Fashion Forward: My Fall Picks [Sweater Edition]

Here’s the next edition of my fall fashion picks!

There’s a reason they call it “sweater weather”, and today’s post is entirely dedicated to that namesake. There is nothing like curling up with a great book, a cup of coffee, and a wonderful sweater. To me, this is the epitome of fall.

So, without further ado, here are my fall sweater picks!

1. The Layla Hoodie from Brandy Melville – $37 . This lightweight hoodie is the perfect layering piece for the fall. The stripes are subtle enough to go with almost everything and it just looks SO cozy. This is a great, easy piece to throw over a t-shirt and jeans or throw a leather jacket over for colder weather. Add a scarf and a pair of great boots and you’re set!

2. Kimchi Blue Shaker Cropped Sweater from Urban Outfitters – $49 . A cropped sweater may not seem like the most practical knit for cold weather, but I think this piece has fantastic possibilities. Throw this sweater over your favorite summer maxi dress to immediately transform it for fall. It would also look wonderful over a high waisted skirt or pair of jeans. It’s simple, but cozy: a definite win!

3. Hendrix Yarn Fringe Poncho from Free People – $298 . This is for all my hippies-at-heart out there! My love for ponchos has grown exponentially over the past couple of years and this poncho simply adds to my adoration. This poncho is fit for a rockstar and will make a simple outfit amazing. It makes me want to go on adventures. I would love to live every fall day in this crazy-wonderful piece.

4. Cassette Society Freedom & Glory Long Cardigan from Urban Outfitters – $159 . The maxi sweater is back this season and showing up in more stores than ever. This particular sweater combines the practicality of a cardigan with the twist of the maxi length. It may seem silly, but I also love the pockets on this sweater. For me, pockets on a sweater make it that much more comfy and cozy. This sweater would be a great staple for almost any outfit.

5. Days of Marigold Cardigan from ModCloth – $70 . This sweater has two of my very favorite things: mustard yellow and toggle clasps! Such a combination! Pair those with a hood and a simple, but interesting texture, and you’ve got a winner in my book.

6. Double Breasted Coatigan from ASOS – $84 . Yet another simple and cozy sweater for the collection. This piece is a bit on the longer side and would look great with some patterned leggings, a simple tunic, and some flats. A great sweater can really transform any outfit into a chic look while keeping you comfortable.

7. Cozy Knit Jacket from Anthropologie – $138 . By far the prettiest and most girly piece for this post, I love this sweater for so many reasons. This is the type of piece that can be dressed up or dressed down quite easily. With the right outfit, it would even work for a business or office type of environment. It would look great over a summer dress with some tights and heels, or over a simple blouse with jeans and some boots. The possibilities are truly endless, which is why a piece like this is a must in every wardrobe.

8. Botanical Book Club Cardigan from ModCloth – $58 . I immediately fell in love with the colors and pattern of this sweater. The floral is simple and unobtrusive while carrying what is usually seen in the spring perfectly into the fall season. The silhouette is such that I believe any shape or size could wear this sweater and look fabulous. The open front also lends itself to being worn openly and casually or belted for a more put-together look. I’ll take 10, please!

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I’m really hoping you are enjoying these posts. I love fall fashion more than any other season and these have been a ton of fun for me to create!

Where are your favorite places to shop? Leave a comment and let me know and I will try to use those websites as sources for future posts. Sometimes you never know what’s out there or the possibilities of an article of clothing until you see it through a fresh pair of eyes.

Happy fall, everyone!!

xoxo, Ash

Fashion Forward: My Fall Picks! (Basics Edition)

So, who else is ridiculously excited about fall????

I cannot WAIT for the day when I can pull on some heavy jeans, boots, cardigan, and a scarf and feel the crisp breeze on my face. Fall for me is also another excuse to overload on coffee, so there’s that…

Well, fall is our inspiration for today’s post. Most of the major retailers have already put out their fall lines for this year, and as I’ve been browsing, I’ve seen some returning trends as well as some new ones for this year’s cold weather wardrobe. So, I’ve picked 8 of my favorites for this fall!

DISCLAIMER: I quite understand that many of the items I’m sharing are at a higher price point than many may be willing to spend. However, the main purpose of this post is to give inspiration. Each item is something I would consider a staple wardrobe piece and something similar will likely be easy to find in stores at a better price. So, take a look, see what you like, and you can start a search for your very own individualized version! With this said, I hope you all enjoy! 🙂

(1) Rail Straight Jeans from Madewell – $98 – I love these jeans because they are a bit of a departure from the skinny skinnies we’ve been seeing for so long. They offer a bit more of the “boyfriend” jean feel and I love to have the option of cuffing my jeans to offer a whole different look!

(2) Kara boot from Dromedaris (color: Saddle) – $149 – These boots are my dream boots this fall!! I love the distressed look in this color. The brand, Dromedaris, is also a comfort brand (yup! That’s right, comfortable shoes!!)! I highly recommend checking out the Teal color as well, because I’m quite torn between the two colors.

(3) Leather-trim dress from Madewell – $165 – The circle-skirt/peplum look is obviously staying for the fall. I love this look because it is so flattering on so many different body types. I would go so far as to say that ANYONE could pull this dress off. I love this one in particular because the leather-trimmed collar gives the otherwise girly dress a bit of an edge: LOVE.

(4) Royal Damask Sweatshirt from Forever21 – $17.80 – I’ve seen a LOT of damask print in the collections for fall. Damask happens to be one of my favorite patterns, and gold happens to be my go-to color right now, so this sweater just jumped out at me. While it may not seem like your typical “basic”, a piece like this can be worn in many ways, dressed up, dressed down, and gives a wonderful pop to any outfit!

(5) Turtleneck sweater from H&M – $79.95 – This oversized, super comfy sweater gives a great update to the turtleneck sweater. While a turtleneck can tend to look drab or a bit matronly, this slouchy version would look great with a pair of leggings and boots. Comfy and chic!

(6) Distressed Faux Leather Moto Jacket from Forever21 – $42.80 – The leather jacket may never truly go out of style. I love this more affordable version because of the distressed look without too much excess hardware. You could throw this puppy over almost any outfit to give it a more put-together, yet punky look.

(7) Sleek Asymmetrical D’Orsay Flats from Forever21 – $22.80 – A perfect transition shoe, these flats will look good with just about ANYTHING. They have the sleek look of a pump while also keeping the comfort of something more like a sandal. Plus, the closed toe means you could even wear them with tights for the chilly weather!

(8) Fine Knit Sweater from H&M – $14.95 – Well, what do you know? Another slouchy sweater! This lighter version is the perfect casual top for any day. This would look wonderful with printed jeans or even tucked into some square-hipped trousers!

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Let me know what YOUR picks are for this fall down in the comments below!

What trend do you look forward to buying and wearing for the duration of the season??

Until next time! xoxo

Tutorial || Summer Shirt Refurb Series #2

Well, my last DIY t-shirt post got a great reaction, and I am way into this whole repurposing idea. Go green! I’ll just pretend that being good on the evironment is my motivation here. Joking aside, this series is hopefully a way to inspire your creative juices and to show you ways to get new, hip clothes on a teeny tiny budget!

Now, on to phase two!

I’m sure everyone has seen the craze that has come around within the last couple of years of… galaxy prints! It all started with designer Christopher Kane:

I believe it was his Spring/Summer 2011 line that first featured this now-crazed print. His designs/ideas trickled down and now the masses can find their very own galaxy print from a multitude of retailers. Today, I’m going to teach you how to make your very own galaxy print tee!

I searched the web for inspiration before I embarked on this little adventure and the design I ended up picking was basically a combination of all of these:

Now, as with all of these posts, I want to start by encouraging those of you who do this for themselves to mix it up. I’m showing you my method and attempt at this design, and this is exactly the type of project every person can make to their own specifications. So, let’s get started!

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MATERIALS:

• Old t-shirt or tank top (I recommend black, grey, or a dark blue)
• Scissors (If you decide to modify the shirt before adding the galaxy print)
• Chalk pencil (for modifications)
• Bleach
• Plastic spray bottle
• Painter’s tape (optional per your design choice)
• Fabric paints (All or some of: blue, pink, red, yellow, white)
• Paint or makeup sponge
• Small tipped paint brush
• Tray to mix paint

STEP 1:

Find and (optionally) alter your chosen tee. I chose a large men’s tank top for this project and because of the size I decided to cut the bottom off to make a high/low tank.

First, try the shirt on and choose where the front hem is going to be (since it will be higher) and make a mark with your chalk pencil.

The easiest way to create a high/low hemline is to fold the tank sideways by lining up the side hems. When folded this way, the front center of the shirt will be creased on the left and the back center will be creased on the right. After you’ve done this just use a ruler/yardstick to mark from the front hem (where you previously marked) diagonally to the back.

And, cut!

STEP 2:

Design (optionally) and bleach your shirt

Per the several inspiration tees I used, I decided to add some stripes through the shirt to create a design. Using painter’s tape, mark out a design on the front and/or back that will remain black after you’ve finished creating the galaxy design. My design turned like a huge diamond, coincidentally.

You may also choose to add a design to the back as well, I did two simple stripes, which you will see at the end.

Now, you can bleach your shirt to help create the base of your galaxy print!

I suggest having a couple of galaxy photos handy to help inspire you. Here are two that I worked off of for my design:

I love the colors in these and the vast amount of stars.

So, fill your spray bottle with bleach and water, half and half. Then, take your shirt out to a WELL-VENTILATED area (note the emphasis) and start spraying!

If you’ve chosen to use painter’s tape to mark out a design, take it easy and do your bleach layer by layer, allowing it to dry for a bit after each few sprays. If you spray a little to heavily, it can leak underneath the tape and ruin your design.

For mine, as you’ll see, I did a few larger spots to indicate galaxies, and also sprayed a light layer across the whole shirt to help give the illusion of stars.

This photo shows the bleached shirt after, but also includes a bit of the next step.

STEP 3:

Add color!

I recommend using a dampened make up sponge for this portion, as that is what worked best for me.

Take whatever colors you’ve chosen of fabric paint and start sponging more galaxies! The great part about this step is that you can use almost any colors. I mainly used blue and reds, but yellows, pinks, purples, and even greens would look great depending on the look you’re going for.

A damp sponge helps to give the fading or transitional effect, which is why I recommend it. Just play around and sponge some small or large areas. Be creative!

My colors show up a bit brighter than they actually are on the shirt.

STEP 4:

Add more stars.

Now, you can take a white paint and a small tipped paintbrush and blot on some stars all over your shirt. You can also add some comets, starbursts, etc., if you want!

Then, just take your tape off, and you’re finished!!!!!

As you can see, my bleach did leak a bit through the tape, which is why I caution you to be careful. However, I don’t mind that much because I think it adds some character to the shirt!

If this happens to you, though, you can fix it quickly with some black fabric paint!

I really hope you guys like this idea. Please let me know what you think! I have a lot more planned for the Summer Shirt Refurb Series, but would also love any suggestions or requests!

Leave a comment or tweet/Instagram me if you try them! You can follow me @PatternsOnWalls.

🙂 Good luck! ❤