Look of the Day: Madewell dress & Fair Isle mittens

 It's only January, but I'm already sick of layers. They take so much work. You have to make sure you're warm enough and, at the same time, make sure they match well enough. It's easy to look crazy. That's why in the winter I usually end up wearing a lot more blue. It's a good color on me and goes with well with neutrals.  My look is obviously lacking a coat, but I sacrificed my comfort for the photos.

What are some of your tricks for layering?

I can't tell you how happy I am that I spent all that money on Uniqlo heat tech in London. That stuff is a godsend. I wear my t-shirt every day (wish I woulda bought a couple of those!). The leggings I'm wearing are also heat tech, which if you haven't heard, keeps you warm by both preventing heat loss and creating heat. It's pretty amazing stuff.

 Now that I think about it, almost everything in this outfit is new. The fair isle mittens were a lucky find at Value Village. The dress was aquired during a nerve racking purchase at Madewell last week (I wish their stuff wasn't so expensive!) Lastly, even though I've had the glasses for a while, I don't think I've featured them in an outfit until now. You may remember this post where I asked which frames my readers preferred. Well, I ended up with the Spitfires. They were my favorite from the beginning, and seem to be pretty popular with a lot of Rivet & Sway's customers.

Madewell sweatshirt dress - H&M cardigan (similar) - Primark infinity scarf (similar) - Vintage Coach purse - Uniqlo stirrup leggings (similar) - MIA flats - fair isle mittens (similar) - Rivet & Sway Spitfire frames
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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 Maxi

 I redeemed this beautiful dress from Last Night using my Chic Points on Chictopia. That's right, it was absolutely free! And it came with this lovely handwritten note from Stephanie, the fashion brains behind Last Night. I feel really lucky to be one of the first to wear something from the site.

The site is so new, I had never even heard of it until I redeemed the dress. I just went on gut instinct. I liked what I saw, so snatched it up! Now, I'm trying to decide on the next piece to get from Last Night! I'm leaning heavily towards this white maxi dress. There is just something about a white maxi dress, and I love that the pleats run the entire length of the dress. It's the same for this floral one I'm wearing the photos. Pleats create the nicest movement and flow. Honestly, I'm just in love with it. I was a little apprehensive about the one-shoulder, but now it doesn't even matter. I'm hooked.

Last Night Floral Strokes Maxi Dress - Harmonic Shawl Cardigan (similar) - vintage Coach bag - MIA flats 

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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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What I Wore: FNO in Seattle

I'm gonna be honest, Seattle really needs to work on its FNO. Fashion's Night Out is about encouraging people to come out and support local businesses, which seems right in-line with the Seattle lifestyle (we're all about shopping local), but every year the participation is lacking and the coverage is mediocre. Half the time I can't even find information on going's-on for the current year and a lot of the articles I read only mention a couple events or store promotions. One store I went into, which was supposed to be participating, had balloons on the door and that was it. There were no promotions, no refreshments, none of the employees even acted like anything was going on. How boring. Downtown it was $75 for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a department store fashion show. Just exactly who are you trying to encourage to come to these events? It's nice the proceeds went to charity, but I still can't afford it!

Instead, I bought a delicious and stylish cupcake from Trophy Cupcake in Wallingford.

 OK, that's enough complaining. I still had fun, but I just want Seattle to try a little harder. I want us to be great; I want this city to be respected by the fashion world. We're slowly getting there. Nordstrom calls Seattle home and we have spawned some amazing, internationally-recognized bloggers and designers. For instance, Adam Katz-Sinding of Le 21 Arrondissement is from Seattle, and Stella Rose Saint Claire, who you may recognize from Lanvin's F/W '12 Campaign, grew up in our fine city. See, we're not born with a love of Polartec, we only succumb to Polartec. Don't give up Seattle!

There were quite few great businesses partaking in the festivities, Like Trophy Cupcake who made special designer cupcakes featuring Chanel, Hermes, Burberry and Louis Vuitton logos.

Madewell had a braid bar and gave me the opportunity to have my very first macaron! It was just as delicious as I had expected :)

Sensing a theme? My FNO centered around baked goods, as opposed to fashion. I did, however get pictures of what I wore.

My husband hates these pants, which doesn't bother me one bit. After reading a couple articles about pants and interviews with The Man Repeller's Leandra Medine, I've decided that ridiculous pants are my generation's burning bra. They're rebellious and with the right attitude, they project quite a lot of confidence and independence. Also, you can pretend you're in a secret club, because most people, both male and female, just don't get it.

Zara top - Madewell earrings - Vintage pants (similar)- Vintage Nordstrom sunglasses - Forever21 bracelet - Tortoise Shell cuff (similar) -Vintage Coach Station bag - MIA Limited Edition Audrey flats

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