Personal Style

outfit looks of the week

October 20, 2014

Taking it Up a Notch for Date Night with Marshalls

[All photos taken by my hot date!]

Want to know my normal date night attire? It consists of some sort of Pittsburgh-related tshirt, and flannel pajama pants. Seriously. My husband and I tend to use date night as a super mellow night at home to hang out, cook together, and watch our show of the moment, so oftentimes I strip out of my day attire and into something more comfortable to lounge around in. Plus, I’m not devastated if a little oil from the pan splashes onto my clothing. On the contrary, however, it’s really good to switch up the routine, and recently at a Marshalls event, dating expert Tracey Steinberg told me that a nice switch up would be to stay (or get) dressed up. Such a simple idea, but it truly adds to making the night special and memorable.

If I we decide to go out and I want to go somewhere fabulous… I better dress the part! After being together for over 12 years, it’s easy to succumb to whatever is easiest, but making a little extra effort, as Tracy points out, can go a long way. I punched up my work look for date night by layering a faux fur vest over top of my leather jacket, switching out my stud earrings for hoops, and an oversized handbag for a clutch.

Several of the pieces in this look had been found at Marshalls, with all of them being designer items at AWESOME prices, that made me do a double check that I was seeing the tag correctly! It’s easy to give your look a little oomph and take a bit of a fashion risk when you aren’t spending a lot, but still getting the quality you deserve.

How do you spice up date night with fashion?

October 13, 2014

Heading to the Office? Work It!

by Julia DiNardo

Dressing for a professional setting doesn’t mean you need to dress drab, boring, or devoid of those style elements that make you…you! I wouldn’t exactly call this my “boss lady” outfit, but rather my “ready for anything” outfit, from a meeting or conference to a power lunch, an interview, and catching up with friends after the work day is done for some good food and spirits. Dressing with confidence is the most important way to accomplish your daily musts and goals with gusto, and according to a survey that Marshalls did of 1,000 women nationwide, a staggering “71% of women wish they were more confident,” while “61% of women employed full-time say they have a “go-to” item of clothing that they wear to instantly boost their confidence.” Do you have a said “go-to” item that you wear to work?
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October 6, 2014

Athleisure is REAL !

by Julia DiNardo

I’ve fully embraced “athleisure,” that is, the combination or rather, crossover, of athletic wear into casual life. It’s hard to tell how many others are as well though, since it’s ambiguous if someone is coming from the gym…or wearing these items out and about! Some truly transition quite nicely between two lives, as seen above with my “going out” version versus my actual working out iteration, with the only difference being a scarf and a pair of heels. Even my jewelry goes the extra mile, actually being designated for both hair elastics and as bracelets.

Athleta really is the epitome of the making this look work and work exceedingly well, while when I need to hit the gym for real, my new Ryka Running shoes have memory foam in them to make them the height of comfort with a fashion forward trim that will match my gear seamlessly.

We love a bang for our buck, and versatility, especially in a world when we are always on the go and who has time, really, for outfit changes?

September 29, 2014

The Updated ’90s Style

by Julia DiNardo

The year was 1993 and a baggy silhouette had just begun to be in fashion. I wore over sized crew neck sweatshirts, pastel jeans, and balanced out on the bottom by a sturdy pair of greyish purple suede Adidas Gazelles. I don’t remember much else regarding what I wore from that year, but the Gazelles were a permanent fixture of my wardrobe, throwing them out only a few years ago, as they were a favorite relic from the 90s and I could still kind of squeeze my foot into them.

Thanks to my friends at JD Sports, a retailer with a stellar, well-edited selection of fashionably branded sportswear and a spot-on collection of adidas Originals, the adidas Originals Gazelle OG is back in my closet, with a fit that is completely reminiscent of my old pair in a new colorway, and of course coupled with a completely new look from what I sported in the early ’90s.

So far, the Gazelles have traveled with me to Minneapolis, upstate New York, and all around New York City, and I’m on the fence between spraying them to maintain their lustrous purple hue, or letting a worn-in patina eventually pervade. instead of an over sized sweatshirt (which were mainly my dad’s, by the way), you’ll find me these days in my uniform of camo, and in this case, these perfectly slim and fitted eco-fleece pair from Alternative Apparel. I prefer to hike up the cuffs, but I’m sure once the cold weather officially arrives, they’ll extend to their full-length potential.

Which clothing item epitomized the ’90s for you?