't care for as much and figure out why that was.  Fortunately, my less than stellar looks are not broadcast to the entire world. Although after being a news anchor and reporter, people definitely let you know what they liked and did not like.  I'll always remember how one viewer sent a scathing e-mail describing my white J. Crew belt as looking like a weird tape measure.  If anything, it made me smile!

Lauren Conrad's Chic of the Week

I have learned several lessons from this honor.  First, I'd love to tell you I just submitted a photo once and voila, instantly became Lauren Conrad's Chic of the Week.  I've been submitting photos of my personal style since I started this blog 3 months ago because I absolutely love Lauren Conrad's site and because doing this forced me to challenge my style.   Here's how:



Trust your style instincts.  I love all things feminine and elegant.  This picture is probably the best representation of my style (aside from maybe my wedding dress and details, which I will share with you in April).  Don't ever be afraid to show who you are through your personal style.

If you absolutely love something, be creative and find a way to wear it.  One of the reasons I wanted to restyle this dress is because I wanted a different look from my engagement night look.  The other reason?  I had to.  The dress no longer properly fits as it once did.   My body post-pregnancy is just not the same...  So, challenging myself to do the "One Sweet Find:  5 Ways to Wear It" segment and just guessing the jacket and dress might complement each other turned out better than I ever expected!  (I never expected to have a place on Lauren Conrad's home page for a week!)  

Shop your closet.  I've had this BCBG dress in my closet for nearly 6 years now.  I had to search deep in my closet to find it!  I saved it because I have such a strong emotional tie to it and knew I just had to reuse it rather than letting it just take up space.

You don't have to spend a fortune to be chic!   I didn't spend a lot on this look at all.  I found this blush pink jacket at Target on the clearance rack for around $12!  Pretty crazy!   I had the belt from Banana Republic already and I'd bought the clutch at Target maybe a month before.  I've had the earrings for years and they are my favorites.

Here's a sampling of my other favorite looks and the "Lessons Learned"

Mix Patterns!  Before this, I would have been nervous about mixing polka dots on this skirt and zebra print. This turned out to be one of my favorite looks of all.



Don't Be Afraid of Bright Colors  I wore this neon pink J. Crew Factory shirt once before this and then hid it in my closet.  I just thought it was far too bright.   Paired with this muted brown/ivory sweater, the pink still has power but it's not quite as 'in your face' as it is by itself and I like that!



Suits:  Mix Them Up! (Don't Always Wear As-Is!)  I can't tell you how sick I am of many of my suits.  Too often, I wore them the traditional way - suit bottom and suit jacket with a solid color shirt.  It got really old!  Now, I am giving many of those suits to others who can use them more than I can.  It feels great!  I'm only keeping the suits or suit jackets that have a long life in my closet with many looks (jeans, with other skirts, etc.)  I used to wear this J. Crew Factory pinstripe skirt with the jacket every single time. I even have another one in a pant suit.  Time to mix that one up too!


Try the Unexpected (Even if You're Not Sure)  I loved this turquoise Mialisia necklace so much as it was, I wasn't sure about adding another strand of colorful beads to it.  However, I trusted my friend Autumn's style and I love the end result!   



Accessories Can Change Everything and Add that Extra "Something" to a Look








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