Over the weekend I headed up to Asheville, NC for my college reunion at Warren Wilson College.  (Asheville, btw is a magical place that all of you should visit before you die.  It's beautiful and full of friendly, interesting, and unusual people.)  I'm not a particularly nostalgic or emotional person, so I was surprised that visiting my old campus actually made me a bit melancholy.

Prior to our reunion dinner, I received a card in the mail along with the invite asking me to write down the craziest thing I had done while attending WWC.  And I couldn't think of a single thing.  I have never been much of a risk taker and I would probably describe myself as a bit of a wallflower during my college years and being back there reminded me of good times and old friends, but it also reminded me of all the insecurities I had back then, and how I let those insecurities keep me from really living my life to the fullest.

My visit also had me reflecting a bit about my style back then.  It was pretty typical hippie-college style back then, flare leg jeans, sandals or clogs, and whatever clean top that was nearby.  I rarely wore make-up and never shaved and I always looked slightly disheveled like someone who just woke up from a nap (mostly because I had probably, actually, just woken up from a nap).  I definitely blended it.  

These days I don't dress to blend in anymore, I wear what I like, whenever I want, wherever I want.  And I think it's an outward manifestation of the confidence I found/made in my late twenties and now my thirties.  If you asked me to fill out a card today about the craziest thing I have done, I could prob come up with a short list.  I'm still not the world's biggest risk-taker, but I'm not afraid to get out there and see and be seen anymore.  

There is only one constant from my style then to now and that's my affinity for cardigans.  (Well actually I still don't shave my underarms, is that considered a part of my style?.)  I always have and always will love me a cardigan.  I own dozens of them in every color imaginable.  I wear one practically every day; I even have some lightweight ones for summer months.  I have cropped ones and long boyfriend ones, prints and solids.  But lately the cardigans that I am most obsessed with are the super adorable, retro-inspired, Isaac Mizrahi Live!, cardis from QVC.  That's right QVC, you read it correctly.  His cardigans are well-made, come in fabulous colors and prints and so far I have three of them.  Behold:

Isaac Mizrahi Live! cardigan in ikat print, ASOS Curve dress, and Annie shoes.

I think I must've seen this pose in a JC Penney Catalog, it says "I'm sassy, but I take no guff."   

Another ASOS Curve desss with Naturalizer sandals.

Holding onto my sweater tight to keep it form blowing away like my hair.  ;)

I didn't get a picture of myself in this cardi, though it is probably my current favorite.  Can't you picture it with a pair of red trousers?  So cute for fall.

Until next time Stripers, make sure to give yourself permission to be who you really are, flaws and all. Whoever you are is enough and positively fabulous.

xoxo, Kelly

Orange you glad?

Look, it's me, wearing more orange.  I don't know what it is with me and this color, but I can't get enough of it.  I was going through my clothes the other day and couldn't believe how much orange I have in my wardrobe.  It's starting to resemble Fred Flintsone's closet in there.

Lane Bryant cami, Asos skirt, Ralph Lauren madras clutch, Annie shoes.

Seriously, even the gemstone in my ring is orange.

One of my many orange dresses, this one is by Asos.

What colors are ya'll obsessed with, Stripers?   Please tell me that I'm not the only one with this problem.

xo, Kelly

Bargain Shoppa!

I love a deal.  I come from a long, proud, line of bargain hunters.  The women in my family do not believe in paying full price for anything.  20% off is not a bargain, 10% off won't even make us look up from our sale circular, and 5% just makes us laugh and shake our heads (seriously, Retailers?).  We want a real deal, a deal we can boast about.  When someone compliments our new sweater we want to be able to smile and say "Thanks, $4.00, Macy's clearance rack."

Bargain shopping takes patience, you can't be too impulsive with your purchases and you have to accept that sometimes you are not going to get that skirt that you love because it may sell out in your size before it gets cheap enough.  It also takes time, not everyone has a lot, I know, but it involves digging through heaps of clearance clothes and racks at consignment shops.  But it is possible to dress like a princess on a pauper's budget.


This dress I'm wearing is a true, bona fide, bargain.  It's Cynthia Rowley and I got it for........$19.99 at Marshalls a few months ago.  It wouldn't be half a lovely if I paid full price!

Lane Bryant cardi and cami, Aerosoles sansals.

Pretty in pink!

A lot of great deals can be found online too, if you prefer it.  There are some great bargain sites like Ideeli.com, Zulilly.com, and 6pm.com.  Also, before you make any online purchase, you should take a minute to do a google search for promo codes.  I find them a lot and it can save you an extra 20% off or get you free shipping.

Some of my favorite brick and mortar stores to get deals from are Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Macy's.

Happy Hunting,
Kelly

Reader Request: The Peplum Top

Greetings Horizontal Stripers!
     We love feeling the blog love and welcome your feedback. Please let us know anytime you have suggestions of styles you'd like us to cover, and we'll try our best to make it happen for you. Today's feature is the peplum top, thanks to a reader request! Now I have to admit y'all, as much as I love some crazy prints and patterns, shapewise I'm fairly traditional with clothing. I resisted the peplum top as long as I possibly could! Though I'm a late 80s baby, I wanted this style to stay back in the day with Madonna and Cyndi. Part of my apprehension was that my frame didn't need a lot of extra volume near my hip area - the widest part of my body - and the other part was that I'd tried on a few tops that were too long or too billowy, and I just didn't like any of them. But I figured if I can wear all my crazy color combos, I could definitely challenge myself to a fashion duel. I can't tell y'all to be adventurous in your fashion and not follow suit, can I? So here goes! One of the three peplum tops I now own!

Top: Cato// Skirt: City Chic// Earrings/Belt: Lane Bryant// Shoes: Guess via Marshall's

    Our reader request also wanted different ways to wear peplum, so here are a few below!

Image courtesy of Fashion Based

Peplum Wearing 101

This is a short checklist that will help you in your peplum selection:

     1) Peplum will add volume around the hip area. If you carry weight there or it is the biggest part of your body, you can still pull this top off! You'll almost always see it styled with a less voluminous piece on the bottom half of the body if it is in top form or with a sleek top if it is in dress or shirt form. This not only draws attention to the detail, the peplum, but also makes a nice line with one outstanding detail on the body.

     

     2) All styles are not created equal. There are long styles, high-low styles, and short styles as shown above. Don't count them out before you try them on. You may be surprised by which style flatters you most. 

     3) It's also ok to feel like there is too much material. Don't let one unflattering style stop you from trying other things on.

     

     4) Like any other fashion choice, don't be afraid to experiment with color, pattern, and texture. These also affect the way the style may fall on you.

    5) If you really want to ease your way into this trend, you can try adding things like a peplum belt instead of buying a top you may not know if you'll wear often. This also allows you to add a peplum look to more outfits if you like belting things.

      

    Belt available at Asos

Here are a few more variations on the peplum trend:

 

Blazer and Coat

   

Dresses 

 

Skirts

Even bathing suit options!

You CAN tackle the trend called peplum! I hope this post has given you some ideas.Keep those reader requests coming! For some other great peplum outfit ideas be sure to check out Tanesha of Girl With Curves. She has impeccable style, great beauty and lifestyle tips, and she has this peplum thing on lock!

Until next time Horizontal Stripers,

Brittani 

Starstruck

Greetings Horizontal Stripers!
    At our last photo shoot I was not feeling very photogenic. I'm usually the one dancing around in the background so that the other Stripers can laugh for the camera, but my perk was gone that fateful morning until I put on the piece de resistance. I'm in love with this dress, and I just had to bring in some props to exploit my inner diva! I knew she was in there somewhere. Eat your heart out Beyonce!

This snazzy number has a handkerchief hem which isn't my usual go to, but there's just something about it! 

Dress: Ashley Stewart (on clearance now!) Shoes: Torrid

Telephone not included ;-)

You're just hilarious, Dahling!

Bang Bang! We're beautiful and dirty rich!

     The other Stripers and I are so glad to bring you our little piece of creativity each week, so to help fluff my plumage I decided to channel the one and only Gaga by alluding to several of her song lyrics in this post. You get some cool points if you can find them all. We hope that Horizontal Stripes inspires you to let your inner diva shine through: without the mental breakdowns and trips to rehab, of course! While you're channeling your inner Sasha Fierce, check out I Live the Cute Life. It's an awesome blog by a friend of mine whose wit and insight into life will not only have you in stitches, but will also have you nodding your head in agreement.

Until next time Stripers! Groove. Slam. Work It Back. Filter That, Baby Bump That Track! 

Brittani

Sometimes I get a little too attached......

When I love an article of clothing or accessories, it takes all my willpower to keep myself from wearing it EVERYDAY.  When I was in high school,  it was a bright yellow shirt that fit me just perfectly, in my opinion anyway.  I would wear it something like three days a week, until a few of my friends were like, "Seriously, what's with the shirt?"

So although I have an overflowing closet, I pretty much wear the same 15 things over and over again.  But if it wasn't for fear of another intervention, I would probably wear the same 4 things over and over till I tired of them or they fell apart.

Old Navy cardi with a blue and green, color-blocked, dress that I got for about $15 at Ross Dress for Less.  It has pockets! 

This is the pose I make when I am shushing people in the library stacks.  I am obviously taken very seriously.

This Old Navy cardi is on it's last legs.  It has a little hole in the shoulder, the color is starting to fade, but I still love it and I will keep wearing it until it totally disintegrates. I hope you like it too, because you will probably see it again......and again.



xo, Kelly

Hardware 101: No Hard Hat Required

Greetings Horizontal Stripers!
     Since the longer days provide plenty of summer sun, why not try jazzing up your wardrobe with metallics? Though I'm not particularly partial to vampires that sparkle, there's no reason not to add a little shine to your own look!

Dress/Flower: Cato, Shoes: Payless,  Ring/Earrings: Lane Bryant

Dress: Ashley Stewart, Shoes: Cato, Necklace: Eloquii, Flower: It's Fashion Metro

 

     Of course y'all have seen that I'm partial to gold and bronze because they compliment my skin tone so well, but feel free to mix in any metallic: silver and brass are other favorites! You can see above that I've used shoes and jewelry to add some sparkle to my ensembles, but you can also find built in beading as in the first dress above or use other accessories that take the guess work out of mixing and matching. One awesome way to try this is with purses:

    If you have an old bag you don't mind crafting on, check out this neat DIY for strap replacement here.

 You can also forgo any of the original strap and use just the chain, which can be purchased at any home store like Home Depot or Lowe's or even craft stores like Michael's or A.C. Moore. Don't forget to check out your local mom and pop first though! ;-) 

Remember that:

Stripers!
XOXO, Brittani

 

Summer Sale Round-Up

It's happening, I'm starting to get Fall preview catalogs and advertisements in the mail.  I'm not ready to think about the end of summer yet!  I mean, I love boots and leggings as much as the next girl, but it's too soon.  Lucky for me I live in NC where the weather doesn't usually turn cool until well into October, but this year is flying by and it will be here long before I'm ready.  But there's good news, retailers have to make room for all of these boring, neutral, fall clothes somehow and that is by putting all their pretty summer stuff on sale!

So just for you, my very good friends, I have collected some promo codes and sale links so you can snap up a few more bright, shiny, things before it's too late.

First up, Lane Bryant has an additional 50% off Clearance with code HOTSTUFFLB.  I picked up this adorable cover-up for my upcoming beach vaycay for a measly $18.00.

Get in my closet!

Next Simply Be has a ton of cute things on clearance and, as always, first time shoppers can get 30% of their order with code 5550.  I'm totally drooling over this maxi dress that was originally $125.00 but is now marked down to $62.00!  Then if you subtracted the additional 30% off that would be........well, you do the math.  ;)

Torrid also has 50% off clearance with code EXTRA50.  You can grab a couple of trendy pieces like these print, cropped, skinny jeans, and this pretty floral dress.

I'm not sure that I'm cool enough to wear these, but maybe you are.

One Stop Plus has 25% off orders of two or more items with code OSPSALEWEEK.

Tablbots, a retailer that I have recently fallen in love with, has an extra 50% off markdowns, no code needed.  You might see me in one of these in the near future.

Wrap tops look good on every body, true fact.

Seriously, I think this skirt and I could be best friends.

It's also not too late to get that perfect bathing suit.  Swimsuits for All has 30% with code JULY8; if you sign up for their mailing list, they will send you a promo code just about everyday for up to 50% off.

I love that retro styled swimwear is so in this year.

Always for Me has some pretty cute suits and cover-up on sale right now too.  I just got the following suit in blue and it looks even better in person.

$66.75!

This 8-way cover-up is only $24.00

Enjoy the summer and these deals while they last, friends.  XO, Kelly

Boop Boop Be Doop!

Greetings Horizontal Stripers!
    An outfit you feel sassy in is one that will be around for a long time! Everyone should have something they can throw on that makes them feel polished and happy in less than five minutes! If you don't have that outfit ladies begin the hunt!

 

Dress: Lane Bryant circa 2009 // Peeptoes: BCBG // Headband + Earrings: Cato

Ginny's not the only adorkable one in this group!

Walk this way! Attempt to look cool on camera this way!  

Alrighty Horizontal Stripers,
Now that I'm done channeling my inner Steven Tyler, I will bid you adieu! What's that outfit or makeup trick that equals instant polish for you?
Until next time!
Brittani

Gray skies are gonna clear up......

It has been a bit dreary here the past few weeks with all of this rain and it hasn't really felt like summer at all.   Nothing perks me up quite like a new dress, so I got this cheerful, poppy print, number from Simply Be and it has done the trick. 

This dress definitely spreads sunshine all over the place, especially when paired with a bright yellow Lane Bryant cardi and Aerosoles sandals.

Please focus on the dress and not the seriously weird, faces that I am making in these pics. 

I sometimes hear people say that they can't wear a particular color because of their skin tone or hair color and I can honestly say that I have never considered either of those as a factor when buying clothes.  I have four orange dresses in my closet and only one black one.  If I like a color, I wear it.  And sometimes I like to wear multiple bright colors together.  I'm sure they don't always flatter me as well as some other colors, but life's too short to wear neutrals all the time.  So rock that hot pink and neon green, friends, as long as it puts a happy face on you.

:)  Kelly