Falling for Colorful Kicks: An Ode to the ‘90s

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{Photo by RSee Photography}

The thought of ‘90s tv sitcoms is so nostalgic. One of the ways these flashbacks comfort my inner child is through color. All the funky vibes from Saved by the Bell just makes my heart smile. To this day, watching the intros to Martin and Living Single brings back such warm memories of simpler times. I visited the Bay Area this past summer and checked out this awesome 90s pop up museum. Great experience! Check out the picture below!

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Fashion seems to currently be experiencing all the feels for 90s colors as well. Take for instance the shoes pictured in this post (linked below). When I first saw them I immediately thought of the fashion I used to admire as a kiddo like Cross Colours outfits and eclectic sneakers. This seems to be a trend with sneaker brands, especially Nike, because over the summer I was eyeing a pair of kicks that channeled memories of the old school Rugrats cartoon (see shoes here). There are a few reasons why colorful kicks work so well for fall. 

1).The color combinations can inspire different looks with minimal effort. 

Take the outfit pictured for instance. I can pair a look with any color match in the shoe but also a variation of the color. For example, the purple skirt (looks less blue in person) complements the lavender portion of the inner shoe. It also pops against the jewel tone and neon colors of the shoe. Speaking of the skirt, it comes in a variety of other solid colors as well (see link for skirt at the end of post).

2) They make a great alternative to boots. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I love a pair of fly boots! Though there are many days…most days to be honest…that I just want comfort. Putting on a pair of heeled boots takes effort. Flat boots take less effort but still may not be the most comfortable to walk in. Snazzy sneakers are the perfect blend of cute and comfort. And you can still keep it girly chic if you want to dress them up a bit. Hence the fitted midi skirt. 

3) They keep things fly, professional and fresh for casual office wear. 

In a former role I remember the HR rep having to have “the talk” about professional attire during a staff meeting. Her concern was that employee’s attire was becoming too casual for the business attire policy of the organization. That employer was actually less conservative with attire than some of the other organizations I’ve worked for. So it was a bit surprising that administration had to have this talk. I understand that life happens – not everyone has the financial means to be dressed to the nines. People gain/lose weight and can no longer fit their clothes. Life changes occur (i.e. having a baby) and decrease the energy that one has to put into a work outfit. The scenarios can go on. However, even the most affordable, basic professional attire can be made presentable for work. *Presentable* being the key word; nothing fancy. In this case, most folks were just down right comfortable and taking advantage of the code.

So back to the shoes…

A sneaker like the one pictured can be worn with a solid color top (i.e. green, yellow) and jeans for Casual Friday. Throw on a blazer or cardigan sweater and you’re done. For those that are allowed to wear smart casual attire in a less formal space, these shoes can elevate the most basic black or grey pixie pants and a nice top. All very comfortable yet presentable for the appropriate office setting.

Would you be willing to take a time capsule back to the 90’s with this sneaker trend? By the way, I’ve linked two colorful women’s retro styles below at different price points. While the quality of Nike is always worth the price (in my opinion), it’s not always convenient to shell out the asking price. I get it!

Let me know what you think about 90s inspired kicks!

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{Photo by RSee Photography}

Outfit Details

Shirt (Eva Mendes for New York & Company – similar); Skirt (Eva Mendes for New York & Company); Shoes (Nike); Glasses (Nordstrom); Purse (Anne Klien {old} – similar); Bracelet (old- similar); Earrings (Macys)

My First International Trip: Greece

1AC8EBAA-9510-4BFF-BAD7-01E7102A460F.jpeg[Photos date back to 2006-2007 before fancy smart phone cameras so don’t judge the quality! 🙂 ]

Mom:  If you miss your flight, it’s on you. I’m not coming back to get you so you’ll have to figure it out. 

Me: *insert scary face emoji*

Okay…love you…bye!

*grabs bag out of trunk and high tails it to the Lufthansa Airlines ticket counter*

We laugh about that conversation in present day. Though back then I was scared straight! (Yup…just like the tv show!) Moms was not here for the games and neither was my upcoming flight time!

It was December 2006 and I was headed to Greece for short term study abroad. Our class spent 3 weeks traveling throughout Greece as we learned about ancient Greek history. It had been my dream to travel there since middle school and here I was about to miss the flight! Well good news, I made it in just enough time. My classmates were seated comfortably on the plane while I gave it my all to catch my breath after darting through the LAX international terminal.

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Traveling throughout Greece was awesome! I’m forever indebted to my professor for all he taught me about ancient Greece, traveling and…well…life. Apparently he, like my airport-drop-off-tough-love mom, majored in Cutthroat Studies at Hard Knocks University because when we got to the hotel after about 12 hours of travel (layover included) he made an announcement. More like a declaration the way I recall it: “Go upstairs, put your bag down and freshen up because we’re going to dinner. DO NOT take a nap. I repeat…DO NOT TAKE A NAP! You need to get acclimated to this time zone”. 

At the time I thought he was absolutely nuts! Though as I’ve traveled more since that trip 13 years ago, I’ve realized that it is great travel advice. Practicing his tip (or declaration from the mountain top) will prevent one from being up at 3am in a foreign country strategizing how to ease a growling stomach because most food options (at least the convenient ones) will be closed for another few hours. Don’t get me wrong, if I’m tired upon arrival I’ll just knock out against Dr. H’s advice and deal with the consequences later. Though I try hard to stay awake and keep busy until bedtime in efforts to adjust to a different time zone. 

Okay, now back to Greece…

I felt like it had traveled back in time and it was awesome! There were still very modern parts of the country (especially in Athens) but the course topics definitely threw it back! There are so many highlights from that trip but I’ll share just a few: 

  • Learning more about international currency and using it for the first time (currency of Greece: Euro)
  • Trying gelato (This is before it got popular in the U.S. I never had anything like it!)
  • Discovering the popular fashion retailers Mango, Zara and H&M (again…pre-U.S. establishment days)
  • Seeing the Parthenon in real life
  • Sitting in an ancient Greek theater

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What a blessing to not only have that experience but also to reflect upon such awesome memories years later. Do you have any questions about my experience in Greece? I’ll do my best to remember! Lol. And spoiler alert, our trip itinerary didn’t include the Greek islands (i.e. the famous
Santorini) so I wouldn’t be able to answer questions about those locations specifically. They’re on my list! We did visit Crete so you can ask away about that one!

Also, let me know if you’ve been to Greece. I’d love to hear about your experience. If you haven’t been but it’s on your bucket list, feel free to share about that as well!

Neon: Glow Sticks & Chemistry Lab But Make it Fashion!

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Photo by RSee Photography

So neon has been making fashion waves for the last couple of seasons. It appears to be here to stay for fall. I enjoy the pop of color that neon provides but am sometimes skeptical to wear neon hues due to fear of looking like a glow stick. I’ve found that starting small with the trend by wearing pieces of neon clothing, instead of the whole outfit, has proved to feel more natural for me.

Speaking of glow sticks, I did a bit of informal research when preparing this post. The video resource library of YouTube ( 🙂 ) had this great video by Dialed In DIY on how to make reusable glow sticks. It reminded me of my days in the chemistry lab when I was a science major. While science didn’t carry me through my college career, I do value the academic knowledge I gained in that space. Present day it’s cool to see science translate into fashion. (Special shout out to the NASA shirt cameo!)

Neon as an element was fun to learn about because it’s presence stood out in such a unique way. There’s very few things that can compare to a gas that turns funky colors (when reacted)! Similarly in fashion it’s a stand out piece. I’d recommend wearing it with caution in a professional setting. Especially if you work in a more conservative environment. Maybe casual Friday would be a safer test environment. For streetwear, neon is more of a full go.

What do you think? Are you planning to rock neon pieces this fall? Or will you leave that to the glow sticks and chemistry lab? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 🙂

Outfit Details:

Shirt (Chemistry from TJ Max); Pants (Zara); Heels (Cathy Jean-old);

 

New Season, New Content!

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Photo by RSEE Photography

Happy Fall friends! September is upon us! I always look forward to what the month has to bring. When I was younger I enjoyed returning for a new school year with new ‘fits and those oh so snazzy school supplies. In adulthood I’ve enjoyed seeing all the fashion that emerges in the fall. And for my entire life, the number one reason I look forward to September is none other than…my birthday! (Yay!) I like to refer to it as my personal new year. It’s so refreshing to begin the new season anticipating new opportunities and beginnings.

Speaking of new beginnings, some updates will be coming to the blog this fall. I plan to expand my content from workplace inspiration to topics that are close to my heart like faith and travel. Don’t worry, the fashion will continue (still a fave for me) but I look forward to sharing my perspectives on other topics as well. I’m excited about what this new chapter the blog has to bring.

Look out for new content coming soon. In the meantime, please share what you’re up to this fall! I’m excited to hear what this new season has in store for others as well.

Outfit Details:

Blouse and pants set (New York and Company); Earrings (Target); Camisole (Ann Taylor); Heels (Nine West)

Florals For Spring…Groundbreaking

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Photo by RSee Photography
Spring has to be one of my favorite seasons next to fall. Living in California, I realize there’s not much of a difference between the 4 seasons. Believe it or not, we do have a such thing as spring here! I enjoy transitioning my office clothes to pastels, bright colors and flower filled pieces. I’ve loved florals ever since I was a little girl and  my mom used to dress me in poofy floral dresses to match my sister for Easter.
Need proof?
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Floral prints add a special touch to any work outfit no matter the season but especially in the spring. As a matter of fact, I purchased the dress in this post  around the end of summer last year (2018). So I’ve had it in the rotation for fall and am now transitioning it to spring. I love that even though the black background creates a darker look, the yellow flowers can take it from September all the way through March and beyond.
One of the trends for Spring 2019 is micro florals. I love how I got this dress months ago yet it’s right on trend (and time) for the new season. Pretty cool how fashion seems to transition itself! Speaking of the fashion world, the inspiration for this post title is from the movie The Devil Wears Prada. Fans of the movie may have picked up on that from the start. For those who don’t know what I’m referring to, you’re in luck! I’m introducing you to the scene see here in case you haven’t seen it yet: https://youtu.be/l8h2qnRBzR0 . As the evil Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep’s character) implies, it comes as no surprise that florals are always in for the spring season.
Funny that movie is currently 13 years old but here we are yet another spring with floral prints. Just goes to show that if you’re going to invest in new pieces for the spring, florals would be the way to go. Especially those that you can use as multi functioning pieces from the office to the weekend and even after work outings.
In the office I’ve worn this dress with a long black blazer, long necklace and a pair of boots too elongate my short figure. (Cause us shorties need love too!) Now that it’s spring I might consider wearing the dress with cut out booties and a long thin cardigan. I may even add a waist belt for good measure!
In fact a dress like this could even be taken into summer with strappy sandals and a cute clutch to be worn as semi formal wear for a
wedding.
So now that I’ve got florals on your mind, what pieces will you be featuring for your “groundbreaking” spring look? Let me know below!
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Outfit Details
Dress (Target-old); Tights (Target); Boots (Zara-old); Necklace (Poparazzi); Earrings (New York & Company-old); Purse (Target-old)

Turning the Page: What’s Your Theme for 2019?

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{Photo Credit: RSee Photography}

Happy New Year friends! Yes I’m actually saying that on January 31st. I can’t believe how fast the month has flown by!

January is such a great month because it allows us to turn the page to a new year.The other day I was thinking back on my last few years and the overall themes I’ve noticed. Years 2016 and 2017 were filled with “steps of faith” where I had to trust God and make moves even when I felt uncertain. 2018 consisted of many experiences in “sowing and preparing”. I’m currently thinking about the vision for 2019 and the words & phrases that may summarize that vision.

I’ve heard of individuals as well as churches claiming a word for the year as soon as it begins. In the past I’ve thought about doing the same for myself but it’s just never really been something that seemed to resonate with me before this year. I’m challenging myself, even in late January early February, to come up with a theme for this year. I think there’s power in claiming a positive vision over oneself.

As I reflect, the idea of being intentional comes to mind. I would like to be intentional with my themed word/phrase each year.

What about you friends? What vision are you being intentional about this year? Do you have a word or phrase that you’re living by for 2019? If not, it’s not too late to begin thinking about this for yourself if this interests you. Reflect on how things can move forward for your 2019.

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Outfit Details:
Blazer (New York & Co.); Blouse (H&M); Pants (New York & Co.); Boots (Zara);  Earrings (The motherland 🌍🧡); Purse (Target- old)

 

Love for Leopard

Photos by RSee Photography

I just love leopard print! It seems to always be in style no matter if it’s the hot trend at the moment (like it is right now) or something in the back of your closet from seasons past. Leopard print seems to go with everything. I often wear it as a neutral to balance out with other prints like in the outfit pictured below. 

I really love how it goes with the suit. It’s not too overpowering so I’m still able to keep it professional. Pairing a print like leopard with a suit helps to keep things young as well. Nowadays younger women, especially millennial’s, don’t care to wear a suit to work if they aren’t required to. But suits are a great staple to have in your closet. Pairing it with a fun print like leopard keeps things far from mundane or traditional. In the suit pictured it balances out the traditional navy blue which is often seen as a very conservative suit color. I don’t know if I’d recommend leopard shoes for an interview but for every day workwear or a meeting they could work. As long as you’re mindful of your workplace dress code and the culture.

I don’t think leopard print will ever go out of style. Want proof? I actually purchased these shoes last year! It was on a day when I was wearing a very basic cream top and black pants. I quickly ran into Macy’s to look for some shoes to jazz up the outfit a bit for a work event. I found these leopard heels and they were perfect! Now fast forward and leopard is a hot trend this season! Since I already had the shoes in my closet they’ve been a great update to pair with anything from the most basic work outfit to a weekend ensemble.

What about you friends? Are you a fan of leopard print? Would you wear it to your workplace?

Outfit Details: Suit (Calvin Klien – Macy’s); Blouse (Zara); Camisole (Ann Taylor); Pumps (Nine West- Macy’s); Earrings (Nordstrom)

California Extended Summer

{Photo by RSee Photography}

As a native Californian I always feel like September counts as summer because the weather is still hot (for the most part). Sometimes even hotter than summer months. With that thought in mind, I often find it challenging to begin taking out my fall clothes because it’s just not time to wear them yet.

I usually extend out my summer clothes but find myself trying to retire the bright colors because it’s technically fall. Instead I opt out for pieces that include short sleeves or are comfortable to wear in the heat but have fall color schemes. Take this outfit for instance.

Blue has always been a good transitional color for me. I find that it carries over well from season to season. For example, the light blue blouse pictured pairs well with anything from a floral Summer skirt to a burgundy chunky sweater with slacks in the fall when the weather gets cooler. While the summery, striped skirt may get put away during the cooler months, the blouse has potential to transition through all seasons.

What about you? Are there any pieces from your closet that you’re able to use across multiple seasons? In case you have trouble considering the options, think about one piece you can use as a base and layer other items over. Tops are usually easiest to utilize in this way.

I challenge you to look through your closet and find unique ways to extend out traditional warm weather pieces into the fall/winter (and even early spring) months. Gotta make those fashion dollars count!

Outfit Details: Blouse (DKNY from Macy’s); Skirt (NY&Co); Heels (Nine West); Necklace (Forever 21-old); Bracelet (Keepsake from Myanmar ❤️)

True Colors

{Photos by RSee Photography}

Wearing colorful clothes to the office can be challenging. Trust me I know. I’m the first person to grab a pair of black pants out of the closet early in the morning while still trying to get the sleep out of my eyes. I’m lucky most days if I choose a top that doesn’t have a black base. Simple always feels like the way to go when you’re trying to get out of the house and make it to the workplace for the 8 hour day.

But I find that when I wear color to the office I feel a little more lively. There’s a bit more pep in my step.

Take for instance last Friday. It was Casual Friday and I was quick to put on a pair of jeans and a black shirt. Or some other basic, low to no fuss ensemble. You know, something to complement the Friday “let’s wrap this week up” feeling. Instead I picked the skirt that I’m wearing in the post photos. I paired it with my chambray top which I absolutely love for the denim effect. The pop of color revived my Friday and had me feeling energized for the weekend.

I realize I may not be alone. That’s one of the reasons why I love blogging for working women in particular. It allows me the opportunity to share ideas and inspiration to get them through their work experiences. Especially when it comes to clothes because I know it’s challenging to find things that are office appropriate yet compliment one’s unique personality. Not to mention the idea of playing with different colors and patterns. I really enjoy giving people ideas of items that compliment their existing wardrobe or affordable options for new refresher pieces.

I hope this post inspires you to add a little bit more summer color into your wardrobe before the fall months start rolling in.

Outfit Details: Sweater (Ann Taylor); Skirt (Target); Heels (DSW- old); Backpack (Topshop); Necklace (Claire’s)