Building a Classic Wardrobe: Series 3

Untitled #80 by aliciablyyours featuring capri leggings

Building a Classic Wardrobe: Series 3
The Leggings, the striped shirt, the sunglasses, the statement necklace, the career pant, the patent pump. 


The Leggings
Leggings have become very popular in the last couple of years under tunics and longer shirts and sweaters. It's easy to see why when it's pulled off the correct way. But there are more times than others that girls fall into the trap of wearing leggings as pants. 
Leggings are not pants.
Leggings are a thick pair of tights and fit that way. 
Leggings will creep up your no-no spot and make you look repulsive. And fat.
You need to cover your butt and your girl parts thoroughly, or you do not look chic. You look gross. And no one can look at you. And you don't even realize it. 
But leggings are a basic. Wearing leggings with a beautiful tunic and boots will make you look fantastic. Just stop wearing them with crop tops and short sweaters, or your right to wear leggings will be revoked.


The Striped Shirt
Always in, although every season some fashions enthusiasts from these beauty magazines always find some way to take a classic style which was ALWAYS in and say it's a trend. They did this with the striped shirt last year, even though I've always owned more than 4 in my closet. This year they're doing it with polka dots. I've always loved polka dots! Not bragging, just stating a fact. 
But whatever.
Striped shirts are great. Contrary to popular belief, only some horizontal stripes make you look wider. You just have try on the shirt to see what you think about how it lays across your frame. 


The Sunglasses
There is a reason models and celebrities don't get photographed without them. They are always on the run to jobs and photo shoots where people do their hair and make up for them, why would they do their make up before hand just to wash it off? So they throw on a pair of sunglasses and make a run for it. 
If you have to cry, go outside, but bring your sunglasses.


The Statement Necklace
Play it the right way and a loud piece of jewelry can be tamed to a soft whisper of "wow." Keep everything else simple and a statement piece will pop. Trust me.


The Career Pant
Make sure it fits well and buy it in a neutral. You'll get more use out of it than you realize. 


The Patent Pump
In any color, this one is here to stay. I have a red pair, and a pair of black patent flats. Patent leather has a lovely sheen that dresses up casual outfits, and really stands out. Also patent leather can be worn in literally any season, so you'll get a lot of bang out of your buck. The look great with skinny jeans and a charcoal sweater. 


That's the basics for now!

Michael Kors striped sweater
£825 - harrods.com

Wide leg pants
$90 - topshop.com

Capri legging
$12 - kohls.com

High heel pumps
$35 - modcloth.com

White necklace
$48 - fantasyjewelrybox.com

Mango round sunglasses
£23 - mango.com

When in doubt . . .

When in doubt dress like you're french.

Something I've noticed about myself as of late is that I've been coming up with a lot of "When in doubt," rules for myself. The truth is that in life there is a lot of doubting. Doubt about the economy, doubt about the government, doubt about the education system, and for a lot of people doubt about themselves.


Doubt is a tricky thing. It's not really a very negative sentiment because you just aren't sure about something. Being 100% certain about something always feels a whole lot better than being in doubt. So in order to lead happy lives we sometimes need to trick ourselves into feeling confident and certain about our choices. So I've made a list of some of my "When in doubt," rules and maybe you'll take some into your own way of thinking.


1. When in doubt, eat a banana. 
Women starve themselves as punishment. I know because I do it. If you overindulge on the weekend, you feel like you need to fast for 3 days in order to make up for it. That's crazy. I do it, and it's crazy.


Well, I used to do it. 
One night when I had a particularly busy day and hard work out, I had a small dinner and went to bed, then could not fall asleep because I was still hungry. I knew if I ate something over 200 calories I'd go over my goal for the day (I calorie count) and that it's also not that great to eat before bed. So I wandered downstairs and grabbed a banana. I was out 10 minutes later.


Why a banana?
Banana's are a serious fruit. Seriously. They are high in potassium, which is great for your body, and are digested quickly which boosts your metabolism, but still satisfies your hunger pains.
I tend to grab one before the gym because I'm not a huge breakfast person and don't like to eat a lot in the morning, but if I don't eat before I work out I'm dying within the first 15 minutes. 


So when in doubt, eat a banana.


2. When in doubt, buy it in black or white.
I have so many tops that I have given away because it just didn't go with anything else in my closet. I'm in the process of trying to develop a more adult, classic wardrobe, so I've purged anything I haven't worn in the last 6 months. My new rule is if I am unsure of an item, and it comes in several colors, I buy it in black or white.
Black and white go with everything. So if you find something you really think you can't live without in a crazy color, like plum, you know you have things to go with it. (#Cream, AKA off white goes great with plum.)


3. When in doubt, write it down.
I'm a huge self-talker, and I journal all the time about really stupid things. I've gotten distressed about wanting to lose 4 lbs of water weight, or wanting to wear suspenders. But if I write about these really stupid things, I find that when I go back and read it, I realize what issues were really important, and what was stupid and I appreciate my life more and find it easier to improve as a person. I figure out when I was the most confident about myself, and when I was the most insecure, then I look at the factors around them and really analyze how my mood, and other factors might affect my life. 


4. When in doubt, wear a blazer (or bring a sweater)
I'm always cold and I lived in my New Paltz sweatshirt in college. As comfy as that thing is, it's gross. Those sweatshirts are never flattering on anyone. They're over-sized, they make everyone look pregnant, and they scream "I've never grown up."  I have a vast collection of cardigans and 3 really good blazers. Anyone that knows me knows I'm huge on blazers. I think they make everyone look awesome, stylish, but laid back. I could be wrong, but I don't care. I love them. Seriously, wear a blazer. Or at least a really nice cardigan.


5. When in doubt, bring flats.
I am notorious for carrying large bags because I carry my life in them. I carry my Barnes & Noble Nook, or whatever book I may be reading at the moment...(right now it's Oedipus & Night by Elie Wiesel for the classes I'm student teaching) a journal, for keeping notes, a planner, a wallet, keys, and whatever touch up stuff I might need for make up (although I don't usually reapply during the day), and a pair of ballet flats if I'm wearing shoes higher than 3 inches. 
I love heels and am working my way up to wearing the 6 inchers to work again, (I'm starting out small and working up) but sometimes you gotta rip them off and shove on some flats. 
I love my gap-city flats I got 2 years ago because they fold up and come in a pouch.


That's my 5 when in doubt rules for now. I'll probably follow up on this in other posts. Hope you enjoyed my rambling and crazy ideas!!

When in doubt by aliciablyyours featuring ballet flats

H m blazer
£30 - hm.com

GAP ballet flat
$40 - gap.com

ASOS drop earrings
$11 - asos.com

Pashmina shawl
$20 - modcloth.com

Advice for Student Teachers (And younger teachers with jobs!)

The past 3 years I worked for a wonderful organization named AHRC which provided educational services to children with disabilities who might not be functioning high enough to attend a public school. I worked in the autism program, something I had limited knowledge about before I started working there, and am now somewhat fascinated by, and met some really great people in the field. I wouldn't give up the experience for anything, and while I'm uncertain whether I want to teach special education or English (I will certified to teach both) I am so, so appreciative of everything i learned there.
THAT being said, teaching in that type of field is very different from teaching in a public setting, and the dress code is a huge contrast. I spent the last 3 years in sneakers, flats, jeans and very casual tops. Even though I love jewelry, I had learned to wear things you can pull off quickly if a child is having a behavior outburst. Long story short, you can't dress like that when you teach high school.


As a teacher, you need to look somewhat professional, and as a student teacher, you should step it up a notch, just because you ARE there to make an impression. 


But professional does not mean frumpy. You can wear beautiful clothes for a business-casual setting. My first purchase was a really good wool blazer from Zara. I also have one from H&M and one from Lulus, but one really nice one is great to have because it will last for a couple of years. 


Comfortable shoes are important, and I have A LOT of ballet flats, but shorter heels are also great for 2 reasons. The style part is a given, but have you seen those high school boys? They're HUGE! And I'm not that short, I'm 5"5, bordering 5"6 and all of those kids tower over me. 


At the head of the classroom, you want to be taken seriously, so here is one good style rule, you do NOT want to look like your students. It's ok to shop at H&M, Forever 21, and other places you usually shop at, but be wary about those blouses! Go for simple things, nothing too trendy or loud because any student could walk in wearing the same top. Always bring a blazer, or a sweater if you are unsure about how much skin you are showing. Never have low cut tops, sometimes v-necks are fine, but if you are unsure put a tank top on under it.

With business pants, lose is better! The wide leg style has been in for the last couple of years, but it's supposed to be wide throughout the leg, not tight at the top. I had to exchange couple of pairs at H&M because i'm usually a 4 in their jeans, but their pants were just a little too tight in my butt area. I know that I work for my butt ( I go to the gym frequently) and you may too, but you do not want the high school boys thinking you have a nice ass. 


Skirts should fall at the knee, depending on the style. An inch above may be ok, if you plan on wearing boots, but longer is better. 


When in doubt, find a really stylish teacher and look at how she puts her outfits together then model after her. Don't get the same exact stuff, but if she has small suede heels in olive, maybe get a pair in black. If she wears long a-line skirts and chic tights, try that look out for yourself. You're not throwing your money away because a business casual wardrobe is an investment, especially if you plan on teaching for a long time. 


Even when you do buy casual tops, make sure they can look polished if you put on a blazer with it. That way you can double a lot of your clothes as weekend stuff too. 


NEVER wear sneakers with dress pants. EVER. I see so many girls doing this when they run to class after teaching, they must change their shoes in the car, it is so, so tacky and ugly. I don't get it! Even flip flops looks gross. If you need to be at class that quickly after student teaching, just bring a pair of ballet flats, or jeans in the car and change in the bathroom. 


Wear jewelry but have some quality pieces. Once again you do not want to look like your students and a lot of what they can afford are at those stores like Forever 21, because a this point, they are closer to being 21 than you are and that is their domain. Zara, Express, H&M, Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, & even Anthropologie have a beautiful, affordable, selection of jewelry. Anthropologie also always has things in their sale section of their website, which is easier to navigate through than a clearance section of the store. 


You can look classy, and stylish, without looking sexy or too young. Or look like you're playing dress up in your grandmother's closet. 

Another Day in the Classroom by aliciablyyours featuring brown shoes


This is a really easy style to pull off. Find a polka dotted shirt with ruched sleeves ( I found mine at H&M) and tuck it into a pair of wide leg pants of a contrasting color. So if the shirt is black and white: tan pants. If the shirt is brown and cream (but mostly cream): go for dark brown or black pants. Put a blazer on over the shirt and find some good short heels (the chunky heel is in right now) with a mary jane twist. Bring a black bag, with lots of room for a notebook to take notes on your lessons, classroom protocol, and other things you may want to note while observing the school. I plan on wearing this exact outfit when I start my field placement next week and I wish luck to all of the other student teachers all over the country that are headed out in the world to make a difference!

Dorothy Perkins navy tee
£20 - dorothyperkins.com

Zara blazer
$100 - zara.com

H&M high waisted wide leg pants
£25 - hm.com

Brown shoes
$28 - lulus.com

Kate Spade tote handbag
amazon.com

Building a Classic Wardrobe

I'd like to feature a section on this blog which will help guide people in building a classic wardrobe that has plenty of go-to pieces during those "I have nothing to wear" moments. 


I was inspired to do this after seeing my younger sister struggle with finding the right outfit when going out. She, like me, is a teacher, and figuring out things to wear in and out of work can be tricky. She is lucky enough to work for a company that has a daily t-shirt, so she only has to figure out the pants & shoes for a work day. However, a lot of young girls just coming into their own fashion sense are at a loss when it comes to the classics. 


I'm a pretty eclectic person when it comes to style, so I like to follow trends and try out a lot of new looks, but still, in order to do this successfully, you need a strong foundation. I'm going to block about 6 items at a time under the title of "Building a Classic Wardrobe," as I am also trying to add some more classic pieces to my closet. 


Some items will be on the more affordable side, while some will be splurges, and I'll also feature a lot of my own purchases. 

The Basics 1 by aliciablyyours featuring long shirts


Building A Classic Wardrobe: Series 1
The White Tee, The Black Shirt, The Riding Boot, The Blazer, The White Button Down, The Blue Skinny Jeans


The White Tee
The White Tee-shirt is about as basic as you can get. It's important to make sure that it fits really well and flatters your body type. Depending on your style preference it can be more feminine or sporty. A feminine tee can lend a more professional edge and work as a good layering piece at work without looking too casual or too career-oriented.


The Black Shirt
The Black Shirt is similar to the White Tee, in that it is a simple staple, but stylistically can be found in many different ways. A higher quality black shirt is important because black can fade pretty quickly if washed with other colors. Black works for all seasons and most outfits so is extremely versatile.


The Riding Boot
This style of boot is really very trendy right now and started getting big in the last 3 years, but there is a reason it's a classic instead of a come and go trend. Riding boots have a polished look because of their history. Think of a polo player. They are preppy, polished, and functional because of their low heel. A lot of boots on the market right now are a bit on the expensive side, but I found a really beautiful boot from the Shoe Dazzle boutique for under $40, which really is a steal. It's my opinion that people really need to get over the fact that some boots are made out of fake leather, because economically, and environmentally, it's the better choice all around. There are plenty of high quality boots made from fake leather, as well as boots made from real leather that fall apart within a year. 


White Button Down Shirt
The White Button Down is the cousin of the White Tee. It can be worn with jeans, slacks, skirts, under a sweater, over a camisole, just about with anything really. Like the White Tee, fit is important. Even though the boyfriend style is in right now, sloppy is sloppy any way you cut it. A crisp, well fitting white shirt always makes a statement, without even trying.


Blue Skinny Jeans
The darkest pair of Skinny Jeans you can find will pull your casual pieces together and make you look like you lost 15 lbs, no matter what size you are. This is an obvious classic.


The Black Blazer
At work with a skirt or jeans, a black blazer always gives off the professional vibe. It can be dressed up or down and can be found in Bloomingdales or off the rack at Kohls. It's impossible to not find a blazer that will fit your style needs. 

Jack BB Dakota cut out top
$54 - lorisshoes.com

Knit top
$30 - anthropologie.com

Long shirt
$35 - shopruche.com

Forever21 skinny leg jeans
$25 - forever21.com

Product Detail | H&M SE
£15 - hm.com

My favorite Nine West picks for under $100

I have only become a fan of Nine West in the last couple of years. I was admittedly a little obsessed with Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs, but couldn’t afford the very expensive price-tag anymore (even though I do come across amazing finds at Annie Sez and Marshalls.) So I started shopping for more affordable pieces that still can be eye catching and pull an outfit together. After taking a look at Nine West’s fall line, I am happy to announce that I won’t be buying any absurdly expensive designs this year, because there is clearly no need. I own two great bags from NW, a smaller cross-body that converts to a clutch and a larger shoulder bag. Both have held up great and are in the same condition as my numerous Michael Kors handbags.  I’ve also gotten more compliments on them than any of my expensive bags as well. Here are some of my favorites from NW’s new line. I hope you like them too!

My Favorite Nine West Picks For Under $100 by aliciablyyours featuring animal print bags

Nine West animal print bag
$120 - ninewest.com

Nine West shoulder hand bag
$85 - piperlime.gap.com

Nine West shoulder handbag
$28 - ninewest.com

Nine West crossbody handbag
$59 - ninewest.com

Nine West clutch hand bag
$17 - ninewest.com

Nine West chain handbag
$69 - ninewest.com

Outfit Clone: Ashley Olsen

Outfit Clone: Ashley Oslen by aliciablyyours featuring a stripe sweater

Remember those loafers I'm nuts about? They come in black too. 
Call me crazy but striped shirts to me are so Parisian.  They are a staple, they never go out of style, and look good on almost everybody. 


Leave it to Ashley Olsen to make it look even more desirable with her black satchel and dark sunglasses. Too bad you can't see her shoes, but I'd imagine she'd approve of the suede loafer, even if she isn't as crazy over it as I am. 

I threw in a leopard print bangle as well, because I think it's really cool to mix prints subtly like that. 

The only item here slightly over budget are the shoes ($120) although I did buy my pair of turquoise loafers for $80 on sale.


This outfit can really work with any kind of flat shoe, since it focuses on a limited color scheme.




 

Stripe sweater
$14 - kohls.com

Steven by Steve Madden glitter shoes
$120 - nordstrom.com

Satchel bag
£55 - houseoffraser.co.uk

Manumit brass jewelry
£12 - fashion-conscience.com

More colors trending: Orange

A little orange goes a long way by aliciablyyours featuring a grey shirt

Not sure how I feel about this one just yet, but this fall the orange blazer is hot. Actually blazers in all colors are have always been popular, but seemingly out there colors like orange, red and mustard, are quickly gaining speed on the classic black or blue jacket. 

The trick is to not get too crazy with other colors when working in a bright piece into an ensemble. Pairing orange with black may work on halloween, but on days that are not so pagan, you might want to stick to greys, white, beige, or even mustard (depending on how daring you want to be, that is.)

Animal prints are still a pretty big hit, so perhaps a printed flat would pull everything together. 

Whether it's tailored to fit your body perfectly, or a tousled, sleeves rolled up, boyfriend look, it could work as long as you feel confident. 


I'm not sure I'll be be adding this to my closet just yet (I have a list of classics that I'm working on first) but definitely something to keep in mind.

 

Grey shirt
$30 - topshop.com

Wool blazer
$40 - modcloth.com

American Eagle Outfitters flare jeans
$30 - ae.com

Flat shoes
$25 - hottopic.com

Kendra Scott mother of pearl earrings
$50 - stefanibags.com