Thursday, June 29, 2017

Dressing Fashionably on a Budget

Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography y
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography y
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography y
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography y
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography y
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography y

Hello! I think a major misconception in regards to fashion is that you have to be wealthy in order to be stylish or well dressed. You simply don't. While being wealthy may make dressing fashionably just a tad bit easier, you can certainly maintain a strong sense of style and fashion on a budget. I mean hey, I do it every day.

I often surprise friends and acquaintances when I tell them how little I truly spend on my wardrobe. I scowl at any item of clothing with a price higher than $30. Y'all I'm majorly thrifty when it comes to dressing myself and hardly ever shop new. I shop second hand as much as possible and try to think outside the box to make the most of my wardrobe. I frequently edit my wardrobe, selling items I no longer wear in order to be able to afford to update my wardrobe with new items and try to see as much potential in my garments as possible. DIYs and thrift stores are my best friends while trying to stay stylish on a dime.

However, I am willing to splurge on shoes because a pair of $200 shoes can often make a $15 dress appear much nicer. Wearing ridiculous $200 shoes with $15 dresses will forever reign supreme as a crucial element of my personal style.

Need more concrete proof that you can dress well on a budget? Well, let's take a look at my #OOTD above then, shall we? I recently thrifted this cute Barbie doll pink vintage dress for just $3 at a local thrift store. I paired it with a trendy pair of pink pompom earrings, pink sunglasses and an adorable ice cream purse. And this purse? You can purchase it from ToSave for just $6 here! I stepped up the style of the dress with a chic pair of nude Jeffrey Campbell heels.

Photos by Rachel Dwyer Photography. Browse more of her work on her website here or on her Instagram @rrrachel08. 

Pink dress: Vintage
Pompom earrings: The Gem Co (only $10!)
Ice cream purse: c/o ToSave
Pink sunglasses: Rumors
White sunglasses: Nasty Gal
Heels: Jeffrey Campbell via Urban Outfitters

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Wednesday, June 28, 2017

What I'm Loving Right Now: PomPom Earrings

Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography

Hello! A couple months ago I began to notice my favorite fashion bloggers and trend setters rocking major pompom earrings. The light-hearted, fun appeal of their earrings piqued my interest and I traced back their trendy baubles to Ban.do. But unfortunately, earrings with a price tag of $75-$120 are just a tad out of my budget (read: so out of my budget that it's almost humorous.) I decided to hop on over to Etsy to see if I could find some similar options that fell a little more into my price range. And I struck gold when I discovered The Gem Co. 

The Gem Co. carries a beautiful selection of fashion-forward jewelry and accessories including the cutest statement-making pompom earrings. I immediately added this fun pink pair to my cart as well as a pair of black tassel adorned hoop earrings. And even better yet? I scored this pretty pink pair for just $10. I've been wearing them non-stop the past couple weeks and actually just purchased a couple more pairs from The Gem Co. as well. What can I say? I'm hooked! I'd highly recommend checking The Gem Co. out and treating yourself to a fun new pair of earrings- you deserve it!

Photos by Rachel Dwyer Photography. You can browse more of her work on her website here or her Instagram @rrrachel08. 

Black and white striped dress: Ashby
Platform heels: Jeffrey Campbell
Pompom earrings: The Gem Co. 
Seal purse: Vintage
Sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage

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Tuesday, June 27, 2017

The Coolest Aviator Glasses

Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography

Hello! The GlassesShop recently sent me this pair of aviator glasses and I think that I may be in love. I typically wear contacts on a daily basis but have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with them. Contacts often irritate and dry my eyes out so it's nice to be able to take a break from my contacts every once in a while with a chic pair of spectacles like these aviator eyeglasses.

These are the GlassesShop's "Dana Aviator" glasses frames and they retail for $39.95 here. I can't get enough of their seventies influence and shape; I love the touch of retro flair that they add to any look. You can definitely expect to spot me sporting these specs again.

Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography. Browse more of her work on her website here or on her Instagram here.

Glasses: c/o GlassesShop.com
Romper: Urban Outfitters via Ashby
Purse: Ashby
Rose choker: c/o ToSave.com
Watch: Vintage

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Monday, June 26, 2017

The Dreamiest Little Black Dress

Photo by Madeline Carmichael
Photo by Madeline Carmichael
Photo by Madeline Carmichael
Photo by Madeline Carmichael

Hello! Meet my new favorite dress: this fierce little black and white number. MakeMeChic recently sent me this beauty to feature on my blog and I can't stop obsessing over it. Like seriously. I wore it three days/nights in a row immediately after receiving it. So when I say that I didn't want to take this dress off after trying it on, I truly mean it. I absolutely adore its flattering silhouette, versatile color and of course, its dramatic sleeves. It's such a statement dress but also incredibly versatile at the same time. I'm already dreaming of all of the different ways that I can style it. You can check it out for just $17 here on MakeMeChic's website.

For this look, I wanted to create a subtly sexy yet fashion-forward aesthetic. The silhouette of the dress alone radiates sex appeal but I further emphasized that appeal by styling a black ribbon choker and red-hot lace-up heels with the dress. A glam silver purse and Givenchy sunglasses added to the stylish charm of the look.

Photos by Madeline Carmichael.

Dress: c/o MakeMeChic
Lace-up heels: Nasty Gal via Ashby
Silver purse: Ashby
Hoop earrings: The Gem Co
Sunglasses: Givenchy c/o SmartBuyGlasses

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Saturday, June 24, 2017

Dreaming of The Seventies

Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography

Hello! I recently scored this stylish seventies-inspired mini dress for less than $20 at Ashby, a local Richmond fashion retailer, and I practically can't stop wearing it. When I first spotted it at Ashby, I felt its retro psychedelic print and bold colors calling out to me. And upon closer inspection, I fell even more in love with its high neckline, mod silhouette and incredibly soft texture. It fit like a dream when I tried it on and I purchased it almost immediately. And for less than $20? Major score!

I played up its seventies appeal for this look by styling it with a pair of aviator glasses, a golden vintage watch and a pretty pink vintage purse. Baby blue mules and pink pompom earrings updated the look with a hint of trendy flair. A swipe of pink lipstick perfected the look.

Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography. You can see more of her work on her website here or her Instagram @rrrachel08

Aviator glasses: c/o Giant Vintage
Pompom earrings: The Gem Co
Printed dress: Ashby
Baby blue mules: Nasty Gal via Poshmark
Pink sunglasses: Rumors
Orange-pink sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage
Pink purse: Vintage

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Friday, June 2, 2017

Nicholas Von Thrower Photography: Summer '17

Photo by Nicholas Von Thrower
Photo by Nicholas Von Thrower
Photo by Nicholas Von Thrower
Photo by Nicholas Von Thrower
Photo by Nicholas Von Thrower
Photo by Nicholas Von Thrower

Hello! I recently collaborated with local Richmond photographer, Nicholas Von Thrower for one of my first photoshoots in my new house. Yep, you read that correctly: my new house. I recently purchased my own home in Richmond, Virginia. Y'all, I'm just 21 and still can't even believe that I own my own house. I purchased it a few months ago and have been pouring my heart, soul and essentially all of my free time into fixing it up and transforming it into a seventies dream. Warm color palettes featuring shades of peach, olive green and almond yellow paired with mid century mod silhouettes and the free-spirited style of the seventies dominate the interior design of the home. And while it's very much still a work in progress, I'm immensely happy with how far it's come along so far. 

I'm looking forward to many future photoshoots in my home but am uncertain how any shoot could top this recent one with Nick. I love how the soft, ethereal vintage mood of the photographs perfectly reflects the style of my home.

Keep an eye on my blog throughout the next couple months for more home design updates and follow me on Instagram @toriradday for a behind the scenes look of my home on my story. 

You can check out more of Nick's work on his Instagram @flowersdaddy (as a forewarning, some of his work is NSFW.) 

White pants: Vintage
Yellow blazer: Vintage Christian Dior
Pink dress: Nasty Gal
Yellow sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage
Beaded gown: Vintage
Black booties: Jeffrey Campbell via Urban Outfitters

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