Fashion Fades~Style Remains the Same

As we continue to venture down our Fashion for Farm Girls path I think we probably need to back up a bit and maybe start with some basics.  I was so very excited to start this blog about fashion that I jumped right in and started sharing ideas about what was the “in “ item for the season, things I could not live without or the perfect shade of nail polish.

Since I started my blog I now have new followers who actually email me questions!  Can you believe it? So much fun!!  Welcome Aboard fellow fashionistas, we are happy to have you.

So, getting back to my thought for this blog, thinking we need to get back to the basics of style.  What is your fashion style? Yes, everyone has one and if you don’t think you do then do some homework and get one! 

I believe the goal of personal style is to change your look each and every day if you wish but always continue to look like yourself. 

I find myself doing fashion homework all the time. I love to look in magazines and read books on what is the latest and greatest. I recently came across the

Six Ways

to Find Your Style and thought I would share with all of you.  This will help you on your journey to becoming a Fun Fashionable Farm Girl.  Many of you are already fun and farm girls we are just gonna help with the fashion piece of it.

•  Make Tear Sheets – read lots of books and magazines and tear out photos that interest you. Over time you will find there is a pattern to what you like, what is timeless and what is trendy.
• Write Your Own Style History – where does your style come from, I believe mine came from my grandma. She was eclectic and pure fabulousness all in one.  We will blog about her later – stay tuned.
• Try Lots of Looks – Experiment! Try on lots of things to know what works and what doesn’t. 
• Ask Yourself Questions – What flatters you? What fabrics do you love?  What in your closet do you come back to again and again?
• Find Your Style Icon – This is simple, find someone who you emulate and talk to them!
• Make An Effort – Style does not appear on its own, you must make some sort of effort to try.

As said by the famous Italian designer Miuccia Prada~

“People ask me how I can be stylish and elegant, what can I wear?  My only answer is to study, you have to learn! “

I love to study fashion , my fashion bible – I love your style by Amanda Brooks and I can thank her for many of the thoughts that I include on my blogs – Thanks Amanda – you are the best!!

So what is your personal style? What defines you? Excited to be a part of your style journey- it is a constant evolving process, we switch and change but eventually you come to a balance and find the style within you!

(thank you Coco Chanel for inspiring a great title for todays blog)

From Farm to Fabulous in one Afternoon ~

From The Farm to a romantic afternoon or evening wedding , chic and cheap outfit ideas are a must! If you are lucky enough to be on the guest list why not get something fun where you can look chic in the heat yet polished.

I am a personal fan of the “shift” dress.  Shifts are all the rage right now. One  like this (above) looks simple, classic yet special for a wedding or some other event where you have to add a little “oomph” – oh you know what I mean.  Add a fun headband, some strappy sandals and gold bangle bracelets and you are ready to go!  For those located out on the coast (like me)  a wrap of a complimentary color would complete the look too !

Need some ideas for a shift dress - shop Nordstrom.com for some great ideas! 

Until next week~

Clutch Play

What is classic, timeless and less likely to go out of style than any other handbag?

The Clutch!

Some of you might wonder what a clutch is. A clutch looks like a giant wallet, sometimes with a handle sometimes not but easily able to tuck under your arm. They are great to stash credit cards, lip-gloss, your phone and keys – all the necessities in one spot for a quick trip shopping or a night on the town when you don’t want to carry a bulky big bag.

I use a clutch everyday and keep it tucked inside my big tote bag that holds my ipad, journal book for writing down fabu things I see during my day; you never know when a story or blog idea might be right in front of you, and all my other “stuff.”  It makes it so easy to just grab your clutch and your off in case you need to do a quick errand during the day.

Clutches come in all sorts of sizes from flat envelope looking ones to boxy little ones. Leather, fur, faux animal skins, shiny, matte, you name it seems like they have one to fit every personality. 

The clutch, a delicious way to complement your wardrobe!

Until next time~

The Real Dirt

I am lucky enough to be associated with some amazing young women through my work with California Women for Agriculture.  We are gonna vere off the weekly fashion thoughts to get serious for a minute or two - On June 13, 2011 the Washington DC Enviromental Working Group released 12 fruits and vegetables that called "dirty" meaning they felt there were pesticide residues on these items that were real great for ya.

As a proud California Rancher and Clothes Hound,  myself along with some of my CWA Teammates created the following thoughts in response to the comments from the Enviromental Working Group - Here ya go~

http://www.knowacaliforniafarmer.com/blog/the-real-dirt

I have submitted our thoughts to a terrific website "Know a California Farmer" , I ask all of you to not only check out what we had to say but to make this website a place to come to familiarize yourself with farming and ranching in California .

Dont worry - we will be back next week with some fun fashion tips and ideas but sometimes we need to get a bit serious , like today !  Thoughts are always encouraged!

The Ever So Popular ~ Collectible T

You can never have enough plain white tshirts – they go with absolutely everything. From v neck to cap sleeve, scoop neck to long sleeve or crew neck and ¾ length sleeve, the white tshirt is a wardrobe staple.  It is timeless! Dress them up or down, every girl should have a few of them to complete her wardrobe.

But sometimes you need to branch out to the “collectible tshirt.”  All of us have them. You know concert tshirts, old logo school team tshirts or your favorite eatery or hang out.  Colorful collectible tees are fun and make a statement.  I like to wear my short sleeve tees with a long sleeve tee underneath or maybe even a thin long sleeve hooded tee to give it an extra bit of character.  Collectible tees are a way of expressing ourselves.

What? You don’t have a collectible tee – well why not support the industry we love and purchase an “I love Farmer” tee from http://www.ilovefarmers.org/.  Order your graphic collectible tee today. I promise this will never go out of style. They are made from American cotton,hold a  tremendous shape, wash up really well and you cant beat the saying across the front. (I know I have one in every color )

Collectible tshirts – a fun way to express yourself ! And……………. They look great with a pair of jeans, cool belt, tennis shoes and you know me – a scarf wrapped a million times around my neck!   Fun Stuff!

The Jean Jacket ~ Always a Fashion YES !

I recently came across a book I have had for awhile and thought ……… “ hmmmmm, this is a perfect tool for my Fun Fashion for FarmGirls blog.”  It is a book I picked up years ago on how to define and refine your personal style.  So exciting!

As I flipped through the pages I came across a section on the JEAN JACKET. Whether you are a FarmGirl or not I will bet you own this wardrobe staple.  Some people have said that the jean jacket goes out of style, however I believe it is as timeless as the “LBD – little black dress.”

There are all sorts of jean jackets but I think the best is the worn, soft, faded light blue denim. I wear my denim jacket all year long- at cattle shows with a fun paisley rag tied around my neck or over my maxi dress with flip flops. I also think they look great with a crisp white shirt, slacks and flats with some pearls. You can dress it up or dress it down.  I think your best bet is to not keep it too structured. And yes I tend to think they are even a bit better with a hole or two.

 This is a photo of me with one of my favorite jean jackets ( I have a few of them) – this is my friend Matt J I have known him forever!

So go into your closet or maybe even into your back porch on the rack that holds all of your work coats – wash up that jean jacket, put a bit of fabric softener in your washing machine and start using it as a fashion staple!  You will look great – I promise!

Friday Fun FarmGirl Fashion Thought ~

“I am different, I like it and I thrive on my sense of individuality” (not sure who said it but I liked it)

What To Do With An Extra Benny ~

Lets play pretend~

Lets pretend you had an extra $100 to spend on summer clothes – what would you buy?

And thanks to the glut of cheap fashion nowdays you can find fashion everywhere. Many malls and websites are filled with markdowns but I tend to enjoy fast fashion chains like Target and H and M Stores that carry designer labels but at extremely low prices- seems to be the new trend. Top designers like Vera Wang have now made their way into vast retailers such as this with the same edgy, fun style but literally hundreds of dollars cheaper.  Of course the fabrics are not as fancy but to get you through the summer - well its not even a question.  Lets get started~

Here Celeste's top three picks for summer fun.

1. the maxi dress – we have blogged about this before, I am in love with the maxi dress. I think they are so fun and can be dressed up or down, paired with a denim jacket or a wrap – they are simply the perfect dress for summer – guaranteed. They can be dressed up or down and that is why I love them.
2. the sheer wrap – gauzy material is really in right now and a great light weight scarf is perfect for summer. Wear it as a full body wrap, tie it around your neck as a scarf or if you have a smaller version you can wrap or tie it around your head as a headband.The wrap is my staple item all year long - they are easy enough to throw in your bag and have to add a little extra "punch" to an outfit or take off a chill on those cooler summer nights.
3. costume jewelry – stacks of bracelets are a must . pile them on ! You can buy bracelets now sold in stacks.  I love bracelets and my motto is the more the merrier!!! Faux cocktail rings, faux diamond hoops and other fun pieces help you express who you are. I tend to opt for one main fun piece - too much costume jewelry is overkill - just my thoughts on this !

I promise you if you have $100 and go to a broad retailer like the ones mentioned earlier I will guarantee you can get all of these items and then maybe even have a few dollars left for some cute flip flops and a latte.

I am curious – what fun outfits would you create with your $100 ?