Fun Graphic Tees!

I love wearing witty or fun graphic tees and tanks. Sometimes I wear them to Pure Barre classes, other times I wear them around town for errands, etc. But I also adore them dressed up with a high-waisted skirt and a statement necklace! Here are some of my all-time faves and the info. on where to find them :)

I LOVED this Feyonce shirt, and I wore it on the first day of my bachelorette weekend and the day before my wedding for nails/lunch and picking up my dress from The Crystal Bride. It is a perfect gift for a bride to be. I have actually since passed it along to my bff, Megan! 

Find it here or here.

The day before our wedding, out to lunch after nails with my sister (left) and cousin (right). 

 (Side note: I miss that long hair! Time to start growing it out again-- haha!). Anna has on another graphic tee that I love-- more on that below!

This was the first day of my bachelorette party, before we left for Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. 

Love this pic of my girls!

Kelly, Mandy, Jamie, myself, Megan and Caitlin.

This is a new shirt (above) that I absolutely love. I bought it back home at Ivory and Birch in Boardman, Ohio. Ivory and Birch is THE CUTEST boutique! They have everything from fun greeting cards to glam Trina Turk dresses. This latitude and longitude tee has the coordinates of Youngstown, Ohio, my hometown. It is one of the softest tees I've ever owned!

Bonus pics- LOL! I stopped in Indianapolis on my way to Newport, Kentucky last weekend. I got to see my bestie, Fran, and meet her new son, Henry! HE. WAS. AMAZING!  Check out those adorable thighs! I couldn't stop hugging him. I'm in love! 

This tank is one of my faves, too! Thanks to my girl, Taryn, I am now the proud owner of a Treat Yo'self tank!  We wore them to Pure Barre last week to earn our "twinning" bingo space for PB Bingo! She found these for us at Target. Olivia kicked our BUTTS in class, but I was seriously so happy to be wearing these tanks that class flew by!

We earned another sticker that day for a before and after pic! Haha! You might not be able to tell because Taryn looks so pretty, but that was one of the hardest classes I've ever taken at Pure Barre Geneva! Olivia rocks!

This shirt is what you saw my sister, Anna, wearing above. She bought it for us both, actually! So sweet of her. It's from my all-time favorite coffee shop, Graham's 318. If you have the chance to hit up Grahams 318 in Geneva, you won't be disappointed! Be sure to try the "chai-cofskee" because it's the most amazing drink I've ever had-- shout out to Mandy for telling me about it! OMG!

This last one is from Everfitte, which is the cutest online retailer for printed tanks (a lot of them are workout-inspired, too!). My friend, Rachel, found this one for me, and I had to have it! Barre Belle!

Here are some additional fun ones from Express and Nordies. Author's note: some of these are alcohol-related, so my under 21 gals would have to pass on those-- haha! Sorry!

Some of my other favorite graphic tees come from Mindy Mae's Market, T and J Designs and The Trendy Sparrow:

1. This casual Friday tee would look adorable with the pictured blush blazer.

2. I have this "Bloggers Gonna Blog" tee (and a matching mug from my bestie, Megan!). 

3. Loving this tee, as I'm always overdressed for every occasion. Haha!

4. I have had my eye on this for months! My sis would LOVE this one! I love it tucked in with the high-waisted sequined shirt and paired with a fabulous statement necklace. 

5. And this because every day should be a taco Tuesday!

What's your fave graphic tee?

xxoo

Mary

Belle On Trend's Christmas Wish List

Here are a few of the items I am asking Santa (AKA Mom, my hubs or sister) for. I am also an epiphany (January 6) baby, so I will be sure to keep these in mind for myself with the after-Christmas sales!



1.  This ruffle top from Banana Republic.  The ruffle detail is so fun and feminine. I love ruffles on everything-- especially shirts! Blush is one of my favorite clothing colors, too. (The gray version of this top is darling, as well).

2. The Girl on the Train was recommended to me by one of my awesome coworkers at school. I love to buy and own books, instead of using an iPad or Kindle (I also love stocking the books up on our bookshelves!). It must be the English major/teacher in me. I am looking forward to reading this, as my friend told me it's extremely gripping!

3. This sparkly bracelet from Kate Spade is to die for!  Kate Spade bangles are my favorite pieces of jewelry. I tend to stack them with my watches. Here is the "Glitter is my Favorite Color" idiom bracelet.

4. I popped into J. Crew in downtown Naperville the other night before meeting Mike after work. I saw this beauty in the flesh, and it was a fabulous find! How fun would this be (I love the white or gray) with a skinny pair of cropped black pants and fancy heels? Or even skinny dark jeans? Maybe Santa will find it as adorable as I do!

5.  Last year, I watched (okay, obsessed) over a buffalo plaid Milly dress that was about $400 and completely out of my price range. I checked it daily on Nordstrom's website, in hopes that somehow it would go on sale for approximately 75% off. To my dismay, after cyber-stalking the dress for months, it sold out completely.  I was heartbroken! (I later saw Reece Witherspoon wearing it in a magazine, so she may have increased its popularity. Sheesh!).  But, I just saw this dress from Mindy Mae's Market that is a very similar style! I think it's kismet! It is $67.99, and I could wear it in winter with boots and a cardigan, and then into the fall with wedges or Sperrys!

6. I have been married now since July 11, and I have sneakily continued to use my old MHM monogrammed necklaces.  The time has come to retire my old monogrammed pieces and move on to MFM!  Moon and Lola is where I bought my first monogrammed necklace about four years ago. It has served me well!  I love the different bright acrylic colors M&L offers! 

What's on your Christmas list this year? What gifts have you bought so far? I would tell you what I've bought, but I can't give anything away just yet! ;-)

xxoo
Mary

Glitter is My Favorite Color

There is nothing that makes me happier than a fully glittered shoe, pant, skirt, top, purse or cell phone case. 

Actually, fully glittered ANYTHING pretty much makes my day. (Shout out to my girl, Julie, who loves all things glitter as much as I do! Pictured below at her bachelorette party!).

Find Julie's sequin and tulle dress, here. 

I never thought it was possible to wear a fully sequined shirt to work until I gave it a spin last year. I wore this J. Crew sequined top (pictured below) with a nice pair of Gap khaki pants and a chambray collared shirt underneath. I knew I had nailed my outfit when my sweet coworker and BFF, Sarah, told me that it was "her favorite outfit I'd ever worn." SHE knows her stuff, so this was a huge compliment.

Here is a fabulous alternative (from Banana Republic) to my older J. Crew Factory shirt.

Also, can we please talk about this amazing (pictured below) fully-sequined bronze blazer from B-rep? I am so impressed by the current Banana pieces for the holiday season!

I recently became obsessed with finding these glitter Ann Taylor gold pants (below). I blame Maria for this (haha), but they really are beautiful. However, there was no sign of them at the Naperville or Geneva Ann Taylor, and they were totally sold out online. I was so sad!

[Addendum: I was just searching again while editing my post, and I see that Ann Taylor has one size left in the sequin pants! See them here! Sadly,  not my size, but maybe they're yours!]

Until, however, my dear friend, Jamie, came to the rescue. She'd seen similar ones at Target back home in Ohio and picked up a pair for me.  The best part about a sequined pant or skirt is that all you need on top is a plain shirt. It can be plain black (to contrast the gold or silver) or white to embrace a "winter white" look.

Here is a phenomenal option of sequin leggings from Nordstroms.

The Target ones are not available online, but you can find them in the junior's section of your local store. 

I have also been totally melting for these fully sequined skirts.

These two are under $50 from Mindy Mae's Market, an online boutique that has amazing deals and trends. I have purchased two idiom tee shirts (gifts for my sis and bestie) from MMM, and the shipping is extremely fast and FREE!

Check out the great $49.99 price tag on this gold stunner.

Shop this beauty, here.

My dear friend, Mandy, sent me these great skirts from Banana the other day.

I foresee many a NYE being celebrated in this one!

Currently, Banana Republic has a 40% off sale happening! Scoop this up for December 31!

This bronze sequined skirt looks perfect with a cozy, chunky sweater. 

It is demure enough in this bronze color to be worn to work. 

J. Crew Factory never lets me down. This gorgeous skirt is $70 currently and available online. 

If you don't know if you could be as daring as fully sequined pieces, I challenge you to add in a little sparkle in a more subtle way. I wear this skirt (below) so often! It is about 3 years old, but J. Crew Factory just re-released another design of it, here. 

Julie, Alison and me! 

This pleated skirt with a ruffle is another fantastic alternative to fully sequined. You can step cautiously into the realm of sparkle with this one.

Add a statement necklace to your simple top (crisp, collared shirts or chambray work wonders paired with sequins, too), and you have the perfect outfit!

My advice for fully sequined skirts is to stay at pencil fit and knee length to avoid looking to "clubby."  I, for one, can no longer rock my fully sequined Express mini skirts of my days at Fever or Tao Night Club in Vegas :-)  Plus, it adds class and sparkle simultaneously to your look.


How do you incorporate sequins into your clothing regime?
xxoo
Mary

Pattern Play: Dare to be BOLD!

Polka dots and stripes in the same outfit?

Plaids of different colors, worn together?

For shame? Or... for sure!

Pattern play is a newer concept for me. I started embracing it purely out of practicality: northern Illinois gets COLD from November to March. A sweater alone was simply not enough. I always need a sweater and a collared shirt underneath for work.  Thus, my own "uniform" was created.

Last fall, I saw this amazing, shiny, polka dot jumper dress from J. Crew Factory modeled with a different polka dot patterned collared shirt underneath. I was sold on pattern mixing at that very moment. (Also, I knew I needed to purchase that dress. At that moment. haha!)

                                              With the 2/3 of the Turk sissies, Megan and Kimmy 

At first, I played it safe. A green and navy sweater? Ok, I will pair it with a plain chambre shirt underneath the sweater. Safe, yes. Fashion forward? Not nearly enough.  (Below, playing it safe in polka dots and chambre and bows and chambre). The bow sweater is old, but here is something similar: from Saks off 5th. The necklace in both pictures is from Charming Charlie's. Here is an even better one from Bauble Bar.  My earmuffs are Kate Spade, compliments of my darling hubs. Here is a pair with a fabulous bow! That's my sweet Goddaughter with me below.

Above, I added a different patterned shirt, similar: here.

And a striped infinity scarf: this is a fun alternative, though not infinity.

I began with this navy gingham shirt from the J.Crew outlet.   I decided that adding polka dots on top would spruce it up a bit for the foreboding winter months. I liked what I saw! This was the original sweater. Unfortunately, it is no longer available. But here's a nice alternative: from J. Crew factory. Also, here's a black and white version from Mindy Mae's Market (the cutest website!) that you could pop a color (or collar!) under!


Additionally, I discovered plaids and jewels, thanks to an amazing fashionista, Sarah Vickers. Check out her fashion blog!

Gap collared shirt, old, but a similar one found here is 40% off!

Necklace, old, J. Crew Factory. Check out this one, instead. 

Have I seen pattern play over done? Absolutely. But, I can give you some tips and tricks on keeping it manageable.

1. Stay within the same color scheme.  It might be too much to pair green with red (unless it's Christmas), but if there is a pop of red in your navy sweater, feel free to compliment it with a blue gingham. Further, look at the colors intertwined in your plaid shirts-- perhaps choose to pick up the fainter pinks or yellows in your "base" layer.

Same blue gingham as above. 

My sister got me that awesome J. Crew apple sweater (which has since sold out), but here is a super cute alternative (25% off!). 

2. Add your statement jewelry into the mix. Pick up the tones of either layer to highlight your jewelry.

3. Usually 2 different patterns are going to be the best bet for pattern play. Anything more gets a little chaotic. If you are rocking stripes and polka dots on top, opt for a solid pant on the bottom. (Try these Winnie Pants in any solid color. They're so flattering and tailored for work! My girl Court and I love them!). Also, patterned tights rock! But not if you are already mixing two patterns on top.

4. Collared shirts under sweaters aren't the only way to mix patterns. Try adding a different pattern under a jumper to take your sheath dresses through the colder months. Also, throw a striped blazer on top of a dress to work the pattern play with a dress.

Above: I have this jumper in three colors. I get so much wear out of it! The yellow is no longer available, but the gray and red are fabulous colors. You can wear any patterned shirt underneath in the winter, or you can wear it sans plaid in the warmer months! 

This the the yellow jumper in teal. I LOVE the fit, too! Very flattering, fit and flare type style. 

Above: Ann Taylor blazer and dress. Got this idea from A Lacey Perspective. Check out her blog, too!

Both the blazer and dress are old, but here are some great alternatives: a great price, from Nordstrom. Blazer, L.L. Bean. (I'd suggest the black version of the dress and the black and tan blazer!)

Above blazer, Gap-- uber clearance last summer. Here's a nice alternative: from Nordy's.

The dress is Lilly Pulitzer. I would replace it with this stunner, and choose the white and gray striped blazer. 

5. Critter shirts work great with tailored, colored skirts. Critter shirts can also work so well with a pop of color short, as pictured below.  In other words, if you have a navy critter (anchors, etc.) on your top, opt for a complimentary color bottom, instead of a safe navy bottom. (And if you want to rock critter shorts or pants as a man, please contact Jeremy Pittenger because he knows how to wear a critter!).

Me, Mandy, Megan and Cheng, back home in Ohio

My shorts were old J. Crew factory, but here are some from Target for under $20! 

My tee shirt was also an old J. Crew Factory purchase, but I love this striped J. Crew tee that is currently 40% off! And this Gap Oxford, too! The red polka dots are adorable!

My monogram necklace is from Moon and Lola. 

6. Outerwear like vests or scarves can enhance your pattern mixing. I layered a chambre, polka dot dress with a buffalo plaid vest. That day, I remember specifically, was a high of 16 degrees. I added a gray sweater to pick up the gray of the vest. I wore navy tights and my brown Frye boots.

My Goddaughter and me :-)

My cousins at Bryn and Jack's birthday party!

The polka dot dress from Loft was an old purchase, but here is an alternative polka dot shirt dress from Ann Taylor! Currently 50% off.

Similar vest, here.

Under my vest this time I wore a black and white polka dot sleeveless shirt (below, old. But, even better here from Brooks Brothers) and a yellow Banana Republic sweater (similar here, and it is 25% off!). 

 I topped it off with the multistrand pearl necklace from J. Crew Factory. You cannot go wrong with that statement pearl necklace. I wear it SO much. Currently a steal at $31.50!

Have fun with your pattern play!  Embrace the PLAY of it!

xxoo
Mary