FASHION ICON HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

Halloween is on the horizon. Do you have your costume? If you don't I have three simple and affordable ideas to consider thanks to Savers. Last year, we partnered to create a Pinterest costume, unicorn emoji costume and a Starbucks frap costume. This year all of my costumes pay homage to some of the biggest fashion icons of our day.

First, we have the one and only Rachel Zoe. Big round sunglasses, pink lipstick, black and white boho outfit and a lot of jewelry. That's all you need to complete the Rachel Zoe costume. So simple, right?! Of course, if you don't have long blonde hair like my intern, Lauren, then you may need to get a blonde wig. 

Next we have my personal all-time fashion icon, Alexa Chung. Her iconic preppy tomboy style is unmistakable, so a polo buttoned to the top or even a shirt dress like the one I am wearing is perfect. I tied a denim jacket around my waist to add some tomboy casualness to the dress, red lips, short brown hair and funky shoes. 

Last, by not least, the lovely Iris Apfel is most known for her round glasses and over the top layers of jewelry. You always see her in long sleeves and pants too. So, we found a white wig, sweater cape, jacket, slacks, loafers and loads of jewelry at Savers to complete her outfit. 

Be sure to visit your local Savers for all of your Halloween needs including brand new costumes and Halloween decor!

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; product sponsored by Savers

PINTEREST LOOK FOR LESS

When you think fall wardrobe, you think dark colors. Jewel tones, grays and browns, and of course, the infamous black. While it's nice to have an excuse to freshen things up from the light tones of summer, sometimes I like to go against the crowd and embrace winter whites (especially after seeing this pin). After all, temperatures turn dreary, the sky gets dark, and why blend in when you can stand out? Regardless of the season, you can never go wrong with a button down. Pair it with a chunky sweater, and you have a trendy waist accessory when it's warmer in the afternoon, but an opportunity to bundle up when evening temperatures drop. Everybody loves versatility, especially in the form of such a classic look.

White Button Down: $40.00

Chunky Knit Sweater: $25.00

High Waisted Straight Cropped Jeans: $39.99

Black Wayfarer Sunglasses: $35.00 

Total: $139.99

VINTAGE STYLES FOR GIRLS

Vintage style clothing has made a huge comeback in the last decade as fashion trends have begun repeating themselves and thrifting has become mainstream. I have never been a big thrifter, but I really appreciate the vintage styles of the 1950's through the 1980's even down to kids clothing. So, when I find well-made vintage style clothing for kids that's brand new I definitely do a double take because it's just too lovely to pass up.

Lacey Lane makes the cutest vintage inspired girl clothing, and mixes and matches the prints in a modern way. You'll find suspenders, bloomers, peter pan collars and bows. I'm not an overly girly girl, but Elle sure is.

She wanted to put all of the bows in her hair at once, and right away gravitated toward the corduroy skirt (twirl tested and all). I love these pieces because they are detailed at every angle. You'll find the skirts lined with prints and wooden buttons instead of plastic. These are pieces that I will save and put in her cedar chest so she can pass them down to her kids. 

If you're looking for unique, special clothes for your littles definitely give Lacey Lane a look.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; product was donated

NYFW TREND SPOTTING

Fashion month is a time to be inspired. Whether you're directly immersed in the industry, or a passionate consumer, it's hard to deny the impact of others' creativity on sparking your own. While we still have three weeks left to bask in the glow that is runway, I'd like to take a moment to recap the highlights of New York Fashion Week.

There's some trends that simply aren't going away any time soon. Bold trousers is one of them.   

(Photo from Vogue Runway)

(Photo from Vogue Runway)

Rosie Assoulin and Maryam Nassir Zadeh both go to show that wide legged trousers are no thing of the past. The silhouette is as timeless and versatile as ever, being seamlessly paired with a graphic tee or airy blouse. This trend can easily be seen outlasting the next upcoming seasons.

(Photo from Vogue Runway)

(Photo from Vogue Runway)

While chokers have made a resurgence for a little while now, See by Chloé forecasted a classier upgrade on the traditional, edgy necklace. Rather than the typical black, tattoo-like chokers that the original 90s throwback was made of, the look is being replaced with a more delicate scarf look to create a more elevated twist on what could be interpreted as a juvenile trend.

The See by Chloé collection also emphasized the recurrence of long lines, and flowy silhouettes to be contrasted by a barebones décolletage. Fashion loves soft ruffles and skin. If you haven't jumped full force onto the strappy tank bandwagon, go for a bell sleeve.

(Photo from Vogue Runway)

(Photo from Vogue Runway)

Many of the Spring 2017 Ready to Wear collections dabbled in atypical textiles for the season. Coach 1941 and Maryam Nassir Zadeh, among other designers, featured leather contrasted by sheer chiffon or silk. The heaviness up top is balanced by the lightness on bottom, continuing the theme of airy silhouettes. The idea of showing off your undergarments is a bit foreign to many, but when fashion speaks, we may as well give it a try, right?

TRANSITIONING TO FALL

This post is sponsored by Zappos and Clarks. 

Remember those color tests in magazines that would tell you if you're a winter, summer, spring or autumn? I always came out an autumn, but I don't really subscribe to the idea that fall colors are the only ones I can wear. However, my olive skin sure does favor them. So, now that my favorite and most flattering season is in full effect, I've partnered with Zappos and Clarks to show you how I wear fall in the west.

The biggest way I celebrate fall is sporting hues such as olive green, rust, cranberry, gray and warm browns. Rust, in particular, just so happens to be having a moment in the lime light. I fell in love with this silk blouse because of the rich color and because of the belle sleeves, which are also a hot fall trend to take note of. My style is always a bit of masculine and feminine, so I paired my new Clark booties with the romantic outfit, and accessorized with a trendy choker from Wanderlust + Co.

Along with wearing fall colors, the key to staying comfortable in the fall is to layer. The mornings and nights are cool in the desert and the days are hot. I took my summer body con dress and put it underneath my fall blouse. That may seem like an unusual pairing, but the recent NYFW runway showed a lot of unique proportions and layers. So, I encourage you to stand in your closet and rethink putting those summer pieces away for the winter. 

I also styled that same ivory summer dress with an olive green chunky knit turtleneck over it to give you another idea of how to layer. This will be a good outfit for a cool evening, and the casual quality of the knit goes so well these Clark boots.

If you're looking for a perfect fall boot that can be dressed up or down these are a dream. They are versatile in style and in color, and they are just as cute with black, navy, and well, the rainbow. Clarks is known for high quality leather and long lasting wear, so you can bet on wearing these for seasons to come. You can get yours with fast, easy shipping from Zappos.com. I am a true size 10, and that's the size I ordered. I just wear typical ankle socks and they fit perfectly.

My favorite fall color of all is this muted, silvery teal. I wish there was a more concise name for this hue. I've owned this blouse for six years, and it remains my favorite shirt in my closet. The cool tone of it mixed with the warmth of my Clarks is perfection to me. This is my casual fall outfit to a T. Skinny jeans, booties, a button down and call it good. Well, maybe add a pumpkin spice latte and then it's style heaven for me.

Photography by Rennai Hoefer