Sunday, April 15, 2012

My Obsession: Linen Button Downs

Button downs are my go to piece, they go with everything, they can be dressed up or down, and they're comfortable AND chic. After borrowing a few linen button downs from my mother in an attempt to make a button down look more summer friendly, I completely fell in love.

A linen button down makes a great summer shirt, it protects from the sun, but it is light weight and keeps you cool. I have used linen button downs as swimsuit cover-ups and everyday wear, but they can also be worn more formally.

If your looking to buy a new one, they can be pretty expensive, but it's a good investment. Banana Republic and J. Crew have some nice ones.


Linen Button Downs


J Crew linen top
$80 - jcrew.com

J Crew linen top
$80 - jcrew.com

J Crew linen top
$80 - jcrew.com

J Crew linen top
$80 - jcrew.com

J Crew linen top
$80 - jcrew.com

J Crew striped top
$80 - jcrew.com

Banana Republic button shirt
$60 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Banana Republic button shirt
$60 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Banana Republic button shirt
$60 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Banana Republic button shirt
$60 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Banana Republic button shirt
$60 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Banana republic
$65 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Banana republic
$65 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Banana republic
$65 - bananarepublic.gap.com





Linen button downs work with a variety of trends and styles.

Pair a linen button down with khaki shorts and oxfords for a preppy look.

Preppy Linen Button Down Look


J Crew long sleeve linen shirt
$80 - jcrew.com

Old navy shorts
$20 - oldnavy.gap.com

ASOS wingtip shoes
$47 - asos.com

H M shoulder bag
£30 - hm.com

South sea pearl necklace
$30 - topshop.com

H M leather belt
£7.99 - hm.com




Wear an off-white linen button down with cargo shorts, a braided belt, wedges, a woven hat, and a leather shoulder bag for a safari-inspired look.

Safari-Inspired Linen Button Down Look


Banana republic
$65 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Old Navy cut off shorts
$27 - oldnavy.gap.com

H M leather handbag
£20 - hm.com

Straw hat
$32 - nordstrom.com

H M leather belt
£3.99 - hm.com






For a more professional look, try pairing a linen button down with a blazer, satchel, and wedges. For this ensemble I used bright colors to make it more fun.

Professional Brights Linen Button Down Look


J Crew long sleeve shirt
$80 - jcrew.com

H m blazer
£25 - hm.com

Dorothy Perkins chino pants
$44 - dorothyperkins.com

Yellow heels
£35 - axparis.co.uk

Sport handbag
$58 - modcloth.com




Fashionably,
The Fashioneur

Saturday, April 14, 2012

My Music Obsession: Deep Sea Arcade and Seapony

Deep Sea Arcade
After downloading "Girls" as a free Indie Spotlight download on iTunes, I completely fell in love with Deep Sea Arcade. This band's intricate sounds and catchy lyrics create a charming mix of indie pop and rock. Deep Sea Arcade shares the sounds of Arcade Fire's rock melody swells and Foster the People's catchy lyrics, but adds an undeniably beach-y feel.


   
 www.bmamag.com


soundcloud.com


soundsbetterwithreverb.com


last.fm

abc.net.au






Seapony
First of all, the name of this band is considerably wonderful. Seapony's airy dream pop incorporates resilient vocals and bright melodies with soft rock to create sunny sounds fit for a summer day on the beach.

getexposedmusic.com

kyledeanreinfordphotography.com

rcrdlbl.com









Fashionably,
The Fashioneur

Monday, April 9, 2012

How to Wear: Crop Tops

After finding myself in possession of many crop tops that I've never worn, I decided to set off on a mission to find out how to best wear a crop top.

Different styles of crop tops may go with different pieces better, make sure you know what kind you have or are looking for. The most popular types of crop tops are...

Popular Crop Top Types


Cropped shirt
£75 - harveynichols.com


Monki indian top
€20 - monki.com


Topshop cropped shirt
$36 - topshop.com


Crop top
$48 - topshop.com


Oasis crop top
$70 - oasis-stores.com


The one thing that makes crop tops so hard to work with is their shape. Usually they are very loose or tight, so you need other pieces in the outfit to counter that.

Try pairing a basic crop top with jean shorts, a denim skirt, or a bodycon skirt.

Basic Crop Top


Topshop printed top
$36 - topshop.com


Bodycon mini skirt
$45 - topshop.com


H M short denim mini skirt
£20 - hm.com


Quiksilver distressed shorts
$50 - quiksilver.com


MICHAEL Michael Kors beach sandals
$120 - neimanmarcus.com


Oasis glitter flat shoes
$35 - oasis-stores.com


Keds flat heels
$30 - infinityshoes.com


H&M retro shades
£4.99 - hm.com


H&m sunglasses
£3.99 - hm.com


H&M metal shades
£3.99 - hm.com



bustier crop top goes great with tight high-waisted shorts, mid-length hi-lo skirts, and maxi skirts.

How to Wear a Bustier Crop Top


Oasis corset top
$70 - oasis-stores.com


Miss Selfridge maxi skirt
$65 - missselfridge.com


Pleated skirt
$56 - topshop.com


High waisted shorts
$56 - topshop.com


Toms shoes
$44 - toms.com


Steve Madden strappy high heels
$90 - stevemadden.com


Nine West platform high heels
$69 - ninewest.com


Cat eye sunglasses
$12 - ocshades.com


Wayfarer sunglasses
$12 - ocshades.com


ASOS round sunglasses
$21 - asos.com



A fringe crop top can be paired with a maxi skirt, jean shorts, or a bodycon skirt.

How to Wear a Fringe Crop Top


Monki indian top
€20 - monki.com


Miss Selfridge long skirt
$65 - missselfridge.com


Forever 21 knee length skirt
$7.80 - forever21.com


H&M short shorts
£20 - hm.com


H&m shoes
£7.99 - hm.com


ALDO platform heels
$62 - zappos.com


H&M high heels
£25 - hm.com


Mango sunglasses
£15 - mango.com


Cat eye sunglasses
$12 - ocshades.com


H&M retro sunglasses
£4.99 - hm.com



A lace crop top works well with a bodycon skirt, high-waisted jean shorts, or a sheer maxi skirt.

How to Wear a Lace Crop Top


Sleeveless shirt
£75 - harveynichols.com


Vila sheer maxi skirt
£40 - houseoffraser.co.uk


Miss Selfridge short skirt
$35 - missselfridge.com


Monki short shorts
€25 - monki.com



Dorothy Perkins black high heels
$59 - dorothyperkins.com


Converse shoes
£42 - landaustore.co.uk


ASOS cat eye sunglasses
$21 - asos.com


Monki plastic sunglasses
€10 - monki.com


Red Herring wayfarer sunglasses
£10 - debenhams.com



Wear a sweatshirt crop top with a contrasting color bodycon skirt, a hi-lo skirt, or tight high-waisted shorts.

How to Wear a Sweatshirt Crop Top


Crop top
$48 - topshop.com


Ruffle skirt
$40 - delias.com


High waisted hot shorts
$56 - topshop.com


Bodycon skirt
$45 - topshop.com


Steve Madden wedge bootie
$52 - macys.com


Ciao Bella platform wedge
$69 - macys.com


Oasis high heel sandals
$95 - oasis-stores.com


Lipsy tortoise shell sunglasses
£18 - bankfashion.co.uk


Monki retro shades
€10 - monki.com


Retro style sunglasses
£8 - fashionunion.com



Fashionably,
The Fashioneur