How To Shop: Forever 21

I remember the first time I went to a Forever 21.  It was my senior year in high school and my mom took me on a shopping trip to the King of Prussia mall.  I had been to France that summer and had seen a Parisian girl in a navy and white polka dot dress with red shoes.  For some reason, this is a big, big moment in my love affair with fashion.  I think it was at that moment that I was shocked by the unconventionalism of this look.  Red shoes?  This didn't match and yet... look at how perfect that girl looked!  My mom had seen the look in my eye and she knew that I loved that outfit.  For the rest of the summer, all I wanted was a navy polka dot dress with red heels.  When I went into that Forever 21, I found my dress, and I kept it until a couple of years ago when, through wear and tear, I wore a hole in the cotton fabric.

Forever 21 makes sure to be on top of the trends for a reasonable price.  If you want that fur vest, green military jacket, asymentrical skort, you got it.  You can always guarantee that there will be a dress you can wear out to make the guys swoon (get it, girl).  And you know that you can walk in there with a $50 spending limit and leave with at least one item.

But there are downsides - the quality isn't the greatest and the sizing isn't always appropriate.  You might not be 19 anymore, but you still are on the same budget as you were... so why must you be forced to the stores where you can get the same look for triple the price?

Here are my rules for shopping at Forever 21 even if you aren't 21:

1. Use Forever 21 for your trendy items, not your staples.  I really want a fur vest.  I will not be spending more than $30 on a fur vest, though.  While I have yet to see an outfit on a blog with a fur vest that I don't like, I have a hunch that in 3 years, that fur vest will not be seen once in a year.  Fashion sometimes is that way, and we have to accept it.  I love trying out trends and at that moment, I go to my trendy staple.

| Poncho | Necklace | Jumpsuit | 

2. If you're shopping for professional wear stick to tops/pants - avoid skirts and dresses.  I love my dresses from F21.  Some are cute and adorable sundresses (my polka dot hi-lo dress, my pink flutter dress, my floral strappy dress, for examples) - but trust me, even at my fun workplace, they would look childish and inappropriate.

| Pants | Top | Sweater | 

3. But if you're going out - F21 has some of the best low price party outfits.  Things I've learned in life - if you plan on dancing for hours in dingy, dark places, don't wear your expensive outfits.  It'll make you cry in the morning if you're trying to figure out how to get that mysterious sticky substance off your $80 dress.

| Dress | Skirt | Shorts |

4. Check out Love 21.  It's a great addition to the 21 family with more realistic sizing.  The skirts and dresses are longer, the cuts are more flattering for all body types, and the quality is a smidge better.

| Dress | Skirt | Blouse |

5. Embrace the huge crazy chaos of the store.  It may seem overwhelming but forcing yourself to look through the racks tends to make you try things you didn't know you wanted.  You may not end up buying them, but at least you try.  And sometimes you find something awesome (like my white peplum top I loveeee).  OH!  And try on items.  Time-consuming, but more worth it with their sizing.

Forever 21 is great if you know how to shop there - and you find one in almost every mall - you never knew you were so freakin' fashionable on a small budget!

Dotted Twice

| Jacket & Bag - Target | Similar Jacket | Similar Bag | Sunnies - RayBans | Similar | Dress - Forever 21 | Similar | Reef Flip Flops - DSW | Similar |

This dress is incredibly out of my comfort zone aside from the polka dots.  But I'm definitely glad I made the purchase.  It is so light and airy, fits like a charm, and makes me look all nice and dressy when I'm just running errands.  It's hard to feel gross and sweaty in this airy outfit.  I'm just a little sad to put it away for the fall.

Full of Pep

| Top - Forever 21 | Similar | Jeans & Flats - Target | Similar Jeans | Similar Shoes |

This is my go to going out AND work outfit.  I wear the flats and go simple on the jewelry (as in none) during the day, then add heels and a fun necklace for night.  It's wonderful!  I feel like maybe I'm a little late on the peplum trend, but I'm fully embracing it.  Kind of like my natural ombre look... these pictures are making me quite excited that I have my touch-up scheduled! (And yes, I will admit I highlight my hair - I guarantee most girls do so I might as well embrace it!)

On Pause

[Dress - Forever21; Necklace - WalMart; Headband - J.Crew; Jean Jacket - Target; Boots - Gift]

Sorry for the radio silence, but I promise there's a good reason behind it! :)

Boyfriend & I are in the process of moving!  The past month, between traveling and working and all of the other things in our lives, we've both accepted new positions in different cities and are moving closer to those jobs in less than two weeks.  It's been crazy around here and it's only going to get crazier, so I will be taking a break from blogging for a bit to focus on setting up house and getting acquainted with my new place of employment.  

Our new place is awesome and we've already fallen in love with the neighborhood and have big plans for TCB.  Stay tuned for all the excitement ahead!

Christmas Party Attire Part IV: Christmas PJs!

[From Left to Right: Forever 21, Macy's, Anthropologie, ShopBop, & Bloomingdales]

Who doesn't love opening Christmas gifts in warm pajamas?  Every Christmas morning I debut adorable pjs while sipping on coffee in front of the fire with my family.  It's tradition!  I'm thinking some cute polka dotted ones are going to be in my future.  I'm just so excited for Christmas!

The Lady is a Vamp

[Tank Top - Kohl's; Sweater - Target; Leather Leggings - Forever 21; Heels - Ross]

I broke my rule: I wore leggings with a shirt that didn't cover my whole butt.  But I just love this sweater and it only looks good with the super tight pants.  I never thought I would buy a pair of leather leggings in my life, but there I was standing in Forever 21 and I saw this $13 pair and thought, "when will you have this urge to buy leather leggings again?!  And if it does happen again, they will definitely be more expensive".  So I tried them on, was not repulsed by my image, and swiped the plastic and left the mall.  Approximately 30 minutes later, I'm thinking to myself WHAT HAVE I DONE?  But here are some things I've learned with my leather leggings:

1. It was very good I bought them a size larger than I normally would.  Leather leggings are going to make me feel self-conscious.  Fact.  Last thing I need is to feel like I look fat on top of feeling weird because I'm being trendy.

2. They're the most comfy leggings I own.  Seriously.  They're so soft.  I could sleep in them.  Not a lie.

3. Because they're comfy, and warmer than a skirt, and are black and sleek, they will be my winter go-to going out staple.  I will look chic.  I will look fancy.  I will be able to fall asleep at the bar.

4. I look much more edgy than I really am.  I love bows.  I look like I'm 12.  I will take anything to make me look over 21. [Note: I am past 21... as in my baby brother will be 21 in a month]

5. I feel very in.  While some think I may be on the "cutting edge of fashion", I feel like I hit the tail end since I look at the next big thing for months until it hits my budget range.  Now, ta da!

Moral of the story: Buy leather leggings and don't turn back.  You'll be happy you did :)

Falling Leaves

[Sweater & Elephant Bangle - Forever 21; Jeggings - Express; Boots - Aerosoles; Sunnies - RayBan]

Oversized sweaters are going to make quite the mark in my fall wardrobe.  I've already worn this maroon number multiple times.  It's so comfy and warm, I could sleep in it!  I am a little on the fence about leggings as pants.  I know people hate when people wear leggings as pants but they're so comfy and can be flattering depending on the outfit.  My rule: always wear a shirt that covers your bum.  This sweater is perfect!

 After we took these pictures, we went to our friend's reveal party (I'm too young for my friends to be having kids... I'm just saying!) and I bonded with the dog, Murphy.  As you can see, there was a lot of love between the Murph & I.  Chin Kisses.  Deep conversations.  And some handholding.  I'm like the dog whisperer!

Weekend Getaway

[Necklace, Bag & Booties - Target; Sweater, Dress as Skirt, Knot Bracelet, Elephant Bracelet, Bow Ring, Infinity Ring - Forever 21; Belt - H&M; Pearl Nest Ring - 3:10 Rosemont]

I love Alexandria.  Just love. A couple of weekends ago, we traveled to the Port City for some relaxation and much needed get out of town fun.  I love the old buildings, brick, pretty colors, and fall decorations.  I could just walk around here for days and days and find something new each time.  I even discovered a Lou Lou's (accessory store) and Paper Source to indulge my weaknesses.  And I'm pretty sure I gained 12 lbs with all the delicious food I consumed including the most awesome Middle Eastern cuisine I've ever had (fried artichokes, anyone?)