Kentucky Derby Week: Hats

As I said in my previous post, I found my Derby hat last year at the very last minute at Target. It was probably the most affordable way to go, but if you want a more fancy/outrageous hat for a party, try one of the hats below with a big bow, or add one of your own to a beach hat by stopping by Michaels craft store beforehand! My favorite is the Vineyard Vines one below, paired with a white or blue seersucker dress. Which one would you wear?

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post on menswear for the Derby!

xxo

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Kentucky Derby Week: Dresses

For women attending The Kentucky Derby, the dress of choice is the most important part of your look (a close second is the hat!). Seersucker and ric rac dresses are what I think of when I picture the Kentucky Derby fashion, but also pastel colors and big bows. I may wear this dress or my graduation dress, but I think any of these choices below are sure to fit in with the style of the Derby. 

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Kentucky Derby fashion week

The Kentucky Derby is this weekend, and regardless of whether you have a ticket or not, chances are you may be attending a Derby party this weekend. My friend Dana and I went to one last year, and because the Derby fell on May 5th, half of the people there were also dressed in Cinco de Mayo attire! At the last minute we decided we also needed big, outrageous floppy hats, but the closest thing we could find to the classic Royal Wedding-esque accessory were sun hats from Target. 

For those of you getting in the Derby spirit this weekend, I thought I'd put together a few posts to begin tomorrow for Derby fashion and throwing a Derby party. Stay tuned!

xxo

Menswear Wednesday: The Great Gatsby Collection

Fans of Mad Men went crazy for Banana Republic's "Mad Men" collection when it first was released a couple of years ago. With the same idea in mind, Brooks Brother's has taken the style of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby to create a new apparel collection for the upcoming release of the movie (May 10th!!). According to the film's designer, Brooks Brothers is mentioned several times in Fitzgerald's writings throughout the 20th century. A majority of the 500 men's costumes in the film were inspired by images and products from the company's archives (Brooks Brothers was founded in 1818). 

Now, the store has adapted those costumes to create a line for men that is sold both in stores and online. 

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Pillow talk

When it comes to decorating a space, I think throw pillows are a key element. I found a couple of pillows from Ikea and Home Goods before I moved into my apartment, but for the most part they're all pretty simple. I like to call the pillows below "statement pillows," because like a good statement necklace draws attention to an outfit, these pillows bring attention to a space. I originally saw the needlepoint Beatles pillow at my local Nordstrom, and I've been in love with the Jackie Kennedy pillow by Jonathan Adler since I first saw it around Christmas time. 

Would you buy one of these, or are you drawn to more simple covers when it comes to pillows?

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A Pop of {cheap} style: leather clutches

I've been looking for a camel brown leather clutch for some time now, and I can't think of spending over $150 on one. I have a faux leather crossover foldover from H&M that they still sell in stores, but it's half a bright/orangey color and doesn't go with everything. 

My favorite style is by Clare Vivier, but I can't pull the trigger on a clutch that costs about the same price as about a month of groceries (I'm on a tight budget!) I recently found something very similar to it at Gap, at nearly a quarter of the cost. I'm loving the brown and white one from Gap. 

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Girls love Beyonce

Random fact about me: I really like Drake's music. My interest was sparked in college, when my friends and I would listen to Drake and Kid Cudi on a regular basis (Kid Cudi also happens to be from my hometown!) But while I haven't stayed so much attached to Kid Cudi's music, I always seem to find myself listening to Drake. It's so funny to think he was the kid in the wheelchair from Degrassi, but clearly he's come a long way since then.

He just released his latest, "Girls love Beyonce," and maybe it's the Destiny's Child chorus cover, but I really love this song.

Have any of you heard it yet? Are you a Drake fan?

Menswear Wednesday: Tis the season to Nantucket Reds

Menswear Wednesday is back! After a couple week-long hiatus, I can promise you that MWW will be back on a consistent basis. The good thing about living in Washington, D.C. is the fact that I am about a 20 minute bus ride from Georgetown. In my opinion, there is no better shopping than M Street, and no better afternoon spent on the patios of the Georgetown waterfront with a big group of friends.

The style of Georgetown, as many of you probably know, is very preppy, and the seersucker shorts and pastel chinos have already made a debut. Besides the pale yellows, blues and pinks, Nantucket reds are worn down here by nearly every 20-something preppy guy. 

With a needlepoint belt and a pair of Sperry Top Siders, they're not hard to style. They can be found at any J.Crew or Vineyard Vines store, or can be bought online here and here. 

Jean jackets beyond 8th grade

Everyone had a jean jacket in grade school. They were the trademark look that came after the pastel colored GAP hoodies and before The North Face jackets became the norm in high school. I was over jean jackets for the past eight years, but now I find myself wanting one again. They're great to pair with summer dresses for a casual day, and look great over anything white. I'm a fan of the medium to darker washes, and I've had my eye on this one for a while now. 

What's your take on jean jackets? Do you own one already? Have they made a comeback in your wardrobe?  

I've scoured the internet (and M Street in Georgetown!) to find some of the best jean jackets at {somewhat} affordable prices. I think Madewell and J.Crew probably have the best-quality jackets, but there are a few other less-expensive ones as well. Here's a few of my favorites.

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Pear + Swiss grilled cheese with balsamic glaze on asiago

Since it is National Grilled Cheese month, and the official "grilled cheese day" was last week, I thought it was only appropriate to post a recipe for one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. I've been into putting fruit on my grilled cheeses since junior year of college (pretty weird), and decided to test out pears last week. Paired with swiss cheese, balsamic vinegar and asiago bread, there's a lot of flavor going on, but it's a really tasty combination!

Pear + Swiss grilled cheese with balsamic glaze on asiago

- 2 slices of swiss cheese
- 4 thin slices of pear
- 2 t balsamic vinegar
- 2 slice of asiago bread, buttered on one side

Soak pear slices in balsamic vinegar for 10-15 minutes, and place between the two slices of cheese. Grill evenly on each side. 

Kitchen Accessories from IKEA

I am all moved in to my new apartment in Washington, D.C. and I'm happy to tell everyone that I absolutely love it. My parents and I went a little crazy at IKEA last week. We walked in with three things we needed: a couch, a dresser and two barstool-type chairs. And I have to laugh, because we must have walked out with nearly three times the amount of things I thought I needed. 

IKEA is pretty much a slippery slope, because once you enter you're doomed to buy little things you really don't need. Prime example: I had enough glassware already (to the point where I didn't have room for it all), and then I saw these flamingo and pineapple glasses. They were only $1 and $1.50, so who could resist adding a few more dollars for these adorable glasses?

I decided to go with four of the flamingo ones, because really it's all I had room for, but I think the pineapple glasses would be great for smoothies in the summer. What do you think?

  

Fashionable frames by Firmoo

Wearing glasses as fashion has been a trend for years, but I think it is one bandwagon I never really jumped on because I didn't think I looked cute in glasses. My little brother has worn faux spectacles for a while now (he says "the ladies love it"), and now I have taken to liking them a little as well.

I decided to take a stroll along the Tidal Basin this afternoon before work, as the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom for the next couple of days. It was the hottest day yet (90 degrees!), but I had to get out to see the blossoms. Aren't they beautiful?



The glasses I'm wearing in the photos below are non-prescription glasses from a company called Firmoo. They were nice enough to send me a pair to test out, and I must say, while they're not exactly my style, I love the two-toned colored frames (the sides are red), and the quality is top-notch.

They understand the trend of non-perscription glasses, as they sell all of their frames as either prescription lenses or non-prescription lenses. If you're interested in trying out a new look, I would recommend trying their First Pair Free Program, where you can try one pair for free from Firmoo, all you have to do is pay shipping. It's risk free, and if you're not satisfied you will receive a full refund or exchange. How awesome is that

If you're intesterested (And I really reccommend it!), please visit Firmoo's Web site.

Five Things

With every new blog I become attached to, I always find myself wondering more about what the reader is like. Luckily, there has been a trend floating around the blogosphere lately called "Five things" in which you list five fun facts about yourself to help your readers get to know you a little better. Thanks to Emily, I was tagged last week and now I'll get to share a few of my own facts! 

1. I have two high school diplomas. This is one of the strangest facts about me, and I think it always has people thinking I somehow graduated from two different high schools when I tell them! Funny story though, when I graduated from my high school in 2008, our administration overlooked one minor {and very important!} detail of the diploma... education was spelled wrong! So we all received misspelled diplomas, and wound up receiving a second one with education spelled correctly a couple of weeks later. I still have the first one tucked behind the second. :)

2. I have a fear of overly ripened potatoes. Again, very strange, but you know how potatoes can go bad and get those white pokey-looking things that begin to come out of them? I think they look very alien-like and for some reason it horrifies me when if I see one in the pantry. My mom, however, thinks it's hilarious and will throw one at me if she finds one. 

3. I have an obsession with grilled cheese. Ask anyone of my friends, and they will explain my love for the food. What's even more weird is that I really only like to eat the sandwiches now with fruit melted between the cheese slices. Hey, don't knock it til you try it! 

4. I don't have all of the feeling in my bottom lip. When I was a freshman in college, I got my wisdom teeth taken out and the doctor hit a nerve during the surgery. Since then, I've lost partial feeling in my lower right gums/lip. I'd say 85% has come back, but when it first happened I was terrified I'd never regain feeling again!

5. I am in love with anything/everything Titanic. This started at age 7, right after the movie came out, and hasn't stopped. I have read more books and watched more specials on the ill-fated ship than anything else, and I used to always tell my dad if I could have one wish in the entire world it'd be to go down to see the Titanic wreckage with him. :) The story still fascinates me every time I pick up something to read on it.

Tag, you're it! : Lindsay, Amy, and Hannah

The Contemporary Prepster: Lilly Pulitzer, 1931-2013

She popularized the shift, and she hosted parties barefoot. Lilly Pulitzer died yesterday in Florida, at age 81, leaving behind an incredible legacy of bright, colorful, tropical print dresses and clothes that excited and enchanted young women to enter her stores.

I've always loved the story* of how it all began: In the late 1950s, the Palm Beach socialite had time to spare and a well-to-do husband who owned citrus groves, so she opened an orange juice stand near the island's main shopping street. Because Pulitzer needed to hide all the juice stains on her clothes, instead of just putting on an apron, she asked her seamstress to make some sleeveless dresses in colorful fruit prints, and thus, the Lilly dress was born.

*source

Dress Week Day 5: Bright Whites

Thank you for sticking around for the final day of Dress Week on A Pop of Style. My absolute favorite part about spring's post-Easter days is wearing white dresses. I think Lilly Pulitzer always has the best white dresses-- they're my go-to recommendation for graduation dresses. 

Enjoy your weekend!

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Francesca's Laguna Hills Ribbed Dress: This textured dress looks so comfy. It has a subtle ribbed fabric that is casual, but can be dressed up with a tan belt or accessories to make for a pop of color.

Lilly Pulitzer Nina Dress: Need I say more? Scallops are huge this spring, but besides the scallops on this piece, the back of this dress make it all the more better! I'm a sucker for bows, but seersucker bows? Yes!

French Connection Boatneck Fit & Flare Dress: French Connection is one of my favorite designers, but I've only every bought their dresses. I love the neckline and the flair of the skirt.

Francesca's Capitol Hill Dress: I may be a little partial to this dress because it's called "Capitol Hill," but I love the simplicity of it, along with the tie for a bow across the front. 

Dress Week Day 4: LBDs

My all-time favorite dress to wear year-round is my LBD. Fun fact: the little black dress was made popular by Coco Chanel in the 1920s. Prior to that, they were only considered for mourning attire. I have a simple sleeveless one that I found at Dillards last spring, and it's perfect for any occasion. My rules for a little black dress are as follows: 

1. Make sure it's flattering

2. Keep it simple, so it's versatile (or it will date)

3. Invest in a good one, so that it becomes a wardrobe staple

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Forever 21 V-back Shift Dress: Any dress/sweater/shirt with a v-back usually attracts me, which is one of the reasons I loved this LBD. The length of the sleeves and the rounded, semi-boatneck neckline make it a sleek dress for any occasion. 

Boutique Linda Silk Blouson Dress: Perfect for the summer, the delicate straps and airy silk fabric give this piece a sexy twist. 

H&M Textured Jersey Dress: The fabric on this dress is so soft, and comfortable enough to be worn throughout every season. If you love the style, it also comes in mint green!

Forever 21 High-low Shift Dress: I love these "mullet dresses." Perfect for the summer, it can easily be paired with a belt and wedges or flats. 

Dress Week Day 3: Maxi Dresses

There used to be days when I thought only tall people could pull off maxi dresses. I loved the way girls like Blake Lively, Heidi Klum and Kate Beckinsale pulled them off, but let's face it-- they all have legs for days. However, depending on how you style it, I think shorter gals wear them just as easily. Take Sarah Jessica Parker for example. At only 5' 3", SJP proves you don't have to have super long legs to pull off this look. 

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Mara Hoffman Pow Open Back Maxi: Mara Hoffman is the one designer I'd love to own a piece by, but I simply cannot afford it. Her prints are bold and flashy, and whether its her swimsuit collection or maxi dresses, there are always sexy back cutouts that make her pieces super unique. 

Mossimo Racerback Chiffon Maxi: The perfect Target maxidress. This one is different in that it's longer in the back than it is in the front, and the floral print gives it a nice pop of color. 

H&M Khaki Green Floral Dress: I'm not typically a fan of green floral, usually because I think the prints remind me of that God awful dress that J.Lo wore once upon a time. But I love the pink floral detail added to this dress. 

Ted Baker London Halter Maxi Dress: The color of this dress is perfect for the summer months, and I love how the neckline channels a Grecian style. 

Dress Week Day 2: Workday Dresses

One of my favorite parts of graduating from college and moving on to the "real world" is that I get to dress up every day. I find myself investing more in work dresses than skirts, primarily because I think dresses are more comfortable, but also because I think they're more professional looking.

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Club Monaco Ellie Dress: This takes colorblocking to new levels, incorporating navy down the bodice, and a lighter, more bright shade of blue along the top. I love the color in this dress!

Laundry by Shelli Segal Dress: I saw this dress in Nordstrom when it first came out, and loved how different it looked. The detailing on it-- which you can see better in person -- looks almost like a basket weave.

H&M Army Green Dress: The best part about this dress (besides the color) is the lace detail along the shoulders and throughout the back of the dress. It'd be perfect with a pair of nude heels.

J.Crew Multistripe Dress: I fell in love with this dress the moment I tried it on in J.Crew the other week. Although I did not buy it, (I went with this one instead!) it's a great summer dress and has a touch of nautical to it. 

Dress Week Day 1: Shifts

Because I'm moving this week for a job that I start on Wednesday, I knew I would be in a time crunch for posting every night. Luckily for my readers, I've put together a short, weeklong series that will feature different types of dresses each day. Each day will consist of my favorite picks for each dress category .. both splurge-worthy and affordable! 

Today, I'm focusing on shifts. It's the perfect shape, and while shifts can typically look unflattering, the stripes, scallops, floral and leather touches in these dresses will make for a standout shift.

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Club Monaco Haley Knit Dress: I love this dress because it has a nautical feel to it, but my favorite part is the leather pockets. Any dress with pockets has me sold instantly.

J,Crew Scalloped Dress: I bought this dress two weeks ago, and cannot wait to wear it once the weather warms up again. Scallops are a huge trend this spring, and I plan to dress it up a bit with a bright statement necklace.

A-thread Floral Sheath Dress: I saw this dress on Pinterest months ago and can't get it off of my mind. I love how the model pairs it with a bright neon necklace. 

Forever 21 Polka Dotted Shift Dress: I'm not typically a fan of polka dots, but I like the color band around the bottom of this dress, and the higher neckline.