One skirt, two ways: Wear it now, wear it later

As I mentioned in a recent post, I broke my arm at the climbing gym the other day, so this means few outfit posts to come in the near future. Mostly because I seem to be only able to wear strapless dresses for the moment, so that's nothing too exciting and original to showcase. So instead, I have to get a bit creative with content featuring photos I have already shot.

That's where this post comes in. I was thinking about my photoshoots and realized that I had a fab skirt to be worn as a dress or a skirt, and in turn can be worn as such all year round. In fact, I am wearing it as a strapless dress with a sweater & boots in the winter shot and as a skirt with a tank top in the summer shot. But I've also worn it as a strapless dress in the summer and plan to wear it as a skirt this upcoming winter.

You've got to love a piece that is this versatile.

Here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown for look one (spring/summer):

1. Floral skirt, thrifted ($2.99)

2. Tank top, Target ($8.99)

3. Cream jacket, Parisian ($29.99)

4. Tan wedges, Charlotte Russe ($12.50)*

5. Clutch, gifted (thanks mom!)

6. Squirrel necklace, gifted (Thanks Em!)

7. Vintage Ray Ban sunglasses, gifted (thanks mom!)

8. Leaf ring, Charm, gifted (Thanks Em!)

9. Earrings, ATL market ($2.00)

And here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown for look two (fall/winter):

1. Dress/Skirt, thrifted ($2.99)

2. J. Crew Sweater, Rugged Warehouse ($8.99)

3. Boots, Cato ($24.99)

4. BCBGirls Bag, Zoe's ($30.00)

5. Knee socks, H&M ($14.00)

6. Men's belt, GAP ($34.99)

7. Leaf ring, Charm (gifted)

8. Flower headband, Urban Outfitters ($9.50)

9. Earrings, Charlotte Russe ($2.99/6 piece set)

10. Sunglasses, Venice Beach ($7.00)

photos: Laura Menconi

One Vedette piece: From day-to-night

I'm pretty excited to announce that I have been asked by Vedette Shapewear to be a part of their "I've got nothing to hide" campaign. They want every woman to feel beautiful in the skin she's in, and that's what this campaign is all about. I couldn't be more honored to be a part of a great movement like this.

In addition to the inspiring message we're sending out to women everywhere, I'm also psyched about the parts of the campaign they've asked me to complete. This first segment is a Day-to-Night look, and you girls know by now that I am all about some wardrobe efficiency. Whether it's maximizing your closet so that you wear the same pieces, but in different ways or if it's just having a hectic day and trying to do a wardrobe change with least amount of packing possible, I am a huge fan of getting the most out of a piece of clothing. So here I am taking the Marian from a casual daytime outfit to a fun and splashy evening outfit.

I chose this piece because of the beautiful lace detail. I knew it would be perfect no matter what time of day or where you were wearing it. I mean, what could make you feel more beautiful than rockin some black lace? And having one shoulder makes the piece a flexible wardrobe item as well. I think figuring out a way to rock an item of shapewear in your everyday wardrobe is something anyone could try. It helps you think outside the fashion box and pushes your creative limits.

Here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown for the day look:

1. Marian shapewear, c/o Vedette

2. Shorts, H&M ($19.50)

3. Vintage chambray button down, thrifted ($4.99)

4. Oxfords, TJ Maxx ($12.99)

5. Hat, Rugged Wearhouse ($3.99) 

6. Sunglasses, Rugged Wearhouse ($3.99) 

7. Crossbody bag, thrifted ($3.00)

8. Belt, Charlotte Russe ($3.00)

Total: Under $75

And here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown for the night look: 

1. Marian shapewear, c/o Vedette

2. Pleated skirt, Forever 21 ($19.99)

3. Chinese Laundry silver sandals, discount shoe store ($15.99)

4. Vintage handbag, Zoe's ($19.99)

5. Bangles, gifted (thanks mom!)

6. Earrings ??

Total: Under $75

Photos: Laura Menconi

ps. Want to know one other thing I love about Vedette? They have an incredible blog full of content ranging from outfit ideas to what to do with your old worn out bras to answering all of your lingerie questions, including those about fitting. They also have my inspiration board on their blog and you can see it here.

One skirt, two ways

So you guys know by now that I love to "remix" my closet and make items work in different ways so that my
closet (and my wardrobe) looks bigger than it really is. So when Sugarlips asked me to choose three items from their inventory that I like and they would send me one of them, I might've had a hard time picking just three, but this fabulous skirt was definitely number one on my list! The reasons being because a) its super cool pattern b) the color combination c) the cut and the pockets and d) because I knew all of the above would make this skirt easy to rock in
the summer and the winter. Thus giving me endless ways to style it no matter what the season.

That all means that when this hot little number showed up in my mailbox and I tried it on, I knew there was no
way I could style it just one way for the photoshoot. So you guys get a little taste of how you can style one
very specific skirt in two very different ways. I love that even though the fabric of this skirt is sheer and breezy,
it isn't see through at all. It's so flowy and fun.

And just in case you were wondering what else I had my mind on at Sugarlips you can see the other top contenders here, here and here. And honestly I can't quit thinking about them, so expect to see me work at least one of these
pieces into another post later after I break down and buy one of them soon!

Ok, now let's get down to business.

Here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown for look one (spring/summer):

1. Skirt, c/o Sugarlips
2. Polka dot top (gifted)
3. Socks, Charlotte Russe ($2.99)
4. Platform shoes, Charlotte Russe ($16.25)
5. Cuff bracelet (gifted)
6. Bangles (gifted)
7. Clutch, Target ($9.99)
8. Vintage sunglasses (gifted/passed down - thanks mom!)
9. Earrings, trade day ($.50)
10. Vintage cocktail ring (gifted)

And here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown for look two (fall/winter):

1. Skirt, c/o Sugarlips
2. Navy RL turtleneck, TJ Maxx ($12.99)
3. Vest, Forever21 ($7.99)
4. Guess boots, sale at Macy's ($54.53)
5. Bag, Africa ($15.00)
6. Wooden bangles, ATL market ($1.00 each)
7. Earrings, Africa (gifted - thanks Ashley!)
8. Vintage sunglasses (gifted/passed down - thanks mom!)

9. Thumb ring, Charlotte Russe ($2.99 - part of stackable set)

photos: Laura Menconi