While picking out pieces to use in my blog shoots for my collaboration with Poppy Smooches Boutique, I called on my friend, Pachia, to help style me.

I obviously still like my style, as I try to share it with all of you daily, but sometimes it is fun to let someone else put together an outfit for you. They have different perspectives on how to use pieces and may create an outfit that you never would have thought of!

What I love about this look that Pachia put together is how it can be buttoned up and look very put together for work, or be unbuttoned and untied and have an unstructured street wear element to it.


Thank you, Pachia, for sharing your cool girl, street style vibe with me!

A big thank you to Poppy Smooches Boutique for collaborating with me on this look!  They just opened up in the Eagan Outlet Mall for all my MN local readers. Their products are super trendy and they are ethically made in the USA! To shop my black skinny jeans, click here. Button-up/Tie Top sold in-store only.

Follow my Instagram @theswelteringsweater

Happy Fri-yay everyone!

I don't know about you, but I love taking one night of the weekend and planning something to look forward to; it just gets me through the work week and keeps me excited. 

Although I do have some eccentric pieces that I like to wear to a night out in the city, nine times out of ten I just want a little black dress that I can pair with colorful pieces that will look good season after season. 

While at Poppy Smooches Boutique recently, I was drawn to this LBD. Maybe it was the fun neckline or the lacy shoulders, but something about this black dress popped out to me in a way the others didn't. 

I wanted to keep it simple (as has been the request of some of my newer readers who are trying to learn the basics of styling) and paired the dress with bright floral heels that I purchased a few seasons ago and some wild artistic earrings I bought from a local vendor in the Twin Cities (I would recommend doing earrings or a bracelet for jewelry, because it may be overpowering at the neckline/to accessorize with a necklace). 

I would highly recommend buying this dress. You can easily move around (if you wear it to a wedding and want to dance), it doesn't cling to the body or add extra "visual weight" to the hips and it can be easily taken from summer to fall.

  With its classic fit and flare style along with its lacy details on the shoulders, you'll look like a million bucks without having to go out of budget!

A big thank you to Poppy Smooches Boutique for collaborating with me on this look. This LBD can only be purchased in store, but I found some similar ones online here, here and here.

New York Fashion Week and Minnesota Fashion Week have come to a close! Just as I was inspired by this year's runway looks, I wanted to make a list of my favorite fall fashion trends emerging this year and link blog posts from the past that can inspire you.

Ruffles
What does a 16th century Spanish soldier, 18th century revolutionist and Karl Lagerfeld have in common? Ruffles, my dudes. They are extremely versatile. You can incorporate them into your jewelry, bags, sleeves or necklines. 
For my favorite ruffle looks, click here and here.

Shades of Wine 
Elle Woods had it right when she said "whoever said orange was the new [wine] was seriously disturbed." Although I love pumpkin-flavored EVERYTHING, wine is the cool girls color right now. Everywhere I look, I see wine...and I'm not just talking about my kitchen pantry! Shades of cranberry, oxblood and burgundy have been popping up on runway after runway. 
My favorite past wine-centric outfits here, here and here.

Red-To-Toe
Women empowerment is having a moment, and that doesn't end in the fashion world. Nothing signifies power like a head-to-toe red look, especially when it is paired with a scarlet colored lip. 
To see my favorite "power red" looks, click here, here and here.

Mid-length Skirts
After years of girls on Rock of Love wearing itty bitty denim skirts and Snooki rocking a barely there cheetah print dress, the tea-length skirt is back and trendier than ever (except for their debut at the end of the 40's).
For my favorite mid-length looks, click here, here and here.


Florals
Lana Del Rey rocks them and so does your couch. Although not as drab as the couch in your grandma's basement, the aesthetics of this years florals do have some similarities like muted colors and small floral repetitions. 
For my favorite floral numbers, click here, here and here.


Slogan T-Shirts
Speaking person to person is a thing of the past, so much so that now our clothing speaks for us. Whether it's political statements or "namastay in bed," plain white tees are covered in text. 
For my favorite word shirts, click here and here.


A big thank you to Poppy Smooches Boutique for collaborating with me on this post! They just opened up in the Eagan Outlet Mall for all my MN local readers. Their products are super trendy and they are ethically made in the USA! To shop my mock neck top, click here. To shop my black skinny jeans, click here. Duster/vest sold in-store only.