fashion friday

fashion friday: bathing suits when you’re tiny on top

I recently had a friend beg me to do a post on bathing suits for small chested women. I’m one too, so I understand the challenges. But we should be thankful – we can actually pull off a lot of styles that our busty friends can’t. There are some great tricks to making the most of what you have!

First off, a few things to avoid:

cups that are not filled out? not flattering

no padding at all... not flattering!!

So lets talk about what IS flattering…

1. Halter tops: I highly recommend a halter top. You get good coverage and the deep v-neck really enhances what you have.

2. Ruffles and Ruching: Add volume where there is none.

Ruffled bandeau bikini top by Old Navy, Ruched banded bandeau tank by J Crew, Ruched swing tank top by J Crew, Isabella by MiracleSuit, Ruffled Wrapped Halter Suit by Anthropologie. Mossimo Tankini Top by Target

3. Patterns: Use patterns as your friend! Draw attention and create curves!

Sayulita Banded Halter Tankini by Athleta, Goa Halter Tankini by Athleta, Bold Stripe Halter Tankini by Athleta, Mossimo Polka Dot Tankini by Target

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fashion friday: summer dresses

We skipped over spring and went straight to summer in Philly. (Help! I’m melting!) So I’ve been living in sundresses – my summer staple. So lets chat dresses.
I LOVE THE MAXIDRESS. Ironically, so does my daughter, Gracie. She now has like 4 and wears them constantly. I, on the other hand, only have two. One was adorable that I picked up on the Boden Warehouse sale and the first time I wore it, I spilled melted butter on it. Which is why YOU SHOULD ALWAYS WEAR AN APRON, MY FRIENDS. Get a cute one. You’ll thank me.

$99 on Zappos

This strapless maxi dress from Jessica Simpson is gorgeous. This could go from backyard barbeque to a wedding with just a change of accessories.

$47.99 from ModCloth

I’m in love with this one. The color. The ruffles. Must have this See The Sights Dress by ModCloth.

$76 by Shabby Apple

Okay. I KNOW its summer. but HOW cute is this dress!?!?! And those red shoes!

$138 at Lord and Taylor

This neckline is so sweet. The cut on this dress is gorgeous – I feel like the plaid would be very flattering.

$49.50 from LOFT

If I was going to wear tie dye, it would be with this dress. So cute!! (And it has a ruffle 😉

$24.99

I love this dress from Target – although I’d replace that fabric belt with a wide brown one. And add these wedge sandals.

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weekend getaway looks!

Its Memorial Day! Break out those summer whites and head to the beach! (Well, I’m actually going camping. In the woods. In a TENT. What’s the opposite of glamorous?) What essentials do you need to pack?

Swimsuit and Coverup for the beach:

Bold Stripe Halter Tankini by Athleta, Bold Stripe Full Tide Reversible Bottom by Althleta, Gradient-Lens Sunglasses by Old Navy, Flip Flops by Old Navy, Beaded Cowboy Hat by Old Navy

Breezy Dress for dinner out:

Vertical Breeze Dress by ModCloth, Dee Earring in Turquoise by Kendra Scott, Audra Bracelet in Turquoise by Kendra Scott, Fantastik by Steve Madden

Casually Cool for sightseeing:

Linen Blend Tunic ($19.50), Perfect Khaki Shorts ($19.50), Beaded Flower Bracelet ($8.80), Layered Island Necklace ($5.50), Flower Sandal ($24)

What is your favorite?

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fashion friday: dressing kids on a budget


Thank you Old Navy for sponsoring my post today about baby and toddler styles. Old Navy is giving you 30% off everything in their baby and toddler summer collection, plus get an additional 15% off in-store.

I don’t know about you, but my kids burn through clothes. They don’t wear them out (usually) but mainly they just grow so darn fast! And, as I’ve shared before here on Girlymama, Old Navy is one of my go-to stores for my kids. Old Navy Kids clothes are cute, stylish and very affordable.  I end up here every season buying staples like jeans, t-shirts, tights, and jackets for my kids. Their stuff this season is too cute!

Hand-me-downs: My girls are out of the toddler department at this point. (Hold me.) But lucky for me I have three nieces that still are and they are benefiting from all of the hand-me-downs from my girls! Don’t be shy about accepting hand-me-downs. This spring, my friend Kelly gave me two huge bags of clothes for my son that her little one had outgrown (tons of Old Navy shorts, khakis and tees). And it was awesome!  Now I have to buy that much less for him this spring!

Transition the seasons: Every little girl needs a tutu and that’s a fact. (My Gracie has approximately 6, but she’s extremely girly.) Pair your little one’s tutu with a cute tshirt or tank and flip flops in the summer, then transition it into fall and winter by adding tights and a cardigan. Now she can wear it twice as long! The same goes for little sundresses. My Gracie wears her sundresses in winter with a long sleeves tshirt underneath and tights or leggings.

oh, the sweetness. makes me want to twirl.

The same goes for my little guy’s beloved graphic tees. In cooler weather, I just layer a long-sleeved tshirt underneath and change the cargo shorts for jeans!

we're huge superhero fans over here!!!

And finally, Shop the Sales! When that clearance rack is an additional 30% off, stock up for the next season! Browse the next size or two up and tuck it away for later. When Christmas is over, buy NEXT year’s Christmas dress for a fraction of the price. Check out this fashion haul I did a month or so ago when I hit that Old Navy clearance rack hard!!

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

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fashion friday: indecision

So tonight I’m co-hosting a Launch Party for my fashion blog, All Things Chic with Jo-Lynne and Shopafrolic founders Liz Lange and Jane Wagman at Bloomingdale’s in King of Prussia. (Want to join us?)

And I have no idea what to wear. Well, I have three possibilities:

1. This blue ruffley shirt from LOFT, trouser jeans and black platform heels. Probably paired with my Kendra Scott earrings.

2. This light blue, sort of sparkley, ruffled halter, trouser jeans and black heels. Accessories undecided. Probably silver dangley earrings…

3. This red/coral/pink shell, trouser jeans and black wedges. Paired with a short gold chain with a pendant, a longer necklace and earrings from Stella and Dot.

I cannot decide, you guys! Help!! What should I wear?

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fashion friday: for my non-girly girl

Now you know how my Gracie is super-dooper girly, loved ruffles and dresses and wears flowers in her hair almost every day, right?

I have no idea where she got this from.

Now my oldest, Ellie, is a different story. Wearing a dress is cruel and unusual punishment. Tights are torture. And the last time I bought her something with ruffles, the look she gave me made me shudder at the thought of her being a teenager. You could almost hear her eyes rolling. I swear. Now she will wear pink, but that’s about a girly as it gets.

(disclaimer: She read this before I posted it and said, “MOM! I DO have a shirt with ruffles.” And she does. Have one single shirt with a teensy-tiny ruffle on it. I stand corrected.)

So I have a really hard time finding clothes for her. Grace is easy. If I love it, she’ll love it. If its a dress, she’ll love it. If it has ruffles, she’ll really love it. But Ellie…. I’ve returned more clothes that I’ve bought for that girl… Even stuff that I think isn’t that girly, she’ll reject.

Luckily, I’ve found a few stores that I can almost always find things for her. There are several kids clothing stores that I refuse to shop at. I firmly believe that 8-year-old girls should look like 8-year-old girls, not tiny pop stars or reality show contestants. No inappropriate slogans on tshirts, no super revealing outfits and nothing written across their bottoms, thankyouverymuch.

77kids is American Eagle for kids and one of our favorite stores. I’ve found a ton here for her – that casual surfer girl style is perfect for a kids like her. And my favorite – their slogan is “Good for 77 washes” – their stuff not only lasts, but gets softer with age.


I love this flowy bright stripe pocket tank. The flowy-ness makes it a little feminine and modest, but its still ‘cool’ enough for her.

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Ellie loves graphic tees and is obsessed with peace signs, so this graphic t is perfect! This is her new favorite shirt. I love how long it is!

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Oh, she’ll love these rip stitch denim shorts.

Crazy 8 is another store I usually do well at for her. Crazy 8 is owned by Gymboree, so you know its good stuff. And when you hit the sales, its crazy cheap. (Even when you don’t hit the sales they have good prices!) The outfits we fight the most about are outfits appropriate for church. I don’t think they need to get decked out, but nice clothes are a must (like jeans without holes). But Crazy 8 is saving my sanity with these cute outfits!

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This would be perfect for church. Dressed up enough to make Mom happy, but casual enough that Ellie won’t be uncomfortable. Gingham tunic shirt ($8), Bee tshirt ($5), Denim skirt ($10) and flats ($12).

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Now this I love!! And since its a skort, Ellie will too! She actually loves headbands, so that will win major points! Butterfly tshirt ($10), plaid skort ($10), headband ($4) and sandals ($10).

Old Navy is another store I have great luck at for Ellie.

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Maybe – just maybe – I could get away with these ruffles because she loves long shirts. What do you think?

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These capris are adorable. But I’m thinking white might not work…

What are your go-to stores for each of your kids?

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fashion friday: stella & dot

This morning I’m having a Stella & Dot party at my house. Wanna join?

They have fantastic jewelry. FABULOUS. I could probably close my eyes and pick a page in the catalog and be perfectly happy with whatever I ended up with.

Now, I already have this little beauty, the Rivera Coin Necklace.

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and I’m planning to get the Riviera Pendant Necklace and Riviera Coin Earrings to complete my collection.

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And I’ve been eyeing this Aimee Locket Necklace:

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And this Together Forever Necklace is GORGEOUS!

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I can’t decide. Which is your favorite?

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fashion friday: LOFT sale

Darn you, Loft! Darn you with your cute clothes and 40% off the entire store sale!

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The Ruffle Open Front Cardigan is calling my name. Loudly.

Fullscreen capture 4212011 31546 PM.bmp I have a shirt like this Roll Sleeve Tunic and I love it! Its fabulous with white skinny jeans and wedges.

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I do have some tshirts that need replacing – and for under $10, its a great time to stock up!

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I’ve been wanting a pair of cropped jeans, since my old ones don’t fit anymore.

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Oh. Oh oh oh. I LOVE THIS gold and silver discs necklace!!!

Happy shopping, my lovlies!!! Did you do a fashion post today? Link on up!!

fashion friday: bonjour!

Think Audrey Hepburn: slim capris and flats, a full skirt, a sheath dress…
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I’ve been wanting a full skirt – and the Poplin full skirt  from Talbots is just about perfect! So timeless when belted and paired with a crisp white shirt – perfect for any one at any age! (although the Champs-Élysées skirt is taking a close second!)
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The Bardot dress from Talbots
is très chic ! I love the addition of the jacket!
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Or go super classic with a navy and white Nautical Stripe Sweater and white capris.
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Or try it in a hoodie! I LOVE this maritime-stripe hoodie from J Crew!
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And you can’t get more elegant than a classic sheath dress!
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fashion friday: dreaming of spring

I don’t have a theme today – just awesome things I’ve found this week while I was dreaming of it bring springtime! Imagining exotic treats like flip-flops and tank tops…  Enjoy!!

1. The Sunny Soiree Dress.
Oh. Oh oh oh oh. I love this. Have you ever seen a dress that is more summery??
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2. Eyelet Trim Belted Top
This would not only look totally adorable with white capris and espadrilles! And its on sale for only $8.50!
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3. Striped flutter shrug
This is a gorgeous way to wear the neutral trend! Its so comfy and cool looking.
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4. Ugg Broome boots
I know its spring – and its almost time for sandals. But I’ve been in love with these boots for months. And now, they’re on super sale on 6pm.com! (Plus, get 4% cash back at 6pm.com with ShopatHome!)
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5. Miss America Inez Pump
My friend Julie had these in pink and they are darling. DARLING I tell you!
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6.  A-Bit-Unruly Top
Oh, I just love.
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Well, apparently I am not into bargain shopping today.

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