What To Wear: Black on Black

I don’t know about you guys but I am so guilty of obsessing over what to wear. Honestly, it can get kind of ridiculous sometimes. On New Year’s Eve though, I thought I would keep it simple…Nothing special, no sequins, no tiny little dress, none of that. But a bit of leather never hurt anyone so I wore this:

{Top and Jeans: Express. Boots: Jessica Simpson. Clutch: Rebecca Minkoff. Watch: Michael Kors. Nails: Formula X (Sephora): High Frequency.}

I absolutely adore this leather top from Express, which has become one of my favorite stores. They always have some sort of promotion going on and I never pay full price for anything.

I received this top as a gift for my birthday a few months ago and finally had the opportunity to wear it. I would have loved to wear a gold chain with this top, but I haven’t found the right one just yet. The gold chain I do have is a bit too chunky for this look. So if you guys have any gold necklaces that you’d like to recommend, let me know…

What did you guys do to celebrate the New Year? And who else just throws black on when they don’t know what to wear? I know I’m not the only one…

I hope everyone’s New Year is off to a great start!! xx

What To Wear: Chic Tomboys

I don’t know if its because I don’t go out much anymore or if I am reverting back to my old tomboyish ways, but all I want is to be cute and comfortable nowadays. I am so tired of wearing shoes that hurt my feet just to look the part. So I have traded my high heels for these Nike dunks…Love them! Due to the wedge, I feel like a have a little more height (even though I’m 5’7) but not enough to have my feet screaming at the end of the day. Winning… 

{Varsity Jacket – Forever 21. Scarf – Asos. Top – Nordstrom. Jeans – Nordstrom BP. Belt, Bag and Watch – Michael Kors. Bracelets – Pandora. Shoes – Nike Dunks. Nails – Zoya’s Ali.}

 

I hope everyone has a great week and a Happy New Year!! xx

Fall Favorites

These are a few of my favorites things…

Michael Kors Selena Satchel: I bought this bag during the Bloomingdale’s family and friends discount sale, and I have been wearing it every since. I love that it is structured and can stand alone no matter how you pack your items into it. I also love the gold hardware since I have been wearing gold a lot lately.

Alice and Olivia Starbucks Mug/Lipton Green Teas: Who doesn’t want to drink their tea out of an adorable cup?! I purchased this cup at Starbucks not too long ago and I am so in love with it. I am also addicted to these Lipton green teas, which I have been drinking out of my mug. I drink green tea EVERY SINGLE DAY now! Every since I went to Teavana and tasted their amazing tea blends, I had to find something comparable. Red Goji Raspberry (Wegmans) and Purple Acai Blueberry (Wegmans/Walmart) are my favorites.

Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Body Mist: This body mist is so light and fresh. I smelled the perfume and instantly fell in love, but I didn’t want to pay $55 for it. So I bought the smaller size to see how it worked with my body chemistry. Now I carry it in my bag and spray it whenever I feel  the urge to…Go smell it when you have some free time…

Favorite Nail Polishes at the Moment: Orly’s Pretty Ugly, Zoya’s Raven, and Formula X’s Zing. The clear nail polish is my new base coat…Rejuvacote is a nail strengthener that I had heard a lot of great things about. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now and I definitely like the results. Even though my nails still have the tendency to break, its only a chip here and there. They are much stronger than they have been.

The Art of War for Writers and Bird by Bird: I’ve had these books forever, but I have recently been rereading them to get some literary inspiration. I am working on developing a book idea I have and these books are helping me quite a bit. One thing I have learned from them is that you must write every day and at the same time every day. It’s also helpful if you to pretend that there is an imaginary gun to your head so that you don’t get up before you’re supposed to (only other writers/inspiring writings will understand that). LOL…Anne Lamott talks a lot about how you must quiet all the distractions (internally and externally) so that you can get to magic…the writing! I know this all sounds crazy, but I am learning that writing has to become a habit. I’m still working on that…

Date Night Look

Date Night Look by clutchez featuring a nail polish

When I go out on dates, I am always contemplating what in the world I should wear. Here is a look that I came up with for a fab date night with your boyfriend/spouse.

I am still loving the Black & White trend, but I think adding some pops of color with your accessories and make up is key. Boyfriend jeans are also still in for the fall. And who doesn’t look good in fuchsia lipstick?! xx

What To Wear: Black & Gold

Since I knew I was going to be with my entire family on Mother’s Day, playing with my nieces and nephews, I wanted to wear something chic but comfortable so I decided on this Femme Fatale tee (which I didn’t realize said 666 until today…I promise I don’t worship the devil!) and my favorite leopard Sperrys.

When I had gone outside initially I didn’t have on a jacket because the sun was beaming, and I assumed that it was warm. Not so…The weather here in DC is super weird. It was beautifully sunny, but very windy yesterday. So I took a few pictures with and without the jacket:

{Jacket: Armani Exchange. Tee: Urban Outfitters. Jeans: Nordstrom BP. Shoes: Nordstrom Rack (Sperry’s). Belt: Michael Kors. Sunnies: Tory Burch. Purse: Rebecca Minkoff. Watch: Michael Kors. Bracelet: HRH Collection. Necklace: Asos. Nails: Ali from Zoya. Lippie: Rebel from Mac.}

Some of my favorite accessories at the moment…

And yes, I have on leopard again. Lol…I just can’t stop wearing it! I am also super obsessed with gold accessories. This bracelet from the HRH Collection is super adorable and girly. Definitely one of my favorite pieces at the moment. Not to mention this ID necklace from Asos…Loves it!

I hope you all enjoyed this post!! xx…Kel

Special thanks to Kayla for snapping these pictures for me.

What To Wear: Leopard+

In case you all have not noticed, I decided to change the name of my blog from Clutchez to Clothez & Clutchez. The name change just seemed to makes sense, and I feel like it gives people a better sense of what the blog is actually all about.

What To Wear is going to be a new series here on Clothez and Clutchez. Therefore, I will now be posting outfits at least 2-3 times per month. I really hope you all like the series…I had so much fun shooting these pics:

{Blazer: Urban Outfitters. Top: Nordstrom BP. Boyfriend Jeans: Nordstrom BP. Shoes: Zara. Handbag: Alexander Wang. Necklace: HRH Collection. Timepiece: Michael Kors. Bracelets: Pandora. Sunnies: Tory Burch. Nails: OPI Can’t Find My Czechbook. Lippie: Maybelline Hot Plum.}

Nowadays, I find that I am always wearing leopard of some sort. Today its a blazer, tomorrow it may be shoes, and the next day it may be a clutch.

Traditionally, a lot of women tend to pair leopard with the color red. I thought it would be fun to pair this blazer with a different pop of color instead. This turquoise blue really does the trick, and I think the gold accessories really compliment the contrasts between the colors.

I hope you all enjoyed this post! Be blessed…xx KEL

Special thanks to my photographer for the day, Brandi!!

Spring Wishlist

I love making wishlists. They are almost like mini inspiration boards for me. This one definitely doesn’t have a specific theme but these are things that I am currently lusting after. I am thinking that my Spring style will be overflowing with positivity and progress, and bedazzled with lots of brights, neons, golds and gunmetals.

1. These Michael Kors sneakers are adorable…I’m finding that on the weekends, I want to be cute and comfortable. Who wants to be all fussy in heels and whatnot when you’re supposed to be relaxed?!
2. Rebecca Minkoff can do no wrong in my book when it comes to handbags. I saw this crossbody bag in her runway show last season and I was instantly in love.
3. I was watching Oprah’s Lifeclass last night, which featured Rich Warren, the genius behind The Purpose Driven Life, and I was thinking, “Why haven’t I read this book yet?” I love pretty things but I also love knowledge…I love to learn new things (especially about myself). Out of all the things on this wishlist, I am most excited about reading The Purpose Driven Life this Spring.
4. DVF is quickly becoming one of my favorite designers. I love the shape of this handbag and that neon green flap is giving me life. This is THE perfect handbag for Spring.
5. I don’t usually follow a lot of trends, but these dainty knuckle rings are adorable. This particular image is from Gal Vardi’s Esty page and are quite affordable .

What kinds of things are you all lusting after this Spring? Any wishlists or inspiration boards you’d like to share?

xx, KEL

Jewelry Rut…

Has anyone else been in a jewelry rut?? Perhaps its just me…I used to be able to find cute costume jewelry but recently it has been really difficult. A few weeks ago I purchased a silver and gold spike bracelet from Nordstrom (here) but it tarnished after I had it for one week. A week?! Where they do that at?? The same thing happened when I purchased this Michael Kors bracelet, and I was pissed because that thing was like sixty bucks! What a waste of my duckets!

There have been only a handful of jewelry pieces that have been giving me life lately. My gold Michael Kors watches have been on repeat for a couple of weeks now. I have other watches, but these two are my favorites at the moment.

As for earrings, it has been either studs or hoops. I have a new found appreciation for stud earrings, and I have been wearing these two a lot. Both I purchased at Nordstrom. The spiked ones are from the Nordstrom brand, and the blinged out skulls are from Betsey Johnson. Although I am known for my big ridiculous earrings I haven’t really been feeling them as of late. However, if I am not wearing a stud I am definitely wearing a hoop. These gold hoops are my fav, but I love any variation of big gold hoops.

When it comes to bracelets, I am in love with this shamballa bracelet. There are so many variations of shamballa bracelets, I am tempted to get more than one. I bought this black one from My Bella Couture. It’s a little different than the traditional ones I’ve seen, which is part of the reason why I like it so much. My other bracelet is one that I purchased a while ago when I used to work at Taxco Sterling, a sterling silver jewelry store in Washington, D.C. I love it because it is inspired by the David Yurman cuff bracelets.

Did you notice that most of this jewelry is gold? Yes, I have to admit that I am becoming a bit of a gold fanatic. I LOVE gold right now. We’ll see how long this lasts phase lasts…What do you prefer? Silver or gold? And do you find that even expensive costume jewelry turns way too fast??

BTW, I have my eyes on a few of the Pandora bracelets (black triple /double wrap and oxidized). Do any of you own one? If so, how do you like? The charms you can buy to go on them are super cute.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Talk to you all soon. xx

Wednesday’s Cravings

Hey folks! In getting back into the groove of blogging I thought I would post my most recent wishlist. Do you guys ever put wishlists together for yourself? Whether its for make-up, nail polish or a handbang, I always have a running (ever-changing) list of things that I may want to add to my wardrobe.

Here are some of my current obsessions:

What’s on your wishlist right now? Talk to you soon. xx…

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: Mini Preview

I always look forward Nordstrom’s Anniversary sale because it gives me the opportunity to score some great pieces that haven’t yet been released. The pre-Anniversary sale began this past Wednesday and anyone with a Nordstrom card can shop the pre-sale from now until July 19th. From July 20th until August 6th the sale will be open to everyone. After August 6th the prices will increase.

This year is the first time Nordstrom has made the pre-sale available online, which I thought was awesome. However, I spent an entire hour trying to order only one thing from the sale on Wednesday so I am surprisingly tired of online shopping right now! I suppose since tons of cardholders were on the site at the same time, there was an overload, and the site was moving extremely slow and kept timing out every couple of minutes.

Anywhoo, I was able to score the Rebecca Minkoff Studded “Wallet on a Chain,” which was about 33% off of the regular price. I am slowly becoming a fan RM’s cross body bags, BTW. I thought this particular cross body was unique so I figured that I should pounce on it ASAP…I am also eyeing a Bagley Mischka tote bag, which I listed below…Can’t decide if I definitely want it, and if so, in what color. When in doubt, wait to purchase!! Lol…

Here are some accessories that I thought were worth mentioning (click the photos to enlarge them):

Rebecca Minkoff MAC Clutches (Left) and “Wallet on a Chain” Clutches (Right)

Clockwise: Marc Jacobs Rose Gold Timepiece, Steve Madden Leopard Flats, Michael Kors Gold Timepiece, and Steven by Steve Madden Boots.

Clockwise: Bagley Mischka Tote in Sapphire (also available in black and cognac), MICHAEL Michael Kors Shoulder Tote in Nickel (available in black, purple and vanilla), and DKNY Notched Bezel Timepiece in Gunmetal.

I hope you all enjoyed this post…let me know what you think…Smooches! XOXO…