Beach Wear

Retro Push-up Triangle Top Victoria's Secret

If anyone understands how hard it can be to find the right bathing suit, it's me. I have always had a problem because of the size of my chest. I have been a DD since high school, and that has posed some problems... namely, finding a bathing suit that holds me in while simultaneously looking cute and sexy (not pornographic).


I have always loved a good deal so I buy a lot of bikini wear during the off season. My favorite place to shop for swimwear is at Victoria's Secret online. During the winter months they have pieces starting at $3.99! This last winter I bought the bathing suit in the picture, in a different pattern. It's great because it's underwire, and made for sizes D and above. It's really cute and flattering, without showing too much cleavage. I actually swam in the ocean in that thing and my top did not come off at any point -- success!


One thing you can do to stay on top of your size is get your bra size checked. Victoria's Secret does that free of charge and can do it every time you go in. They recommend getting your size checked every six months. Knowing your bra size can help you find the right size bikini top as well.


Bikini Bottoms...
Bikini bottoms can be tough. You want them to be loose enough so that you don't have a muffin top (big no no), but tight enough that you don't have a saggy butt when they're wet. I really like the bottoms the top photo. They are the fold over bikini bottoms. The reason they are great is that since they do fold over, there is more give at the top and it doesn't give you the dreaded muffin top. It's much more forgiving than a typical bikini bottom and is sexy and flattering.

5-Way Push-up Bandeau Top by Victoria's Secret

Now, not to leave out those who are not overly endowed in the chesticle region, here is what I think would be a great option for the members of the IBTC (itty bitty titty committee) :-)


This is the 5-Way Push-up Bandeau Top by Victoria's Secret. It's a Bio-Fit, which are amazing. Bandeau tops are really popular right now and I think will continue to garner popularity as we move into summer. I also like this pattern because it's interesting and has a cool, retro look to it.


I have tried a push-up, bio-fit bra and they really do a lot of pushing up. I'd love to get feedback from anyone who has tried this style in a bathing suit though.


Now you have your bathing suit, but what are you going to wear over it? Well, I LOVE this yellow beach cover up dress from Victoria's Secret so much I wish I could wear it as a regular dress (but it's see through). It's all over crochet, and made of nylon/spandex material.

yellow beach cover up dress from Victoria's Secret

I also love this cover up I found at Target. It's a little cover up tunic with a cool pattern that will look great to throw over a bathing suit. It's a perfect choice to wear to a beach day where you're going to be hanging with the girls because you can easily wear it in a restaurant before heading out to the sand with that retro pattern.

    

Tunic Swim Cover Up @ Target

Fashion Friend -- Rachel Bilson

Rachel Bilson Style

Rachel Bilson has got to be one of my favorite fashion idols in young Hollywood. Her fashion choices are innovative, sometimes vintage looking, but often with a innocent child-like quality. Even in jean shorts and a sweater, she'll pull it together with an amazing belt and a pair of stylish heels or wedges.

Also, the girl has got some great hair! She is one of the original starlets to don the "Ombre" look (dark long roots, blonde toward the bottom). 

She started as a 

The photo below is of Rachel in a white Chloe dress with nude Brian Atwood spiked, studded heels. She wore this to the 2011 Teen Choice Awards, and it was a perfect choice! The white looks great against her olive skin tone, and the dress has a lot of interesting detail. Again, it's got that vintage, baby doll quality which is true to her style. Her hair and makeup is also right on, as usual. 

Who is your Friend in Fashion? Whose style resonates with you? Whose closet would you LOVE to rummage through?? Comments are welcome!

Personal Style

I must admit, I do love pops of bright colors in a wardrobe. Below are two different outfits that are pretty categorically my style. The first, a jersey white cotton, A-line T-shirt with a chiffon trim, and a brightly colored pair of bootcut cords. I love this outfit because the top is not too casual or dressy, but has elements of both, and the cords fit great and look amazing paired with a white T. The color really pops in pictures too. I actually wore this outfit for my engagement photo shoot earlier this month! :)

The second outfit is a little more business professional, especially if paired with the right accessories. The trouser is super cute, but still professional. The top is the same as the one in the first outfit, just in blue. So again, with the right accessories, this look could go from work to happy hour like that!

What kind of accessories would you choose for these outfits? I wore a pair of chunky blue earrings, no necklace and 5 inch wedges with the white and blue outfit.

JCrew Vintage Bootcut Cords

StyleMint Willow T

 

Hutton Trouser in Raw Silk

 

Fashion Friend Reese Witherspoon

Mark Abrahams Courtesy of Instyle

Who doesn't love America's Sweetheart, Reese Witherspoon? Ever since she blew us away as little Dani in the 19991 movie Man in the Moon, I have been a Reese fan. An incredible talent, she is also down to earth and her personality and fashion is a reflection of that. But the girl can dress it up when she hits the red carpet.

One of my favorite looks was the  Nina Ricci canary yellow dress and ruby Brian Atwood (lots of cute BA shoes here) heels she sparkled in at the Golden Globes in 2007. The color was perfect with her lightly bronzed skin, and soft and natural blonde locks. It was glamorous without being overdone.


Another Golden Globe smash was this year when she dazzled in the red Zac Posen gown. She kept her hair looking natural and beachy, but everything below her hairline was all glitz and glam. She was showing off her curves in the fish tail shape of the dress and the sweetheart neckline.

Something I love about Reese's look is how casual is still super cute. She always looks put together, but not overdone or like she's trying too hard. She's been a role model for young Hollywood starlets with her savvy business choices, and her down to earth nature. That's why she's America's Sweetheart.

I love this cool and put together look.

Not a huge fan of the belt over the sweater, but it really accentuates her tiny waist and pulls the look together.

Amazing.

Bombshell!

The Beloved Perfect Tank

The beloved perfect fit tank...








This J.Crew tank top fits great, and looks great too. Usually, I'm not so in to spaghetti strap tank tops because I am rather large chested -- it tends to look a little scandalous. So I got this tank top to wear under a cardigan and I ended up feeling fine without the safety of my little cotton shoulder shield. I think it's because it's not a skin tight tank, though it does hug the body. I bought both of the colors that are shown here. The tank tops are long enough to be a layering piece, but can be worn alone as well. There are a TON of colors to choose from, so you can go a little crazy :)

Go getcha one, they're on sale right now for $12.99 or $14.50 (depending on the color you get)


Another great fitting tank that is comparable to the J.Crew tank top is available at Target. 



This tank top I also have in several different colors and is a little less expensive at $9.00, and they usually have a pretty good stock and assortment of colors in the store and online. The only criticism I have about this tank top is that it's not consistent from color to color. I have a black one that is pretty thick, not too tight, and I feel comfortable wearing it alone or under a sweater. A white tank top in the exact same size is super skin tight and shorter, and even a little thinner. I still wear both of them regularly, it's just weird that they can be that different, but be the exact same tank in the exact same size... weird.

Everyone has their own favorite staples. Where do you get your favorite tank top from?

Skull T-shirt

If you want to spice up your wardrobe a little bit, I recommend adding something a little over-the-top, like a neon yellow skirt with black tights and a black sweater. Something spicy with a few classic staples is the confetti in a usually plain white cake. It adds something special!

I just got this sleeveless skull t-shirt by Style by Marina (stylebymarina.com) and I absolutely love it.

Tonight it's getting paired with a standard boot cut jean from J.Crew, a pair of black wedge heels, and a classic black cardigan from the Gap. The shirt is definitely a little over the top for my everyday look, but with some classic staples to balance it out, you come off looking fashionable, but accessible.

What's your favorite way to play up the classic jeans and cardigan?

STRIPES!

One of my fashion staples is STRIPES! If you look in my closet there is a lot striped sweaters, shirts, blouses, dresses etc... and I love it!

Stripes are definitely very trendy right now, and the nautical look is still going strong. This outfit is a an example of something I would LOVE to have in my closet. The top is actually a jersey material long sleeve short dress, and a structured, tweed blazer to complement the look. Kristen Wiig really wore this style well during the movie Bridesmaids. She can be seen wearing cute little girly dresses or skirts and a structured blazer. It's very professional/grown up and still feminine. Statement jewelry can be a good addition, and while I think what she's wearing is cute, I don't think all of what she has on is necessary.

Pair this outfit with a stylish boot and you're set!

Boots!

Topic today? Boots! Every girl needs a pair of boots in their closet to pair with some skinny jeans, a cute girly dress, or skirt. The right boot can and should be really versatile. They can be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion.

I am a lover of shoes. I wear Vans a lot because I work in an environment that has a lot of hills and rougher terrain, but also because I love my Vans. But when I go out in evening or meet a girlfriend for lunch, I love throwing on a cute pair of boots and some skinny jeans!

This is an example of a boot I might wear. I like the style because it's a little bikerish, very cool, and versatile. This particular boot is made by Jimmy Choo and is at Nordstrom for $1095.

Jimmy Choo @ Nordstrom $1,095

This is a boot I actually have and wear quite often. I  actually bought them and within a week my dog chewed up the buckles and the sole, so I bought a replacement pair because I loved them so much! They are made by Crown Vintage and they are about $70... much more affordable.

Crown Vintage - Roosevelt Boot @ DSW $70

What kind of boots do you like to wear with your skinny jeans?

Pullover! Oh thanks, but it's a Cardigan!

In my mission to always dress with the 3 C's in mind (Cute, Casual, Comfortable), I have accumulated an arsenal of cardigan sweaters. 

I am all about the cute and comfortable girl-next-door look most of the time. For me, this means I have a lot of jeans, and a lot of cardigans. I like to mix it up with colors and textures when it comes to my sweaters so it's not a totally monotonous look. One of my favorite places to shop for this easy, breezy, casual-cool look is J.Crew. Since I am an avid shopper, I tend to be constantly on the lookout for discount codes, coupons, special deals etc. J.Crew is a splurge for me sometimes, but I usually try to make it still be affordable by shopping during their special discount days. But if it's something I absolutely LOVE, I'll splurge :)

Below is the first piece of textile desire I want to share with you, because it is my favorite cardigan. It's called the "Perfect-fit mixed-tape cardigan", and it is heavenly. The fabric is a super soft, baby-fine cotton, and it's thick but not bulky. It's good quality, and that's what it feels like.

I have it in black and a purply-blue. I like to wear it buttoned with a solid color or stripe tank underneath, but it looks good fully unbuttoned as well.

http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/knitstees/perfectfittees

And if you get the reference in the title of this post -- write it in a comment and I'll think you're awesome!