Put a little prep in your step

In college, I hated that people would tell me "this ___ looks like something you would wear".
I had friends whose style I felt was so unpredictable and they could literally wear anything they wanted; I wanted so badly to be that person.
I went through phases of wearing baggy clothes, clothes that were too short for me, lots of dark clothes- all in efforts to keep a "well-balanced" closet.

The problem was, I never felt comfortable in most of the clothes I wore.
I was so caught up with trying to be trendy and stylish that I sacrificed my confidence.
I would try to wear those baggy, aztec-type sweaters and I just felt lost inside of clothes- I had no control over my style and certainly didn't felt comfortable with myself.

At 25, I am finally ok with being the preppy person I am.
In fact, I now fully embrace it- bring on the stripes, glitter, and hearts.
This "style crisis" was one of the reasons I started Real Life Dress Up- I have experienced how it feels to not feel comfortable with yourself and I have taken control back from my clothes.
I now wear clothes that I feel confident in and sometimes that means "skipping" on certain trends.


My tip to you- identify what you feel comfortable & confident with and embrace it.

& if your style happens to be more on the preppy side, then this is the blog for you :)

Sweater: F21 (old)

Shirt under sweater: Ross (old)

Jeans: F21 (old)

Shoes: GoJane

What is your personal style? Has anyone else experienced this shift?

Xoxo,

Nicole

Linking up: Penniless Socialite// Style Elixir

40 days until Christmas

Does anyone else have holidays on the mind at full speed?
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my mind is spinning & lately I have been all about DIY gifts.
Every year around Christmas time I try to reflect back on what I received for Christmas the previous year & to be honest, the ONLY things I can ever remember are things that were made personally for me.
So instead of taking the easy route and shutting down retail stores this year, I have committed to trying to create the most personal gifts for our loved ones.
Stay tuned for lots of DIY projects for grandparents, spouses, newlyweds, white elephant.

Apparently my wardrobe has Christmas on its mind too.
I think this may be one of my top contenders for a Christmas outfit this year.

Later this week, I am revealing ways to dress up your house for the holidays at little to no cost. 

Here's a little sneaky peek. 

Thanks for visiting! What is your favorite DIY gift to give or receive? 

Xoxo,

Nicole

Linking up: Vodka Infused Lemonade// Perfectly Courtured// Mix and Match Fashion// Penniless Socialite// Glitz and Gold

To all the moms out there: The 5 minute challenge

I've recently received a few emails from a couple different moms, all with the same complaint- "All of the outfits I see on blog and Pinterest aren't realistic for me because I have kids".
While I don't have kids yet, I do understand the conflict of wanting to dress up but also needing something functional (shout out to all my nanny fams who kept me busy/employed during my college years).

So I gave myself the 5 minute challenge and channeled my inner mom. I gave myself 5 minutes to get ready for running errands and completing all of my mom duties, and I gave myself 5 minutes to transition over into a date night outfit. Wearing the same shirt was important to me because I wanted to show versatility in clothing purchases.



For the day time: Gap ruffle shirt ($5 via goodwill), skinny jeans, flats and little stud earrings.

I know that necklaces and bracelets are not typically options as a mom, so the ruffles of the shirt gave me enough confidence to feel put together still. The red lipstick also put a little pep in my step.

Please excuse the wrinkles on the shirt- I wanted to make it realistic... busy moms don't have time to iron ;) 

Night time: Date night, back to school night, coffee with friends; anything. I threw on red pumps, added a gold tassel necklace, and grabbed a clutch. I think it took me about 3 minutes total. 

What do you guys think? Realistic for a mom to dedicate 3-5 minutes to throw on a ruffle shirt and some lipstick?

P.S. I loved receiving emails this last week- please keep them coming!!

Xoxo, 

Nicole 

Dressing like a 25 year old

Somehow I am 25 years old.
I don't remember it happening, but it happened and I have to accept it... I am 25.
Being a lover of all things pink, floral, lace, and tulle, I have to constantly be careful of my outfit selections- I can be mistaken for a 15 year old in a second.
But often I feel even older than I really am and sometimes am drawn to things my grandmother may wear. (she is a fashionable women with a closet full of Kate Spade- so don't feel offended for her)
It's this crazy fine balance; the life of a 25 year old- don't dress too young, don't dress too old.

Naturally I choose leopard because it can go horribly wrong (who likes to play it safe?)
With the first outfit, I tried to keep it classy with a black necklace, but realized I was playing on that  "too old" line.
A simple necklace and shoe swap made for a much more age-appropriate outfit selection.
The yellow necklace keeps the outfit youthful and the nude pumps add some age.
It's a tricky balance... does it get better with age?

What about you guys? Ever have a hard time deciding if something is age appropriate?

Happy Wednesday!!!

Don't forget to check the sidebar for ways to stay connected. 

Xoxo,

Nicole

Linking up: Here

Phillip Lim for Target, again.

Ever since the Phillip Lim for Target line launched, I have been obsessing over this dress.

But I have never been able to find my size in stores & ordering online seemed risky with such mixed reviews. 

I was so excited the other day when I found it at Target... and on a clearance rack!

I was with a friend and I grabbed the dress, checked the size, and gave it a nice hug

I think my exact words to her were "I need this dress! I have been wanting it for so long & it's on sale! I am buying it!"

She didn't argue, but I don't think she was thrilled with the purchase- her facial expressions gave her away. 

When I tried it on at home, I loved it by itself but it didn't feel too office appropriate and there is no way this dress was only getting pulled out on date nights and weekends. 

Adding the blazer and rolling up the sleeves seemed to give it a more "office feel" and I was giddy over the pops of mint & red. 

(The dress pre blazer) 

What do you guys think? 

A: does the blazer make it office appropriate? 

and 

B: is it office appropriate without the blazer?

Have a great day!

Xoxo,

Nicole

Linking up: What We Wore and Trend Spin Linkup and Because Shanna Said So
The Pleated Poppy and Kiki Women Style

Mixing Reds

I love, love, love mixing reds.
In my opinion, the key is not mixing the same red- but instead, a brighter or lighter red with a deeper red.
I also love that this sweater is child size XL from Old Navy. I had never thought about ordering a kids size due to weird fits, but sweaters seem to be a different story because they are a little more snug.

However, be warned, if you wear a sweater that relates to a popular parody, people will stop and tell you.

I never want to hear "what does the fox say?" EVER again.

Jeans: JcPenney

Sweater: Old Navy

Glitter Plaid Button Up: Target

That's all I have for today!

Happy Monday!! 

Neutral Loving

My battery charger is here & just in time for casual Friday!

Because these riding boots are pretty casual, I wanted to counter balance the casualness with a blazer to still keep it office appropriate. The blazer is actually cotton, so it's super cozy- but the lining is silky to dress it up a little.

People always ask me why certain things work, so I thought I would begin to incorporate that into the posts (when appropriate). 

So why does this work? Because everything is neutrals- literally everything. When dealing with neautrals you can mix and match beige, black, brown, and tan. I kept the belt simple with denim, but there's also a good chance to be a little bolder with neutrals and add color right there. Neon green would be cute, red, yellow- really any color would add a little extra something. 

It feels so good to be back!

P.S. is anyone else loving Old Navy as much as me lately? I'm loving these graphic tees (also worn here) 

Legging Loophole

I've said it once & I'll say it again- casual Friday is where it's at. 
I don't know what "it" is- but I'm confident it involves the option to dress casually.
Don't get me wrong- I love dressing up just as much as the next girl... but I want it to be by choice.
You can find me in professional attire from Monday to Thursday and on Friday, I refuse to wear anything that is acceptable on professional attire days.

However, casual Friday strictly excludes leggings.
And much against my pleading, it doesn't look like leggings will ever be approved.
When I found these pants at H&M, I knew I found a loophole to the no legging rule.
Technically- these aren't leggings, they are just really tight pants.
Do my legs know any difference?
Nope. They share the same comfort as my trusted leggings.
& here we have it folks, the leggings loophole. 

 

Shirt: Old Navy 

Pants: H&M (12.95 right now!)

Happy weekend, lovies!

Rainy Days and Tights.

I live in the land of sunshine. The sun is with us all year long & if we are lucky, we get about 6 days of rain.

I have never seen Hunters in real life and our stores don't carry jackets that are too heavy. 

I will never forget the winter that Donnie & I spent in Boston- I thought that pea coats were the thickest forms of jackets and sales people laughed at me when I asked what "down-filled jacket" meant; it was something else. 

I had a completely different outfit planned for today, but when I woke up to the smell of rain- I jumped out of bed and ran straight to my tights. 

You see, when you live in San Diego, you have to take advantage of these rainy days.

I listened to Christmas music all day long, I drank hot cocoa from a Christmas mug; I even bought myself some Christmas gifts at lunch. 

The forecast goes back to normal tomorrow and the tights get tucked back away. 

But as for right now- I sip my tea, cuddle in a blanket, and listen to the unfamiliar sound of rain. 

Do tights make anyone else feel absolutely giddy? 

Xoxo,

Nicole

P.S. Tomorrow, we chat about thrifting. Stay tuned.

Linking up:  Mix Match Fashion 

Leopard Lovin'

I have always loved leopard in a "add a pop of detail" kind of way.
I typically use it as a neutral or combine it with stripes for a "safe" way to pattern mix.
But lately, I have felt so inspired to wear it past my normal ways of just adding a scarf or shoes.
An entire leopard dress or sweater seems so bold to me, but I also can see where it could instantly dress up an outfit without having to add too many other details.
I am all for pieces that would help me save time in the morning and throwing on a statement piece seems like a great time saver.
Here's a few things I am loving that are currently for sale- I am trying not to buy them all.
P.s. #2, #3, and #8 are all on sale. 

1  / 2  / 3  / 4

5  / 6  /  7  / 8

I am loving #2 and #5 and think that they need to make their way to my wardrobe. 

Which pieces are you loving?

Xoxo,

Nicole

Love it or List it: Clothing Edition.

For years I have read the "rules" of cleaning out your closet.
"If you haven't worn it in x amount of months, get rid of it"
"Turn your hangers around when you wear the shirt..."'
These methods have never worked for me and I finally realized why...
Because I need to understand WHY I need to get rid of something.
Placing a time limit on my clothing was never a good enough reason to purge an item so my clothes would continue to pile up.

Now I have adopted a new method that works for me; it's based off one of my favorite shows- Love it or List it.
It's a fun way for me to clean out my closet and create some outfits, and in the end, I have to make the decision of if I am going to "love" an item and keep it,
or if I am going to "list" it, which really just means get rid of it. 
To help make the decision, I have to create at least 3 different outfits with the item that I love.
If I can't, it gets listed and is out of my closet forever.

Today's item: A sweater that I bought for $10 about a year ago.

 

 

So, after a couple outfits I usually begin to develop a pattern & can ask myself:

Are you going to love it? Or are you going to list it?

Today's verdict: List it. 

The cut is wrong, it does nothing for me & it's not versatile at all. 

This decision was really easy and I only had to create 3 outfits to understand that it's not worth holding onto. 

Does anyone else create weird games for themselves to complete tasks they don't really want to?

Neutral Sweaters

I am loving the neutral sweaters right now.
They are so versatile & will run you all the way through fall & winter- and these ones have such cute details.

Which are your favorites?
I think I have to buy #6- I never knew that buffalo could be so cute. 

 

one// two// three 

four// five// six

From Casual Friday to a Concert

Casual Friday is my favorite day of the work week; I seriously get upset if I miss casual Friday and have to wait a whole week to wear jeans to work.
But, since I am still at work, I try not to go too casual.
Today was going to be an even bigger challenge because the hubby & I are going to the John Mayer concert right after work (with no chance to change), so I needed an outfit that I could wear to work, but easily converted to a casual vibe without having to change.

Work:

 

 

Night: Throw on a camel bomber, pull a teal clutch out of my purse & I am ready for the night! 

 

Shirt: my favorite Kohl's shirt

 Scarf: Old Navy/old: similar

Jeans: Forever 21 Skinny Jeans

Shoes: Steve Madden Pumps via Ross 

Camel Bomber: Target (can't find online, but very recent purchase) 

What is your favorite casual Friday outfit?? 

Happy weekend time, lovies!

Xoxo,

Nicole

Linking up: Vodka Infused Lemonade & Hunters of Happiness

The evolution of the outfit

When I found this sweater at Target, I loved it and instantly thought of pairing it with my cobalt blue peplum skirt.
I put the outfit on together & realized that it failed miserably; I actually gasped when I put it on and realized how bad it looked.
(**I originally wasn't going to post a picture, but decided that it is part of the process & it's important to see that clothes can be very unflattering if you let them be. It's important to keep trying until you get the look that you originally wanted) 

1. This was the outfit that looked great in my head. On me, it looked miserable & was completely unflattering. I identified the skirt as the part that wasn't working, so I kept the sweater on & switched pants.

 

2. I added a pair of light blue corduroy pants and blue flats and knew I was on the right track, but I still wasn't convinced of the outfit.  I decided to see if it was the shoes or the pants I wasn't liking, so I tried to swap out the pants first.

 

3. I instantly knew I liked the jeans better because it made the sweater look less juvenile, but still felt a little matchy-matchy so I added the bubble necklace for some contrast. I liked the direction I was heading, but I wanted to make one more adjustment--- the competing shoes.

 

4. I swapped the blue shoes for some nude pumps and loved the chic look it created. The blue shoes were competing with the necklace and sweater and the dark denim with nude pumps allow for full focus on the sweater detail. 

By identifying pieces along the way that I wasn't crazy about, I was able to end up with an outfit that I love. When an outfit doesn't look the way you intended it to look- keep trying!

Have you ever ended up with an outfit that you loved as a result of evolving your closet? 

P.S. I am loving the comments and support--- you guys are amazing!!

Xoxo, Nicole  

Here's a sneak peak of tomorrow's post: 

Linking up: Everyday Fashion & Finance