April 30, 2013: Timey-Wimey-Wear!

Here's to the end of my first month of blogging! 2,200 views and 60 Twitter followers in 30 days; not bad, SWS, not bad at all! For this milestone post, I decided to go right to my roots with, you guessed it, some Doctor Who attire.

One of the biggest sources of sadness in my life is the fact that there are so many wonderfully hilarious shirts for sale online that I would give a kidney to own, but they're all a minimum of 30 bucks with shipping, which can rack up a hefty sum for noveltywear. (Regardless, I WILL own the "I many be crazy but at least I have each other" tee at any cost). Therefore, I decided to take matters into my own hands and concoct my own! This one will take some explaining to non-fans. It's obviously an "I ♥ NY" parody, but has two hearts just like the Doctor does (alien anatomy, remember), and Gallifrey is his home planet. Following? Good. For some flair and extra warmth, I went with a snazzy red blazer!

The Doctor is known for his ever-changing yet always wacky getups, and these trendy polka dot slacks would do him proud, I like to believe. A fantastic snag from the Charlotte Ruse sale rack, they're not just jeans, but fully structured high-waisted dress pants. Quality tailoring for a bargain! Gotta have his footwear of choice, too. The true measure of a great man is his love of Converses!



With style like this, the Sonic Screwdriver is really just for show

Finally, no self-respecting Whovian would be without a (cool!) bow tie. When real neckwear isn't an option, this glitzy ring will do the trick.

Outfit Pieces:

• Shirt - Custom!
• Blazer - H&M, $25
• Pants  - Charlotte Ruse, $15 (sale)
• Sneakers - Famous Footwear, $45
• Ring - Charlotte Ruse, $6

April 29, 2013: The Cat's Meow!

Ladies and...ladies, behold, my latest innovation in style: Crazy Cat Lady Chic! Since you can't utter Zooey Deschanel without the word "quirky" connected to it, I feel like she would totally rock this getup. It's just fun cuteness!

What else would you start off a CCL outfit with than a comfy cardigan? This one has a twist with the chunky front buttons, baby-sized pockets perfect for storing any kitty treats you might have to tote around, and a lace back panel. Layer a coordinating goldenrod cami underneath!

I seem to be starting a new trend of Animal Patten Mondays. Last week birdies, now it's kitties. This skirt is so much more creative than just putting on whole cats; look at those different colored eyes and darling little ears! As a break from the high-low, maxi or miniskirts, the knee-length goes along with the retro oddball look I'm going for. You could definitely make this work for some sort of impromptu Halloween office or class outfit if you wanted. Definitely on my possibilities list for October!

Of course you need some bows on your shoes with this outfit! A little sparkle never hurt anyone either.

Outfit Pieces:

• Cardigan - Rue 21, $15
• Cami - Wet Seal, $4
• Skirt - PayHalf, $14
• Shoes - Burlington Coat Factory, $17

April 28, 2013: Out to Brunch!

Today is a rather special Sunday for Skinny Wallet Style, as I have the privilege to go out to brunch with some of the members of Philly Style Bloggers! I'll be getting to learn some tricks of the trade from seasoned veterans of the bloggosphere (as well as some fresh faces like myself) over delicious nosh. Therefore, I picked out an elegant yet playful look for the day!



Some days, dainty tiny floral prints just don't seem up to scratch. At times like that, break out some oversized blossoms like the ones on this top! This feels like the fabric pattern from the dress of a Southern belle attending a cocktail party or the Kentucky Derby to me. (Or a luau! It's just Big Kahuna enough to mesh with the tropical print craze.) Compliment the purple blooms with these velvety periwinkle skinnies.

Hologram has got to be one of the strangest material trends I've seen pop up lately (and this is  the style world being influenced by Fifty Shades of Grey we're talking about). It's just so wacky and wonderful, I had to get in on it! Unfortunately, all the cool shoes I could find were roughly a zillion dollars, until the saving grace that is H&M handed me these tennies. So much love! But figuring out what to pair them with? Aye, there was the rub. I realized that the dominantly purple reflective colors would work well with my pants, and though, "why not?" Every outfit needs more shiny!

Even my earrings are photosynthesizing today! If you're scratching your head over why the star is sprouting greenery, it's actually a Paopu Fruit from the video game Kingdom Hearts. While you wouldn't be making fruit salad out of it anytime soon, it's said that two people who eat one together will have their destinies intertwined for all time. Beat that, strawberries!

Outfit Pieces:

• Shirt - Forever 21, $18
• Cami - Forever 21, $6
• Pants - Marshall's, $20
• Shoes - H&M, $13
• Earrings - Hikari wo Sagasu, $6

April 27, 2013: Acid and Lace!

Nobody ever said sweatshirts had to be slob-wear only! With every girl and their grandma walking around campus in a school swag hoodie or North Face jacket, I felt like it was my fashionista duty to break up the monotony. And what better way to do that then by chucking in some acid...green!

 I love how this crazy top combines so many haute trends in one piece of wackiness; neon, lace AND studs! The fact that the "child-friendly" spikes are gold instead of basic silver makes them look more elegant next to the lace, yet still totally wicked. Also, the green is ever so slightly faded, a good gateway piece for me into neon shades that usually scare me a lil'. Now you can wander around feeling like you're in your lazy day clothes while being 110 percent hip and up to date!

Instead of just putting on jeans or shorts or another run-of-the-mill sweatshirt BFF, I went back over to the work side of the closet for this tan skirt. This way the ratio of feminine to bad-A gets evened out, and the contrast of slouchy top to fitted bottoms is always stylish. Might even be able to wear this to the office!...if you worked at, you know, the world's most formal Hot Topic.

My inspiration today came mostly (get ready for a shocker) from former Doctor Who companion. She might have gotten some raised eyebrows for her miniskirt love, but the love for her most iconic outfit shows feisty time-traveling Scottish redheads know what they're doing!

Running from aliens is no reason not to dress fabulously!

Since marriage between different neutrals became legal in all fifty states, I threw on my black boots for toughness instead of being too matchy-matchy with browns. For extra cuteness points, some ruffled sockies are peeking out of there!

 In Accessory-land, I gave the gold spikes some more refined company with all the black and gold bangles I own, as well as showing that I have a heart of gold! In my ears, at least.

Outfit Pieces:

• Sweatshirt - PayHalf, $17
• Skirt - Express
• Socks - Marshall's, $6
• Boots - Marshall's, $40
• Bangles - PayHalf, $8
• Earrings - Target, $8

BONUS!

 I plundered a New York Sephora during my style haul two weeks ago for this slick chalkboard mani set, and here we have the final product! I thought that it would be just the topcoat that turned the black polish matte, but it comes this way straight out of the bottle. The blue liquid chalk pen started freaking out and flooding, so we had to stick with a white, pink and yellow color scheme. Too cute, isn't it!

April 26, 2013: Purple Passion!

 Happy Friday! Today I’m serving up another method of wiggling your way into printed jeans without making too much of a splash, and that means PURPLE! It’s easy if you put together a light pattern with a solid top in a coordinating yet bold hue, letting them stand out yet not hog ALL the attention.

When it comes to logical clothes, I always thought that sleeveless turtlenecks were pretty far down in the mire. I mean, your neck is that cold that it needs its own parka but your arms are all "nah, it's all good over here, let's catch some rays!" Just looks odd. This evens out having neck-protecting chilliness that doesn't merit full arm coverage. The bunchy sleeves are unexpected and look much cooler than just pushing them up!

These look like the most fashionable painter's messy cover-up pants, don't they? They were also available in shades of blue, green and yellow, but I figured I could use some more purple and orange in my life. And oh my lordy, are the soft! I cuffed them up to keep things fun and fresh. By the way, when glancing around some hoity-toity New York shop, I ran into a pair almost exactly like these for over THREE HUNDRED BUCKS. Just say no, my Skinny Wallet ladies! Don't let the Man...Woman...rob you for some painted pants!

Add in a little Mellow Yellow!  Happy sunflowers pick up the pale yellow portions of the design, and give the purple a double dose of energy. Gotta love how contrasting colors work like a Red Bull on each other!

Just a single earring in a coordinating orange rounds off the look. I really have been neglecting my second piercing on this ear, need to get back into double-dose bling!

 

Outfit Pieces:

• Top - PayHalf, $12
• Jeans - PayHalf, $22
• Sandals - Payless Shoes, $10
• Earrings - Body Central, $3.90

April 25, 2013: Wild Child!

Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side! Everyone loves a good leopard something, especially right now in spring '13, so I broke out my most fierce skirt. As a bonus, I finally have my brand spankin' new Samsung camera for doccumentation! Since I'm not a selfie-lover, I fear the front view screen will go to waste...ah well, still a neat option.

One reason why I rarely shop at stores like American Eagle or Aeropostale, other than their threads not quite being of my tastes, is that I find walking around with a tiny moose or seagull or whatever on my chest (not counting my adoration of animal-all-over prints, clearly) detracts from the outfit a bit. Sorry, Polo, you started this madness. Take your horses back to the stable where they belong. Regardless, this thin sweater makes a good basic top, and lets you be creative with camis underneath.

I wasn't sure which necklace would fit the look better, so I thought, why choose? Jewelry layering is super in! So here we have the daintiness of a bead choker partnered with the sassy in-your-faceness of some big ol' shiny gold leaves! Heh heh...gold leaf. See what I did there. The shape of the leaves do work well with the V-neck of the sweater.

Skater skirts have to be the most fun of all skirt breeds; they're like a skirt golden retriever! Other ladies might find a pencil skirt more to their liking in this ensemble, but those and I don't chill, since they tend to make me look like I'm doing a serious J-Lo impression. Yikes. The leopard here is a little faded so as to not be too Real Housewives extreme, and it has enough weight to it not to be pulling a Monroe maneuver with every breeze that comes along. Finish it off with the lace-up boots, and ROAR! Go take your place on your Queen of the Jungle throne!

Outfit Pieces:

• Sweater - American Eagle, $30
• Cami -PayHalf, $4
• Skirt - PayHalf, $14
• Boots - Amazon, $38
• Leaf Necklace - Body Central, $3.90

April 24, 2013: Emerald Fields!

If you don't have time in your busy schedule to go lay in a green grassy field and find duckies and sailboats in the clouds, at least you can through your outfit! This cute combo is my homage to the Pantone of the Year, packing it full of all the springtime flavor of rolling down a hill in the sunshine.

For anyone who missed my New York style haul post four score and two weekends ago, I picked up this dress at H&M as a great blank ensemble canvass. It's a great sundress design, even lighter and softer than cotton! The bungee waist takes away the need for a belt, so I just dipped into my endless well of cardigans for this sky blue number. I've had internal debates on which is more life-essential, the humble cardigan or the spiffy blazer. Thoughts?

I am, as we speak, planning my wedding to the collective oxfords made by Not Rated. I've raved about the brand previously, and these are my third pair of their shoes. Do laces get any better than these? Nope, not at all! Their baby deer fuzzy taupe bodies let them work as a good neutral shoe even with the lace party.

Of course, what's a grassy meadow without some daisies! The jewelry section of Michael's-or any craft store, really-is fabulous for building your own simple accessories. The Industrial Chic rack in particular is a nirvana for any other steampunk aficionados. They manage to turn anything from burnt hunks of paper to faucet taps into epic necklace components! This daisy pendant is filled with what appears to be shredded flakes of metal; tough and girly at once. (Sounds like the one wearing it, too! Oh, my modesty)

Outfit Pieces:

• Dress - H&M, $25
• Cardigan - PayHalf, $12
• Oxfords - DSW, $25
• Necklace - Michael's, $6

April 23, 2013: Curiouser and Curiouser!

I accidentally managed to take a tumble down the rabbit-hole today on the way to class! Ha, no, but this shirt so makes me think of the Cheshire Cat that I had to roll with the theme. Things look to be shaping up weather-wise ever so slowly, but I'm still long-sleeving it for a good long while.

Elbow-length sleeves change things up for when you don't know if your arms will be feeling toasty or chilly at any given moment, a typical state of being this time of the year. Stripes are never passé, and these suckers really pop! Don't be surprised if you grin and find yourself without the rest of your body! Not really visible here, but the shirt also has some fun ruching on the sides.

bIf there's one thing I will grudgingly admit to liking about the perpetual ball of charmingness that is Taylor Swift, it's that she has adorable taste in flats. Kitty shoes have been popping up all over, with these being some of the most afforable availabe. It's nice to be able to look down at your toes and see a smiling face looking up at you, even if they do look the tiniest bit smug-of course they are, they're cats!

Top things off with some hearts from the Red Queen's budoir and you're all set to paint some roses red!

Outfit Pieces:

• Shirt - PayHalf, $12
• Jeans - American Eagle, $44
• Shoes - Rue 21, $16
• Earrings - Target, $8 

April 22, 2013: Flight of Fancy!

Nothing like bright orange and birdies to put the smackdown on any case of the Mondays! This look is easy, breezy, SkinnyWallet.

For something fresh and light to snuggle up in, this open weave cardigan is number one! The big chunky buttons are the cutest, aren't they? I've got lots of these types of toppers, from bell-sleeve hoodies to super-light vests, but this is one of my favorites.

Attention all companies of Earth, I bring to you "How to Sell Anything to Kelly 101." If it has animals on it, I will buy it. Easy peasy! Yellow might be the classic bright sunshiney color choice, but orange was my favorite color for a long time before I turned blue, da-bu-di, da-bu-dai. The skirt has so many unexpected hue combinations that somehow all work. Everything else in the outfit is neutral to make sure you don't get an orange OD!

Call me Rachel Berry, but I adore me some knee socks. I had completely forgotten these were even in my possession until two days ago, when I found them along with my cobalt ones at the bottom of my drawer! They both were up for consideration with this look, but I decided on low-key mustard, which is bright but don't clash obnoxiously with all that orange or give total overwhelming coverage like tights would. The happy orioles have some color company now!

These might be worthy of the world record for Most Comfortable Non-Flat Shoes Ever Crafted. Thank heaven for the blessing that is Dr. Scholl's! I was hooked by their quaint old-fashioned style, which Mama refers to as my "granny shoes," but at least I'm a hip granny! Combined, these booties and the cardigan make me feel like a really fashionable bohemian little old lady...in a good way.

Today's only accessory is this leaf headband, tying in with the skirt-birds' resting branches. It adds a hippie touch without going to the Coachella extreme. Even my nails' Feather polish is fitting!

Outfit Pieces:

• Cardigan - Old Navy, $30
• Cami - PayHalf, $4
• Skirt - PayHalf, $14
• Socks - Target, $3
• Boots - Marshall's, $35
• Headband  - Claire's, $6.50

Spring Style Haul: Love Culture and Charlotte Russe!

Y'know, I'm pretty sure it's not very healthy to be able to produce a new style haul every weekend like clockwork...ah, who cares, that's why you folks are here! To behold of my glorious fashion triumphs!

Today's selections, as you already know, come direct from the faraway lands of Love Culture and Charlotte Russe. Whenever I go in LC, I mentally refer to it as the anti-Hollister; instead of stumbling around in the dark being assaulted by lousy music and hideous perfume, the wall-to-wall white and mirrors makes me feel like putting on shades!

But I loves them for their funkiness, and that's what we have here today. Behold my sweet new sweatshirt! Whenever I look at this, I feel like pulling a Paulie Bleeker. "Cool tiger...he looks proud." Tigers are on my list of top three favorite animals, along with otters and owls. (All of which, ironically, are the three special nature preservation license plates available in Pennsylvania. This made things rather difficult when getting my car. Ended up with the otter!)

But I digress. The sweatshirt is a bit oversized, so I'll be wearing it either as a boatneck or Flashdance-style off one shoulder. Probably the latter. As if the tiger wasn't hardcore enough for you, got some stud action going on too!

Tiger sweatshirt stare into your soooul

Also from LC, I finally have given into the blingy collar trend with this necklace. Others are usually about nineteen times too big for my aesthetics, but this is nice and managable, and all the pastels will blend with an infinite number of my currents tops!

Onward to Russe. It dawned on me that my wardrobe was looking a little one-note, what with all the lace and floral options, so I decided to spice things up a bit. This boxy top might look simple from the front, but going to the back, woah, mama! Swiss cheese Union Jack! Laser-cut detailing is another design that's been big lately, so this lets you absorb the runway into your most casual of all pieces. I was reading InStyle yesterday, and this exact shade of blue (wedgewood) happened to be in as the color feature!

This Aztec top was another fun find. It's like if you got a patchwork quilt straight from the heart of the Wild West! All the 3D pattern details contrast against the burned-out fabric interestingly, too, since it looks a little like stone or sand texture.

Just a simple leopard tank, picked up to have some more options with today's floral Doc Martins. For freshness, it has some snips up the sides-take a look at the bottom left!

I fell in love with this the moment I laid eyes on it. If Dorothy felt like taking a dip in the Emerald City's pool, this would be her pick! More structured than a normal cropped tee, this will work wonders underneath my lightweight ruffled white button-down tied at the bottom.

Finally, a fun, elegant ring with a secret message! I've seen multitudes of outfits involving a "love" ring on College Fashion (one of my main muses), so when I ran into one in person, had to snap it up.

Purchases:

• Sweatshirt - Love Culture, $22
• Necklace - Love Culture, $11
• Striped Shirt - Charlotte Russe, $17
• Tribal Shirt - Charlotte Russe, $19
• Tank - Charlotte Russe, $8
• Bralette - Charlotte Russe, $15
• Ring - Charlotte Russe, $6