Feeling Inspired!

Thank you for everyone that stuck around in my semi-absence. For putting up with my “here and there” uploads. But I’m back and I’m feeling inspired for once in a very long time. I have a it of advice, PLEASE take a social media break when you need it! I know I don’t normally upload a post on a Sunday but for those of you that are not swept into the Super Bowl frenzy, hopefully you’re reading this lol.

Most times, I’m not really inspired by the cold season. This time, I am. I wanted to just talk about what make me feel cozy. What I enjoy. Recently, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to really enjoy some of the things that I have wanted to. There are goals that I set this year to enjoy things that will also enhance my life. One of those things is learning another language. You would be surprised how inspired you become just from learning another language and embracing the culture that is entangled with it. This inspiration has got me going…what has been your inspiration lately?

Top: Fashion Nova. Jeans: Guess Jeans. Boots: here and here. Coat: Forever 21. Bag: Zara. Watch: Casio (Vintage). Bracelet: Gifted.


Winter Time/Lumber “Jackie”

Yea so, if you live in the U.S., you know the weather is all over the place all over the country. It’s raining relentlessly in the south, cold in the normally warm west coast and cold in Texas. (Insert wide eyed emoji). I must say that I was not ready lol. Geez, I mean winter hasn’t officially arrived on the calendar but oh well. I had to get ready. Good thing I had been doing some shopping during the summer for fall and winter things here and there.

I grabbed this waterfall plaid vest that I’m wearing about 8 months ago. The original seller Choies, no longer has this in stock but I found an alternate seller because I love this vest (and you guys) so much! This vest is so warm and the design takes a normal lumber Jackie plaid look to a glamorous and chic level.

I am cold and there’s no other way around it so I needed to be comfortable first. I grabbed a faux leather jacket, a black turtleneck and a pair of black jeans. I added my new fave pair of booties, purchased from Target. They are so cozy and are designed after the wallabe shoe. The wedge on these boots allow my foot to stay warm and less likely to touch the snow. My faux leather adds extra texture and surprisingly warmth. The vest is the highlight of course and completes the layering aspect of this outfit. I’m outta here, going to grab me a coffee!

Vest: Here. Booties: Target. Jeans: Fashion Nova. Jacket: Sold Out.

lumber jackielumber jackie

How to: Buy From Trendy Shops & Not Look Like It! 

This is the season for shopping and I am always here to help figure out all your shopping options. Buying quality without the forced action of thrifting can sometimes be difficult. Inexpensive clothing can look cheap, irregular and fit oddly on the body. Not everyone though has money to spare for a designer blouse, dress or even accessories. What’s a person to do then?

Well, most times the concept of shopping is convoluted with name brands, sales, salespeople, suggestions and do’s and don’ts of fashion. Here’s where I can help. It really doesn’t matter what you classify as your “style”, you still need classic pieces in your wardrobe. These pieces will always add balance to any look that you put together.

For instance, a white tee. If you love the grunge look, the white tee is a great base but won’t take away from your outfit. Just add a skinny knit scarf, a wide brim hat, jeans and an army green blazer. The tee is what you may want to spend a little more money on considering it’s not generally as “durable” as a blazer. You could grab an the scarf, blazer, jeans and hat from a trendy store to complete the look without spending a fortune. These pieces are usually offered in variety sometimes with more quality than expected. Forever 21 has “premium” lines that offer a bit more quality than their regular clothing for a fraction of the cost of designer.

I grabbed my sweater coat from Fashion Nova because the quality is pretty good and it was on sale. I will probably dry clean this coat for cleaning to prevent lint balls since this coat is made of acrylic and not wool. I added a plaid oversized scarf and a white tee (classic wardrobe pieces), a pair of dark jeans and thigh high boots. All of the pieces in this look are staple wardrobe pieces but they were purchased at a fraction of the cost. Together these items look as if I paid more money than I did. The key is searching for versatile staple pieces with surprisingly good quality for an inexpensive price!

Outfit:

Jeans: $30

Coat: $28

Tee: $5 (still good after tons of wear)

Scarf: $7

Boots: $30

This. Is. A Remix

If you’ve enough of my blog posts you know that I love thrifting. I’ve thrifted some great one of a kind pieces. One piece that I happen to love is a vintage Detroit Pistons tee. I honestly can’t remember where I found this tee but I it almost immediately caught my attention. 

This tee boasts a great contrast in color and the vintage Pistons logo makes this shirt a bit of a collectors item. Last year, I wore this shirt with a simple pair of jeans and a pair of my favorite sandals. Check it out here. This time around, it’s cooler outside and plus I wanted the look to be a bit more chic. 

I opted for a cape, the ultimate style piece and a pair of nude pumps. I know, I know…it’s not Friday and I’m doing a casual look. Well this weather is telling me to keep my legs covered lol. Remember we talked about using leopard print as a neutral? I’m expressing that concept right here in this look! All the colors balance out very well and compliment each other. The tee remains the focal point and the cape provides a polished finish for style and warmth for functionality. I could easily swap out the pumps for a pair of nude pink ballet flats for more comfort. This look is perfect for the current basketball season. What do you think? 

Jeans: Fashion Nova. Clutch: To Be Announced. Cape: Boohoo. Tee: vintage. Shoes: Here and Here. Earrings: gifted

The Remix: Color Block 

Happy Friday loves!

Really quick I want to talk about this look. So I’ve worn this bomber I’m wearing before in this look here. That look was actually one of my favorites! Anyhoo, I decided to remix the look with this jacket.  I love this bomber because unlike most of the bombers now, this one is made of quality silk. It keep me warm without making me sweat like a polyester based fabric bomber would. I wanted to combine the color block with stripes to mix patterns. Check the look out below.

Be sure to check out my last post on getting the best out of shopping online. In the meantime, check out the links and pics below and then enjoy the weekend!

Jacket: thrifted. Tank: Similar. Jeans: Fashion Nova. Shoes: Public Desire. Glasses: eBay


Laced With Style

I’m “jujjing” my style as you can see. I’ve been in love with lace, defined silhouettes and soft colors lately. I recently wore an outfit that featured a little bit of lace.

I loved that look so much! I am a big fan of lace but it’s been hard for me to incorporate it into my looks. Well, my mind would not let me go there. Lace has carried around a delicate reputation for bedrooms, special occasions and accents.


(Photo courtesy of: Wanelo)

That reputation has changed. And before it changed, I changed. I started wearing lace how I wanted to and I’m proud to say that I expanded my style. Since I’m now even more drawn to lace, I found this lace top thrifting. Now let me tell you, I am IN LOVE with this top! I wish I purchased it from a regular retail store because I would love this top in nude, pink and black as well. But, it’s a one of a kind. To feel better, I went out and purchased a lace dress (that I will share in this blog soon) lol and I love that dress but the quality of the lace is just not there. The quality of this top is impeccable. The construction is perfect and doesn’t risk easy snagging.

As you can see, I wore a statement necklace over the top. I didn’t worry about anything but whether the two were a stylish combo lol. That’s the beauty of thrifting. I’ve found some alternatives for you ladies that love the looks of this top. In the meantime, share your thoughts!

Talk to you soon,

The Style Cake 💋

Top: thrifted, similar here. Skirt: Fashion Nova, better quality version here. Shoes: Shoedazzle (sold out). Necklace: TSC. Handbag: American Apparel, similar here


Denim Done Right!

Jeans have been around for a long time. Since they’ve become part of fashion they’ve evolve and expanded in style to the simple category of: denim. Denim is coveted as an intricate part of casual wear but is often layered for classic looks as well. The variety available is expanded more than before and now denim has become a popular part of current trends.

We’ve loved denim jackets for a few decades now but over the past few years, they’ve become increasingly popular. I remember wearing denim in the 90s when there was no thought really put into wearing them, there was such an abundance of jean jackets that it was hard not to just buy one and wear it.

Since the overload of the denim trend is back around, I decided to add more of it to my personal wardrobe. I paired two pieces of denim with similar washes. It makes the outfit appear more uniform. This isn’t my first denim on denim look. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not buying a trendy design but participating in a trend with a staple piece is not a bad idea. My outfit is denim on denim and I am wearing a denim button up dress as a maxi denim cardigan/top. I’ll share my thoughts on this subject a couple of blogs from now. In the meantime, how do you wear your denim? I’ll be back tomorrow with a brief review…

The Style Cake 💋.

Top: Thrifted, similar here. Pants: Fashion Nova. Fur Scarf: Target. Shoes: Simmi Shoes. Necklace: Jewelmint, sold out. Glasses: eBay. 

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Black Is the New Black

One month into fall and I still haven’t been able to wear much “fall gear” because it’s been so warm. Around this time of year, it’s usually in the 50s (degrees) so it’s kind of shocking that the temperature has been over 80. Just this week we had 87 degrees in the forecast. Am I complaining? Nope because as simple humans, we usually miss what we no longer have lol. I must admit that when summer was around, I eventually got annoyed with the hot and humid days and stuffy, still nights. 

Now, it’s been warm but in an intermittent type of way. Some days we have deep dips into crisp air but not long enough to get an outfit out there. Shoot, most of those crisp days it’s raining out. I snuck in an all black look on a week where the weather was swinging back and forth. Speaking of swinging back and forth, my mood has been swinging between blush, nude pink and black, gray and taupe. Everyone wants to claim that {insert subject} is the new black. Well I gotta say, my love for black is growing (more than I’d like it to actually) and I can’t help it. I’m sure you’ll see more black in my posts than previously seen. 

Black is the new black and I’m full effect for the season. As a matter of fact, it seem that designers are putting an emphasis on black as well as navy, plum and burgundy. I’m wearing a faux leather jacket, a black button up skirt, I wanted a nude effect under the lace for modesty and black shirt open toe boots. Check the pics and let me know what you think. 

Thank you for reading loves!

The Style Cake 💋

Jacket: Fashion Nova (sold out). Shoes: Shiekh Shoes. Tank: H&M, similar. Lace Top: Forever 21 (sold out), similar. Skirt: (old). 

Sweater Season 2016

‘Tis the the season for sweaters! I am beyond excited to wear sweaters and blazers, chunky knits and colorful cardigans. I’m on the hunt for more sweaters (as if I don’t have enough) because I feel they are staple pieces that pretty much make the outfit with little effort. Of course the designs and types of sweaters are endless, no longer contained to basic colors and styles.

This season I have simply been in love with navy blue! When I started my search for the perfect sweater, I knew I would grab it in that color! Navy blue makes casual wear look so much more polished and chic. When I saw the sweater I’m wearing, I knew immediately that I wanted it. It has a cold shoulder (cut out) detailing as well as an oversized structure. This sweater is so soft and feels like I’m wearing a blanket! I’m always particular about not buying a sweater that pulls microscopic hairs on my body. We all know how uncomfortable that can be. 

With my sweater, I chose to keep my look simple so I added a simple pair of dark jeans, black open toe booties and my favorite black leather clutch. This look can most definitely be worn on a cozy date night, for a lunch date or a day at the cider mill. This sweater is such a versatile piece it can easily be a wardrobe staple. This piece can be worn with a leather skirt, with overalls, faux leather or even wide leg pants. I’ll put the deets below for this outfit. Let me know what you think of this look! There will be more sweater outfits to come so stay “tuned”! 

Sweater: Boohoo (sold out). Jeans: Fashion Nova. Booties: Shoemint. Handbag: American Apparel. Sunglasses: eBay.  

The Design of Comfort 

With the weather change comes what seems like awkward choices in wardrobe. The change of seasons is a transition period for most wardrobes. Trying to figure out what pieces in your closet to keep and what to fold I and put away might be tricky. Beyond the season change comes changes in emotion. Perhaps during fall we tend to feel more cozy, often choosing comfort over style. You can have both style and complete comfort in one look. 

I found this very comfortable and stylish striped blouse while thrifting by Calvin Klein. The material is so exquisite against my skin. No snags on my skin and it flows beautifully on my silhouette. Perfect for those comfy outfits. The style of stripes and button detail add for a contemporary look. I paired the blouse with a pair of high waisted jeans. I didn’t want low rise jeans and feel uncomfortable, maybe at some point having to tug on my jeans. I added my favorite pair of flat sandals and new fave fall handbag for a finishing and transitional touch! 

The key to transitioning smoothly from one season to another is to find those pieces that can be worn in warm and cold weather. That’s what the Calvin Klein blouse does for my look. It helps to accomplish a cool transitional outfit. Your “in between seasons” piece can be anything from a dress to a scarf. Yes, a scarf. There are even versatile accessories. For example, a burgundy scarf made of light knits and fabrics can help build a great between season look! Anyhoo, let me know what you think of my look! What are some of your favorite transitional pieces? 

Later Cupcakes 💋 

Shirt: Calvin Klein. Jeans: Fashion Nova. Bag: Justfab. Shoes: Target.