It's Still Winter... No Need to Be S.A.D.

Wear a bright outfit even if the snow is piling up outside your windows...

 

My outfit:  Sweater ($10): Gap // Tee (Gift): Old Navy // Skirt ($6): Forever 21 //  Tights ($5): Target
Shoes ($15): Forever 21 // Bracelet Set ($4): Forever 21

Sunglasses ($6): Thrift Store // Necklace: (Heirloom)

Wear the colors! (Left to right):  stock;  orange-ish thing;  back to the fuchsia;  124115;  Tree Trunk

Find them via my profile @ Colourlovers! 

Take advantage of the (not really) post-Winter/pre-Spring sales!  Stores are getting shipments of all of their Early Spring 2013 merchandise, so they've got to make way by marking down the old product.  Why not try this crazy ASOS scarf or (super trendy) emerald anorak to tide you over until those first peeks of grass?

Anorak;  Scarf;  Wrist Warmers;  Boots

Try some layering tricks like the ol' tights + socks + boots combo!  It really spices up your outfit and gives your look a "pop" even during these icky months.

 

On left:  Socks;  Boots;  Tights

On right:  Boots;  Socks;  Tights

What about the guys?  There are no lack of sales for them, either.  Check out this set complete with a fresh off the sale rack Hooded Mac jacket courtesy of the Gap.

 

Sunglasses ; Jacket ; Gloves ; Scarf ; Boots

I hope some of these sales brighten up your snowy February!  I'll be traveling to L.A. in the coming days, so updates may be scarce.  Hopefully, I'll be updating from sunny California with more cute outfits!  Check back soon, readers.

Until next time,

~ they seek her there

Outfit Post of the Day: Winter in "London"

In my ever interesting luck and never boring travels, I recently came across a British telephone box randomly placed at the entrance of a suburban train station. As I was wearing a blog feature-worthy outfit and couldn't help but pose in the out of place prop, you get an "Outfit of the Day" post that looks like it's straight from the streets of London (complete with rain spattered windows on the box).  If only...

I have to admit that my choice of shorts and tights was a bit bold for the time of year.  This picture was taken right before Thanksgiving, but here in Chicago it was still 40 to 50 degrees every day!  Those were the days!  Only recently have we been getting hit with sub zero temperatures. 

This year in particular the tights and shorts trend has really taken off in the non-summer months.  I like to bring my readers differently styled outfits to the table, and this one seemed most appropriate.  

If you like my look above, I've provided you with a slightly modified one along the same color palette and over all feel of the original.

Earrings;  Scarf;  Jacket;  Necklace;  Shoes;  Shorts;  Tank

The only regret I have about my personal look in this post is that I've styled black tights with black shoes.  At the time, it was a matter of convenience while traveling.  For the sake of my readers, I felt a need to correct that color combo.  With the inspiration set, you get some popping pink wedges instead...


Until next time!

~ theyseekherthere

Standing out...and loving it!

Before we go any further, I'm warning you now that this post is about BEING YOURSELF. It might be a little cheesy and a little "easier said than done", but I've found out some interesting things since I've started this blog and I'd like to share them with you.

I have a bit of a confession to make to all of you - I've wanted to have a blog like this FOR YEARS. Why did it take me until last November to start? I could blame laziness or procrastination, but the real reason is that I lacked confidence. Yes, your lovely fashion blogger was not confident in her ability to share what I had to say with the world. Sure, I walked around with a look that stood out and garnered compliments that may or may not have reflected such a wardrobe. That hasn't changed, no. Rather it's the notion that I possessed a skill with which I had to become comfortable. After I took the plunge, it seemed that the creativity didn't stop flowing. I had idea after idea after idea. There's a multitude of amazing topics I want to share with you on this blog that we haven't even cracked the surface of yet!

I'm not trying to paint a picture for you of this girl who has an unshakable sense of who she is - that would be unrealistic. I have days where I look in the mirror and my outfit just doesn't "click" or I don't feel great about my weight or I look exhausted from my previous crazy day. (Trust me, I have a lot of those!) In the face of an icky attitude, I pick out something brightly colored, lean heavily on my music for the day, and I hope for the best. Sometimes, it's all you can do.

I've gotten the question posed to me as to how a reader of mine can project a confidence in what they wear like I seem to. Without the risk of this post turning out to be a "Guide to Being Your Fearless Blogger", I think I can give some of you out there a few easy tips on how to shrug off your questionable mood and be yourself. In the end, it just might make you feel better...

1) Do one thing today that you'd normally fear to do on a daily basis.

Okay, let's be real for a minute. I'm not suggesting you drop everything, take the day off, and go skydiving. Far from it. I'm suggesting wearing a color combination you might not normally wear, write for five minutes if you're so inclined, pick a quiet and undiscovered (by you) location to take a 15 minute walk. Spend sometime stretching your boundaries. Yes, this is harder for some than others. I always go on in this blog about things that are "harder for some than others". You all embrace things at your own comfort level and speed. No need to go overboard. I'm suggesting a mere step off the beaten path in your daily routine.

2) Give yourself time.

One of the biggest mistakes I find that people make in dealing with themselves is giving time to the goals and accomplishments they wish to see realized. I'm even guilty of this action! We seem to give an infinite amount of understanding to others when they cannot realize their end game, but we are all too quick to blame and judge ourselves when the situation does not turn out to be what we'd hoped. Forgive yourself a bit everyday - allow yourself to be excused when you fail. It really is harder and harder every time to get up when you fall. Lack of personal motivation doesn't help you to get a hand up. I hate to sound like overused platitudes, but you're the LAST person that should be telling YOU that you cannot accomplish anything!

3) Be a little crazy!

I'm going to give you a sample of an as of yet unused outfit post to illustrate...

Sunglasses - $16 (Target)
Earrings - $0.50 (Thrifted)
Button up - $13 (Forever 21)
Shorts - $9.99 (FCUK for Sears)
Necklace - $2 (Thrifted)Belt - $2 (Thrifted)
Tights - Gift (Gap)
Shoes - $6.80 (Target)
Purse - Gift (Louis Vuitton)

Admittedly, it's taken me years and years to feel like I can get away with being the person that I am. I have been through rough patches that still bring up old issues for me and make me doubt myself more than anyone else could. Being told that I wasn't good enough to be me hurt worse than hiding the person that I am. I keep this in mind constantly. I like being just a little bit crazy, and I hope the fact that I've opened up a bit about issues we all face has made you think about being just a little bit crazy, too.
Until next time,
~ they seek her there

Outfit Post of the Day - Winter + Spring

I've just returned from L.A. where the weather was sunny and 70 degrees for each and every four days of my vacation. I'll get to my purpose for my California visit in an upcoming post, but for now we'll focus on the season that's fast approaching - Spring.

I couldn't tell you how many fashion blogs I follow which had comprehensive featurettes on how to bridge Summer to Fall looks back in September. Transitioning seasons while re-purposing clothes never fails to be a hot issue. It's also a technique that really encompasses the main idea of my blog - low prices and great looks.

I'm becoming alarmingly aware of the seasonal transition which is probably going to happen a lot sooner than later. I'm already finding myself wearing a lighter jacket and it's nearly March. For the sake of all of our wardrobes and budgets, I wanted to give you an example of a successful "bridging the gap" outfit for Winter to Spring.

Sweater - $4.99 (Thrifted)

Dress - $12.99 (Thrifted)
Belt - $8.00 (Ebay)
Tights - $5.00 (Target)

Boots - $11.00 (Wet Seal)
Earrings - $3.00 (Forever 21)
Bracelet - Gifted

Now, I'll admit that I cheated a bit on this outfit as I was wearing it in early February, but we have had a mild Winter for Chicago. It hasn't been hard to get a taste of the fast approaching Spring weather.

There are a few key things that you must pay attention to in this outfit in order to get your transitioning practice down...

1) Incorporate colors associated with the upcoming season

Again with the colors? Yes, yes, I know. Really, though, fashion's focal point truly is color scheme. I can only ever begin to tell you how important having a handle on colors this will be the second year in recent memory when pastels are a big deal for Spring. We're also going to be seeing neon accents if my sources are correct. In order to not make one overwhelmed by the "brighter" details of this look, I decided on my accessories as an appropriate display of the Spring color palette. You can choose any color that seems to compliment. Aquamarine just happened to match...

2) Patterns

I know you can't quite see it in this picture, but underneath that knit sweater I'm wearing a dusky rose colored dress that has lace and floral detail. These are essential touches in a Spring piece as I'm finding florals are also due to be "in" again this year. Find a "lighter" pattern which reflects the mood of the upcoming season to mix with your current wardrobe norm.

3) Don't forget about the season at hand

Make sure your base reflects the current season for which your outfit is appropriate. The fur lined winter boots, knit sweater, and dark green tights serve as my "grounding" element in the outfit.

In the coming days, I'll be detailing my wild ride of a trip to Los Angeles. Keep checking back!

Until next time!

~ they seek her there

Outfit Post of the Day - Your party girl is showing...

What happens when someone who dresses up every day has to "dress up" for a formal event? Do you up the ante or just maintain your standards? I like to throw together a little bit of both.

I had the recent opportunity to don "formal wear" of sorts for my friends' wedding in early January. They have an interesting sense of humor and decided to hold their reception complete with a bad senior prom backdrop against which you could take a picture that would "last a lifetime". Thanks to my boyfriend and his well-developed sense of humor, the above picture came about.

Here's my choice for this outfit post...

Sweater - Old Navy ($15.00)
Dress - Forever 21 ($13.50)
Get it here in blue/black and white/black!
Cami - Old Navy (Gift)
Belt - Thrifted ($1.99)
Tights - Target ($10.00)
Shoes - Forever 21 ($17.50)
Bracelets - Forever 21 ($8.80) Get them here!
See? It's a little less "high school dance". I'll confess that while looking for this dress I was in a panic. This wedding was going to be one of the best I've been to in a while (about 8 over the last 2 1/2 years), and I absolutely had to look the part! Forever 21 is my fallback in cases such as these. After an afternoon of rooting through the racks of dresses so short you could see what I ate for breakfast, I came up with this one. It's classy, and there's a pop of color - qualities of an outfit in which I put a strong belief.

When I "turn it up to 11", I like to focus on my detailing and styling more so than in my everyday dress. Accent colors (the pink, blue and green) are a must as well as varying textures (the lace cami, the Chevron patterned tights). I also feel compelled to add a personal touch to each formal outfit I throw together. This keeps it "mine" and also allows the look to fall in line with most of my everyday dress. The belt and shoes are my personal accent; they stand out and set me apart.

Eye catching details are the key to dressing formally. Even the most basic formal looks (i.e. prom dresses/tuxedos) implore this trick by having rhinestone adorned gowns and waistcoats which sport colors no guy would be seen wearing on the street! How you decide to make those details known is up to you...

Have a unique idea to spice up your formal wear? Share it with us in the comments or send examples/techniques that you've used to stand out in the crowd!

Until next time!

~ they seek her there

Outfit Post of the Day - Let it snow

It's been (appropriately) Wintry here in Chicago as of late. Two nights ago, we had our fair share of snow, and it's been nothing but in the lovely 20s and 30s around here. Now that we're in for the long haul of Winter, it's time to break out the sweater tights, socks, and the layered look we in the Midwest are incredibly familiar with.


Hat - Forever 21: $6.50Scarf - Forever 21: $10.00Knit sweater - Thrifted: $5.99Oxford (under sweater) - Forever 21: $10.80 Navy skirt - Forever 21: $6.80Sweater tights - Target: $10.00Socks - Old Navy: $6.00 for pack of twoBoots - Thrifted gift
Now, I like the tights and shorts and sweater look just as much as the next person, but unless you live in a state where it's pretty much consistently 60 degrees Fahrenheit all year round, it's just not possible. Layers can be pretty, too!
As you can see, I'm (again) rocking the tights and socks trend. The tights are not your normal tights. They are sweater tights and are oh so warm. I decided to go with the oxford layered under a knit sweater for the preppy look. It's a bit vintage, and I love it! I either look like a 1940s university student or a Land Girl...
I like to make the accessories subtle when I layer like this. The hat and the scarf I consider a Wintry appropriate addition to my outfit. I've also thrown on a simple pair of earrings and my British Phonebox necklace.


(On top) - Simple, vintage pearl earrings from the 80s raided from my mother.(On bottom) - British Phonebox necklace; Forever 21: $3.80

A more detailed look at the tights and socks...

How do you get through Winter? Do you layer or do you happen to live in a location where you're lucky enough to enjoy nice temperatures year round? Drop me a comment and share your story!
Until next time!
~ they seek her there