SEVENTIES INSPIRED

OUTFIT DETAILS: HUDSON JEANS VIA ZAPPOS  ||  OLD BRETON TEE, SIMILAR HERE (only $18) AND HERE (only $25)  ||  HEELS (25% off!)  ||  HANDBAG  ||  SUNGLASSES


One of my favorite things about fashion is how cyclical it is. Every trend that we see right now has already been done at some point in time, and now it's showing up again with a modern twist. One of my favorite trends that has recently been reborn is flared jeans. When I was in high school, flared jeans were trendy but they were more of a slim bootcut; whereas the jeans that are showing up right now are very seventies inspired, bordering on "bell bottoms" (even though we're not using that word).

Hudson's Fall Denim line over at Zappos has so many great pairs of jeans, but I'm especially loving these dark wash flares. Jeans can be tricky to buy online, but Zappos has free shipping and free returns (with no minimum purchase requirement) so it's easy to return or exchange after you've tried them on at home. These jeans are soft and stretchy so I can easily wear them even though they're non-maternity, and the long hem forces me to wear a heel which creates a really long and lean silhouette. Obviously never will complain about that...

Flares are just as versatile as skinny jeans so you can wear them with pretty much anything -- sweaters (oversized or fitted), t-shirts, tunics (as long as they're mid-thigh or shorter), long or hip length cardigans or jackets -- but I went for a very classic, chic look with a breton tee, a pair of nude heeled sandals, and a small gray bag.

I'm so curious to know how you feel about the flares trend coming back. I've heard such mixed reviews. Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

photos by rad and happy | created in partnership with zappos and hudson

SAILOR STRIPES

OUTFIT DETAILS: white plum striped tunic, c/o (use code MERRICK SUMMER for 25% off your entire purchase until 6/11!) | white denim | white wedges | michael kors bag | sunglasses | watch

*photos by sara walk

Like I mentioned in this post, I'm on the hunt for summer wardrobe staples that are easy to throw on and look cute, but also let me run and play with my kids over the next few months. I love this striped tunic from White Plum because it fits all those criteria. And it's easy to dress up with a pair of white denim and wedges for a summer date night, like I did above, or dress down with a fringe bag and sandals like I did on instagram yesterday. And better yet, White Plum is generously offering my readers 25% off their order through June 11 with code MERRICKSUMMER, so snag yourself one while it's still in stock (it comes in pink stripes too!)

Every summer, White Plum does an amazing summer wardrobe giveaway (worth $1200!), and I'm so excited to announce that the time is here!

Click the image below to hop over to the giveaway page -- just enter your email address to sign up and a brand new wardrobe could be coming your way. Good luck!

(giveaway ends June 8th at 5pm MST)

3 WAYS TO WEAR SPRING PIECES IN WINTER

OUTFIT 1:

downeast basics skirt, c/o

old navy turtleneck, c/o

clutch made by me (tutorial here -- or purchase similar here)

karen walker sunglasses via dittos, c/o

similar boots

inpink bracelet, c/o

gorjana midi ring, c/o

glimmer lane ampersand ring, c/o

sonix iphone case, c/o

OUTFIT 2: 

similar leather jacket: splurge or save

downeast basics dress, c/o (recommend sizing down)

karen walker sunglasses via dittos, c/o

similar heels

similar clutch

daniel wellington watch, c/o

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAD AND HAPPY

As we head into spring weather, it's always fun to add lighter and brighter colors to your wardrobe. But if the weather is still cold (especially for those of you dealing with snow), bright and happy spring colors can sometimes feel out of place and inappropriate for the weather. Try these tips to transitioning those spring pieces in, because you should be able to wear a bright yellow skirt any day of the year if you want to!

1. Pair your spring pieces with wintery pieces. Like I did here, pair a bright yellow skirt with a turtleneck and ankle boots -- pieces that make the outfit feel season appropriate. Throw on a coat over the look if it's chilly! If an entire skirt is too bold for the season, try a spring-y bag or bold pair of shoes that's a little easier to style.

2. Choose winter pieces in spring colors. Colored coats are one of my favorite trends, and now is a great time to pull out those light colored ones. I'm obsessed with this slim fit mint-colored one, and you can't go wrong with a classic blush color (this one is on sale for under $40!). Or if colorful coats aren't your thing, try a pair of colorful Hunter Boots instead!

3. Contrast the light delicate with dark edgy pieces. Spring pieces are often lightweight and delicate with soft, sweet patterns and pastel colors. Winterize them with a splash of dark color and a bit of edge! I paired this pretty light blue pencil dress with my black leather jacket and it instantly became less sweet and more sexy sophisticated. You could also wear a pair of knee-high or over-the-knee boots for an edgy look!

Now go wear all your spring pieces -- no excuses!

Also, stay tuned -- there might be a little giveaway of one of these pretty Downeast pieces next week on my instagram, so make sure you're following along!

3 WAYS TO SPICE UP YOUR MOMIFORM

sheinside tee, c/o

dittos jeans, c/o

downeast basics hat, similar

buyamba flats, c/o

petunia pickle bottom bag, c/o

gold bib necklace, c/o

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANA LAURENE

I think every mom would agree that the momiform is one of the best inventions (if you can call it that) ever because every mom needs something easy, quick, and comfy to jump into and last through a day of errands, chasing after children, driving the carpool, etc. For me, a striped tee and jeans is my go-to momiform outfit, but the basics often beg to be spiced up a bit (and changing up accessories makes it less noticeable when you wear it three days in a row...not that ever do that...). 

Try these additions to spice up your momiform basics -- they're items that won't get in your way during the activities of the day, but will take your basic outfit to the next level:

1. Hats. I'm super in to hats this year, and think they're such a great and unexpected addition to a basic mom uniform. Floppy hats, fedoras, beanies, and baseball caps are all acceptable (even encouraged), and will go with everything. Find some of my favorites right here.

2. Jewelry. I feel like nothing makes me look more put together than jewelry. Lately I'm super in to delicate jewelry, but wearing your basics is a good time to pull out the statement jewelry, like with this gorgeous bib necklace I'm wearing here (although it's hard to tell with my hair). See some of my favorites in this post here. 

3. And lastly, shoes! When your outfit is so basic, let your shoes do a little more talking. Go for a bright color, a bold pattern, or something unexpected like these gorgeous hand-beaded buyamba flats that make a little statement. 

What do you mama's do to make your momiform a little more fun? 

p.s. Buyamba (who makes my gorgeous beaded flats) is an amazing company that is helping women in Uganda earn a living by hand-making the beads and adding them to the shoes. They have an amazing mission, an even better story, and are doing such a great thing by helping these women in need. You can learn more about their mission and company here and here! Anthropologie is also now selling some of their fall collection, which you can check out right here, or find their full fall collection (including these flats) right here. 

PRINT MIX MONDAY

h&m tee (old) - similar here and here

asos skirt (on sale!)

bcbg paris heels

urban outfitter sunglasses

similar clutch

stella and dot bracelet

michael kors watch 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANA LAURENE

The more I mix prints, the braver I get. When I first started doing it a few years ago, I wore a tiny, almost unnoticeable print, mixed with another only slightly larger print. But now, the bolder the better, I say. If you're going to do it, just go for it. And this Asos floral skirt is just asking to be mixed up with some other big bold print, don't you think? It's one of my new favorites (and it's on sale here)!

Stripes are always my go-to when I print mix, since they go with absolutely everything, but polka dots and plaid are also two super easy patterns that are easy to throw in to any mix (in fact, I'm working on some plaid projects for the holidays, so you can bet there will be lots of plaid print mixing up in here). 

Over the weekend, we celebrated Halloween with my parents in town. We went trick or treating, swam at their hotel pool, visited the Discovery Cube science museum in Santa Ana, and I hosted our traditional frightening feast (all the leftover decor from our spooktacular soiree definitely came in useful!).  It was the funnest weekend, and the 30 degree temperature drop and torrential downpour of rain was the cherry on top. Hope you had a Happy Halloween weekend too!

p.s. I'll be sharing some holiday gift guides very soon, but if you're starting on your holiday shopping already, you can get 25% off at Old Navy with code SAVE through Wednesday, and Gap has 30% off regular priced items through today with code JOY! Go snag some Christmas jammies, or a few sweaters! 

RESIZING AN OVERSIZED SHIFT DRESS

Since discovering the sizing up for extra hem length trick, my whole shopping experience has changed. I can't tell you how many clothing pieces I've fallen in love with but had to pass on because they were just a few inches too short. But now I just size up two or three (or even four or five) sizes, take them home and tailor them to fit, and suddenly I have a killer dress that is long enough for me to be comfortable. Such was the case with this simple sweatshirt shift dress from Target. So much potential, but a few inches too short. I sized up to an XL, and with a few simple cuts and seams it has now taken its place among my favorite dresses.

_______________________

target dress, altered

target sandals

j.crew hat

lily jade bag, c/o

similar sunglasses

I stupidly didn't take a photo of me in the dress before altering it, so I ventured back into Target yesterday to see if I could find one and snap a picture in the dressing room. I couldn't find one in the black and white stripe, but they had it in a pink stripe so I took a quick picture wearing it so you could see the huge transformation (and imagine it was in the right color).

CLICK THROUGH FOR THE FULL (AND EASY) TUTORIAL

RESIZING AN OVERSIZED DRESS (TUTORIAL)

The thing about sewing is that, like anything, the more you practice the better you get. I look back at old sewing projects occasionally (or pull them out of my closet) and realize what I shoddy job I did on some of them. I used to have the mentality that it didn't matter what it looked like on the inside, as long as it looked fine on the outside, so I'd cut corners a lot and then my projects wouldn't turn out quite right. Now, I definitely have the right mentality about creating my own clothes. I take my time, and if I do something wrong I go back and fix it. I rarely cut corners anymore, and it's amazing how much better my projects turn out and how much more wearable they are (I'm not tugging on or adjusting them every time I wear them).

Case in point, I did a refashion almost identical to this one last fall. I purchased an oversized dress, altered it, and the refashion worked okay. But because I took a major shortcut, there were some wonky things about the dress, and as soon as I washed it (which I stupidly didn't do before I altered it), it was even more wonky and almost unwearable. It was frustrating for me to have spent time on something that was suddenly barely wearable because I'd done in the wrong way. Hopefully some of you can relate...I'm not the only stupid one here, right?

Anyway, the point is that I'm learning, and I'm forcing myself to do things the right way the first time. Spending an extra ten minutes to unpick and re-do a seam makes a world of difference because I know it will now fit correctly and perfectly.

So here I am, re-doing this tutorial, showing you the RIGHT way to resize an oversized dress. And apologizing for leading you astray before ;)

. . . . . . 

When dresses are too short for me, I've found that the best thing is to buy a few sizes up, because the bigger size almost always has a longer hemline, and then alter it to fit the rest of my body. My normal size of this Old Navy dress was a few inches too short on me, so I picked up three sizes larger and used this basic steps to alter it. It's now my favorite summer dress and I have to force myself not to wear it nearly every other day.

photos by Sara Walk 

outfit details here

CLICK THROUGH FOR THE FULL TUTORIAL!

CLOSET ESSENTIALS, PART 2 // FIT + FLARE DRESS

A few weeks ago I posted Part 1 of my Closet Essentials Series. And in no particular order of favorites, here is part 2!

CLOSET ESSENTIAL 2 // FIT & FLARE DRESS

If you don't own a dress in this shape, go buy yourself one right now. This style of dress is so flattering, so versatile, and so on-trend. It's my absolute favorite dress style right now and is perfect for showing off your bare legs during the summer! I've been wearing this one constantly since I got it a few weeks ago!

photos by sara walk

old navy dress, c/o  

(I sized up for longer length and then altered it to fit -- tutorial coming soon!)

bcbg block heels via DSW 
(don't forget to enter my $250 DSW giveaway right here!) 

similar bag

inpink necklace, c/o

similar sunglasses

michael kors watch

HOW TO WEAR THEM:

• My Old Navy dress that I'm wearing here is made of a soft knit and obviously has a short sleeve. The combination of the two makes for a super versatile dress that can be dressed up or dressed down. I've worn it with my leopard sneakers and a pony tail for a super casual look, or here with heels and a statement necklace for a dressier ensemble. 
• For the sleeveless fit and flare dresses, the options are endless. I'd wear them layered with a chambray during the summer and a turtleneck during the winter. 
• If you wear a cardigan or jacket over it, make sure it hits near the dress's waistline -- either right at it, or slightly below. Shorter will look dated, and longer will cover the tiny waistline that these dresses give. 
• Try a vest with them -- I'm dying to try my olive utility vest with this dress!
• Belt it! To accentuate your tiny waist even more, try a belt. A skinny option usually looks best since it makes a slim line right around the waistband of the dress. 

WHERE TO BUY THEM:

I've rounded up a few of my favorites around the web -- check them out in the widget below! 

Are you guys rocking the fit and flare dress style yet??

Also, don't forget to enter my $250 DSW giveaway right here!