Feeling Floral!

Living in Cleveland and dealing with the cold winter season has me craving for the warmth and sunshine of spring. Scrolling through my Instagram I note all my Texas and Atlanta bloggers with their playfully colored outfits. I realize I am here in the cold, bundled up with layers upon layers waiting for the warm weather to arrive. I’ve decided I need a pick-me-up to get me out of the winter weather blues. I am feeling inspired by all the floral prints I see right now. I want to add some spring to my step by incorporating these fantastical floral patterns into my wardrobe. I hope adding these flora's to my wardrobe will brighten my mood and help me prepare for spring!

Here are three ways I'm flaunting floral's to prepare for spring!

 Floral Maxi Skirt

Floral Dress

Floral Top

photos by Ashley Shaw

Styled by Stacy's "Fashion Police": 2017 Academy Awards!

Last night was the biggest award ceremony night of the season, the Oscars! The Red Carpet was full of fabulous gowns and tailored suits. Always exciting watching the celebrities strut their stuff on the red runway. No Red Carpet would be complete without Styled by Stacy’s breakdown of the best and worst dressed celebs on the red carpet last night. Here are my pics from last night’s festivities!!

Best Dressed

Taraji P. Henson in Alberta Ferretti

This dress fits her like a glove. She brought fierceness to the runway in the velvet Ferretti gown. And you know how much I love a statement necklace and her green cocktail ring is to die for!!

Ava DuVernay in Ashi Studio

I love the slate color of this dress and the lace detail is beautiful. With a lot of celebrities wearing black this Red Carpet Ava stood out in one of my other favorite neutrals!

Emma Stone in Givenchy

I am in love with flapper inspired dresses and this Givenchy dress is swoon worthy. The gold color is so regal and she keeps it simple with earrings and soft waves allowing the dress to make the statement.   

Worst Dressed

Dakota Johnson

She is probably the most recognizable sex pots in her role as Anastasia Steele in 50 Shades of Grey but, her Oscar’s gown reminded me of my grandma’s gown she wore to my wedding. The high neckline, the big bow, and the statement piece that did not compliment the dress is the reason I unfortunately have to give her worst dressed this Oscar season.

Blanca Blanco

Showing way too much skin for the classiest red carpet of the season makes Blanca one of my worst dressed pics. I’m all for showing a little skin but, this dress is better suited for the Grammy’s. The color also clashes with the feather sequin detail and don't even get me started on the sleeves!

Cynthia Erivo

Cynthia’s attempt to bring color to the red carpet unfortunately made it look like,to quote #whatsjaytwearing, “she wore her grandmother's davenport” on the runway.”

Men’s Wear

I don’t usually do mens wear but I fell in love with Ryan Gosling’s ruffled dress shirt and tailored suit! I couldn't go without recognizing this Oscar noms amazing red carpet style!

What Not To Wear: Professional Wear Addition!

photos by: Ashley Shaw

Earlier this week I shared with you some tips and tricks on where to shop and what to buy when building a professional wear wardrobe. Today I want to share with you some of the choices you should avoid when dressing professionally. I’ve made a shortlist of 10 things to avoid when dressing professional.

1. Neon color pallet: One of the models did think it was appropriate to wear neon blouse as professional wear. I kindly let her know that neon was not meant for the workplace.
2. Short Skirts or Dresses: You want the hemline to reach the knees
3. Showing too much skin: Avoid cutouts, spaghetti straps, or see through material. I once worked with a girl that bought a lovely gown for her fiance's Christmas party but, it had big cut outs on the side. Nothing says unprofessional like showing too much skin. This leads me to my #4…
4. No plunging necklines: You want the girls situated nicely and covered up.
5. Flats or Boots: They are good when dressing Business Casual but when dressing formally heels are best. Even a kitten heel is better if you're not comfortable in heels. When the hemline of your trousers is dragging due to low shoes you create a frumpy less put together look.
6. Patent leather and lace: This isn’t the set of 50 Shades of Grey. When wearing a shoe in the professional world make sure its suede or natural leather. As for lacy tops or skirts there is a fine line between trashy and classy so be careful when deciding on lace.
7. Bare Legs: Hosiery is important when dressing professionally it's a modest choice that gives a more professional vibe. I know it is a rule that is a little archaic but covering up your legs is just as important as covering up the cleavage.
8. Nothing Too Baggy or Too Tight: You want to find pieces that create a tailored look. Too baggy makes you look like a hobo, too tight makes you look like a harlot.
9. Bold Jewelry: Everyone knows I love a good statement necklace but you need to be careful when accessorizing for work. Simple pieces are better and not too flashy.
10. Leggings: Under no circumstances are leggings okay for the professional world. I once had a friend ask if she could make them business casual and I told her NO! Leggings are for the weekend, working out, or hanging out around the house. They do not belong in a professional setting. There right up there with #8, clothing that is too tight. The only exception would be to wear them under a dress that goes to your thigh, and that's only in the winter when you live in cold weather climates like Cleveland.  

This concludes my what not to wear list. I hope this list helps whenever you're on the fence on proper professional attire. One more piece of advice, if you're on the fence or questioning a fashion choice for the office it's better to not wear it. I also realize some of these rules can be interpreted for different industries you might find yourself working in. For someone who works in the fashion world, I make boring professional wear pop by breaking rule #9! Wherever you find yourself working professionally I hope this helps and as always if you ever have any questions on this topic feel free to message me and I’ll be glad to help you navigate your way through professional fashion!

Building a Professional Wear Wardrobe!

photos by: Ashley Shaw

While styling for the upcoming fashion show I realized many young professionals are unclear as what to wear in a professional setting. Furthermore not many young professionals own clothing items to make up a professional wardrobe. As I blog about the fashion show,  I realized my wardrobe is lacking some basic professional pieces too. Today I wanted to share some of my own insight when shopping and styling for the professional world. My hope is to help the young professionals get inspired and help them navigate the professional world through fashion.

Where to Shop

When entering the professional world after college money is always tight. You may be ask how do you look work ready on a budget? As much as you may like to shop at the Loft or Banana Republic, which both provide great options for a the workplace, they can be kind of pricey. One of my favorite places to shop for professional wear on a budget is H&M. It’s not just a destination for trendy pieces, it also has a whole section dedicated to professional wear. Right out of college I got two pencil skirts for $15 each and some basic blouse for under $20. H&M is a perfect place to shop when you first enter the working world. Once you land your first job definitely check out the more tailored pieces at Banana Republic or the Loft.  

What basic pieces to buy

If you’re following along with my Fashion Show Diaries, you will know my mom actually worked for the state of Ohio in Worker’s Compensation, when I was growing up. Part of her job was to help people get a new job by guiding them through the resume and interviewing process, and helping them with what to wear. When I had my first interview for my internship in college she gave me a simple, yet important tip. She told me if you are going to wear pants you need to make sure you have a jacket to go with them. If you don't own a suit the other option is a knee length skirt with a blouse, and always wear tights when wearing a skirt. This advice was helpful when I decided to buy items for my professional wardrobe. Some key basics you should start with are a skirt, I like a pencil skirt because it creates a sleek silhouette and looks professional when paired with a nice blouse. I purchased two one in black and one in gray, it's perfect to switch them up when you get called in for a second interview. Black trousers, I actually found a nice pair at Marshall’s. Two to three blouses you can mix and match with your bottoms. Make sure one is white. You can never go wrong with a nice white button up. A blazer, you can find a blazer almost anywhere just make sure it's more tailored, both H&M and Target have good ones. Lastly, a professional dress. I like the pencil skirt dress option, it creates an easy put together look. I prefer black for most of these pieces it's a professional power color and it's easy to update with a fun blouse or piece of jewelry.

Now that I have given you advice on where to shop and what to look for make sure you look for my next blog. Coming this Saturday I will share what to avoid when building a professional wardrobe. Using my styling sessions for the fashion show as inspiration I will give you What Not To Wear in a Professional setting!

xo, Anastasia

Fashion Show Diaries: Logistics

photos by: Ashley Shaw

The show is a couple days away and I’ve switched gears from styling to the show’s logistics. I have the models and the outfits. Now it's time for music, staging, lighting, and rehearsal.

For this particular show staging and lighting are not something I need to be worried about because the venue has a stage for us to use. If you find yourself planning a show for a group like me or a local boutique it's important to think about the logistical side of the show and how everything will be set to create the right atmosphere.

When doing a show for a boutique I usually utilize their retail space to create a non-traditional runway. As for lighting you can always stick to the natural lighting in the venue. I’ll be using the natural light for the show on Saturday. You can also go dark with spot lights for a more dramatic feel. Sometime this can be a little more pricey to rent the lighting. If a space has good lighting it's better to utilize the lighting already in the space. Whatever you choose for staging or lighting just make sure to map it out in advance and walk through your plan with your client so you are both on the same page.

The next logistical detail to consider is music. Music sets the tone and energy of the show. If your show is full of trendy looks you might want to incorporate upbeat, hit music. If the feel is more romantic or edgy you want to choose music that reflects the specific theme or tone. For me the music is always a little challenging. There is so much to choose from it's hard to narrow down your choices. Definitely take the time to listen to a lot of different music. You want to create the right feel for your show. For the show on Saturday I chose a mixture of today’s hit music such as Katy Perry’s new hit single “Chained to the Rhythm” to an older hit single called “American Boy” by Estelle Ft. Kanya. Whatever music you choose, know it will help set the tone and pace of the entire show.

Once you have everything styled and staged its time for the run through. The run through, or rehearsal, is important. It’s your chance to see the flow of the show before the actual day. I have had two or three rehearsals leading up to a show and sometimes one rehearsal the day before the show. For the show on Saturday my rehearsal is unfortunately on the day of the show two hours before the event. This isn’t ideal but, it's the only time we could get into the venue pre show time. Every show has its challenges, you just have to be adaptable and a good problem solver so you can put on a show to remember!

 

I hope you enjoyed my Fashion Show Diaries, stay tuned later this week too, I’ll be sharing advice on what to wear and where to buy professional wear attire similar to the the show items that will be featured in the show this weekend!

xo, Anastasia