Easy Denim

I'm getting some great use out of my Crossroads finds already. Yesterday I paired the new, sheer, chambray style button down with snakeprint pants and old, fringey boots.

 

Pants: Uniq, Shirt: Trade, Lariat: Jewelmint, Boots: Michael Kors

What an easy way to revive my closet. (These Michael Kors boots are at least 6 years old as well. I swear all my footwear is making a comeback)!

With Love,

Noa B

Second Time Around: Haul!

A few weeks ago I blogged about the importance of closet cleaning and gettting rid of all those impulse buys you haven't worn for months at a time. Yesterday I reminded myself that while austerity is good for closet control, some things are worth hanging on to.

I finally had a bit of downtime between appointments, so I went with all speed to a re-saler where I happened to have quite a bit of credit burning a hole in my wallet. Over at Crossroads Trading Co. on Santa Monica Boulevard, I arrived with a cheat sheet in hand, (to make sure I remembered what to look for) and a bunch of credit slips for traded items from this past spring. (That's another lesson I've learned over time. Don't feel compelled to buy immediately after trading if you can't find what you want. If you wait, it's sure to come in sooner or later)...

Above, my newly scored faves: as soft as those coveted James Perse T-shirts but a quarter of the price. My new go-to's: JPark and Truly, Madly Deeply for ultra thin, soft tees.

Cutaway! In casual style to mix with palazzos and colored denim.

A kimono top, which I'm obsessed about layering!

Dress/tunic in perfectly fall oriented tones. I can wear it with tights or knee high socks now, jeggings when it's chilly.

Ok, this is a but springy, but I love mumu tops and this naval toned, Michael Kors reminds me of all those yummy, Calypso tops from this past summer.

Studs! And more cutaways. A badass, rocker, button-up to wear with skinnies.

DVF! A size bigger than I'd normally wear but it's so 30's chic! I can't wait to drape it over a maxi skirt or bedouin pants!

Finally! A chambray shirt that isn't thick denim. Light and almost sheer, this will be uber cute tied at the waist or tucked in, preppy style.

A pretty, keyhole sweater with a "Vince-esque" look.

Ooh! More grey jeans but in the return to a semi-acid wash finish. And I'm growing to LOVE AG fits and cuts.

I ended up with this 11 piece haul for $250! And with $230 in credit, I came out with a $20 tab including taxes!

So there you have it. Hang on to your credits, because it may take some time until you can put them to good use. In a way, I had to clear out my closet to figure out where to really fill in the holes.

Happy shopping!

With Love,

Noa B

Heading out: Oxblood and Hair Color.

I'm heading out shortly to (finally) get my color retouched and snip some splitty ends. Thank goodness for the power of a good cut and color. There's nothing better to usher in fall than glossy, healthy hair!

It's rather obvious that I'm in need. When I leave for the hairdresser, I don't even run a brush through it. I like my stylist to see exactly what it does in its "natural" state so that we can address the cut accordingly!

And speaking of cut, I'm rerouting back to classic cut, corduroys for fall. It's cool enough today to start pairing them with boots--hooray!

With respect to color, how glad am I that I hung on to my MIA Oxblood boots from 2006, along with another pair of stacked, Mary Jane, oxblood heels, (more on that to come). It's so nice to see this color revved up again since I can recycle these old faves.

Cords: AG, Shirt: Vintage, Boots: MIA, Belt: Mango

Just a quick snap to remind myself that while it's great to clean house on your wardrobe, some things are timeless, classic, and worth saving!

With Love,

Noa B

White dress sees daylight

After last week's blog on closet cleaning, I'm feeling lean and mean. One thing about liberating your closet is that you force yourself into garments that have lingered, despite their best efforts, to get out of the back of your queue!

Such was the case with this adorable, crinkle-crepe dress I bought at least a year and half ago at Buffalo Exchange in Las Vegas. 

I love this dress, and I love that the shoulders are actually meant to be worn both up or down. But somehow I just hadn't thrown it on since buying it. But it was another scorcher today and my newly thinned closet is very bare. So I grabbed it off the hanger and got going. 

 

Well, grabbed and mostly got going... Actually, with fabric this sheer and clingy, there's one thing a gal's gotta have and that's Spanx.

Seriously, spanx aren't just for "pulling it all in". They're really great for just giving a perfect undertone to sheer garments. It's not cool enough yet for tights or leggings. But a shortie pair of Spanx gives the right finish to any sheer dress or skirt. As a former designer, (and a gal who'd fluctuated from a size 4 to a 12, to 10 and then to a 2) I know that foundation garments can be key in making any woman feel bolder and more secure about her wardrobe choices.  Some items that might appear too sheer can be absolutely perfect with the right camouflage.

So if you haven't given them a chance yet, here are a few comfy recommendations that are a great for body-skimming garments. Above, Spanx's signature, "Higher Power" and below it, the "Girl Short" for those mid-thigh dresses. Both are available at Zappos here.

Off the topic of undergarments, I also love wearing belts backwards these days so that the buckles don't cut the design. I turned mine around and looped it with an elastic.

Dress: Vintage re-sale, Belt: Vintage, Wedges: MIA, Necklaces: Jewelmint, Hat, (til it was too hot): H&M

Everything can be "enhanced". Belts, curves, etc.

With Love,

Noa B

Cream on White

I'm having a black and white, (and cream moment). I've been trying to figure out a cute way to wear this top/shift/dress for a while and I think I finally hit on it.

White jeans... after Labor day.

Plus fall booties with zipper deets.

Feathers. Lots of feathers...

And red lips for some contrast. (I like MAC's Ruby Woo).

Tank dress: Vintage, Jeans: Boutique brand, Boots: Seven, Earrings: c/o Lisa Dempsey

With Love,

Noa B

Casual T-unic.

I've been obsessed with FreePeople lately and this Mossimo top is such a good FP rip-off...

Paired with my spendier, leather shorts and booties, it can almost pass for a cute, FP tunic.

Trying desperately to save my hair from excessive heat styling until my next color and cut, I'm twining braids arouns my head to tame the hippie frizz.

I will NEVER get sick of these boots!

Or these deer antlers...

 

Tunic: Mossimo, Booties: Sam Edelmann, Shorts: Tart

Doin' it on a base budget,

With Love,

Noa B

Heat to the Extreme

When it's suddenly about a zillion degrees outside, any thoughts of looking stylishly chic in fall layers go right out the window. I stepped outside my door this morning and felt a blast of hot air that required slipping out of a pantsuit and into palazzos--stat!

I am constantly on the prowl for these types of pants. Loose, potentially filmy but lined, and completely breathable.

Here are a few that I'm hoping to nab asap: Above, Zara's drawstring, elasticated trousers, available in 3 colors here at $49.00.

Here are two tone, tapered trousers by F21, available here for under $20.00, and these daisys are also under $20, and available here.

This one is definitely my splurge, at $98.00 from FreePeople.com. But oh, the hippie gorgeousness of it! And it comes in multiple colors too!

And this Ikat print is on sale for $29.00! Get it here before all sizes are gone!

So I guess I'll be doing a little window shopping and hoping to find my next, perfect pair of billowy pants. Til then! 

Tank: Vintage, Palazzos: Bluette, Bangles: Boutiques and TresJolie

With Love,

Noa B