4 Ways to Rock a Faux Fur Vest

Rachel Zoe's skinny, Starbucks-fueled fabulousness just makes me completely green! If only because this lady knows how to rock fur like it's nobody's business. Exhibits A, B, & C (I'm practicing my lawyer speak, y'all!)

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

Rachel has been a stylist to the stars forever, and is now a celeb in her own right. The fashion world can definitely credit her (at least give her partial credit!) to the ever-increasing popularity of faux fur. I know I'm late to jump on this bandwagon - but when I found one for $19.99 + an extra 15% off at Macy's, I Could. Not. Resist. It is fabulous and yeti and awesome. But, upon bringing the INC awesomeness home, I realized I had a major challenge on my hands - how the heck am I supposed to wear this? I live in Salem. I am on a budget. I am a law student. I did what any real-girl fashionaholic would do - I shopped my closet. Keep in mind, ladies, this look is NOT for the faint of heart. Afraid to stand out? Don't wear this. Ready to portray your fierce, "I-am-most-definitely-awesome-enough-to-rock-this-look" attitude? Then try it yourself! Here are the looks I came up with (apologies in advance for the names - I couldn't help myself!): 

Look #1: Fur-ban Chic

Vest, INC; shirt, INC; skinny cargos, Old Navy; Oxfords, Steve Madden; Bag, Balenciaga; Earrings, Forever 21

I don't know what to call this look, but I think it's pretty darn cool. The skinny cargo pants and the oxfords give this look an cool, masculine vibe, while the fitted shirt and vest make it fun! I added an edgy bag with tons of cool hardware and some oversized earrings to keep it glamorous and feminine.

Look #2: Cali-fur-nia Casual

Vest, INC; shirt, INC; black necklace, Kate Spade; white necklace, Banana Republic; jeans, American Eagle; shoes, Nine West; bag, BCBG

This look is totally fun! I paired the same fitted black tee underneath the vest. I swapped out the cargo pants for some destroyed, slouchy, cuffed jeans and cool gladiator wedges. To keep the look from getting too voluminous between the vest and the jeans, I paired it with a super sleek tan bag. Long necklaces keep the look from getting too serious, and give it a casual, cool-girl style.

Look #3: Un-fur-gettable

Vest, INC; dress, Banana Republic; shoes, Steve Madden; earrings, Forever 21; bag, Nine West

 I am not a diva. With that being said, this look is pure diva, and I kinda love it. My sleek, mini silk black dress gets an instant makeover with this ridiculous vest. I added some caged sandals to keep this look in total diva territory. A hot pink bag and an oversized yellow cuff give this look the slightest hint of whimsy. Big dangly earrings are the only other accessory you need. If you're up to it, I'd add a hot pink lip and lots of big, fake lashes!! 

Look #4: A Spring Af-Fur! 

Vest, INC; pants, GAP; shoes, Kelsey Daggart; earrings, Urban Outfitters; sunglasses, Ray-Ban; bag, Marc by Marc Jacobs

This last look is actually my favorite. It says, "I'm cool without trying too hard" (side note: it doesn't matter how hard you actually try, it just matters what it looks like). I love wearing white, and I don't abide by any silly no-white-after-Labor-Day rule. The ultra-flared pants and the fur vest give this look a distinct 70's vibe, but the crisp white basics, fuchsia bag and super fun sandals keep it in the 21st century. You can't go wrong with a pair of classic Ray-Bans and long dangly earrings, which echoes the 70's vibe. 

Readers: What do you think of these looks? Do you think it's too weird or fun? Would you ever wear this? Feel free to comment and give me suggestions! 

Relax! Spring Fashion Trend #2: Pajama Party

I know it's hard to believe, but pajama inspired clothes were alllll over the runways for Spring 2011. But, this means good news for us comfort-minded ladies! These clothes are soft, easy, breezy, and ridiculously comfortable.

See the inspiration:

Donna Karan

Narciso Rodriguez 

Reed Krakoff 

Thakoon Panichgul 

Aren't these romantic and pretty? I especially love the Thakoon dress. 

Unfortunately, a literal translation of these looks won't work in everyday real life (hey, some of us have jobs and school afterall!). If you like this look, though, take inspiration and mix it into your wardrobe! Some tips: 

1. Pair it with a great shoe! The floatiness of these dresses need to be anchored with a strong shoe. Pairing any of these with a "slipper" like shoe will only add to the illusion that you are, in fact, wearing pajamas. Here's one outfit idea:

Banana Republic Frida Patio Dress, $130.00

This dress has the floatiness of the Thakoon dress (and don't you love the color?!) but it's simple shape and loose feeling can be reminiscent of a muumuu. Add some fun, strong shoes, like these: 

Dolce Vita "Pela" Wedge, $159.00

or even some great jeweled flats like these

Charlotte Russe Jeweled T-Strap, $22.50

...and you'll look chic and fashionable, without sacrificing any of the comfort. 

2. Add a floaty top to your standard blazer and jeans. A "pajama" inspired top will look romantic and interesting under a businessy blazer and straight fitting jeans. 

Forever 21, $17.80

3. Pajama inspired bottoms can be made into casual day wear with a pretty top. There is nothing more comfortable than a pair of stretch jersey pants, usually relegated to the pajama section of stores. However, thanks to the high fashion designers letting us know that pajama-esque clothes can be made day-wear appropriate, start thinking about how to re-wear these! Note: stay away from prints or anything "light" colored  if you're going to wear them with anything other than monkey slippers and a bowl of popcorn. 

Start with some pants like these:  

Gap Pure body foldover drawstring pant, $39.50

add a pretty, slightly floaty top, like this one:

Old Navy Tiered Ruffle Top, $19.50

Mix these items with some contrasting textures and weights, like jeweled flats and a straw fedora, and you have an outfit that's as comfortable as it is cute.

Readers: Feel free to comment! Do you like this look? Do you think it's pretty or just lazy? What fashion trends are you interested in?

Fall 2010 Must Haves

Fall is here. It’s official. Leaves are falling, the air is getting cold and crisp, pumpkins are everywhere… mmm, fall. I’m tempted to say it’s my favorite season. How can you not love the readily available pumpkin spice lattes, cranberry scones, hearty stews? And in addition to the great weather and great food, I absolutely love fall fashion. Fashion and hot, hot weather don’t generally go hand in hand – the need to beat the heat often takes priority over any layering or stylish accessories. And the winter is a great time for sparkly party dresses, but so much of our time is spent bundled in heavy winter coats. That brings us to fall – the season of sweaters, scarves, boots, hats. Cold enough for creative layering, not so cold that our creative styling remains hidden by our practical coats. So with that, I’d like to name my 2010 Fall Must-Haves.

A classic trench coat. It’s timeless, endlessly stylish, and goes with anything. Plus, when worn with the collar turned up, with a little red lipstick and sky high pumps, it makes you feel like you’re a heroine in a classic detective movie. Belt it and button it, and you’ve got a chic dress. Invest in a good one – you’ll have it forever.

Boots. I love boots – unfortunately, boot makers and I don’t always get along. My Viking calves do not always fit into the beautiful, buttery soft leather and I am often relegated to “booties.” But I am not a quitter! I try and I try, and I even have one go-to pair of brown boots that I can’t live without.

A scarf. I love scarves – skinny ones, chunky ones, silky ones. Floral print, geometric, bold, subdued… I love them all. And as you may know, fall is the season of neutrals. Don’t let yourself get lost in this sea of neutrals, and add a pop of color to any outfit with a great scarf. It will elevate any basic black long-sleeve shirt and jeans. Throw on the aforementioned trench and boots, and you are one stylish lady!


Most of us have jean styles that we live in. Personally, I’m a fan of skinny jeans and hippie-esque flared jeans. Not for everybody, I know. But regardless of your body type, skinny jeans can work! I’m absolutely convinced of this fact. And they’re so autumn appropriate – you can tuck them into boots (there’s those great boots again!), wear them slouchy with some fun wedge booties, throw on a great big chunky sweater over the top and some flats. The styling options are endless.

Perhaps these aren't the most practical, but they sure are fun!

If you’re a dress girl like I am, tights are an I-can’t- live-without-them-item. And I love tights. I admit to being a little afraid of patterned tights – I’m worried about them stretching out in weird places – but I take them for a spin nonetheless. I absolutely love a girly, slightly summery dress worn with dark tights and dark accessories. It instantly stretches the life of those summer dresses, while giving you an “I took and aced Fashion 101” cool girl look and attitude.

I have heard/read/watched that this season is all about the leopard print. But you know what? Leopard print is, in a way, a timeless accessory. It’s a constant cool girl touch to any outfit. If leopard print isn’t your thing, try any other animal print. It’s always fun, stylish, and a little sassy. This season, I’m partial to my animal print scarves (yes, leopard included). I’d love a great leopard print clutch, but my wallet doesn’t allow for that. Go ahead. Give the animal print trend a go. You might be pleasantly surprised. As my mom always says anytime she has any animal print on, “Ooooh. I feel like a wild lady.” Go wild.

Finally. My last fashion must-have of Fall 2010 is a red lipstick that matches you perfectly. Red lipstick looks good on EVERYBODY – not the same shade of lipstick, of course, but there is definitely a great red lipstick that looks good on you. The funny thing about red lips is that they seem to always be in style but you almost never see anybody wearing them in real life. I admit, red lipstick is a little irritating – you have to reapply constantly, worry about getting it on your teeth, regularly check for bleeding. But you know what? It’s worth it. I love the inner vixen it brings out in me.

And there you have it. The great thing about all these pieces is that they can all be worn together for one very stylish outfit. 

Great Vintage Find!

I dream of have heard that it's possible to find a great vintage designer piece with a tiny price tag. I've scoured little shops in New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, Portland... and I've found some great things, but I have never found one with such a tiny price tag. But lo and behold! I went into an antique store in little Salem, Oregon yesterday. My eye saw a cute little black saddle bag, and I thought "Eh, must be a cheapy. Why else would it be here?" But the $15 price tag kept me interested, and I had to admit that it did seem to be a well-made bag of genuine quality leather. I had a $20 in my wallet, pulled it, and decided to purchase it. I did, after all, need, yes need a saddlebag, after seeing this picture:


among other pictures of the rich and famous (and gorgeous!) women with cute, cool saddlebags. As I may or may not have mentioned, I am a Trendoid. I love the classic style of the bag, the way it adds an "I'm cool and don't need your approval" attitude, the leather finish, and its easy breezy carryall functionality.

Turns out, I got myself a great little bag! I admit to liking it immediately, but I (hate to) admit that I absolutely loved the bag when I found out it was from luxury brand from Australia called Oroton. I found it on Ebay for $200 and a new one retails for over $500!

Cute, right? It's cuter in person, and yes, it does need a little shoe polish to buff out some of those scratches. But still!

Have you ever gotten a really great vintage find? Any favorite vintage or antique shops? Share!

Yes, I am a Trendoid

I’m the first to admit it. I am a trendoid. Beauty trends, fashion trends, jewelry trends… I love them all. Every time I look at the People’s style section of “Would You Wear This Trend?”  a little part of me always usually says “Yeah, I could rock that.” When Glamour beauty editors inform me that “plum lips were all over the fall runways”, it takes everything in me to not run to the nearest drug store and purchase a plum lipstick ASAP. Yes, dear friends. My name is Rachal, and I am a trendoid.

The thing is, this is actually a recent realization for me. I asked my friend recently, “Why didn’t you tell me that I’m a trendoid?” She looked at me with a sideways glanced, laughed (actually, guffawed a little), and said, “Well, Rachal. I assumed you knew.” And although I can mark my childhood years by what outfit I was rocking (most notably, around 5^th grade I simultaneously was into the Spice Girls and grunge, resulting in permed hair with bright pink bows, baggy jeans, flannel shirts, all tied together with some platform sneakers), I had never considered myself a trend devotee. When I was about 14, my dad told me “You don’t really have style if you only follow 'what's in.'” Funnily enough, that stuck with me and for the first 2 years of college I was determined to NOT FOLLOW TRENDS. I tried, really really tried, to develop my “personal style” and avoid whatever fashion craze was sweeping America. And while I think that my “personal style” is evolving, I must admit to myself (and to my dad) that I. Love. Trends.

Yes, I’ve made fashion mistakes along the way. Yes, I will continue to make them. I’ve looked back at outfits, and the only excuse I have is “Well, it was in style at the time…” But in the name of fashion, I will continue to test out trend after horrible trend. And when I fall, I will pick myself up again, put on my stilettos, and walk out the door in plum lipstick and harem pants. Why you ask? Because I’m young, I’m fabulous, I’m fun, and dammit, because I can. This is my pledge.

While my budget can’t afford the peep toe oxford wedge bootie shoe trend I’m dying to rock,

I can paint my nails in homage to Skittles, a la Kelis: 

I'm a trendoid, and I don't care who knows.