Feeling Patriotic

Apparently it's the Fourth of July in Ariana world! Hey, I'm patriotic, what can I say? I got this red cropped jacket at Syms a few years back, and I completely forgot I owned it until today! It's perfect for spring though, isn't it? I plan to wear it much more often now.

This navy V-neck tee is from my Gap order last week; these tees were about $7 and change on sale, so I got two for me and one for boyfriend. They're super soft and so comfortable. Nothing looks sharper than navy blue or black with white in my mind, so I pulled out my white Not Your Daughter's Jeans again and added my new striped wedges and a brown leather belt for a nautical feel. The red jacket topped the whole look off perfectly!

If you get a chance to pick up these striped wedges from Payless, do not hesitate! They're very comfortable to walk in and look so cute on. And they're only $24.99!

I liked the brown theme for my accessories so I added this studded wooden bangle I got in Greece ages ago, and layered two gold and bronze necklaces to create one large statement piece.

Top: Gap
Jacket: Anne Klein via Syms
Jeans: Not Your Daughter's Jeans via Ideeli
Wedges: Payless
Belt: Target
Bangle: An open market in Greece
Necklaces:
   Large circle: NY&Co
   Coin necklace: Vintage

As you can see it was quite damp when I took these photos yesterday; earlier that afternoon we got the torrential leftovers of the storm system that ravaged Alabama and several other states with tornadoes on Wednesday night. I couldn't believe the damage I saw on the news in those states; my heart and prayers go out to all those who were affected!

Mint Chocolate

Laundry. It's right up there with dishes and vacuuming on my list of things I loathe doing. But even more than doing laundry, I loathe when I'm down to the dregs of my closet - which is exactly where I'm at right now. The very dregs! That being said, I was pleasantly surprised with how this outfit turned out. Sunshine and gorgeous weather steered me back to my new Michael Kors cropped pants, and I took the opportunity to pair them with this great pair of sandals I scored from Payless. If you see these in your local store, grab them! They're super cute and not nearly as uncomfortable as I thought they would be. For the price you can't go wrong.

The challenge here was finding a top to pair with my bottoms! When laundry day rolls around I inevitably find myself with a closet full of black, as my bright colors are always the first to be worn. I've had this bronze metallic tank for a while, but haven't worn it lately because of a spot on the front where the metallic seems to have rubbed off. With my fringe necklace covering the imperfection, I reached for the last colorful cardi I've got at the moment, this much worn and beloved chartreuse number. I really love the color combo! It's earthy and organic, while the metallic top and statement necklace give it some edge. Win!

Top: Lane Bryant

Cardigan: Nordstrom Rack

Pants: Michael Kors via Nordstrom

Sandals Payless

Necklace: Forever21

Bangles: Forever21

Oh, by the way...have you entered my tru.che Giveaway?

Etsy Love - tru.che Giveaway!

One of my favorite ways to pass the time is to browse around the complete goldmine that is Etsy. From vintage clothes, to funky housewares, to hand crocheted baby hats (recently purchased this one for a baby shower), to handmade jewelry, you can find it all on this amazing online marketplace, and probably at a better price, quality and style than anywhere else!

I happened to stumble across the Etsy shop tru.che, and I positively squealed in delight at what I found!

Stevie, the brains behind tru.che, is a Michigan native living in Chicago, who recently quit her day job to create her jewelry full time. She's guided by the principle that you should wear what you love - and I am loving her pieces! I love the idea of showing your hometown pride by wearing your state around your neck! Stevie can custom create any country or state for you - I want to get one of both NJ and of Greece!

The geographic pendants aren't Stevie's only specialty, she also makes adorable pendants and stud earrings like the ones above in silver, wood, acrylic, and leather. And she's offering Fatale Fashion readers a chance to win a pair!

Entering to win these adorable Bamboo Flowers from tru.che is simple - Just be a follower of the blog and leave a comment with your email! That's it!

Of course, extra entries are always available:
1. Follow @FataleFashion on twitter - let me know your twitter handle.
2. Follow @trudesign7 on twitter - let me know your twitter handle.
3. 'Like' Fatale Fashion on Facebook - let me know your FB name.
4. 'Like' tru.che on Facebook - let me know your FB name.
5. Leave a comment telling me your favorite piece in the tru.che shop.
6. Tweet about this giveaway, including both handles in your tweet!

This giveaway will be open until Sunday, May 1st. Good luck!

In my Easter bonnet...

Ok, so I may not be wearing a bonnet, or head gear of any sort, but you know I'll use any reason/excuse/holiday to dress up in something pretty!

Besides a few rain showers throughout the day, we had a beautiful Easter Sunday here in NJ. Easter is one of my favorite holidays because all of my extended family and close family friends come over for a delicious meal in the Greek tradition - that means roasted lamb! Though we didn't go all out with the whole lamb roasting on the outdoor skewer this year (because my grandfather passed back in November, holidays are a bit more subdued than usual) my dad still roasted up the lamb in the oven with potatoes, as well as a traditional youvetsi (ours was made with goat), spanakopita, tzatziki, and tons of different sides, salads, wine (of course) and appetizers to go around. Thank goodness this dress is flowy because I was stuffed by the day's end!

Pretty sure I'm wearing all the gold bangles I own and then some!

I'll be the first to say that the Forever21+ line can sometime put out truly garish creations (like this one), but when they do it right, they do it right. I fell in love when I saw this dress on their site and I snapped it up immediately. I wasn't the only one, because it sold out in just a few days! This dress is a 2x and fits comfortably and loosely. If I had sized down I could have gotten away with wearing it sans the turquoise tank underneath, but I don't mind the loose flowy fit the 2x gives me, so it's a win either way. 

This necklace was a fun little creation - It's a long strand doubled up, and I hooked this removeable pendant through a loop and over the second strand to make a short necklace. Cute right! I like that this pendant can be removed because different chains and lengths will lend it to many different looks!

Dress: Forever21+
Tank: New York & Company Outlet
Bangles: Forever21, Old Navy, Premier Jewelry
Sandals: Steve Madden
Necklace and Pendant: Premier Jewelry

How was your Easter? I hope it was filled with good food, good family and friends, and lots of chocolate!

Gap Sale!

Heads up guys, it's sale time over at Gap, Inc!  There is literally TONS of stuff on sale for as much as 50% off at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime, and Athleta. I took the opportunity to stock up on some basic v-neck jersey T's from Gap - $9.99 on sale, plus an extra 20% off with the code GAPSALE got me them for $7 and change each! I even picked up a few for the boy, he loves a good jersey tee. And you can get free shipping on top of that with orders of $50 or more. Don't miss it!

Buzzin' Just Like Neon

I've been so spoiled with outdoor ootd's lately that it killed me to have to shoot this spicy little number inside! These are the cropped Michael Kors pants I purchased with the gift certificate I won from the lovely Monique of Curves and Chaos. With the $79 price tag, they're a splurge I never would have made with my own money, but with Nordstrom picking up the tab, why not!

I'm so glad I picked these up as they are so, so comfortable and cute and will look great remixed a million ways over this spring, summer, and fall. If you're thinking of grabbing these, they do run big - I usually would have gone for the 16W, but after reading reviews I ordered the 14W and they fit perfectly.

This animal print jacket was an impulse buy from H&M, and I contemplated returning it more than once. Seeing it in these pictures I think it looks really cute and flattering so it's a keeper. This is only a straight size L so I almost didn't even try it on in the store, but it looks great. Forget about numbers, if you don't try it on you'll never know! I paired the jacket and pants with this neon tunic with pearl accents for some color and piled on the pearl accessories. I really like how this look turned out, I can see myself wearing many variations of this to work, out for drinks, or on a nice date with the boy :)

Tunic: INC via Macy's

Cropped Blazer: H&M

Cropped Pants: Michael Kors via Nordstrom

Pumps: Nordstrom Rack

Bracelet: Premier Jewelry

Ring: H&M

Polish: Orly Cosmic FX - Lunar Eclipse

Turn Your Shadows White

 

Here the are! The elusive white pants! And I didn't even get them dirty, aren't you proud? Then again...I really didn't inspect the bum area for any marks...

 

White tank: Old Navy

Navy Tank: Gap

Blue Tank: INC via Macy's

White Jeans: Not Your Daughter's Jeans via ideeli

Wedges:  Forever21

Belt: Target

So these are a pair of Not Your Daughter's Jeans that I bought for $50 off ideeli (they retail for about $98 in department stores), which is one of those members-only designer sale sites. Speak of the devil, there's another Plus Size Perfection sale happening today on ideeli featuring Calvin Klein separates, SEVEN7 and CJ by Cookie Johnson jeans, and gorgeous dresses by Adrianna Papell and Tadashi Shoji.

Back to the jeans - They're stretchy enough that I was comfortable sitting at my desk at work all day in them, but they didn't lose their shape after a day's wear. The waistband of this 16W pair fit perfectly but they were a little roomy in the hip and tummy area. Still, I like how crisp and clean they look so they're keepers. I may do something with the hem though - they're a little to long to wear with anything but heels and I'm really loving the look of cropped skinnies at the moment (as you'll see in tomorrow's ootd!). I may take them to a tailor and get the leg narrowed and cropped.

I love my palette of blues against the white bottoms and the touch of brown of my studded belt and wedges, they match perfectly! These shoes are not winners unfortunately - They're from Forever21 so I should have been wary of the quality but I didn't expect them to be quite as bad as they are - one of the studs has already loosened in the front so I have a feeling they'll be replaced with a better brown wedge quite soon.

What do you think of this outfit? Will you be indulging in the white pant trend for summer?

Sunshine and tatas

First bare-legged day of the year! Yes, they may be blindingly white, and yes, my razor got a great workout this morning, but when it's near 70 with blue skies and sunshine there's not a soul that could make me wiggle into a pair of tights! I did wear a pair of bike shorts from F21 underneath to conquer the dreaded chub rub though. I often wear Spanx for that reason in the summer as well.

I'm still loving this dress from F21 (see it remixed here). All the crazy colors in it make it super versatile - I'm planning to wear it with a green or yellow cardi at one point, and definitely with my optimistic shoes :) I might do a bit of DIY tailoring and take in the straps a tiny bit because the front of the dress kept falling down and showing off my bra - good thing I chose my trusty nude one today.

Speaking of bras - if you're a big busted girl like me you know how ridiculously difficult it is to find a bra that's comfortable, supportive, and doesn't look like it belonged to your grandmother in the 1920's. Now, I tried different bra's for years without ever being completely satisfied - I'd always have some qualm with whatever bra I wore whether it be that it rode up in the back, spillage in the cups (or 4 boob, as I call it), or that I suddenly seemed to have torpedos for tatas.  Enter the Wacoal Elegence Hidden Underwire Minimizer Bra. I have been wearing this bra style for about six years and have never looked back. For everyday wear, it's the ultimate, end-all be-all minimizer bra, and it goes up to a size 44G. Yes, it's a pricey purchase at about $60, but I look at it this way - I'd spend $60 on a dress I really loved or on a pair of killer heels; but I won't wear either of those things as much as I'd wear this bra.

As wonderful as this bra is, don't ever underestimate the importance of wearing the proper bra size. When I finally got a professional bra fitting (and was told I had been wearing the wrong size, both cup and band), it changed how I looked and felt in my clothes completely. A professional bra fitting is something every woman should do!

Dress: F21+
Cardigan: Target
Bike shorts (underneath): F21+
Sandals: Steve Madden
Belt: Target
Earrings: Target
Bracelet: Gift from my brother
Ring: Old Navy