Stripes Forever

I love me some stripes, and I thought that since they are so in this season it would be a great theme for Memorial Day!  Here are some great modern ways to do stripes, from casual to the office.  Stripes can be a little tricky at times, but if you need some help, you know who to call!  Enjoy!

And the Winner is.....

The winner of the giveaway is Renee, congratulations!!  And the winning dress is.....

Please excuse the very white extremities and poor picture quality - but you get the idea. As they say on TV, the picture doesn't do the dress justice, but I love this cobalt blue dress from J.C. Penney (I know, right!).  It's very comfortable, I feel confident in it and bonus - no special undergarments needed. 

I also loved the pink dress, which was my initial choice, but when I tried it on at Kohl's it just didn't fit right and the neckline wasn't flattering on me.  No settling for a so-so dress allowed, and I'm glad I didn't, because then I found the blue one.  The navy and purple dresses are both super cute, but I never tried them on, they were both from online stores.  I don't think the cut and length of the navy dress would work for me though, as cute as it is. 

Free Giveaway and Summer Weddings!

I've been so excited for this post - I'm going to be giving away a free one hour consult!  So, what do summer weddings have to do that?  Well, let me tell you.  I have a couple weddings to attend this summer, which I'm really looking forward to.  It's been a few years since I've been to a wedding in the summer so I thought it would be a great excuse to get a new dress, don't you agree?!  I didn't want to spend a lot of money though, so I gave my self a budget of $50.  All of the dresses shown above are right around $50 (disclaimer - not all retail for $50, but with sales and coupons it can be done.).  One of them is the dress I purchased. This is where the giveaway comes in.  Here's how it works:

1.  Become a follower of Real Life. Real Style blog and fan of the facebook page, if you haven't already.
2.  Leave a comment as to what dress you think I chose, which dress you would choose, or which you like best.
3.  Just like that you'll be entered in the drawing.

A few other notes:  Deadline to enter will be Monday, May 23 at 5:00 pm.  I'll announce the winner, and which dress I chose on Tuesday, May 24.  This will not be a high tech ordeal, I'll just put everyone's name in a hat, and have one of my girls pick one out.  The free consult (or hour of shopping, if you prefer) must be used by August 31, 2011.
I can't wait to see your comments, and hear from those of you I don't know!  Please feel free to share this post with your friends, the more the merrier!  Let the fun begin!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

I think the idea of this spring/summer dress is so fun, and could work on lots of different age ranges, with a few minor tweaks.  Like I said, this is a dress, but you could totally put together this same look with separates.  This style skirt is all over the stores for spring, and would be cute with a t-shirt, or dress it up with a button down oxford (and they don't even have to be white). =)  You could also exchange a leather or woven belt for the ribbon sash.  Throw on a cardigan or jean jacket if it's cooler,  and you'll be looking oh so good, whether you're heading to church, out on a date, or lunch with the girls.

Ode to Tulip Time

I do love Tulip Time (sorry, honey), so I am feeling a little inspired by florals this week.  Here are some great ways to incorporate florals into your wardrobe and how you can mix and match them.  Go ahead and step out of your box of solid colors and give florals a try.  They make great layering pieces.  Here's a metallic caridgan or peachy boyfriend cardigan to go over top.  I love these denim shorts (so sad they didn't love my body as much as I loved them, so I had to return) and lightweight trouser jeans, great for wearing into spring and summer. 

It's not too late to get a gift certificate to Real Life. Real Style for yourself or your mom for Mother's Day!  Just email me and I'll get it to you by this weekend.  Happy Tulip Time and Happy Mother's Day to all!

Mother's Day

Don't be subtle, beat around the bush, or expect him to read your mind.  I've tried it, it doesn't work.  You just have to come out and tell him what you'd like for Mother's Day - Real Life. Real Style!  You could ask for a wardrobe consult and/or an afternoon of shopping. I can't think of a better way to treat yourself, or your own mother, for that matter!  If it's important to you that he put forth the effort and do the work, just give him my email or phone number and we'll take care of the rest!  I've been an early Mother's Day present once already, and it was a blast!

What is Style?

That's a good question.  Style and fashion are different, yet they co-mingle, overlap and usually work together.  Style is personal, it's about you.  Fashion is about an industry and what others (fashion designers) tell you looks good and is "in" at the moment. 

Your personal style will evolve and develop with you as you mature, along with lots of trial and error.  Your style is a reflection of who you are, it's a way to express yourself to the world (whether you like it or not).  Fashion also changes, quickly I might add, so they can keep us coming back for more.  I tend to fall for that one. 

Knowing yourself and your own style allows you to say no to certain fashion trends because you know they're not for you, or that they won't work for your body or age.  It also helps you focus your shopping so you can end up with a closet full of pieces that work together and are interchangeable.  Now, that's not to say you can't be eclectic and mix it up, go for it!  It just takes a little practice to put it all together. 

Do you know what your style is, but need some help with execution?  Maybe you know what you'd like your style to be, but just need to be pointed in the right direction?  Or, are you thinking that finding a style and dressing stylish sounds lovely in a dream world, but you're just happy to have something clean to put on in the morning?  =)  Been there, done that.  I can help.  kate@steenwykbuilders.com