New Job, New Looks!

Fauxshionable here, bringing you another way to save money and look fantastic. My friend Beth got a great new job and asked me for a little help in putting together some fresh office looks. Beth wanted to purchase a few pieces to update her current wardrobe so instead of my normal closet shop, we did a wardrobe consultation!

Step 1: We started by going through her current clothing and selecting items that had a lot of versatility. A sweater dress, tailored pants, long necklaces, layering tops, and pencil skirts provided the basics we'd build from. 

Step 2: I then determined what items Beth could pick up to enhance her versatile looks from step one. In this case, I listed boots in fun colors and shapes, opaque bold colored tights, a fitted jacket to wear over a blouse, a cardigan or two, and belts that sit at the waist.

Step 3: SHOP!

Step 4: After she got her recommended items, I went back to Beth's to put together new looks for work (plus one for casual Friday!). Her style is classic cool for the office. She's a gorgeous professional woman. Here are her new looks:

Shoppin' Your Closet - Hot Mama

Working with Ashley, a Chicago mother of 2, was both exciting and challenging. After she referred to herself as "a human napkin," I knew I had my work cut out for me. Functional, fashionable looks for chasing around her adorable kids (the cutest) without buying a thing? Game on.














Look 1 appears fancy, but the cozy sweater makes it wearable. The ruffle button down shirt just adds the touch of fashion Ashley was looking for. We belted the sweater and put it with dark trouser jeans and low heeled brown boots.
















Ashley and her husband both love music and sharing it with their kids. I could see her working look 2 while her son plays his toy drums at home and then out to run errands on a Saturday afternoon. A long shirt dress over black leggings and gray slouchy boots go perfect with classic Ray Bans.



















The 70's are back in Look 3! A flowing bell sleeved sweater over brown leggings with tan cowboy boots and over-sized glasses bring the retro spirit into this mom without looking dated. Hello model!
















A bright orange men's sweater is the focus of look 4. We stole Ashley's husband's old Abercrombie wool sweater and rolled up the sleeves. We put it over super skinny jeans and comfy boots for a laid back play-date outfit. P.S. - she's looking at her husband in these pics - adorable.


Finally, I just HAD to do a dressy look for date night. The blue blouse was a gift from her sister (Krystle of Fly Vintage!) and it worked quite nicely with her ivory skirt and turquoise accents. And YES - those are LOUBOUTIN pumps. Isn't she gorgeous?

Be sure to check out Ashley's blog - The Inner Peace Project. It focuses on taking care of the earth and yourself. And hey - shopping your closet fits in perfect because it's another way to be green.


Thanks again, Ashley!

McQueen vs. McQueen

I recently purchased an Alexander McQueen skirt at a vintage show I went to with Fly Vintage. The dealer said it was from a ready-to-wear collection in the 90's - but if any of you fashion buffs out there know differently, please share!

I made the decision to buy the skirt because I knew I could wear it in so many different ways. It's made of worn Italian leather that's only going to get softer and more beautiful with age. Anything that is versatile and high quality is a good buy. Keep that in mind anytime you're shopping and need to decide where to allocate your funds.

Here are two very different ways of wearing this skirt. Which one do you like better?

Purple Haze

Hey Preppy

Want more? Head on over to Fly Vintage to see Krystle's take on my outfits. She incorporated some of her pieces to change up the styling. We had so much fun putting together these two very different looks!

More of the skirt, coming soon...

The Look of Herve Leger

The Herve Leger bandage dress is as iconic as it is easily recognized. Its form fitting, bombshell shape truly celebrates a woman's body. It's bondage meets 80's Barbie! The only problem? The dresses are $1000 and up.

To get the look, try to find shapes that are body hugging, but made of a thicker material. The beauty of the bandage dress is its thick rayon and nylon blend that smooths the body to make it appear more thin. Everyone can benefit from a body flattering dress!







I found these 2 dresses at Forever 21 (my fave) for $21.80 each. I added a belt I already had to the black one. While they obviously aren't the high quality of HL, they still provide a similar shape and effect. Here's another one I found on Forever's site with a bit of embellishment.

Go ahead and flaunt your curves in these va-va-voom styles!

Shoppin' Your Closet - The Working Wardrobe Edition!

I recently had the honor of ransacking the exquisite closet of Rachel from The Working Wardrobe. At first I thought maybe I’d pull some looks that transition from work to night – but as I started digging, I knew I wanted to focus on looks strictly for play. Besides – Rachel is already an expert on work wear!

When I put together new looks from clients’ closets, I normally try and pull 4-5 options for them. My goal is to recycle current pieces into new looks to give the feeling of having just gone shopping. Depending on what the client is looking for style wise, I tailor the type of outfits I pull. In this case we wanted to have FUN! Thus, 4 playful looks emerged.

Look 1 can only be described as a cornucopia of fall colors and shapes. Sure, it’s a literal interpretation of the season, but it works!Check out the gorgeous necklace we paired with a classic menswear inspired blazer. I was also a HUGE fan of the olive green skinnies – both in the amazing fit and the unique color. I put it all together with knee high boots for an autumnal tribute.

When I saw the jacket in look 2 and the purple leather skirt, I almost felt like I was cheating! The job was a breeze with so many options. I put the skirt and jacket with black patterned tights and jade green shoes to avoid being too matchy-matchy.....

To read the rest of the post and to find out what The Working Wardrobe is all about, click here!

Gaga for Gaga

Hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween! Just wanted to share my costume with you. I get very serious about costumes - a direct result of my mother being serious about our costumes growing up. She and I collaborated on this one - without spending too much, of course!

We don't believe that a good Halloween costume comes in a bag with the title "Sexy _____" on it. You don't buy your everyday outfits in a bag, do you? One must DIY for the best look.

I went as Lady Gaga - a popular choice "supposedly," but I do believe that I rocked it out. What do you think?

Wig - $20, Belt - $16, American Apparel body suit - $26, lace tights - $7, leather gloves - $17, sunglasses - $12 fake gold chain - $5, 2 yards of red satin for the hood - $6. Total: $109

I already had shoes (not pictured) and the vintage faux fur coat (I got it for $10 at a yard sale). I'll totally wear the tights, body suit, sunglasses, and gloves again - so really, the costume total is: $47!