August's Featured Blogger: AJ Wears Clothes

Isn't that an ah-mazing blog name? :) This month, I'm featuring AJ from the style blog AJ Wears Clothes! Her style is all-around fun and youthful, and you can just tell from her photos that she's so cheerful! Go AJ! ;)

On an unrelated note... can you believe its already the end of August? Fall weather is slowly coming our way... (Well, maybe a little faster for other parts of the nation.)
-Megan

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Hi! AJ from AJ Wears Clothes here… pretty obvious name, I know, but I like people to know exactly what they're getting into with my blog - a short girl rocking some outfits with a slight shoe obsession. But most importantly, it's a blog about not just wearing clothes, but what I actually DO in them. I'm showing girls options of things they can wear to different occasions, whether it be a wedding, ladies night out, or just a day of errands.



If I had to describe my style…I feel like I'd say eclectic? I pull inspiration from everywhere and often build my outfits from the shoes up. I love dresses, girly accents like lace and bows, and lots and lots of COLOR. My blog often catalogues the struggles of a girl in her late 20's trying to grow up her style while still shopping at Forever 21 (let's face it, I'm not a millionaire). I live in the south in a landlocked state, so fancy malls and infinite shopping isn't an option. I like to show young women how they can find amazing pieces and put together great looks while shopping at whatever stores they have.



All in all, I love sharing my style with people and I'm so glad Megan gave me a chance to share it with you!

If you love AJ Information overload, you can find me on the Twitters, Faceplace, and Pose.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ajwearsclothes
FB: http://www.facebook.com/ajwearsclothes
Pose: http://www.pose.com/ajwearsclothes

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Due to the long wait list of featured bloggers, I will be featuring two style bloggers per month, starting in September! If you've already coordinated with me, you will be receiving an email with the new dates of your feature.

If you would like to be featured, please see this post for more info!

Summer Isn't Over Yet

There was a tiny hint of Fall in the air today. A tiny hint. The wind was blowing just right, the heat wasn't unbearable, and the sun had a late afternoon amber glow. In Arizona, Fall doesn't really hit us until late October, but the weather teases us with lovely bits of the upcoming Fall season. Oh, I am so excited!

Even with Fall coming our way, I have to remember that Summer isn't quite over yet. There's still time for me to wear my shorts and sundresses, wedges and sandals, and nautical stripes. There's still time for me to get the last bit of wear out of my Summer attire before I move on to dresses and tights, sweaters and coats, boots, pants, and an endless amount of scarves.

Today, I celebrate the last bits of Summer with nautical stripes. What else?





Dress: Alloy (Similar here and here)
Blazer: H&M (similar)
Belt: From another skirt
Shoes: Tory Burch "Caroline"

Apparently, its a chic-fashion-blogger-thing to be holding some sort of beverage in your hand, preferably Starbucks. ;) Here's Nick's Starbuck's cup photography (btw, those new Starbucks Refreshers are delicious)


P.S. This isn't the J. Crew Maritime dress I posted on Instagram a couple days ago... that post is coming up soon!

This Week's Mani... (A Late Mani Monday)

I'm a week behind on manis, but that's okay! I wore this nail color last week... but only for a couple of days. This is the product of those lovely Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips, in "Love Letters" (I adore the name!).

They're super easy to apply and require no drying time, but the process is a bit longer than simply painting your nails. However, you do end up with salon quality results.


The only thing I really disliked was that it chipped uncontrollably the next day. The "polish" hardened nicely, but the littlest nicks to your nails would result in a chip. I didn't apply topcoat (because I assumed I didn't need to) and I think that could have prevented the problem.

Another disadvantage is the price-- almost $9 per box. I'm not too sure if I'd repurchase again, (considering it wasn't a lasting manicure) but I do love the wide range of colors and designs available, as well as how neat the stripes applied!

Have you tried these and had the same problem?

Blog Feature on The Daily Dani

Happy Monday, everyone! Just a quick post to let you know that I'm featured on The Daily Dani blog today! Come check out my Q&A and show her blog some love. :)

Thanks for the feature, Dani!!

Review: Merona for Target Leopard Pumps

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably saw me asking you all for recommendations on either leopard pumps or flats. I've seen many bloggers who own calf hair pumps from Ann Taylor and other fine retailers, but I wasn't ready to invest in a pair, especially since I've never tried leopard anything before!

About a week ago, I fulfilled the "leopard gap" in my closet and found a pair of leopard pumps and flats at Target, both at very reasonable prices. I haven't worn the flats yet, but I did wear the pumps and I wanted to share my experience! :)

Merona for Target Leopard Print Pumps, sz 8

I was very surprised to see that these pumps are actually real leather and resemble calf hair pumps (or are these real calf hair pumps too?). The bottom has a rubber sole and the inside is decently padded (many Merona shoes offer that).



Heel height is about 3 inches, which is quite reasonable for a good amount of wear throughout the day. I wore these for about 5 hours and didn't have much of an issue with them. I am used to all-leather pumps, however, so these didn't live up to my "high quality" expectations. But, what can you expect from inexpensive shoes?


These pumps definitely run a little wider than Ann Taylor Perfect Pumps (which I adore). I've noticed that a lot of Target's pumps are wider than usual, and don't offer any "toe cleavage" which is often see on more expensive shoes. Overall, I think it's a great deal and a great piece for the price. I paid full price for these-- $29.99.

If you're on the lookout for leopard pumps (which are GREAT for Fall!), definitely try these out! The price is right (especially for authentic leather) and the quality is pretty decent as well.

Even though leopard is such an interesting print, I'm finding that it matches well with different outfits. I'm excited to experiment with them this Fall and look forward to wearing them with black tights in the Winter!

What would you wear leopard pumps with?

Olive Green: Take Two

There are three things I want to share in this post: 1) Olive green is going to be one of my favorite colors this Fall; 2) Every girl needs a shirt dress in her closet; 3) You can get replicas (not counterfeits) of designer bags on eBay, along with other things.

So, you probably saw that I wore olive green in my last post and raved about it. Since then, I've been buying quite a few olive green pieces, including this one!

Dress: Target, sz S (I could've probably used an XS)
Belt: From another skirt
Shoes: Tory Burch "Sally 2" wedges
Bag: eBay (buy here)


Which brings me to what's next on my list-- Every girl should own a shirt dress. I can't believe I never jumped on this idea until now, but I didn't think about it until this (olive green!) dress caught my eye. My ever-so-stylish grandma wears shirt dresses quite often, so it just goes to show you how classic and timeless these pieces are. You can wear them to work or dress them down for the weekend. Super versatile and classy... my favorite.



Does this bag look familiar? Just like my replica of the J. Crew bubble necklace (seen here), I've been coming across so many replicas of designer bags on eBay. This one in particular is quite similar to the exclusive Hermes Birkin Bag, but with slight differences, of course.



Lastly, here is the debut of my new Tory Burch's... cognac peep-toe wedges that I had been lusting over for a couple months. It's another investment piece, which of course matches with many outfits and works for many occasions. :) Once you start wearing higher quality all-leather shoes, its really hard to go back to anything else. Anyone else agree?

Olive Green

The only shade of green I seem to like is olive (AKA army green), because any other shades just don't seem to work well for me. I own quite a few olive green pieces (including some new ones for Fall, coming up on the blog!) and I look forward to wearing this color as a neutral paired with navy, black, mustard, or burgundy. Oh, what classic Fall colors to look forward to! :)

Since it's not quite Fall yet, I've been Summer-izing olive green with this skirt.




Skirt: Target (old)
Shirt: J. Crew Vintage Cotton Tee, sz S
Bag: Dorothy Perkins, thrifted via Threadflip (Invite here)
Shoes: Lands' End (on major sale)
Necklace: Borrowed from grandma

I feel as if I'm on a blogger's writing block, especially when it comes to outfits. I've been repeating a lot of outfits already seen on the blog. I think what I need is a change in season! I'm counting down the days until it's actually cold enough here to be considered Fall. :)

Same skirt, Different Outfit

For someone who has a closet brimming with clothes (mostly casual things that hardly get worn), you can probably tell that I re-wear a lot of pieces, especially for work.

It's a bit weird-- Every time I'm out shopping, I'm always attracted to weekend pieces more often than work-appropriate clothes. To be honest, my mind is always somewhere else. I'm buying pieces for vacations and travels that probably won't happen anytime soon. And buying work clothes... just seems so "blah", even though that's what I wear everyday. I feel like whenever I see a piece that reminds me of somewhere I'd rather be-- On a plane, at the beach, in a big city-- I want to buy it. Does anyone else feel like that?

Okay, enough with my ranting. Here's an outfit with the same skirt I wore in my polka dot sweater post. :)




Skirt: Dillards (old)
Shirt: Dillards (old)
Sweater: Merona for Target, sz XS
Shoes: Tory Burch "Caroline"
Bag: H&M (recent)
Bracelets and watch: Charlotte Russe and Fossil (respectively)

Have a great weekend, everyone! :)

Free glasses. Yup.

I am a daily contact lens wearer, but I do wear glasses on occasion (Plus, you always need a back up).

I go to a privately-owned practice for my eyes, and glasses are not cheap. I had no idea there were other alternatives to the eye doctor's office, until Firmoo Optical was kind enough to send me a pair of (prescription!) glasses of my choice!

Yup. You can get prescription glasses online for cheap. Here's a little bit more about Firmoo:
Firmoo is the world's most popular online eyeglass store, with tons of frame options to choose from (They even offer prescription sunglasses and progressive lenses!). Firmoo takes pride in "Vision and Fashion the Frugal Way" by providing fashionable eyewear at affordable prices.

What's even better is that Firmoo is offering a free pair of glasses (of your choice, prescription or not) to first-time buyers!

If you're interested, visit this link here. :)

Now for my review...

I wanted a classic pair of square black glasses with a larger frame, and these looked like my best bet! With initial try-on, I wasn't sure if I liked them of not, but these pics proved to me that they aren't too bad at all!

The only issue I find with buying glasses online is the inabilty to try them on, but Firmoo does offer a virtual "try it on" feature where you upload a pic of yourself and "try on" the glasses as you browse!


The glasses do get shipped directly from China, so of course the quality isn't going to be that of a designer brand, but the glasses are still SO amazing for the price (Prices range from $8-$40 per pair).

Shipping took about a week and a half, I believe, which is great considering it's shipped from China! Overall, what I love about Firmoo is that I can play around with different styles and not have to spend a fortune. I definitely recommend you try them out (considering you get a free pair too!)... and as for me, I'm definitely going back for more!! :)

Disclaimer: These glasses were sent to me for review, courtesy of Firmoo Optical. I am not being compensated for this review, and this is all my honest opinion. :)

P.S. If you do get a pair, tweet me a pic! I'm interested in seeing what styles you chose! :)

I love J. Crew dupes.

If anyone is active in the fashion blogging world, you may notice that bloggers obsess over a certain piece and everyone goes out to buy it/try it on.

...I'm one of those people. I'll see something on one of my favorite bloggers and buy it immediately. And I am not ashamed! After all, isn't that what fashion blogging is about? To influence others with your style? :)

This sweater may look familiar to you, because a lot of bloggers have been obsessing over Old Navy's "dupe" of J. Crew's famous polka dot sweaters, which are extremely expensive (as you can see here). I do love J. Crew, but if I can find a very similar style-- I'll snag that one first.





Sweater: Old Navy, sz S
Skirt: Dillards (old)
Belt: Target
Bag: H&M (recent)
Shoes: Tory Burch "Caroline"

And here's a Mani Monday! I'm wearing Essie's Allure, which was famously worn by Kate Middleton (along with another polish) on her royal wedding day. I love it's natural sheen!

Shopping Sunday: Week of Aug 12 - 18

The LOFT Friends and Family event ends TODAY (8/12)! Get 40% off everything with code FRIENDS. I'm still eyeing this lace dress, but size 0 is sold out online.

Like LOFT last week, Ann Taylor is offering 30% off full-price dresses, no code needed.

The Friends Event is going on at Gap and ends today! Use code GAPFRIENDS for 30% off everything! (What's with all the "friends events"?) I'm loving this nautical shift dress and can see it paired with a denim jacket and flats for early Fall!

Use code NEW20 for 20% off full-priced items from ASOS. I've never ordered from them before, but I am LOVING this sequin dress and may get it just because it's so versatile for fancier events. Does anyone know how ASOS sizing is?

Happy Sunday Shopping everyone! :)

Pointy Toes

An outfit like this is definitely un-original on the blog, however, I know an outfit is blog-worthy when I receive compliments on it throughout the day (And considering my town has no sense of style whatsoever, that's saying a lot).

The highlight of this outfit is my new pointy-toe suede pumps from H&M. I passed right by these in the store, but my best friend Regina pointed them out (no pun intended) and had me try them on. I've never loved pointed toes, but these were a nice change! They really add a super-chic vibe to an outfit. I think I may give pointy toes a chance in my shoe collection from now on!





New sunglasses. :)



Dress: Banana Republic Factory (Similar)
Cardigan: Merona for Target, sz XS
Belt: Target
Bag: H&M (Recent)
Shoes: H&M (Recent)
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban New Wayfarer in Havana

The shoes have a lovely 2-inch heel which are comfy enough for hours of wear. I also saw a teal pair at H&M but I figured the peachy pink would be more versatile for my wardrobe.

Lastly, this bag was also a recent find at H&M... and it is very reminiscent of the infamous Celine luggage totes, except these are definitely less structured and more flimsy. But, it beats the $2,000 price tag of a Celine!

A Little Retro

If I had to pick an era (or two) that I absolutely loved, it would be the 40s and 50s. I love full skirts and conservative silhouettes, yet I like to add some fun and flair to outfits.

When I think of those decades, I envision Allie from "The Notebook" with her circle skirts, pretty prints, and espadrilles, as well as the lovely ladies in "Mad Men" (But that's set in the early 60s). I love taking outfit inspiration from movies and TV shows... is that weird?
At the moment, I'm trying to get my grandma to find me some pictures of herself during those times, when she was probably around my age then.

Fun fact of the day: I am a major history buff and even started my Bachelor's in History before deciding to pursue another path in life.



Dress: H&M Divided Collection (Similar)
Cardigan: Merona for Target, sz XS
Belt: From another skirt
Shoes: Lands End Canvas (Similar and on sale!)

On an unrelated note, I am so jealous of those lovely bloggers who have a different background everyday for their outfit pics. My town is very limited when it comes to anything relatively attractive... so for now, I'm working with the driveway and other areas around the house to spice things up a bit.

But someday, I'll be in a big city. That's obviously where my heart is!