We've Moved!!!

I have created a new blog and would love for you to check it out.  It has everything you loved about Stepping Out in Style and more.  Head on over to www.topknotsandcurlylocks.blogspot.com and be sure to follow me there!

Rent The Runway: A Review

As some of you may know, I was lucky enough to attend this year's Grammy Awards as part of the mosh pit.  This was my second year going and I had a blast.  I saw some incredible performances and some living legends.

When I applied to be a part of this pit this year, I had no idea what I was going to wear.  Last year, I went with a trusted red sequined dress that's fabulous.  This year, though, I was stumped.  I didn't want to spend a ton of money on a new dress nor are there many places to buy fancy dresses in Huntington.  I decided to try something different this year, Rent The Runway.

Several of the celebrities I follow on Instagram have posted pictures wearing dresses from the site but I hadn't actually met anyone who had used them.  I was a little nervous but read through their website and decided I would try a cheaper dress and take a back-up with me to LA.  After days of deliberation and asking people's advice, I ordered Yigal Azrouel's Ian se Beijing dress.  The dress retails for upwards of $1,200 but I got it for a total of $60!

I had a great first experience with Rent The Runway.  I went ahead and added in the second size for free just in case.  My dress arrived on time in a cute box.  I got to keep the fabulous garment bag the dresses came in as well as the hangers with the company's logo.  The return process was super easy!  A pre-paid UPS envelope came with the dresses so all I had to do was put them in that and drop it off.  The hardest part was finding a UPS in LA, but we did!

My only complaint is that I had to pay almost $20 in shipping, taxes and insurance!  The dress was only $40 but then tack on all the extra fees... :(  Oh well, I had a great experience and LOVED LOVED LOVED the dress.  I can't wait to use the company again.  If you're interested in using them, let me know and I can give you a code, that way we both get credit!

Thursday Purseday: Eat Cake for Breakfast

Thursday may be all about the "Throwbacks" on Instagram, but here at Stepping Out in Style it's all about the purses!  Some of them may be purses I own while others may be ones I lust after.

Eat Cake for Breakfast

Remember how I told you I interned at kate spade and became obsessed?  Here's more proof: one of the girls I interned with had this bag.  I searched high and low and couldn't find it anywhere except Amazon.  I was just about to give in and buy it off of there when I got an email about a surprise sale on the kate website.  I checked it out and guess what bag they had ON SALE!  YES! THIS ONE!  After a year and a half, this bag was finally mine.  While it may be a little large for some people to use as a purse, I love it.  It has tons of room, plus a great saying on it.  This bag is a great conversation starter with a motto we should all live by! ;)

Tuesday Shoesday: Sanabel Boot

Happy Tuesday everyone!  I've decided to dedicate Tuesdays on the blog to shoes.  I give you: "Tuesday Shoesday!"

I interned for the shoe division of kate spade new york summer before last and fell in love.  I have a very narrow foot and have always had trouble finding shoes that fit.  Then I landed this internship and was introduced to a whole new world.  These shoes fit me and I became even more obsessed with kate spade than I already was.  It's only fitting to have the inaugural post be a pair of my kates.

Sanabel

These shoes are FABULOUS!  I get compliments every time I wear them.  They are red suede with a wedge heel, gold zipped up the back and piping down the side.  These shoes always give me the boost of confidence I need.  They look great with anything, but especially dark skinny jeans.  They come in several colors but who could pass up this red?

Haute Couture Helmets

New York City is the host of the Super Bowl this year!  Well, technically it's in New Jersey, but close enough.  Members of the Council of Fashion Designers of American, CFDA, teamed up with the NFL and Bloomingdale's to create 48 "Haute Couture Helmets."  Some of the designers include Nicole Miller, John Varvatos, Donna Karan and Diane von Furstenburg.  The helmets were unveiled in the window of the Bloomingdale's flagship store in the Big Apple.  These one of a kind helmets are available to bid on at www.blomingdales.com/superbowlhelmets.  The prices start at $248 in honor of Super Bowl XLVIII with all proceeds going to the NFL Foundation.  The organization helps improve the health and safety of sports and youth football.

Take a look at the helmets below and let me know which ones are your favorites.  Personally, I love Alice + Olivia, Fenton/Fallon, Junk Food, Nicole Miller and Rebecca Taylor.  Whew, that was hard to not pick all of them!  These helmets are great and I love the idea of fashion and the NFL coming together.

Here's a peek at the helmets:

Best and Worst Dressed: SAG Awards

"I got my first taste of acting when I was in pre-school., after that I was hooked.  While other kids spent their afternoons and evenings at sporting and social events, I was at rehearsal.  I refused to let anything get in the way of my focus and dreams.  I'm Angela Pino and I'm an actress."

I can only dream of saying something similar to that at the SAG Awards.  I love how year after year they select a few people to give a brief overview of how they got where they are.

Enough of that, though, let's get on to the fashion!

WORST: 

 Amanda Peet:

I have searched high and low and cannot find out who Amanda is wearing.  If you know, please let me know in the comments.  This dress is too much.  While I like the sequin design of the dress, it would be much better as a skirt, or even shorts!  The mesh sleeves are great, but again, not with the dress. 

Julie Bowen

This Carolina Herrera dress reminds me of a Jedi suit from "Star Wars."  Julie is is so tiny that this dress just hangs on her.  It does nothing for her.

Juliette Lewis

This is another one of those dresses that would be better as a skirt...or even a blouse.  That being said, I do love the color and the neck of this Vivienne Westwood dress. 

Rose Leslie

I don't know where to start with this Temperley London top and skirt.  I don't understand the piece at all.  Maybe if the top were black that would help a little, but the purple is lost on me.  Rose looks like she pulled two pieces of clothing from opposite ends of her closet and put them together to wear to the awards.

Sarah Paulson

Sarah looks like she is dressing up to go to a 4-year-old's tea party in this frilly Rochas cocktail dress.  The top of the dress would make a cute blouse but that's about it.  The skirt hits high which cuts Sarah in half and makes her seem shorter than her 5'6 frame.

BEST:

Lupita Nyong'o

I planned on not repeating people from the Golden Globes list but Lupita convinced me to change my mind in this stunning Gucci dress.  Lupita has not only taken the industry by storm with her role in 12 Years a Slave, she is taking over the fashion world, too!  I challenge someone to find a color that does not look good on her.  She nailed it with this turquoise color.  Lupita is definitely the one to look for on the red carpet at the Oscars.

Amy Adams

Amy was stunning in this royal blue Antonio Berardi dress.  The neckline and shoulder cut-out are gorgeous!  The belt on the dress is perfect as is the slit.

Hannah Simone

Hannah looked every part the Grecian goddess in Marchesa.  I love the flow of the dress and the collar. Keeping her make-up simple and having her hair up was a great way to show off the dress.

Isla Fischer

Isla brought some old Hollywood glam to the red carpet in Oscar de la Renta.  I am a huge fan of de la Renta and absolutely love this gown.  The shape of the dress and the v-cut neckline are both to die for!

Kelly Osbourne

Fresh from a break up and looking fierce!  Kelly Osbourne was stunning in a hand-stitched Zac Posen dress.  The ribbed texture to the dress is beautiful!  And I can't forget that neckline and cap-sleeves.  Just in case we needed conformation, this dress seals the deal as to why Kelly is part of the TV show Fashion Police.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Awards Season!

Award season is officially among us!  That means red carpet after red carpet.  While the SAGs are tonight, here's my list of the best and worst dressed from last weekend's Golden Globes.

WORST:

Tina Fey

I'm not exactly sure what's going on in with this dress.  Are those flamingos?  Maybe jellyfish?  Either way, this Carolina Herrera dress is a miss.

Kaley Cuoco

The newlywed failed to impress in this Rani Zakhem dress.  The color blends in with with her skin tone and it looks like the dress is going to slide off her at any moment.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer, you've let me down!  I always look forward to seeing that J.Law is going to wear.  She's (almost) always spot on.  This Dior dress though?  Not so much.  The dress does nothing for her figure and she needs a necklace or something if she's going to be showing that much collar bone! 

Paula Patton

I was worried Paula was going to tip over while wearing this Stephanie Rolland Couture dress.  I will admit, not many people can pull off white, but she can!  However, Mrs. Robin Thicke could barely walk and the ruffles are way too much.

Berenice Bejo

The top of the dress looks wrinkled and doesn't seem to fit her correctly.  The ruffles/flowers on this Giambattista Valli gown look too heavy and hit at an unflattering spot on the hips.

BEST:

Tina Fey

Tina made up for her mess of a red carpet dress with this gorgeous burgundy dress also by Carolina Herrera.  Out of all of her changes, this was by far my favorite look of hers.

Reese Witherspoon

I absolutely love Reese Witherspoon and love Calvin Klein so putting them together is the best possible combination.  Reese kept the look simple with some understated, yet gorgeous, Harry Winston jewels.  Plus, how gorgeous is this color?!?  I'm obsessed.

Kate Beckinsale

Kate was to-die-for in this Zuhair Murad dress.  Kate is known to wear a lot of strapless mermaid dresses and she didn't fail to disappoint.  When it works so well for her, why mess with perfection?

Margot Robbie

Margot looked gorgeous in this Gucci dress.  The green gems on the dress are stunning and the pop of her green shoes to match are stunning!

Lupita Nyong'o

No best dressed list is complete with Lupita Nyong'o in Ralph Lauren.  The dress is simple and shows off her figure beautifully.  I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us this awards season.

BATTLE OF THE BUMP:

We saw several baby bumps on the red carpet.  Kerry Washington put everyone to shame in her Balenciaga gown.  Olivia Wilde came in a close second in this form fitting Gucci dress.  Drew Barrymore could use a lesson or two from her fellow moms-to-be.  This Monique Lhuillier dress is a miss on every level, especially for a pregnant woman.  Kerry takes the award for best bump.

What are your opinions on the fashion we saw at the Golden Globes?  Who topped your best dressed list?  What about your worst dressed?  Who are you most looking forward to seeing on upcoming red carpets?

DIY Glitter Shoes

I saw this idea on Pintrest and had to try it out for myself.  I love sparkles and wanted to add some to my shoes. They are really fast and easy to make.  All you need is mod podge, glitter, a paintbrush and your shoes.  You will also want some newspaper to do this over and I used a cup to mix the mod podge and glitter.

First, mix mod podge with whatever color glitter you would like to use.  Then, paint a layer of the mixture on the sole of your shoe, doing a small section at a time.

While the glue is still wet, sprinkle glitter over top of it and spread it out until you get the desired amount of coverage.

After the first coat is dry, do another coat of the glitter glue and sprinkle more glitter if you want.  Once you're happy with the look of the shoe, paint a coat of just the mod podge over top to make sure all the glitter is sealed in.  Enjoy!

Who do you dress for?

I recently wrote an article for the Daily Kent Stater, my campus magazine, about who and how girls dress when it comes going to class.  You can read the article here.  I also made a short video that goes with it; here it is!

Beer Bread

I have been on a baking kick and have a great beer bread recipe to share!  It's super easy as well as yummy!

Ingredients:
12 oz beer of any kind (for a stronger beer taste, I recommend using a darker beer)
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups self rising flour (if you don't have self rising flour, you can make your own by adding 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt for every one cup of flour)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9 by 5 loaf pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix together flour and sugar.
4. Add beer and mix using a wooden spoon, then your hands.  The batter will become sticky.
5. Pour into pan and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

I love fall time, not just for the fashion, but for the food...especially pumpkin!  I made my first ever pumpkin bread just last week and thought it was pretty good.  I've included the recipe to share with you guys!  I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 sugar
1 cup applesauce
4 eggs, lightly beaten
16 ounces canned pumpkin
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2/3 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray two 9 by 5 loaf pans with cooking spray.

Mix together sugar and applesauce then stir in eggs and pumpkin.

Combine all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Alternate adding dry ingredients and water into the wet mixture, mix well.

Divide batter between the two loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

NOTE: Can also be divided up into muffin tins, cook for 25-30 minutes.

Celebrity Chic for Cheap: Kim Kardashian

In this new section of the blog, I will be featuring outfits worn by some of our favorite celebrities and showing how you can get the look cheaper.  For the first one, we will be taking inspiration from an outfit worn by Kim Kardashian.

Photo Credit

Caslon racer back tank
$28 - nordstrom.com

Forever21 lightweight jacket
$28 - forever21.com

ASOS skinny pants
$26 - asos.com

Belle Noel by Kim Kardashian hoop earrings
$49 - shopthetrendboutique.com

Necklace
€6,90 - forever21.com

White after Labor Day: a do or don't?

I always grew up being told you don't wear white after Labor Day.  The origin of the rule is unknown.  People guess it may have to do with white being a light weight color and keeps people cool so they felt it only needed to be worn during summer months.  As we've moved into the 21st century, does Grandma's rule still pertain?

I vote no.  Rules were made to be broken and I believe this one needs broken.  Winter whites are white-hot and I see absolutely nothing wrong with it and neither do celebrities.  Kim Kardashian even took to Twitter saying how much she loves winter whites.

I can't wait for this upcoming season and making winter white a complete do!

Fashions Night Out

New York City along with CFDA and Mayor Bloomberg host the third annual Fashions Night Out Thursday, September 8th from 6-11 pm.

FNO was created by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour to inspire people to spend money again in hopes of helping kick start the economy.  The earnings from sales go to different charities.  New York City is not the only city hosting FNO.  It is being hosted in 27 cities in the United States as well as 15 different countries.  Some retailers are opening up their online stores as part of the event.

The event starts off New York's Fashion Week.  While Fashions Night Out is open to the public, there's a chance you could run into models, designers, fashion editors and celebrities.  During the event, many retailers are offering exclusive discounts and special promotions including free gifts, h'ordeuvres, champagne and more.

Some of the retailers and designers participating in FNO include:
Forever 21
3.1 Phillip Lim
Alexander Wang
Anna Sui
Betsey Johnson
Bloomingdale's
Macy's
DVF
Marc Jacobs
Elie Tahari
Michael Kors
Proenza Schoeler
Scoop
Rag and Bone
...and many more!

For a full list of events and to see where there are special deals and promotions, be sure to check out the FNO website here.

How To: Extend the Life of Your Bathing Suit

Between sunscreen, salt water and chlorine, it's hard to keep your bathing suit looking its best.  These tips will not only keep your bathing suit in top condition, they'll also help extend the life of it.

1. Rinse your suit
        It's extremely important that after every dip in the pool or ocean that you rinse your bathing suit off in cold water.  This will help remove the salt and chlorine that can damage the fabric.

2. Gently squeeze your suit
        If you wring or twist your suit to get rid of the excess water, you run the chance of causing the suit to lose its shape.  It's best to gently squeeze instead.

3. Hand wash with cool water
        The chemicals in detergents and the roughness of the washer can break down the fibers in your bathing suit.  Opt for hand washing in cool water instead.  If you must use a machine, put it on a gentle cycle and use an all-natural detergent, such as Seventh Generation.

4. Lay flat to dry
        Instead of tossing your suit in the dryer which can destroy the elastic fibers because of the heat, lay your suit somewhere to air dry instead.

What makes clothes pill?

Now that it's summer, it's time to pull out those bathing suits!  One thing with bathing suits is that they tend to pill easily.  Pilling is when little balls form on your clothing.  This is because the fibers in synthetic materials, such as nylon and polyester, are long and strong so instead of breaking off, they tangle and form the little annoying balls known as pills.  While this doesn't do anything to the durability of the clothes, it can be annoying.

While there is no absolute way to keep clothes from peeling, there are some ways to slow down the process.  Washing clothes that are prone to pilling in delicate cycles may reduce rubbing that causes the pills; before putting clothes in the washer, turn them inside out  Also, when wearing bathing suits, don't sit on any rough surfaces as that may aggravate the fibers.

If the pills really annoy you, there are ways to remove them once they form.  There are blocks of pumice or foamed glass that you can rub over clothing and it removes them.  I love the brand Hollywood Fashion Secrets and they sell pumice stones here for $5.99.  There are also several different types of pill shavers that are similar to electric razors that gently cut the pills off.  They range in price with some starting as low as $4!

The Bachelorette: Week 3 Fashion

Now that I've given my recap of the show, it's time to break down Ashley's clothes.  All pictures are screen caps from Videobb.

Planet Blue

Off the shoulder top
$15 - alloy.com

Jolt jeans
$34 - nordstrom.com

Asymmetrical Chiffon Top - BLUE LIFE - Shop Online
$56 - shopplanetblue.com

Haute Hippie

Bl nk London floral dress
60 GBP - theremedi.co.uk

Kenneth cole earrings
$22 - macys.com

Chelsea Flower

Chelsea Flower navy top
$112 - bluefly.com

SOLD Design Lab straight jeans
$48 - revolveclothing.com

Planet Blue

Michael Stars dolman top
$54 - revolveclothing.com

Poncho Tee With Pocket - BLUE LIFE - Shop Online
$75 - shopplanetblue.com

I hate to say it, but I can't figure out what brand this is

Earrings are Susanne Elizabeth

Old Navy low rise jeans
$18 - oldnavy.gap.com

Shell earrings
$18 - topshop.com

Croft and Barrow Solid Roll-Tab Shirt
$25 - kohls.com

Again, I do not for sure know this brand either

The earrings are again Susanne Elizabeth

Jeans
$30 - amazon.com

Turquoise jewelry
4.80 GBP - debenhams.com

Tie Up Military Shirt
$70 - bardot.com.au

Randi Rahm

BKE chunky necklace
$15 - buckle.com

Scala 14189
$238 - shopdress.com