As Azul Fades to Verde: Shopbop Sale

A pretty, feminine take on tuxedo/suiting/notched collars. The T-back is sexy in a relaxed way. $85.00



A beautiful combination of the ombre and tiering trends...it almost has an ethereal feel. $152.50


The dress version of the blue top, with the same T-back. I like this version better; the colour is more unexpected, and the slight cocoon shape works better with a dress. $150.00

Beautiful Blues

It's no secret that my favourite colour is blue. Clothing-wise, I wear tons and tons of beige, black, and grey, but I do usually accent my outfits with coloured accessories. In keeping with my more subdued palette, I tend to go for vivid jewel tones, but my favourite colour to add to an outfit is blue. Blue is kind of the coloured version of a neutral; it goes with everything. This season, a vivid cobalt blue is taking over the accessories (and clothing) market, so here are a couple of cheaply chic finds to help you introduce this colour into your wardrobe.

From a brand called Hobo International, you'd expect very slouchy, hobo-style bags. Instead, I found this gorgeous envelope clutch, on sale at Piperlime, for only $104.99. It's 8.5" by 12.5", so a tiny bit bigger than a normal piece of paper. I love that this clutch can be used for both evening and day, and it definitely doesn't hurt that it's on sale.


While browsing the J. Crew sales (they have some amazing shoes), I came upon this gorgeous pair of blue silk slingbacks. They're a little more purple than cobalt, but the sumptuous silk knot at the front adds a gorgeous detail to these shoes. Unfortunately, they're on sale for $149.99, which for me isn't much of a sale.


So, I went over to one of my favourite places for bargain shoes, Newport News. Lo and behold, they had their own pair of blue satin slingbacks, this time with an interesting front loop detail. You can't see the blue pair very well in this picture, but just imagine the pink pair in front in that gorgeous blue colour. My only qualm? The wooden heel. But hey, for only $19.00 these are some very lovely heels.


Another, more bargainous find from the J. Crew sales was this lovely little bangle. Bangles have become really popular this season, but I've always had a few pairs in rotation because of my Indian background. I'm loving these new block-coloured ones from J. Crew, and this is only $7.49! I'm definitely snapping this up today.


Finally, because I like to save the best for last, here is a very cute pair of Nine West flats with a flower detail at the top. I fell in love with these flats when I saw them -- but then again, who wouldn't. They come in pink, orange, and black as well, but I personally adore this blue pair (and they still have it in size 6!). They're $39.99, which is a little bit steeper than my usual amount for flats, but these are just so adorable I'm seriously debating ordering them.

J. Crew Sale Outfit For Tea

Here's a pretty little blue and yellow outfit inspired by the J. Crew sales...yes, J. Crew sales might seem like full price to some people but their pieces are always high quality and very classic.

If I were meeting up with my grandma for tea or something of that prim and proper nature, I would start off with a nice, pastel-coloured cardigan. Something about a light and lovely cardigan just screams "tea with grandma" to me. Plus, it never hurts to add another cardigan to your collection -- they're simple, chic, and classic and there's always room to have fun with brooches and extra details. This yellow one from the J. Crew sale has a cute but not overpowering bow on the neckline and is $37.50, because of the extra sale discount (EDIT: This is no longer on sale).


I would pair that lovely cardigan with this indigo split-neck dress. Though it looks a little daring, I've seen it in real life and it isn't that low-cut. Then again, it all depends on your body structure. This dress is $59.99, but with the 25% off discount it's $45.00.


And finally, to top it all off...a cute pair of flats. This pair is $37.50, again because of the discount. You could have a lot of fun with the flats to pair with this outfit, but since it is grandma I'd opt for something colour-coordinating.


If you wanted to be a little less matchy-matchy, some fun bangles or cute earrings would definitely work with this outfit. Try not to go for a necklace though, as they can sometimes look strange with split necklines.

And...while we're on the topic of J. Crew sales, words cannot describe how in love I am with this linen double-breasted light grey jacket, on sale for $60.00:


and these unbelievably darling green polka dot flats, also on sale for $60.00.

Not-so-Naughty Nauticals

For all of you who aren't really feeling the whole draped-toga-and-gladiators look, you might want to try a more crisp, polished sailor ensemble to stay trendy without deviating from your own personal style. Beauty-wise, you could definitely browse what's left of MAC's Naughty Nauticals collection (I snapped up Port Red lipstick and Naughty Nautical nail polish, both of which I adore and are out of stock online). Fashion-wise, go for lots of navy (my favourite colour!) and white. If you're interested in pursuing the crisp, clean, slightly preppy nautical trend, try....

An adorable sailor-inspired dress, which echoes the trend but isn't OTT:


Or, a simple, cute navy dress like one of these:

(I personally like the one on the bottom better, because the shorter hemline is sassier and the tie-back halter straps are reminiscent of old-school dresses)

Pair your dress with a pair of cute steering wheel earrings from Etsy to complete your navy nautical look. (hurry, there's only one in stock!)