Best Festival Fashion: 2 DIY Ways to Wear Your Scarf As Top to LouFest

In honor of LouFest on Sept. 6 and 7, I thought I'd spend this week sharing some music festival outfit inspiration. I'm expecting it to be humid and hot next weekend, so these looks make the most of the late summer sun and utilize scarves in a fun way. If there's one occasion where it's okay to wear a scarf as a shirt out in public, it's a summer festival! Both looks also pair well with another festival staple: cut-off shorts.

Scarf: Forever 21

Belt and necklace: thrifted

To achieve this look I just tied the top two corners around the bust to create a one-shoulder neckline, then brought the bottom right corner into the knot. I like that this look keeps you pretty covered in the front, but offers a fun, asymmetrical back that will keep you cool.  

Scarf and necklace: thrifted

This top can be fashioned by folding the scarf in half (or slightly less depending on where you want the bottom corner to hit on your torso/hips), then essentially belting it put by wrapping and knotting the top two corners at the waist. This was a big party look for me in college because I could always throw a sweater over it, and it's a great way to show off the details on a scarf.

Keep checking back this week for more LouFest fashion inspiration!

St. Louis Thrift Finds: Wes Anderson-Style Brooch From Belleville Flea Market

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have spotted this vintage pin I snagged a couple months back. I was instantly drawn to it because it feels like a prop right out of a Wes Anderson movie--a very funky, stylized piece with a solemn subject. (It could have played a cameo role in "Grand Budapest Hotel"... see what I did there?) The best part: this was one of the $1 snags from a vendor at the Belleville Flea Market! I've been having a blast mixing it with the rest of my gold pieces.

Brooch and all necklaces purchased at the Belleville Flea Market

Shirt: thrifted

Shoes: Hinge from Nordstrom Rack

Tribal Shirt With Vintage Brooches, Gold Accents

Shirt: thrifted

Jeans and wedges: Target

Watch and leather cuff: gifts

Doll pin: hand-me-down

Green and gold brooch: thrifted

It's way too hot here in St. Louis for clothing with sleeves (or pant legs!), so my dress form gets to wear my dream outfit du jour. The inspiration for the ensemble started with the two brooches. The doll pin was my mom's when she was a kid, and then stayed pinned to a lamp in my grandmother's bedroom for about 20 years before I had the courage to swipe it. My mom hates that I have it. The only reason it remains in my possession is because she can't make an argument for wearing it anymore. I found the Oriental-inspired brooch a few months ago at the Belleville Flea Market. They've become one of my favorite new accessory pairings! 

Mona Dies In the #FatalFinale, But Her Style Lives On: My 11 Favorite Fashions From My Favorite "Pretty Little Liars" Villain

If you've been following my blog, you know I love "Pretty Little Liars" (or "PLL," duh!). Previously I've shared my favorite looks from the liars over each season, but 5A has left me unimpressed sartorially (save Spencer's double trench and leather boots combo from "No One Here Can Love Or Understand Me"). Instead, I'm paying homage to the recently deceased Mona Vanderwaal. (Before I saw her creepy, glazed over eyes stuffed in the back of someone's trunk, I figured she would fake it.)

I always loved Mona, a victim with fists--and nails. She was at the top of her game, knowing more than anyone else, and maybe that's why she bit the dust. I valued her wit and intelligence--not so often her style. Aside from her predilection for mixing prints, I've never connected with Mona fashion-wise. The character loved animal prints; me, not so much. She was always so prim and girly (and always similar to a dark-haired knock-off of Sandy from "Grease"). Janel Parrish's character has, however, inspired me to think about how I style whole looks. We do share an interest in pulling out secondary colors to create a full, coordinated look  (often involving a print). #RIPMona! You were a TV badass, and will forever remind me to achieve the 'full look' in styling my outfits.

Is it terrible the only outfit of this character that I've truly loved is her death outfit? I can take or leave peplum tops, but I thought it was a fun piece to mix with the pink floral pants.

I also enjoyed this look, which aired sometime after the show's 100th episode. Like I mentioned, I'm not a huge fan of animal prints. But I really love how her outfit pulls out the darker blue for the skirt and the lime green/navy stripe collared shirt to doordinate with the leopard spots. The layering of the necklace under the collar add a point of interest without being gaudy. Here are a few different shots of the outfit:

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Here are my other favorite Mona looks from the series:

The above the looks confirm that when in doubt, accessorize with pink.

Did you dig Mona's fashion? What were your favorite looks?



View my other PLL-related posts: 

• My 5 Favorite Noir-Themed Fashions from Pretty Little Liars' "Shadow Play"
• My 6 Favorite "Pretty Little Liars" Fashions from Season 
• 'Ravenswood' Cancelled, But Not Forgotten: My 6 Favorite Collared Shirt Fashions from Remy Beaumont

Dressing Without Jewelry: Making the Most of My Scarves (3.0)

Shirt and shoes: Forever 21

Skirt and scarf: thrifted

The first two looks in my 'dressing without jewelry' series relied on a monochromatic base outfit--black tee and black graphic print skirt. Pairing this floral scarf over the black ensemble felt a little too dark to me (I've yet to toss out my 'no black on black on black' clothing rule), so I switched it out for a bell-sleeved, three-quarter blouse from my Forever 21 sales associate days.

The scarf, a treasure from the Goodwill store in my hometown, was an attempted 'strategic' purchase. Do you ever notice you buy too much of one thing? I have been trying to curb my addiction to prints. I figure if I at least make sure the prints are in colors that are easy to coordinate with the rest of my wardrobe (in this case, red, blue, green and purple), I can pretend I'm being versatile. Then again, maybe I am. This geometric skirt has gotten a heck of a lot of mileage this summer!

See my previous 'dressing without jewelry' posts: 

• A geometric print paired with paisley and pink sandals
• A geometric print made softer with pastels
• Perking up a gray and black ensemble with bright florals

Fine Form Road Trip: Regal Vintage, Southwestern-Influenced Airbnb Digs in Denver

I spent the past week in Denver with my boyfriend, and had to share my excitement over some of the cool bust and hand decorations that occupied the Airbnb house where we stayed! Dubbed the "Hipster Highlands Victorian," the home was filled with mid-century furniture and quirky knick-knacks--most with a Southwestern or mystical vibe.

The styling--vintage Victorian home with sleek, more modern decor--reminded me that sometimes mixing influences can create a very memorable look. Perusing Airbnb listings, I was immediately struck by the bison skull with beaded headdress situated above the piano in the dining room area. The addition of the Moroccan rugs made the room eclectic, instead of screaming, "Cowboy kitsch!" (Missing from the piano photo is an extremely comfortable leather pouf for sitting that's cuter than any bean bag chair could hope to be.) I often find abiding by a 'theme' while dressing or decorating, and while that theme changes often, I hope I remember in the future to experiment in combining elements from different aesthetics to create something new.

The trip was chock full of exploring the mountains but very little shopping. I made a point to take a jaunt down Broadway to see for myself the barrage of antique and thrift stores. I did duck into Regal Vintage (1866 S. Broadway) for an eyeful of psychedelic prints and funky sunglasses. The store offered a little bit of every decade, making it a great store for browsing. (They even had a wagon of $2 tees out front for those of us who have to stay vintage on a budget.) My favorite feature: this crazy fuzzy guy greeting customers while rocking a blue zebra tie.

Dressing Without Jewelry: Making the Most of My Scarves (2.0)

Shirt: H&M
Sandals: Target
Skirt, belt, sandals and scarf: thrifted
Purse: Nine West

For my second entry in this series I stayed with the cowboy scarf styling, but switched out the paisley for floral. This is one of my favorite scarves lately. I love color but pastels always feel hard to wear, and the black in this outfit (with the contrasting print on the skirt) make it more palatable for my style.

See my previous post:

• A geometric print paired with paisley and pink sandals

Dressing Without Jewelry: Making the Most of My Scarves (1.0)

Shirt: H&M
Sandals: Target
Skirt and scarf: thrifted

Last month while organizing my closet I realized just how many scarves I own... and how seldom I use them. So I proposed a challenge to myself: wear them with flair! I started to think about why I wasn't wearing them, and came to two conclusions: because I don't look très chic in a turban, and because I own so much damn jewelry that I wonder if I'd be overloading on accessories. I decided to scrap the jewelry for a few days. Figuring out ways to style the scarves wasn't very hard (see: Pinterest), but I realized the best way for me to show off the amazing prints on them was to don the simple (albeit, kinda boring) cowboy scarf.

Well, guess what? I love the cowboy scarf styling now. I have been living in this outfit at the office, as well as a version with a tank top outside of the office, for weeks.