The Denim Shirt: A Season Must-Have

One of the must have articles for Spring/Summer 2012 is the denim shirt. Both H&M and EXPRESS have a denim shirt for purchase. It is a great article to have in your wardrobe because it can always be worn for a casual outing, but it can also be dressed up for a more swanky setting, which is what I did for today.

For my outing with my bestie Kit Kat to Little Tokyo, I was inspired to dress up this H&M styling of the denim shirt (Picture screencaptured from H&M's website):

The result:

For this look, I created a blue, neutral palette by pairing a blue denim shirt and a distressed blue &Drain low-rise, slim-fit jeans, both by H&M. To dress up the look, I rolled down the barrel cuffs and paired it with a tartan red and plain skinny tie by Forever 21. To complete the look, I accessorized it with a black leather belt by Levi's and used my black Nunn Bush leather derbys to add an air of professionalism.

Question - Does It Work?

My New Year's resolution for 2012 is to actually incorporate color in my clothes at least once a week. I've worn reds and blues, and even plum. However, as my bestie Kit Kat noted, these colors were my comfort colors, in that I always gravitated to tints and hues of them. Keeping that in mind, here is my first attempt to do so in another color other than red and blue, in an outfit that is mostly EXPRESS.

For this look, I'm wearing an Extra Slim Fit 1MX button-down shirt in a mallard color (dark green?), a steel and white pinstripe Photographer pants, and a gray-striped silk skinny tie by EXPRESS. To complete the look, I'm wearing a black leather belt by H&M and my black lace-up derbys by Nunn Bush. Was this a successful look such that it should warrant me to add green to my closet?

Sporty, Yet Sophisticated

This is the season for sportswear as "athletic chic" is in for Spring 2012! Just because these clothes tend to be more casual, it does not mean that they cannot be made sophisticated. Here is my way to dress up something sporty!

For this look, I am wearing a black and gray EXPRESS track jacket. Underneath, I have a gray Fruit of the Loom crew neck tee to stand out from the black. I dress up the look by wearing a black low rise slim fit &Drain by H&M. Any black solid basic such as a dress shirt or pants will almost always automatically add class to any outfit. To complete the look, in lieu of sneakers, I wore my leather black lace-up derbys by Nunn Bush to add some professional flare.

Dressing Up Shorts!

Shorts are "in" this Spring 2012 season. Here is how I transformed a casual staple and dressed it up for a more sophisticated look. (And yes, I wore this to do errands! It is important to look good wherever you go!)

Here, I am wearing my fitted black cargo shorts from H&M. Because black has a tendency to look dressy already, I amped up the taste level by pairing these shorts with a "faux" sweater vest long sleeve polo shirt by Heritage 1981 from Forever 21 and black leather derbys. When mixed together, these pieces added a more polished and sophisticated feel and exuded a preppy vibe.

Beware though... Fit is important! The more tailored the look, the more expensive it appears because of its sleekness... Wearing overly baggy clothes will cheapen the look and will potentially make others think, "Did he/she look in the mirror before leaving?"

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To Donate or Not To Donate?...

...that is the question when choosing which articles of clothing that might need to get donated when spring cleaning.

In general, a key rule of thumb Tim Gunn suggests to prevent your closet from overflowing with clothes is that if you have not worn something for more than a year, dispose of it or donate it, whichever you prefer. While for common basics of clothing (i.e. plain button-down shirts, dress shirts, pants, denim, etc.) these are easier to part with, for more "specialized" pieces (i.e. vests, outerwear, sweaters, etc.) it is best to hold off! Why? You may never know when that special piece might come back in style. Case in point, my look for today:

Today's casual outfit that I wore to do work at Starbucks consisted of a black Fruit of the Loom crew neck tee, black Rocco slim-fit, low-rise denim by Express, cloth belt by H&M, and a colorblocked track jacket by Express, and black suede sneakers by Airwalks. The highlight of this look was the track jacket!

This was a jacket I purchased two years ago. Though I rarely use it due to my reluctance to layer clothing in Southern California weather, it rarely sees beyond the closet doors. Today was one of the few occasions it got some use. Purposefully, I might add, because colorblocking is making a comeback for Spring 2012. If I donated my jacket because it did not get used, being the fashionista that I am, I probably would have had to purchase a lot more colors just to color block separates, or to buy already colorblocked clothes. With this jacket already in my closet, I did not have to. By looking through my wardrobe, I was able to use something that I already owned to create a look that is on trend!

So when doing "spring" cleaning, be prudent and wise! You may never know when you may need that piece of clothing again!

When Bargains Strike, Go For It!

According to GQ, one of the majors trends making a comeback for the spring 2012 season is plaid. It is making a comeback in different styles and color schemes. Because I have my own sense of "conservative with an edge" style, I am one to not follow trends if it goes against my "ideal" look. However, if something is to my taste, I will try it and potentially go along with it, especially if it comes at a bargain!

For the first day of the New Year, I actually made a shopping purchase from one of my favorite stores, Express. And I would have to say that I made several bargains and, best yet, they follow trends seen on the runway for the upcoming spring 2012. Here are the three button-down shirts that I purchased (All images were screencapped from Express's website):

Article A: Plaid Palest Blue Fitted Cotton Shirt (Original Price: $69.90, Express Cash Discount: $44.90)

Article B: Plaid Steel Extra Slim Fit Cotton Shirt (Original Price: $64.90, Clearance Price: $31.99)

Article C: Plaid Silver Haze Fitted Shirt (Original Price: $69.90, Clearance Price: $31.99)

Article A is a piece from Express's newest arrival. It's a plaid button-down shirt that can be worn with or without necktie for a casual and work-appropriate, respectively, looks. Because of a previous purchase I made, I received an Express Cash Coupon that allowed me to receive a $25 discount for every $50 purchase on non-clearance items. Looking for a deal, it was a no-brainer to use the coupon.

Articles B and C were on clearance sale because they are "last" season's style and consequently, they have been heavily discounted. (Twice actually! They were both originally 70% off! A few days later, they were discounted an additional 20%!) However, according to GQ, they technically would be back in because they are plaid! As described in the name of the look, it is still plaid, but a different pattern and color scheme of plaid. Because I love the looks (especially C) I bought them at their discounted price, AND on trend.

But that is not the best part! If I bought all the shirts for their original prices, before tax, I would have spent more than $200! But in all, with all the discounts and coupons and tax, I spent $125! That was a savings of $75!

The first moral of the story: Although they are labelled as last season's styles, buy them anyway! Use them and make the most of them. At the same time, they are ready in your closet for use when they comeback into trend, because styles and trends usually make a comeback in fashion, especially the common patterns or prints. For me, I was fortunate that plaid was prominent again this season! The second moral: Wait as long as you can to see how much of a discount you can get, especially on clearance items! I did! And I made away with a relative steal on New Year's day!