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evenings in the summertime

5/31/2013

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Summer plays by its own dress code. Outfits tend to be lighter, fresher, brighter and generally more playful. Your standby black cocktail dress and metallic pumps, though classic and refined for the other three seasons, tend to look heavy and drab against the backdrop of brilliant colors and effortlessly flowing fabrics. Although it may seem counter-intuitive, a bold and bright dress will actually fit in better against the summer landscape. Also, with the heat and humidity rising in most cities, you will soon want to ditch even your most beloved evening wear for something cool and breezy. There are plenty of summertime events to dress up for, from evening weddings, to charity events or a fancy dinner out so don't be afraid to take a risk!
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Banana Republic Halter Dress in Lemon Drop $130
The easiest way to to look seasonal is to add some color! I am very partial to reds and the warm sunset colors, but anything that has a deep hue will work.
Although pastels become popular around this time of year, they have a tendency to wash out many skin tones. Choose a confident color and let that be your statement.

Many summer dresses have a simple silhouette that allow them to breathe in the heat, so going bold with the color palette is what will create your "wow" effect. If color is not normally your thing, go to any store and try on a variety of bright t-shirts to see what looks best on you-this way you can concentrate on the colors instead of worrying about color, fit and style.
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Nachiket Barve Tumeric Spice Sheath $70 rental via Rent the Runway
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J. Crew Pleated Chiffon Dress $250
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Nadri Crystal Scallop Bangle $138
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Boden T-Bar Demi Wedges in Pewter Metallic $98
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Rockport Presia Cross Strap Sandal in Warm Oak $140
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Nina Angelica Wide Crystal Line Bracelet $155
Don't be afraid to add on your most glamorous accessories. I love to accessorize during the warm weather months since the lighter fabrics can be more forgiving to overdressing. If you layer on sparkle with a taffeta dress in winter, you begin to look like a caricature of the society pages, but if you add that same sparkle to a floaty chiffon number in the summertime, you evoke a timeless and easy elegance. Simple and less formal dresses create a clean palette that allows for creative "decorating."

My summer accessory of choice is the bracelet. Since my hair already creates a sweaty spot on the nape of my neck, I am hesitant to add on any substantial necklaces. Since most summer dresses are sleeveless, a bracelet is a great alternative since it adds visual interest to the arm. If you do want some jewelry near your face, try a chandelier earring.
Once you've found your perfect summer showstopper, make sure you pair it with appropriate footwear. A sandal or a peeptoe pump create a more airy feel to your ensemble by showing off a little skin. If you do choose a closed toed shoe, keep the color light and bright or look for a style with side cutouts or perforations.

Showing off your toes also lets you add some extra flair with a great nail polish color. I love a shimmery grey tone for dressy occasions to add a modern vibe, but if you are planning to keep your color on for awhile, a signature red is always a good bet. If you are still skittish around bright colors, playing with polish can be a great way to warm up to the idea.
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J. Crew Lynette Tulle Dress $228
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Essie "Nothing Else Metals" Nailpolish $8
If you don't feel comfortable in color or if you feel like your event is better suited to a neutral, choose navy or grey. This will feel less wintery than black and will prevent you from fading into a parade of little black dresses.

A really fantastic and unique party dress often comes with a high price tag that can be hard to swallow when you only expect to wear the item once. Two of the dresses shown in this post are from Rent the Runway which allows you to rent designer dresses and accessories for 4 days at a time (dry cleaning and a backup size included!) so that you don't have to sink your entire clothing budget into one event.

If you have photos of your favorite summer dress-up look, send them in so we can see how you styled yourself for the summertime!
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ML Monique Lhuillier Sheath $85 rental via Rent the Runway
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vacation ready

5/22/2013

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Can you believe it is almost Memorial Day weekend? After a crazy couple weeks at work, I am leaving Chicago for a much needed vacation. It is only ten hours until my mom picks me up for our road trip to the family reunion, but my suitcase is still sad and empty (and up on a high shelf in my closet)! Since I am such a packing procrastinator, I am always worried that I will end up far away from my closet only to realize that I brought a ton of t-shirts and no pants or only packed cardigans and have no tanks to go underneath! However, all that worrying has created a pretty solid system to follow to ensure that I am ready for most occasions, without having to lug around twenty tons. So, without further ado, here are my top ten vacation wardrobe tips:

1. Check the weather a couple days before you plan to begin packing. Most of us start thinking generally about our packing list in the days before our trip so make sure that you are working with the correct weather report. You don't want to plan out a week's worth of cute shorts outfits only to find out that your normally warm vacation locale is experiencing a cold front during your visit.

2. Before you fold anything into your suitcase, lay out all the items you are planning to bring as outfits. This way you will be able to quickly see if there are pieces you don't need or if you need to add a coordinating piece to something you'd really like to wear.

3. Try to pack knits whenever possible so that you will not have to deal with the hotel room iron. You are supposed to be relaxing so choose pieces that will be easy to grab and go. Plus, most knits are more comfortable than their woven counterparts so it is a win-win!

4. Use the distance to try out something new! Is there a new trend you've been wanting to try? Maybe you really want to try out a pattern-on-pattern outfit but don't want your neighbors to make snarky remarks about you at the grocery store. Vacation is a great time to try something outside of your box because you will be surrounded by strangers who won't gossip about you. Sometimes it just takes wearing a trend outside for a bit to decide whether or not it is your cup of tea. My Memorial Day vacation "new piece" is a neon pink nail polish- I'll let you know how it works out!

5. Keep your layering pieces neutral. Since it is summertime you probably do not want to bring an outerwear piece to coordinate with every outfit just in case it happens to get cool that night. My go-to piece is a grey, crewneck cardigan. It can be paired back to navy, black or any color so I don't have to rework my entire look just to accommodate the weather.

6. Bring a dress. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but make sure you have something if the restaurant you've been dying to try has a dress code or if some "can't miss" event presents itself. The easiest option is a black jersey knit wrap dress. You can put a brightly colored tank underneath for a peek of color, add a necklace and you'll be ready to go.

7. Make sure to bring some accessories to jazz up your outfits. The bare minimum should be a statement necklace, a colorful or sparkly bracelet, a pair of earrings and a colorful or metallic skinny belt. This will let you adjust your outfits for any unexpected events and won't take up much room in your suitcase!

8. Pack two pairs of shoes. I am very wary of anyone who says they can get away with only one pair of shoes for a trip. If nothing else, you will want a second pair in case you get a blister and need to avoid contact with the area. I generally bring a pair of sandals and a pair of sneakers. If you are planning on dress-up occasions during your vacation, you might want to substitute one of those for a heel or wedge.

9. No matter how perfectly you think you have packed, bring one back-up outfit. You might get stuck in a rainstorm and need a dry outfit, your waiter might spill a tray of food on you at lunch or you might just decide that you aren't quite feeling any of the outfits you brought on that particular day. Your backup outfit should be a comfortable favorite, something that you would grab from your closet when you're running late for lunch. Then you know that if you wake up one morning feeling off-kilter that you have something in your suitcase that you can feel good in.

10. Wear something stretchy to travel in. You'll want to start off your vacation on the right foot and arrive comfortably. Depending on your mode of transportation and your schedule, your "something stretchy" can be anything from a great ponte dress to a pair of yoga pants.

I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday weekend, whether you are traveling or not!
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three tips for wearing crops

5/14/2013

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Cropped pants are a must-have for spring and summer. They are a lighter alternative to pants and more versatile than shorts, however, many women struggle with the proportion of crops. The main issue is that cropped pants can make your legs look shorter which in turn adds extra visual weight to your upper body. Whether you are shopping for a new pair or trying to decide whether to keep last year's pair, here are three tips to look long and lean:

1. Show off a little foot. Extend the line of your leg by keeping the top of your foot exposed. Skip the Mary-Janes, the sneakers and the sandals with the ankle straps and instead slip into flats, pumps or even a basic flip flop.
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LOFT Skinny Cross Check Cropped Pants $59.50
Both of these images are of LOFT cropped pants with the same inseam measurements, but the shoes make a big difference. The image on the left is paired with shoes that expose the top of the foot which creates a singular line from the bottom of the pant to the toes. Even without wearing a heel, this will create a longer looking leg.

The length in the image on the right is completely dependent on the sky-high wedges that the model is wearing. The ankle strap disrupts the eye and starkly delineates where the leg ends and the foot begins. If, like most of us, you do not have the proportions of these models, you'll need to be aware of the lines you are creating with your clothes. Generally the aim is for a long and uninterrupted line so as to create length instead of width.
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LOFT Doubleweave Cropped Pants $59.50
2. Cropped pants come in all lengths and many of them can work on a variety of body types. If you are unsure of what looks good on you, I think that a longer crop is easier to work with. The bottom of the pant should land just below the bottom of the bulge of your calf muscle. That area generally has the smallest width of your leg which means the pant will not pull or strain against your muscles. The above pictures show a good target length.

3. While many retailers are moving more and more towards slim and skinny fits, remember that you will be wearing these pants in hot (and often humid) weather. Although your pants should be creating a straight line, ensure that there is enough width to allow for air flow and movement. I highly recommend avoiding pleated or cuffed crops across the board since they, more often than not, add extra width. If you generally wear wide-leg pants, your cropped pants should feel slimmer than you are used to. If your cropped pants are wide at the bottom, your exposed leg will look even smaller by comparison and will create a top-heavy proportion.

The next time you are trying on cropped pants (either in your closet or at the store), test them out with different shoes and try cuffing them so you can see the difference those things make in your own proportions. The more you see what works and what doesn't work on your own body, the better you will be able to choose great pieces.
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your most difficult pieces

5/11/2013

1 Comment

 
A little over seven months ago I started this blog after my sister was complimented on an outfit I created for her. Her friends and colleagues were envious of the styling cards I wrote up for her so that even her most difficult pieces could be easily thrown together on a hectic morning. Without knowing the contents of every reader's closet, I have not yet been able to replicate those cards on a larger scale, but I am going to try anyway.

If you have a difficult piece in your wardrobe or are pondering the purchase of something that you like but have no idea how to wear, I want to help. Take a photo of the item or copy the link and send it to me at practicallystylishblog@gmail.com or by filling out the comment form on the contact page. (If you send a photo, please include a brief description as well.) Hopefully some of those hard-to-wear pieces can return to being your favorites!
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curate your closet for spring

5/10/2013

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It's the season of spring cleaning and many people are taking the opportunity to edit their closets. When you are sorting your clothes into "keep," "toss," & "donate" piles keep in mind what pieces make up a well-balanced spring and summer wardrobe. That way you will start with a great canvas and have a list for your next big shopping trip.

Start with the classics:
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LL Bean Commuter Trench Coat $129
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Banana Republic Linen-Cotton Shirt $64.50
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Boden Kensington Courts $168
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Gap Gingham Tie-Waist Shirtdress $49.99
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Ann Taylor Carnegie Cropped Pants $68
Pop in some color:
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J. Crew Multistripe Popover $78
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LOFT Coral Bauble Necklace $39.50
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Calvin Klein Colorblock Side Drape Sheath $118
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Lands' End Canvas Colorblock Cardigan $44.99
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Boden Pointed Slingbacks $98
Layer in a little texture:
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WHBM Lagoon Coil Bracelet $44
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Banana Republic Carina Pointed-Toe Flat $110
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Caslon Eyelet Cotton Skirt $49
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Ann Taylor Tweed Jacket $148
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LOFT Sea Flower Linen Cotton 6" Shorts $44.50
Throw in a few showstoppers:
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Adrianna Papell Embroidered Organza Sheath Dress $188
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Givenchy Harvest Stud Earrings $35
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Cole Haan Chelsea Pump $199.95
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Tadashi Shoji Lace & Tulle Sheath Dress $298
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Vince Camuto Chantilly Lace Tube Skirt $69
And finally add your accents:
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Kate Spade New York Stripe Studs $58
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Lands' End Braided Belt $39
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Ann Taylor Brushstroke Floral Cotton Silk Scarf $58
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Banana Republic Emanuel Tote $79.50
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Harvey's Seatbelt Bag $98
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LOFT Print Cat Eye Sunglasses $24.50
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J. Crew Neon Citron Skinny Belt $35
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