How do I wear that trend…pastels

Mar 30, 2012 by Clueless Fashionista

So Easter is coming up and those of you who celebrate may be planning to don your prettiest pastel outfit for Easter Sunday but pastels don’t have to be reserved just for Easter. Pastels were all over the runways for the spring and they are a great way to feel summer-y. The unfortunate thing about pastels is that if not done right, they can easily move from chic to costume-y. I also want to suggest some ways to incorporate the pastel trend that goes beyond just wearing a pastel colored shirt.

1. Shoes! Yes I know I’m always talking about shoes but they are truly a great way to experiment with trends without feeling overwhelmed by it. You don’t even have to get super fancy shoes. You can rock a pair of pastel colored pumps with a pair of dark jeans and a white, black or gray t-shirt and be fly.

2. Accessories, most specifically hair accessories. You can wear pastel hair accessories and look very girlie and cute and on trend. You can do headbands, hair ties or even pastel flowers. I would suggest visiting stores like Target, Wal-Mart and Dots to browse their hair accessory section for a great pastel piece. Wear it like a pop of color and match it with clothes in a similar color group. For example, if you’re wearing orange, go for an orange pastel hair accessory. If you’re wearing red or blue, go for a pastel pink or pastel blue.

3. Pants! One of the hottest trends is colored jeans. You can do pastel as well as bright colors. If you’re more daring and ok with diving into trends, look for a pastel pair of jeans or pants and wear those with either a neutral top (brown, black, tan or gray) or take it a step further and do the colorblocking trend. Check out the last post How do I wear that trend…colorblocking for great tips and use your pastel piece as the base.

These are just a few ways you can do the pastel trend and look great and not at all like you’re going to an Easter program (unless you are of course!). If you try this trend, let me know. Send a picture of yourself rocking the pastel trend to info [at] cluelessfashionista [dot] com and I’ll do a follow-up post featuring your pictures.

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How do I wear that trend…colorblocking

Mar 23, 2012 by Clueless Fashionista

One cool trend that was all over the Spring runways is colorblocking. It looks great on anyone because it’s as simple as combining two colors in a very deliberate but stylish way. However, it can easily go wrong so I wanted to reach out to an expert to get some tips for you. I had an opportunity to chat with Amber D., Fashion’s Bandaid, and she gave some great tips on how we can do colorblocking without breaking the bank or looking like we’re wearing a costume.

One of the latest trends this season is color blocking. We’ve seen it everywhere and worn in so many different ways.

Here’s a few simple ways to try this trend and look like a style aficionado!

Start by choosing your color palate and the area you like to play up most. I chose nudes, bolds/neons and pastels; all colors that are very big for Spring/Summer.

1.  Nudes are simple, sweet and sophisticated as well as this Spring’s alternative to white. Take a basic shift dress. It can be the foundation for your look. It’s best to keep your foundation simple so you can go big in another area

2.  Bolds/Neons are fun, funky and scream look at me! If you love and live in black, try navy for Spring. Take your favorite type of top: tank, crew, over-sized, boat neck or even a button down and you have your start. Neons are all the rage right now especially in denim skinnies! Pair your top with a pair of denim skinny jeans (if I am wearing skinnies, I go for an over-sized tee), chino shorts or maxi skirt. Add a ballet flat or sandals and a belt and you have achieved a bright/bold look that will keep eyes on you.

3.  Pastels can be tricky but if done the right way you can give boho chic instead of Easter peep. Peach, mint and sorbet all sound like delightful eats, but they really were the sweetest treats on the runways for the Spring. When wearing pastel colors, never be afraid to play up your pretty, girly, earthy side. Wear a light, airy dress (I like the maxi) or even a skirt. Play with layers (go on and be daring *giggles*). It’s okay to try light layers (lacy tank, light weight tee or crochet vest/cardigan) for this color grouping. Add a few bracelets, a scarf and a pair of your favorite sandals to complete this boho look that will keep you mellow all day.

With any look you may try there’s no right or wrong as long as you wear the fit best for your body and put on the most important piece of your look…your confidence! The rules are simple, color blocking is easy just go for it and have fun.

Just don’t over think it because when you over think it you over do it.

Make sure you follow Amber on twitter Amber_so_Quirky and thank her for these wonderful tips!

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Product Review-Dryel

Mar 15, 2012 by Clueless Fashionista

I had the opportunity to try the newest re-release of Dryel and it’s cool new look. I’ve always wanted to try it out but I was hesitant mainly because of the cost and that it requires putting dry clean only clothes in the dryer. Growing up, it was drilled into my head that there are certain clothes that can be put in the dryer but when I received my package of Dryel, I bravely tossed a few pieces in the bag and threw them in the dryer.

They had to “dry” for 30 minutes and when I pulled the bag out and opened it, I was instantly struck by the wonderful scent of my clothes. The Dryel cloth had made them smell so wonderful that I had to smell them all. The scent was evenly distributed among the clothes and they were all in one piece. Nothing was damaged or smaller than when I put it in the special bag. Plus, when I pulled the pieces out, they all felt clean! It was kind of amazing.

So I will definitely be buying more Dryel and incorporating it into my laundry routine. It did a great job of cleaning and deodorizing my clothes. I don’t think it would work as well on clothes that have been through a lot. There are some situations that require good old-fashioned soap and water. But this is a great way to keep those lightly worn pieces all fresh and clean in between major cleanings.

Dryel is doing a really cool contest where they’re inviting people who have used it to share how they use Dryel to stay fresh. People submitted videos talking about how they use Dryel to “Freshen their Swag” and now you can go to the Dryel Facebook page and vote. Check it out here at the Dryel Official Facebook Fan Page.

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Shoe Candy-Fergalicious Giselle Sandal and Rock your red pumps!

Mar 9, 2012 by Clueless Fashionista

This fabulous sandal is a wonderful piece of shoe candy and it costs less than $50 at DSW. However, I’m posting it for several reasons. First of all, it’s a great shoe to have for the spring/summer so you should get it if you’re looking to inject a pop of color into your wardrobe. Second of all, it’s in honor of National Women & Girls’ HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on March 10.

When I was 17, I signed up to become a peer educator at AID Atlanta. I did it mainly because the program sounded really cool and my good friend had just done it but when I did it, I fell in love with it. I discovered that I enjoyed educating people about protecting themselves against HIV/AIDS. I also realized that I am very comfortable talking about uncomfortable subjects.

I’ve noticed that in recent years, the talk about HIV/AIDS and being knowledgeable or aware has waned. It seems that people think it is no longer an issue but it still is. Here are some unfortunate statistics:

The largest number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses during recent years was for women aged 15–39.
High-risk heterosexual contact is the source of 80% of these newly diagnosed infections in women in the US.

Those are just a couple of statistics that we need to remember. HIV/AIDS is still an issue and we can’t forget just because you don’t see it in the news all the time like in the past.

Well, I’m always looking for ways to support education and research into HIV/AIDS so I decided (kind of last-minute), to support the Red Pump Project and National Women & Girls’ HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which is March 10. I decided to do a Shoe Candy as a way to share this initiative with the world. Visit www.theredpumpproject.org or click the button below to learn more about this initiative and to support yourself.

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Ladies Let’s Talk-Shapewear, again

Mar 2, 2012 by Clueless Fashionista

Ok ladies, here is another installment of the Ladies Let’s Talk series. I wanted to address shapewear again. I did it initially about two years ago. Ladies Let’s Talk-Shapewear

Please share your thoughts on it. I want to hear your product suggestions and product no-no’s. Let’s help each other find shapewear that works!

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