Confession time: my style inspiration comes, mainly, from bloggers. Laugh if you want to, but fashion bloggers are a force to be reckoned with. Editors are the tastemakers, but bloggers show us mere, mall-shopping mortals how to translate those sometimes hard-to-reach trends.
I met Maria Gonzalez of City Laundry at a preview of The Shopping Block at Woodbury Common, an outlet mall right outside of New York City. And girls, this wasn’t your mom’s bus trip to the biggest Tupperware store in the state. Outlet malls (and malls in general, for that matter) get a bad rep for not being “cool” enough. Woodbury Common had so many designer duds for discounted prices, my wallet almost went into fight or flight.
But back to Maria. I asked her for a few tips before willingly allowing myself to dwindle down to one digit in my bank account. Here’s what she told me. PS – there’s one last Shopping Block event on October 25 from noon to 5 p.m. Go. Look. Spend foolishly. You’ll make it back eventually.
1) Buy a good jacket
Baseball jackets, army-inspired zip ups and soft, textured oversized coats are all go-tos this season, Maria told me. She said she picked up the super-cute one she was wearing from Old Navy. Score!
2) Statement jewelry
The easiest hack to dress up your basics. A great necklace can add plenty of personality to the plainest outfits. I spotted lots of pretty baubles at the Kate Spade outlet store – perfect for spicing up my sometimes-drab work essentials or adding a little pizazz to my unofficial after-work uniform – an LBD.
3) All about the shoes
Maria says she loves a fancy boot with metallic detailing, and I’m right there with her. Saks Off Fifth had plenty of booties appropriate for every occasion. I don’t think that there’s a more versatile shoe out there! Maria’s also crushing on slip-on sneakers like these babies (inspired by Céline). I’ve seen bloggers pair them with dresses and underneath pantsuits. I’m always her for anything cute and comfortable.
4) Layering
Layering is the number one cold weather outfit hack…and it’s also perfect for girls who don’t want to stow away their sun dresses just yet. Start with your base – whether it’s a dress or a summer-weight tee – and work your way up with a cardigan, scarf and a fabulous topper (as mentioned in step number one). Woodbury Common’s American Apparel outlet had so many candy-colored tanks and tees just waiting to be bulked up and accessorized.
5) Don’t spend a billion on your basics
I’ve never understood people who spend $150 and more on cashmere camis and soft-knit t-shirts. Can’t you buy 10 of those for the same price at American Eagle Outfitters or the Gap Factory Store? Maria said that’s just frivolous – you’re only paying for the tag when you spend a ton on uber-expensive staples. Duly noted.
5 Quick and Easy Style Hacks from a Fashion Blogger
