#OOTD: Jumping Into The New Year (Feat. SheIn + Ann Taylor)

January 01, 2018 by Bree Fesh in Personal Style

Hey babes, happy new year! Though 2017 literally just ended yesterday, I already am beginning to feel like 2018 is going to be a much better year, and quite possibly the fresh start I think we all have been needing. As I mentioned in my 2017 recap post, I think we can all agree that 2017 was a rough year, however, now that we have a fresh start (I mean, it is a new year and a new week after all!) I'm personally stepping into the new year with an even more positive attitude, along with making some of my own positive changes (which I may or may not write about later on in the year). And I don't know about you guys, but I definitely feel like I rang in the new year on a great note and am most definitely starting 2018 off on the right foot!

I have to say, though my New Year's Eve wasn't anything incredibly fancy, it was honestly everything I wanted. I was home among my family and dearest friends (Except Nic, who is now in Canada with his fiance, but him and Ben were most certainly with us in spirit!), and though it was not a formal affair like our Christmas holiday parties tend to be, I decided to dress up a bit. Why? Because though dressing up was not required, I decided I wanted to be my "best" self going into this new year, so I chose to wear one of my favorite pieces in my closet, which happens to be this black caped jumpsuit from my longtime sponsor, SheIn.

Love & Layers

Even though I didn't spend my New Year's Eve at Pittsburgh's first night celebration, and I din't travel to watch the ball drop in New York City, I was still thrilled because honestly, this is the first year I have actually been home for New Year's Eve in six years! Yeah, I know, that's a really long time. However, though in New Year's past I enjoyed being away and what I was doing to celebrate them, I have to say I was a bit homesick. Not only because I was away from home, and I know I will not settle in my hometown after I receive my doctorate, "home" for me will always be here, simply because this is where my family is. So, even though my father teased me the entire night because I insisted on wearing stilettos to sit around in the dining room, drinking scotch, and later champagne, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. And that is why this New Year's was so perfect for me.

Though I am sure you all don't mind hearing a bit about my New Year's Eve, I know most, if not all of you are here to check out how I styled my New Year's look, so let's jump into it (pun totally intended)! To start off, though I initially wanted to wear this jumper on its own, it is sleeveless and for those of you who don't live in the snow belt or haven't watched the weather channel, sleeveless was not cutting it for Pittsburgh's weather, not even indoors. So, determined to wear the one piece in my closet that I have grown to feel my most fabulous in, I decided to layer it with this lovely "perfect shirt" blouse from my other sponsor, Ann Taylor. By doing this, I was able to stay warm and keep looking chic and polished.

The jumpsuit itself fits incredibly well, with and without the blouse. However, without the blouse, it has more of a sexy and sophisticated feel and would be a great alternative to wear to a black tie affair (but for more traditional options, check out this dress.) But with the blouse, this jumpsuit transforms into a casual chic piece, and is perfect for work or play! Aside from its versatility, I also love this jumpsuit because of its cape. Though I love jumpsuits and rompers in general, this one is unique due to this attribute, and I feel it adds a great amount of elegance to the piece, and I just honestly feel bad-ass while wearing it. The blouse, from Ann Taylor, is also a great piece due to the fact you can style it with just about anything and it is comfortable to wear. The final main piece to this ensemble, is my Kate Spade heels, which though they are sky high, they are actually very comfortable.

Though I wasn't out of the house much, I still wanted to accessorize this look. So, to complete the outfit, I chose to pair it with my Jenny Bird "Frida Collar" and my cobalt blue Kendra Scott earrings. And for the short time I was out (a.k.a. to do this shoot and grab some bubbly!) I paired this lovely look with my favorite Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses.

And lastly, to complete my New Year's look, I chose to do something a little more flashy with my makeup. Though I used my normal bareMinerals products and City Minis palette, I decided to mix it up with the palette and do a smoky eye look by using some of the darker colors. I also switched up my normally neutral lipstick and went with NARS, bold, semi matte, Bette, which I received for Christmas this year.

One Last Look

How did everyone else spend their New Year's Eve? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me about it at @StarkRavingChic! Have an awesome New Year's Eve outfit you would just love to show off? I'd love to see it, so feel free to tag me in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic. Later dolls, and I wish you the happiest new year, let's make sure 2018 rocks!

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, 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: Lovely In Lace (Feat. StyleWe)

December 15, 2017 by Bree Fesh in Personal Style

Though I generally complain about the winter season and how much I absolutely loathe the snowy and cold weather, I must say that there is a least one redeeming thing about this time of year, and that one thing would be the holiday season. Like all small children, when I was a little girl I always loved the magic of Christmas, despite never liking the cold, an this still holds true to me today. However, now that I am long past my years of believing in Santa Claus, I still love the festive and joyous mood that this time of year seems to put mostly everybody in.

I also particularly love the holidays because I have a huge family, and pretty much only get to see all of them at once spanning from Thanksgiving to Christmas. And generally at my family's get togethers, we all tend to get a little dressed up for the occasion. However, the outfit in this post was not worn for a family affair of mine, but it was actually worn to attend a dinner cruise on Pittsburgh’s Gateway Clipper. But before heading to the docks to board the boat, I made a pit stop at Old Economy Village to take some photos on their beautifully decorated grounds.

Fashionably Festive

The reason why I chose this gorgeous lace dress from StyleWe for my outing on the Gateway Clipper is because the dinner cruise itself was a black tie affair, so I felt that this dress was a perfect choice due to its chic and modern nature. However, though this dress is a bit more on the modern side, it also has a very elegant and classic feel to it as well. So, when faced with a decision of what to wear to a swanky dinner party, this dress gives you the best of both worlds, which is a total win in my book!

As I mentioned earlier, this dress is from my lovely sponsor and affiliate StyleWe, and though I have talked about them loads on here before, just for my new readers, I will give you a quick run down. StyleWe is an online clothing retailer specializing in women's clothing. And though they do sell some more casual pieces, their main focus is on business, evening, and cocktail attire. Personally, if you have a formal affair to attend, or are looking for some new dress clothes for the office, I would suggest shopping with them because they have a fabulous selection of clothes and a variety of unique designers. And since they have some many unique designers, you are guaranteed to have a fresh and stylish look no matter what the occasion.

And this dress is no different in the unique department. Though everyone I met at the dinner party was fabulously dressed, there was definitely no one there wearing anything remotely similar to this piece, which was great because who wants to ever look the same as someone else? The dress itself also holds up to StyleWe's pristine standards. Much like every other piece I have modeled and reviewed for StyleWe, this garment is incredibly well made. The under slip of the dress is polyester so it has a semi-satin feel making it very comfortable. And the outer shell, lace portion of the dress is actually quite thick and heavy which is great, because this will help keep the dress fro getting snagged or torn. This garment is also true to size and fit me perfectly.

To style this beautiful lace dress, I decided to go with classic accessories and jewelry due to the nature of the event. Since this dinner cruise was black tie, I did want to go overboard on jewelry, or add a pop of color by wearing colored pumps, so I went the one hundred percent classic route: some plain gold hoops, a simple gold bracelet, a small evening bag, and my black Kate Spade heels. These accessories were practical and kept me looking classically chic for the dinner party.

Lastly, to complete my classic evening look, I decided to have my hair done in a simple twist, thank you to my local beauty salon, The Cut Company, located in Baden, Pennsylvania, and paired it with some simple makeup. The makeup I chose to use for the occasion was my classic bareMinerals kit, my Maybelline City Minis palette, and my Kat Von D lip liner and lipstick. The reason I chose such a neutral palette is because I really wanted stick with a classic, sophisticated feel. And though I do love bold makeup looks, I just felt it wouldn't be right for this occasion.

One Last Look

What looks are you styling for your swanky holiday events? I'd love to hear about them! So, let's chat in the comments below or you can tweet me about it at @StarkRavingChic. Have a fabulous holiday party look you just need to show off? Feel free to tag me in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic. Later, dolls.

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! In case you haven't heard, I am now a proud member of the rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it family! 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: Warm & Fuzzy (Feat. SheIn + Rocksbox)

December 11, 2017 by Bree Fesh in Personal Style

Is it just me, or has everyone's wardrobe went from fall to winter really quick this year? It seems like the snowy, frigid weather just snuck up on us here in the [Ice] 'Burgh! However, though I would much prefer to be indoors, sitting by my fireplace, sipping scotch during this time of year than being out and about dealing with the bone chilling temperatures, that just simply can't be a reality due to my busy schedule. But even though I hate the cold and the snow, I am looking forward to styling all the clothes of the winter season while I'm out running errands and bopping around the city between classes. And to kick off the styling of cold weather clothes, I'm featuring today's look from my long time and fabulous sponsor, SheIn, along with some gorgeous jewelry from my sponsor Rocksbox.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Despite the cold weather yesterday, after a grueling week of studying for finals (Thankfully, those will be over with on Friday and I will be all set for my winter break!) and being stuck indoors, I was a little more than stir crazy and decided to blow off some steam and head to one of my favorite pubs in Ambridge. And though Bridgetown Tap House is just your everyday, fun, local spot to grab a bite to eat and a brew, it was good enough of an opportunity for me to break out this darling new outfit from SheIn as well as style it with my fabulous new gems from Rocksbox.

The first thing I want to talk about for this look is the adorable, apricot, fleece jacket that I received from SheIn, along with this dress and awesome kicks, but more on all that later. The first thing I noticed about this jacket when I took it out of its packaging was how soft this garment is. The fleece is actually very soft and fuzzy to the touch and while wearing it you basically feel as though you're wearing a blanket, a much more stylish option than a Snuggie am I right?

Due to this jacket being so soft and comfy, I'm sure you already know that it has become by far my favorite casual winter coat. But aside from it being it incredibly comfortable, this jacket is also incredibly warm, which makes it the prefect option for running errands or walking around campus during the winter months. Another reason this jacket makes for a great winter style essential is because it also has a button hook closure to keep the front closed for optimal warmth. This jacket also has a hood, which is great for keeping your ears and head warm.

To style this jacket, I chose to pair it with this grey, cowl neck, maxi dress along with these gold sneakers, both of which are also from SheIn. The reason I chose to style these pieces together is because I wanted to have a chic but casual look. These pieces also work incredibly well together due to the fact the apricot color of the jacket creates a nice contrast to the grey dress, giving this otherwise plain look some depth. And the gold sneakers add a fun pop of color to this look without making it appear too formal which would have been the case if I chose to style this look with heels.

Last but certainly not least, I accessorized this warm and cozy look with some fabulous pieces from my awesome sponsor Rocksbox. This stunning set includes these chic Dakota hoop earrings by House of Harlow 1960, this lovely Jacqueline stone bracelet by Perry Street, and this beautiful Argos necklace by WILDE. I felt these pieces really added some flare to this casual outfit.

One Last Look

What are some of your favorite warm and fuzzy pieces to style during the winter season? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me about it at @StarkRavingChic! Have a cute look you just gotta show off? I'd love to see it, so feel free to tag me in you Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic. Later, babes, and keep warm until next time!

Xx, Bree