[Chelsae Anne | Photography]

SUEDE JACKET, BODYCON DRESS, BOOTIES, CLUTCH, CHOKER: (c/o) Lulus

Happy Election Day everyone! I hope you voted!

Yesterday I talked about why you should invest in a classic wardrobe. Today I’m talking about experimenting with style. Fashion is fun. There are endless possibilities. The key is to identify what suits you.

What’s your style?

It’s taken me awhile to figure this out. I’ve tried it all. Boho-chic, eclectic, colorful and bold, modern and minimalistic, classic and so on. Looking back at my outfits, I cringe a little but don’t have any regrets. Why? Because style can be changed. And experimenting with it is OK. Even if you have a fashion blog.

Finding (and refining) personal style is not easy. But the one thing that has always remained important to me is my mood. If I’m feeling girly, I’ll throw on my favorite dress. If I’m feeling lazy, I’ll throw on a baggy button-down. If I’m feeling sexy, I’ll throw on a LBD (“little black dress” for those of you living under a cave). If I’m in a big city, I’ll wear dark colors. If I’ve landed a big opportunity, I put on a blazer. You get the point.

Regardless of what life throws at me, you can more or less tell how I’m feeling with what I’m wearing. My mood tends to match my clothing… almost 99% of the time. And I think that it’s important to adapt your style while still being true to yourself. Don’t focus on what everyone else is wearing, that will only hinder your creativity. Continue to experiment with different shapes, fabrics, accessories and shoes. It all boils down to how it makes you feel. If it makes you feel confident, own it.

Shop the classics:

In my opinion, the perfect wardrobe has a foundation of classics. Think: white button-down, great pants, the perfect skinny jean, classic bag, neutral heels, etc. Those pieces reflect your personality (and mood) the most and also, match your lifestyle. Let’s say, for an example, you’re interviewing for a job. Think about adding a sharp button-down to your wardrobe. Work in a casual environment? Consider a baggy button-down.

Then, experiment:

Once you’ve built a foundation + figured out what mood you’re in, you can experiment by adding more on-trend pieces (just don’t spend too much) to play around with. Take for example, today’s look…

As you can see, I’m feeling edgy lately. I don’t normally wear tight clothing but wanted to experiment so I went with this look from Lulus (great site for those of you looking to experiment with trends). Everything I’m wearing is super affordable. Enough for me to buy, try and play around with for the fall/winter season.

My dress cost $42. Can you believe it? My jacket is under $100. And my leather booties are so fun. So far, I’ve taken each item and worn them separately with many other items. It’s been fun to channel a vampy vibe!

In sum:

Fashion is fun. There are so many possibilities. By staying true to yourself + building a wardrobe foundation (every now and then, experimenting with different trends), you will express who you truly are! And that, my fashionable friends, never goes out of style.

To shop today’s vampy look from Lulu’s, scroll to the top of this post and click on the links!

Xo, Stephanie