Blackout… in the Rain!

my outfit: coat // dress // bag {sold out; similar} // necklace c/o // rain boots
amélia’s outfit: vest via {similar} // similar dress // booties

I love the rain, almost as much as I love the leaves turning brown and sweaters and jeans. 

In so Cal, we’ve been rather unlucky with the rain, and drought conditions have us all longing for more any. When we finally got some last week, my style kick and I dusted off our rain boots and went puddle stomping between errands and appointments. She ditched hers shortly after the rain stopped, but me? I wore them. ALL DAY. for errands and even a style appointment…  Hey, when a girl gets a chance to bust out rain boots in an area that rarely sees rain, she does!

The wind and weather even made it comfortable for a coat! You bet I got all excited about fall, only to have it dangled in front of me for 3 glorious days… and then, just like that, it was over :(.

Style Note: Don’t be afraid to dress up your rain boots. You can pair them with a dress and coat for a super chic office look. The secret? Keep it neutral and add bits of interest, like a leather dress, stripes, or an awesome piece or two of statement jewelry. You’re look will remain professional and functional.

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Bridal Party Style

With end-of-summer and fall weddings upon us, I’m sharing some style secrets to getting the most out of a wedding party’s attire. 

I’ve recently written an article about adding depth, color, and individual style to your wedding while considering body shaping and skin tones of those in your bridal party; creating a picture perfect look while staying true to your style, and incorporating the comforts and style of your individual bridal attendees…

It seems as though wedding season truly has no end and no beginning and a bride planning for her big day may feel like it’s a never ending saga of colors: the flowers, dresses, tablecloths. It’s a sea of style that can become overwhelming.

Even under all the pressure to see her day become a reality of what many dream as the fairytale story to a life of happiness, a bride puts in a lot of thought making sure her day is picture perfect.

When working with brides, I’ve found that the one thing she often overlooks in her planning is the individual body shaping and skin coloring of the bridesmaids, which is just as important to completing the bigger style picture. Of course, this isn’t something intentional, but one of those factors that can really make a difference to the overall bigger picture and literally the photography of the day.

Of course, if this is about bringing a fairytale to life, you can bet brides mull over their color scheme, but I don’t know many brides who consider how those colors or dress styles will flatter her maids.

As important as who’ll be standing beside her on one of the biggest days of her life, so is the color scheme a bride chooses for her bridal party. However, those two things are often decided independently of each other.

When considering those factors together, a bride can essentially have her cake and eat it too. She doesn’t have to forgo her favorite color because it may not flatter one or two of her maids, but rather mixing and matching allows for more style, color and depth in a wedding palette. She’ll add a gorgeous, modern and ever-so stylish twist; an alternative to the matchy-matchy days of old. Not to mention, choosing contrasting dresses in different lengths and cuts is a fantastic way to cater to different shapes and colorings of a wedding party.

Here are a few tips to pulling off mix-and-match bridal style when selecting colors, tones, fabrics, and styles.

1. Don’t choose one hue. A hue is the same as saying the color of the dress. When deciding on colors, rather than opting for all blue dresses or green gowns, discuss tones. A tone is the color family, like champagne tones. By opting for the same tone, you’ll find a beautiful palette of dresses in the same color scheme.

2. Introduce patterns, sequins or lace for a very fashion forward take…

Read further for tips to styling your mix and match bridal party here.

September Wedding

tank // skirt via // clutch // necklaces here and here // similar heels

So September isn’t really a great month for me. I try not to get too personal here, since this is a style blog after all, but I lost my dad 6 years ago September 12th, and my grandmother a week later. Fast forward several years and my uncle passed as well within the first 2 weeks of September, so death this month is something we’re all too familiar with. 

It was a nice change of pace when my cousin from my mom’s side married a few years ago, and now another cousin from my dad’s side married this month as well… in fact, both cousins married the same day! Just different years.

Wedding style, to me, is so personal. Yes, there’s etiquette, but you also have to wear what you feel confident in. I chose brights because I just always feel so happy when I’m wearing them. Because we’re on the cusp between the end of summer and the beginning of fall, this gorgeous orange was a definite; a popular color for this coming season and verging on neon {neons will be a big trend carrying over to fall}. I had some ideas in mind when I set out shopping, but when this skirt turned up I instantly fell in love and knew I had to have it. 

Style Note: Go neon for a sophisticated yet bold statement. Wearing neon can be tricky, but pairing it with a neutral like white or ivory keeps it fresh and modern. And mixing in another complimentary neon color gives you a style statement completely your own. This orange is popular and you can bet you’ll be seeing more of it this season, so give it your own twist to stand out from the crowd.
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Wow Factor – Bomber Love

jacket // tee // distressed ankle denim // heels {sold out, but LOVE these and similar here} // similar clutch // necklaces here and here 

Some days call for a simple jeans and tee look, but I’m never one to be ordinary, so this bomber paired with a hint of snakeskin adds interest and makes the outfit perfect fall transitional style.

This is truly my every day casual style… with the exception of sky high heels! Those aren’t always conducive to running after a 4 year old or chasing down styles in a showroom or client shop, but I can’t resist their awesomeness for a dinner with the fam or girl’s night.

ps… hey my lovely IT gals, if you’re receiving Haven Street’s StyleIT Insider newsletter, you should’ve received an update about this fall’s StyleME challenge with EARLY ACCESS! This season’s StyleME session will open to everyone on the 15th, but if you’re an IT gal, you’ll get a bonus… so become an IT gal today!

Style Note: When putting together a casual look, you can still look chic. This look focuses on wardrobe basic essentials. When looking for basics, there’s two keys: fit and the ‘wow’ factor. Everything has to fit well to look good. Even if the awesome factor is hallelujah amazing, if it doesn’t fit well, it won’t look good. Period. The awesome factor is really a matter of personal choice. If it’s visually appealing to you, fits in with your style goals, and you feel just, well, awesome in it, then you’ve got your ‘wow’ factor. It should be a confidence booster and something true to your sense of style.

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Fall Sneak Peek

Hey, loves! I’ve put together a quick sneak peek of the hottest fall picks you’ll want to try out… 

I said I’d only be giving you 5, but you get 6 of my favorites and a sneak look at several others. If you’re interested in finding out what else is trending and what staples you’ll want to add, join me for the next edition of StyleME. Sign up as a Haven StyleIT Insider and you’ll be first to hear when the doors to the StyleME session open, plus get a few more picks and tips!

Doors open soon and only StyleIT Insiders get early access, so don’t miss out.

lush longline vest blazer {similar here} // DIY denim 

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