T-Shirt & Sneakers

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You know those people who can throw on a t-shirt and sneakers and still look chic? Yeah. They’re called models. But don’t worry; you can achieve the look too. It’s simple:

First, get in your time machine. Go to a time in the future where medical technology has advanced to the point that you can choose all the physical attributes of a new baby. Now take that technology, get back in your time machine, and go back to the point in time when you were conceived. (This part may be awkward, but hang in there.) Then just make sure you create a version of yourself that will grow to be 6 feet tall and 120 pounds, with perfectly symmetrical features, great bone structure, and never-frizzy hair. Congratulations – you can now wear anything you want and look amazing!

If your time machine is in the shop right now, there is one slightly less effective alternative. You’re probably not interested, but just in case…

The other option is to look for more “unique” basics, like this scalloped stripe tee and floral sneakers. That way when you casually throw on a t-shirt and sneakers, you’ll still look pretty awesome, even if you’re just doing laundry and going for a walk in the park (which is in fact what I did in this outfit).

similar Tee (on sale) // Shoes (under $15) // Jeans (on sale) // Sunglasses // Bag // similar Bracelet (on sale)

On Not Trying Too Hard

This might come as a surprise considering I put pictures of my outfits on the Internet every day, but it’s not my goal in life to make everyone dress just like I do. I do wish more people would make an effort to have a personal style, but it’s not that important to me what that style is. Nevertheless, I guess some people (including me) look at style blogs for ideas on how to dress, so for those interested, I’ma drop an advice bomb on ya today.

Here’s what I’ve figured out over the years: there’s a fine line between rocking a great style and looking like you’re trying too hard. Go to any wedding reception, and you’ll probably see multiple women wearing the following: a cocktail dress, 3- or 4-inch heels, a statement necklace, bracelet, earrings, a fancy clutch, dramatic eye makeup, bright lipstick, and a hairstyle that took at least 30 minutes. They all look great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a predictable look. In my opinion, when you look like you’re trying really hard to look chic, you look less chic.

But avoiding the trying-too-hard look is easy. And fun. All you have to do is replace one predictable thing with something unexpected. So for example, I put on this nice dress and did my hair to go to a bridal shower over the weekend. At first I put on heels, but then I swapped them out for these studded flats. I like that the flats are a little edgy, which is cool paired with such a girly dress. Bonus: they’re more comfortable, too! Other good options (which I might do next time I wear this dress) would have been to put my hair in a ponytail or throw on a denim jacket. You get the idea. And the same thing works the other way around – you can add a little something fancy to an otherwise casual ensemble just to make things more aesthetically interesting.

OK, that’s my little bit of totally amateur advice for the day. Do with it what you want, and happy styling!

Dress (on sale) // Necklace (on sale) // Bag // similar Shoes // Sunglasses

Planning Ahead

I just got this dress a few days ago. I’d been eyeing it in Target over and over and I decided it would be a great option for Test Day! Both test days, actually (yep, the Bar Exam takes 2 whole days – joy). I really don’t like to wear jeans for long periods of sitting because the waist band can get uncomfortable and make me very conscious of how much I have to pee. I don’t have any medical evidence to prove it, but I think my bladder is the size of a lima bean. Point is: Dresses are way more comfortable and convenient.  More reasons this dress is perfect: (1) It feels like a nightgown but looks stylish, (2) it has stripes – my favorite print, (3) the maxi length will keep my legs from getting goosebumps if it’s drafty in the testing room, and (4) it was only $30. As you can see, I thought this purchase through. Here’s hoping I can use this same logical brain power on July 29 and 30!

Dress // similar Bag // similar Hat (on sale) // Sunglasses // similar Belt* // Shoes (on sale) // Lips “Plushest Punch”

*Belt provided courtesy of H&M.

Complimentary

A fine arts degree is useful for very few things: impressing your friends at museums, answering Jeopardy questions, and knowing all about the color wheel. Unlike the first two, that last one is actually useful on a regular basis. I love wearing complimentary colors because it’s way more fun than  just matching your colors or pairing a bright with a neutral.

In case you’re a total color wheel novice (maybe you majored in one of those practical subjects like philosophy), complimentary colors are sets of one primary [red/yellow/blue] and one secondary [green/violet/orange] color that are across from each other on the color wheel. So they’re sort of like opposites, which means they make each other look brighter.

I loved the pattern of this chevron scarf, so to make the blues really stand out I decided to wear it over an orange sweater. Thanks, college.

Scarf // similar Sweater* (under $20) // Jeans (on sale) // Bag // similar Shoes (on sale) // similar Sunglasses (under $20)

*Sweater purchased with gift card provided courtesy of H&M.

Mint & Navy

You might be thinking, “Sarah, didn’t you just wear that top and necklace together really recently?” You would be correct. And actually I wore this outfit a week ago, so the space between the repeats was even smaller than you think. If you weren’t thinking this looked familiar, then forget everything I just said.

I’m happy to report that there are no freezing temperatures in our extended forecast, so puffer vests and other cold weather essentials might be on the way out! That’s a good thing, because clearly I’m running out of ideas on what to wear.

Shirt // Necklace // similar Vest (on sale) // similar Shoes (on sale) // similar Sunglasses // Ring* // Lips “Corail in Touch”

It’s the Real Life Remix…

*Ring came in my GemmeBox provided courtesy of House of Gemmes.