Monday, March 26, 2018

8 Outfits to Rock this Spring

Hello! Last week marked the official beginning of the spring season and I can't wait to ditch my winter wardrobe. Nothing will be sweeter than the moment that I pack away my heavy winter coats, my one surviving pair of tights from the season and chunky knits. It's still a bit cold here in Virginia but weather forecasts appear promising. And thank goodness, right?! Because I'm ready to show a little leg and break out the crop tops- who's with me? Keep reading to check out 8 outfit suggestions for this spring:

Spring Outfit Idea #1


1. High-rise bellbottoms + a crop top. This combination is easy as well as chic- and what's better than that? Accessorize the outfit to complement your personal style.

Why it's a great combo: It's very flattering to the waist and easy to personalize to match your unique sense of style.

Where to wear it: out for happy hour drinks, to go on a date


Spring Outfit Idea #2


2. A patterned dress + fringe leather jacket. All eyes will be on you in this playful boho spring look.

Why it's a great combo: It's easy to take the jacket on and off as the weather rises and falls throughout the day

Where to wear it: to your favorite local band's show, for lunch with your gal pals


Spring Outfit Idea #3


3. A midi skirt + fitted turtleneck top. You can style this sophisticated combination many different ways to match your personal taste.

Why it's a great combo: It works well for chillier spring days without feeling like a ~winter~ look.

Where to wear it: school or the office


Spring Outfit Idea #4

4. A boho romper + vintage shawl. Go for a boho look with a romper in neutral colors and a vintage shawl or poncho.

Why it's a great combo: Layers are crucial for transitioning your wardrobe from winter to spring and a poncho/shawl works perfectly for this.

Where to wear it: for running errands, for going on a date with your significant other


Spring Outfit Idea #5


5. A denim mini skirt + striped top. Play up the retro vibes with a denim mini skirt and a striped top. Bonus points for yellow aviator sunglasses.

Why it's a great combo: It feels playful, fun and fresh- a winning aesthetic for spring.

Where to wear it: shopping with your bestie, for a local festival/market event


Spring Outfit Idea #6


6. A statement jumpsuit. Turn heads in a stunning jumpsuit. Go big or go home when it comes to the color, print or silhouette of the jumpsuit- but not all at once.

Why it's a great combo: It's perfect for making a statement.

Where to wear it: out on the town


Spring Outfit Idea #7


7. Distressed denim jeans + a denim jacket. Because denim on denim will always rule. Distressing gives it a little extra edge.

Why it's a great combo: It's effortless yet eye-catching

Where to wear it: for running errands, hungover brunch with your girls


Spring Outfit Idea #8


8. A lightweight turtleneck + spaghetti strap dress. Make a fashion-forward statement in this stylish look.

Why it's a great combo: You get to wear that summer dress that you've been dying to wear but it's still not ~weather appropriate~ and you're tired of wearing it with the same denim jacket

Where to wear it: for work or girl time with your best friend

Do you want to try out any of the ideas above? If you do, I would love to see! Just tag me in your #ootd post on Instagram @toriradday.


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Sunday, March 25, 2018

Taking Style Cues from Clueless

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
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography

Hello! Alex, the CEO of Unitiques, texted me a photo of this yellow and black abstract houndstooth print mini skirt a few weeks ago to ask my opinion on it and I immediately fell in love with the Clueless vibes of the skirt. This skirt is just one of the many gorgeous pieces offered on Unitiques, an online fashion marketplace. Unitiques offers the opportunity to both buy and sell new and gently used clothing and accessories. When Alex offered to send over the mini skirt as part of my collaboration with Unitiques, I jumped on board right away.

I wanted to play up the Clueless vibes of the mini skirt so I took cues from the nineties film; for me, crop tops, classic preppy prints and miniskirts represent the style in the movie.  My skirt covered two of those style cues with its preppy print and mini skirt length. I styled it with a black and red dragon crop top to pull in that third style cue. I also incorporated other elements of 90s style into the look; my dramatic hoop earrings, black cat-eye sunglasses and silly little vintage purse all added to the Clueless aesthetic of the look.

Wanna style your own Clueless-inspired look? I recommend heading over to Unitiques; shopping second-hand is better for the environment as well as for your wallet. And Unitiques makes it easy for you- so what are you waiting for? Browse everything that they have to offer here.

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

Yellow skirt: c/o Unitiques
Dragon crop top: Wish
Red purse: Vintage
Watch: c/o Lilienthal Berlin
Leo earrings: Urban Outfitters
Black cat-eye sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage
"Tori" necklace: c/o Personal Necklace

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Saturday, March 24, 2018

Richmond Fashion Crush: Shop Evolve

Photo by Catherine Page
Photo by Catherine Page
Photo by Catherine Page

Hello! Creativity, community and support define the Richmond fashion scene- and it's one of my favorite things about Richmond by far. I try to support local fashion brands as much as possible so it should come as no surprise that I was stoked when Shop Evolve, a fairly new RVA fashion retailer, sent me a personal, hand-written invitation to their pop-up shop earlier this month at Lou Stevens Glam Squad Studio on Broad Street. My roommate, Elissa, and I attended the event together and I can definitely add Shop Evolve to my list of favorites after the experience.

Many items caught my eye at the event but this black and white star skirt called out to me in particular. I immediately grabbed a couple sizes to try on and headed to the dressing room. I fell in love with the skirt the second that I slipped it on; it's a little sexier than what I normally go for but having fun with fashion is all about pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone, am I right? So I went ahead and purchased it- and boy, am I glad that I did. I've already worn it more than a handful of times since buying it just a few weeks ago. Stay tuned to see all of the different ways that I style it this spring! You can add it to your own wardrobe for $32.50 here.

I wanted to play up the "cool girl" vibes of the mini skirt so I styled it with a sassy red "honey" crop top. I love how the white detailing of the crop top emphasized the white star design of the skirt. A faux fur leopard print jacket added to the stylish aesthetic. I slipped into a pair of black velvet heels, grabbed a red-hot vintage purse and called it a ~look~. Red lipstick, simple golden accessories and white + blue "clout" sunglasses perfected the outfit.

Photos by Catherine Page. You can browse through more of her work here.

Black and white star skirt: Shop Evolve
Red "honey" crop top: Wish
Black heeled sandals: Jeffrey Campbell via Poshmark
"Tori" necklace: c/o Personal Necklace
Red purse: Vintage c/o La Retro Girl
Celestial earrings: c/o Zaful
Sunglasses: Wish

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Wednesday, March 14, 2018

5 of Richmond's Best Thrift Shops

Photo by Elissa Rumford
Photo by Elissa Rumford

Hello! If you know me then you know that the majority of my wardrobe is second-hand. I enjoy shopping Poshmark, Unitiques, yard sales and thrift stores in particular for most of my clothing. I've been on a bit of a thrifting kick lately as I start to fill my wardrobe with new styles for spring. I try to go to a wide variety of thrift shops in Richmond but I'm definitely guilty of hitting a few thrift shops more frequently than others. And I wanted to go ahead and share those favorites with you all- maybe you'll soon add them to your list of faves too? Anyways, keep reading to check them out!

1. Fan Tastic Thrift1914 W Main St, Richmond, VA 23220. Located in the Fan area of Richmond- as the name suggests! I'd definitely say that you can find the best prices at Fantastic Thrift and I find that their merchandise moves through the store quickly so you're always looking at new (to you!) items. I discovered the cutest bubble gum pink vintage dress for around $5 there last year and it's still one of my favorite dresses in my wardrobe.

2. Diversity Thrift. 1407 Sherwood Ave, Richmond, VA 23220. Diversity Thrift has a great selection of clothing as well as bags and shoes. Like Fan Tastic Thrift, merchandise moves very quickly through Diversity Thrift and it seems like they often put out new items. I purchased the green Black House White Market top that I'm wearing above from Diversity for just a few dollars recently.

3. Hope Thrift. 11260 Patterson Ave, Henrico, VA 23238. I found a Juicy Couture dress in my size at Hope Thrift for just TEN dollars last week. Need I say more? You can often find nicer brands in this thrift shop; I also purchased a Mink Pink dress and Urban Outfitters dress on the same trip. Unfortunately, there's not as much vintage at this thrift shop and I usually prefer vintage.

4. Salvation Army. 2601 Hermitage Rd, Richmond, VA 23220. Half price clothes on Wednesdays! You can't beat that.

5. CHKD Thrift Store. 8032 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23294There's a wide selection of clothing at this thrift shop and they also offer a 25% off coupon on Mondays. Discounts on already inexpensive clothing? Yes please!

Do you have any favorite thrift stores in your area?

Photos shot by Elissa Rumford and edited by myself.

Green top: Black House White Market, secondhand from Diversity Thrift
Blue and white striped shorts: c/o Zaful
Sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage
Earrings: secondhand via a clothing swap
Green clutch: Vintage, secondhand from a yard sale
Green, open-toe booties: Urban Outfitters
Lipstick: ColourPop

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Saturday, March 10, 2018

Color of the Moment: Red

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
Photo by Rachel Dwyer Photography

Hello! Fashion moves fast; it's constantly shifting- whether that refers to a seasonal change or the emergence of new trends. For me, I'm all about color in fashion. And as the seasons and trends change, my color preferences change as well. March marks a transitional period in fashion as we usher winter out and welcome spring into our lives so it only makes sense that there's also been a recent shift in the colors in my wardrobe.

I fill my wardrobe with a variety of colorful dresses and vintage gems but usually one or two different colors reign supreme in my wardrobe. Baby blue and peachy keen hues took over my closet after I graduated from college and I flirted with yellow briefly afterwards before deciding to go steady with the color pink. And I've been rocking pink for a while now. At one point last year, the number of pink garments on my clothing rack surpassed the number of black garments. But in the past couple of months I've found that I've slowly been removing shades of pink from my wardrobe.

And what's been replacing those pretty pink hues? Bold shades of red. I've recently been really drawn to anything and everything red- from flirty red dresses to eye-catching shades of red lipstick. I've never really been a fan of the color red before but hey, there's just something about it that I can't resist at the moment. Maybe it symbolizes a change in mood? A fiery rebirth of my spirit as the weather warms up?

I think it's interesting the roles that certain colors play and how colors can affect your mood. Red symbolizes passion, love, adventure and seduction. It's certainly a strong color and there's something almost empowering about rocking the fiery shade. My newfound fondest for the color took me by surprise but in the best way possible. Expect to see a lot more red hues on the blog this spring.

Zaful recently sent me this playful red and white polka dot dress to showcase on my blog and I've been wearing it practically on repeat. I'd even go as far as to say that this dress perhaps inspired my recent lust for the color. You can check this dress out for yourself here for just $22.

Do you go through phases with color in your wardrobe? Or do you have a favorite color to rock? Let me know in the comments below!

Photos by Rachel Dwyer Photography.

Red dress: c/o Zaful 
Golden boots: Jeffrey Campbell
Boho purse: gifted to me by my Mom
Sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage
Statement earrings: c/o Zaful (retailing for less than $4!)
Boho bracelet: Vintage
Rings: Primarily vintage
"Tori" necklace: c/o Personal Necklace

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Thursday, March 1, 2018

CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone

CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone
CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone
Untitled
CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone
CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone
CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone
CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone
CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone
CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone
CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone
CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone
CaseApp: Fashion for Your Phone

Hello! CaseApp recently reached out to me regarding a collaboration and I immediately hopped on board. CaseApp sells a variety of phone and laptop cases and skins; they have their own designs but also give you the option of creating your own custom designs. I've seen a few of my favorite Instagram babes rocking CaseApp phone cases and laptop cases in their photos in the past and I couldn't wait to try out CaseApp's cases for myself. They offered to send over two cases so I selected my favorite design for a phone case and my roommate, Elissa, selected her favorite design for a phone case as well.

I picked their pink and gold case. You can check it out for yourself HERE. I love its subtle marble print design, soft colors and hints of femininity. And this may sound a little bit ridiculous but it looks great in every mirror selfie that I take and that definitely earns it bonus points in my book. Elissa went with their washy wash case. Check it out for yourself HERE. I actually like Elissa's case just as much as I like my own; its rich colors and chic print are absolutely gorgeous.

We both selected their most protective cases and I'm very pleased with the durability of my case. I tend to take selfies in very precarious manners and often find myself dropping my phone in the process. I've dropped my phone many times while it's been in this case and each time, the case has protected it from the fall. And thank goodness for that!

I'd highly recommend checking out CaseApp for yourself- whether you want to browse their designs or create your own.

Outfit details, on me:

Black dress: Forever 21 via Ashby
Kimono: Vintage c/o LA Retro Girl
Black boho purse: Ashby
Black heels: Jeffrey Campbell via Poshmark
Pink sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage
Earrings: Vintage
Rings: Vintage
Phone case: c/o CaseApp

On Elissa:

Booties: Urban Outfitters
Skirt: Vintage
Earrings: Ashby
Phone case: c/o CaseApp 

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