Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Currently Loving: Bras With Fancy Backs

In general I like clothing with cool/interesting backs, but I saw a bra while I was window shopping that had a gorgeous back. I've shown off some of my bras with a loose tank, once or twice with a lace top in the summer. The trick is to make it look like you did it on purpose. Not an "oops I didn't realize my shirt was this see through" kind of thing. Keep it classy!

So this summer, I'm going for this look


Instead of this look

credit

I still like the bra showing in the front, and I'm still going to rock that trend this summer. I think it just makes an outfit more interesting if you are showing off a bra with a pretty back, over the regular bra that hooks in the same place almost every time. I think showing off a pretty back is sexier than showing off a pretty front.








Pretty Lacy

I keep battling with the correct way to spell "lacy" ("lacey"?). But the almighty Google prefers lacy, so I won't question. Anyway, if you're wearing a bra with a lacy back, keep the rest of the outfit simple, and maybe accessorize with some lacy looking jewelry. A lacy headband would be really cute! 


Sheer Courage

Another way to show off your bra back is to wear a top with a sheer back (or one that's completely sheer, if you're brave enough). If you have a sheer top, a criss cross bra would look better than a lace one. If you're wearing a lace bra, you want to be able to see all the pretty details :) 


So what do you think about any of the bra trends? Do you bra showing at all? If so, do you prefer front or back? 


Monday, March 30, 2015

Happy Monday!

By the time this post is up, Monday will be almost over! Or at least halfway over. You've gotten this far, good job! 
This post is just a little motivation and a little update from yours truly. 


I'm in the library right now with the boyfriend in between classes. He's studying for Spanish and I'm blogging/deciding what to write about tomorrow. I need an opinion. Since I've started blogging, I've written with my text starting on the left. Recently (like this post and my other most recent Lilly and Target post), I've written with center text. Any opinions on which looks better? I can't decide! 

I'm in the process of cleaning out my sidebars of places to shop and blogs to read. Some blogs don't exist anymore, same with the shops. Send me any cool blog or shop links and I'll check them out. 


Be on the lookout for a giveaway soon too. I tweeted about this before but I swear I get more excited about giveaways than ya'll do. I've also realized my southern charm has been coming out and I've been saying "ya'll" way too much. Sorry! 

Have ya'll (see?) seen The Usual Suspects? My boyfriend and I watched it for the first time yesterday because I had never seen it and it was SO GOOD! If you haven't seen it you should really watch it. He, of course, hasn't seen my favorite movie. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in case I haven't mentioned it before. It's one of those movies I can watch over and over again and not get tired of. I love the book too. I'm in the middle of reading some of Hunter S. Thompson's essays. I'd highly recommend reading some if you haven't already. I really like the way he writes (Gonzo journalism), and nobody else has really been able to capture it as well as he does. Seriously, read the book, then watch the movie. 


Hmmm...I can't really think of much else to say. I'm going to try to be an actual fashion blogger and post pictures of outfits I'm wearing. The trouble is getting good photos and finding someone to take them. If you have any tips for taking good fashion/outfit photos, please let me know! 


Well, I guess that's all for now. How has your Monday been so far? Have you read or seen Fear and Loathing? Also, pretty pretty please give me any tips on taking good fashion photos. Have a good day! 



Sunday, March 29, 2015

Lilly Pulitzer & Target

I'm sure most of you have heard the buzz about Lilly Pulitzer collaborating with Target. I know all of you southern gals have. And I know I'm way late on writing about this. 

Back in the day I used to think Lilly Pulitzer was extremely tacky, way too bright, and way too preppy. But over the years it's kind of grown on me, but some patterns are still too bright and too busy for me to handle. Gives me fashion anxiety. Someone told me that the patterns were meant to hide stains, which is pretty cool. I don't know if that's true or not but still cool. 

I'm pretty stoked about the Lilly + Target line, which will be available April 19th. It will feature women's (including plus size, even though it will only be available online), girl's, toddlers, home, and beauty items.

I like Lilly Pulitzer enough to wear it, but not enough to pay the price for it. I've bought one Lilly dress for a high school graduation party and I used pretty much half of my paycheck to get it.

I cropped the other two out because I was unsure if they would be ok with me putting this picture up. But yes, that's high school me with my long blonde hair, and the one Lilly Pulitzer dress that I own. It wasn't one of their popular prints either; I wouldn't look at it and think "Lilly Pulitzer" which is probably why I chose it. 



Here are some samples from the look book that was recently released. { This is not the whole collection }



Lilly Dresses



The usual Lilly shift dresses, some maxis, and a couple of other cute dresses. Some jumpsuits and rompers will also be in the collection. I've always sort of liked the Lilly shift dresses so maybe I'll try one of those. The maxi dresses are really cute too actually. I'm in LOVE with maxi dresses and skirts at the moment. 


Lilly for Target 3



Not a huge fan. I don't dislike them, I just don't see myself buying them. I might end up changing my mind when I see them though (assuming everything isn't sold out by the time I get to Target).


Lilly for Target 2



I really like that navy eyelet coverup. Long coverups don't work too well for us short ladies but if you're tall enough, rock it!



Lilly Pulitzer for Target 4



Ok, I REALLY like that blue and gold bag. I've always liked the scarf tied onto a handbag trend; I'm curious to see if the scarf comes on the bag or if you have to buy it separately. The little gold clutch is quite pretty as well. Overall I'm pleased with the bags.



Lilly Pulitzer for Target 5



Eh, nothing too special here. I like the starfish sandals and maybe the gold wedges. Other than that nothing jumps out at me, which is good because I need new shoes and I'm sure these are going to be more expensive than Target's usual shoes.



Lilly Pulitzer for Target 6



THE SCARVES! Ok, I'd probably buy all of the scarves. Headscarves too. The phone cases are cute, as well as the hat. I'm impressed with the accessories. Thumbs up on those Lilly + Target! Seriously, I'm going to buy some scarves. If they're sold out, it'll be because of me. I freaking love scarves in case I haven't made that clear.


I'm a little surprised they didn't have any skirts. I do want the scarves though. Have I mentioned that I like scarves? That handbag is up on my list too. From what I could tell from the the look book, the plus size women clothing are most of the same items just in bigger sizes. 


Lilly for Target Girls



These are just a few items from the girls collection. I think the girls items are adorable. For some reason, I think it's easier for younger girls to pull off loud Lilly Pulitzer prints; everyone will think they are absolutely adorable. And they'd be right! They also have some cute little hats! As with the women's plus size, the toddler items were again most of the same items as the girl's.



Lilly Pulitzer for Target Home



Yeah, I like the home collection. It's kind of big so this is just a little taste. I like the flask a lot. You probably can't tell from the picture but there is a little giraffe imprint on it. I really like the candle holders too. I'm so glad they don't come with candles in them because I'm so picky about my scents. For the most part the home collection gets a thumbs up from me.



Lilly Pulitzer for Target Beauty


And last but not least, beauty. There are a lot of makeup bags that I might go after because I DESPERATELY need one. Seriously, when I get a new makeup bag I'm going to do a whole post on makeup organization and all that fun stuff. The bobby pins and nail files are cute but I'd rather just get a bulk pack for a lot cheaper. I don't really care how cute my nail file is but that's just me. The nail polishes are Essie, just in colors chosen for the collection. And the lipsticks are L'Oreal Colour Riche Designer Extraordinare Lipstick. I've used Essie and I've liked most of the colors I've tried so far, but I've never tried the L'Oreal lipsticks. I'll probably try one or two of them. Again, if they aren't sold out. 


I was expecting the huge reaction to the Lilly-Target line, but I was definitely not expecting some that were so negative. Like, extremely blown out of proportion negative. I'm stealing these Twitter posts from Refinery29. I won't post Twitter names or anything, just the posts.


"Sorry but @LillyPulitzer should not be sold at Target. Sucks if you can't afford it but that's life."

"Tbh I'm not happy about Lilly for Target. What's the point of investing in their clothes if you can just buy it for cheap at Target now? ?"

"if people say they got something from Lilly at Target...the name will lose its prestige. The brand was kinda built on class"

"Not happy about Lilly being in target! If you weren't classy enough to have it before, you sure as hell aren't classy enough now."

"lilly pulitzer collaborating with target is probably the worst news I will get in all of 2015"

"If Lily starts selling through Target I will stop buying. You are making a high class brand into white trash."



I could go on but I'll stop here. There are more on the Refinery29 page. 



Like, really? The world might actually be ending for these girls. I WISH this would be the worst news I'm going to get in 2015. I may have missed it, but I don't remember this big of a reaction when Target collaborated with Neiman Marcus, Jason Wu, or Missoni. Please let me know if I'm wrong though. The big overreaction might just be in my face because I live in Charleston. Maybe they'll change their minds once they see it all in person? Unless they're too "classy" to step foot into Target. 



Overall, I like the collection. I won't be standing outside Target at 8 am or whenever they open to get everything before it sells out. But I'll go take a gander and pick up a few things (and all of the scarves). I like that they are doing plus sizes, which they haven't done in some previous collections. And the girls/toddler clothes are adorable. This post turned out to be a lot longer than I intended it to be, sorry! 


What do you think about Lilly Pulitzer teaming up with Target? Do you agree with the negative reactions? What do you think of Lilly Pulitzer in general, especially if you don't live in the south? Oh, and let me know if I missed some dramatic reactions when Target teamed up with other designers. I'm intrigued now.

Have a good day loves :)



Friday, March 27, 2015

Inspired by: Chinese Blue & White Porcelain

My mom LOVES blue and white plates and decorative figurines, and I used to be obsessed with anything oriental (still kind of am actually). I saw some blue and white kitchenware in a shop on King Street yesterday and got a little nostalgic, so I decided to base a blog post on it!

I don't know why so few people have heard of DENY Designs. They have some of the cutest prints and color schemes for any room decor you could possibly want. This shower curtain is in the print "Blueberry", and they have pillows, blankets, duvet covers, wall prints, and a whole lot of other things in this print. 

link 

The Chinese designs are so ornate and beautiful, but the blue and white colors are pretty simple. I think they balance each other out very well. Blue and white porcelain became popular in China in the 14th century, though it was probably around before that. From what I understand, the blue and white porcelain was fairly expensive because it was made with cobalt, which was more expensive than gold at the time.


Oriental 1



This is just a simple little outfit for spring. The blue and white shawl is light and breezy, and has an oriental look to it. I think gold accessories would look nice with this because the porcelain plates and such often had a gold trim on them. Stacked bracelets have been growing on me lately as well. Unfortunately for me, it's hard to find bracelets that fit my tiny wrists.

Gingham


Gingham for spring! This would be adorable for going to a garden party or any outside event for spring really. I went with rose gold instead of gold for this one, no real reason really other than I like rose gold. And stacked bracelets/watch yet again. Just pop on some wedges, grab a cute tote bag and your sunglasses, and you're ready to go!

If anyone can do their nails like this, PLEASE send me a picture. That is ridiculously beautiful. If they are nail stickers, I really need to find them. 

This is a little more doable. I've never tried the OPI Matte Top Coat, or any matte top coat for that matter, but I do like the look.  


Just saying


Just saying, again. 


So, what do you think? Would you decorate your house in some blue and white porcelain? Do you like the oriental influences? Also, let me know what your favorite matte top coat is for nail polish. Seriously, if anyone tries those nails, send me a pic. 


Monday, March 23, 2015

Summer Lust List Part 1: Shoes

Since I don't really have any spare spending money right now, I'm just going to gawk at things that I want. Maybe a secret Santa (Easter Bunny?) will see this and leave some at my door. A girl can dream.


Target never fails to have the cutest clothes and shoes at reasonable prices. I need some shoes other than flats to wear this spring/summer and these are just perfect. I LOVE the gladiator look, so I'll also be looking for some gladiator flats. These look super comfortable, but looks can be deceiving. They also come in black, yay!

Also from Target. I LOVE the beaded style on these. I could see myself wearing these with my black maxi dress. It shrunk a little so you can just barely see the shoes I'm wearing with it, especially when I sit. But really you could wear these with anything, I'd probably go with a flowy dress or skirt. 

Last one from Target, I swear (though I could probably do an entire blog post on just Target shoes). I only have one pair of flats suitable for summer, because the rest are beyond dirty or falling apart. These are cute, casual, and you can wear them with almost anything. They also come in white, leopard print, a few different neutral colors, and a light snakeskin. 

Picasso much? I tend to lean towards blacks and dark blues, so my goal for the summer is to add as much color as possible. Pretty simple, but I like the geometric shape. They also come in a dark blue/light blue combination, but like I said, color is key this summer. 

Nine West also never fails me, but they are also a lot more expensive than Target. I LOVE this purple color, they give a little height and have a peep toe. Like I said, I'm trying my hardest to stay away from black. Also comes in black, green, and neutral. 

I just need new rain boots. I'm ok with black in this case because I will need to be able to wear them with literally anything if the skies open up. They also come in grey and red. 

Look at them! Do I need to explain? This is high up on my lust list, probably just because of the price. They are Giuseppe Zanotti shoes but you can buy them on Bluefly for a lot less. True for most designer shoes, actually. Ah well, I'll dream of these tonight. 


I could go on and on with just shoes, but I'll stop here. More lust lists to come. Feel free to send in pictures of your favorite spring and summer shoes, I'm hoping to do a post on that as well. 

What shoes are you lusting after right now? Are you leaning towards colors or neutrals? Flats or heels? Let me know, have a great day! 

*click on the link under the pictures if you want to go to the website and purchase them (which I will be insanely jealous of). 

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Long Time No Post (Again)

Once again, I'm incredibly sorry about my slackness. Hopefully for real I will have time to blog again, I have a bit more time on my hands. I'd like to do some more reviews and outfit posts for you all, but I'm jobless at the moment and don't want to spend that much money.

Not much is new here; I'm dating my best friend and my hair is short and dark brown instead of long and blonde. I turned 21 in October and surprisingly my ID has only been rejected once. Probably because it's falling apart, I look 12, and I had long blonde hair in it.


Woop Woop! Dark hair! Sorry for the bad quality, the lighting was weird and I was using an old phone. More and better pictures coming soon. My forehead is also a little red because I had just gotten my eyebrows waxed. 

SO since reviews and outfit posts are going to be limited, I need some good post ideas. So far I'm asking ANY and ALL of you to pretty please send me a picture of anything at all. Seriously, it doesn't have to be one you took; it can be a bag of chips, a chair, shoes, lipstick, carpet, one of your outfits, a bottle of vodka, a teddy bear...you name it, I want it! I'm going to write a post based on whatever picture you send me, and see how interesting I can make it. I'm begging, please! You can email me (graceyloo252@hotmail.com), Tweet me (@graceyloo252), paste on Facebook, or comment. 

Hope you all have been well!