Stylish In Paradise...

Hola,

Here we go again my loves! If you're reading this, I hope you've had or are having a super fabulous day or night!

So my last post (A Letter To My Father) was pretty intense, quite heartbreaking but so incredibly beautiful and liberating. If you haven't read it, finish reading this post then please go read the letter :). I promise you will like it. I'm extremely happy I wrote it, and that I received so much wonderful feedback and comments so thank you all!

This week let's lighten things up a little bit shall we? Since we're almost upon summer, I know many of us will be going on some type of vacation soon so it's only appropriate that I write about what to wear on vacation (as you can see in my picture below, I prefer vacationing on the beach). Plus, I was so flattered that I was asked by a reader to write about this topic. It means that there is interest arising in what I have to say so thank you! Now let's get started...

I was browsing the Internet the other day, and I found the most fabulous link on Elle Magazine's website which contains examples on what to wear on vacation to different places.  The options vary in price from affordable to expensive but nonetheless, you can get a general idea on what to wear if you're traveling to these cities or similar ones. I will post the link later in this blog because of course I want you to continue reading ;).

As for me, when I travel on vacation, I tend to pack what I know I will need with extras for emergencies, variety and unexpected activities. I'm not one who will take three suitcases full of clothes on a one week vacation. Does this surprise you? I bet it does but hey what can I say, I like simplicity. Plus I feel like it's a vacation for a reason. So traveling light is part of the whole rest and relaxation idea.

When I choose a vacation spot, I prefer the beach hands down. If a beach is not involved, there most definitely has to be a pool. To me, one or the other or both are essential for me to relax and have fun. I often wonder if it's because I'm from the Caribbean that I am partial to the ocean... I just love to swim, the smell of the water, the air and watching the sunrises and sunsets right on the beach. In any case, for me packing is pretty easy. Light airy clothing in bright beautiful colors are first on the list, prints are fantastic for the summer months especially dresses and long skirts, bikinis are a must (*smile*), beautiful sandals and cute summer hats as well. However, let's keep this post unbiased because some of us do travel to places where the weather is colder, and there are some pretty awesome outfits for this type of climate. A sexy leather jacket, super high heeled boots with comfy sweaters and scarves! Ahhh, scarves are so delightful aren't they?! So you see you can look amazing on vacation no matter what climate you're traveling to. I've included two lists. One for hot weather and another for cold, with the last being a list of accessories.

I feel that as long as you have the basics for the climate in question, you can then add extra pieces accordingly. So below you will find just a few of the items that I usually pack when I go on vacation. These are basic ideas and suggestions so of course, we will add as many items to this list as we think we will need for the entire trip:

If You're Traveling To Places With Hot Weather:

Shorts - Denim, cotton and anything in between.

Cotton Pants - White is a must, but bright colors are winners as well.

Tank Top - Cannot go wrong with tank tops in every color.

Dressy Top - Play up a skirt or pant for dinner or dancing.

Short Summer Dress - Great for sight-seeing, walking on the beach and shopping.

Maxi Dress - I love maxi dresses. They are especially great for a sexy evening stroll or a dinner date.

Swimsuit - Bikini, one piece, tankini... in all colors! Yes!

Flat Sandals - Great for sight-seeing, shopping or a late night stroll. Comfort is important.

Heeled Sandals - Play up a dress, skirt, shorts, etc. for a night out on the town. Fabulous!

Wedge Sandals - Great for a lot of walking even if they are several inches high.

Summer Hat - A floppy summer hat is a sexy accessory for a summer dress and any outfit.

Tote/Over-sized Bag - Great for the beach or sight-seeing. You can carry tons of items in them.

Sunglasses - Always carry a fabulous pair. I love over-sized sunglasses. They add style to an outfit.

I've added some style boards that I found on Pinterest to give you a visual idea for warm weather ensembles. Check them out:

I love these boards because they include a little bit of everything to make an entire outfit work right down to what color nail polish to wear. Awesome!

If You're Traveling To Places With Cold Weather:

Jeans - Perfect for colder climates and they go with absolutely everything.

Sweater - There's nothing like a snuggly, gorgeous sweater at a snowy ski resort.

Leggings - A great option to pair with sweaters and boots. Also, under jeans/pants to keep you warm.

Jacket/Coat - A stylish jacket or coat will play up any outfit while seeing the sights. Leather is great!

Sweater Dress - These dresses are stylish, cozy and great for an evening out.

Hoodie - I adore hoodies. Wear with jeans or pants for a more casual look.

Dress Pants - For those dinners out on the town if you don't want to wear a dress or skirt.

Dressy Blouse - You can pair with dress pants, skirt or jeans for an evening of fun.

Flat Shoes - Great if you’ll be doing a lot of walking. Again, comfort is important.

Heeled Boots - The sexiest cold weather shoe! The heeled boot can be paired with any outfit.

Sunglasses - Again, Do not go anywhere without a fabulous pair. Sunglasses are not just for summer.

Large Handbag - A tote is great for summer but for colder months, a large handbag is so stylish.

Check out this style board from Pinterest for cold weather outfits:

This board shows just how stylish and fabulous your winter outfit can be while on vacation. The leather jacket and boots complement the whole look. Oh yes!

Must-Have Accessories:

Hoop Earrings - You cannot go wrong with these. They play up every outfit, and the size can vary.

Bangle Bracelets/Cuffs - They are so pretty and stylish especially when stacked.

Over-Sized Ring - I adore these. They look fabulous coupled with an awesome manicure.

Over-Sized Watch - The “It” accessory. You can pair with a few stacked bracelets as well.

Clutch - Excellent for an evening out. You can choose a bright color to play up your outfit.

Wristlet - If you're going dancing, this would be the way to go rather than a large handbag or clutch.

Cute Socks - For cold climates there is nothing cuter than bright, colorful socks to stay warm.

Gloves - Leather gloves will complete your ensemble for day and night.

Scarf - Bright, patterned, colorful, solid... Whatever you choose, scarves are simply delightful.

Sunscreen - Especially if you'll be under the sun. Never forget your SPF.

Here is another style board with visuals for accessories:

Aren't these absolutely lovely? Note, for jewelry you can go with either gold or silver. It's your preference.

My last example is the link I mentioned at the beginning of the post from Elle magazine. This link has 13 examples of cities and what would be the best items to wear on your vacation. If your intended city is not listed, you can still get an idea on what to wear from these suggestions. I hope you find them as informative and fabulous as I did:

http://www.elle.com/fashion/spotlight/vacation-packing-list#slide-12

So there you have it my sexy fashionistas. I hope you were able to get some great options for your next trip. Remember, the items I listed are just the basics and some of the items that I would choose to bring. I hope they've given you an idea on what you would pack. You can add to this or change it up according to your tastes and what you'd like to wear on your fabulous getaway. Bring as many or as few (if you like traveling light) of your favorite items and make it work. Last, don't forget to take tons of pictures so you can have wonderful memories and proof that you looked super fabulous and stylish on your awesome vacation! Happy and safe travels my loves!

Please feel free to comment below with your ideas and choices. Add photos and links if you have pictures you'd like to share as examples. Let's make this fun! Go #engage!

Until next time!

Gracias,
AnnaCris <3

All Biz or ...A Touch Of Fabulous?

Hola,

We meet again my fashionistas!

So with this post, I'd like to take a different route if I may. Let me begin with a question: Do you agree that the traditional office "business attire" has become less strict in today's society? If your answer is yes, then humor me and continue reading. If your answer is no or maybe, humor me anyway and please continue reading! Plus, I've added some really cute photos that you'll want see... :)

I'd like to share a little story with you first:

When I reached my senior year in high school, I had already accumulated most of my credits to graduate so during my first semester I was able to enroll in the co-op program where counselors worked as your recruiter, and placed you in corporate jobs so you could earn extra credit and some money. One of my placements was at a large reinsurance company as a part-time administrative assistant. Of course, still in high school, my fashion tastes were the usual teenage choices of jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, etc. The most casual but super hip attire, if I did say so myself ;). Needless to say, I had a rude awakening and quite a lot of shopping to do if I wanted to "fit in" with the strict dress code required at this company. Oh how I suffered having to wear knee length skirts, pantyhose *gasp*, dress blouses and the basic traditional suits! I felt mortified that any of my friends would see me (a very important issue to a kid in school). So every day I'd pack my "work clothes" then I'd go to school looking super cool and once I arrived at the office, I'd head straight to the rest room and changed into my office attire. Aside from the dress code, I loved the office and the friends I made, plus the work was pretty cool. I must have done something right because I graduated that June with a permanent part-time position at this company. Not bad! I endured the strict dress code for a few years, always trying to add my own personal touch to my outfits, and almost always got away with it. My next job was at an advertising agency where I had free reign of whatever I wanted to wear. No dress code whatsoever. I could wear whatever I wanted which almost always included a pair of jeans. During the summer, I'd wear fun dresses, capris and t-shirts. If I wanted to, I could wear sneakers and there was no issue. I was in complete heaven! What a difference in industries.

Now that I've told you a tiny bit about my story, it should explain my choice in blog this week. I would love to discuss and/or get your feedback on the different requirements of office attire in today's work environment. My own opinion is that these strict dress codes have definitely loosened up throughout the years. Let me tell you why...

First, I believe that the incorporation of "Casual Fridays" had a huge impact on how traditional office attire began to change. Thank you for that "Casual Fridays!" I will forever love you! The birth of the casual Friday led to the beginning of "business casual" for the remaining four days of the week. So again, thank you "Casual Fridays!"

I'd also like to believe that those industries that enforced a strict traditional wardrobe have come to realize that fashion is very important for today's woman. Also, factor in that more women are in leadership roles so they can very well call the shots. Today's woman wants to look professional but fabulous when we walk out of our homes each morning, not dreary and boring. We want to add a spark, our own sense of style to our work wardrobe that isn't set in one way: a traditional suit, pantyhose and plain pumps. Today's woman wants to add color, diversity, appeal and fun to her outfits. A sexy skirt with strappy high heeled sandals in the summer or fabulous boots in the winter, a well-tailored pant with a great blouse or sweater, a fabulous wrap dress, a red power suit with the sexiest stilettos, a pretty sundress in the summer with a cardigan and cute flat sandals, you get my drift... Even on a casual Friday, you can always wear a great pair of jeans and spice them up with sexy heels and a very cute top. Jeans have become a staple in every woman's wardrobe and if worn correctly, are just as good for the office. It's definitely a sign of the times.

This is not to say that all offices are down with the business casual wardrobe. The finance industry is one area that may still require a suit and tie for men, and women usually go with a skirt, blouse and blazer. Even so, I feel like choices are more open to discussion here as well. Do you agree or disagree?

With this being said, check out these photos below that I grabbed from one of my boards on Pinterest for some ideas on how today's woman can dress for the office looking professional but also fabulous, fun and sexy. You can also click this link to see my board directly on my Pinterest account: http://pinterest.com/crisanna6/for-the-office/ :

  

Aren't these absolutely lovely? I honestly want each outfit for myself. Those boots and those red shoes - I want ;)! ...But back to our topic, each of these outfits offers up an idea for spring/summer and fall/winter, and each is completely wearable at the office. For the sleeveless dresses, if you feel more comfortable adding a blazer or cardigan, go right ahead.

A note for my fashionistas who prefer not to topple over in 5+ inch heels, you can always pair your outfit with lower heeled shoes, kitten heels or a very cute pair of flats. It's all about being comfortable as well. Today's woman wants it all... They want to look spectacular but also have a sense of comfort. Most especially if you live in fast-paced cities where public transportation is a must. There are always great options. Play with your choices until you find the right look. 

Although all these photos are of skirts and dresses, please keep in mind that dress pants are also a great choice for the office. They can be plain or striped, dark colors or bright, paired with a great blouse, a t-shirt underneath a blazer (this look is also great with a skirt) or with a lovely sweater for the colder months. Nowadays, women have so much more freedom in how they can dress for work. Take advantage of it and go for it. By now, you all already know my motto: have fun and find what works for you.

So what do you think? Do you agree that the strict dress code has changed in almost all industries that preferred the traditional suit? Do you feel that some industries still enforce it and if so, which ones? I would love to hear your stories. How do you dress for work? How do you find the balance between dressing professional but also fabulous and fun? Share your ideas with your fellow fashionistas and comment below. Go... #engage!

Until our next encounter my loves!

Gracias,

AnnaCris <3

It's A "Colorful" Season

Hola,

How are all my fashionistas doing today?

So I've chosen my first official fashion blog to chat with you about "color." The obvious choice would have been to discuss the upcoming "clothing trends" for spring/summer, but I'm not an obvious person so "color" it is! :)

I personally think color is very important in a wardrobe. It's among the first choices we make with any ensemble. When we're shopping, we choose what color matches with what, what shade will draw attention, make us look sexy, elegant, classy and beautiful, what works best with our skin tone, etc. Some of us even color coordinate our closets. So yes, color is a major factor in the world of fashion. I believe that there is nothing more refreshing than a splash of something bright and eye catching in an outfit. While I am a fan of the basic neutral tones (whites, browns, tans, grays), I can't exclude lovely hues of yellows, blues, greens and yes, even orange from my closet. These shades go very well with your basic neutral tones as well as with the ever popular black.

For the spring/summer season of 2013, the prediction is looking quite colorful. The most popular fashion runways were a delicacy of delicious brilliant, dusky blues, emerald greens, poppy reds, gorgeous violets, vivid oranges and sunny yellows. The beauty of these colors is that they can be mixed and matched. Yellows, oranges and greens go very well with blues. You can also wear any of these shades with "white" which goes well with just about everything, and is a great option especially during the hot summer days when you want to stay cool. Other neutral tones can be played up with any of these gorgeous colors as well. Have fun and play with your outfit to see what works best together; you will be pleasantly surprised at the unlikely matches. Go with whatever makes you comfortable and happy. Just think of how lovely spring and summer will look if all of us beautiful women decided to add any or all of these lovely, bright colors to our wardrobes. It would be simply delightful! Go ahead... Give it a try.

Check out this cute summery, design by yours truly in green and yellow. This design will be a part of the dress collection that I plan to develop in the coming months so please stay tuned. This is the perfect example for you to see that unlikely colors can work well together:

With that being said, I'm not suggesting that you completely disregard darker tones such as black for the spring/summer months. However, if you are going to wear black, I would recommend keeping it at a minimum. Perhaps a cardigan or a jacket over a bright dress (you can always take it off during the day). Wear a black pair of slacks, a skirt or a dark pair of jeans (indigo is fabulous), but add a "splash" with a bright top. I know black is pretty much the "go to" shade for most women and is considered safe, but this season I would ask you to try something new and take a risk. These colors will stand out in a beautiful way, and they can make you feel so sexy and confident plus give you a "light and airy" feel during those breezy spring days and hazy days of summer. So go on and work it!

As for myself, I have to confess that yellow is one of my favorite colors. It is definitely a nice "splash" for most of my outfits, plus I really like how it compliments my skin tone. During the summer, I love wearing different shades of yellow either with a pair of jeans, a white skirt or pant. This works for me. Find what works for you, and have some fun.

So... what are YOUR favorite bright colors for this spring/summer? Are you excited to put away the dark hues of winter and bring on the lovely shades of the season? Comment below and let me know what colors you are most looking forward to adding to your wardrobe and how you will match them up. If you have to go on a little "shopping spree" before you comment, I encourage you to do so and then please come back and share ;). Otherwise, let's chat below and give each other fabulous ideas. Go... #engage!

Until next time!

Gracias,

Annacris <3