Trend Spotter: Utility Jackets

Since I've been in France, I've noticed a lot of girls wearing these light fall jackets. They usually are a bit long, and usually in khaki or olive tones. I had no idea what to call the jacket, but I knew I wanted one. By the looks of them, they're lightweight and a little lose, making them the perfect jacket here in the every changing weather climate of Rennes, France (one morning, it's about 45 degrees F and pouring; by the afternoon, it's sunny and close to the 70s). 

Preparing to put something on The Hunt (if you haven't hear of this website and love fashion, where have you been?!), but I decided to check on F21 first. Now, I may have not been on the site in a while. but I certainly do not remember them having a section under "coats" specifically for utility jackets. That's a sure sign that what I've been seeing over here is a growing trend.

Utility jackets from F21, ASOS, and Missguided

I went through a bunch over on Polyvore, and most seem about the same; lightweight, loose, a little boyish in fit, but very functional. According to research (thanks, Google), the trend has at least been around since the late spring. Obviously, I must have been working to many hours in my uniform to notice. 

List:

• Leopard Utility Jacket in Olive/Black from Forever 21
• Four Pocket Utility Jacket in Denim from ASOS
• Klara Aztec Utility Jacket in Khaki from Missguided

 

Braided Bun

This is one of my week two outfits. I paired my cut out Drake concert tee with some jeans and my pink boyfriend blazer. I thought the light shades in my flats and jacket went well with the darker tone of the shirt, making it an ideal summer to fall transition outfit.

I couldn't decide what to do with my hair since I didn't have the time to straighten it out, so I decided to do a bun that I saw on Pinterest awhile back. Of course, I can't find it anywhere right now, but if I do, I'll be sure to update the post!

All you do for the bun is 

1. Put your hair up in a high ponytail
2. Separate your hair into three sections
3. Braid each section to the end of the hair
4. Take one braid and wrap it loosely clockwise around the base of the ponytail, securing it with either a bobby pin or by putting the end of the braid into the elastic
5. Take one braid and wrap it counter-clockwise around the base of the ponytail, securing it in the same fashion
6. Take the last braid and wrap it so it goes on top of the other secured braids.
7. Finally, take sections of hair in the bun and make the braid looser, making the bun have more volume

Voila! Braided bun! Hopefully the picture along with the description will be enough until I find that darn pin!

New Hair: Red Ombre

 

If you weren't already aware of this, I have never had my hair dyed. Ever. But getting prepared to study abroad this semester (leaving in six days!) made me feel like I wanted to do something different. Even though the ombre trend seems to be slowly dying out, I couldn't help but still want it. At first, I was going to go the popular route and get blonde on the ends, but my older sister insisted I get red. So voila, here it is!

My sis did a great job on it. She separated my hair in half (top to bottom) and then separated those sections again (left to right). She inserted hair bands where I wanted the ombre to stop, and then separated the portions in thirds that were to be dyed. Working from the bottom to the top, she applied the dye and let it sit about twenty minutes and washed it out.

I love how it came out. It's something subtle, which was what I wanted.

My sister did a lot of research for the process, and here are some tutorials that were helpful:



Even though I did not dye my whole head red, it gave good tips on dying the dark hair read without bleaching it. I did not have to do it twice, though, since my hair had never been dyed before and the dark color lifted easier than hers. 



I first found this video on Pinterest after seeing her after pictures and adoring them. I used the same brand (L'Oreal HiColor) as she did for my ombre.

Ombre Nails

 

Because I work admissions to a children's museum, I'm often times dealing with money. I didn't realize til then that my nails are something that people will look at more often then the average person. Why not take the oppotunity to try out different nail looks?

Out of the many ones I've tried so far, I must confess... I'm in love with ombre nails. I've been experimenting with a number of different color combos, and fell in love with this one immediately. I combined a cobalt blue with a Tiffany teal and got this great seaside combination. It's a great look for the beach and I can't wait to show it off!

There are a few key tips to making ombre nails work, and three items that are needed in order to make it as easy as possible: foundation sponges, Vaseline, and hand held nail polish remover.

For right now, I'll put in some pins of what I've combined together in order to get the look. The next time I do the ombre look, I'm hoping to put together a picture tutorial so that it'll all be put together in one place!                           

One of the first things I learned from Pinterest was how helpful Vaseline can be. Besides it being a great substitute for mascara, it also helps it easier to get nail polish off of fingers. This becomes especially important when using ombre. Because you're using a sponge to put the polish on, there may be more on your fingers than on the actual nail. Vaseline saves tons of time on the process of removing it from unwanted places.

As mentioned before, sponges are your friend when it comes to ombre nails. Its nearly impossible to get the look without it. After carefully blending the two colors in the middle, a sponge helps to blend them even more to give it the effortless look.

ABW Challenge: Day 52

 

 Day 52

This outfit has got to be one of my favorites. Somewhat inspired by the overdose of Coachella fashion everywhere, I decided to honor music in my own way. I took a concert tee that I have had for about a year and snipped it up to make a muscle tee. I decided to cut out the tee mainly because I have had it for so long but haven't worn it with an outfit yet, and decided it was a great top to practice on. I also wanted to have a top with oversized arm holes to show off my the pretty lacy bralette from Pink by VS. I put it with my bright blue jegs, wedge sandals, and the peter pan collar necklace to keep it interesting, and love the way it came out!

Pinterest Inspiration

 

Source: Uploaded by user via Noelle on Pinterest

This visual tutorial helped me tremendously with cutting my tee shirt. I made my own adjustments since it became a muscle shirt rather than a workout tank, but the basics were still helpful.

ABW Challenge: Day 42

 Day 42

Today was my fun outfit. I have been saving this top to wear for while, and although it was still a bit chilly outside, I decided to wear it. The long sleeves make it weather appropriate while the mint color is very much in the tune of the spring season. Because the top and bottom are solid and plain in the front, I decided to add the pear necklace to give it some texture.

Pinspiration!

A majority of this outfit was made using pictures from Pinterest.

I got this backless top from Pink by Victoria's Secret. It is normally $24.50, but it was on sale for $15. You know how I am with a good deal like that! I also got the bralette at VS awhie a go, but have not used it yet. I love how pretty it is in the back! I also like that it has some lining in the front so I feel more comfortable wearing it.

I was originally hesitant about trying this hairstyle out. My hair isn't that long, and I thought it may look weird. But I went for it anyways. This "Lace Braid" as it is called, came out pretty. For some of my hair that wouldn't reach around to the ponytail, I attached the flower clip in order to keep it in.

Style Deals: Pink by VS

                                                                                                        Source:  via Noelle on Pinterest

Don't you love seeing a great fashion piece... and realizing you already own it?! I saw this pic on Pinterest and immediately loved the top and bralette. Just before I repinned it, I realized I just purchased both the top AND the bralette just this week, both from Pink by Victoria's Secret.

I originally bought the bralette for spring to go with some of tank tops. The lace gives it a pretty touch and the white color can be paired with many different tops this season.

I bought the backless long sleeve tee (usually 2/$40, but local store had it marked down to $15) in order to score a deal at Victoria's Secret with the Secret Reward Card deal going on this month. In case you haven't heard, if you spend $10 or more at the store, you receive a gift card to use the next month that can be good anywhere from $10 to $500! Originally, I never really took advantage of the deal. I mean, really, what are the chances of getting more than the minimum? That was up until last year when my card got me $100 worth of VS merch! Ever since then, I've been hooked!

My recommendation: If you're a frequent VS shopper like myself, now is the time to get the most out of your money and spend, spend, spend!

Shopping List:

•  Long Sleeved Low Back Tee (or try the Short Sleeve Version) - Pink by VS
• Lace Bralette - Pink by VS

ABW Challenge: Day 18

Made it by 2 minutes!

Day 19

This is one of my favorite shirts that I thought years ago was lost in the abyss that is my room back home. Luckily, my mother came across it in the laundry, and I knew I had to try and incorporate it in an outfit this week. 

I was inspired by the shirt to go with more of a punk rocker looker. I tucked the large shirt into my black body con, with a little going over the top to give it a little volume. You may not be able to tell in the pictures, but the tights have a great leopard print that I found at Target awhile back. I put the look together with some arm candy and a Jac Vanek bracelet (Alex DeLeon of The Cab). 

Shopping List:

• INSPIRE Bracelet: Jac Vanek
• Joker tee shirt: Hot Topic

Pinterest Inspiration

 

                                                                              Source: elisamclaughlin.com via Noelle on Pinterest

I love the idea of tucking hair into a headband. I decide to make it look more like a ponytail as opposed to a bun. The headband also gave the hair volume, which I definitely liked.

ABW Challenge: Day 17

Day 17

There seems to be something magical about this skirt that pictures are not able to capture. If you look closely, you can see that the pink skirt has a gold hue to it that makes it shimmer when the light hits it. When I originally purchased it, I was not aware of this (awesome) effect. Every single time I have worn it, I have received compliments from people, from my boss at work to random people in the hallway.

Because the skirt is so unique, I chose to pair it with simple pieces that would not take away from the skirt itself. Wearing a black sweater and pairing it with dark tights was an easy way to draw eyes to the skirt. I also put my pearl necklace with the outfit, just to add something to the black crew neck.

Shopping List:

• Short Lame Skirt: Forever 21

Pinterest Inspiration

                                                                      Source: model-mode.tumblr.com via Noelle on Pinterest

I love this model's curls and pushed back headband. It reminds me of the Disney cartoon of Alice in Wonderland and her black bow headband. As opposed to doing the soft curls above, I went with pincurls I left in my hair overnight (see this entry for pin).

ABW Challenge: Day 9

Day 9 

I kicked off week 3 with one of my favorite finds from TJ Maxx. As you may have figured out from the shopping lists at the end of the entries, I frequent the store quite a bit. It is within walking distance of my campus (a 16 minute walk, but do able nonetheless), and the closest place to get decently priced clothes without going out to the mall.

I love this sweater, mostly because of the unique and eye-catching print. I was happy to say the least that my prediction of graphic sweaters becoming a trend did actually come true, and made sure that this sweater was on trend for fall and winter. The sweater has a great tunic length that can make pairing it with leggings doable. Of course, I had to pair it with my lovely oxfords!

Shopping List:

• Cotton Emporium Sweater: TJ Maxx 

Pinterest Inspiration (Pinspiration?)

Source: xanga.com via Noelle on Pinterest

Waterfall braids -although not revolutionary- are my new favorite things. This tutorial is straight forward and helped me get the 'do right!

ABW Challenge: Day 8

Day 8

Nearly didn't post this! Now because I forgot.. well, sort of. When I was done with class, I wanted to hurry and do my laundry before other people in my hall claimed it. Nearly put detergent on the top before I realized I had not taken any pictures yet!

Without realizing it, this ENTIRE week was filled with striped tops. Literally. Every day. This is not typical for me, but it happens. 

I love this top I recently got from Forever 21. It's a simple top, and by now you have heard me rant about how much I love horizontal stripes. Unlike the other outfits from this week, these stripes are thicker. I was originally going to pair it with dark pants, but I instead went with these electric blue jeggings and my combat boots.  I also wore my favorite scarf from New York and Company. Originally, I was not sure how I wanted to tie it. I was going to tie it in the back to make it look like an infinity scarf, but did not really like the knot at the back of my neck. Instead, I went with knotting it at the front. 

I also wore pretty little violet heart and bow earrings I got  a while ago on Etsy. Unfortunately, the shop closed, but I have found a few others that are very similar.

Swarovski hearts with bow earrings from violleville

Shopping List:

• Striped Button Tab Top: Forever 21 
• Scarf: New York and Company
• Jeggings: TJ Maxx 

Pinterest Inspiration

                                                                                   Source: todieforblog.blogspot.com via Noelle on Pinterest

This awesome tutorial was found over at the To Die For Blog. It's a great way to add volume and texture to the traditional sock bun!

Trending: Chevron

If there's one thing I have seen all over Pinterest and Polyvore lately, it's chevron. Chevron tops, chevron nails, chevron rugs; it's hard for me to scroll and not see them somewhere!

The pattern hit the runway a year ago in many Spring 2012, but has been around for decades. Italian fashion house Missoni is one of the most famous users of the zigzag design, incorporating it into tops, bottoms, and dresses alike.

Olivia Bonas top

JCP top

Chevrons can be very flattering on people when worn correctly. Larger, thicker chevron lines are able to balance out a larger frame while thinner lines can create curves for those lacking in them.

Not sure about the trend? Try it out on nails! I found this great tutorial on Pinterest (Originally from Lines Across) that uses three different nail colors and tape to achieve the look.

                                                                                           Source: linesacross.com via Noelle on Pinterest

ABW Challenge: Day 4

Day #4

Sweater dresses are my comfy clothes. After a long night of homework, I threw this no effort dress on and paired it with tights and tall boots. Usually, I pair it with a waist belt, but the dress looks flattering on my figure and found it unneeded. 

Shopping List:

• Sweater dress: Macy's
• Boots: Famous Footwear

Pinterest Inspiration

Hair:

                                                                                        Source: Uploaded by user via Noelle on Pinterest

I've done this idea before and have found it very handy. Sometimes it can be hard to make the pretty big curls that are so poplar. When I know I will not have time in the morning to use my hair wand, I will pin curl my hair and wrap it at night. In the morning, I take out the pins and it my hair looks nice and curled. 

 Necklace:

                                                                                     Source: sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net via Noelle on Pinterest

This is a handy dandy guide I found that I plan on using many more times. I paired my cowl neck dress with a small Tiffany charm necklace, matching the length of the one suggested.

ABW Challenge: Day 3

Three days in a row?! Insanity!

Day #3

This outfit is relatively unexciting, but on purpose. I spent (probably too much) time on my hair and make-up today to put more attention to it rather than what I was wearing. I wish I had gotten good pictures of it, but I went with a sock bun with a french braid in the back. Because I knew I was going to work this morning at 10 and would not be done with classes until 9 (luckily I got out early today!), I wanted a stay put bun looked both pretty and relaxed. I also did some cat eyes, which you can see if you squint your eyes on the picture to the left. 

[As a side note, if you cannot tell, these glasses are not real. In fact, they are the 3D ones that you get from the movie theater. Years ago, one of my older sisters punched out the lens in them and walked around for months with them on. Although I did not wear them to classes, I do think they go well with the look!]

The necklace was the one statement piece I did want to add to the ensemble. My older sister gave it to me during one of the many wardrobe revisions she goes through. She couldn't figure out what to do with it, and I grabbed at it as soon as I saw it. Necklaces like this are great add ins for an outfit, especially if the the rest of it (like mine today) lacks texture or prints. 

I also pulled these sneaks out my closet. If you ask anyone who knows me, they would be able to tell you that I very seldom wear sneakers unless I am at work or in the gym. I'm just not in love with them. These are an exception. I love the flowery print, especially on a dreary day like today when it was down to the thirties and dark.

Shopping List:

• Speak 2 Me cardigan: JC Penny's
• Pink high low button up: H&M
• Jeans: TJ Maxx
• Mossimo floral sneakers: Target

PLUS:

Pinterest Inspirations!

Hair

Source: web.stagram.com via Noelle on Pinterest

I love this tutorial because I have tried so many times to try and get a sock bun, but something about my hair just would not cooperate when the directions said to roll the hair with the sock. This one says to put a hair tie over the spread out hair, which made my life so much easier. 

 

Make Up

                                                                              Source: mowmikasia.tumblr.com via Noelle on Pinterest

I love cat eyes, and I love that whoever I repinned this from called them "kitten eyes"; there like baby ones. The pictures show you step by step how to develop the eye.