#OOTD: Empire State of Mind (Feat. StyleWe)

Now that the year 2017 is in full swing, I'm sure many of you have noticed that there are a few things I plan on approaching differently this year. One of those things, which I covered in my last post, is having a more positive attitude and continuing to practice radical self love. But of course there is more than just that personal resolution, because if you can recall I had a list for 2017 featuring my newest affiliate and partner Saks Fifth Avenue, which was made up of all my 2017 Style Resolutions. Though I did make some really good ones for 2016, I kind of (okay I totally didn't) didn't keep up with them between my hiatus and many new partnerships. However, this is a new year and I am definitely going to stay on top of them this time, because what's the point of making style resolutions if you aren't going to dress up?

Strike It Rich

Psssssst! If you love the earrings 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! 

If you read my 2017 Style Resolutions article, you know that one of my resolutions was to stop saving certain garments for "special occasions". Well recently, I decided to give that resolution a try, and wear this pretty blue dress from my sponsor and affiliate, StyleWe, to a lunch date with my mum. When I entered the little pub we were dining in, my mother looked at me and asked why I was dressed up considering I was off from my office that day and really was only at home blogging. My response was that this year, I've decided that if I want to wear something that makes me feel pretty, no matter what the occasion is I'm wearing it. (And therefore if dressing up to go to Bridgetown Tap House makes me feel pretty, damn it I'm doing it!)

The first thing I have to say about this gorgeous blue dress from StyleWe is how incredibly well it fits me. Normally when buying dresses I can be a bit skeptical due to the fact in my experience, most of the time they run a bit large and look baggy on me. However, this dress fits me like a glove and really emphasizes my long and slender frame. The other thing that is great about this dress is that it is made of a nice thick fabric, meaning you can wear it out in the winter time and not completely freeze!

Cuff: Louis Vuitton, Ring: Ritani (details + post coming soon)

The top of this rich blue dress is also something to write home about. Due to the thick fabric that this dress is made out of, the ruffled sleeves stay nice, crisply finished, and neatly placed. The modern plunge detailing of this dress is also lovely too and not only because of the fact this chic cutout design to die for, but it is also held in place by a piece of nude mesh, which is great because nobody wants a wardrobe malfunction. 

Shoes: Christian Louboutin, purchased via Tradesy

Lastly, though I generally shy away from discussing the back of my outfits, this dress just has such gorgeous back detailing that I cannot just let it be ignored! The reason I loved the back detailing of this dress was because I loved how the designer kept the top part of the shoulders open, giving this dress a very elegant feel reminiscent of old Hollywood. I also liked the calf length slit for the same reason, though it's obviously necessary for one to move, it also is very chic too.

One Last Look

So everybody, what are some of your favorite outfits that you wear shamelessly? I'd love to chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic. Have a photo that you just want to show off? Feel free to tag me on Instagram at @StarkRavingChic! Later babes.

Xx, Bree

2017: It's Time To Be Happy Again

“True wealth is having a healthy mind, body, and spirit. True wealth is having the knowledge to maneuver and navigate the mental obstacles that inhibit your ability to soar.” -RuPaul

Despite all the wonderful things that transpired the latter half of last year, I'm not going to lie: 2016 was not the best year for me. During the early months of 2016, I struggled with some long lingering health effects of anorexia, putting me in and out of the hospital for testing, blood work, and further observation of the ailments I had been suffering from. So needless to say, the months of March, April, and May were not very pleasant for me; for both physical and mental reasons, which is what lead me to take my blogging hiatus last summer. However, during that break, I feel I experienced a substantial amount of personal growth and having a break from everything (including but not limited to the stress of blogging, toxic relationships, and of course a hospital room) really gave me some prospective of how I wanted to live my life. Without all of the chaos from being sick, cutting the toxic people out of my life, and having a little time away from here really put into prospective of what made me happy. Obviously, I liked being happy, so much so I decided it was time to practice some radical self love. 

I am sure if you gazed at Pinterest, Twitter, or Facebook during the year 2016, in the midst of all the negativity, I'm sure  you've come across at least one or two articles about the power of positive thinking, body positivity, and self love--seems as though social media has had enough of this negative nonsense too, right? Well with that being said, I did too, and I became intrigued. Because to be honest, I hadn't liked myself much since developing an eating disorder in high school, let alone loved myself. So while reflecting and recovering over the summer, I actually made a pretty hefty Pinterest Board filled with beautiful self-love and body positive quotes, and I even started keeping a small journal to write three simple things down in everyday, which are as follows:

1. A daily affirmation
2. One thing that I love about myself
3. A daily quote about self love, just as a little reminder

And though doing these thing didn't take much effort, throughout the summer I was surprised to find that I actually began to feel a change. I became less caring of what others thought of my appearance, I became more fearless in my approach to life (e.g. how I met John at Warped Tour after crowd surfing to Sum 41's "Fat Lip"), and I just simply started seeing the beauty around me again. It was an absolutely wonderful feeling, like a weight being lifted off my shoulders. I began to realize that my past does not define me, I am not broken to the point of no repair, the number on the scale is just that, a number (though this one is still a little tough for me, so I just quit weighing myself period--and that is perfectly okay!) and I am lovable and worthy of being loved by everyone, but that I am especially worthy of loving myself. The only thing I was missing was my outlet for my creativity, which obviously returned when I stepped back on the blogging scene last September, and I've been owning it and the other aspects of my life ever since. 

With that being said, think it's more than safe to say that in 2017, I will continue practicing self love to the fullest and plan on filling my little journal's pages to the brim with quotes, daily affirmations, and compliments! And what are today's you ask?

1. I am a successful young woman and I am proud of all my achievements. I know my future holds great things and I cannot wait to see what all the universe has in store for me.
2. I love the tiny bunch of scars on my left foot from when I accidentally had hot coals spilled on it. They remind me of one very fun night with some of my closest friends, and why you probably shouldn't drink wine while smoking a hookah.

3. “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.” -Marilyn Monroe

How have you incorporated self love into your life? Let's chat about it in the comments below and keep the positive vibes going! 

Xx, Bree

#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