Keys to making these strong pieces work:

• Keep the rest of your look classy and understated
• Minimal jewelry will keep the focus on the lace
• Pants, dress, or skirt all work with the lace jacket
• Either colored or black heels and a little clutch complete the outfit

Donnie Darko Dress from Modcloth

Odette Lace Crop Jacket from Lulu's

• Thrift or check your parents’ closets
• Pair with leggings, shorts, skinny jeans, or skirts
• Avoid the Scottish look (no long plaid skirts in Tartan print)
• Avoid the school-girl look (no pleated skirts or knee-socks)
• Avoid the angsty grunge look (wash your hair)
• Try belting or altering oversized plaid tops
• Plaid tanks and dresses are cute, too!

Recycle, Reuse, Reinvent!

Before heading off to the store to buy the latest plaid craze, check your parent’s or older sibling’s closet. There may be shirts that survived the 90’s plaid grunge phase just waiting for you.

Secondly, thrift! Browse both the women’s and men’s sections of thrift stores and Goodwill for plaid patterns you like. If plaid top you like is too large, you can either work the “oversized” look (try belting or pair with skinny jeans/leggings), or, if you’re handy with a sewing machine, alter the top to suit your frame.

If none of these avenues of thrifting the plaid look work for you, then almost every store has plenty of plaid in stock just waiting for you. For a deal, check Marshall’s or department stores like JC Penny. For overpriced but unique prints and colors, check Urban Outfitters.

What to wear:

Ways to wear bright shorts and pants this summer:

• Spice up a plain-white tee
• Go tonal with shirt and accessories in varying
  shades of the same color
• Balance tight or short shorts with a billowy top
• Channel a retro feel with a peasant blouse
• Top bright shorts with cardigans, blazers, or
  athletic jackets depending on your mood: all
  look great!
• Just try not to look too grade-school with candy
  colored shorts by avoiding pigtails and daisy-print shirts

You can make bright shorts your summer statement piece. Colors vary from pastel to bright to neon.

Off-beat variants of red like coral and peach flatter many different skin complexions; these colors also transition well into summer and fall wardrobes. Wear coral if you want to feel bold and fun; peach is more subtle yet emanates romance. What color cardigan, shoes, a nd accessories you pair with coral and peach pieces depends on what look you want to evoke:

Pair peach and coral with:

• Brown and taupe for an earthy, Bohemian feel
• Navy blue for a nautical look
• Black for a classy, refined outfit
• Other related reds and purples for artistic unity
• White for a crisp summer look
• Grey and ivory for a soft and romantic feel

This week I bought the peach Sparkle & Fade Ruffle Tank from Urban Outfitters, and I’m in love with its soft color and feminine ruffles. As for coral tops and dresses, Forever 21 also a plethora of unique, reasonably-priced items in their casual spring collection.

]]> http://speakchic.com/2009/03/think-peach-and-crave-coral/feed/ 0 http://speakchic.com/2009/03/runway-inspired-handbags-at-shop-distinction/ http://speakchic.com/2009/03/runway-inspired-handbags-at-shop-distinction/#comments Sat, 21 Mar 2009 21:57:31 +0000 Lauren Connell http://speakchic.com/?p=290 Recently I was introduced to Shop Distinction, an online boutique that gives back to a worthy cause. Shop Distinction carries a wide array of handbags, jewelry, and accessories; the runway-inspired handbags are all high-quality and high-fashion yet affordably priced under $100. They also carry a wide range of jewelry from Disney Couture to Adina Reyter.

Best of all? Proceeds from every sale go back to organizations looking for cures for breast cancer and lung disease!

Seeing as I’m a handbag fiend, I wanted to share some of my favorite handbags for spring and summer:

The Melie Bianco Laura Handbag in Lilac

I absolutely covet this bag. The lilac color is classy and versatile, a happy alternative to neutral gray. As an animal lover, I also appreciate that Melie Bianco’s bags are made from beautiful faux distressed leather. The Laura Handbag easily compliments a casual, work, or dinner outfit. Recommended outfits: jeans and heels, a “date dress;” This bag looks great with fun, trendy tops, such as those with lace and/or beading.

Melie Bianco Ethnic Hobo in Mint

This bag is another very stylish option for this season. I love the color and print combination, adding personality and spice to any outfit. Recommended outfits: a solid colored dress; it doesn’t necessarily need to match a color in the dress; red, yellow, purple, blue, or green; I think it would look good with all colors actually. This bag can also dress up any jeans and tank outfit.

Melie Bianco Crocodile Envelope Bag

Shop Distinction has so many stylish bags that it’s had to choose just three favorites, but my third favorite has got to be the Crocodile Envelope Bag. I love the rich taupe color, structured shape, and classic style. Recommended outfits: This bag is more formal than the other two, but I can easily see it adding class to a rocker-glam look. This bag also glamorizes any work outfit.

Make sure to check out the Shop Distinction boutique to fall in love with your own runway-inspired favorites.

Unlike some trends, you don’t have to limit how many items of your ensemble have jewels. Shoes, bag, and top can all have some beading or stones and not look over-the-top; rather, the stones can all compliment and play off of one another.

You can also add a jeweled neckline to many of your plain tops by layering a chunky beaded necklace over the neckline. (Sorry, I do not advocate the use of rhinestone machines to make all of your clothes sparkle).

The featured shoes are made by Madden Girl. These were found at Ross, but similar pairs can also be found at Alloy. 

The shoe’s pewter color is just as versatile as black but is lighter, metallic alternative for spring. When looking for spring sandals and flat, I encourage you to pay attention to the heel and arch support; most flats have absolutely no support for your feet, and you hopefully don’t want cheap shoes to cause you expensive foot problems in the future.

Here are UGA I was surprised by the amount of rain we received last semester. I realized that my raingear was inadequate when I ended up soaked through my “rain jacket” which is turns out actually absorbed, not repelled, water. Here are the lessons I’ve learned on how to look cute on questionable days:

Rainboots

Childish rainboots are not a necessity.

Today I witnessed many fashion atrocities, the most prevalent being girls wearing running shorts and bright rainboots with tee-shirts. It’s great that they thought to keep their feet wet, but their arms and legs were chilled and soaked. Plus, these girls looked ridiculous. Fun-patterned rainboots can emphasize your individual style, just make sure to pair boots with a put-together outfit to reflect developed rather than immature style.

Skinny jeans work great with rainboots (and boots in general), rather than resorting to a strange combination that looks like you may be trying to run away from the rain.

Rubber rain boots are not necessary!

I found a great pair of boots from Target constructed from man-made materials (not leather, which absorbs water). These boots repel water and look great. Also, if the sun comes out or it doesn’t rain like the weather report insisted, I look stylish in these versatile boots.

Umbrellas

Umbrellas are a wonderful accessory. It is useful to own a black umbrella for chance somber or formal occasions, such as funerals or gothic opera performances, but my recommendation is to also own an umbrella which expresses a fun or seldom-seen side of your personality. Brightly-colored or patterned umbrellas lighten up and add fun to gray-skied days. My dear umbrella is lavender.

Jackets

I prefer umbrellas to jackets simply because most rain-jackets lack style and are not necessary to wear indoors. It is good to own a raincoat in you enjoy outdoorsy activities like hiking, camping, etc., because walking through a forest with an umbrella is quite impractical (the material could get caught on and snag on trees). Make sure to test or check whether the jacket absorbs or repels water-; a coat from the Gap I had assumed to repel water actually absorbed it and got me just as wet as if I hadn’t worn a jacket at all!

These raingear tips are especially pertinent to high school and college students who have to walk across widely-spread campuses. With a little research and smart shopping, your rainy-day outfits may be even more stunning than your sunny ones. 

Here are what I consider “high-risk” fringe items:

• pants (just don’t)
• skirts (avoid looking too flapper-esque)
• dresses (again, 1920s overload can occur)
• high-heel boots (very western)

Low-risk fringe:

• tank tops
• purses
• sandals and flats
• vests
• necklaces and earrings

Forever21, Charlotte Russe, Urban Outfitters, and vintage stores are great places to find fringe items. My favorite is this deep brown leather purse with fringe that I found at a local thrift store for only $5 (only 5!). Think before tossing away last season’s trends, because they may emerge again and feel fresh in a few short years. Fringe items look great with jeans, brightly-colored accessories and accents (be inspired by the colors of Mexico, South America, and Africa), and are a great way to spice up basic outfits (tees, tanks, shorts, jeans, and skirts).

All of the above products are specially chosen to be both chic and affordable.

I first caught sight of Aerosoles Gram Central in black at a local Ross while trying to replace my worn-out flats. These shoes offer more supportive cushioning than your average flat, making their supoprt level fall midway between a tennis shoe and a flat. The Gram Central comes in five colors: gold combo, lt grey suede, black combo, beige combo, and brown combo. Additional colors, like silver, can also be found on Shoebuy.

“Mesh panels mix leather and suede for a dynamic combination. Velcro strap makes for easy on-off. Our extra cushioned footbed and flexible rubber sole.”

These shoes look great with all types of jeans: skinny, straight leg, boot cut, and flare. They also work well with business casual wear when heels are not the desired footwear option. From my experience with Gram Central, the shoes work great even after long hours on foot, standing or walking. Overall, these shoes are a fantastic and versatile footwear essential for any wardrobe. 

Originally sold for $59.00,  they are currently on sale at the time of writing for $49.99. Some Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshall’s locations also carry the shoes for a lower price, but quantities are limited.