Green Day Lookbook & Tips

One of my favorite designers is Stacey Bendet at Alice + Olivia.  I shop them often for dresses; I love their fit, colors, styling and pretty much shop them for every going out occasion there is.  I bought this dress off shopbop a couple of months ago and finally wore it this week.  The dress has shirring at the neck, sleeve as well as the left side of my hip.  The elastic waistband is comfortable and enhances the fit of the dress.  Paired with my lovely green draped dress is my Christian Louboutin black slingbacks and my own jewelry.

Alice + Olivia can be pricey, but the pieces I have from them I wear time after time.  My recommendation for people who are watching their budget:

1) Buy one signature piece that fits well and has a beautiful color.  I typically chose a dress because it is one outfit that is easy to dress up or down.

2) Try not to buy black, I am pretty sure everyone has at least one black dress in their closet, if you are spending the money for a signature piece, go for the something outstanding rather than the easy way out.  This recommendation is probably opposite of what everyone says, but personally I find myself gravitating to my colored or sequin signature pieces because they make me feel good!

3) Don’t buy it right away, try it on, take a pic on your phone in the dressing room and walk away.  If you are still thinking about it after a couple of days, look for it online, sometimes you can find it on sale or if you don’t, you can order it online and save the sales tax by getting it shipped.  Remember, always look for free shipping or google for coupon codes to get free shipping for the site that you found it on.

4) Buy solid rather than a printed.  Prints can be trendy; solids can be worn with different accessories to change the look and typically can be worn for more seasons.

5) Buy quality fabric pieces.  Natural fabrics like silk or cotton can be worn for years, pieces with acrylic or rayon can pill and at times look cheap, but it depends on the blend.

6) Signature pieces can be accessories!  I started my closet with nice shoes and invested in pieces I knew I would wear for years.  For shoes, I definitely recommend having a black pump or slingback to start your collection.  I particularly love patent leather so both my black pumps and slingbacks are patent, but regular leather is also great.  Do not invest into an expensive suede shoe, unless you can afford to have a lot of nice shoes.  Suede is very hard to take care of and typically gets bruised easily.  The wearability isn’t as versatile as you may cry if it rains.

Alice+Olivia Draped Dress on Shopbop

The dress is currently on sale in red and the green no longer available.  I love the red and now wish I had gotten this color since red is my favorite color!  The dress is currently priced at $123.20 (@ 30% off).  Please note the dress is slightly see through since it is in a lightweight jersey

Christian Louboutin Patent Slingbacks

I purchased my slingbacks at least 5 years ago and have not seen the patent slingbacks in cork since then.    The shoes above are pretty much the same shoe however all wrapped in patent leather.  These were a big purchase for me and still are, but so worth it in that I still love them and wear them frequently in the summer.  These Pour La Victoire slingbacks are a great option, I refer to Pour La Victoire often, they are moderately priced, comfortable, and look nice.  These also would give you the same look, the Bebe slingbacks are peeptoed and wrapped in black patent priced at $129.  

Sequin Gold Snake Rhinestone Cuff

I love, love this cuff!  Great details and chain links are trending right now, I’m loving that the chains are on a cuff.  This bracelet is a statement piece for your wrist.  Alternatives to the bigger cuff are these Sequin Pyramid Bangles or these Forever 21 chain and rhinestone bracelet.
What are your signature pieces or where do you like to shop for your signature pieces?  
Don’t forget to check out my Shiny and Sparkly Giveaway this week!