Styling – Page 4 – The Style Cake

The Graphic Tee Revisited (Plus Bad Hair Day Fix)

Posted on March 4, 2016 by The Style Cake

In the beginning of my outfit of the day blogging days, I blogged a look that I called “Rockstar Chic”. This post focused on the grungy look of one of my favorite thrift purchases, a graphic tee. Simply put, I love this tee!! It is what’s being sold in stores at a more expensive price. The best part is my tee was really inexpensive!

I’m having a bad hair day today because….well it’s a long and sorted story lol. Anyhoo, the very simple solution for a bad hair day is a long scarf tied to imitate the long flow of hair and off to the side for a bit of “femininity”. This way, you still feel girly and not like you’re wearing the scarf out of necessity (even though you are). As I’ve previously said in my first “Style Lusts” for this month, you can use leopard print as a neutral. That’s exactly what I did with my scarf. At the same time, I’ve in effect added another layer of flavor to my look.

Since it’s Friday and we all want to get out and enjoy this weekly holiday lol, I’ll wrap up this post. I wanted to show a real life display of incorporating my style lusts. I have on boyfriend (husband for me lol) jeans that are lower on the waist and bun area. This allows for relaxed look. This look is a bit grungy but more polished than the first version with this tee. Let me know if you like the look!!

Happy Friday Cupcakes!! 💋

Jeans: JCP. Graphic Tee: Thrifted. Booties: Shoemint. Scarf: (old). Jacket: F21. Bracelet: H&M.

The First Look w/this tee:

The look this time around:

March 2016 Style Lusts #1

Posted on March 3, 2016 by The Style Cake

I again apologize for the brief hiatus and “false starts” from this series. I’ve decided to make a huge decision, Style Lusts will no longer be weekly. The schedule for this series is pretty demanding and to be fair, I’ve decided that bi-weekly Style Lusts would not only suffice but would be much better. Better quality and no rush. Onward and upward!

This month so far, I am lusting after bright colors and tribal prints and animal prints, in particular, leopard print. Yes, I am a leopard print junkie and I have been into using leopard print as a neutral color to my looks. You really can pair this print with just about everything. Don’t be afraid to replace your blacks with a leopard print. I promise you’ll love the look!! Stuart Weitzman Nudist comes in leopard print but currently sold out. (Wink, wink). You can definitely find a less expensive pair, I’m sure!!

#leopardprintheels

Next, I’ve been slightly obsessed over red platform sandals. I have no idea why but I’m loving the platform lace up cage sandals in particular. They scream sexy!! I saw an awesome pair on both Fashion Nova as well as Lola’s Shoetique but I’m sad because my size is sold out and the shoe is not available anywhere. I have plans for my shoes when I finally get my hands on them lol. You don’t have to grab a platform sandal if that’s not your thing, there are tons of red single sole shoes and red pumps to sex up a simple look!

(Photo cred: Fashion Nova) #redchunkyheels

Third thing that I’m loving are clear chunky heels!! Ugh!! This love affair began a few years back but I grabbed a pair that are COMPLETELY clear and lucite!!! They are open toe booties. I can’t share where I bought them just yet, I’ll be styling them in an outfit in the very near future. I also am fawning over a pair on the site Public Desire. There are a pair of booties that I’m lusting over…. I won’t even just list the direct link to them, you have to see them first!! I would wear these with a skirt and a sweatshirt. Well that’s just one way, yup! I’d be dressing these puppies all the way down!

Photo Cred: Public Desire

#lucitechunkyheels

The fourth thing I’ve been lusting over is faux leather skirts in softer colors. For instance, nudes, light pinks, and mauves have been drawing my absolute attention. I think you can pair a faux leather skirt with anything but I don’t want to give away my secrets just yet! I will though very soon in an outfit post. In the meantime, check them out here and here. I can’t wait to show you how I put together a look with a faux leather skirt! Now if faux leather isn’t your thing, try a slinky or ponte knit skirt instead. Both fabrics allows movement while maintaining the intended fit of the skirt and a bit of casual “structure”. Both can mimic the intent of faux leather.

Photo cred: Missguided #fauxleatherskirts

So lastly, I’ve been swooning over choker tops!! First of all, these tops are extremely sexy without showing everything. That’s the thing, sexy doesn’t mean show all parts that should be private and saved for intimate moments…it means tempering your look to reveal femininity and sensuality with a bit of mystery and wonder. Having part of the décolletage revealed and a teeny bit of stomach showing is just enough sex appeal. The choker aspect adds to the uber sensuality of this skirt. Want to know how I will style this top? Stay tuned for an outfit featuring this shirt very soon! In the meantime, shop for your own here and here!
Photo cred: American Apparel #chokertop

So now that I’ve shared what I’ve been wanting and grabbing, what are your favorite picks from this list? Better yet, what are some things you’re currently loving?

Winter Blues & Plaids

Posted on March 2, 2016 by The Style Cake

So I think the past few months I have talked about winter so much we’re all tired of winter right? Lol. Well, I’m officially sick (no literally) of winter. Currently, I have an ear ache, sinus infection and a cold but I’m pushing through it. The light at the end of the tunnel is SPRING!!! In the meantime, I’ve become slightly uninspired due to not just the weather and the lingering on of winter but the current state of my health. This swinging weather of 60 degrees one day and 18 degrees with snow the next is very hard to plan by. Guys, I have so many looks lined up for warmer weather, I’m quite uninterested in dressing up to be cold. Regardless, tis life and I must dress for it.

I decided on this bold and colorful plaid poncho to be the “center” of my look. In true stylist fashion, I “thinga-ma-jigged” my poncho into a scarf instead. It’s still a poncho but it is much more cozy and beneficial as a scarf. My coat is of a faux wool/felt material. It honestly is a decently warm coat. It boasts an extra large collar that pretty much envelopes my upper half. I’m wearing fleece leggings. They are sooooo cozy and warm!!! My boots, you all have seen a number of times. They’re from Justfab’s Luxe line (now no longer) but there are similar styles on the market. Mine are genuine suede which I love. Since this look is cozy, I have a large handbag I purchased from H&M to store everything I need while out and about to make me comfortable in this cold. I opted for sunglasses because of the brightness of the snow. My accessories are minimal. Let me know what you think! How do you stay inspired in the long months of winter and when it’s cold?

Later Cupcakes!! ❤️💙

Boots: Justfab (similar here). Leggings: Gifted (similar here). Poncho/Scarf: Thrifted (similar here). Denim Blouse: Thrifted (similar here). Jewelry: Neon Wild & Layered Chains. Sunglasses: eBay. Bag: H&M (similar here).

Casual Friday: Sassy Jones Boutique

Posted on February 26, 2016 by The Style Cake

I am a bit of a fashion jewelry and accessories fan but that being said, I am also very particular about the things that I pick up to include in my wardrobe. So when I was contacted by a company by the name of Sassy Jones Boutique to try out a few of their items. I must say that it is easily any stylenista’s day dream to be able to pick out fashionable pieces to add to their closet! I was ecstatic to say the least. I’ve showcased two of the items in a couple of my most recent looks but this look is my favorite! The necklace inspired my entire look. It’s colorful and bold and has a bit of a tribal undertones. It sort of reminds me of a breast plate. It’s called the Islander Statement Necklace. Anyhoo, you know how Friday looks go, I’ll be brief so you can enjoy this glorious day of the week.

The owner of Sassy Jones Boutique is truly a sweetheart and the customer service and shipping times are awesome!! The pieces in this online shop are absolutely beautiful!! The best part? None of the items are over priced! All of the pieces are affordable and practical for the everyday wardrobe even the pieces stand out and make their own statements with any look. I will personally be making a purchase because there are a few other pieces on the site I’ve got to get my hands on lol.

I paired my necklace with a black oversized top on top of classic blue denim jeans and high heeled pumps. I completed the look with my burnt orange suede trench coat and favorite clutch bag from Turquoise Soul Bags. Pretty simple right? The necklace makes the look seem less simple. I love that! Let me know what you think. If you like the necklace, grab it before it’s gone because it’s only $15!!

Later Cupcakes!

Coat: (Old) & Gifted (similar here). Shoes: Justfab. Denim Pants: Fashion Nova. Shirt: Meijer. Necklace: Sassy Jones Boutique (now on sale). Earrings: Neon Wild. Clutch: Turquoise Soul Bags.

Casual Friday: Sophisticated Denim

Posted on February 19, 2016 by The Style Cake

Friday!! It’s my favorite only and repeat holiday of the year lol. I love Fridays because they’re not only the beginning of the weekend but usually everyone is in a good mood because they have the next couple of days to themselves. The world just seems happier on Fridays! I love to do casual looks that can be worn in the office to show how you can be stylishly casual in a work environment. Since we all want to go enjoy our weekend, I’ll be brief.

My hair style inspired my entire look. I’m wearing a simple side bun and I decided to wear my black glasses. The shoes I’m wearing are from Justfab’s Luxe line (when they had it) and it’s my first time wearing them. They’re real suede and the color is so bold and pops against all the black and white pattern in the look. My jeans and jacket add edge and my maxi cardigan contributes a sleek, diva like effect. I’m wearing a black and white print bodysuit with a black tank underneath (for modesty). What do you guys think? I’ll be back here Monday, until then enjoy your weekend!!

Later Cupcakes!

Jacket: Forever 21 (but thrifted). Cardigan: Naked Wardrobe. Tank: H&M. Bodysuit: American Apparel. Sold Out, similar here. Shoes: Justfab (Luxe) sold out but a better pump here. Clutch: Turquoise Soul Bags upon request. Jeans: JC Penney similar here.

SJB Series Part 1: Royal Pains of Winter

Posted on February 10, 2016 by The Style Cake

I know I have thoroughly complained and expressed my frustration with this season of winter. As a blogger, the colder months can so uninspiring. Quite frankly, I don’t love what the cold does to my skin. Somehow I always neglect to put enough moisturizer on my hands and other 2000 parts (insert eye roll) lol. I personally prefer my hair curly but in the winter I wear it straight. My hair is tailbone length and is quite time consuming to straighten. When I straighten, it’s poofy probably in the first 24 hours. I don’t re-straighten so I end up “bunning” or doing the ponytail thing which isn’t the most glamorous style. I honestly am simply not a fan of boots, I prefer open toe because they offer more detail in design but I digress. I know what you’re saying “girl those are personal choices that you’re complaining about”. You’re so right but hey, I’m explaining the royal pains right?

I completely inspired by my beautiful necklace from Sassy Jones Boutique. When I received this necklace I was definitely impressed at how beautiful it was and also the great quality. I LOVE this necklace. Had it been summer, I probably would have styled this look much differently…much more to my personal style but this look is to showcase the royal beauty of this statement necklace. I paired it with a free flowing vertically striped top and a black fur jacket to exaggerate the regal bold “centerpiece”. To bring the look to a casual balance, I wore a pair of jeans and thigh high boots.

Had it been warmer weather, I would have worn a skirt instead. Not to take away from the necklace, I decided against a belt. I added a headpiece to further emphasize the “regalness” (I made that up lol) of this look. This is a bit out of my personal style but I am showing a style of how to wear this necklace. MY personal style with this necklace will be shown in a lookbook next week! For now, let me know what you think. Link to this gorgeous necklace, click here: (direct link).

Shirt: Thrifted. Headpiece: Neon Wild. Jacket: Burlington (similar here). Jeans: Fashion Nova.

L-A-Y-E-R-S-!

Posted on January 14, 2016 by The Style Cake

Preface: I was supposed to upload this post yesterday but the post somehow got erased. I’m sorry guys. Trust me, I was beyond frustrated for the lack of a better word. Regardless, I still will be uploading Friday’s post.

There is no doubt in my mind that winter’s cold somehow forces the unintentional organic act of layering clothes and outerwear. The thing with layering is that it can be stylish regardless of the intentions of keeping warm. The beauty of being stylishly comfortable is that can evoke a major sense of creativity. You can truly find your sense of style in the process of layer clothing. Now, personally my sense of style has been evolving lately by each month but that is to be expected and moods of what you may like to wear for months, maybe even years at a time does indeed occur. My advice when layering is to be willing to experiment. For instance, don’t be afraid to mix not only prints but colors and even “styles”. I will discuss the generalized types of styles that exist in fashion in a (very near future) later post. Perhaps then, I will do my very first look book!!! Layering can involve more than one piece of outerwear, more than one shirt, more than one kind of bottoms and even only layering accessories. I chose to layer with outerwear and a blazer.

The weather has indeed been frightful, in fact it decided to snow on the day I wore this look. That being said, I knew that I wanted to wear my fur vest. This vest is so incredibly warm and allows for the rest of my look to still shine through. My blazer is an old one from Forever 21 and it also very warm. I didn’t feel the need of a coat seeing as that the vest and blazer provides so much warmth from the brisk air. I am wearing thermal leggings…tis the season for cozy (and publicly accepted) pants lol! I wore a ruffled front ribbed tunic to further block the cold air. I opted against jewelry because the focus is truly on my layering and the comfort of this look. I chose my fave clutch, very simple and doesn’t detract from the look at all. My boots add another layer to the look in that it seems to add “weight” to the bottom of the outfit by the look of the wedge. I hope you guys get where I’m going with this. Anyhoo, even the suede of the boots offers a layer sort to speak against the look of the fur. My goal was to create a balance throughout the look and still be cozy. This look is intentionally slightly masculine because I am in the woods (and I wanted to portray a lumber jack effect {insert wink smiley face emoji}) but you can make this look a bit more feminine by simply changing the hat and the color of the plaid shirt or blazer. So let me know what you think of this look!! How do you layer? What is your favorite way to keep warm? I will see you back here tomorrow…yep, I am still uploading Friday’s look!

Later Cupcakes!!

Black Ribbed Tunic: DOTS, (similar here). Vest & Blazer: Forever 21 (similar blazer here). Boots: Justfab (similar here). Leggings: . Hat: Boohoo (similar here). Earrings: H&M (similar here). Clutch: American Apparel.

Anti-Prep

Posted on January 8, 2016 by The Style Cake

Disclaimer: I apologize for the extremely late post.

I finally look my height (5′ 4″), and I must say that I’m excited lol. I just had to throw that in there. Okay, so business as usual. My look. I wanted to wear a sweater/button up blouse look but the problem with that is you end up looking preppy whether you want to or not. That is definitely not the look I am going for. That being said, I opted for sleeveless sheer blouse with a collar instead of the predictable non-sheer white solid. To further step away from the traditional prep look, I grabbed a bomb statement necklace I purchased from Purple Love. This necklace packs a “pow” factor that counters the normal dainty necklace or scarf that would be worn with the prep look. Quite rebellious huh? Lol. That’s the exact point.

Style is all about tweaking looks that aren’t “you” to make them just the way want to express your personality perfectly. That’s what makes styling fun. I threw on a hat on my messy pony for flirty but youthfully stern look. My boots are combat-like booties, high in heel, they give me a longer, leaner silhouette (even though I am getting thinner) and anyone can get that effect. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!

Now that you’ve seen what I’m wearing, let me know what you’re wearing or were wearing this Friday night!

Later Cupcakes!!

Sweater: H&M (similar here). Blouse: F21 (similar here). Jeans: Fashion Nova. Booties: Justfab. Necklace: Purple Love (sold out but similar necklace on the site). Earrings: H&M (similar here). Bracelets: Layered Chains.

Black, White & Colored Sophistication

Posted on January 5, 2016 by The Style Cake

Disclaimer: A huge part of style is fit. This coat is WAY too big for me but I wore this for demonstration purposes.

I love mixing color with black and white prints. The two compliment one another so very well, sometimes even allowing two different “styles” to coexist in one outfit. In this look today, I’m actually showing the most subtle (if it can be called that) way to mix colors amongst strong colored prints. I opted for a houndstooth scarf balanced against a colorful plaid coat. Both work for style and comfort as they not only keep me warm but they also stand out and grab attention. For a chic look (to this vintage coat), I tried to wear the coat simply hanging onto my shoulders. It was too cold for that!! Lol. I didn’t wear jewelry because my look is definitely decorated enough (due to the prints), overdone is never attractive…at least in my opinion. I’ve mixed black and white with colored prints in the past and I LOVE the way that it looks. I feel that it’s easy a signature look for me! Anyhoo, I’ve put info on my look below and something new I’m doing is adding alternatives to items no longer available, vintage or thrifted. Let me know what you think!

Later Cupcakes!

Wool Coat: Vintage (similar coat HERE, similar shirt HERE). Scarf: eBay. Turtleneck: H&M. Denim: (similar) JC Penney. Boots: old (similar pair HERE )

January Style Lusts (Edited Title)

Posted on January 5, 2016 by The Style Cake

1. Lash extensions:

My obsession continues. Recently I got lash extensions and I honestly can’t stop looking at my eyes in the mirror. Lashes create a world of a difference. If you’re looking for something to make your face look “made up” with no effort, grab some lash extensions. If lash extensions are too expensive, there are now tons of strip lashes that have that extension look..some even made with mink fur. The price for such a strip lash is cheaper and more affordable. I update soon about how long the lash extensions last and comfort levels while wearing them.

2. Body Harness:

I’ve always had an affinity for body chains and harnesses. When done right, a body chain or harness can ooze sex appeal. If you have a crop top, you can add a velvet or suede body harness/chain and a pair of jeans for a simple but edgy outfit. I have that outfit (with a few more details of course), already lined up for a future outfit look. The beauty of being modest is that you can avoid showing everything all while still being sexy. Chains and harnesses do this very thing for you. Just seeing the harness peek outside a v neck shirt is sexy enough! I am currently building my collection…

Photo Credit: GetHellBent (Etsy)

3. Oversized Earrings:

Lately, jewelry trends have been quite muted. Most fashionistas are rocking stud earrings or sleek designed hoops for a minimalist look. I’m a strong believer that minimalist looks are what you make of them. I won’t tell you what look I have lined up with a bold pair of earrings that I’ve purchased by I am super excited about. Of course the outfit will be a spring outfit, yes I’ve already planned for spring ootds lol. Oversized earrings can totally make your entire outfit!! If you’re wanting a pop of color in an outfit and are scared of color, grab a bold pair of oversized earrings!

Photo Credit: Pintrest

4. Longline Blazers:

I know in my last style lists I talked about more glamorous blazers. This time I’m talking about “plain” colored longline blazers. Longline Blazers are very flattering on the body and can easily take an outfit from casual to classy. Some colors I’ve grabbed are nude, pink, peach, black and white. These blazers won’t grab the spotlight but attract attention to otherwise lack luster looks. If you are shorter in height, a regular length blazer may work better as a longline blazer if longline isn’t available in petite. One great perk of longline blazers? No need for a jacket when wearing them in the spring. For a bit of extra style” grab a collar-less longline blazer!

Photo credit: Pintrest

5. Pom Pom Heeled Sandals:

I first saw these a few years ago but I am helplessly in love with heeled sandals that have pom poms across the toe band. Everyone else freaking out over fringe and I am on the hunt for a great pair of pom pom heeled sandals. Chances are, I’ll have to end up making my them myself…well sort of. They add a bit of a fun colorful aspect to any outfit. I would suggest pom poms on a simple sandal. Too much design in the sandal itself can crowd out the “purpose” of the pom poms. Anyhoo, I feel a DIY coming lol..

Photo credit: Neiman Marcus

5. Metallic Heels:

So besides pom pom heeled sandals, I’ve been truly admiring metallic pumps and heeled sandals. In particular, silver has truly captured my attention. I’m actually surprised by my own attraction to silver since I’m definitely more of a gold girl. I tend to be drawn to gold because it seems to compliment my skin tone better. Nevertheless, I am seeing more metallic heels in silver that I can imagine becoming trendy. I’m seeing silver as a neutral color at this moment. Silver isn’t just for brides anymore. Replace your black and nude pumps with a silver pair for a great pop of glam!!

Photo credit: Neiman Marcus