shirt J. Crew // skirt BDG // sunglasses Ray Bans
Stripes, when Milwaukee finally hits 50 degrees in the spring, the St. Joan of Arc Chapel, short hair, and long sweaters. These are a few of my favorite things, along with raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens (cue Sound of Music now.) This weekend I took advantage of Milwaukee's strangely nice weather and enjoyed some time at the St. Joan of Arc chapel on Marquette's campus, because who knows, it may be covered in snow next week. This is one of my favorite spots on campus, especially in the summer because of the plentiful flowerbeds. It's a peaceful place, perfect for gathering your thoughts after a hard test or simply relaxing on one of the many benches on a nice spring day. Since, the temperature actually managed to climb above 50 this weekend, I decided to wear my denim skirt and new STRIPED linen tee from J. Crew. I snagged this shirt off the sale rack last weekend during one of J. Crew's many extra 30% off promotions, but was nearly brought to tears when I heard the company was considering discontinuing the student and teacher discount. For the past three years I have relied on that discount and am hoping the cashier just didn't know what she was talking about. More importantly, I am here today to tell you to not shy away from your signature looks or patterns or styles. My name is Anna Jurken and I LOVE STRIPES. For years I have attempted to keep myself from buying stripes because I buy them too often. However, a quality friend (S/O to my gal Mia Tripi) recently helped me realize that it is okay to like certain patterns. We shouldn't shy away from them. We should embrace them. I like stripes and if I want to wear stripes I will. So, basically stripes are my all-time favorite thing, but I am also partial to long sweaters. I am not much of a legging "wear-er," but when I do wear them I prefer to cover my "back end." Long sweaters are perfect for this. They are also pretty perfect to wear with nearly anything. They go well with skirts, dresses, and jeans. The one thing to be careful of is long sweaters that are too bulky. Be careful not to ruin your shape with bulk that when paired with length, if you are shorter, can make you appear shorter than you are. Lesson of the Week: You do you baby girl. If you like stripes, polka dots, florals, nudes, pinks, then wear them! Embrace the patterns or colors that you like and never feel like you own too much of it. If patterns are your thing and make you more comfortable then don't be afraid to wear them.
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Jeans & Purse GAP// Sweater & Flats Old Navy// Jacket Wilson's Leather
World, meet Mia. Mia, meet world. Mia is my sweet, sassy, and intelligent best friend and a killer bargain shopper. This week, she is breaking hearts with her edgy look. Valentine's Day doesn't need to be all about pinks and reds, hearts and ribbons. Be edgy and dark with a pop of color! Be like Mia:) This week Mia is wearing her new leather (yes, real leather) jacket from Wilson's Leather, layered with a turtle neck knit from Old Navy. I absolutely love this layered look. It creates a look that says "I'm sweet, but don't mess with me." It's a simple juxtaposition. Also, I just love layers. Layering is perfect for cold (or frigid...) winter days. You can layer with sweaters, shirts, scarves, jewelry- pretty much anything. And then you add in the shoes and the purse. The fierce cheetah print flats and the red side bag add a new dimension to the outfit. The cheetah print is different from a pair of plain black flats. The print adds a new level of interest to the otherwise patternless look. And the bag. This bright red pop of color is perfect! It's small and simple, but oh does it do wonders for this look. The small red side bag is an attention grabber. It draws the eye to it and the look, and since it is Valentine's Day, you do need a little bit of red. The combination of sweet and soft and edgy makes this look perfect for Valentine's Day. It's a confident look with a soft side. Don't be afraid to stray away from the need to dress "sweet" for Valentine's Day. Mix it up. Go with an edgier look with a pop of color. Lesson of the Week: Be fierce. Break hearts, not the bank. This Valentine's Day opt for an edgier look and try layering some pieces. P.S. Check out wilsonsleather.com for their huge President's Day Sale! Vogue// Paris Street Style// Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life
Developing your style and understanding what fits you best or what style describes you can be difficult. You can try new things and shop at new stores, but a great way to avoid spending money on clothes you won't like and styles that aren't you is to read up on new styles and trends. Reading about trends is easy to do and CHEAP. Check out other fashion blogs, get a subscription to a fashion magazine, read books about icons of the industry, or even listen to a fashion and style podcast. It doesn't matter how you do, it matters that you do it. Educating yourself on what's going on in the fashion world will help you realize what you like and don't like which will save you money. Check out a few of my favorite fashion blogs, websites, and books! 1. Mary Seng// Happily Grey 2. Blair Eadie// Atlantic Pacific 3. Kennedy Dawn Stearns// Northern Indigo 4. Katherine Power + Hillary Kerr// WHO WHAT WEAR 5. Vogue 6. Lisa Chaney// Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life 7. Isabelle Thomas + Frédérique Veysset// Paris Street Style: A Guide to Effortless Cool Lesson of the Week: Don't just rush into new styles because you want to try something new. Educate yourself first. Follow fashion blogs, read magazines, and learn. Reading about different styles and looks will help you define your own look and will help you save money on silly purchases. Hat COAL// Jacket&Pants&Top J. Crew// Sneakers Nike// Scarf GAP
"They envy us for the je ne sais quoi that is so characteristic of French style, the effortless, unstudied chic of it: the tangled hair or Vanessa Paradis, the faded jeans of Charlotte Gainsbourg, the masculine shirts and ballet flats of Inèsde la Fressange, the look of Clémence Poésy... French women are more sober in their clothes choices than the flamboyant Italians or the eccentric English." (Paris Street Style: a Guide to Effortless Chic by Isabelle Thomas & Frédérique Veysset) Don't we all just wish that we could dress like and carry ourselves like a French woman? They carry themselves with such confidence and effortless elegance. Who says we can't do the same? To me street style is the answer. Street style, personally, is urban and youthful, marked by wearing what makes you feel confident and the mixing of trends. Too often we are trapped in thinking that you can only wear certain styles with other certain styles, but I say WHO CARES- mix trends, patterns, and styles. Just go for it. This week I mixed my preppy, timeless J. Crew Stadium Coat and plaid GAP scarf with ripped jeans, dirty sneakers, and my new COAL beanie. When I was wearing this outfit earlier in the week it gave me a sort of confidence that made me walk the streets of Milwaukee with my head held high. These were clothes I was comfortable in and liked. That comfort makes the difference. Be comfortable in what you wear and you will wear it well. Another important key in rocking street style is not caring what others think. Street style is all about personal style, no one can tell you what to or what not to wear. That is the great thing about street style. You can mix trends and patterns and no one can tell you not to. Street style is great for style on a budget because you don't have to have the perfect edgy top to go with your distressed black jeans and heavy black boots or the fresh starched&pressed white blouse to go with your pencil skirt. You can mix&match and still look SMOKIN'. Lesson of the Week: Be like a French woman. Be effortless and careless. Do not worry about what others think and wear your clothes with confidence. boots Urban Outfitters // jacket BP.
We all make mistakes. We can hide from them, pretend they never happened, or we can own up to them. They can be big, consequential, or insubstantial. No matter the severity or how we handle them, the truth is: we all make mistakes. This week's focus is on the "Do's & Don'ts" of the sale section. Let's get the ugly out of the way first and discuss what no to do when it comes to shopping the sale section. So, I hope you can figure out which item in this post is the mistake... THE BOOTS, the terribly hideous, hairy boots. You may not be able to tell, but these lovely platform heel boots are in fact hairy. They seem to be made from some faux horsehair or faux "I-don't-even-know-what-animal" skin. When I first purchased these boots I could not have been more excited. I thought to myself how great of a deal they were at ONLY $50. Oh how wrong I was. In the moment I was making a purchase based solely on price. I was not thinking about whether I actually liked them or not, but rather I was focusing on the savings. So, here are my rules for shopping the sale section (which as I mentioned in Steals & Deals is where I do most of my shopping): 1. Don't buy it if it doesn't fit--> Just because something is on sale does not mean it is okay to buy an ill-fitting garment. If it doesn't fit, don't spend money on it because you probably won't wear it. 2. Make sure you are actually attracted to the good and not just the price of the good--> It is easy to get caught up in how much you are saving and not enough on whether or not you actually like the item. Try to think about if you would still buy it if it were regularly priced. 3. Is the garment in good shape? Or does it have stains, missing buttons, or tears?--> If you know how to repair any tears or missing buttons, or if the stains are easily removed it is okay to buy the item. However, if you don't know how to fix these issues, do not spend your money. 4. Why is the item on sale?--> Is this a good that nobody wants so the retailer is forced to lower the price? Is it an odd size that just doesn't seem to fit anyone? Was it a hot item and the retailer just can't sell the last one? Try to think about why the item may be on sale. If the reason has a negative connotation, don't buy it. 5.If you seriously like an item, ask an employee at the retailer if they can hold it for you. Put the item on hold and think about the purchase. If you still want it the next day go ahead and buy it, but if you are unsure whether it is something you like, save your money. Like I said, we all make mistakes, but if you follow these guidelines to shopping the sale section you can hopefully avoid some fashion faux pas and wasted money. You can also find some great things in the sale section, like this week's BP. Slouchy Jacket. I recently happened upon this jacket in Milwaukee's new (and first) Nordstrom. It was on sale for nearly 50% of its original price. This clearly attracted my eye, but I didn't buy the jacket right away. After trying the jacket on and determining it was a good fit I had the sales person hold the jacket for an hour. I consulted several friends and when I decided it was worth it I went back and made the purchase. The jacket has been a useful addition to my closet and goes well with nearly everything. Lesson of the Week: We all make mistakes. Don't let poor decision making in the sale section be the mistake you make most often. Follow my guidelines and don't fall victim to poor purchases. P.S. If you so happen to like the boots featured in this week's post and are interested in purchasing them please email me at [email protected]. They've only been worn once:) skirt J. Crew// sweater Anthropologie
Wow, it feels like months since I've last posted when in reality it’s only been a few weeks. These past two weeks have been crazy hectic with finals, work, and getting ready for Christmas and it has left me with very little time for myself, let alone blogging. This morning I finally got a chance to take some pictures with a little help from my lovely mother and after working all day today I'm just now getting the chance to post. So, here it is: I know it's the day after Christmas, but this week's post is about Christmas style. I'm not much one for dressing in all red or green for the holiday, but find this week's plaid skirt from J. Crew to be fitting for Christmas. Interestingly, I got the skirt as a Christmas gift several years ago. I absolutely love the colors and preppy style, and the wool fabric makes it perfect for cool winter days (although thanks to El Niño, this Wisconsin winter has been practically nonexistent). I paired it with a pair of grey cable knit tights (can be purchased for very little here), my Darby Loafers (again), and a chartreuse cardigan from Anthropologie. This cardigan, much like the skirt, was also a Christmas gift from several years back. In the years following its addition to my wardrobe, I have found the sweater to be a staple. I usually am not one for bright colors and have a closet full of rather mute tones. So, having a knit like this is fabulous. It allows me to add a pop of color to the dullest colored outfits. Ok, I know what you're probably thinking right now. You're probably thinking, "Anna this is supposed to be a blog on how to dress well without spending too much and you're wearing all J. crew and Anthropologie. This doesn't make sense." Well, I have two explanations: 1. Yes, Christmas is a time for giving and Jesus is, in fact, the reason for the season. However, we inevitably get gifts and it can be a good time to ask for a few nicer things that you may not purchase for yourself. (I'm not saying you should be greedy, but maybe ask for quality over quantity when it comes to gifts) 2. Christmas is a good day to pull out some nicer clothes and get dressed up. It's a time to grab your more expensive pieces and sport them for an evening. Lesson of the Week: Christmas is for nice clothes. It's a day, an evening, a time to sport some of your finer items and enjoy getting dressed up. And remember, quality over quantity. jacket Forever 21// top and booties H&M// jeans Zara
Meet Jacie Jermier, a soon-to-be wife, sass master, music-lover, and crazy good athlete. Jacie so graciously agreed to model for me amidst her busy life of preparing to graduate in a short week and move to Seattle shortly after, and I couldn't be more grateful for her time. She is a beautiful soul with effortlessly cool style and natural beauty. This week she is sporting a lightweight utility jacket (no parka needed- MKE is oddly holding off on the cold weather), relaxed-fit henley tee, simple black jeans, and some killer black booties. The look is the epitome of Jacie's style- simple, chic, effortless. My favorite parts of the look are her H&M henley and booties. Jacie's love of henley tees has rubbed off on me and I've been in love with the shirts lately. The tops are perfect for layering or simply wearing on their own and offer that effortlessly cool style. Stores like H&M and Forever 21 most always have basics like these and for reasonable prices. Similarly, these same stores also have a great selection of shoes. If you're looking for low-cost boots, booties, heels, etc., there is rarely a shortage at H&M. Jacie's black chelsea booties (totally in right now!) are the perfect combination of "going out shoes" and everyday footwear. While chelsea boots like Jacie's are a hot style right now, I believe they are timeless- they go with nearly everything and can be dressed up or down. For Jacie, their simple look is consistent with her effortless style, but are adaptable to fit nearly any style. What makes Jacie's style unique or admirable is her dedication to who she is. She wears what she likes and sticks to pieces that define her style, but most importantly, she wears confidence. Confidence and a smile are the two most important accessories in any wardrobe, and Jacie has both. She's effortless, gorgeous, confident, and inspiring- someone I admire and thank the Lord for putting her in my life. Lesson of the Week: Don't change your style for anyone. Whether you're an edgy dresser, a prep, or a hipster embrace your style and find pieces that define you. Be confident in your style and always wear a smile! sweater Forever 21// purse Kate Spade
"Women who wear black lead colorful lives." -Neiman Marcus Black, arguably the most important color in fashion industry, never goes out of style. Everything about the color says chic and clean, and even a little mysterious. It's a color quite easy to wear and makes nearly everyone look good. So, this week I donned my all black ensemble. Yet, I felt the need to add a splash of color with my red structured handbag because I always need a little pop. This week's outfit is composed of mainly piece I have already featured in posts, such as the pants a few weeks back in Take Care and the shoes from my very second post, Steals & Deals. For me, dressing well doesn't require five different pairs of essentially the same piece. Black pants are black pants and there is no need for several pairs of the same thing. It is quite easy to re-wear pieces and with slight changes to other aspects of the outfit, you will have a completely new look and people will not even recognize that you are re-wearing anything. By re-wearing the basics in your closet, it allows you to be able to spend more on unique or "not so basic" pieces. This past week, after months of not shopping, I finally splurged on a new sweater. However, I'm not quite sure you can call a $20 sweater a splurge, but it has made a great addition to my closet. This week's black turtleneck sweater is from Forever 21. I happened upon it earlier this week and simply had to have it. Its thick knit and turtleneck make it warm and perfect for winter weather. Paired with black pants and shoes, with a colorful bag (like I've done here) make a simple, sophisticated holiday look. It can also be paired with blue jeans for a more casual look. Any way you wear this Forever 21 find you will see that it is worth having in any wardrobe. Lesson(s) of the Week: Wearing black- slightly mysterious, yet totally chic and with a pop of color, perfect for the holidays. Also, don't waste your money on buying too many items that are too similar. Basics are basics and there is no need to have excess of these pieces. It is okay to re-wear basics and no one will ever know! boots Pajar// jacket Patagonia// scarf GAP// hat H&M
Winter is coming! Winter is coming! As the temperature starts to drop and the snow begins to fall it's important to dress for the weather. In my opinion, proper winter attire includes a winter jacket, boots, a hat, a scarf, and mittens. It always bothers me when I see people (mainly other college students, and mainly boys) walking around in only a sweatshirt when it’s below freezing out. Not dressing properly does not make you "cool," nor is it smart. So, this week (well last week...) I'm sharing my thoughts on winter essentials. There are two categories of winter essentials in my mind. The first is the basics, the more important items such as a winter jacket and a pair of boots. These items are more expensive, but the price is almost directly correlated to their importance and durability. This week I'm wearing a Patagonia Down Sweater Hoodie and Pajar Iceland boots. When you buy jackets and boots like the ones that I am wearing you are paying for quality. I have had the jacket for roughly five years now and the boots for almost three. While the prices for similar items may seem high, it is important to take into account how long the pieces will be good for. I believe it is important to pay for quality once than have to repurchase new goods year after year. However, it is also important to make sure to buy pieces that are simple and timeless. While you may want to go out and buy that bright pink jacket, it is better to stick with basic colors that you won't get tired off and won't fade or get dirty. Now, my second category is winter accessories, which allows you to have some fun with your winter look. This category includes the hats, mittens, and scarves. This week I'm sporting a red plaid scarf from the Gap and a basic grey knit cap from H&M. While you can still find very expensive winter accessories, you can also find very reasonably priced ones at stores like H&M, Forever 21, the Gap, and American Eagle. By purchasing your accessories from stores like these you are able to purchase a wide variety of styles, allowing you to keep your winter look fresh and new. Lesson of the Week: Don't cheap out when it comes to buying a winter coat and boots. These necessities are worth the money and will last you for several years. However, when it comes to winter accessories, it is okay to opt for the less expensive goods in order to have some variety. And remember, not dressing for the weather does not make you cool. It is possible to look stylish and be warm- so DO IT. Well, hello everybody! Just wanted to let you all know that this week's post will be posted on Monday! I'm currently on a family vacation and do not have access to wifi, but will be posting as soon as I can Monday. Can't wait for you to read my thoughts on winter essentials. See you Monday!
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