Our Plus One

As you can guess from the photos below, L decided to bring her little love Mandu out for the shoot thus being our plus one for dinner. We decided to take the shoot right in the heart of Bethesda among all the quaint little shops.

Outfit:

Shirt: Banana Republic
Skirt: Express
Belt: Banana Republic
Shoes: Pour La Victoire
Necklace: Stephen Dweck
Bracelet: Hermes
Bag: Balenciaga

Linda:

A couple posts back I featured this same shirt from BR, but in gray stripes. I loved the comfortable, soft texture and laid back look of the shirt that I ended up ordering another one in blue. I paid more for it online the 2nd time around (only had my size online) but when I discovered that it was cheaper in stores the sales associate ended up giving me a price adjustment so it ended up being about $14! YESSSS!! This shirt is great because it can convey a classic look either through pairing it with jeans, nice trousers or with a simple khaki skirt such as today's look. Belts can make such a big difference on a simple outfit and after playing around with a skinny belt and a wide belt, I felt that a wide belt completed my outfit much better because it's bold and also helps accentuates the waist a bit more. Outfit complete:)

Outfit:

Dress: Asos
Shoes & Scarf: H&M
Glasses: Tom Ford
Necklace: Forever 21
Ring: Tiffany
Bag: Chanel

Melanie:

I love the bow detail on this dress that flares out into an A-line. This version of the button-down and striped features gives the dress the more casual look, but so light and airy that it's perfect for those no-frill days. Those sandals from H&M makes a second appearance for a better look, but I must say that I'm in LOVE with those shoes. I can literally walk miles in them and surprised at how comfortable they are. Fashionable but yet comfy in shoes - hard to imagine, right?

After our shoot, we decided to head to a restaurant nearby called Mussel Bar and the food there was delish, not to mention, having your mussels served in a variety of savory flavors with a side of yummy fries. The lobster bisque was smooth and very tasteful with big chunks of lobster - definite plus. If you're ever in the area, definitely add it to your must-stop places to try. The weather worked in our favor with Mandu being our plus one, so we opted to sit outside to enjoy our dinner.

Until next time,

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From Floral to Boho and Cherry Blossoms in the Air

Our post wouldn't be complete without having a photo session during Cherry Blossoms season and they were in full bloom that week. The greatest thing in living near Washington, D.C. is that you don't necessarily have to go into the city to appreciate cherry blossoms. We can see them blooming on any corner of the streets in MD and that alone signifies spring to us.

Oufit:
Top: H&M
Bottom: Banana Republic
Shoes: Steve Madden
Necklace: Michelle Chang mini horseshoe necklace w/ Tiffany's heart key pendant
Ring: Tiffany
Bag: Chanel

Melanie:

I just love the floral prints on this H&M top, which paired nicely over white knee-length shorts. The straps of the top were bit loose, but sewn together, so I was able to take apart the stitches and retie for better fit. I wanted to wear both the mini horseshoe necklace along w/ Tiffany's heart key pendant, but because the chains were the same length, they just overlap each other. So I decided to take off the heart key pendant and wear it on the same chain as the mini horseshoe one - problem solved. This Tiffany ring model is no longer on the website, since I had gotten it so many years ago, but the classic shape of it just adds a nice touch to any outfit. I love the bow detail on my shoes and they were surprisingly pretty comfortable to walk in considering the height. The nude color absolutely just creates the illusion of longer legs and who wouldn't want that.

Outfit:
Blouse: Patterson J. Kincaid
Jeans: Seven for all mankind
Shoes: Michael Kors
Necklace: Banana Republic
Bracelet: Hermes

Linda:

I bought this shirt this past winter after receiving a free $50 gift card in the mail from Neiman Marcus to spend on any full price clothing item (a blessing and a curse). Since there was no minimum purchase on the item, I ended up paying about $16 for the blouse--score! I was drawn to this shirt because of its light, flowy and very bohemian-like print, which is great since boho trend is big right now. Although I wasn't too familiar with this brand at the time, it's designed to be such an easy, soft, and comfortable blouse to wear that I've become of a fan of this designer (bought a tunic not too long ago). The necklace I'm wearing was purchased a week ago and I couldn't believe the luck I had. I was browsing around the jewelery section at Banana Republic and was immediately drawn to this piece, because of the tassles. Lately I've been looking for a long necklace with tassles or either a unique pendant and this felt like two combined in one!:) Best of all, it was on sale for only $15! I've been experimenting with this necklace on possible outfits it could go well with and it will definitely be making a repeat appearance in future posts to come;)

Until next time,

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Four Spring Trends to Update Look Instantly

Saks sent us an email on "Five Trends to Update Your Look Instantly" and we decided to incorporate four of those trends for today's post. Hope you guys find them useful:)

1. PRINTS add interest

Outfit:

Coat: J.Crew
Blouse: Guess
Jeans: J Brand
Necklace: Vintage
Boots: Chanel
Purse: Chanel

Linda:

It's funny how fashion repeats itself. I've had this blouse ever since college and I guess at that time, crazy prints were in? Well who would've thought that prints, especially tribal prints would be huge this season. I always say that clothes are an investment and this is a prime example of saving money while staying current with this season's trends!

2. LONG LENGTHS work everywhere

Outfit:

Poncho & Top: F21
Earrings: F21
Bottom: H&M
Shoes: Steve Madden

Melanie:

Long skirts were everywhere at H&M as of late, so I couldn't help but pick out this little number to showcase for the post. I found this top at F21 and fell in love with the eyelet lace detail, which lends such a feminine touch to the look. The poncho came in handy to add a little warmth to today's shoot. I wore it a bit asymetrical to give the top some interest and the length fell right at the waist, which was perfect. Being petite, I need to be careful that my top and bottom are well-proportioned. Because of the length of the skirt, you want to be sure to choose something for the top that can give you shape, otherwise, you can easily be drowned in the skirt.

3. BOLD COLORS get noticed

Outfit:

Jacket: Juicy Couture
Blouse: J.Crew
Pants: Ann Taylor
Purse: Gucci
Bracelet: David Yurman
Ring: David Yurman

Linda:

It is so refreshing to see bright, fun colors on the runway. I'm not the type of girl to have only one color tone in my closet but instead, I've always been drawn to vibrant colors and interesting prints on clothes so it's exciting to see pops of color for this season. It was fun putting this outfit together after being inspired by all the color blocking in fashion magazines and these bight colors remind me that summer is (hopefully) coming soon.

4. TAILORED JACKET adds polish

Outfit:

Blazer: H&M
Top: F21
Bottom: Rock & Republic
Shoes: H&M

Melanie:

I love wearing blazers and this particular one has such a unique spin with the pleats detail along the back hem and near the pockets. The color is so versatile that you can wear it with many different outfits and most definitely bring the whole outfit together. Looking polished effortlessly, which I love. You can dress it up to be a bit more professional or you can wear it over pair of nice jeans for that casual look. I recently had my jeans tailored not too long ago and had asked the seamstress to keep the hem, which I must say did a pretty great job.

I was going to wear a pair of boots to complete the look, but found a pair of strappy sandals at H&M today that were just perfect. I've been looking for one that was comfortable to wear on daily basis and these sandals fit the bill. I could've walked in them forever and to have found them in my size, well that's just fate, I tell ya.

That's it. I hope this post helps summarize spring trends for this year. All it takes is just a couple of key items and your wardrobe is refreshed instantly without much effort or cost involved.

Until next time,

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"I'd rather be fun and decadent..."

...camp and glamorous. Go out. Shine. Be loud." Marc Jacobs

Mel and I each have our own individual styles whether it be very feminine, trendy, or preppy chic. With that said, there's no theme with today's post but more of a reflection of our daily personal styles taken from our wardrobe.

Outfit:
Romper + belt: F21
Cardigan: F21
Necklace: F21
Shoes: Steve Madden Luxe wedges
Bag: BCBG

Melanie:

I love to wear rompers during spring/summer seasons, bc it's so easy to grab and add few accessories together and you've got yourself a cute outfit quickly. They are so effortless to wear that I'd recommend having at least one or two for your wardrobe. High-heeled wedges go nicely with a romper if you want to give your legs the illusion of length. This is because most rompers' hem are pretty short to begin with and any high-heeled will already add height to your legs. Both win-win! For days that are a bit chilly, a nice cardigan can add just the touch of warmth, but still be able to take it off and light enough to carry through-out the day.

Outfit:
Shirt: Splendid
Cargo pants: Lerner New York
Leather jacket: Andrew Marc
Scarf: Banana Republic
Cuff: John Hardy
Necklace: John Hardy
Shoes: Pour La Victoire

Linda:
I've been into leopard print lately, so decided that this shirt would be suitable to wear to match my fashion mood:P The weather still been schizo and today it decided it wanted to be cold, so I added a leather jacket for a bit of a rocker chic look. Trying to keep the outfit casual but still a bit edgy I wore cargo pants and completed the look with stilettos. I like the idea of mixing feminine and masculine together and thought pieces on this outfit reflected my mood today.

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Doubling Up in Layers

The weather has been so indecisive lately. It was warm one minute and cold the next. I hear it's calling for snow next Tuesday, now changed to Sunday - such crazy talk! With this type of weather, it's hard to dress for the day, because you never know what the temperature will be like. The next best thing is dressing up in layers, because you can always add or take away an item to accommodate the weather's quirky personality.

Outfit:

Sweater & Tank: F21
Bottom: F21
Necklace: 36" Lisa Taubes sterling silver chain links
Shoes: Steve Madden boots

Melanie:

I typically wouldn't get anything crochet especially in a sweater, but I couldn't help with this one seeing it online. The pink subtle color gives it such a feminine touch especially on top of a tank top that has lace detail at the V-neck and at the hem. I paired it with some comfy skinny jeans over tan boots to complete the outfit. You don't have to stop here though. This outfit can totally be layered up with a nice grey cardigan and scarf for those in between weather and still look great. You can also switch out the tank with a long-sleeve shirt to play up the look a bit. I love casual outfits like this that can be versatile and interchangeable between seasons.

Outfit:
Cardigan: Uniqlo
Blouse: Banana Republic
Jeans: Uniqlo
Shoes: Loeffler Randall
Purse: Chanel
Necklace: Stephen Dweck
Bracelet: David Yurman

Linda:

While I was in NYC this past weekend, I took advantage of the 30% "give and get" coupon at Banana Republic and the sale going on at Uniqlo. One of the purchases was this button down shirt from BR--it's soo soft and fits oh-so-right. I love that you can roll up the sleeves for a 3/4 look and the shirt even provides buttons on the sleeve so it'll stay in place! So smart, Banana, so smart. (I ended up ordering another one in blue stripes online!) Since it's a bit chilly today, I wanted to layer it with something so what better way then to do it with a cardigan. A sweater would've been too stuffy, but a cardigan can give just the right amount of subtle warmth you need. Adding a pop of color like my red Chanel and a statement necklace gives a bit of oomph to this outfit to complete the look;)

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