#OOTD: Modern Muse (Feat. StyleWe)

"Art is anything you can get away with."  -Marshall McLuhan

The quote above is easily one of my favorite quotes of all time. One might think this is due to my own affinity for the arts, and I have a deep appreciation for every piece I have ever seen, even if it was not something I would hang in my home. However, I would like to let you know that though this is part of the reason, the true reason is, up until my college art history III course, I believed this quote to be from one of my most admired artists. However, after art history III, I found out that this quote actually came from one of his muses, and then that is when I gained my fascination with Marshall McLuhan--but we will save that story for another day.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or Look Book, you all know that my bio for each mentions my love of three things which are animals, scotch, and Andy Warhol. Though I think the first two are pretty self explanatory, you might have wondered at one point or another why I feel the need to mention Andy Warhol. Well, if you couldn't tell from above, Warhol is most definitely one of my main muses and is actually one of my main inspirations to practice art in the first place. And to be honest, if it weren't for the many trips to the Warhol Museum that I had throughout my childhood and teenage years, I may have never wanted to pursue the arts in anyway, considering I have always been very academic.

"I like boring things." -Andy Warhol

Growing up, my mother always stated I was more of a miniature adult than I was a child. Sure, I enjoyed going outside, being active, and spending time with my pets, however it wasn't until I reached middle school that I really was interested in socializing with my peers, and that was solely during school. The reason this is, is because I am, and always have been an overachiever. Much like when I was a kid, I am still constantly studying and striving to maintain a 4.0 GPA, so it's safe to say though I do occasionally go out, it's never anything wild and crazy. However, once I went to the Warhol Museum with my mum when I was in second grade, something in me started stirring. Though at the time I didn't understand Warhol's ideas, I did love how vibrant his work was, all the celebrities he worked with, and most of all how much like me, Andy was shy, reserved and a bit awkward. He made me want to learn more about art and embrace my own creative side, and gave me the courage to embrace my "nerdiness" since I admired how successful he was. And that is truly how I believe I began the path I am on today.

Polished + Pop Art

Now that I have told you a bit of my own backstory and my special connection to this museum, let's get down to business and discuss what you came here for, the outfit details! So for this outing to my favorite place in Pittsburgh, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to style the bottom half of this dress from StyleWe. (Remember, I mentioned this a few posts back? The second half is coming soon too!) The reason I chose to style this piece as a skirt is because I love the funky but fun 70s vibe it gives this look. I paired it with an olive green blouse simply because the colors mesh perfectly, and topped this look off with my suede coat that I received from John's mum, along with my trusty suede booties so I could stay toasty warm while walking to the museum.

Aside from the colors of the blouse and skirt complementing each other, I also liked these two together because they kept true to the 70s vibe that I was going for with this outfit. The blouse itself drapes perfectly over the waist of the skirt, adding a nice over all shape, and the tie of the blouse's neckline hangs just right adding a chic and sophisticated feel to this look.

To complete this 70s chic look, I decided to pair it with with these gorgeous, gold, House of Harlow 1960 earrings, along with my eye glasses and some simple makeup. The reason I chose to wear my specs isn't just because I felt they were fitting due to the similarities they bare to my muse, but because I liked the bookish appearance they give this outfit, and admittedly I can barely see without them. I then chose the earrings because though they are more of the 60s era, I like the flare these statement earrings added to this outfit.

One Last Look

Who are some of your biggest inspirations and muses? I'd love to hear about them, so let's chat in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic. Have a photo of one of your favorite 70s inspired looks that you wanna show off? Feel free to tag me in a post of on your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic! Later, dolls.

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry I styled in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% FREE when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!

Also, In case you haven't heard, I am now a proud member of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it! Meaning you can shop straight from my Instagram feed when you click here or here. Don't know what LIKEtoKNOW.it is all about? Learn more, here!

#OOTD: Ardent Academic (Feat. Light In The Box)

Well I have to admit, up until recently, though I was excited to be heading back to college to earn my second degree, I wasn't really sure how I was going to feel about being back on a school schedule. I mean, after being out of school and working in my field for two years, I thought it might be hard to get back into the college swing of things. However, with the spring semester starting up next Monday at Point Park University, I have say that I have been in full on back to school mode, and I just can't welcome it more! While working on my articles for my Style Guru internship with CollegeFashionista, I forgot how much I enjoyed being in the heart of downtown, and became just as giddy as I was when I was eighteen and first heading to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I'm also thrilled to once again style myself for college and have fun with my wardrobe, and not just be stuck wearing boring office attire everyday. 

Class Is In Session 

To embrace my newly rekindled academic spirit, while out running some errands closer to home as well as downtown, I decided to dress up a little bit and add some color to my life, considering Pittsburgh has been incredibly grey and rainy the past few weeks. To achieve this pop of color I decided to style two of my newest pieces from my sponsor and affiliate Light In The Box, who kindly supplied me with this gorgeous red coat and hunter green dress free of charge! The reason I decided to pair these two pieces together was due to how the lush green of the dress balances out the bright red of the coat. Though both of these pieces would work wonderfully on their own, they also make an excellent pair. 

The first thing I noticed about this coat when I received it was how heavy it was. Now, I don't mean this at all in a bad way because I'm sure anyone who lives in a cold climate knows that when winter hits the heavier the coat, the better it is to keep you warm! Also to ensure warmness, this coat is also lined with an additional layer of silky smooth polyester. This coat is also incredibly soft to the touch, has a gorgeous silhouette, and as you can see is absolutely vibrant.

The reason I loved this coat wasn't only because of the high quality craftsmanship (Though of course that does have something to do with it!), but because I absolutely adored how gorgeous and rich the color of this coat is. As many of my long time readers know, being and Aries at heart, I absolutely love to stand out and be the center of attention. Well, in this show stopping coat, there is no doubt everyone's eyes will be on you, whether it's raining or in the midst of a blizzard. So needless to say this luxurious red coat will definitely be one of my staple pieces this semester while trekking around the 'Burgh for my internship.

What can I say, this dress is a perfect example of a typical casual dress I would (well, will be wearing!) to class. This lovely green dress is the perfect choice if you would like to give off a soft feminine vibe while studying in the library or local coffee shop. The reason I loved this dress so much was due to it's flowing a-line shape as well as it darling floral, button up collar. This dress is also very soft and comfortable due to the fact it is made from a jersey knit like material. Lastly, to further style these two lovely pieces, I chose to keep it simple with some girly opal earrings, my tortoise shell eye glasses, and some basic black pumps with gold accents. 

One Last Look

What are some of your favorite back to school looks? I'd love to chat about them in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic! Have a back to school style you just need to show off? Feel free to tag me on Instagram at @StarkRavingChic. Later babes.

Xx, Bree

#OOTD: Pumpkins & Patterns (Feat. Rocksbox)

BUUUUUUUUUR! It got cold real quick here in the 'Burgh recently, or perhaps its just me after soaking up the sun in Delray Beach last weekend. However, I have to say I'm thankful for the cooler weather due to the fact it allows me to style two of my favorite things: Sweaters and booties! So this morning while I was out and about on my typical morning Americano run in Sewickely this morning, I was so happy that I got to wear my newest outfit from ModCloth as well as my new velvet booties from my sponsor SheIn. I was also stoked because these items paired absolutely perfectly with my most recent Rocksbox set!

Blues & Burgundy

Though I usually prefer warmer colors and pastels, recently I've been experimenting with cooler colors in my wardrobe. This being said, I've been trying to include more light greys, blues, and teals in my wardrobe this season. So needless to say I was absolutely thrilled when I saw my latest set from my sponsor Rocksbox included a gorgeous blue Perry Street necklace and some divine royal blue Kendra Scott earrings. As soon as I opened the box I just knew that they would look perfect with this outfit I had from ModCloth. 

So first thing I have to say about this sweater from ModCloth is that it's so soft and comfortable!  The moment I felt it's plush material at the IRL event I knew I was going to be ordering it. The other reason I liked this sweater is because it's such a nice and simple piece and even with its textured material, it can be styled with just about anything. 

The reason I decided to pair this gorgeous Abby necklace by Perry Street with this sweater is because despite this sweater's textured appearance, the blues in this necklace just compliment the light grey color of this sweater so well. And of course, my Kendra Scott Elle earrings matched too perfectly for me not to style them in this look!

The last thing I have to mention about jewelry is I was absolutely thrilled that I finally received this SLATE Moonlight Daydream Cuff bracelet from Rocksbox! It's another item that was on my wish-list for sometime and that's just because I adore the delicate shape of it.  

Next up, I decided to pair this lovely sweater with a cute and playful plaid skirt. Ever since I was little I've loved plaid patterns, perhaps this is because until my Junior year of high school I attend private school where the majority of our uniforms were plaid. However this skirt undoubtedly caught my eye while browsing ModCloth's site so needless to say it is now part of my wardrobe. This skirt is actually very heavy but that's a good thing due to the fact it kept me nice and warm during my chilly morning stroll.

Lastly I just want to talk about my adorable booties from my sponsor SheIn. Firstly, I was so excited to find velvet booties at a reasonable price this because they are huge trend this fall. Secondly, I just love the burgundy color of them. They are also very comfy and warm.

One Last Look 

What are some of your favorite basic pieces to style for fall? Tell me about it in the comments below or tweet me at @StarkRavingChic. Wanna snap a photo to show off your style? Feel free to tag me on instagram at @StarkRavingChic! 

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry I styled in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% free when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!