Happy Easter!

Despite the delicious cadbury chocolate, I love Easter because pastels and spring colors are in full force! This season's soft floral and chiffon spring dresses are a great addition to any closet.

I especially love this high to low dress! Finding the right fit for a high to low can be difficult (its either too high or too low you know?) but this style is flattering to every body type since it hits a couple inches above the knee and isn't too long in the back. The peach colors mix perfectly with the tiffany blue wedges and are balanced with a camel brown clutch. Every Easter outfit should be accentuated with a floppy Sunday hat and I like this one because its simple yet makes a huge statement with the black band and long rim. 

Make a statement this Easter with your pastels, off setting shoe and floppy hat!

xoxo

Audree Kate

Wearable Wednesdays: Happy Spring!

Happy First Day of Spring!

Although this is one of the best times of the season, the transition from winter to spring is the hardest- from attempting to tan your pale legs to actually wishing you didn't eat that whole carton of Ben & Jerry's the night before you go bikini shopping but hey, it's ok because spring clothes are the best! Spring 2013 is the season of crop tops and high waisted a-line skirts and bright hues.

All the pieces above are basics in my closet and I know you can find similar pieces too!

• Chambray top: we all love jean tops- they can be incorporated into almost any outfit
•  if you don't have a tank top or crop top- roll up the sleeves, button half way down and tie up the bottom half  above your waistline of your skirt
• Flowy [floral] skirt: a versatile piece that you can wear from school, work to date night
• Nude wedges: I love wedges because they are nicer to walk in and can transition easier from day to night
• Nude is an extremely versatile color to pair with anything and a very spring/summer look
• Gold cuff: I love gold this year and gold jewelry gives your outfit a spring ambiance and makes you look more tan
• Red lipstick: What diva doesn't own a fab color of red lipstick?!
• Pick a shade that compliments your skin tone and it will help make your eyes pop and smile shine!
• Turquoise necklace: My absolute favorite type of jewelry! Turquoise can be paired with almost any color and especially looks great with red!

I hope you step into spring this season with a better fashion foot (hopefully in a nude wedge) and don't feel like you have to buy an entirely new season wardrobe- pair your basics together for that awesome spring look!

xoxo,

Audree Kate

Swap Tempe

This past Sunday, I had the amazing opportunity to participate in the first annual SWAP Tempe. If you haven't heard of  the clothing swaps that have been happening in the Phoenix area the past couple years- you are missing out! Fellow colleague and fashionista, Chloe Bosmeny hosted the clothing swap at her house and over 60 people attended that day to shop, win raffles and participate in the DIY booths hosted by yours truly and Lindsay Vikar from Couture in the Suburbs (If you haven't seen her blog, go check it out- It's adorable!).

Now to explain what a clothing swap is to those who don't know- It is a gathering for people where they can donate up to ten items of gently used clothing and accessories and then swap with the same amount of clothing items they brought. The left over goods are donated to the International Rescue Committee. Swap Tempe ended up with 15 left over bags that they donated!

I was so excited to host a DIY booth this year! I decided to relive the turban headband DIY tutorial from a couple months ago and it was a success! I picked up a bunch of shirts from Goodwill and had a handful of others donated and just cut 2 inch stripes of the shirts for guests. 

Here are some attendees with their awesome new turban headbands!

At Couture in the Suburbs' booth they did cute twist ribbon bracelets- they are super easy and a cute addition to any arm candy collection. 

 Lindsay Viker and Cassie Goers from the Couture In The Suburbs DIY booth even stopped by to make a turban headband

Shoptiques also had a booth by us and they hosted a raffle of their ridiculously cute swimwear and clothing items. 

Rebecca and Ariel Shemesh working the raffle for the new season's bathing suits

Don't forget to 'like' Clothing Swap on Facebook so you can attend the next swap!

xoxo,

Audree Kate

Wearable Wednesdays: The perfect cocktail dress

A cocktail dress can be one of the most difficult things to style from time to time- do you go for the tight body con dress or the family friendly Sunday dress. Find a happy medium! A cocktail dress is designed for fancier situations but make sure it completely embodies your personality and the event itself. This week I will be attending a cocktail dress event and am currently searching my closet for the perfect cocktail dress.

I love love love peplum outfits- not only are slimming at the waist but they cover that trouble area of hips and love handles (you know it's true). In addition to a dress, pair it with a tailored blazer. This can make a great combination of going from the office to a cocktail hour with some close girlfriends.

The rules of a cocktail dress:

1. Keep it covered - this is a formal event and you want to make sure all the necessities are fully covered and you look like a classy adult. 
2. Keep it classy- darker colors are typically worn in cocktail settings so that neon club dress from Miami might not be the best idea
3. Keep it memorable- in the midst of a large room with strangers, state your 'hello' with a killer outfit. Wear complimentary colors, fit and length according to your body.  

The 4 things to make your Monday a little better

No matter how many Starbucks you drink or if you’re having a really good hair day, Mondays are the worst day of the week. Personally for me, they are crazy busy from running to work to class to chapter and planning my outfit to fit all three places can be stressful. Finding a balance between class casual and business casual is not hard when you pack the four necessary chapter items in your bag for Monday:

1.              Pencil Skirt
2.              Blazer
3.          A statement accessory
4.             Business appropriate shoes

These items transition perfectly from casual outfit 1 to dressy outfit 2 and are easy to layer. When dressing for a busy day like Monday, keep things simple. Pick items that can transition nicely from outfits like a sheer collared button up. I like to keep my shirt and jewelry the same in both outfits since it’s the easiest to changeover. A pencil skirt is versatile and easy to pair with a bright colored blazer. A statement piece of jewelry can jazz up any outfit from drab to fab and don’t forget those shoes! A basic pump or flat are easy to throw in your sorority bag and switch into on your way to chapter.

Outfit 1:

 

       

Don’t be afraid to rock a neon lipstick this spring!

 

Sheer top (Charlotte Russe), Infinity Scarf (handmade), Jeans (H&M), Sandals (Last Chance)

Pick pieces that show your personal style and will be easy to make into two outfits. My go-to outfit when I’m in a rush in the morning is my favorite dark wash skinny jeans, a flowy blouse and a scarf. It’s comfy yet still looks polished.

 Outfit 2:

 

Outfit 1 shirt added with pencil skirt, gold skinny belt, watch and black pumps

A black pencil skirt is a business women’s best friend. It is the most versatile piece when dressing up for a meeting and easy to throw in your purse for a quick change. I added a gold skinny belt and basic closed toe Mary Jane black heels. Don’t overthink your outfit; make sure you’re professional and keep pieces simple.

 

Pencil Skirt (Pitaya Boutique), Watch (Betsey Johnson), Heels (Ross)

Outfit 1:

 

I love this coral sheer top and it looks beautiful with a chunky turquoise necklace

Don’t be afraid to mix shorts in with winter pieces during the transition period between winter and spring. Combat boots took center stage in 2012 and don’t forget to still rock them this spring — they make any girly outfit a bit more tough and edgy.

 

    

Sheer top (Charlotte Russe), Printed shorts (Pitaya Boutique),

 Necklace (Rue 21), Combat boots (Goodwill), Watch (Betsey Johnson)

Outfit 2:

 

Just like the first outfit, keep the same top and add a pencil skirt! I paired them with brown leather flats and swept my bangs out of my face. Bright colors are acceptable in the workplace as long as they are acceptable length and in appropriate taste. Although it’s only February, it’s practically spring in Tempe so bring out those floral prints and start celebrating the warm weather.

 

     

Pencil Skirt (Charlotte Russe), Brown Flat (Kohl’s)

Transitioning from class to chapter doesn’t have to be a headache. Remember the key four items of a pencil skirt, blazer, statement accessory and dress shoe! If you don’t own a sheer button up, I strongly encourage you to go find one. They won’t bust your wallett and will become your go-to piece in your closet on Monday’s!

Xoxo,

Audree Kate

Feminine Fairytale

As Valentine's day is quickly approaching, the perfect date outfit is in your closet. Whether you are having a girls night in drooling over Ryan Gosling movies or out with your sweet valentine, bring out your feminine, fairy-tale look with bright lipstick and voluminous hair. 

Fuschia Fever by Maybelline is my new favorite lip color for 2013. This bright pink color is a great compliment to almost all skin tones and is a fun alternative to classic red lips. I picked this color up at Wal-Mart and it's become my go-to color when I'm feeling gutsy. 

You can never go wrong with big voluminous hair. Take 1/2 inch sections of you hair and curl - once finished  take hair at the crown of your scalp and tease. Tease sections around the top of your head until desired volume is reach. Smooth out unevenness with your comb. Hold the curls by spraying a good quality hairspray like CHI or Big Sexy. 

Add a little sparkle to your look by wrapping a double strand of sequins around your forehead and tie in the back. Take the extra strands in the back and braid into your hair (no need to use an elastic - this will just create extra dimension to the fairy-tale like hair. 

A sheer lace shirt and dainty gold jewelry is the perfect outfit combination for this romantic day

Thank you once again to Alejandra Vidal (Imaginale Design) for this awesome collaboration and check out the video she made from this photoshoot (She's absolutely amazing isn't she?!) 

http://imaginale.blogspot.com/2013/01/audree.html

xoxo,

Audree Kate

Wearable Wednesdays: Spicing up the office

Who needs a little spice and variety from their typical pant suit or pencil skirt in the office? I know I do! A few months ago I scored a pair of royal blue dress pants from a thrift shop and there is no denying these babies were from the 80's. With pleats and a high waistband I found that these retro trousers were actually becoming popular in clothing stores. I paired it with a striped button up, neon belt, flats and a hippie band.

blue trouser (thrift)

striped button up (thrift)

pink skinny belt (pack of 3 from Target)

flats (Goodwill)

headband (pack of 3 from Claires)

pearl bracelets (Charlotte Russe)