Madewell is having another insider sales event and everything is included! Here are the links to my top picks! I either have these, have a similar version, or have tried these on!
Madewell Insider Sale Picks
Tag: necklace
How to Style: Wide Leg Pants
I have done several style sessions with wide-leg pants. There are a lot of different retailers now that offer, the “Slim Wide-Leg Cropped Pants” and the “Wide-Leg Cropped Pants”. I love them both ❤️!
What’s the difference?
The Wide-Leg Cropped Pants
Outfit 1: Headband | Earrings | Necklace | Top (similar) | Pants | Bag | Shoes (similar)
Outfit 2: Hat | Earrings | Necklaces | Top | Pants | Shoes
These pants have a very “wide-leg” that hugs (me) at the hips and thighs and flares out just above the ankles. The great thing about these is that they flatter your figure. By being much wider than your actual leg, they make your legs/ankles appear smaller. Bonus, they’re really comfortable.
Outfit 1 are the wide-leg cropped pants from J. Crew–these are very light weight and have a cute pocket detail in the front. I love to pair them with a white/cream top to create a fun monochromatic look. As pictured, I tied a white tee at the waist. When styling wide-leg pants, it’s important to create a waist line so that you don’t look shapeless.
Outfit 2 are the wide-leg pants from Madewell and are my fav! They are a thicker material than the ones from J. Crew and they tend to hold their shape better and get less wrinkly. The blush color is perfect for Summer and can easily transition to Fall. Again, I created a waistline by tucking in my shirt, paired with heeled mules and a hat to instantly dress up the look!
The Slim Wide-leg Cropped Pants
Outfit 1: Hat | Top (similar)| Pants | Shoes
Outfit 2: Earrings | Necklace | Top | Pants | Shoes
The slim wide-leg cropped pants essentially have the same concept, they compliment your figure. I would suggest these if you just can’t quite get on the wide-leg pant trend. They are slightly smaller. These would look particularly good on people whom have a very petite frame–that was the pants don’t swallow you whole! Pairing these with a front tucked shirt or even a body suit look good and, again, creates that waistline!
Both pants pictured above are from Madewell. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, Madewell has my ❤️! I adore the fit and quality of the Madewell brand. The burnt orange colored pant has become one of my wardrobe staples and can be dressed up or down!
Overall, finding pants that make you feel good is what is important. I know that we sometimes get swayed by popular opinions on whether or not we should or shouldn’t wear a particular pant, but I AM HERE FOR THIS TREND! I adore the way I feel in both the wide-leg and slim wide-leg pants and I won’t apologize for it 😉!
How to Maximize Your Suitcase this Summer
Ok, raise your hand if you’re an over-packer 🙋🏻. I mean yeah…I tend to over pack ok? It’s something I am actively working on. With that being said, I have tried a few different tips and tricks that I have found to be very helpful. I decided to condense these for you into one post!
Number 1:
Research the climate. This is probably something you already do, but when you’re packing for vacation, you should definitely research what the weather will be like, temperature, humidity, that sort of thing.
I am going Holden Beach soon and it looks like the weather is going to be in the 80s with humidity at about 45%. Now, this is in NC and it is HOT. In my suitcase, I have packed three pair of pants. This is because I typically find myself getting chilly when going out to eat or going in to stores. If you do not get chilly easily, your suitcase may look a little different. Also, if I am on the beach, I won’t be wearing anything but a bathing suit and sunscreen 😎.
Number 2:
Make a list. What? Make a list? Are you kidding? Nope, it actually REALLY helps me to make a list. Now, you may be thinking what a time consuming thing to do when packing for vacation. But I decided that if I made a realistic list of items I wanted to pack, it would save me time in the long run.
I literally used to just grab stuff off of hangers and throw it in my suitcase…big mistake. I rarely wore ANY of it and ended up washing it all when I got home and taking up too much time to unpack.
Ok, with that being said here was my list:
- Basic tops (tee shirt, button downs, tanks)
- Shorts
- Pants
- Bathing suits
- Shoes (limit 5 pair-this was a personal preference, you can limit this even more if you want)
- Accessories (a good rule to follow with accessories is to pick some that will go with MULTIPLE outfits. I also limit myself to two purse options)
I am a visual person so I layed out all the pieces I wanted to bring:
P.S. I packed two other swim suits, but wasn’t able to find a picture of them! The leopard swim suit can be found here. My other swimsuit is by Kortni Jeane!
The pink and green earrings are by Jules Co.
(FYI, you can find the linkable items here)
Number 3:
Make sure you select items that can be mixed and matched. I treated this like a capsule. Making sure my pants worked with multiple tops and vice versa. With that being said I came up with, drumroll please,
44 outfit options!
I know…probably overkill, but hey, I told you this gal likes options! See below all the outfits I put together!
Everlane Jeans styled 8 ways!
Madewell Overalls styled 6 ways!
Madewell Shorts styled 8 ways!
Abercrombie Pants styled 8 ways!
Madewell Slim Wide Leg Jeans styled 8 ways!
Madewell Midi Dress styled 6 ways (this exact dress is sold out, but here are some similar options: Cami Tier Midi Dress, Silk Cross-Back Midi Dress, Lanhtropy Linen Cactus Button-Front Dress)!
Number 4:
Have “fold awareness” (I just made that up). Be sure that you are folding your clothes in the most efficient way. For example, Marie Kondo folds like a champ. Now, her whole angle is to love your clothes and it isn’t about making your clothing more compact, but for me it is 😂. I want to fit AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE in my suitcase that I share with my husband 😳.
Bonus tip: Make sure your cover the bottoms of your shoes as well, a good trick is to use shower caps or plastic bags. Shoes are germ-y (haha). You could pack your shoes in a completely different bag as well, which I have done before, but I try to limit packing to three bags.
- Clothes
- Toiletries (including makeup)
- Towels (for the beach and bathing)
I hope this somewhat helped you! If you want to see the final product of my suitcase, let me know and I will post some photos! Be sure and share any tips and tricks you have with me, I would love to hear them!
How to Style a Belt Bag
Belt Bags (or fanny packs as we used to call them) are slowly making a come back in to the fashion world…I mean did they ever truly leave? I have loved this trend from the beginning, probs because I am a 90’s child and there is a sense of nostalgia that comes with wearing one!
I realize this is an either love it or hate it kind of trend; however, I love not only the versatility, but the convenience of having your hands/shoulders free at all times! Whether you do love it or hate it, I wanted to show you 6 ways you can style a belt bag without looking like you stepped out of the 90’s. So here are some tips and tricks for you to keep in mind when styling a Belt Bag…
Tip #1:
Don’t use every loop.
Ok, if you didn’t catch my IGTV Post “How to Style a Belt Bag”, you should definitely go check it out, but if you did you may have noticed that I pointed to the last loop and didn’t put my belt bag through.
This makes it easier to move the bag on your waist. You can choose the side you want it on and style it comfortably. Putting the belt through all of the loops limits the mobility of the bag and causes the bag to be in the middle of you stomach.
Tip #2:
Tuck your shirt.
You can front tuck it or tuck it all the way around, but tucking your shirt helps to make the belt bag a focal point. Trust me, you want to make this cutie bag the focal point! If you decide to front tuck it, you can simply leave the extra strap slack showing underneath.
If you decide to tuck it all the way around you can either leave the belt showing as an accessory or you can do a cute knot in the front (pictured below).
Tip #3:
Don’t limit yourself.
Belt bags are extremely versatile. These can be worn with whatever you damn well please. Do NOT limit yourself to thinking that you can only wear it with skinny jeans. I styled it several different : with wide-leg jeans, skinny jeans, a skirt, athletic wear, and a dress!
Tip #4:
Own it.
Wear all things with confidence; including belt bags! Too often, we, as people worry entirely too much about what other people think. I am here to tell you that what other people think about you doesn’t matter. That’s right…it doesn’t matter. You have to realize that if you want to wear something, you should.
Don’t get me wrong, belt bags aren’t for everyone and I’m not insinuating that if you don’t wear one, you aren’t confident. I am simply saying that it is your choice and you shouldn’t let the opinions of others steer you in one direction or the other!
Hat | Shirt |Dress| Necklaces | Earrings | Shoes
With all of that being said, I hope this helped you feel like you can absolutely “pull off” a belt bag and wear it with anything you’d like!
Some of my favorite belt bags:
Budget & Brunch 