Four Stylish Concert Outfit Ideas

Every once in awhile, most likely when Hanson's on tour like right now, I'll see in my blog stats that some people found this site by searching "what to wear to a Hanson concert." The post they likely see is this somewhat tongue-in-cheek one I did a couple years ago. This time (around), I wanted to give some serious suggestions for Hanson concert attire (or any concert, really) for those of you looking for advice. I'm going to my 48th and 49th Hanson shows in a few weeks, and I still have no idea what I'm going to wear, so maybe this will give me some ideas, too.

Everything I've shown here is under $50 except for the TOMS wedges.

1. I bought some faux leather leggings yesterday, so I'm all about those right now, but coated denim is also a great option. Less flashy but still cool. Pair these pants with a slouchy T-shirt or tank top, a knit jacket for easier range of motion in the arms, and jewelry. Credit where its due, this look was inspired by Kendi.

2. This outfit is more appropriate for a seated show or one where you plan to hang out in the back by the bar. Or maybe be outside the venue for most of the night (it happens). With the long sleeves and over-the-knee boots, you would surely overheat amid the crowd.

The first two looks are definitely my style, but the blazer in outfit #1 maaayyy be a little much for a Hanson concert. Let's try a couple things outside of my comfort zone.

3. I'm not a huge camo-print fan myself, but I can't deny that it is trendy right now. You could substitute any printed or colored denim here. And this top, which says "Rock n roll stole my soul" is a subtle nod to the lyrics in Hanson's song "Been There Before" or any of the other songs where they mention rock n roll and soul.

4. Sneaker wedges. They were huge last year, so let's lug those puppies out again to give you some height so that you can see the stage from the middle of the crowd in shoes you don't mind getting a little knocked around. It was hard for me to find a pair of these I didn't hate. Thank goodness for fashion bloggers giving me inspiration because this is exactly what I was envisioning. I also like the sneaker wedges with a short, full skirt, but I'd recommend wearing shorts underneath at a concert just to be safe. Unless safety is not what you're going for; in the case, by all means take your chances.

Unexpected Wardrobe Workhorse: Lace Cardigan

Today, I retired my very first Target designer collaboration purchase - my mustard Rodarte lace cardigan from December '09 - after finding one (or three) too many holes in it. I feel like I don't pull this cardigan off its hanger very often because I never know what to pair it with, so I took a peek at the archives to see how I've styled it in the past. Turns out the cardigan was more versatile than I originally thought. (The pictures link to their original posts.)

Here's how I wore it for the last time today:

Top: Phillip Lim for Target; Pants and Necklace: New York & Company; Shoes: AK Anne Klein

Catherine Malandrino for Designation at Kohl's Fitting Room Reviews

Although the Catherine Malandrino for Kohl's collection isn't on sale online until September 27, you can already find it in (some?) stores! I had to check it out for myself as soon as I saw Corleen's Instagram post about it. If you're a francophile or a lover of black and white, this collection is for you. As excited I was for the Phillip Lim line for Target, I was even more excited for this one.

Since the individual items aren't for sale online yet, I didn't link to them in my reviews, but you can see all the looks on Kohl's preview page. I found all the prices and product names here.

Deep v-neck dress $78, size large
This sweater dress was pretty cute. I probably should've sized up to an XL. It has a nude slip underneath, and I think it would look nice with tights or leggings and boots. While I am on the hunt for the perfect sweater dress, this wasn't it for me.

Embroidered mesh dress $120, size large
This dress came with an attached beige tank dress. It's pretty and fancy, but it's not really me, nor would I have any place to wear it if it were "me."

Appliquéd dress $130, size large
This was something I haven't seen before. The dress had spiral cutouts over a beige layer. Kind of cool looking, but again, not anything I need or can use.

Lace peplum top $58, size large
I do love a peplum, but this one was all wrong on me - this was more of an empire waist top. It would be great for a maternity top, not so great otherwise.

Jacquard pullover sweater $68, size large, and sweater skirt $50, size XL
This is when I started getting excited. I thought the sweater was super soft, thick, and pretty. It would make a great Christmas present. *Wink* any family members that may be reading... I wasn't expecting to think anything of the skirt - I grabbed it just to have a bottom to try on besides the boring pants in the collection - but I kind of loved it. Especially with the next couple sweaters. I ended up buying the skirt.

Paris je t'aime oversized tee $36, size large
I was holding up my arms in the first picture to show you that this T-shirt is basically a rectangle. While I usually prefer a fitted tee, this would look cute with skinny pants. My casual wardrobe is lacking compared to my work wardrobe, so I could use definitely use something like this. However, I did not purchase it.

Asymmetrical striped pullover sweater $68, size large
This sweater was really hard to leave behind. I literally started bouncing in the fitting room because I was so jazzed about how cute the sweater and the skirt look together. I'm not sure that comes across in this photo, so you may have to take my word for it. Not only that, but the sweater is long enough to wear with leggings, and I bet it would look killer with leather leggings, had I a pair of those (someday). It wasn't quite as soft as the jacquard sweater, but I thought it was still pretty comfortable.

Printed Eiffel Tower pullover sweater $58, size large
This one's a much thinner knit than the jacquard and striped sweaters but thicker than the sweater dress I showed first. And it's adorable. I'm wearing a large here, but I also tried on and XL, just to check. The XL was huge, and I ended up buying the large one pictured here. I can't wait to wear it with the sweater skirt and my new red pumps from Payless. (What? I'm done shopping for awhile now...)

Printed blouse $68, size large
When I saw this shirt online and in the store, I was certain it was going to come home with me. Having just tried on the Phillip Lim floral shirt, though, which is such a great piece, I wasn't as excited about this one. The material isn't as nice as the Phillip Lim one at Target, and I didn't like the shorter length as much. It's still a nice top, just not worth $68, in my opinion. It probably doesn't help that I was wearing the sweater skirt with it.

Ponte side zip top $48, size large
The thing I liked about this top is that it's so different with the zip-up mock turtleneck, slight ruching at the shoulder, and asymmetrical zipper detail. It's just a chic, cool top. It's nothing something I felt I had to have, but I definitely appreciate the design behind it.

Some of the looks that weren't in store that I wanted to try on were:

• Eiffel Tower embroidered mesh dress $78
• Front-snap dress $70
• Fit and flare pleated dress $78

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Fitting Room Reviews

When I leisurely pulled up to the Target in Grafton this morning, I wasn't sure what to expect. Five cars were already parked near the front. As I finished off my chocolate croissant from Starbucks, I watched a few more cars pull in after me. The crowd included three older ladies, two 20-something girls by themselves, a 20-something couple, two middle-aged men not there for Phillip Lim, and me. 

A minute before doors opened, I got out of my car and claimed my spot as #8 in line. We respectfully walked toward the collection like non-crazy, normal people and began making our selections. I was delighted to find that a couple bags in each color and size were available. I snatched up both gold versions and tried to decide which I was going with. I ended up choosing the mini satchel. Here's what else I brought into the fitting room:

Silky Skirt -Animal Print $29.99, size 14

This was adorable. I didn't expect to like this skirt as much as I did. It was way too short for work, and the zipper stuck a little; but if I had a place to wear this, I would've absolutely bought it. As you can see, the silky material has some wrinkle potential, but if that doesn't bug you, it's a very fun skirt that I thought was pretty true to size.

Long-Sleeve Blouse -Floral Print $29.99, size large

Since this was one of the items on my wishlist, I had high hopes for this shirt. The print may be a bit much, but the silky material felt like it was high quality. There was a stray thread sticking out on the shoulder, but nothing a scissors can't fix. I liked the longer length so that I could leave it untucked over skinny pants or tucked into a skirt. Although I hesitated at the bold print, this one went home with me.

Sparkle Sweater -Navy $39.99, size large

This sweater was so ridiculously soft and comfortable. The rhinestone detail at the neck was also a cute detail that makes this not just another sweater. And it looks adorable with the printed skirt. The shape was not flattering on me, but if you're in the market for something like this, I highly recommend it.

Ruffle Tank -Navy $26.99, size large

Originally, this top wasn't on my radar, but the more I saw it on people, the more I realized how versatile it would be in my own closet. Perfect for work. It's also a nice, silky material like the floral shirt and feels high quality despite a stray thread. This one ended up coming home with me, too.

French Terry Sweatshirt -Boom Print $29.99, size large

I kind of expected this sweatshirt to me as comfortable as the Prabal Gurung for Target + Neiman Marcus one was, but this one definitely did not live up to the Prabal Gurung one. Cool design, but not for me.

Sparkle Dress -Black $49.99, size large

This dress looked très horrible on me, but I wanted to try it on just so that I could review it. The straight silhouette is more appropriate for basically anyone but pear shapes. But hey, the dress has pockets, so that's a nice perk.

Shirt Dress -Floral Print $39.99, size large

Finally, the shirt dress, which was also on my radar. Pros - I liked the more fitted waist. I was expecting it to be a straighter style, and I was pleasantly surprised that there was more shape to it. It also has a zipper instead of buttons, which is kind of cool. My problem with shirt dresses is button gape, which I wouldn't have to worry about with a zipper. Cons - Once I got it unzipped, I had a hard time getting it zipped back up. Also, the hemline was kind of weird to me - weird in a way that made the sides stick out off my hips in an unflattering way. The material is substantial and very nice quality, though. Even still, I passed on this one.

Other items that were in the store but I did not grab were:

• Green long-sleeve blouse, which looked gorgeous
• Navy silky skirt
• Black sparkle peplum top
• White ruffle tank
• Navy and green pullover
• Gray sweater dress
• Blue sparkle dress
• Gray sweatpants
• Both of the scarves, which also looked nice

So, what did you guys think of the collection? Did you get everything you were hoping to get?

You Never Leave LA/NYC

This song, "You Never Leave LA" by Teitur, gives me so many feels. It was the one that rekindled my love of Teitur's music after being turned off from it for 7 years. For some reason, I developed an irrational distaste for the song "Louis Louis" in 2006 after seeing his show in Chicago and lost interest for awhile. But now, whenever I hear "You Never Leave LA," I'm transported to two very different places:

First to Evanston, IL, in January of this year, where my friend T and I sat front row in the dim and intimate Space venue. We were seeing Teitur for old time's sake and were both hoping to hear only songs from his 2003 album, Poetry & Aeroplanes, which is one of my all-time favorite albums from any artist.

I distinctly remember that Teitur must've had a cold because his nose kept dripping, which was all too apparent from the front row. Gross? Maybe that's why it sticks out in my mind. The venue was too quiet, making it awkward to sing along, I thought, especially with our close proximity. The awkwardness was magnified by Teitur's quiet demeanor, a quality I used to find endearing at the height of my fandom. Not surprisingly, he only humored us with a handful of old songs we recognized; but while sitting at the piano, he did play a beautiful and melancholy tune that grabbed and held my attention. The very next day, I downloaded the rest of his music library to complete my collection, but I really only listen to the one song, "You Never Leave LA."

The next month, my friend E and I were in New York City during Fashion Week, preparing to head home after a far too short weekend of seeing absolutely no runway shows or celebrities besides Project Runway contestants and narrowly missing the blizzard of the year while still battling the elements of fat, wet snowflakes and bitter wind but having a blast nonetheless. I didn't want to go home yet and leave this city that I had fallen in love with despite everything; and as I sat in the airport, waiting for our flight that was miraculously not delayed, this song came to mind.

I boarded the plane, thought I'd said all my goodbyes
I bear no regrets, I'm only sorry how time flies
A man next to me, says the city is so shallow
Me I'm looking down, I see a city full of souls

And I can hardly wait
To see those lights again
A part of me remains
I'm forever changed
You're always almost there
It's a love and hate affair
I believe them when they say
You never leave LA

While trying to buckle down at work this morning, I put the song on and felt compelled to share it, especially with this season's Fashion Week coverage winding down and the recent 12th anniversary of 9/11. Even though the song is about Los Angeles, clear over on the other side of the country, the lyrics always remind me instead of New York City. I don't know if I'll ever go see another Teitur show again, but I'll definitely be back, NYC. Someday.

Red, Black, and Blue at the Dog Park

Here's the Style Imitating Art piece for this week.

Here's Dela's interpretation:

And then mine, which I wore to the dog park, appropriately enough.

Both Tops: Old Navy; Shorts: Calvin Klein Jeans; Sandals: Target 

I'm always out-posed by a 2-year-old.

Sheer

Yeah, so I didn't wear this anywhere. There are approximately zero places I would feel comfortable wearing a sheer shirt outside of my dimly lit hallway. Luckily, my top isn't that sheer. Since I didn't have an event to go to, I figured I'd just play dress up for Inspiration Monday.

Top: Kohl's; Skirt: JCP; Shoes: Rebecca Minkoff

Also, I'm debating whether to sell these shoes to a consignment store or maybe try Ebay. I've worn them a couple times, but the toe area is a little narrow for my wide feet, and I have trouble walking in them, even with heel inserts. I'm probably going to sell my Christian Siriano top, too, which I've also only worn once or twice. It does have sentimental value since I bought it from his shop in NYC, and it was a super good deal, but that doesn't change the fact that it will always be a little too snug.

Have you had luck selling shoes or clothing on Ebay? I can't decide if it's worth the effort. Going to the consignment shop would be a lot easier.

Skyward

Dress: Anthropologie; Cardigan: Target; Belt and Necklace: gifts; Bracelet: Gin-o Boutique; Shoes: C-Label

Vacation's Over

I've got a few random outfits for you today. Although I liked the outfits I wore on our Tennessee vacation this weekend, the indoor pictures I managed to take are pretty low quality. I wanted to give you something relatively decent to look at and show off my new purchases from vacay.

This isn't exactly what I wore to work today, though. I had to change my shoes right before I walked out the door because I simultaneously got my heel caught in the heating vent on the floor while trying to upright my tripod after it had fallen over. So now the shoe and the tripod are broken. I'm hoping to get the shoe fixed; the tripod, I'll just replace at some point.

Top: Fred Boutique; Necklace and Bracelet: Gin-o Boutique; Pants: LOFT; Shoes: Vince Camuto

I bought the necklace and one of the bracelets at a cute boutique in Franklin, TN, called Gin-o. It was right next to Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant, where we ate lunch, which was sooooo good. I would definitely go back there. The apple pie I took home was way overpriced, but the meal was very reasonable. I ordered the Puckett’s BBQ chicken sandwich, which was pulled chicken served between corn cakes. They also are very proud of their sweet potato fries dipped in honey mustard. My meal was delicious, and Bridget's grilled PB&J sandwich was tasty, too.

After lunch, we went to a park so that Bridget could run around for a little bit, visited a little vintage candy shop for some ice cream to cool off, and then I quickly ducked into Gin-o while my friend watched the kiddos. (She's not a big shopper and had to nurse her daughter anyway.) Gin-o had a bunch of cute things, and I almost brought three dresses into the dressing rooms to try on, but the last thing I need in my life is more dresses.

The next day while the guys enjoyed Emofest (the reason for the trip), the two of us girls and our daughters headed to the mall so that I could help my friend pick out some stuff to use up the gift cards she had. She ended up with a ton of cute things from both Ann Taylor and LOFT, and I even converted her into a leggings wearer! She was pretty proud of her first pair of leggings, haha. As for me, I tried to be good and only purchased something for myself that was on my need/want list - a pair of skinny, ankle-length pants from LOFT. Unfortunately, they were full price, but what are ya gonna do?

So anyway, here's what I wore to the Emofest family day and shopping on Sunday.

Dress: JCP; Sandals: Target; Necklace: New York & Company

Finally, this is what I wore for the drive home and for Inspiration Monday. As I've mentioned many times before, I'm still scared of printed pants. Printed shorts, on the other hand, I can handle, which is why I decided to go with those.

Top: Target; Shorts: Old Navy; Shoes: Converse

By the way, renting a house is the way to go. Instead of reserving three different hotel rooms, our friends found this gorgeous and spacious property to share for the weekend. The beds left a little to be desired, but otherwise it was perfect. Also, as beautiful as the Nashville area is, I couldn't live in the South. Visiting is fine, but the huge bugs freaked me out. I'll stay in the frozen tundra, thanks.