tucked in – Budget & Brunch

Why I tuck…

February 23, 2020February 23, 2020by Budget&BrunchLeave a Comment

Let me preface by saying that I am aware that not everyone likes the look of a tucked in shirt and that is totally fine. However, if you’re on the fence about it or just simply wondering why some people tuck their shirts I am here to tell you!

I have thick thighs, it’s something I used to struggle with when shopping for jeans, because they would fit my legs and not my waist or vice versa. Now that I have found a store that carries jeans that fit my body type (thanks Madewell) I have found some style hacks to help make me feel like my best fashionista self. Hence the tucking.

So, let’s cover the different types of tucks and why they do for your outfit…

The Front Tuck

Turtle Neck | Similar Sweater | Jeans | Shoes

The front tuck is probably my favorite tuck. This tuck looks particularly good when you are layering shirts as I did in the picture above. If you try and tuck layers all the way around it can sometimes add bulk to your jeans.

Since I have thick thighs, as I mentioned earlier, when I wear shirts that aren’t tucked in, they tend to hit me at the widest part of my body. This gives me no shape whatsoever. Tucking the shirt not only creates a shape, but it leads the eye to the smallest part of my body. Not to mention, the slouchy look gives off a very effortless, but put together vibe and I am here for it.

*Interested in layers? Check out my layering for winter post here.

The Side Tuck

Similar Shirt | Similar Jeans | Shoes

The side tuck is similar to the front tuck in the way it creates a shape for your body. I like to side tuck with shorts and lighter jeans. To be honest, this is just a personal preference, because it gives me summer vibesI think it’s because I wear a lot of tees in the summer!

Side tucks look best with tees (i.e. not button down shirts) and regular button jeans (i.e. not button front jeans). Otherwise, the eye would be carried in different directions and this would appear odd visually.

The Complete Tuck

Turtle Neck | Cardigan | Jeans | Similar Shoes

I don’t rock the complete tuck as much as I would like to, I tend to just front tuck and walk out of the door, but I love to tuck all the way around when I am feeling a little bleh with my outfits. A complete tuck just gives a whole different vibe to an outfit.

This tuck is nice when you layer a cardigan over a shirt and you wear the cardigan open (as pictured), because it creates less bulk under the cardigan. A complete tuck also looks good when you are going for a casual look with a tee shirt and jeans!

*Keep in mind that for each tuck, I wear high waisted jeans. This is because they hit my waist at its smallest point. Every body is different, so of course you should do what works for you and makes you feel the most comfortable.

Hope this helps! Also, keep in mind that tying your shirts in knots can also create a shape, not just tucking! Play around and find what works best for you! I love to see you guys recreate looks, so tag me on insta if you try any of these out (@budgetandbrunch)!

When in doubt, cuff ’em, tuck ’em, and go!

November 25, 2019November 25, 2019by Budget&Brunch

Ya gotta love being either too short or too tall for clothes, am I right?

In my case, I am always a little too short for clothes that aren’t sized “petite” or “short” and lets be honest with ourselves, there is always a piece of clothing that doesn’t come in your size. Rather than trying to make myself fit into clothes, I am a firm believer in making clothes fit me 😏. When I find that my shirts or even my pants are too long, I “cuff ’em, tuck ’em, and go”.

What does that even mean?

Well let’s take shirts/sweaters for example, if you have short arms, like me, you may find yourself constantly pulling up your sleeves of feeling like you have no waist due to your extra long top. This drives me absolutely crazy, especially when I am doing something with my hands!

To solve this issue I have learned to cuff my sleeves, tuck the front, and be on my merry way out the door. I do this with pants as well. I personally do not like to tuck my pants in my booties (knee boots are different story); therefore, I cuff my pants–only when needed.

When cuffing my sleeves I try to follow the wrist rule. When I stretch my arms out, I want to be able to see my wrist bone. I also cuff only once or twice. I don’t like to add too much bulk (especially when layering).

When cuffing my jeans I take into account a couple of things. First, my shoes. Are they high? If so, I try to cuff them just above to where a little bit of skin is showing. Are they low? If so, I definitely want to go just above my ankle–this adds height! I also consider the jean and how I want the cuff to look. Sometimes, I go for a thicker cuff. This is to add visual interest. Other times, I cuff at just the hem line. This typically depends on the top I pair it with or my mood haha!

This “cuff ’em, tuck ’em, and go” technique not only adds visual interest, but it looks purposeful and thus, nobody will even notice that the clothes you’re wearing weren’t exactly “made for you” 😉.

With that being said, I pulled together some examples of outfits for you guys in which I have had to “cuff ’em, tuck ’em, and go” and I truly wouldn’t have it any other way ❤️!

Photo 2: Similar Sweater | Jeans / (Petite Option)| Boots

For reference, I am 5 ft tall. In photo one, I am wearing petite, photo two I am wearing regular, and photo three I am wearing regular!

*This also works with clothes that are slightly too short. Don’t get me wrong, there is a point of no return with some clothing, but if things are slightly too short, you can “cuff ’em” and pair them with higher boots to make the outfit look more purposeful and if you have high waisted pants you might even be able to tuck ’em 😉!

Same jeans, four ways

February 11, 2019February 12, 2019by Budget&Brunch

Let’s talk about jeans for a second; if you follow my Instagram or you read “A Short Girl’s Guide to Madewell Jeans” you know that I love Madwell! I truly believe in their brand and their jeans fit my body so well.

With that being said, I often end up with jeans that are similar in style and vary in color. Don’t get me wrong, that’s cool and all, but I have challenged myself to go for jeans that are different!

I love a good pair of skinny jeans, I think they are so versatile and can be worn in so many different ways. However, I ave a closet full and I really wanted to venture out, so when Madewell came out with the new Cali Demi-Boot Jeans I knew I had to try them on for size!

When I purchased them, even the woman that worked at Madewell said that people were afraid of them. I thought, you know what…I am gonna buy these and wear them with confidence, because I want to! Below I have styled these cuties 4 ways. if you caught my Instagram stories I did a little style session, but for those who didn’t, I wrote this blog post!

These jeans fit tight through the hips and have a super stretch through the legs with a slight flare. As I’ve mentioned before, I am 5 feet tall so I tend to purchase petite or short clothing items. I got the petite size in these and they hit above the ankle to create a really fresh spring look!

The French Gal

The French Gal 2

Is it just me or is this “French girl style” the epitome of a fashionista? I am in love with the tied scarf around the neck look! For your inner french girl, I decided to pair these beauties with a simple, classic white shirt. The Courier Button-Back Shirt by Madewell goes great with just about anything. My theme is versatile style so I try to only get pieces that I can style over and over and it not be obvious 😉. I gave it a front tuck to enhance my waist line and paired the Tropical Coral bandana (or scarf) with this simple outfit to add a pop of color and add a stylish little detail. I, of course, wore mules with this outfit. I mean I cannot get over mules and how perfect they go with jeans, dress pants, and even some dresses! These are the Willa Loafer Mules in Brown (not sure that these are still available at Madewell, but they might be at Nordstrom)!

*If you haven’t quite channeled your inner french girl or you simply don’t care for the bandana around the neck, you can always utilize yours differently (see above how I styled it as a headband).

The Valentine Gal ❤️

To keep it true to Valentine’s Day this week, I decided to add in a cutesy valentine’s day inspired look that can totally be worn any other day of the year! I decided to pair a mock-neck black and white stripe shirt with the Cali Demi-Boot Jeans and an oversized cardigan. I decided to tuck the mock-neck, because anytime I wear a longer layered piece, the tuck helps create a waistline and make you look taller!

The mock-neck is from Target’s Universal Thread line and I purchased it last year. I am not sure if they have it anymore in that color, but here is a link to a different colored one. You might also like this one from Anthropologie, but it is on the pricey end. They shouldn’t be too hard to find, since stripes are in style always ❤️! The cardigan is also from Target’s Universal Thread line and is no longer found in stores, however, they have some similar options here and here! Note that it is a little longer on me because of my height and I bout it in an XL even though I wear a M, because I wanted the baggy look.

I paired my Willa Loafer Mules in Glitter, because they instantly make me feel fancy, but keep the comfort levels high 👏🏻. I also used the Tropical Coral bandana again as a hairband to add some visual interest! I also thought the red and pink combo made for an extra Valentine’s Day appearance.

The Casual Gal

For this look, I went for a more casual denim on denim approach. I, again, paired my Cali Demi-Boot Jeans with the same top from my Valentine Gal look, because as I have mentioned, I am in to versatile style and pieces that I can wear over and over. The denim jacket is a little darker than the jeans so it adds some contrast and I decided to leave my shirt untucked, which is a rarity for me, to add some length since my jean jacket is shorter. The jean jacket pictured is very old (by about 2 or 3 years), so I know J. Crew doesn’t still carry it; however jean jackets are EVERYWHERE. You can find some that are oversized or fitted depending on your style and comfort level!

I, again, paired my Willa Loafer Mules and Tropical Coral bandana to keep this look fun and “put together”. You could also pair some cute white tennis shoes with this look if you are going out for a day of walking and want something more supportive, but I will say that these mules don’t hurt my feet in the slightest bit once I broke them in. Switching them out for tennis shoes would completely change this look which is another amazing thing about versatile style! The bandana adds a nice pop of color and helps hide that day 3 hair am-I-right 🤗?

The Working Gal

This look gives me serious #boss vibes. I mean fist of all, the bright pink blazer is an eye catcher and I think it gives these jeans such a sophisticated look. I am wearing The Courier Button-Back Shirt again and tucked it in all the way around. I popped the collar too, because “ever since I can remember I been popping’ my collar” 😂 (anybody else remember that song?). The blazer is Halogen and I got it from my TrunkClub box! It is such an amazing piece and I couldn’t be happier with it. I got it in a MPetite and the length is perfect. It covers my butt just a bit and I roll the sleeves to create a more casual look. You can button the button if you want to look even more professional! You can find the blazer here, but it looks like there are limited sizes. Click here and here for similar options.

I paired The Frances Loafer Mule in the color Vintage White with this outfit. These are also from Madewell and are a great shoe, especially if you want to add some sophistication to your wardrobe! I have a wide foot and these feel great! I skipped out on the bandana for this look, but you could definitely incorporate it if you wanted to!

There you have it, same jeans, four ways! I hope this inspires you to go out of your comfort zone and try some new pieces. I also hope this helps you shop your closet! Re-using pieces to create different looks is so fun and nice for the wallet 😉! If you decide to try and recreate any of these tag me on Instagram @budgetandbrunch and use the #budgetandbrunch hashtag!