TREND ALERT: FLOWER BOMB

April showers brings May flowers, isn't that right?! And what a a significant way to kick off the first day of May than with a bright floral number that is sure to make you feel peppy, free, and light on your feet! 

This brings me to our next spring trend alert- florals, florals, and more florals. Yes, we see them every season and they're back again for spring. The thing with florals is that you can expect them to be brighter and bolder for spring and summer, and a little moodier in fall and winter. 

One of my favorite color combinations is orange and pink. It's also aqua and red, and here we are with those four colors in one amazing spring dress from Zara and it's a true flower bomb explosion! 

Now here comes the fun part- accessorizing! With a floral canvas like this, we just needed to find the greenery. We found it in the least expected of locations- Wynwood! Have you seen these palm leaves? They're gorgeous and massive and I just want to wrap myself in a palm leaf burrito! I'm obsessed with these stunning red fringe earrings  from TopShop, which are actually now on sale! They really bring out the red hues in the dress. 

Next up, shoes! I've been living in these gold wedge sandals from Zara for the past month and I have no plans to stop. Metallic goes with just about anything, and I love how easy they coordinate with everything from dresses to shorts. Part foam, part espadrille- they're funky, cool, and extremely versatile. 

I've been having a lot of fun lately with my sunglasses! I always have my go-to signature Ray-Bans close by, but I've been switching it up and playing with these different styles, colors, and up to the minute trends. I wanted some new red shades and loved these cat eyes ones I found on Amazon.  They're such a statement piece and easily wow! 

I threw on my de facto straw bag for spring/summer and voila! My floral look is complete and I'm ready to show it off to the world, or on my blog at least! Big shout out to Danielle, who saw this aqua stool lying around and incorporated into our shoot as a prop. Amazing how the simplest of tools can bring a photo and all it's vivid colors to life! 

Have you stocked up on your spring/summer florals? How do you wear yours? As usual, I want to know! DM me! 

In Style, 

Kathy

TREND ALERT: CHECKERED SPRING

Good Morning, Squeezers! Sending lots of love and gratitude your way, because if it weren't for your support and comments, I wouldn't be able to do this blog! So, a big THANK YOU!

Like I promised, I have a new spring trend alert for you and I'm sure you saw this one for fall/winter, and now it's making an appearance for spring. It's the only time having a 'checkered past' is acceptable! Yes, I'm talking checkered for spring and it's fantastic, versatile, and believe it or not, a great neutral for pairing!

Checkered is such an ode to 80's fashion and I can't get enough of it. Not sure if you remember the checkered pant suit I wore (the blazer was vintage and belonged to my mom), and I couldn't get enough of it. For spring, we're changing things up. The suit is too heavy for spring and it would be criminal and also deliriously hot for me to wear right now, so time to adjust!

I found this gorgeous skirt at H&M and we can't ignore the big bow detail that allows for a cinched waist and hip hugging curves! Normally I wouldn't wear a skirt like this because I would feel restricted, but it's actually so comfortable and I love how it hugs at all the right places and also masks a little bit of that leftover pregnancy belly that's been a challenge to lose.

I love that I could wear this skirt with everything from a graphic tee to a buttoned up blouse. In this case, I wanted a playful look. I paired it with this 'Merci' graphic tee from Forever 21 (only available in plus sizes at the moment. I linked it for you) and I love how the colors coordinate with the skirt. By the way, this tee is SO ultra soft. I may or may not have fallen asleep in it a few times. The great thing about this black and white checkered look is that you don't have to limit yourself to primary colors. Think outside the box! Pair it with a neon top, a tropical print blouse, floral off the shoulder. Your options are really endless! 

As always, don't forget to have fun with your look! Fashion isn't meant to be serious. It's meant to be fun, expressive, and ever-evolving, so if you want to wear those kiddie heart shaped glasses or pom pom earrings like I did, just go for it! It's a really festive way to show off your personality.

I threw on my fisherman's cap because you know I love me a good hat, as well as my pointy white boots also from Forever 21, which are still available! You might remember I wore these all through fall and winter and guess what? I will still be wearing them through summer and spring! A good tip to remember- with a fitted skirt like this, you want to avoid flats. Think tall and wear heels, not just to show off those long legs, but to also give you some height!

Merci and Au Revoir!

In Style,

Kathy

FESTIVAL FASHION: RUSTIC AND FEMININE

It's that time of year! Music festival season- from Coachella to Hangout Fest to Governor's Ball and so many more in between, it can only mean one thing- Festival Fashion is coming. You'll start seeing it pop up in popular fast fashion stores, vintage boutiques will be swarmed with fashionistas, and those graphic rock n' roll tees that once belonged to mom or dad (or maybe you picked one up at Urban Outfitters), will be part of your wardrobe repertoire.

While I be live streaming some of the performances from my couch as I go 'Nowherella' (see what I did there), that doesn't mean I can't bring you some festival inspo to get you in the spirited mood. I teamed up with Danielle Margherite of Danielle Margherite Photography to capture some festival goodness for the gram and the blog. We took this pink floral number to Wynwood and just check out the amazingness she captured!

When I scroll through Instagram, sometimes I feel like a lot of the girls basically just pull a bunch of random items from their closets and wear it all together and voila, they have a festival look. Do any of you feel the same way?! And hey, sometimes it's magic and it's fabulous. Other times, it leaves me scratching my head. Most of the time, these outfits are meticulously planned out. While I'm all about taking fashion risks and trying new trends and having fun, I also don't want to leave people wondering, 'homeless or hipster?' 

You can keep it fairly simple and still standout with some key pieces. Just like we touched upon florals as a big trend for spring, floral fashion is blooming all over the music festival fields. I actually found this pink floral dress in the clearance section at H&M and I love it. I love easy dresses I  can slip on and wear for any occasion. I have a 'dress and go' mentality as of late and this dress fits the bill perfectly. I can wear it with sneakers, boots, a leather jacket for spring, even heels if I'm in the mood to dress it up. It's the perfect dress to lounge around on a grassy knoll somewhere and vibe the scene. 

I'll be taking this dress with me to NYC next week and because it's legit spring weather in the city, I'll be wearing it with a leather jacket and nothing makes me happier! Leather jacket weather is my favorite! Another reason I love this dress- it's not form fitting. It's a little looser, a little more towards the 'shift' look, and for me, that's key. Simple doesn't have to be boring, you see?! Did you catch the slit? Subtle sexiness is a nice touch!

How fantastic are these bubblegum pink iron gates? I mean, they were just calling for this dress to be part of the landscape. It coordinates perfectly and it's amazing! You can really get a feel for the whole vibe of the outfit and I have to tell you, I'm digging it even more with the blonde. I'm really missing the long extensions. What do you guys think? I'm a long haired girl at heart so I can't tell you how excited I am to put them back in next week. It makes the growing out process less excruciating for me (#firstworldproblems)!

Let's wrap up this look by talking about ACCESSORIES! Hats are always a good idea (so says me, the self-proclaimed hat queen). Not only is it a fashionable statement that adds loads of character, but they are also a great option as a supplemental sun protector. 

I was on the hunt for a great spring hat. I knew I wanted something light-colored and diverse. I'm always a little hesitant because light-colored hats tend to get a dirty a little faster, but they brighten up an outfit and are really playful. I found this one at Free People and I'm obsessed with it (I actually wore it last night). I can wear it with just about anything! 

I live in these black studded booties. They practically walk on their own. It doesn't matter the season, my black booties are for any weather climate- whether it's 90 degrees or 30 degrees. They too, will be going with me on my NYC adventures. And like I mention time and time again, I love dresses with boots. The End. 

Are you guys hitting up any festivals this summer? Any performances you're looking forward to? 

Also, in more important news, do you want to see my long-haired extensions mane another appearance? 

In Style, 

Kat 

TREND ALERT: GO WIDE

Hi Squeezers! I'm back from our family vacation and ready to throw some more trend alerts your way. I've taken my own advice and stepped a bit out of of my comfort zone for this look. Can you guess what I wore that you've rarely ever seen me wear? It also happens to be tonight's trending topic. 

Wide Leg Pants. Yes ladies, I went wide. It's a bit of a stretch for me, believe it or not. The moment I had a taste of my first pair of skinny jeans, I never went back. Ever. It's been yeaaaaaaaars since I've worn anything bootleg or wide leg and I haven't missed it, really. The trend comes and goes each season and each season I say, "maybe I'll give it a whirl again," but then I don't. I think it's mostly because I don't wear a lot of high heels or high wedges and in order to really pull off length and dimension with a wide leg pant, you need height. You really can't sport these with flats or sneakers. It'll make you look dumpy, no matter your body type or weight. 

This season, however, I took a chance on the wide leg again. On a recent adventure to Forever 21 (because it's always an adventure when you go to F21), I unintentionally found these high-waisted jeans in their denim section. I initially grabbed them because they said 'high-waisted,' not realizing they were wide leg jeans until I got to the fitting room. I almost tossed them to the side, but a little perky voice inside me (or maybe it was the F21 fumes) said, "girl, try them on!" I'm so glad I did. I was feeling them! I loved the fit, they made my butt look good, and they sat perfectly on my waist.

I paired it with a few other things I had grabbed, because I like to make sure I have plenty of options when I buy an item, and I knew I could pull it off. I stepped outside the box! Wide Leg pants also happen to be a BIG trend for spring, and such a great alternative for dressing up any outfit, especially a denim one.

You know who also makes my wide leg outfit look all sorts of amazing?! My photographer, Lauren (@laurelcreative). She caught every angle of these jeans, showing how they hang, how they hug my curves, and how they look front, back and center. Also, she manages to always catch me while my hair is blowing in the wind, ala JLo (thank you, Lauren!).

I've actually combined two spring trends with this look- the wide leg jean and tropical prints. This tropical bomber also from Forever 21, is giving me Versace in the 90's vibe (at budget-friendly prices). It's the ideal jacket for spring's easy breezy weather. We have to talk about my 'Extra' t-shirt I also scored at Forever! It's what all the kids are saying these days and you know what, it's not such a bad thing to be a little bit 'extra' in your life! Give yourself a little extra oomph. 

Early in the post, I mentioned how I rarely wear high heels or wedges anymore, but I've actually been sporting some more wedges and booties with heels in the last year, so that gave me the extra push I needed to get the pants. For this look, I wore my white booties, which I've basically lived in since I got them and I'll continue to wear them through spring until I find a white wedge or slip on that takes my breath away. 

Let's not forget accessories! It's all about the straw purse for spring and summer, especially this round straw crossbody. I love that I can wear it as a cross body or remove the straps and hold it by the short handle, which is what I did with this look! I'm pretty obsessed with the bag because you can wear it with just about anything in a spring or summer wardrobe, and for $17.90, it can't be beat. It's just as cute as my heart shaped sunnies, which by the way, get me TONS of compliment. 

What's not to love?! 

How do you feel about the wide leg trend for spring? Is it a do or a don't for you? I always want to know!

In Style,

Kat

TREND ALERT: BRING OUT THE TROPICAL PRINTS

Buenos Dias Squeezers! The happiest of Sundays to you all! The Buccios are cruise bound on Celebrity Cruises with the familia and we are SO excited for family time, piña coladas, and explorations on land and sea. Honestly, I'm just really excited to read the three books I downloaded on my kindle (I'll share those with you soon) because I'm jonesing for a good literary distraction. 

I didn't want to leave on our trip without posting the next of our trend forecast series: Tropical Prints! It goes without saying that the first sign of spring and summer starts at the first sight of tropical prints for us fashionistas! I don't know about you, but I get super excited the moment I see a palm print or some hibiscus print staring at me from the rack. It means spring and summer are a-comin! 

This dress is extra special because it was an unexpected gift from my friend, Becky, from South Carolina. She actually wore this dress to our friend, Maureen's, rehearsal dinner, and it looked fabulous on her and I wanted it so badly! Little did I know, it would be mine a few months later. 

The dress is from ASOS and I love the material. It is a little neoprene, and a little stretch in all the right places. I love the way it gathers at the front and it becomes this one shoulder stunner with just the right amount of peek-a-boo skin showing at the midriff. I can't forget to mention the full skirt that just comes to life because of those bold green palm leaves all over the dress. They just pop! 

This is what I love about tropical prints because they instantly change your mood. They're the happy pills of fashion. Ha! Whether in a dress, a handbag, or a top, bring out the prints! Another way to sport your love of tropical print/palm print? Swimwear! There are LOTS of great options for both one pieces and two pieces. Whether it's Target or Ralph Lauren, you can find some gorgeous tropical print suits at every price point. I know that if you look through my bathing suit drawer, you'll find at least five suits with a vibrant and colorful tropical print on them! I just can't get enough. 

As I type of this post, I'm currently wearing tropical print pants with an off the shoulder white top (you'll see it on my stories today), and you better believe there are more tropical prints in my suitcase that I'll be wearing on the cruise. I have everything from a tropical print blouse to my favorite banana leaf pants ready to go! What I love about these prints is that you can mix and match with so many pieces. Don't feel like they're one time use pieces- that's a misconception. Pair them with solid tee, floral prints, even stripes. If you're feeling daring, go head to toe in tropical print. Yes, this is a thing! 

Next up- accessories! Don't be afraid to accessorize. It's a great way (and an easy way) to express yourself and to show a little more of your personality. Lately I've been into sunglasses, like these exaggerated white shades from Zero UV. They're over the top and I love that. I also added a straw fedora- a staple for the season. I brought out my pineapple bag, which I know you guys loved, and added a fab pair of Chiffino nude platform wedges to complete the look. Here's a bonus about this dress (or tropical prints in general)- you can wear it with some cute sandals, wedges, or heels. Your options are limitless! 

I teamed up with my gal, Lauren (@laurelcreative), and we headed to the MiMo district, an architecturally iconic neighborhood in Miami, to snap this dress in it's natural element! The architecture is so unique, that any spot could have been the perfect backdrop. We chose a few of the motels along Biscayne Blvd because they just went so well with the dress! Wouldn't you agree? 

What's your favorite way to wear tropical print? 

In Style, 

Kat