Just Your Average Saturday

Top: Forever 21 | Pants: J.Crew | Bag: Urban Outfitters | Sandals: American Eagle

I’m not here to talk about what I wore to Coachella although I secretly wish I was. I’m just here to talk about what I wore on a normal Saturday spent in Studio City, CA, going out to eat and running errands. When it comes to every day style, I’m all about comfort, flattery and simple chic looks. I’m really into being able to throw on a light, airy, pseudo crop top and then getting creative with what bottoms to pair it with, whether it be jeans, shorts or these drawstring pants pictured here.

I’ve also noticed I’ve been adding many shades of blue as I build my wardrobe. It seems to have become a staple neutral for me. I added a colorful bag with this outfit because I felt it complimented the shirt quite well. I also like incorporating pops of color into my otherwise neutral outfits. To top it off, a pair of white strappy sandals and I’m ready to face my… rather uneventful day. A good outfit can definitely put an extra pep in your step even if you have nothing to get ready for or no one to impress. Do it for yourself. And be creative with pieces that you feel comfortable in. While I love the idea of other bloggers or fashion icons inspiring you (it’s where I am always getting inspiration from) don’t feel you have to jump on board with every single trend or completely copy anyone else’s style. There are many trends out there that I feel as a fashion blogger, I am supposed to get on board with, but it’s just not me. I like to “stay in vogue” as I say, but am careful not to lose sight of what I truly want to wear, not what I think I’m supposed to wear.

A lot of the pieces in this post are many years old, but it’s working in 2015 when put together correctly. Try taking another look at your closet in a new light before feeling defeated and wishing you could go on a shopping spree. Lastly, remember that confidence is everything!

Casual Spring and Summer Style Lookbook

Sweater: Urban Outfitters | Necklace: J.Crew | Shorts: Urban Outfiters | Wedges: Franco Sarto

Top: Urban Outfitters | Bag: J.Crew | Necklace: J.Crew | Shorts: Urban Outfitters | Shoes: Urban Outfitters

Jeans: The Gap | Shoes: Target | Bag: Fossil | Top: Forever 21

Romper: Kaitlyn | Bag: J.Crew | Cardigan: Urban Outfitters | Necklace: Shoot the Moon LA | Shoes: Target

Romper: Urban Outfitters | Bag: Urban Outfitters | Shoes: Urban Outfitters | Necklace: J.Crew | Hat: Target | Bracelet: Target

Stitch Fix – My First Fix

| Top and Pants: Stitch Fix | Necklace: J.Crew | Shoes: Target | Bag: Fossil | Bracelet: Target |

| Jacket: Forever 21 |

For those of you who:

A. Don’t have time to shop

B. Hate to shop

C. Don’t know what to buy when you shop

D. Like surprises

E. Are lazy

F. All of the above

Look no further!

One of my good friends and the lovely lady who takes all the quality pictures on this blog (as opposed to all the other iPhone pics on here, shameful, I know), Ashley, introduced me to a website called Stitch Fix. Ashley is a Stylist for Stitch Fix which is a part time job that you do from your computer at home. It sounded like my ideal way to make some extra money while doing something I love!  She referred me to become a Stylist and I applied for the job online. I’m still waiting to hear back, so fingers crossed!

So now that you’ve all put out positive vibes for me to get this job, let’s get down to it. What is Stitch Fix you ask? It’s a quite simple yet brilliant concept. Granted, I’ve only done this once, so I’m no expert in the matter. With that in mind, I am just going to go over the basic way it works as well as my first experience.

You fill out a profile on the website about your personal style. You answer questions about the kind of clothes you like to wear, what your lifestyle is like, what you spend most of your time doing, your body type, your typical clothing sizes, colors you like, would you describe your style as girly, edgy, classic, nautical?… etc. You also get a chance to specify things that you do not like. It allows you to give your Pinterest profile as well to help the stylist see the kinds of things you would want in your wardrobe. Best of all, you can specify your personal budget and what the most you would want to spend on each type of clothing item is. Once you fill out your profile you can order your “fix”. You have the option of ordering a one time fix or you can get fixes sent to you monthly.

A fix is a package that gets mailed to you with 5 items chosen for you by a stylist that has been appointed to you based on your profile. You put in your credit card info and pay $20 to have this package put together and sent. Once it arrives, which is usually in a week or so, you get to try everything on and decide what you want to keep and what you want to send back in the included prepaid envelope. You have 3 days to decide. Once you decide what you’re keeping, you go to your Stitch Fix account and check out. You purchase the items you want to keep (minus the $20 you already paid to get it sent) and tell them what is being sent back and why. If you decide to buy all 5 of the items, you get a 25% discount for doing so. Then you can give feedback to your stylist so she can keep up the good work or improve on your next fix!

If you find a stylist that you thought did a good job and you want to use again, you have the option while ordering a fix to request a specific stylist (Ashley Fischer is really good!!). The fixes come with a personalized note from the stylist herself giving you tips on how you can wear the items she sent.

So that’s it! I decided to request my friend Ashley to be my stylist and got my first fix to see for myself. I did have the advantage of having my friend as my stylist. Other than that, I could see from what I got, the website clearly has an inventory of quality and trendy stuff. They have pants, tops, jackets, sweaters, jewelry, and bags.

When my fix arrived, it felt like Christmas morning. That’s the beauty of it. You don’t know what you’re getting, so you get super excited when it arrives, eagerly open the package and see what’s in store. You get to try the items on in the comfort of your own home and take 3 days to make a decision. There’s much more of an anticipation, excitement and leisure to it than actual shopping. I loved everything I got in my fix. My stylist/friend seemed to have had my fashion sense pinned.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep all 5 items just because I couldn’t afford to buy all of them (though the 25% discount does help a little!). The only tough part about this process is having to part with items that you already have in your possession that you want to keep so badly.

I decided to keep two items in my fix that I felt were staple and versatile. I kept a pair of black jeggings which have a quilted leather strip down the side of the pant. They are super comfortable and sleek. I also kept a loose black tank with a sheer black and white polka dotted back. I’m loving the all black look. You can make it edgy or classic, but I like to make it a mix of both.

I suggest you all try out Stitch Fix at least once if for nothing else but to have that feeling of Christmas morning when your fix arrives. If you don’t like anything in your fix then you can tell your stylist how to do better next time or you never have to do it again, but there’s not much risk in trying! I plan to do it again soon myself!

If you want to try it out, click here to use my referral link!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentines Day full of love. Whether you’re sharing love with your significant other, cat, dog, children, parents, BFF…but most of all, I hope you remembered yesterday as well as every day, to love yourself!

New favorite harem pants- Shoot the Moon LA

I absolutely love these harem pants! They are just the right amount of sexy and comfortable. They have zipper detailing on the bottom sides and a simple draw string waist band. The slouchy fit makes for an exceptionally relaxed yet sleek and tailored look for work, a night out, or travel. I think it’s a must-have staple in any fashionistas wardrobe!

You can own these pants for yourself by visiting www.shootthemoonla.com. Enter the discount code HAYLEY10 to get 10% off your purchase! I became a rep for this website because it has so many amazing clothes and jewelry at super affordable prices (which is what my blog is all about!).

This online shop has boutique, unique and high fashion looks for cheap. I have ordered several things from here and I can tell you first hand it’s also quality material! I’m a big fan of the beautiful necklaces which are sure to stir up attention and compliments. I’m about to order this one right now!

I paired these harem pants with a light and flowy Urban Outfitters top. I love tops with a simple front and playful back. This shirt has one of my favorite backs… I must have a thing for zippers. The front is also shorter than the back. With these pants it looks best with a shirt that’s cropped right above the waist line or with a shirt tucked in. The pants are supposed to have a baggy look but would be too much with a long baggy shirt.

I added a gold and black detailed statement necklace, red lips and black lace up bootie heels and headed out downtown. I received many compliments on my outfit and danced the night away in style and comfort. Beauty doesn’t have to be pain ladies!

 

Top: Urban Outfitters

Necklace: Zara

Pants: Shoot the Moon LA

Shoes: Target

Cross body bag: Urban Outfitters

We’re not in Burbank anymore Toto…and it’s time to step up my fashion game

I just moved from Burbank to Studio City and it’s a whole new world. It’s a younger, hipper crowd here and it’s greatly awakening my fashion senses. I go to Trader Joe’s and feel like I’m surrounded by people who stepped out of an Urban Outfitters catalog. It has inspired me to get back into my boho chic vibe.

Another great thing about moving is having an excuse to purge half my wardrobe. This usually is no easy feat for me, I’m a bit of a closet hoarder. I know how trends can come back and then I regret getting rid of those clogs or that romper that made a comeback. But I had things in my closet that I hadn’t worn since early college (man saying that makes me feel old) and it was just time for them to go. The great thing about this though is that it brings out clothes that you completely forgot about. My closet was so overwhelming that some quality items were getting lost in there. I found so many gems, it was like going shopping. I suggest anyone who has an overgrown wardrobe does this before feeling the need to go buy more.

I wore this outfit to a free Wailers (you know, from Bob Marley and the Wailers) concert downtown LA. The drape vest is an example of one of those things I found in my closet that I forgot about. The pants are amazing too. Super affordable (Target!), very in right now and they feel like pajamas! I felt very laid back yet still put together, because let’s be real, I’m no true hippie. I had a great night though and I must say I prefer this outfit to a dress and heels any day.

Pants: Target

Tank: Target

Drape vest: Marshall’s

Shoes: Bakers

Pinterest- the gateway drug

I shall warn you all….Pinterest is a gateway drug  to shopaholism. Yes I already had signs of being a shopaholic very early on in life, but once I was introduced to Pinterest it was all down hill from there. I not only live in a very fashion forward city where I see new trends all the time, but I am addicted to Pinterest, where trends are brought to my attention and then thrown in my face over and over and over again telling me “YOU NEED THIS IN ORDER TO LIVE A HAPPY LIFE”.

Now, I’m all about being a trend SETTER, not always a follower, but in my opinion personal STYLE is more of an expression of yourself than whether or not you follow or set trends. It’s how you wear current trends, how you put outfits together that is the art of it all.

I’m sure many of you can relate with me on being PINspired to go shopping (see what I did there?). The main problem is most of us just don’t have endless amounts of money to go out and buy everything we see on Pinterest.

Here are the things that I consider so as not to go out and buy every single new trend:

1. Is it practical? Something you could wear with many different outfits, a neutral color, not too dressy (for those of us who aren’t getting dressed for cocktail parties on a daily basis), comfortable, something you’d want to wear every day, something that would be flattering on you…

2. Is it something you could foresee as still being fashionable in years to come? A classic staple. Not overly trendy.

3. Can you stop thinking about it? If you see a trend and find yourself noticing every other person who has it and being extremely envious of them and lay awake at night lusting after it, just do yourself a favor… get it! You can have it too ya know! As long as you’re selective with the things you want to splurge on, it’s ok!

4. Can you find something similar to it for cheaper than what’s shown on Pinterest? Don’t just click on the Pinterest link and buy it for hundreds of dollars. Take your time to look around and see if you can find similar trends at cheaper stores. The trend isn’t going anywhere for a while, just relax and wait until you see the best deal. (This has always been the most difficult feat for me. When I want something I want it NOW).

So– following all these rules, there were two trends I went for in the past few weeks.

A. Combat boots

B. Aztec print sweater

I’ve always been a fan of both boots and chunky sweaters in fall/winter time, but I LOVE the aztec print I’m seeing around. Also can’t get enough of combat boots. I just think they can look cute with so many different things, even with dresses or skirts and tights.

In the first picture shown, I am wearing an open front aztec print sweater from Urban Outfitters (can be purchased here). I will admit they have these everywhere and very similar styles at places like Forever 21 where you can get them even cheaper than I did (similar look).

I DID do a good job though on bargain shopping for these combat boots shown in the second two pictures. A place called Lexy Couture in the Burbank Town Center mall is just full of crazy cheap trendy shoes. Not only do these look like they could be expensive leather boots, but they’re super comfortable as well. It was buy one get one half off, so I also got a pair of black combat boots as well. Two pairs of combat boots for 50 bucks! Gotta give myself a pat on the back for that one. (Shown with oversized navy knit sweater from Gap, Jeans from Urban Outfitters, Necklace from J.Crew)

What are the trends you can’t get enough of this fall season?