Look of the Week: Los Angeles Style III

One of my favourite parts of our recent trip to Venice Beach, California was riding along the beach with a retro bicycle (with a basket, I might add). I have been wanting to do this for a really long time, most likely because a very long time ago I watched the movie A Good Year (set in the south of France) and I wanted to ride a bike like Marion Cotillard and look all effortlessly French. This is the closest I have gotten to that. For this bicycle ride though, I thought it would be fun to forgo the French minimalism and opt for a fun retro outfit to match the personality of my ride. I paired my favourite cropped bustier with some new high-waisted shorts to create a look that showed some skin, while still offering some coverage. Like I explained a little while back, when I wear a cropped top, I like to balance it out with high-waisted bottoms; it's my way of being comfortable wearing the skin-clad top.

Cropped bustier-Urban Planet, Shorts-(via Ross Dress for Less), Shoes-Aldo

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

It turned out to be a very fruitful trip to the thrift store this week! I am very excited to put these pieces into my closet rotation.

At the end of your thrifting trip, don't forget to take a peek at the jewelry in the case at the cashier's counter! This stunning statement necklace was an absolute bargain- and only because one of the chains along the back had come undone. A few minutes with a set of pliers and it was good as new.

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: Zara Accessories Collection

Section: Cashier Counter Jewelry Case

What I Paid: $8.99

What it's Worth: $35.90

Ah, the super cute summer dress. There are so many variations of it, but I find this to be the quintessential beach-side frock. It's partially the striped blue print and partially the cut along the bust and back that make this dress so perfect for the season. Picture it with some small white sneakers and a straw fedora.

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: American Eagle Outfitters

Section: Dresses

What I Paid: $6.99

What it's Worth: ~ $50

The photo just doesn't do this skirt justice. It's a beautiful shade of jade in a great quality material with a feminine pencil skirt cut. It's going to be a killer staple item for office-wear.

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: Zara Woman

Section: Skirts

What I Paid: $9.99

What it's Worth: ~ $59.50

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Look of the Week: Los Angeles Style II

On the first full of day of our trip in LA, we took a walk down the famous Santa Monica pier. The weather hasn't been as hot as it usually is, so I could get away with some heavier clothing that is more structured and less beachy (I can save those for another day). Solid, bright colours look crisp and fresh when combined with white, but can get a little boring on their own, so thrown on some statement jewelry and trendy shoes to amp up the style factor.

We did some leisurely shopping in the Santa Monica area after checking out the amusement park rides along the pier. I came across a store called Restoration Hardware (which we apparently do not have in Canada); this one in particular was the baby version, but was glorious nonetheless. There was a set of egg-shaped chairs set up for a chic little tea party in the middle of the store. I just had to get a photo with them! I would totally put them in my house...

Britta under the Brit sign!

Shirt-Ardene B(via Winners), Shorts-Urban Behaviour, Necklace-Juniper(via Stella & Dot), Purse-my mom's, Shoes-(via Walmart)

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

Hi I'm Britta (hi Britta), and it's been 1 week since I thrifted. And yes, I'm going through withdrawal. So let's look back at a few items I got awhile back...

Who loves this dress? Because if you're a size XS, it's yours! I fell in love with this dress, bought it, brought it home....and realized it's far too snug on top. So if you love it, it's yours for free!

Store: Salvation Army

Brands: Zara Basic

Section: Dresses

What I Paid: $14.99

What it's Worth: ?

As the career world of marketing fast approaches, it's time to start thinking about what I can wear to make my 'business casual' outfits pop. These tapered trousers are just the thing for fall!

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: Forever 21

Section: Pants

What I Paid: $5.99

What it's Worth: ?

Looks like the real deal. I just really liked the slogan; every girl who loves to dress up is a glitter girl!

Store:Value Village

Brand: Galliano

Section: Tanks &T-shirts

What I Paid: $2.99

What it's Worth: ~ $100

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Look of the Week: Los Angeles Style I

Today is the first installment of my Los Angeles Style posts, which I put together on my short vacation in Venice Beach and Santa Monica, California this past week. I wanted to start off by sharing with you a plane-appropriate summer outfit, since I find this is often the hardest to pick out. Unlike the sun-filled destination you are departing for, the airplane is in fact not a balmy 28 degrees Celsius (that's 82 F for you 'merican folks). I find it funny how many people are already decked out in tropical shirts and short shorts, only to find themselves shivering in the plane's cool cabin. That being said, one wants to be prepared for the heat wave that will hit the second you walk out the front doors of the airport. The solution? Some breezy linen pants, a light tank, and a cardigan for layering. And of course some platform heels to keep those pants from looking overly casual (but there were flipflops in my carry-on, ready for the beach!).

Shirt-Carina's Catch A Stud(via Betty Be Good), Pants-(via Ross Dress for Less), Belt-my mom's, Shoes-Vince Camuto, Hat-Army&Navy

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Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

I've got a nice mix of thrifted finds to get you inspired to start thrifting this week! My thrifting lesson for the week: sometimes it pays to wait for something that fits just right. Sometimes we can't help but want to squeeze into something because it's the only one, but on occasion, it pays off to wait (you'll see why below)!

Light, airy blouses are perfect year round. They can easily be adapted to the changing seasons by adding/removing layers both on top of and underneath it. For summer time, this will be great with a light tank underneath and a pair of cute jean shorts.

Store: Value Village

Brand: Suzy Shier

Section: Long Sleeve Blouses

What I Paid: $7.99

What it's Worth: ?

I originally bought this dress in size smaller a month ago, and while it was a little too tight on top, I loved it too much to pass it up. Unfortunately, one of the seams ended up splitting (sometimes too tight really is too tight), so I was more than excited to find the same dress in a size up the last time I went thrifting. Score! Now it's perfect. And I'm sure I'll find a purpose for the original dress...

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: Zara

Section: Dresses

What I Paid: $14.99

What it's Worth: ~ $69

These are going to make a great fall look! These leather stretch leggings had a rip along one of the leather panels, but with a little thread and some patience, I had sewed it up and they were good as new! How to style them? I'm thinking all black head to toe, or maybe a white tee, with black patent heels.

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: Zara W&B Collection

Section: Featured Items

What I Paid: $5.99

What it's Worth: ~ $79

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Look of the Week: Red, White and Blue

I was sad to have missed out on the Canada Day festivities because I was working, so when we went shopping in the States on July 4th I thought it would be fun to play with some patriotic colours (even if it was in favour of our neighbours to the south). Of course, for such a vintage-inspired outfit, only the backdrop of The Little White House (and a glass of lavender lemonade) would do...

The crop top is a hot item this summer, so I thought I'd play around with how to wear it; in this outfit, it definitely has a retro vibe to it and is a little more conservative than showing full-out midriff. If you're not comfortable sporting too much skin with a crop top, a high waisted skirt like this (or some high waisted shorts) are a great option. A straw fedora keeps the look from being overly vintage-inspired and makes the outfit beach-ready.

You'll notice I'm wearing flats, which I can't even remember the last time I did on this blog! The girly volume of the skirt goes well with ballet-type flats, but would also look equally good with some vintage kitten heels.

Hat-Hatter Company, Necklace-Claire's, Shirt-IDEO(thrifted), Skirt-Rachel's Lucky Red Skirt(via Betty Be Good), Shoes-Tommy Hilfiger(thrifted)

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Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

Cute summer button ups and a little bit of sparkle; I immediately had outfits in mind when I found these pieces!

This cute tied gingham crop top has a retro vibe and is going to go great with my higher waisted skirts. It'll leave just a slight bit of midriff but not enough that it looks sleazy. The idea is to make sure whatever you're wearing on the bottom isn't low-rise. Picture with some cherry red lipstick and you've got a super cute retro-inspired look!

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: IDEO

Section: Blouses

What I Paid: $3.99

What it's Worth: ???

Sometimes your outfit is just missing a little bit of sparkle. When I bought this vest, I was trying it over top of this Zara Mr and Mrs t-shirt which seemed to go with it perfectly! So I decided it would be a good match for a basic T to spice things up.

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: W.Dress Room

Section: Vests

What I Paid: $7.99

What it's Worth: ???

I have a ton of blazers now, thanks to the thrift store, but up until now they were all black or grey! So here's one that will be better suited to summer fashions:

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: H&M Conscious Collection

Section: Blazers

What I Paid: $6.99

What it's Worth: ~ $60

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Look of the Week: Poolside

Aaah the sun is finally out on my days off, so it's time to hit the pool! I celebrated my 23rd birthday lying by the pool, VOGUE magazine in hand, soaking up some rays: all the while feeling like Hollywood glamour. I showed you in my Summer Colour Inspiration post that I am loving the combination of black and white with mint or coral, so when I looked for accessories to match my newly thrifted D&G dress, I used some of that inspiration. The maxi dress is a great poolside choice that you can throw over your bathing suit and get an instant-glam look that also keeps you safe from burning those gams in the sun!

This dress is by far my most prized thrifted find: a 100% silk Dolce & Gabbana maxi dress...and you'll never guess how much I paid for it! Check out Thrifty Thursday next week to find out.

Dress-Dolce&Gabbana(thrifted), Necklace-Etsy(Ocean Blue Jewelry), Sunglasses-(via Hudson News)

follow me / make your ownLYST

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta