Unconventional Styling - Fireworks and Soireés

If you're a regular reader of fashion blogs, magazines, or watch T.V. shows that have anything to do with modern living, you've probably seen those featurettes about "What to Wear for the Fourth" (or something along those lines). Yes, these tips can prove to be helpful, but more often than not I find that some of the suggested styling is a bit...overdone. These outfits are a bit more "patriotic" and less functional than most people would like their wardrobe to be. This is where I'd like to offer a helping hand to some of you wondering just what to wear to those BBQs and celebrations for Independence Day.

For the ladies...

Lipstick; Dress; Belt; Ring; Scarf; Heels

I haven't completely rejected the red, white, and blue color theme of the Fourth of July, but I've certainly toned down the intensity of the colors. To me, this outfit can be worn anytime during the Summer season. I've ensured that the look has a vintage flair with the scarf, shoes, and cut of the dress. I've also made sure to suggest some amazing red lipstick that will make you stand out. It's the little things that count!

For the guys...

Tee; Shorts; Hat; Pocket Knife; Shoes

Again, this is an outfit I think a guy could wear anytime during the Summer months. To me, the colors are even less obvious for the Fourth than the pieces in the women's set. This is okay, though, since we're still remaining in the red and blue color families. I added the pocket knife as both a seasonal and practical touch. There's always use for a multipurpose tool at a backyard BBQ!

Here's a bit of a breakdown with tips on how to style your own outfit for the Fourth:

• Pick related (but not obvious) colors
  
  With the women's set, I did this by picking out pieces of a darker red and minimizing the amount of blue that I used in the look. With the men's set, I stuck to the same color families but went outside the usual boundaries of a traditional "blue" or"red". For both outfits, I chose to accent with vintage looking pieces that carried neutral hues. Again, this tones down the color of the main look.
  
  
• Decide on pieces that can be worn after the holiday
  
  You want to get as much wear as you can out of your clothes. This is my personal philosophy, and I try to stick by it as best as I can. Buy a timeless (and maybe even seasonless) piece. The dress in the women's set is a great example of this. DO NOT buy pieces that have holiday-specific prints! This really limits you and can sometimes look cheesy!
  
  
• Stick to your personal style
  
  It's always important to never deviate from what you're comfortable doing with your own styling. Yes, I've given a bit of a vintage flair to the women's set, but if that's not your thing it's okay! Do what feels natural to you, and you'll look AMAZING.

As always, feel free to throw your two cents in on what you'll be wearing for your Fourth of July celebration!

Next week I'll be coming to you from Minneapolis! Get ready to see some of the city in my posts.

Until next time!

~ they seek her there

Lunch Break: Summer Camp

For those of you who may not know or may not have even been paying attention, part of my job is organizing and running a summer camp at a Chicago school. Every year when we're getting ready to hand out informational packets to students and parents, we usually include a list of "What to Bring" to camp.

What about us who are a bit older? I know I miss the days where the long hours were spent outside running barefoot with your friends and there was no care given for just how dirty you got. Today's "Lunch Break" is dedicated to those Summer days of our youth and some fun accessories both guys and girls can use now to still inject a bit of fun into our summers.

For the ladies...

Notebook; Gel Pens; Change Purse; Sunglasses; First Aid Kit; Sneakers; Key Covers;

Lunch Bag; Nail Polish

For the guys...

Stylus; Sunglasses; Shoes; Notebook; Towels; Pen

Keep enjoying the sunny days, "campers"!

Until next time!

~ they seek her there

What to Wear For...The First Days of Summer!

I'm ecstatic to be able to wish you all an official "Happy Summer"! Chicago has had its fair share of muggy and humid 90 degree days in the past few weeks. I've been in "Summer mode" for most of the month of June. Now that it's official. I can give you some great tips on how to pick out clothes for those icky, sticky days without looking dull.

I have had ample experience in dealing with uncomfortably hot environments during the Summer months. I work at a public school, and because the building is so old there is NO AIR CONDITIONING in my office. It's a bit of a problem to say the least. Chicago Summers can be some of the worst out there. One needs to pull out all of their fashion tricks that have to do with staying cool in order to survive. Let me share a few with you...

1) Breathable material

Top - $2.49 (Thrifted)

Shorts - Gift (Old Navy)

Shoes - $5 (Thrifted)

Necklace - $3.80 (Forever 21)

Earrings - $1 (Thrifted)

Bracelets - $6.80 (Forever 21)

This top may look like it has longer sleeves than would normally be comfortable in the Summer, but it's incredibly light. One of the best kind of shirts you can find at a thrift store are old silk shirts from the 1980s like this one. They often have fun patterns and look great tucked into a pare of high waisted shorts. They also don't break the bank! I purchased this one on a Salvation Army shopping trip a few weeks ago along with four other shirts that were all $2.49 each! You really can't beat that...

2) Bright colors

I'm sure we've all heard this in our grade school science classes, but lighter colors absorb less heat energy than dark colors. We also look more vibrant sporting bright colors when it's constantly sunny out. As the Summer wears on, many of us normally acquire a healthy tan and can graduate to wearing lighter colors that we'd be unable to wear any other time of the year. Take advantage of this!

3) Minimal layers

Tanks - $3.88 each (Walmart) *Buy the striped one HERE*Skirt - $11.80 (Forever 21)Shoes - $11.88 (Old Navy)Necklace - $5.80 (Forever 21)Earrings - $1 (Thrifted)Bracelets - $1.99 (Thrifted)

I'm lucky to work in the office that I do. We have a lot of leeway as to what we're allowed to wear in the Summer due to our situation of being sans air conditioner. I hope I've demonstrated with the picture above that it is possible to look classy and stay cool at the same time. I'm wearing complimentary colors (as always) that really exude a "Summery" look without pushing "inappropriate". Something like this is easily dressed up with the flats I've chosen, and the simple and bordering on neutral accessories. They serve to accentuate the outfit and don't push it overboard. Sometimes that is easy to do with brightly colored outfits such as these.

Have your own tips for dressing up (or down) in the Summer? Feel free to leave comments here or on Facebook.

Until next time!
~ they seek her there

What to Wear For...A Fashion School Event

Today is the (near) start of a new week and the launch date of a brand new feature here at They Seek Her There: "What to Wear For..." It was born out of the realization that though I'm convinced my life is a little hum drum from time to time, I do have unusual events to attend for which there is really no dictated wardrobe. I'm about to change this. This is my honest attempt to provide a standard for these strange moments in our lives when we throw open our closet doors and proclaim to no one in particular: "What am I going to wear?"

Last Friday, I had my first official fashion school event. For those of you who are not aware, I've decided to switch my career track up a bit and attend school for Fashion Marketing and Management. I was invited to a portfolio show at the school, and I wanted to attend to network and put myself out there a bit. What to wear? What to wear?

For something like a networking event in the fashion industry, my first instinct was to find a piece that was both affordable and unique. Sometimes that can be extremely challenging. My answer lie in the new Target collaboration line - The Webster at Target. If you are unfamiliar with The Webster, it is a Miami boutique that is being showcased via Target's new initiative "The Shops". This concept is all about getting unique little stores all over the country to showcase their products in Target stores. If you look closely the next time you pop in to the bulls-eye branded outlet, you'll notice these shops in different departments including food and cosmetics.

All of The Webster's products have a flair of the "resort" look - a trend that is carrying through from Spring to Summer. You can see the line here on Target's website.

At any rate, purchasing such a dress from a Target collaboration line isn't going to force me into pennilessness, but it's still going to be something that is limited and one-of-a-kind. I also want to project an air of professionalism and a specific definition of my "look" with my styling. I went for a 60s "mod" look complete with pink and white piped heels.

Dress - $39.99 (The Webster for Target) *Buy it HERE*

Necklace - $7 (Forever 21)

Headband - $1 for pack of 2 (Forever 21) *Buy it HERE*

Earrings - $3.80 (Forever 21)

Shoes - $6 (Target)

As you can see, I kept the accessories incredibly simple. I'm sure you can also see the vintage "touches" of the outfit - the cut of the dress, costume jewelry-looking necklace, piped shoes with the gold button embellishment. This is undeniably vintage inspired. I also know you can't really see the earrings, but they were in the vintage spirit as well. They look something like this:

$5.80 @ Forever 21.com

Keeping the accessories neutral and simple, highlighting the embellishments on the shoes, and giving myself an all over "clean" look aided me in presenting myself professionally as well as being able to convey that I knew what I was doing styling-wise.

The event went great! I made several contacts, got an idea of what I might want to make for my own portfolio show, and felt generally welcomed into this new school. I think I'm going to like it there come October.

Stay tuned throughout the Summer for more unusual events and the looks I put together to accompany such occasions!

Do you have an unusual event approaching that you might want styling tips for? Please feel free to comment here or drop me a line on Facebook. I would be happy to help!

Until next time!

~ they seek her there

Trend Tip: "Hot" Colors

Summer is upon us! (At least it definitely feels like it where I'm from...) This means a shifting of the minds (and wardrobes). Lighter fabrics - in weight and color - and a re-thinking of how you're going to stand out when you step outside on those hot days.
With me, everything seems to come back to colors. It's always going to be colors. If you can pull off just the right color scheme, the rest of the outfit falls into place.

Yes, I'm going on and on about colors. So, what are some good color combinations for the upcoming season of pool side lounging and long days? I have an answer for you. Today I bring you three color trifectas which are sure to challenge you and give you a foolproof Summer look.



This is our first group - peach, gray, and aqua. This Spring has been all about "soft" and "delicate" looking shades. These include peach, gray, lavender, and mint. I guarantee that each of these shades will show up in this post. However, you can't just have a look for Summer that is made up of only soft colors. We're no longer transitioning from the cold months to rainy days and balmy nights. We're now in the months of heat waves and neverending sunshine. There needs to be a bit more of a "pop" to the color coordination we're trying to pull off. That's where the aqua comes in. This is how I've styled this group:

Scarf - $2 (Thrifted)
Earrings - $1 (Thrifted)
Sweater - Gift (Old Navy)
Dress - $20 (H&M)
Shoes - $6 (Target)
Sunglasses - $15 (Target)

I'll tell you a bit of a secret about this look - I took these pictures in early Spring. Even then I was thinking ahead and trying to add something to the normal color combinations that were suggested for the season. Against the pale and delicate palette of peach and gray, the aqua earrings really pop! Feel free to style in a more demonstrative way when you try this out for yourself.

Neon is everywhere for Summer. If you've been a regular reader of this blog, you will be already well acquainted with this fact. If you've been reading, you'll also know that one cannot dress in neon alone. It must be balanced out with various neutrals. Navy and gold definitely qualify as such.

Earrings - $3.80 (Forever 21)
Shirt - $15 (H&M)
Cami - $8 (Kohls)
Necklace - $7 (Forever 21)
Skirt - $3 (Thrifted)
Shoes - $6 (Target)

I will admit that this shirt doesn't truly have neon pink detailing, but it's a vibrant pink nonetheless. I also broke a very important (and personal) fashion rule - wearing loose fitting clothing all around. Usually a belt would be required with two pieces such as these, but I've been seeing the "bohemian" nature of this outfit on various blogs lately and decided to give it a go. I wasn't disappointed. It also taught me a nice little fashion lesson - rules can be bent and/or broken. There is a time and a place for certain fashion choices, but when something is as casual as this look, the rules can be re-evaluated.

Now it's your turn...

Got a look that you've been able to pull off for Summer using this color scheme? Are you thinking of trying this color scheme out? Feel free to leave comments/your own examples of this "try your own" trio.

Until next time!

~ they seek her there