OOTD: Piano Playing

Today is a rather relaxed day for me - I'm cleaning my room (getting ready for a room tour post!) and then heading up the road to the library to practice some piano. The weather has been unusually nice for Scotland, and I thought I would take advantage of that.

*Please ignore the mess in the background! I'm still unpacking*

Top - Zara

Skirt - Topshop

No links, sorry. I'm pretty sure the skirt is sold out and I couldn't find the top on the website (its super cute though, it has a black and white picture of some mountains and says infinite really small across the top).

Love,

Caro

San Francisco Haul

So my cousins have been in town recently, and of course I've been being a good hostess and showing them around the area. This of course means spending a lot of time in San Francisco, and as a result shopping in lots of cool shops in San Francisco. So I thought I'd take a minute to share some cool things that I bought the other day when I was playing tour guide.

This first item is an awesome dress that I found at the Buffalo Exchange on Haight Street. If you don't know what Buffalo Exchange is, its basically a nice thrift store that's aimed at teens, so you never know what you might find! Some of the item can be more expensive, around $20 or $30, but I found this lovely little dress for only $12. It' a great color, with a really cool pattern all over it, and it just seems perfect for summer, as a cute dress or even a swimsuit cover up.

This next thing is from a totally random little store on Haight. It's one of those gag gift and t shirt kind of stores - to be honest it reminded me a bit of Hot Topic, but I don't think this one is a chain store. Anyways, I have this thing about dancing skeletons, I love them to bits. I have a little statuette of a skeleton with moveable arms and a little sombrero that sits on my desk during the school year, and I absolutely adore him! He reminds me of home. Also, I may or may not (one day) be getting a tattoo of a Grateful Dead inspired dancing skeleton on my side. Did I mention I really love dancing skeletons? So of course I had to get this awesome shirt when I saw it on the wall of this little store! Just picture it with the sleeves rolled up and paired with some high waisted denim shorts for the summer time - it would look so cool.

This last item is a crop top from the Topshop section at Nordstrom's in San Francisco. If you're in the Westfield Mall on Powell Street, you can find the Topshop section on the top level of the Nordstrom's there. Be warned though its a very small section of the store. I found this sun top in the sale, and since its really flattering on me and I have difficulty finding colorful tops that I love, I decided to buy it. I'm pretty sure I can style it for both summer and some warmer days in the fall and winter! Which is good, seeing as how I'm in Scotland for about nine months of the year.

And finally, we stopped by Amoeba and I got this awesome CD. I've been into Motown stuff lately, and The Temptations are amazing.

Love,

Caro

Style Icon: Brigitte Bardot

For a lot of people, the quintessential blonde bombshell is Marilyn Monroe. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Marilyn, she is gorgeous and just has incredible curves, but my personal favorite has always been Brigitte Bardot. I always loved how she put her own little spin on things with her wild and messy and incredibly voluminous hair. She is striking and a complete sex kitten, but she never goes too far in her clothing - when she has the boat neck that highlights her chest and her waist, her skirt is nice and full, or when she id rocking the fitted dress, she keeps the length in check. For her look, its about a balance of sexy and classic fifties fashion.

I've picked out a few of my personal favorite pictures of her, rocking various kinds of clothing, and created what I think is a slightly modern, but still classic and sexy take on her look.

Brigitte was all about emphasizing the waist, and you can do that in several different ways. You can pair a high waisted pair of jeans with a cropped top, specifically a cropped top with an off the shoulder boat neck top and a cute scarf tied around the neck, for a cute casual look. You can pair a fitted boat neck sweater or tee with a striped or polka dot or other patterned pencil skirt and a pair of cat eye sunglasses for a slightly more upscale vibe. You could rock a fit and flair dress in a gorgeous white with a thick headband and messy, relaxed hair for a cuter but still sexy relaxed look. And finally, you could pair a neutral shift dress (that is still somewhat fitted) with a pair of knee high riding boots for a out together but not trying too hard outfit.

These are just some of my ideas, but here are three key rules to remember when going for Brigitte Bardot's look. Rule number one, and this is the most important, have a fitted element in your outfit - the whole thing does not necessarily have to be fitted, but Brigitte loved showing off her tiny waist and hourglass figure, and to do that at least the top half of your outfit needs to hug your curves. In addition, adding a fuller skirt or opting for a fit and flare dress is a great way to not only emphasize curves but fake it a little if your curves are not as dramatic. Rule number two is to keep the sexiness in proportion - if you opt for an outfit that is fitted throughout, pick something that covers a little more skin. Last but not least, rule number three is to have fun with the accessories! Brigitte loved accessories, and if you're not as confident in rocking her fifties style all over, you could opt for some fun sunglasses or a fun headband or scarf.

And as far as hair and makeup goes, you can't go wrong with volume and a dramatic cateye.

Love,

Caro

The Trend: Sunflower Print

Recently, I've been noticing this trend of loud, colorful, allover sunflower print on a lot of different pieces of clothing, and I kind of love it. It's bright, and fun, and youthful, and in my mind it is the epitome of summer. There are so many different ways to wear this trend, so here are some options that I found that are on the more affordable side.

High-waisted shorts are probably one of the most flattering things I have encountered in the world of fashion, and what better way to incorporate some sunflowers into your wardrobe than incredibly flattering shorts? These shorts are from American Apparel, and would look so cute with a simple, solid crop top in brown, some sandals, and a giant floppy hat if you're feeling daring.
 Buy it here

 These overalls are from pacsun, and they are such a cute combination of the sunflower print and overall trend, which is everywhere this summer. I actually own two pairs of overalls already - a short, light wash denim pair, and a long, mid wash denim pair. They are so comfy, and perfect for when you want to look cute and unique without a lot of effort. This patterned pair would look great with a white crocheted top underneath, and paired with some sandals or ballet flats.
Buy it here

 If you're like me and bright yellow isn't really your color, this tea dress from River Island is a great alternative. It still has the allover sunflowers, but they are toned down a little and paired with a bright red, another great color for summer. Tea dresses are awesome because they are so comfortable, like a t shirt, but they have a little more shape and class than just a t shirt dress.
Buy it here

This minkpink dress is probably my favorite item on here. As a blonde, I generally do not look good in yellow, or sadly bright red. However, this dress is right up my alley, with a loose, flowing feel to it, a gorgeous blue or turquoise background, and patchwork style mesh of the sunflower print (not to mention its name, "Ashbury"). This dress would look amazing with a pair of ridiculously strappy gladiator sandals, in pretty much any color you want.
Buy it here

This crop top is from American Apparel, and as far as sunflower print items go it is probably the most versatile. I could see this going from summer to fall, possibly pairing it with some high-waisted denim shorts or a skater skirt in the summer, and a pair of high-waisted jeans in a dark wash  and a loose grey cardigan for fall.

Buy it here

Personally, I think this trend is pretty awesome. However, I am aware that it is a very summery print, and most of these pieces are meant to be worn only in the summer. I definitely would not be rocking those sunflower shorts with sandals in the middle of winter in Scotland, no sirree. That being said, none of these prices break the bank, and so picking up one (or maybe even two) items in a sunflower print would not be a waste of money. Or, for those of us who live with their parents and don't have a job (me, sadly) jewelry in various sunflower designs is always an option. ;)

Love,

Caro