Admiral and Tea

Gingham Shirt

 

Gingham and checked shirts are major this month. Everyone, from The Gap to J. Crew, is carrying some variation on them. Now I will let you in on a little secret for where to buy the best and most inexpensive shirts.....the boy's department! I know, it sounds strange. But the boy's departments of stores like Old Navy and The Gap are currently carrying some great shirts. They fit in the trendy boyfriend style, and are easily belted. The best thing is, they are usually less than half the price of the adult's shirts, so they are perfect for a tight budget! I picked up a great white button down shirt from Old Navy for $12. And the shirt in this outfit is only $24.50 from Gap Kids, while the women's shirt which looks practically the same is around $50. I don't always advise shopping in the boy's department, because obviously there are times when it is essential to buy shirts designed for women. But for when money is low (like around the holidays!) check out the boy's section for some great, cheap shirts! 

Shirt from Gap Kids: $24.50 

Turtleneck from Old Navy: $15.00 

Necklace from Forever 21: $6.80 

Boots from Target: $29.99 

Purse from Topshop: $44.00 

Corduroy Pants from American Eagle: $39.50 

 

My outfit is completely inspired by this one from the wonderful J. Crew holiday catalogue. I really love how they layer a turtleneck underneath a shirt. Perfectly cute and warm for this season. J. Crew is the best, but sometimes buying every single piece of an outfit from there can be really expensive. That's why I created an outfit based off of theirs, that is inspired by J. Crew's styling, but is much cheaper. 

How is everyone's holiday shopping coming? Hope that you are enjoying the season! :) 

Holiday Cheer

 

Hello! I am done my exams now, and off for the holidays! :) I have been so busy but now that I am done school until January I will be back with more posts throughout December. Here is a cute outfit for a day out shopping or dinner with friends this holiday season! I love the red infinity scarf as a pop of colour on the striped shirt (love love love stripes)! I think that these shoes are so cool, I have been trying to buy some like them but they are sold out everywhere. And the flower pinned on the belt adds a unique touch to this pretty skirt. 

Scarf from American Eagle: $34.50 

Shirt from Old Navy: $12.50 

Cardigan from American Eagle: $39.50 

Tights from Old Navy: $6.50  

Ring from Forever 21: $3.80 

Shoes from Aldo: $49.98 

Skirt from Old Navy: $29.50

Belt from Forever 21: $6.80 

Pin from Anthropologie: 19.85 

Do you have snow yet? We had our first tiny snow today! See you back here later in the week with another outfit! 

Tights Love

 Photo by ghostlings

 Photo by ohsweetnuthin

 Photo by Kate Pulley

 Photo by ohsweetnuthin

Just a quick little post :). School is still busy busy busy, but almost done for the semester! I really love tights lately, and there are so many lovely tights photos on Flickr! Tights are surprisingly not that easy to find, but I really like the ones that Old Navy and The Gap have- inexpensive and good quality. I love fun colours like mustard, and of course black and neutrals like grey! 

Tights from The Gap: $12.50 

Tights from Old Navy: $6.50

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!  

Vogue in the 1920s

 Hello! I have been missing in action the last little while, school has been absolutely insane and so so busy! I am taking a break today though because it's my birthday :) One school project I have been working on the past few weeks that I actually loved was about Vogue in the 1920s. In my research I came across the most beautiful, unique and inspiring Vogue covers from the twenties. I am still in amazement at how cool they are, and I wish they were still like this!! I want to print off some of these and frame them!

These are just a few of so many incredible ones you can find. They are both from the amazing book "In Vogue: The Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine" by Norberto Angeletti and Alberto Oliva. I highly recommend it, it would be a perfect Christmas gift for any fashion lover. For my project I had to spend a day in the library looking through old Vogue microfilms. I thought that it would a nightmare because microfilms are so tedious and annoying. But it turned out to be so much fun because all those old issues are absolutely gorgeous! I was just sitting there grinning and spent so long going through all the issues and saving images for myself. I can't get enough of all the flapper fashions. And the design of Vogue was stunning- the articles, layouts, and fonts are so unique and beautiful. Here are some examples for you:

 

I love how they show the fashions displayed on those pages- so cool! Oh how nice it would be to have all those vintage Vogue issues...I would really love that. :) I hope that these images are as inspiring for you as they are for me!

(Oh, and in case you want to check it out, here is the link to my website about Vogue in the 1920s: http://www.uoguelph.ca/~csheehan/Home.html ) 

Trench coat + metallics

 Until November 12th Old Navy is having a huge sale of 50% off all of their outerwear- crazy!! They actually have a wide selection of different styles and colours, including pea coats and trench coats. I have been looking for an affordable trench coat all fall, because they are such a classic part of any wardrobe. I bought this black one for only $30 today! And it is even cheaper in the U.S., approximately $25. I also saw that they had these awesome metallic tank tops for a very cheap price, and they seem to be inspired by J.Crew's metallic tanks, which I absolutely love (but the Old Navy ones are way cheaper)! The long cardigan is meant to be worn over the tank, and belted around the waist with that great belt (on sale!) from J.Crew. I love how in the J.Crew catalogue they use the men's MacAlister boots on women- it looks so cool! These boots are actually made for women, and are totally inexpensive. I love the mix of girly metallics with the menswear inspired boots. I also love dressing up plain scarves like this one with a pretty fabric flower brooch. 

Clockwise from top left:

Tank top from Old Navy: $10.50

Necklace from Old Navy: $10 

Cardigan from Old Navy: $29.50 

Headband from Old Navy: $6.50 

Scarf from Old Navy: $12.50 

Brooch from Forever 21: $3.80 

Trench coat from Old Navy: $49.50 online, under $30 in store 

Belt from J.Crew: $14.99 in store 

Boots from Spring Shoes: $59.99 online, $39.99 in store 

Jeans from American Eagle: $39.50 

Have a wonderful November weekend everyone! I love November's crisp air, and the fact that it is my birthday month! :) 

A Little Bit of Summer

 This past weekend I was down in California visiting family, and the weather was so gorgeous. It was such a change from the chilly and rainy weather back home! We made it down to the beach and it was a wonderful day that felt just like summer. 

It was bittersweet because it was so fleeting, but hopefully this little taste of summer will tide me over for the cold winter months. 

This week I can't live without:

Here are my favourite necessities this week:

J. Crew October catalogue: Always an absolutely endless source of inspiration. I flip through their catalogues daily and they provide me with so many inspiring and beautiful fashion ideas. The colour palettes and the way that they style the outfits is so unique and striking. If I am ever in a style rut I turn to my trusty J.Crew catalogue and always end up with an idea for an outfit- they put together so many surprising combinations and layers that are easily reproducible with classic items from any wardrobe. 

Starbucks VIA Instant Italian Roast coffee: My dad introduced me to these little wonders, and they make my life so much easier! You can buy 4 or 12 packs of these instant coffee packets at any Starbucks location. Just pour into your mug, add boiling water, and you have a cup of delicious coffee that is unlike any instant you have ever had, believe me. I was a total instant hater until I tried these. They are great for mornings when you are in a rush and have no time to brew your own coffee or swing by a coffee shop before school or work. They are also great for traveling, because it can be so hard to find a good cup of coffee, and with these all you need is hot water and a cup and you get guaranteed delicious coffee. They are so small and lightweight, I have put some packets in my purse in case of a caffeine emergency :) 

Rain boots: Every day I walk to school and back multiple times down a dirt path that is nicknamed "the cow path" as it runs next to stables and a barn (my school has an agricultural college). Whenever it rains, which seems to happen every other day this fall, the cow path turns into a muddy, puddle-y, slippery, gross mess. I always had to brave the mud and hope my feet wouldn't end up soaked (they always did). I had been looking for inexpensive rubber rain boots all fall, and last week I finally found some at Walmart for only $13! It was amazing. They are so practical and comfy and actually look really cool. And best of all, my feet stay super dry! (The boots shown are from Target)

Rain jacket: You would think that a basic, black, waterproof rain jacket would be easy to find, but I had been looking for one since summertime, and had no success. And since it has been raining like crazy, I definitely need one. This week I found this men's rain jacket at Old Navy, and it was actually the first basic waterproof jacket that I have seen. A size small fits well with enough room for a sweater underneath if necessary. I am so happy that I am now prepared for the rainy weather! 

What are the things that you can't live without right now?

Have a great weekend! 

Love Teen Vogue

I am completely obsessed with magazines, and as each month progresses I keep purchasing them until I have somehow bought all the usual ones that I read. I hate when this happens, because I really love flipping through magazines, finding inspiration and new fashion ideas. Well this happened to me this month, and I was desperate for some new material. I haven't picked up Teen Vogue in a while, because I figured it would be too "young." But I saw that the November issue had an article on fashion bloggers (love!) so I gave it a shot. And wow, did it ever prove me wrong! It is an amazing little magazine, filled with great articles on a wide variety of topics. And there is so much fashion content and incredible, accessible style ideas that I was in heaven! Definitely not just for teens, Teen Vogue is a renewed favourite :). Check out this absolutely gorgeous shoot, called "Finding Nirvana": 

 

(All images from Teen Vogue November 2009)

I love it so much- the styling, the locations, the photography- its all so well done! I felt really inspired after seeing it, so I put together some items based on this revived grunge yet feminine look. The look can be achieved with plaid, stripes, cozy sweaters, boots, and romantic details in a palette of neutrals, blues and reds. 

Clockwise from top left:

Hat from Forever 21

Cardigan from Forever 21 

Cardigan from Forever 21

Dress from Fred Flare

Hat from Forever 21

Sweater from American Eagle

Shirt from Forever 21

Tights from Forever 21

Sweater from Bluenotes

Leggings from American Eagle

Boots from Fred Flare

Skirt from Fred Flare

Cardigan from American Eagle 

I love finding inspiration in unexpected places :) 

Simple Halloween Costume Idea: Sailor

Here is another easy Halloween costume for you! Sailor costumes are really cute and easy to put together!

Hat from Candy Apple Costumes: $4.99

Socks from American Apparel: $10

Shirt from Forever 21: $15.80 

Shorts from Forever 21: $17.80

Shoes from Payless: $14.99 

Ring from Catherine Marissa on 1000 Markets: $15 

If it is too chilly for shorts, some navy blue pants would also work great! I love the little anchor ring as a nautical touch :)

I love that striped shirt, and it is a good piece to build an everyday outfit around!

 

Shirt from above

Chain necklace from Forever 21: $8.80 

Pearl necklace from American Eagle: $9.95 

Cardigan from Alloy: $24.90

Purse from Forever 21: $34.80 

Boots from Old Navy: $34.50 

Jeans from American Eagle: $39.50 

I really love the look of the pearls layered with the entwined chains- the contrast is really great!

Hope that this helps anyone looking for a quick costume- Halloween is just over a week away! Have a great weekend :) 

Inspired by Oranges and Blues

After seeing Leslie's Color Me Pretty post on decor8 yesterday, I could not stop thinking about her amazing pairing of blues and dark orange. And then on Gossip Girl the character Vanessa was wearing a gorgeous outfit in the same colour palette- I love her necklace!

 

After all this colour inspiration, I couldn't get those colours out of my head! I created a collection of some items in the same palette, as well as an outfit. 

Clockwise from top left:

Necklace from Forever 21: $10.80 

Shirt from American Eagle: $39.50 

Necklace from Anthropologie: $51 

Shirt from American Eagle: $24.50 

Nail Polish from Revlon: under $5 at any drugstore 

Sweater from Forever 21: $24.80 

Necklace from Anthropologie: $40 

Shirt from American Eagle: $17.50 

Clockwise from top left:

Shirt from American Eagle: $17.50

Necklace from The Gap: $29.50 

Coat from Old Navy: $69.50 

Brooch from Ruche: $8.99 

Bracelet from Forever 21: $5.80 

Ring from Charlotte Russe: $4

Sweater from American Eagle: $39.50 

Jeans from American Eagle: $39.50 

I have never liked orange before, but I really love it paired with the gorgeous blues, grey and black that Leslie chose. 

I thought that the turquoise brooch would look great on that coat! I am wary of wearing bright colours sometimes, but an easy, safe way to add colour is with accessories like that beautiful turquoise ring! 

I hope that these colours inspire you as well :)