Clothed Much

Modest Swimsuit Giveaway!

2012-05-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

You guys, I don't know if you know this, but summer is here.. That means it's also time for swimsuit shopping.. It's always hard to find cute, modest, affordable swimsuits. That's where Lime Ricki Swimwear comes in to save the day.. If you haven't heard of them, they are a modest swimsuit company based in Utah that have been around since '06. They even have a store they recently opened in Salt Lake! They offer a small collection of women's swimsuits and just last year launched their first men’s line.

Lime Ricki just came out with their new spring line and wants to give away one of their swimsuits to one lucky reader! From retro in floral to sporty with stripes, you can get creative and mix and match their suits in so many ways. If you see something you like, get 15% off by entering the code CLOTHEDMUCH at checkout today through June 9. And let me know what you bought :).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What I Wore on a Cruise

2012-05-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

So I've had time to put up one cruise post so far if you want to check it out. (Just kidding! Another one is up too.) But here are the most important pictures...what I wore!

I wore this during our first "elegant night" on the cruise. Since I didn't have anything fancy besides business and church attire, I had to improvise with my curtain skirt. I like how it turned out. I got inspiration from this pin. I was also finally able to pull out this red clutch I've had for years but never used! I knew it would come in handy some day. That is what I call a great investment.

thrifted Forever 21 top, $5 (similar); maxi skirt made from a thrifted IKEA curtain, $3 (similar); Gap clutch, $7 (similar); Vince Camuto heels, $76

At Cabo I basically wore this outfit. Actually, it's exactly the same except the shoes. And the hat. And the swimsuit underneath. See more pics of Cabo here..

Forever 21 hat, $4 (similar); Forever 21 necklace, $3 (similar); Gap t-shirt, $10 (similar); thrifted Forever 21 dress, $8 (similar)

This was what I wore on our second day in Cabo. You may think I was crazy for wearing an almost-long-sleeve shirt but Chase got BURNT that day. Who's the crazy one now?!? Anyway, I was going for a J.Crew look here. I liked how it turned out! ..especially since my skin isn't peeling now. Gross...Chase.

Forever 21 hat, $4 (similar); H&M sunglasses, $10 (similar); JCPenney necklace (similar); Target tunic, $20 (similar); thrifted Forever 21 shorts, $5 (similar); I "pretzel" Philly bag; Bass sandals, 26

A super simple outfit for dinner..

assymetrical dress via ebay, $16 (similar); Vince Camuto heels, $76

At Puerto Vallarta. Going back to the boat after a long day of zip lining and touring the city in a taxi that ended up breaking down.

thrifted Forever 21 dress, $8 (similar); MNG by Mango necklace (similar); thrifted Gap chambray shirt, $3 (similar); thrifted purse, $15 (similar); Bass sandals, $26

OH, MY! Who is this? My deardear husband. I had to snap a pic of him in his snazzy turquoise pants I made him buy. Probably because I knew I was going to steal them from him one day. AND I DID. So, seriously... Who wore them better? Don't worry... He barely reads this anyway. You can just say it was me.

H&M shirt, $20 (similar); H&M pants, $25 (similar); Steve Madden shoes, $70 (similar)

reworked JCPenney necklace; H&M shirt, $10 (similar); Chase's H&M pants, $25 (similar); Vince Camuto heels, $76

How To Make A Sequin Sash by Kristina

2012-05-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

So this isn't really an outfit post..

2012-05-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

..It's more random ramblings and thoughts I've had lately. So....yesterday I wore this outfit:

Forever 21 cardigan (similar); Gap t-shirt, $10 (similar); drawstring pants via sample sale, $1 (similar); two-tone brogues c/o Wanted Shoes; BAGS

Yeah, it's super sexy -- I know. NO, REALLY. Let me explain... If you haven't noticed, my outfits have been really. simple. lately. It wasn't fun to get dressed. I was thinking too much and trying too hard and it sucked all the fun out of fashion for me. That may be one of the reasons why I haven't been taking as many outfit pictures.. It may not seem like it because the outfits on the blog are a few weeks late but if you check my FB album, you can tell I've been taking a lot of camera outfit pics lately..

Maybe it was the cruise and having a limited wardrobe and just wearing the clothes without over-analyzing it like when I stare at my closet for hours like a dummy. (Quite literally.) All I know is yesterday when I woke up, I put these clothes on without thinking twice about it and it felt GREAT even though I know I looked like a total bum. There was no morning ritual of "Oh, this is okay..." and then 5 minutes later "No, it's not. I'm gonna change." Repeat 10x. Chase hates it. Rosie loves it because that means she can lay her furriness all over the clothes I strew on the bed and floor... We love our lint roller around here..

I don't know what I'm trying to say. Maybe that we should all let go of our insecurities and ideas of what is right and wrong in fashion and just have fun with it. Maybe that even if this doesn't match that that it's OKAY and wear it anyway. If you don't like it, learn to love the person in it more instead of letting your clothes define you. Maybe that is what I'm trying to say.

P.S. I'll try to get cruise pics up soon!! We took sooo many!!! Not. I'm just lazy.

I probably should have ironed these pants first..

2012-05-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

handmade flower necklace, $3? (similar); Gap dress I cut to be a shirt, $8 (similar); Old Navy pants, $5 (similar)

So I am finally back from the cruise!!! I will give you updates and pics later... I need to rest from my relaxing vacation first.

Anyway....monochrome!!!! I loved this outfit. I don't think I've ever done monochrome with any other color besides black successfully. This was a big moment for me. Let me just relish it for a sec..

I wore this the week my siblings were in town. It was so good to see them again. Eating, games, Knott's Berry, eating, Korean karaoke, and eating. It's nice now that we're "grown up" and we don't want to rip each other's throats out. We actually have conversations!! <3Family

Not So Subtle by Kari

2012-05-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Gap jacket (similar); RL Denim & Supply plaid blue button up (similar); kelly green J.Crew cords (similar); tan Anthropologie oxfords (similar); brown satchel from Israel (stolen from my hubby); Marc by Marc Jacobs clear acrylic watch

Threw this happy little outfit together the other morning when the sun was shining bright and when high 60s sounded SUPER warm to me. (What is that all about?? The CA girl in me thinks that is nutso.) I may or may not look like an Easter basket but I enjoyed this colorful, unsubtle outfit. New Yorkers are slowly coming out of their winter cocoons and I'm seeing less and less black and dark colors. As the spring flowers bloom, so do the fashions. It's fun to see, but I'm pretty sure I'm still one of the brightest dressed people on the subway.

The quest to be perfect: Let’s just love who we are already! by Flo

2012-05-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

Image via CEEBEE

Perfect Hair.

Perfect Skin.

Perfect Wardrobe.

Perfect Body.

Perfect Laugh.

Perfect Poise.

The quest to achieve perfection is something everyone can relate to feeling at one time in their life. It is so relieving when I hear somebody say that being "perfect" is actually impossible! The pressure of trying to achieve the elusive image of perfection that we can see in magazines can be completely overwhelming!

It is only now in my late 20s after many years of trying to live up to this image of perfection that I have become a bit more reflective and started to wonder why we strive for this perfection in our appearances and compare ourselves to others so much. Why don’t we focus more on accepting and loving ourselves for who we are and celebrating our qualities that make us each uniquely beautiful? Why can we sometimes go through the best years of our lives trying to be somebody else?

Love is a funny thing and it can be hard to understand how to just love and accept who we are, particularly when it seems we are never entirely happy ourselves. How many times have we heard someone say "Oh, I wish I had her hair. I wish I looked like that…" You don’t hear too often "I am really happy with the way I am!"

How does this love for yourself work anyway? When it comes to love I can easily give my family complete unconditional love but when it comes to myself it gets much more complicated. Far from giving myself this same unconditional love that I readily bestow onto others, I instead turn into a harsh critic of myself, ready to pounce on any mistake and point out any flaw or imperfection.

There are all sorts of different reasons why we can find it hard to love and accept ourselves completely. For example, when I was thinking about writing this article and the pressures in society to be perfect, I remembered when I was a child, my mother placed a lot of importance in appearance. We didn’t really have much money and she had the belief that because everyone had more money than us that we were somehow inferior and they were better than us, so she used to overcompensate by making sure what we wore and our appearances were perfect when we went out anywhere -- dresses perfectly ironed, shoes polished, ribbons in our hair -- every little detail had to be just right just so we could be on par with everyone else! I basically grew up with the belief that I wasn’t as good as everyone else. No one ever told me that it’s what’s on the inside that matters and that we are all actually perfect in our own unique way. That would have been so good to hear.

As I see young girls striving for an image of perfection in magazines just like I have done in the past, I can’t help but think of all of the amazing qualities they are missing and not seeing in themselves. And everyone is insecure about their looks it seems, even really beautiful girls! There are perfect attributes that are already there in us all that don’t seem to get celebrated enough: sweetness, kindness, a caring nature, creativeness, a warm beautiful smile, a wicked sense of humor, or infectious energy and enthusiasm.

There is an art to loving who you are and I certainly haven’t mastered it. But, here’s hoping that more and more we can all feel proud of ourselves for who we are and more and more comfortable in our own skin.

Just one simple memory..

2012-05-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm on a boat for the week eating my face off and these are outfits from the past I am trying to catch up on while I'm gone...

gold necklace; Chase's H&M shirt, $20 (similar); vintage skirt, $5; Target clog sandals

I loved this outfit!! I'll probably wear it again on an off day. There are lots of reasons I loved wearing this... Okay, just three.

First of all, I love stealing Chase's shirts and then catching whiffs of his scent throughout the day. It's such a nice surprise..

Second, I'm now a proud owner of ombre!!! Is it still in? I swear I'm always behind on trends.. Whatevs. I'm still wearing it. See how I wore it before here..

Third, I love this necklace. It may look like a simple gold necklace to you but this was my first "real" jewelry. I got it when I was 11 from my mom. Since it was real gold, I didn't take it off for a couple years. It was too precious to me as a tween. And then I forgot about it.... I recently found it in my jewelry box and it just reminded me of my mom and home... (My mom drives me up the wall so this was one of those rare moments that I love to hold onto. She is crazy...and I as her offspring am also crazy. #crazygene) It's such a small and simple little thing but means a lot to me.. Do you have anything like that?

How to Shorten a Maxi Skirt by Kristina

2012-05-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

The Summer Skirt

2012-05-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

I'm on a boat for the week eating my face off and these are outfits from the past I am trying to catch up on while I'm gone...

Shade Clothing t-shirt (similar); flower pin c/o Hot Magnets; American Apparel skirt, $13 (similar); Target clog sandals; thrifted bag, $3

I tried to do something different with my hair, but it just ended up looking...messy.

Everybody, please say hello to my new favorite summer skirt! A friend gave me a gift card to American Apparel for Christmas and I just got around to spending it. I think it was well-spent.. I love this skirt! I unofficially introduced it to you here. It just screams summer, picnics, and laying by the pool, doesn't it??

Neon for the workplace

2012-05-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

I'm on a boat for the week eating my face off and these are outfits from the past I am trying to catch up on while I'm gone...

If you think I look mad here... I'm not. My face is just like that.

Gap neon t-shirt, $10 (similar); JCPenney necklace (similar); Old Navy trousers, $5 (similar); thrifted bag, $3; Vince Camuto heels that you can't see, $76

New....clothes! Ever since I saw Melissa's neon pink shirt, I knew I needed that color in my closet. I got it at Gap when they were having a big sale. There was also a neon yellow and a neon green t-shirt that I was eyeing but in the end, my inner girliness wanted pink. The trousers are also new. Old Navy was having a big sale as well. These babies were FIVE DOLLARS. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE!!!! I don't care. Even if they were ugly, I was going to buy them. But it is a good thing they're not. They're just really long... #shortlegs

Easter Style

2012-05-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

I'm on a boat for the week eating my face off and these are outfits from the past I am trying to catch up on while I'm gone...

reworked JCPenney necklace (similar); thrifted Gap gingham shirt, $6; thrifted floral skirt, $3 (similar); Vince Camuto heels, $76

This is an old outfit post from Easter! I took my own advice and went as springy and floraly as I could. I loved it! It's been a while since I've mixed patterns and colors together. And now I'm back to super simple basics.....

Mustard, Black, and White by Kristine

2012-05-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

J.Crew cardigan (similar); c/o Modcloth blouse; Urban Outfitters skirt; Seychelles shoes; Old Navy purse

First of all, a Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there!!! Have you called your mom yet? :)

Mustard is quite possibly my favorite color right now. Something about it - and I'm not sure what it is - goes with neutrals so, so well. I love how this cardigan looked on top of my black and white polka dotted top. I'm always very conscious of what colors I choose to pair with black and white.

And another thing - I kept this in my closet back home while I was adventuring in Japan. When I came back, it was like I had discovered a new treasure! Lesson learned: Time away really does make the heart grow fonder, even with clothes. Who knew?

Pinspiration 3

2012-05-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

Some outfit inspiration from my board to help me get dressed...because I need it.

Buy this RIGHT NOW

2012-05-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Shade Clothing Stripe Boatneck Slub Tee, $14.99

If you love stripes (Okay, first of all, what kind of question is that.. Who doesn't love stripes?!?), you need to stop what you're doing and buy this shirt right now! I just bought mine. It is $16 with tax and free shipping. Still keeping my $20 and under rule! Plus, it's modest! Gogogogo!

How To Make a Shoulder Bow Top by Kristina

2012-05-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

Curly hair: let's learn to love it, shall we? by Jessica

2012-05-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hey team! My name is Jessica. (You've seen me on the blog before here and here.) And, I am a self-proclaimed curly hair missionary. For all my curly-haired friends (and not-yet-friends), I will try to convert you to wearing your hair curly on a consistent basis. I will strive to do my best to get you to love your hair. How, you might ask, do I plan to do such a thing? Three steps: show you the curly hair bible, teach you why your curly hair is the way it is, and teach you how to take care of it.

Step 1: Your Curly Hair Bible

As a curly hair missionary, I have to share my bible. And, here it is:

Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey

If you want to know why your hair is the way it is, how to take care of it, and how to love it, then this is your bible. This is your guide through the process of throwing away your round brushes and straightening irons, the process of finding the right products for your hair, and the process of finding a way to love your hair even on those days when you sorta hate it.

Go here for the accompanying website with tons of helpful videos, product resources, and links for a specially trained stylist in your area.

Step 2: Why is Your Hair Curly?

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Lorraine explains the reason that curly hair is the way it is. It basically comes down to this: curly hair is different from straight hair. It is fundamentally different because each strand has a completely different structure than a strand of straight hair. Curly hair is more dry because people with curly hair actually have fewer strands of hair on their head, and therefore fewer hair follicles, and therefore less oil is produced, which means that curly hair is naturally more dry. So what does curly hair need? More moisture!

Step 3: How to Take Care of Your Hair!

Me before changing my hair care methods (2007)

Hair is stringy and curls aren't very full.

Me a month or so after changing my hair care methods (December 2007)

(I must really like you guys, because this picture is terrible.)

Curls have a lot more bounce and aren't so stringy.

Me last year after taking care of my curly hair the "right way" for about three years.

(This picture is so much better. Just sayin'.)

Curls have definition and body and limited frizz.

First, stop brushing your hair. Just stop. Stop using a comb to detangle your hair in the shower. This will keep your curls from looking stringy. It will keep your curls bouncy and full. Use your fingers as much as possible to detangle your hair while your conditioner is in.

Second, stop using harsh shampoos. Look for a cleanser and conditioner that do not contain sulfates, silicones, or parabens. These chemicals will dry out your hair and scalp and coat your curls and make them look dull. Would you use your shampoo to wash your face? Probably not. Your scalp is an extension of your face, and the skin is just as delicate and deserves to be treated with great care.

Try this for a while: only use conditioner to cleanse your hair or find a great creamy cleanser. When you get your hair wet in the shower, make sure to rinse it really well to get the product out. And, like Monica talked about in this post, make sure to massage your scalp really well. Your scalp produces oil, which is sterile at the beginning, but then dirt attaches itself and your scalp gets yucky. So, massage the scalp gently with the pads of your fingers. Then, use conditioner on all of your hair except for the inch nearest your scalp. You will have to let your scalp adjust to not getting dried out all the time (it gets dried out because of all the washing and then it over-produces oil, which isn't good for you). It will take some time for your hair to adjust to all the moisture. It will take some time for your scalp to produce oil in the way that it should. BE PATIENT!

Third, apply your products. While your hair is still wet, put a quarter-size dollop of conditioner in your palm, flip your hair upside down and scrunch the conditioner into your hair from the ends. Your hair needs this extra moisture, especially initially. You may be able to phase it out eventually. Then, using an old t-shirt that you don't care about, scrunch the extra water from your hair from ends to roots. DO NOT use a towel. DO NOT be rough with your hair. Be gentle. This will help prevent frizz. Next, apply gel in that same upward scrunching motion. Make sure to apply the majority of the products to the outer layers of your hair. This hair gets the most damage, and therefore needs the most care. (Here's a great link to a video that shows you how to apply product to your hair.)

Fourth, figure out how to get your hair dry. There are two options: air-drying or drying with a blow dryer with a diffuser attached. Blow drying your hair without a diffuser is not an option, unless you want to turn into a giant frizz ball, which I'm guessing you don't, right?

The moral of the story? CURLY HAIR ROCKS! How many times have you been wearing your hair curly and people say they love it? I know it's happened to me and I'm pretty sure it's happened to you. Embrace what you've got and make it work for you. Will you still have some "bad" hair days? Sure, we all do. But as you learn to take care of your hair I hope you'll learn to love it the same way I've learned to love mine.

Always summer in...

2012-05-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

Forever 21 hat, $4 (similar); Forever 21 necklace, $3 (similar); dress via ebay, $16 (similar); Walmart sandals, $10 (similar); thrifted bag, $3 (similar)

Wore this sometime last month when it was super hot out. It made me ready for summer. WAIT, I LIVE IN L.A. IT'S ALWAYS SUMMER HERE. HOLLA!!! (Note: I don't ~~really~~ use the word "holla" IRL but I thought it fit in context here.) I guess what I meant was it made me ready for Chase's and my CRUISE NEXT WEEK. HOLLA!!! (Again, please see the note in parentheses above.) Oh, you didn't know? That's probably because you don't follow me on Twitter! Blasphemy. I had already announced it a million years ago. It's a graduate present for Chase (...and me?). We're going to get our sun on (with sunscreen, of course) and eat as much as our stomachs can hold. And then do it all over again. It's going to be legendary (<3Barney). This dress will be a staple what with its ease, flowiness, and hiding-my-stomach-so-I-can-eat-more-ness. And...that is all I can write right now because I can't stop thinking about anything else. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #eating #cruise #Twitter?

Classic Chambray and Black

2012-05-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

leopard print scarf via ebay, $8; thrifted Gap chambray shirt, $3; Forever 21 pleated skirt; Fitzwell flats, $76

Was inspired by another pin for this outfit. Loved the casual effortlessness of the chambray with the black pleats.

Also, I was experimenting with how to tie my scarf in the first pic. Not sure if I like it yet... Anyone know what that knot is called? Just saw it floating around Pinterest and thought I'd give it a go!

SoHo Saturday by Kari

2012-05-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

RL Rugby wool elbow patch sweater (similar); UNIQLO t-shirt; Ralph Lauren leopard skirt (similar); Gap tights (similar); Ralph Lauren black velvet loafers (similar); shoe bows c/o Hot Magnets; Longchamp bag; gold Timex watch (similar); vintage pendent necklace from my grandmother; Ray Ban sunglasses

Surprise! Can you guess what's different about me in this pic? Hint: it's my hair. I've decided to walk that dreaded road from having cute fringe to growing it out. I think this is the worst part about having bangs of some sort. Pray for me that I'll be able to survive it. I have an appointment to get my hair did within the next few days and I'm thinking something a la Alexa Chung: messy layers, middle part, sun-kissed tips. Can I do it? Is it possible? I decided it was time. NYC summer is almost upon us which would mean sweaty bangs plastered on my forehead. Hot!!

Anyways, I wore this little number when we were running errands and we happened to snap this when we were in SoHo. Of course, we chose like the least scenic part - haha. I was going to pose as if I were hailing a cab like a real NY fashion girl but then there were a lot of cabs around and I didn't want to actually catch one. I'm so smooth! Pops of color and pattern layered with a chunky sweater and tights were just the ticket for our springtime weather.

My Pajama/Circus/Business Pants

2012-05-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

thrifted Talbots blazer, $3 (similar); gold necklace via Nordstrom Rack, $5 (similar); Gap t-shirt, $10 (similar); thrifted RL pants, $5 (similar for +$1k - gross.. somebody get it!); black flats from the Philippines, $6 (similar); thrifted purse, $3 (similar)

These are my pajama/circus/business pants. Oh, do you not have any? I think it's crucial for every person to have a pair of pajama/circus/business pants. Nothing says you're serious about pajamas/the circus/business than pajama/circus/business pants. Okay, okay, I'll stop..

I was inspired by this pin on how to dress up my PCB pants. I loved the simplicity of all black with the pants being the focus. My pants aren't as flashy so I don't think it had the same effect but I still liked it. It looked classy and clean and perfect for the office.

Happy Birthday KristineMachine!

2012-05-04T14:11:00.001-07:00

You guys! It's Kristine's birthday!!! She is one of the wonderful contributors to Clothed Much and I'm so glad I got to know her better this past year through blogging, Twitter, email, and even meeting her and her cute husband that one time. She is just the coolest...like you guys didn't know from my first blog crush post. Hope you have a fabulous birthday, girly!!!!

Go give her some bday lovin' on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!

DIY Art Deco Watch by Kristina

2012-05-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

Nice as a Drawstring

2012-05-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

secondhand choker, $5 (similar); H&M sheer button-up, $15 (similar); layering tee underneath c/o modbod; drawstring pants via sample sale, $1 (similar); Target clog sandals; thrifted bag, $3 (similar)

I am loving these drawstring pants more and more. So much so that I've been searching for similar at the thrift store... But, the only ones that are available are the huge granny ones. You guys, this is bad... My laziness and want of comfort has led to a search for GRANNY DRAWSTRING PANTS. You can just banish me from the Internet now. My granny pants will keep me comfortable, at least. I know I can't be the only one with a comfy-lazy fashion faux-pas... Spill!! What's yours?

But, seriously.. I liked this look. (Apparently, not enough to iron/steam my pants?) And, that is all.

How to Wear Prints and Patterns by Joanna

2012-05-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm Joanna from ModaMama. I've posted here before on how to wear polka dots. But, today I'm talking prints!

Prints can be a great way to have some sartorial fun, but for many they can be challenging as well. The most important thing to remember is to have fun! Prints are cheery and often full of energy, so embrace that attitude and just go for it. Figuring out how to choose prints and how to put them together can be daunting. Here's a few quick tips to get you started.

Be honest with yourself and true to your body. Let's put all our body issues aside and look at ourselves squarely and honestly. What's your body? What are your best features? Your worst?

If your hips are what you dislike most, stay away from prints that enlarge or draw attention to that area like horizontal stripes across the hips. Think you have a large bust? Stay away from those same horizontals across the bust. They make things look larger. On the other hand, if you have larger hips and a smaller bust, as many women do, put horizontal stripes across your bust to balance things out. It's a great way to play with optical illusions! I do it all the time since my bust is, well...let's leave that little thing alone, shall we?

So, look honestly at what certain prints do and see how they affect the appearance of your body. Where is the eye drawn to? Is it the look you want to achieve or not?

Fun thing to think about: the optical illusion caused by chevrons and diagonals is very flattering to a lot of figures since it's more complicated than simple stripes. And, chevrons are hot!

Size matters. Consider the size of the print in relation to you. Since I'm very slim, I tend to opt for medium to small prints. Medium to small prints that aren't too busy seem to look good universally on everyone. It's almost like a no-brainer. A really large print, however, tends to make me look frail and childish - it just seems to overwhelm me. On the flip side, I find that a very large print, on a large figure is also not so good. It tends to enlarge the figure and look a little frumpy. I think a really large print works on the middle of the road woman - not too petite and not too voluptuous - but, just right.

Mix it up. Mixing prints is a really fun way to make something unexpected. It can seem daunting at first, but really it's pretty simple when you break it down. Try to stick to similar sizes and not go to extremes by mixing very small with very large.

Finally, stay in a similar color palette. Once you get more comfortable and confident with what you're doing, you can try something that is a bit riskier or more sartorially avant garde, but, when starting off, I suggest staying within similar color families.

Now go on and try it out. If you don't want to buy it, try it out in the fitting room. Pair it with some different things and see if it works. If something really catches your eye and you really like it, give it a go! It might work for you and it might not, but, whatever, it's just clothes and it's supposed to be fun.

I've never worn animal print...ever. But, when I saw this vest, I knew I loved it. It was a bit of a challenge to step outside my comfort zone, but, oh, so much fun! That's what it's all about in the end. Clothes are supposed to be fun, playful, and creative play. Don't stress out about it too much. If you make some bad choices and end up looking less than glamorous, don't worry about it. It happens to everyone! And, hey, it's not like you post pictures of your bad choices on the internet for the world to see...unless you're me, that is.

P.S. More tips on how to mix patterns and how to play with colors and patterns