Category Archives: Real Life Style + Beauty

A peek into our closet

I read a great post on Wardrobe Oxygen this weekend about Honing Your Personal Style Through Closet Organization and it struck me that this is *exactly* how I taught myself to get dressed. I am an organization JUNKIE, and it was actually a closet organizing technique that spawned my desire to think more about my personal style.

A decade ago I loved having a closet FILLED TO THE BRIM with clothing. The more shiny, crappy, polyester clothing options I had the more abundant I felt. During a closet organizing whim one day years ago, I decided to try this little trick and I realized what I was REALLY wearing. I consistently wore clothes that were comfortable, well-fitting and were in similar colors and styles. I am no minimalist and I’m certainly not advocating owning one pair of well fitting jeans and fiver shirts in different colors, but when I did that exercise I realized that there was a method to my dressing madness, even when I thought there wasn’t.

With this reliable and affordable wholesale screen pinter you can design and print your own shirts to create your own line.

Unsurprisingly, what was happening was that I was consistenly wearing the clothing that made me look and feel good, and ignoring the large majority of my shiny, glittery, “fun” wardrobe. It was clear that I was living in fantasy land when I shopped, but in reality when I got dressed. There was lots of lovely clothing (ok and some that wasn’t so lovely) but for one reason or another, the stuff I wasn’t wearing just wasn’t a fit — for my shape or for my lifestyle. And it was a wasteful disconnect that made me want to start building a more intentional wardrobe. (I say start becuase it is an on-going process.) I also found a place that sells great pieces, including swimwear that makes me feel comfortable, I will leave you here the info in case that you are interested.

These days, even though I deal with a much smaller and more specific wardrobe, I feel much more abundant. Part of that on-going process is that every few months I clean out my closet to remove things I’m not wearing or just generally not digging, and then twice per year I do one BIG closet switcheroo based on the seasons. I try to only keep two seasons worth of clothing out at a time (Spring/Summer clothes and Fall/Winter clothes.)  Despite the fact that my closet can accommodate all of my clothing being out at once, the hanger exercise taught me that when my visible wardrobe is a little more tightly curated, I seem to feel more creative. (Strange, but true.)

Perhaps you like to look at all of your clothes at once, and that is okay too! But I thought we could talk about where one would start when they want to build an intentional wardrobe; which to me, is a wardrobe where the clothes that fill up your space are the clothes that you actually WANT to wear. Revolutionary, it is not. But despite its simplicity, it actually took me a while to get the hang of. In case I’m not the only person who learned this a bit late in life, I thought I’d share some of the steps I took to get there and some fun resources that might help:

1. Define YOUR Signature Style

As with anything important, there must first be a vision, right? Your clothing is reflection of who you are in your life, whether you are are making an effort at it or not. I want to look nice, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time thinking about it. It has been helpful to pick a mission statement for all of my clothes and stick to it. They must be classic and comfortable, but with a little bit of flair. For me that ends up being simple prints, bright colors or dramatic accessories. It helps me to have a checklist in my head to walk through so I can say “No Holly, despite the fact that you think it is beautiful, you don’t need this white lace dress with 900 buttons, even if you do have just the place to wear it!” (Uh, except I don’t. haha)

Related Reading: How To Find Your Personal Style

2. Determine Clothing Staples That Work For Your Body

I am attracted to so many different styles and types of clothing just because I think fashion is creative and artistic. But I don’t need the analysis paralysis that comes with buying an entire closet full of artsy clothes. I’ve learned through trial and error the silhouettes that do and don’t work for my body – and honestly, taking daily photos of what I’m wearing helped that immensely. Now that I know what works well and what to AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE, I try and keep things in that arena and buy variations of those. It may sound boring, but these days there are a million different pencil skirts out there, so knowing that this is a flattering cut on me doesn’t actually make my wardrobe boring it actually helps keep focused so I can seek out the most fun versions of indian outfits at nihal fashions.

Related Reading: Fashion 101: Proportions – How to Achieve the Appearance of a Well Proportioned Body

3. Start With a Capsule Wardrobe

I’m sure you have heard this advice a million times but if you are just beginning thinking about style I absolutely think Custom wardrobes are a must. Of course you can expand on this idea once you get comfortable, but start with a small grouping of versatile, well-fitting items that you can mix and match and you will be amazed at how many outfits you have.

Related Reading: Wardrobe Oxygen is a gold mine of Capsule Wardrobe Ideas from realistic retailers

4. Buy Clothes That Fit You Well Regardless of Their Size

I currently have 4 different sizes in my closet and shockingly: THEY ALL FIT. Clothing Manufacturers have no regulation about sizing and sometimes the sizing within the same store can be weird based on the style of clothing or place the clothing was made (I’m looking at you, Old Navy. The store where I own clothing all the way from Medium to Extra Large — what???) As a consumer I will acknowledge that this is totally annoying, but being flexible an unattached to the size of your clothing often allows you to access to better fitting clothing. And more styles! I often hear people sayin

g “Oh I just can’t wear skinny jeans, they don’t fit me.” Well they wouldn’t fit me right either if I bought my regular size. But sometimes if I go up a size (or two!) they end up looking AWESOME!

If you need roof installation for your rental properties, make sure to contact the roofing experts at BigHorn Roofing.

Related Reading: What Size Are You Really? The Truth Behind Vanity Sizing

******

Hopefully that has given you a few ideas for creating a more intentional wardrobe. I’ve found it to be so helpful for getting dressed! You don’t have to have a huge budget, or an innate knack for what looks great. Also you don’t have to shop at a million stores. Find what you like, what looks good on you, and then (here’s the big secret) BUY THOSE THINGS! It will make shopping and dressing a more creative and satisfying experience. If you have any other awesome tips to share, please do so.

A Few More Fun Resources:

*The True Longevity of Timeless Items

*A handy dandy flowchart showing How to UnF**k Your Closet.

*A Guide on How To Set Your Wardrobe Budget

*The Truth About TJ Maxx

As always, click any of the links below for details about all the items I’m wearing and where they came from.

1. Failing at Stripe Rehab, 2. Turquoise Pants!, 3. Super Bowl Party, 4. More Stripes. Crap., 5. Cold., 6. Layers, 7. Color Happy, 8. Friday, casual., 9. Saturday Afternoon, 10. Pink Shoes!, 11. Polka Dots, 12. Linen, 13. V-Day ❤❤❤❤, 14. TGIF, 15. Monday. Un-Creative, 16. Yay Jeans!

So hey, I’m a little behind on this, but I thought I’d revisit how I got dressed in February. If you remember, my goal was to wear less stripes than in January.

What I’m Currently Loving

It shouldn’t be  a shock that I’m still loving scarves this month. It was February and it was COLD! Also I was feeling a dark palette with just a little bit of color. (Not a pop! Down with the expression POP OF COLOR!) I get this way every winter, February especially, but I just want to wear cozy black things and leggings. Obviously I had to spiff up that concept a bit for “business casual” attire, but it was definitely what I was feeling.

Tights + Leggings 4 EVA!

What Inspired Me While Getting Dressed

The first half of the month was me trying to back off on the stripes and honestly getting layered. It was cold outside, it was cold in the office, and layers were a serious necessity but I didn’t want to look like a bag lady. I got offered my new job mid month, so honestly I didn’t even take outfit photos for a few days because I was inspired mostly by the concept of “Just get dressed and get to work.” Not that fun. Towards the end of the month it was beginning to feel like spring so I got slightly more colorful and I will keep that up. I love color! (And polka dots, apparently.)

Hits

This was my favorite outfit of the month. It’s not super exciting but it had all my favorite elements: scarf, simplicity, black, comfortable but not boring. And um, leopard shoes, HELLO.

Misses

This was my lease favorite. I think busted out the linen a little too early. It was super springy day, but by the end of it I just wasn’t feeling “light and bright” clothes yet. Also: I hate how that sweater hangs every time I wear it. I should really just get rid of it. Maybe it’s time to do a Shop My Closet cull again.

******

So that was my February closet! March should bring some more spring-y looks and some new jeans. I had to throw away my FAVORITE jeans this month (my 1969 Gap Boyfriend Jeans) because…uh…well after owning them for forever the thigh area sort of…uh, gave out. WHAT? Shit happens. My thighs touch. THIS IS REAL LIFE STYLE, Y’all. 🙂

I post a daily picture on Instagram of what I wear. Well let me rephrase: what I wear when I actually put on an outfit that looks reasonable. If I’m home all day writing or watching Real Housewives of Anywhere in my yoga pants, I generally don’t bother with a snap shot. You’re welcome. 🙂

It seems a little vain to take pictures of your clothes — I get that, and to a certain extent it is —  but over the past year I found it fun and inspiring to have a log of what I wore. It’s helped me figure out where my style is at currently and it gives me a foundation from which to decide where I want to go. Understanding those things actually makes it easier (and more fun) to get dressed in the morning, and both are a total win – so vanity be damned!

When I did my summer survey last year there were a lot of requests for more Real Life Style posts. Many of you responded to the idea that everyday style vs aspirational style was helpful to see, and I love that! But I have struggled with a way to do that on this blog that isn’t just a roundup of pictures with captions of where all of it came from. It’s not that I don’t enjoy those types of posts (I do!) but personally, I find them a little bit tedious to write and not all that helpful unless I’ve just purchased something that I can link to. Unfortunately a lot of my outfits include Stuff I Bought At Target A Long Ass Time Ago. It’s my style-statement, I guess…but you gotta work with what ya got!

I thought a monthly roundup could be a happy medium — photos of what I wore (in case you don’t follow me on Instagram) but also bit of talk about HOW I got dressed. I mean, yes yes “One leg at a time” but more about:

*Items I’m Currently Loving (ie: Repeating)
*What Inspired Me While Getting Dressed
*Hits/Misses

So enough explanation…here’s how I got dressed in January:

(Click the links below the photos if you are interested in the specifics of an outfit. I listed each item (with links where applicable) but I warn you, I wear a lot of old stuff! :))

1. Hot Pink Accents, 2. Running Errands, 3. Channeling Hannah From Girls, 4. Favorite Outfit This Month, 5. Oldie But Goodie, 6. Comfy Basics, 7. Black Skinny Jeans I Love (FINALLY!), 8. Pattern Mix (Stripes and Spots), 9. Dress/Tights, 10. Polka dots/Mini Peplum/Puppy, 11. Biker Bitch (but a nice one!), 12. Stripe on Stripe on Stripe!, 13. Jeggins/Chambray Layers, 14. Semi Chic Hobo, 15. Black & White & Red All Over, 16. Unapologetic Stripes, 17. Layer w/ A Bit of Color, 18. Polka Dots!, 19. Plain Jane, 20. Bathing Suit Coverup! What?

What I’m Currently Loving

A visual grid makes it very clear I am loving scarves and stripes. I think I’m going to get over stripes here shortly. Obviously I love them, but I want to branch out with some other prints. Stripes tickle the geometric part of my brain, but there must be something else. I’ve got my eye out!

As for scarves, let me make a confession: this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. I LOVE SCARVES! (What? They are like purses and shoes! They always fit!) I was really into infinity scarves this month thanks to a clearance purchase at the Gap (the gray knit one) and a gift from Elizabeth (the turquoise one, which I LOVE!)

What Inspired Me While Getting Dressed

Honestly, this month it was all about functionality. I work in an office that is freezing one minute and burning up the next, so layers are kind of a must. Also, I wanted to wear dresses this month but it was also 40 degress on the regular. Best purchase so far this year: $8 leggings from Target.

In addition to functionality, I was really feeling like exercising my minimalist brain this month and I repeated quite a few things. My wardrobe isn’t that big actually. The rack that I stand in front of taking my pictures is basically ALL OF MY CLOTHING. So yeah, not much. But I was hoping to mix them up in a creative way so that it wasn’t glaringly obvious that I was wearing all the same stuff. I feel like that was pretty successful.

Hits

This was my favorite outfit of the month.

Also, I still have so much love for Gap Sexy Boyfriend Jeans. They were the only jeans I wore this month, actually. Every time I link to them I think “$80 is a lot of cash! DAMN!” But ya know what…they are TOTALLY WORTH IT. Really versatile, stylish and durable — For $80 I have completely gotten my money’s worth. I don’t have a large clothing budget (in fact I don’t even HAVE a clothing budget written in as a line item) so it’s nice to remind myself every once in a while that sometimes a higher quality item is worth paying for.

Misses

This was my least favorite. In fact, all day long I kept thinking I was channeling Hannah from Girls…who we all know is kind of a hot frumpy mess. I even read a fun article about how they tailor her clothes to be ill fitting. Not my best day!

*****

So that’s my closet this month! What do we think about this format? Helpful? Unhelpful? Holly, get your face outta my face? 🙂

I really should get paid to post naked pictures of my face on the internet.

(Oh wait, this time I did 🙂 While I was compensated for the time it took to write this post, my opinions are not for sale.)

BlogHer recently contacted me and asked if I would like to review two Cetaphil products this month. You all know I have struggled with acne-prone skin, so I am pretty game to try anything that may help. On top of that, you may remember that I had complained earlier this month that I still did not have any kind of sun protection at all in my routine, so when I read that one of the products was the Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 I absolutely jumped at the chance.

If you have been reading this website for any length of time, you know that taking care of my skin really does excite me, and for the past few months with The Great Skincare Experiment I have been consistently looking for that perfect intersection where healthy food and lifestyle meets ideal products for my face. It has been years since I have used any Cetaphil products, and I wasn’t particularly unhappy with my current skincare routine, but the two main reasons I was willing to check out some Cetaphil products were:

1. It was the most common product that you all recommended to me back when asked for your skin care advice

and

2. Cetaphil products are recommended by more dermatologists than any other brand.

Recommendations from my readers and dermatologists? Alrighty then, I thought, Cetaphil products may be worth trying again!

It’s only been a little while since I started using the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and the Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 and I’m happy to report that they really are both as gentle as can be. For someone with very sensitive and dry skin, this is absolutely a must, especially during the winter months! But the other thing that is important to me is that a cleanser actually get my face clean, and an antioxidant face serum that actually protects the skin. Both of these products did the trick, and most importantly they’ve done so without any irritation whatsoever. Anti aging hand cream is important too, especially in harsh weather.

Win!

I’m looking forward to seeing how it compliments my skincare moving forward, and you KNOW I will be keeping you posted.

Because it is the holidays and everyone is in the giving spirit, Cetaphil will be offering a printable coupon to save $3 on any two Cetaphil products. Click here to save up to $3.

Sweepstakes

Would like to be entered into a random drawing for a $100 Visa Gift Card? Leave a comment answering this question: *Of all the skin care products you own, which one could you not live without?

Rules:

No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post.
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion, including exactly the
following unique term in your tweet message: #SweepstakesEntry and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post.
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post.
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 12/11/12 -1/7/13. Be sure to visit the Cetaphil brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

We have very important superficial things to discuss today people. Namely, my hair. AND HOW IT MUST BE CUT.

If you remember, the last time we had this discussion was in May of this year, so it is HIGH TIME for a haircut. I’m pretty sure normal people do not go 7 months without getting their mops chopped, but I’ve never been one to be normal.

This is also the picture that made me fantasize about Juvederm or other injectible things POURED INTO THE WRINKLES IN MY FACE OMG. But that is another blog post altogether.

Anyway, back to the hair. It’s not horrible, it’s just currently in that unruly state where it takes A LOT of work to get it to look only ok. And I prefer to have hair that is fun instead of just hair that is constantly pulled back into a ponytail. Though I am a sucker for ponytails with bangs, but we’ll talk about that in a minute. If you want some tips to take care of your facial hair, visit //www.groenerekenkamer.com.

I like hair that actually has a style. It’s okay if it take a lot of styling products and a hair dryer and looks fabulous, but I’m not that into hair that requires multiple tools and a prayer just to look “decent.” In my vast 34 years of mop chopping experience there are two things I do with my hair that fit those requirements.

Have you ever get a bad haircut or in the salon they have damage your hair and there is no way back? If your answer is yes, let me tell you that there is a possibility to suing a beauty salon for all the problems that they can cause, so next time keep this in mind. Next time, choose a salon that consulted for hairdressing health and safety advice.

A. Bangs

I like bangs. Blunt Bangs. Choppy Bangs. Swoopy Bangs. They’re just fun! But yes, they do become annoying after a while and then one must grow them out. First world problems and all that. But I do love a good ponytail with bangs, which might be a nice way to not cut off a lot of length, but still have a fun hairdo that is more functional. I just said hairdo. Do people under 80 still say hairdo?

For your reference: Me with bangs (Please ignore Garrett’s caveman beard. I don’t know what was up with that.)

B. Shorter Hair

Shorter hair is fun and sassy. It looks good straight, lends itself well to curling and always looks like it was cut to be in that particular style. But it can be a pain for workouts, and I haven’t learned how to expand my short hair repertoire beyond A-line bob. I’m up for suggestions.

For your reference: Me with my most recent shorter hair (Man, that photo makes me miss summer and sunshine.)

So. here we sit, two roads diverged in a yellow wood. Take a vote and let me know what you think.

Starting tomorrow and for the next six weeks I get to wear jeans to work. Hooray for casual dress! You may remember this inspired last year’s 30 Days of Denim, but this year I don’t have the energy for that (hoooooooooo boy did that take some time!) While I’m not documenting what I wear every day on the blog, I still like popping in on occasion and talking about clothes. I’m still posting my Outfit of the Day almost daily on Instagram (follow_holly) so if you are jonesing for some denim, you will get it over the next 6 weeks.

I’m feeling a little uninspired with respect to style lately mostly because my mind is ready for fall but it is still 100 degrees out. There are actual coats hanging in stores. I mean, it’s gross to look at, but I still want to wear it all! So in the meantime, here’s what I’ve been wearing, and where I got it.

Shirt: Banana Republic Outlet (old) Skirt: New York & Co. Bracelet: Target Shoes: Target (old)

Funny story about this outfit. One: I hate ruffles and this shirt has ruffles. Why do I buy ruffles? I’m thinking on getting rid of this. It annoys me every time I wear it. Two: This skirt. I am in love with it. I walked into the mall and saw it recently in every size but mine. Boo. Then I tried to buy it online and it said sold out. Then I looked at 2 other NY & Company shops with no luck. Then I gave up. But then! Then! I had to go to Reno for work, and just happened to drive by a NY & Co with 30 minutes to spare before a meeting and VOILA! Said skirt became mine. This shit was hard earned. I may just wear it every day. No bigs, since it totally blends in.

Sweater: Nordstrom Rack (old) Necklace: Target (old) Skirt: Costco Tank: Target Mossimo Tanks, which are the bomb, btw, and $5 right now. Shoes: Missoni for Target

You really need to do yourself a favor and buy this skirt at Costco because it feels like yoga pants. And I’m going to keep telling you this until you buy it. YOU GUYS, IT IS SO COMFY. Which is why I wore it on a day when I had to sit through a Negotiating Seminar, which was not comfy at all.

Shirt: Gap Necklace: Banana Republic Outlet (old) Pants: Gap Wedges: Target (old) Bracelet: Target

We need to discuss these pants. They are “Linen” and I love them. Well, they look like linen, feel like linen but they actually aren’t linen so you know what they don’t do? Wrinkle the second you exhale. I’m in love! Also, I have worn this shirt a million times. I wish I would have bought every style! It’s so light and awesome to wear when it is hot, but it still looks professional.

Shirt: Banana Republic Outlet (old) Jeans: Gap Sexy Boyfriend Belt: Target Shoes: Target (suuuuuper old) Bangles: Target (so old)

I don’t understand why Gap calls these sexy. They aren’t sexy at all. Just SUPER comfy. It’s probably the same reason they call those other pants linen when they are really some rayon blend. Whatever. Oh, if you are a belt beginner, I highly recommend this belt from Target. It’s really versatile. And this post, of course.

Shirt: Old Navy (old) Skirt: Gap Outlet (old) Shoes: Target (old) Necklace: Target (can’t find it online but it’s on clearance in the stores.)

This is CLEARLY why I’m not a style blogger. I wear a lot of old stuff.
Oh wait — the watch — that I can actually link to. Woot!

Now I’m just getting desperate. 🙂 Who wants to go shopping for fall clothes?????