Legally Charming Style

Hi hello again!

So this is my second and final post from my vacation a week and a half ago. (I know. Sad.) Our third day of the road trip took us from Providence over to Narragansett Beach, which is located south of Jamestown and Newport. It's a pretty cute little city with the most random over-the-road fortress and lots of great places to eat.

Let me just say that I somehow end up at the ocean at the most seasonally inappropriate times of the year. My travel buddy and I were at the Outer Banks in March (meaning hella cold) and then in New England in October. I know, I know. We're weirdos who like the ocean too much.

This outfit was absolutely perfect for traversing the beach. The day itself was kind of warm (in the mid-60's) so the plaid shirt underneath was lightweight and perfect for wearing when we weren't near the water. But for the ocean breezes, this freakin-adorable-I-just-love-it mustard and black buffalo check jacket was the perfect protector from the cold. Layering plaid-on-plaid is one of my favorite tricks because it can be so much fun without a lot of thought process put into it. What was really new about this combo was that I didn't really stick to my normal rule of a single color carrying through on both pieces. Instead I decided to mix two contrasting colors from the color wheel--purple and yellow--and I loved the result!! So much fun to do something that you don't normally do, and what a better excuse than a vacation to do it? (It also means if you hate it that maybe 1-2 people you know saw you wearing it and the rest are strangers who you'll likely never encounter again.)

My pro tip on this one? If you're going to get crazy with the pattern/color play, give it the spotlight with neutrals in the rest of your outfit. Here, I let the plaid be mad and put on some gray jeans and boots. Then of course I popped in a crazy "hun bun," which by the way is my new favorite trend ever, some dark lipstick, and these SUPER ADORABLE neon yellow Loren Hope earrings I got from Rocksbox.

These earrings are so pretty! I love my second Rocksbox set. It has these earrings, a totally covetable Kendra Scott necklace in midnight blue, and a gold geometric ring. I think my curator kind of knows my soul based on these picks. I had to lay off the earrings for a bit because I forgot I'm allergic to nickel (make sure you share these things with your curator, folks!) and they kind of caused some problems with my ears. Definitely nothing that's Rocksbox's fault, but something for me to remember for my next set.

Not using Rocksbox yet? It's basically the best curated jewelry service, well, EVER. And if you're not and want to try it out, use code LEGALLYCHARMINGSTYLEXOXO to get your first month free!*

See ya next time!

xoxo

Carisa


*Disclosure: As compensation for discussing Rocksbox in my blog, I received my first free months of the service for free. For each referral I make I get points towards continuation of the free service and/or other gifts. However, all opinions about the service and the pieces sent to me are my own. 

Welcome back everyone!

So if you were following my Instagram account (@legallycharming_style) you saw I was on vacation last weekend in Rhode Island. If you're like everyone from Rhode Island, your first question will be, "Why on Earth did you go on vacation in Rhode Island?" (Seriously, y'all, that was the top question from the locals.) If you've never been, I would suggest you go--it's gorgeous historic scenery, a laid-back atmosphere, and the people are funny and quirky.

It was also a fun time to get LOTS and LOTS of photos for my Insta feed and the blog. I love taking photos, and my friend Kara who came with me does too. It's why we're a pretty good match as a traveling team--we love to stop, smell the roses, and take some selfies. Which also meant that it was a good time to pull out the pieces I've been DYING to wear and show them off to their full glory.

Like this cape. I got this gorgeous cape back in August from a lovely local vendor, the Charm City Mobile Boutique. Alyssa is the incredibly nice young entrepreneur who owns the boutique and sells the cutest clothes. I loved pretty much everything in her shop and I always look to see if I can go to another place where she's selling!

The main problem with a fuzzy cape is that I would be a one-woman-sweat-machine if I donned it in August. So this trip was the perfect opportunity to pull it out. But if you're kind of an average girl like me, you might be puzzled about how to wear a cape in a way that doesn't make you look like you've just thrown a blanket over your shoulders. So I'm going to show you the two ways I rocked it last weekend!

1. The casual Friday.


So this look I wore for our Friday travel and I must say it was the most comfortable thing I could have done. It was warm, it was soft, and it was easy to look put together when I'd been on the road for nine hours.

This look is also super simple. It's just a fitted sweater, jeans, and tall boots with the cape thrown over it.  Easy, right? It's perfect for going to the orchard to pick apples or even just going to see the latest cheesy romantic comedy/drama at the cineplex (which we were totally guilty of doing while on an out-of-state vacation).

Pro tip on this one: make sure that your top and your pants are fitted. Wearing something loose under a cape will kind of make you look like a blobby mess--believe me, I tested this look to save you from trying it yourself. The things I do to help you look better! ;)

2. The date afternoon/night.

Welcome back!

Y'all may not know this about me, but I had childhood aspirations to be an actress. I watched the Oscars like they were a religion. I acted out plays with my Barbies. I sang and acted out Disney movies. I have no doubt that I was singularly one of the loudest and most annoying kids of all time.

But I carried on into middle school and got into stage acting. I acted in stage productions throughout junior high and high school, even majoring in theater for my first two years of community college. Needless to say I have a great appreciation for the theater.

Which is why I was SO excited to find out that Center Stage, a local theater production company, offers a GO Pass to people between the ages of 18-34 to incentivize theater attendance by a younger demographic. The GO Pass is $49 for all five of the company's productions during the season, which is a super amazing deal (and I'm not getting paid to say this, though I wish I was)!

On Sunday my friend Kara and I decided to use our tickets to see a performance of the company's first show of the season, Pride and Prejudice. And since it was the theater, and I use any excuse to dress up, I put on this ADORABLE dress which is the perfect transition to fall! I love the high neckline with ties and the bell sleeves, both of which are reminiscent of the 1970s (a huge trend this fall), but the length and print keep it modern, along with a double-wrap black belt I added. It is classy,  elegant, and (surprisingly) warm, which was perfect because the weather was just starting to feel a little like fall.

To make it fun, I punched it up with this neon bag and the pink platform sandals, as well as curling my hair in a way that rarely happens because it takes 100 years to do. I briefly panicked that I had gone into Farrah Fawcett territory with the curls, but overall I liked how it turned out (and the guy at the theater restaurant flirting with me certainly helped boost the confidence)!

I am SO ready for fall, and the next show!

xoxo

Carisa

Welcome back!

So...it's been a while...

Life has been very stressful lately. But today I'm sharing fashion, which is so much less stressful than the rest of my goings-on!

The above outfit was inspired by the #stylemeseptember challenge, which that day was "Fancy for No Reason." Trust me y'all, I love getting fancy for absolutely no reason at all. I live the phrase "There is no such thing as being overdressed or overeducated." (Thanks for that one, Oscar Wilde. You're a champ.) And this dress was like the king of being fancy. It's a beautiful Betsey Johnson dress that I picked up on consignment for less than $40. FORTY. DOLLARS. I know. Best day ever. Admittedly I almost didn't get it because $40 felt like a bit much, but this is one of the most flattering dresses I've ever put on and in the prettiest berry color and I just had. to. have. it. C'mon, right?

How do you fancy up a pretty dress even MORE, you might ask? Jewelry, of course!

So last month I got an email from RocksBox asking me if I wanted to be a RocksBox insider. Which um, let me tell you, was the best day ever. I was so excited because I've been waiting for this day to come!! Obviously I said yes and they sent me the link to get started.

In case you're not familiar, RocksBox is a subscription jewelry service that provides you with a curated box of designer jewelry, hand-selected and coordinated by a stylist. When you go to their site, they give you a quiz about your style and what you like and don't like to wear jewelry-wise. I think this is such a great feature because if you don't ever wear earrings, getting a box with earrings in it is going to be such a waste. Once you take the quiz, it gives you the option to select ten pieces for your wish list that your stylist can choose from. They'll then put together and send you a box with three beautiful pieces in it that are coordinated to be worn together or separately.

The three pieces I got for the first month were PERFECT. I got a pair of earring jackets that I put on my wish list, a delicate necklace, and a gorgeous moonstone bracelet. The three pieces, all paired, look BEAUTIFUL. They're also gorgeous separately. I got a lot of compliments on these pieces!

Once you're done, you can send the pieces back and get a whole new set! You can also opt to either log on and purchase the pieces or just keep what you want and send back the rest.

If you're interested in trying it out, you can get one month FREE by using the code LEGALLYCHARMINGXOXO!


xoxo

Carisa

 Happy Thursday, y'all!

So last weekend when I went to Texas and it was eleventy billion degrees, I also went back to school/fall work shopping because it was tax-free weekend. When I say I came home with a duffel full of new work clothes and sweaters...it's not an exaggeration. I feel like I should hide my head in shame a little.

What I'm not ashamed of is my choice to get this dress at Kohl's. Y'all. Y'all. Seriously. How amazing is this dress?? The contrast dot print. The handkerchief hem. It's light enough for summer wear with heels and a blazer, but will transition beautifully into fall with tights, a sweater, and booties. Plus it has POCKETS, which for me is a super-beyond perk.

Best part?? This dress is 80% off RIGHT NOW at Kohl's. I'm not joking. For the bargain basement price of $13.80, this dress can come home with you.

And since I again somehow overdid the theme thing, I totally wore my blue has-mesh-polka-dots shoes. And carried my has-round-perforations purse. Nope, not kidding. This is something only I would accidentally do. And after I looked at this wall for a minute, I realized it has dots too. I think I might need matchy-matchy therapy. (Is that a thing?)

xoxo

Carisa

Hi hi hi hi hi hi it's been too long.

Between family reunion, finishing up my paper, work, and meetings, I've actually not had a lot of time. I'm going to try not to make excuses and say I'll be updating more often (because I'm not sure if that's true), but I'm doing my very best to bring you new posts.

This outfit is quite literally fresh off my body--I wore it two days ago. It was Monday, I was tired, and my hair was scraped back off my face in a way that my mother hates (but, upon looking at these photos, that she was probably right about all along). I didn't feel like shaving, and I'm willing to tell you that because I am in fact a real person who lives a real life. So I slapped on some pants and grabbed this three-quarter sleeve top.

But since I wanted to make it fun, I decided to pop on an extra print with these pretty but classy leopard pumps. Mixing chain print with leopard? Crazy talk, especially for the office. Crazy talk, that is, unless you do it right.

So what are my tips for wearing mixed prints at the office?

1) No crazy competing prints. In other words, try not to do a giant floral with a crazy colored leopard or something. You're better off sticking to either two smaller prints, like I'm doing here, or one larger print and one smaller.

2) Keep them neutral. I did the navy and white here with the neutral leopard. One colorful print is fine, but if you're mixing them, I think it's better to keep them in the neutral family. Throw in a pop of color elsewhere (like with this coral/orange bag).

3) Break them up. I have done a few looks that I look back on and wince, and it's usually because I butted two prints side by side. I have few exceptions where I think this look works. Otherwise, it looks better to break it up with a dark neutral and not have them side by side.

4) Minimize your accessories. I did just earrings and a ring here. Piling on the jewelry will start looking obnoxious if you're also throwing on a gingham and leopard.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!!

xoxo

Carisa