Very Versailles

/ Jacket: GAP / Dress: Zara (old) / Belt + Ankle Boots: Target / Tights: H&M / Sunnies: NYC Street Vendor                           / Lipstick: Revlon / 

Again, I apologize for delayed posts. Since getting back from our early Spring Break, trip to Paris and Italy, and all of the assignments, I've been pretty exhausted. Still, I'm workin' on it to bring back the frequent content to 85 Dresses. 

As a result of the delay, these photos were taken a few weeks ago on our last day in Paris at the incredible Versailles. As this was my first (!) trip to Paris, traveling to Versailles for the day was extremely exciting, as it is a place that like many others, I had learned about in school and couldn't wait to see the luxury of it in person. While I found Paris overall to be fairly fancy and formal, when it came to getting dressed for Versailles, I figured that a gold sequin belt, classic red lipstick in my favorite shade, and rose adorned sunglasses were musts. Couldn't you picture Marie Antoinette having dozens of these sunnies if she lived during our time? To keep all of the extras a little toned down (but still with the pizazz that they add to the look) pairing them with a classic pleated dress and leather jacket created the effect that I was going for to feel a little extra glam for a place that was definitely full of it, too!

Style Photos by Indradevi Nuon

Preppy Pairings

/ Top: Urban Outfitters (old) / Skirt: J.Crew (old from sister) / Belt: Target / Necklace: Francesca's Collections / Watch: Michael Kors / Boots: 9 West / Ring: David Yurman / 

Well hello, 85 Dresses! It's been quite a while, hasn't it? I have missed this little blog so much, and looking through photos I realized that I hadn't posted this look that I said that I would. If you didn't know, I am currently in London studying abroad at The London College of Fashion. It's going amazingly so far, and I am doing daily updates on my travel blog if you would like to read a bit more about it. For now, 85 Dresses will be running a little slower (as you have noticed), but I promise, not forgotten!

Now to the important things---the outfit! I have many different styles, but I think that one of the first styles that I ever noticed to really start to form once I became obsessed with fashion was classic prep. When I think of classic prep, I think of J.Crew catalogues and lots of plaid and riding boots. This look is one that I had wanted to try out for a while, but was one of those that I just never did. I always knew that with staples like a perfect plaid button down and riding boots with fun additions like a gold glittered belt, gold accessories, and a velvet skirt would take that classic prep that I fell in love with at the beginning, and give it a fresh update to make it more prep with a pinch, as I might call it. :)

Dress Up

Image via

For today's Dress Up post, it's not necessarily a particular dress being featured, but a style and idea--sequins and glitter! When the holidays start to roll around, nearly every store has some sort of garment covered in glitz. Now that the holidays are in full-swing, it's almost as if the sparkling lights adorning the neighborhoods have found their way indoors and onto the clothes. When it comes to sequins, I'm not picky. Gold, matte gunmetal, pale pink or anywhere in between and I'm ready to throw it on and twirl. That can't be just me, right? With sparkly dresses specifically, I've found that I'm more a fan of simple silhouettes. The sequins say plenty enough and having a simple shape keeps the focus on the shine and allows you to appreciate the quality of the sparkle in itself without being distracted from the style of the dress. Although, I've got to admit, when anything is covered in sparkles I automatically pay attention. Have you all found any sparkly holiday dresses for Christmas or New Years yet? Surprisingly, I only own one. The dark navy sequins and open back keeps it exactly as I like it--simple but statement-making and reserved for special occasions.

Happy Friday and happy hunting!

What are you all up to this weekend? I'm heading to Austin, TX for a road trip with the family for some much needed outdoor trails and killer vintage. This girl needs a new pair of cowboy boots!

Home Improvement

Now, I know that everybody loves a little bit of glitter and shine throughout their days, but this kitchen by architect Emma Templeton and her design team at Templeton, is a whole lotta fabulousness. With such a powerful and sparkly focus of the backsplash behind the counter, the team made sure to balance the room with neutral colors and materials--like variants of brown woods-- to ensure that the space felt special, but not overwhelming. This kitchen is surely a place where enjoying your morning coffee will make sure to start your day off right. 

Would you like some sparkle in your kitchen?

Tuesday Shoesday

{here are a few similar styles}

Yes, I know that it is colder and there has been snow in parts of the East Coast in the past few days, but these CROON loafers definitely an amazing shoe for any self-acclaimed "glitter fiend." While some may prefer for their loafers, or any shoe in general, to be in neutral colors to best work with all of their outfits, others may enjoy the opposite idea of a perfect contrast. These loafers would be just that. With their bright salmon-y pink and turquoise tassels and heel tab, as well as the abundance of glitter on the body of the shoe, these are an incredible pair of statement-making shoes that are guaranteed to make any ensemble complete. 

A to Z: Glitter

While glittered garments used to be brought out for strictly holiday celebratory events, more recently they have been being incorporated into ensembles that are worn for everyday average events as a way to add pizazz. With glitters, sequins, and sparkles, aside from all-out party dresses, I love when they are applied in an unconventional manner-- a glittered skirt with a t-shirt, glittered heels with jeans, or a sweatshirt with glittered sections. Putting on something glittered, whether for a formal occasion or just for a class, is an easy way to make what you have on just a little more special than it was before.

Would you mix glittered pieces with more casual ones? Here are some of my favorite ways to add glitter to everyday outfits. Which are your favorites?

photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Denim Dots Dazzle

{Forever 21 shirt, Topshop pants and heels, and Michael Kors watch}

One of the infinite reasons that I love fashion is that there are literally endless opportunities to meld together new looks from different pieces. While I usually reserve this baggy denim button down for an easy throw on top, when worn with fuzzy dotted powder blue pants (!) and glittery Mary-Jane's, this is one combination that has the perfect mix of trendy and classic. 

Self Portrait

For our final 2D project, we were assigned a self-portrait. In elementary art class, we would cover a mirror with tracing paper and draw our reflections in paint, oil pastels, and colored pencils. However, now that I am in college and in a class with people who all hope to end up somewhere in the art/design world, my days of drawing my reflection like that were over. Throghout the semester, I would constantly proclaim my love for glitter. When stumped with what to do for this project, I kept resorting back to glitter. My teacher would tell the class that if there was something that we really loved to just do it. So do it I did.

On Saturday, my friend Sarah and I gathered our supplies and headed to the art building to start. Originally planning to cover my face in frosting and then arrange pink and blue sprinkles on the top, we had to adjust when the frosting began to melt from my body temperature. As my teacher constantly promoted, YES paste worked the best as a baste and then on top we painted a fabulous, iridescent, confetti glitter that worked wondrously.

Here are how they turned out:

My whole idea behind it, besides my love for glitter was that I wanted to finally just try and do something because I wanted to do it and test it out, instead of just trying to make something that I thought would award me a grade that I wanted. Instead, I decided to take a risk. The glitter on my face and palm was for just something that I loved, and my finger-tips are covered in pink sprinkles because it looks like glitter, but was a way that I was able to incorporate another activity that I love; baking. When finished, I used Illustrator and wrote down words that describe my anxiousness when it comes to figuring out what I want to do a project on, and how people will react and how the picture is fun and positive and the words show my anxiousness and fears.

Overall, I think that it was a really successful project, and in critique I even got a nod from my classmates and teacher. Turns out you can actually do something you love, take a risk, and get praise for it as well.

Thank you Sarah for the help with the pictures.