Fashion

Spring in December

December 26, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

Technically this shoot was taken in November (before the big storm hit) buuut it has been warming up here in Colorado and most of the snow has melted off — yay! I’ve even had a few chances to wear skirts in December which is a nice change of pace. In my opinion, skirts help break up the monotony of pants during the winter a bit. Lately, I have been loving this skirt from Main Street Exchange. Their site describes it as ‘feminine meets practical’ and I couldn’t agree more!

This skirt comes in three other colorways and this one in Taupe seems like more of a rosy peach than a tan/beige color. The material is on the heftier side and has several layers going on which is nice on chillier days. You can’t beat the price point on this one too. And of course it has some very nice pockets–a feature that sells! I got this for Spring but since it has warmed up here it’s nice to be able to showcase it earlier. This sweater from American Eagle is the same style as the one in rust I blogged about a few weeks ago. You know it’s a winner when you get it in more than one color! The length is perfect for both high-waisted jeans and skirts, and its incredibly soft and cozy. So now I’m kind of wishing I got it in a third color, waaah. Oh well, can’t have everything.

**Outfit Details:** Sweater: American Eagle; Skirt: Main Street Exchange; Shoes: Free People Royale Flat; Bag: Etsy – Leather Strata

Duck Hunter

December 8, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

Sometimes it’s fun to dig up old clothes you’ve hung on to for a while and re-discover them. I recently moved to a new place and was going through my old clothes and found this quirky sweater in storage. I got this duck hunt themed sweater from a thrift store like ten years ago. You can see the cute design of a duck hunter and ducks flying in the upper left-hand corner. It’s a quirky thing that I couldn’t help but find charming then and I still do now! I’ve considered donating it a handful of times but just can’t seem to have the heart to get rid of it. Plus the colors are perfect for Fall and Winter.

If you’re feeling stuck on an old, hardly worn item, try mixing it up with something new. In this outfit I gave this old sweater a refresh by pairing it with my favorite pair of Levi’s high-rise distressed denim and this gorgeous rucksack from Etsy. It made the sweater feel a lot more new again! So before you donate your old, unworn clothing I recommend mixing it up a bit with something new to see if you still have a use for it. It cuts down on textile waste and is way more environmentally friendly than just throwing your clothes out.

**Outfit Details:** Sweater vintage/thrifted; Jeans: Levi’s; Boots: Born, Bag: Etsy

Rustic Fall

November 14, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

Not sure what’s up but we are having a pretty chilly Fall and early winter season and we’ve already had a couple snow storms bringing several inches of snow. Time to bring on the tea, soup and cozy sweaters! Also crunch in all the leaf piles and enjoy the crisp air (or hibernate under a pile of blankets until May…you know, whatever floats your boat). This time of year I like to live in all the cozy sweaters and this one from American Eagle is one of my favorites, so much so that I got it in another color as well. That’s how you know you like something, when you get it in more than one color! I’ve been inspired by the Fall color palettes lately so this outfit is based on the late Fall landscape, when everything’s not super bright anymore. Big fan of the rusty red, charcoal grey and mustardy tones in this fit!

After Abercrombie & Fitch had their rebranding renaissance to pitch to ~~an older~~, more mature crowd, I’ve started to shop their a little bit again. So hats off to you Abercrombie for your successful rebranding mission. Their stuff is higher quality than the usual fast fashion and the prices are much more reasonable now than a decade ago. This bag from them is a very nice real leather bag that was on sale for only $35 bucks. I was pretty impressed by the quality of the leather. Overall this one is a very cozy and warm outfit made for the Fall days!

Outfit Details: Sweater: American Eagle, Jeans: Levi’s, Bag: Abercrombie, Shoes: Lucky

Heart of Glass – Blondie Halloween Costume

October 27, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

This Halloween I decided to go full glam and do a Blondie/Debbie Harry costume! I absolutely love Halloween and everything Fall so I wanted to make it a fun costume this year. I’ve always been a big fan of her music and fashion too so it made a lot of sense to give it a go. She is such a great performer and I gotta admit I am a total fan girl!

One goal I had this year–I wanted this year’s costume to be super cheap so this costume wound up being less than $30 bucks all in. I did already have the leather jacket, skirt and shoes so that helped a lot! One thing I lacked was the signature “Camp Funtime” T-shirt that Blondie wore in 1977 so I paid about 20 bucks for that. I also kind of just like the T-shirt and plan on wearing it out anyways so that was a bit of a win. Then of course this $10 wig I found at a costume store had to bring the whole thing together. I know, I know–only the best wigs will do for me. I wanted to go for the 70’s-era Blondie more than the 80’s; think more CBGB punk style than 80’s glam was kind of the goal. This costume was comprised of a lot of classic basics: the leather jacket was originally from Zara and is just a great staple piece to have around. Another was this A-line black skirt from Forever 21, plus bonus pockets in the front. I gotta say I am excited for Halloween this season–as long as it doesn’t get too cold!

Debbie Harry wearing the Camp Funtime T-Shirt on stage in the 1970s.

Costume Details: Leather Jacket: Zara; T-Shirt: TeePublic; Tights: Forever 21; Skirt: Forever 21; Ankle boots: Lucky Brand

Cozy Autumn

October 19, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

I recently took the plunge and bought a Sherpa jacket from American Eagle. I know Sherpa or Teddy coats have been a bit of a trend the last few years and I sort have been putting it off. Eventually I wanted to see if they were actually as warm and cozy as everyone says they are. Since the material is synthetic and not actually shearling wool, I was a bit skeptical. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the quality and how warm they are! American Eagle offers a very affordable and warm sherpa jacket. I found that I could take a walk in it when its sub-50 degrees with no issue. I don’t think its particularly windproof but it’s great on the 45 degrees-and-up kind of days.

This jacket is pretty much perfect for a sunny, October kind of day which is why I wore it to go pick pumpkins at a local farm! I don’t know why but I absolutely love all the dorky things that you do during Fall. Go apple and pumpkin picking? YES. Go marvel at the Fall colors? YES. Go crunch through a bunch of leaves? YES. Go on a hayride through a corn field? Sign me up. Sorry not sorry, ya’ll. Fall is pretty much the best season and I will make no apologies for liking all the things.

As for Fall activities, I enjoyed checking out a u-pick pumpkin patch at Bartel’s Farm and going on their $2 hay ride. It was such a lovely Fall day and everyone there seemed to be in such a good mood. They had a huge field full of pumpkins to pick from, tasty food stands and delicious roasted chilis. It was such a great time!

Outfit: Sherpa Jacket: American Eagle; Top: American Eagle; Jeans: Adriano Goldschmied Corduroy; shoes: Free People; Jewelry: Forever 21

Into the Rockies

October 9, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

We’ve recently had a bout of lovely Fall weather and it has been so gorgeous! I took advantage of the milder temperatures by posting one of my latest favorite dresses from Abercrombie & Fitch. I initially bought this one in the snake skin pattern (not without some amount of trepidation) but it turned out to be a lovely dress! So naturally I had to see what the floral pattern was all about and bought another (it didn’t hurt that it also happened to be on sale). Needless to say I am thrilled with this one as well! This dress has more of a viney pattern than a typical floral design that I just love. It goes great as a Fall layering base — pair it with a cardigan, jacket and tights and you are good to go for cooler weather. This dress is weirdly versatile; it fits in well as part of an every day outfit but could be dressed up for a night out or even a wedding.

I also recently discovered this Etsy shop that sells Babouches in all kinds of patterns and colors. What are Babouches you ask? Well, they are pretty much a slip-on shoe that hails from Morocco. These simple black ones with a foldable heel caught my eye (one of the few they sell with a foldable heel). They are perfect for a more minimalist wardrobe and I am a big fan!

Over the weekend, we did a little road trip to check out the Aspens changing at Rocky Mountain National Park. While I do miss the Midwest falls that have a huge variety of colors, the all yellow trees along the mountain sides are truly stunning! It’s neat to see the little veins of gold in the distance in between all the evergreen trees. If you’re in Colorado, it’s worth checking out this time of the year.

If you do visit Colorado, don’t forget to wear sunscreen! Especially if you are hiking in the mountains, the sun is incredibly powerful. EltaMD’s Broad Spectrum Physical tinted sunscreen is my favorite. It goes on totally matte and is a perfect base under makeup. Shop Here.

Outfit Details: Dress: Abercrombie & Fitch; Shoes: Etsy/Fezsouk; Jewelry: Forever 21; Hat: Brixton

Last of Summer

September 21, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

What do you think of when you think Summer style? I personally think of cut-off jeans, a comfy striped tee, a woven bag and strappy sandals. You can’t get much more Summery than that. This is (I swear) going to by my last Summer post but I had to get one more in. As September goes on, I’m less able to justify open-toed sandals and cut-off jeans. Luckily the days are still warm and sunny so I can still get away with it. This top from American Eagle (a store that I have been absolutely loving recently) has been one of my go-to Summery tees. It’s soft and flowy and looks great with high-rise denim (like these Levi’s cropped jeans).

Next are a couple recent hair and makeup finds that I wanted to highlight. Since I sometimes curl my hair, I wanted to find a loose and flexible hairspray for those occasions. This hairspray from Tresemme is awesome and not your mom’s hairspray from the 80’s. It’s works great for keeping loose curls in place but doesn’t give you that crunchy hairspray feel. It’s super natural and soft which is exactly what I was looking for. Next up is this excellent neutral lip by NYX, an incredibly affordable brand. I love their “Lingerie” line, which offers a soft matte lip in lots of different shades. My favorite so far has been this dusty mauve called “Lace Detail” and it’s great for every day wear and the price point can’t be beat.

Outfit Details: Top: American Eagle; Jeans: Levi’s; Bag: unbranded; sandals: Lucky

Desert Vibes

September 14, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

Sooo Fall snuck up on me pretty fast and I still have a few more Summer ideas to go through–dang it! Is it just me or has this season gone by way too fast? That’s coming from someone who absolutely loves Fall, but I’m not quite ready for Summer to end just yet. Luckily it’s still been quite warm the last few weeks so it’s still jeans and t-shirt weather during the day. This latest look features one of my favorite desert themed graphic tees from Etsy and these acid wash jeans from Levi’s. Yuuup, they are acid wash. Thought I would never say those words ever but here we are. Gotta say I’m a big fan of this updated offering from Levi’s. It’s like a more mellowed out version of the ~~ugly~~ classic 80’s acid wash. They are also super soft and feel more like leggings than jeans. I don’t like super stiff jeans and these have the perfect amount of stretch. They go great with my favorite pair of Vans sneakers. Now that the nights are getting cold, throw on a pullover and you will be good to go for Fall!

Outfit Details: Jeans: Levi’s 720s; Tee: Etsy – StarkAmbition; Shoes: Vans

Labor Day Whites

August 31, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

It seems like the old rule for not wearing whites past Labor Day is pretty much dead, isn’t it? So in honor of that old, dumb rule here’s nearly an all white dress right before Labor Day! I guess technically it is more of a beige but oh well. I have had a bit of a love affair with anything linen this year and this dress from Urban Outfitters is perfect for late Summer days. Summer seems to have gotten a late start this year and has been especially hot and dry the last few weeks of August. I think it’s reached the 90s almost every day this month, ack! This dress is made from such a nice breathable material for hot Summer days and it has helped keep me cool for sure. I paired this dress with a few leather details–including these Royale Flats from Free People and this great saddle bag from Etsy. It has been my go to bag this Summer and holds all my favorite stuff!

Dress: Urban Outfitters; Shoes: Free People; Bag: LeatherStrata Etsy Shop

Snake Print Dress

August 11, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

I have no idea how I fell in love with this dress. There are two factors here that would make this so improbable that I can hardly believe it. First off: I HATE snake skin print. To me it’s the heavy hitter of trashiness, second only to leopard print. Hate it. I probably don’t need to explain my reasons, you probably already know and are on the same page. Moving on.

Second: the brand is Abercrombie & Fitch. I actually worked at Abercrombie Kids briefly while I was in high school and let’s just say the brand has come along way since then. They have some awesome, well made clothes for reasonable prices that don’t look like kid-wear. No longer do I see the gaudy “AnF” writing on everything nor do I see the oversized moose insignia stitched on everything. Gotta take my hat off to them for getting me to buy something snake skin, seriously. I mean come on, the pattern is gorgeous though right? Also, another awesome thing with their sizing on this dress: they offer this in tall which they recommend for anyone over 5’8. I’m not over 5’8 but I bought it anyways to get an extra few inches in the length, which paid off. I don’t like mini dresses and having the option to add some inches was great. Another smart touch to this wrap dress was the little snap enclosure. While I love wrap dresses it can be annoying to keep the front always secure so that little snap was a perfect touch. I love all the little details of this dress and it’s great to branch out into something I don’t normally wear!

Dress: Abercrombie & Fitch; Bag: unbranded; shoes: Birkenstock; necklace: Urban Outfitters

Next up is a bit of a makeup experiment. I was curious whether my favorite — but pricey — concealer by NARS (the Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly) could be duped by a more affordable brand. It’s hard to find a perfect tone for fair skinned folks so I thought it would be tough to beat since NARS’ offering is a perfect skin tone match. NYX’s HD Studio Concealer in Porcelain (retails $6) gives a pretty good run for its money though and I was overall very happy with it. The coverage is pretty much the same but maybe slightly less creamy. The tone is a very good match but has a bit more of a pinky tone than NARS. For 1/5 of the price, their dupe is a pretty amazing option. I have tried both as an undereye concealer and am happy with both of them. If you’re a pale person like me and have been on the hunt for a perfect fair skin concealer, try both of these out!