Guest Post: Iris @ I Have A Degree In This

Happy Monday and thanks so much for all of the birthday wishes! I just wanted to let you all know about a guest post that I wrote over at I Have A Degree In This for my fellow August baby Kimberlee while she is away celebrating...  I'm talking about birthday outfits for all different occasions AKA my wish list if I was shopping for the perfect ensemble, check it out!

Guest Post: Iris @ Sugar & Spice

I hope everyone is enjoying there long weekend so far! I just wanted to let you all know about a guest appearance I am making today... on the internet again. Over at Sugar & Spice I am showing giving some examples of how to make the most out of your closet during the demanding holiday social season. I remixed the five pieces below into twelve party ready outfits! Check it out for some inspiration...

Don't forget to enter to win the Spanish Steps dress from Shabby Apple!

Guest Post: Modly Chic - Packing for the Weekend

While I am away visting my cous for her birthday I asked Katy from Modly Chic if she would write guest post on packing for short trips. I feel like she is always away from home. These tips were so great I definitely needed the while I was packing! I will be back to regular blogging on October 17th, 'till then... 
Greetings! I'm Katy from ModlyChic and I'm guest posting here for the day on how to pack for a weekend trip. Apparently, according to Iris, I'm the consummate weekend traveler, which is true now that I think about the amount of times I've packed my bags up for a three-day trip. When I went away for three weeks at the beginning of the summer I wrote about packing lightly for a long trip, but some of the rules are different for a short one.

How to pack lightly for a weekend away:

• Go with two basics. A pair of jeans and a dress perhaps. Both items should be able to be mixed and matched with multiple other things.
• Add a couple layer-able pieces. The shirts, vests or sweaters you pack should be able to coordinate with both the starting basics, allowing you to create multiple outfits from the same items remixed.
• Accent your look. Pack a couple pairs of earrings, a necklace, a couple bracelets, a ring and be done with your accessories.
• Go easy on the shoes. I think we ladies tend to over-pack shoes. A pair of comfortable day shoes and a pair of killer heels is all you need. Save your back and don't take a bunch of pairs you can't possibly wear.
• Take only the makeup essentials. A foundation, blush, mascara, lipgloss and a small eye-shadow palette is all you need.

Guest Post: Iris @ Mad Dress Game

I hope everyone is enjoying there long weekend so far! I just wanted to let you all know about a guest appearance I am making today... on the internet! I was so happy to help out Frances Joy when she asked me to do a guest post while she is getting settled in Costa Rica. I'm talking about a few of my favorite things; You know, cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudel... Not actually but, check out the real story over at Mad Dress Game!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Guest Post: No Guilt Fashion - Dressing For The Holidays

One of the fun things about the Fashion Beauty Friend Friday group, besides all the cool discussions and questions, is the blog exchange that is going on today among the members. I am excited to participate and see what everyone comes up with! I am also extremely pleased to have Danie from No Guilt Fashion share one of her holiday outfits with everyone. I'll be over on her blog talking about the same so please take a look. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'm Danie from No Guilt Fashion. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to get to guest post for the lovely Iris. I know she has some wonderful readers, and I hope you take a second to come over to my blog so I can get to know you too.

What I want to show you today, is what I will be wearing for one of my holiday parties. Hope to inspire you as you dress for the season. I don't usually get invited to big, flashy holiday parties, so I'm keeping the look simple yet fun. I picked a dark red dress, and paired it with some fun tights. One trend I'm really liking this year is patterned tights. I chose simple accessories and shoes, because, the tights can speak for them self. 

The Scoop

Dress- Target

Cardigan- Target

Tights- Target

Shoes- Payless

Necklace- Target

Bracelet- Lia Sophia

Guest Post: Chic on the Cheap - Dressing For Fall

While I am away on my wonderful (and much needed) vacation I have asked a few of my favorite bloggers to step in and write guest posts. I asked each of them to come up with their own topic and post that they felt fit with what I am doing here over at 260 Days, No Repeats. I am loving what they have come up with! Today I am pleased to have Lyddiegal from Chic on the Cheap give you some tips on how to dress for the fall. I'll need these tips for when I return! I will be back to regular blogging on October 19th, 'till then...

Hi, I'm Lyddie from Chic on the Cheap stepping in for Iris while she's away. Hope you enjoy my post!

Sometime, during the heydays of summer, fall clothes start appearing and putting us into a trance-like state, when we suddenly stop wanting beaches and sunsets and start wishing for those cool crisp autumn days with bright orange foliage, gentile breezes and that fall scent in the air.

Well, summer rushes by in an instant, and we fill our closets with all those trendy fall items; sweaters with cropped sleeves, leather shorts, peep toe booties, fingerless gloves! And that first perfect day arrives -- it's just cool enough to wear your new things, but not so cold that your bare arms, legs, fingers and toes mind. This doesn't last. You quickly remember what fall really is. Dark, cold, often wet and suddenly you have nothing to wear.

The last few weeks I feel like I have been stripped of any motivation to get dressed. For every beautiful fall day I've enjoyed, I have had to endure six grey, rainy days - days when the last thing I feel like doing is getting dressed. I want to be cute, I want to be trendy -- but mostly, I want to be warm!

My solution is this; knee high boots, opera length leather gloves and scarves to help cover any gaps left by trendy fall clothing!

Add my wool coat to the mix during the evenings, and things are perfect. Now if only I could find a way to have my clothes warmed in the morning so getting dressed wouldn't feel so torturous.

The Rundown

Leopard Sweater Calvin Klein - Pants TJMaxx - Boots Migliorini - Scarf Market in Italy - Gloves Gift - Clutch Giveaway at Lemondrop Vintage

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Guest Post: alltumbledown - Transitioning To Fall

While I am away on my wonderful (and much needed) vacation I have asked a few of my favorite bloggers to step in and write guest posts. I asked each of them to come up with their own topic and post that they felt fit with what I am doing here over at 260 Days, No Repeats. I am loving what they have come up with! Today I am pleased to have Nina from alltumbledown give you some tips on transitioning your wardrobe from warmer to cooler weather. I'll need these tips for when I return! I will be back to regular blogging on October 19th, 'till then...

Hi there, 260 Days, No Repeats readers! I'm Nina and I blog over at alltumbledown: a modest attempt at style.While Iris is off sunning herself in California, I am still stuck in New York. Not that New York is a bad place to live (ok, I pretty much love it), but dressing for the transition into fall can be a bit of a challenge! With rain and 20-degree shifts in temperature over the course of 1 day, I definitely struggle with getting dressed. Here are some of my go to almost-cold weather tips:

1. Mix winter and summer clothing. No, not Uggs and a miniskirt, but here are a few ways to mix winter and summer to equal fall. Both of the outfits below are summer skirts mixed with some heavier pieces- a cashmere sweater and boots, or tights and a blazer.

Modern Elizabethan

 

Pink Camel

 2. A continuation of a theme you see above: scarves, scarves, scarves! Collect them in all colors, shapes and patterns. Light scarves are great to wear all day, while heavier ones will help you on a frigid subway car or while walking to get coffee. Don't be afraid to add a patterned scarf to a patterned outfit-- as long as they have some colors in common, it will look fab.

Thanksgiving

Unseasonable Season

3. Creative outerwear. Wearing the same trench every.single.day? Try throwing a bulky sweater on as outerwear. It provides a good amount of warmth and keeps things interesting. Too much volume? Throw a belt on to cinch it in. 

Windy City

Bad Little Blogger

Hope these tips have inspired you to brave the fall weather with style!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Guest Post: Money Smart Fashion - From Work to Weekend

While I am away on my wonderful (and much needed) vacation I have asked a few of my favorite bloggers to step in and write guest posts. I asked each of them to come up with their own topic and post that they felt fit with what I am doing here over at 260 Days, No Repeats. I am loving what they have come up with! Today I am pleased to have Grace Croshaw from Money Smart Fashion give you some tips on making your wardrobe do double duty for work and weekends. I will be back to regular blogging on October 19th, 'till then...

You thought I was going to say summer to fall! Muha tricked you! Hehe Anyway, Greetings 260 Days, No Repeats readers, I'm Grace! You can normally find me over at my blog, Money Smart Fashion, but I was beyond excited when Iris asked me to fill in for her while she was away. I love how Iris's goal is to look great at work every day within the confines of a professional dress code and without spending tons of cash. Because let's face it, not all of us can stay home and blog for a living, myself included.

Currently I am blessed with a pretty liberal dress code however my first job out of college was a different story. I too was bound by a professional dress code that frowned upon individual creativity. The first couple months I was actually excited by it. The thought of wearing heels and blazers, and suits was thrilling. I felt like I had finally made it to adulthood, I realized quickly the grass is always greener. The dress code had such an effect on me that I started subconsciously dividing my closet into two mutually exclusive categories-work and weekend. The items in my closet were in one category or the other, never both, which was draining me mentally and financially. I was ultimately buying twice the clothes to satiate my two needs, when really all I needed was a lot of items that could do double duty.

So in the spirit of having fun and saving money, here are some tips on how to make your work clothes "work" for you:

• Use a button-down to layer up on weekends.

• Dress a lightweight cotton blazer up or down

• Add a animal-print shoe for visual interest

• Wear relaxed trousers as an alternative to jeans on the weekend

• Keep remixing and reinventing

Well, that’s all I’ve got. You guys have been awesome. I hope you didn’t mind me filling in for Iris and if you like what you saw (insert shameless plug here), come visit me on my blog!

Guest Post: Unravelled Threads - Mom Essentials

While I am away on my wonderful (and much needed) vacation I have asked a few of my favorite bloggers to step in and write guest posts. I asked each of them to come up with their own topic and post that they felt fit with what I am doing here over at 260 Days, No Repeats. I am loving what they have come up with! Today I am pleased to have Melanie from Unravelled Threads give the moms out there some tips on dressing their best. I will be back to regular blogging on October 19th, 'till then...

I was discussing mom-appropriate fashion with a very close friend of mine this week. Both her mom and mine are in their mid-to-late 40’s and sometimes have trouble in the fashion department. So, here’s a short list of mom-fashion dos and don’ts.

1. DO wear your favorite color.

You feel great in it and if you feel great about how you look, it shows!

2. DON’T fall for all the latest trends.

80’s fashion, for some unknown reason, is making a comeback (think: fluorescent tees and leggings as pants). I hate to break it to you, but these fashions only work if you weren’t yet born in the 80’s. That means you, too, colored denim!

3. DO try one trend, if you’re the adventurous type.

Animal prints can be very tasteful if done right. Try finding a leopard print scarf or wear a trench coat with a zebra-printed lining. I will say that I think small prints work better than big prints.

4. DON’T forget your belt.

Really. When in doubt, add a belt. Whether it’s through the loops in your pants or worn up at your natural waist, it instantly adds a level of coolness to your outfit.

5. DO layer.

There is nothing chicer than a ruffled blouse under a pretty cardigan, belted.

6. DON’T forget your closet essentials.

That means your classic, crisp (that means ironed!) white button-down and dark denim.

7. DO try straight-leg and flare-leg jeans.

Sorry, mom. I don’t care how hot you are. Skinny jeans are a no-no. Besides, they have the potential of making you look short.

8. DON’T forget your LBD.

There are few things more versatile than your little black dress. It’s one that fits and makes you feel awesome. Make sure you find one that looks good on your body type, whether that means finding one with sleeves or ruching.

9. DO find a fitted blazer.

These are an absolute closet staple. Find yourself a nice navy or black one that fits you perfectly. You’ll be surprised at how many things it can be worn with. Everything from your white button down (if you don’t have one of these, stop reading right now and go get one)

10. DON’T forget to smile.

There is nothing prettier, or more youthful than a smile. I cannot count the number of times I have walked by someone on the street, young or old, and shot them a friendly smile only to see their face completely light up with their very own smile.

Guest Post: The Joy Of Fashion - Working One Item

While I am away on my wonderful (and much needed) vacation I have asked a few of my favorite bloggers to step in and write guest posts. I asked each of them to come up with their own topic and post that they felt fit with what I am doing here over at 260 Days, No Repeats. I am loving what they have come up with! Today I am pleased to have Marie McGrath from The Joy of Fashion discuss her formulas for remixing like a pro. I will be back to regular blogging on October 19th, 'till then...

Hello everyone!! My name is Marie McGrath and I have a little happy blog called The Joy of Fashion. I was so flattered when Iris contacted me to write a post on her wonderful blog, so of course I agreed!

I thought it would be fun to show you different ways in which you could wear one item. In this case, I will show how versatile a colorful skirt can be. Any skirt with several colors would work for all the following ideas. Hope you like them!

1. Try wearing the skirt with a funky color combo! Just take two colors from the skirt and wear them somewhere in your outfit! In my case, I used a bright yellow top and a bright blue scarf as a belt. Then all you have to do is keep the rest of the outfit neutral.

2. Or why not try pairing the colorful skirt with colorful tights for a bold statement look! Just pick a color from your skirt and wear tights in that color. I would recommend keeping the rest of the outfit neutral to not overdo it.

3. No colored tights? Well why don't you try some patterned ones! Pattern mixing is always very fashion forward for those of you who feel bold enough to give it a try. The pattern mixing shouldn't compete with anything else, so keep the rest of the outfit simple (like I did with the simple green turtleneck and neutral accessories).

4. A more subtle option is to pair it with a feminine white top and a pop of color in the shoes. In this case, I paired the colorful skirt with a white lace ruffle top. Then I kept things interesting by adding some bright blue shoes! Make sure the color of the shoes comes from somewhere in your skirt.

5. This skirt can also be very work appropriate by just pairing it with a collar shirt. I would recommend wearing a colorful collar shirt like this green one I am wearing (which combines with the green in the skirt). You could also add a little cardi if your office is cold. Pair it with some sophisticated shoes and accessories and voila! Work chic!

And those are my 5 different looks with one same skirt. The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to a colorful skirt because there are so many colors to work with! So go ahead and give it a try! How would you wear a colorful skirt like this?

For more fashion tips, daily outfits, and more; stop by my blog! I have a very colorful, cute, happy style that will hopefully be of your liking. Hope to see you all there! :)

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Guest Post: Mad Dress Game - Shopping Your Closet

While I am away on my wonderful (and much needed) vacation I have asked a few of my favorite bloggers to step in and write guest posts. I asked each of them to come up with their own topic and post that they felt fit with what I am doing here over at 260 Days, No Repeats. I am loving what they have come up with! Today I am pleased to have Frances Joy from Mad Dress Game discuss her successful endeavors in shopping her closet. I will be back to regular blogging on October 19th, 'till then...

Y'all, I am so flattered and excited to be doing a guest post (my first!) on 260 Days, No Repeats! When I first found out that I was going to do this, I had no idea what to talk about. So I thought and thought and thought and consulted with my husband. And then it came to me: Shopping Your Closet. Of course, right? But shopping your closet with a slight twist....

So maybe it's just me, but sometimes I buy things for an occasion - special or not - and then I can't figure out for the life of me what to do with those pieces in my normal everyday life. And seeing that this is a guest post for 260 Days, No Repeats, I figured a challenge to restyle some of these pieces would be appropriate. So I pulled out some of those "occasion" pieces and challenged myself to make them work.

The first candidate for restyling was this little black dress which I bought at Kohl's for a graduation ceremony three years ago. When I've worn it in the past, it's looked pretty much like this. Dress with the tie belt that came with it and black shoes. Bore. Ring. And not quite work appropriate.

I added a blouse, a thrifted belt, and a pair of pink pumps and suddenly my fancy dress is a skirt that's totally fine for the office. How did I get the blouse to stay put, you ask? Simple: fold it up. Alternately, you can tie it at the waist, tuck up the ties and belt over the whole thing; both methods work well if you'd like to turn your dresses into skirts. I find that woven tops, particularly button ups, are most conducive to this method because they’re heavy enough to hide the dress underneath.

I was flying high after this experiment, so I turned to one of my trickiest pieces:

Yes, y'all, that's a leather skirt. I picked it up at Las Pepas in Buenos Aires when I was a young, impressionable twenty year old. I had a ton of grant money burning a hole in my pocket and the exchange rate was 3.75 pesos for every US dollar. I couldn't resist. And this skirt has hung in the back of my closet for eight years.

But a leather skirt with a ruffled tee shirt and a pair of heeled loafers looks almost demure. I think the trick here is to "tone down the sexy", as I like to call it. Keep things neutral, add a little softness, and don't go too high with the heels. I will say that the length of this skirt is pretty ideal for making it work for everyday, but I think a nice, thick pair of tights would do the trick for a shorter skirt.

I bought this strapless J Crew dress for our rehearsal dinner. I wore it with a stressed-out smile, a scarf, and borrowed "pearls". It has since become my standard "wedding guest dress". If you invite me to your wedding, know that I will show up in this dress.

I've also managed to wear this dress for teaching by layering on a button up, a cardigan, a belt, and yellow flats. Again, a little creative tucking and folding of the shirt allows me to turn a dress into a skirt and to make this summery frock appropriate for all seasons.

This dress has been such a challenge, and it's not just its propensity for causing my booty to glow. I bought it for a wedding related photo session. I got it in Puerto Rico and it's so nearly see-through that I am constantly worrying about whether or not people can see my unders. It's adorable, though, and I wore it quite a bit on our honeymoon - though I did usually wear shoes with it.

Layer the dress under a full skirt, add a pair of textured tights, and a sweet pair of flats and it looks like a slightly bohemian top that I can totally wear to work. Also, the issue of visible unders? Yeah, it's a non-issue now. Thank God for creative layering! Dresses as tops work best when the dress is slim fitting and the skirt is full. Make sure that the lengths are compatible, too, so your dress doesn't peek out from underneath the skirt.

Another wedding-related outfit. This is the dress I bought for our reception in my husband's hometown (we had a destination wedding). It's totally office appropriate, but in my head, it needed to be work with black tights and boots, the way I wore it the first time. It's that distinctive collar that keeps me from trying anything too crazy with it.

But look how cute it looks with all that color added! A blue bolero, skinny red belt, and bright yellow pumps inject so much life into this whole ensemble. When you're working with black and white prints, even black and white with distinctive details, don't be afraid to add a little color into the mix. In fact, you can go ahead and add a whole lot of color. Keep the shapes simple and classic, and show off the distinctive feature while still spicing things up.

A little creative layering will help you get the most out of your wardrobe; I like to think you can do creative layering and still look office friendly and totally normal. So dig a little in the back of your closet, try a few styling tweaks, and turn those special occasion duds into everyday looks. Well, except for that bridesmaid’s dress back there; there’s no hope for that sucker….

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!