Look of the Day: Periwinkle Sundress & Dooney Bag

Seattle is the sunniest lately! Lots of opportunities to wear floaty dresses, skirts and sandals.

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crewneck chic: how to style a sweatshirt

You can't deny it, crewneck sweatshirts are the epitome of relaxed casual. It might seem like they would be the farthest from fashionable, but their simplicity makes them the perfect edition to any outfit on any day. With the right styling, they're even appropriate for the office.

Here are 4 tips on how to style this classic piece:

1. For work, layer a sweatshirt over a collared shirt for a preppy look.

2. Stick to a size that fits similarly to the way a crewneck sweater would. 
Not too baggy, but not skin tight.

3. Look for sweatshirts in the kid's department!

If you're 5'6" or under, or particularly slender, buy your sweatshirt from the kid's department. The length will be a little shorter and the sleeves will be a little more flattering. They're usually cheaper, too. Land's End carries a classic sweatshirt for only $20 which comes in 3 different fits and 21 different sizes! According to the sizing chart, the regular XL will fit up to 174 lbs!

4. Treat a simple grey sweatshirt like a blank canvas.

Pile on those glitzy necklaces and bracelets, don some bright lipstick, and layer on as many layers as the weather permits. The sweatshirt will remain a subtle anchor no matter what direction your styling goes.

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Friday Fashion Facts:

"Schrank" is a German word for a grey crewneck sweatshirt. 

This word is still in use in some German neighborhoods in the North East U.S. (Source: Wikipedia)

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Thrifted sweatshirt (similar) - vintage gingham blouse (similar) - Forever21 trousers (similar) - Steve Madden wedges (similar) - GAP denim jacket - vintage necklaces (here's a neat one!) - Forever21 midi skirt (similar) - vintage stachel

Look of the Day: floral peplum + denim

I took these photos a while ago and wasn't totally happy with them, so they've been in the "draft pile". The peplum top and harem pants just seemed like too much.

Well, I've changed my mind again. I kinda like the outfit. Maybe it's just the denim jacket, though. It's my favorite thing to wear right now.

GAP denim jacket - American Apparel harem pants - Forever21 Peplum (similar) - Vintage Coach bag - thrifted leather belt (similar) - MIA Limited Edition Audrey flats - tortoise shell bracelet (similar)
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Look of the Day: Cats & Dogs

 Finally jumping on the peplum bandwagon. It's not that I hated the trend, it's just that I hadn't found the right one yet. This spotted one from H&M is The One. It fits like a glove and cost $16! What more could you want?

And how about this amazing Coach portfolio?? I found it at Crossroads Trading Company in the U District. Technically, I didn't pay a cent for it! I just used my store trade-in credit and half-heartedly planned on giving it to my husband, but I love it too much. Now it's just a point of contention between us, haha

Thrifted GAP denim jacket (similar) - H&M Peplum top (similar) - Forever21 skirt (similar) - Thrifted cat-eye sunglasses - Classic Coach leather portfolio - Cooperative wedges - Forever21 bracelets - Vintage cocktail ring (similar)

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Look of the Day: rock & wool

You will rarely see me in shorts. Especially ones this tiny! It's important to balance them by covering up on top and keeping things relatively casual.

Good rule of thumb: if you're wearing micro shorts, don't show any cleavage, and stay away from high heels. A summer wedge would work, as long as it's under 4 inches. Anything higher looks tarty. Your inseam shouldn't be shorter than your heel.  Of course, if I was one of those lucky ladies with legs for days, I might say something different ;)

All the necklaces are vintage, except for the one with coral colored tube beads. I made that one :) Michael Kors has one that's really similar and made of real coral.

I don't know if you have the same problem as I do, but simple black flats can be so hard to find! Well, I finally found a good pair by Steve Madden that don't cost a ton. I'm hoping Nordstrom will carry them so I can go try them on. Hopefully they're comfortable, because my favorite pair are starting to get holes :(

Vintage wool jacket (similar) - H&M metallic clutch (similar) - DIY shorts (similar) - Forever21 cat eye sunglasses (similar) - Vintage coral necklace (similar) - Dorothy Perkins t-shirt (similar) - thrifted black flats

Look of the Day: emerald city

I just read an article on CNN about why Seattle is better than Portland (it was part of this special city vs. city thing on their travel site). In all honesty, I was a little disappointed with it. It didn’t make a good argument for why we’re great. Instead, it was like reading a travel brochure.

 So I wanted to put my two cents in: we are so much more than Starbucks coffee. We are more than the “birthplace of grunge” (this saying makes me shudder). The views alone will take your breath away (one thing the author had right). We have amazing restaurants, music venues, art museums and are home to many, many coffee shops that are 100 times better than Starbucks. People here have real jobs (cough*Portland*cough) and a good local economy. As my husband says, the dream of being a productive member of society is alive in Seattle.

I never get tired of exploring all the neighborhoods here (Ballard, Capitol Hill, Greenwood, Columbia City, to name a few of my faves). I love the people here the most and am proud to call this city home, despite the flying fish at Pike Place.

Come for a visit. When the sun is out, nobody shines like Seattle shines. And when it rains, just the roads shine, haha 

American Apparel skirt (similar) - Vintage Bill Blass shirt (similar) - GAP sweater (similar)- GAP clutch - Vintage & F21 bracelets - Vintage watch (similar)

Look of the Day: jersey maxi dress & floral lace

Haven't had one of these in a while...

Friday Fashion Fact

The leather used for Coach bags was developed based on baseball glove leather, and not saddle leather (like I always thought it was!)

Read more on the Wikipedia page

 Forever21 moto jacket (similar) - Forever21 bracelet (similar) - H&M lace top (similar) -  H&M jersey maxi dress (similar) - Vintage Coach Mini Willis (similar) - Thrifted hat and shoes - Forever21 sunglasses

What I Wore: weekend wear

I have been in such a good mood lately! I got custom orthotics, which seem to be helping my feet (may be too soon to tell, but I'm hopeful!) and it's nearly summer. Everything is just peachy!

 Speaking of peachy, I just bought the glasses at Forever21, and now I'm not so sure about them. They fold up all weird and may be a little small for my face, but I just love the color! I'll keep 'em around for a while. Oh! And the Coach bag is new! I found it at a garage sale for $5! Pretty good deal.

Photos by my wonderful husband :)

Vintage oxford shirt - H&M Polka Dot Dress (similar) - Vintage Coach Mini Willis (similar) - Forever21 sunglasses (similar)

One last thing...

I've added a new feature to the Fleur d'Elise Facebook page: Pinterest Spotlight!

If you would like to be featured, you can either email me or visit the Facebook page and send me a message

Look of the Day: Boho Prep

 Forgot about this look! I styled it around the same time as this look, so I didn't want to post it immediately. 

I mentioned last week that I've been working on a project with a local boutique. Two big blog posts about that are coming soon, so stay on the look-out! In the mean time, I'm off to get a pedicure! Hurrah! 

Vintage leather fringe jacket (similar)- Forever21 trousers - Felicee leopard print belt - vintage Coach bag (similar) - vintage Nine West shoes (similar) - Forever21 bracelets & glasses - vintage boys' shirt (similar)

Look of the Day: layered lemon-lime and stripes

It's been just lovely here. This is my favorite time of year: bright and sunny and not too hot. The rununculus are cheap and plentiful, and I can start wearing fewer layers.

H&M mini dress (similar) - Vintage Bill Blass button-down (similar) - Forever21 bracelets (similar) - Asos bag - Vintage Nine West shoes - Felicee leopard print belt - Kate Spade iPad case

Look of the Day: feeling like myself again

Surprise!!

 I'm back to blonde! Blonder than ever actually. At the salon, I said platinum without realizing that kind meant "Make my hair translucent". Now I know how polar bears feel.

 Shopping tip of the week: If you can make it work, buy kid's clothes! They are so cheap! I got this shirt for $6 at Target. And I bought a matching one for my niece, hahaha

This isn't even the largest size they had, so you might as well take a look the next time you're at Target. You might be able to save some money!

 This lovely little bag came in the mail yesterday and I couldn't be happier. I'm thinking about buying all the colors Mochi Beaucoup has! It was hard to decide which color to get, but in the end orange bag won because I need some orange in my wardrobe. They have some really cute pastels, too, that are perfect for Spring. I love how they have them stacked on top of macarons. Too cute.
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Target t-shirt - Forever21 dress - American Apparel petticoat - H&M belt - Forever21 glasses

Look of the Day: slap-in-the-face pink!

Oh geez, I love this sweatshirt. It's way too big and probably unflattering, but I just cannot see past that pink! Actually, it might be ruining my eyesight, and not just simply distracting me.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit I've bought two short sleeved sweatshirts in the past month. I don't know why, but I feel like my best friend from high school, Sarah, would make fun of me for wearing them, like when I shaved my arms junior year.
The sweatshirts seem a little silly, but are actually making a lot more sense then I thought they would. This Spring has been pretty cold so far, but I want to at least pretend the weather is getting nice! Short sleeves with a soft, fuzzy interior are working out just perfectly.

J.Crew chambray shirt - Vintage sweatshirt - Polka dot skirt (similar) - Vintage purse - Forever21 glasses (similar) - Xhilaration flats

Look of the Day: neon spring

Spring is finally here! I'm so excited for warm weather. This past winter really made me want to move to California. Trevor absolutely refuses, though.

Look! I got a package! It contained two wonderful treasures I won from a giveaway. A big thank you to Mona @La Boheme and MochiBeaucoup.com

I absolutely love the bracelet! Sad that the ring doesn't fit :( Stupid tiny fingers. It is adjustable, but my fingers are so small I would have to bend it weird to get it to fit.

Oh! And I got a new purse! I am so in love with it. I found it at Value Village for $10. It's in perfect shape and the faux croc texture makes it look so expensive. I wish it were leather, but beggars can't be choosers.

Forever21 Tank Top (click to buy similar) - Sheer vintage blouse - J.Crew belt - Thrifted sunglasses (similar) - Faux Croc purse (similar) - Forever21 trousers - Xhilaration flats (similar)