Outfit Inspiration: Tuck it in

Today's outfit will take me from working at home to meetings to happy hour.  It's super comfortable for sitting at my desk, stylish for a meeting and not too overdone for happy hour.

-Tank from Forever 21, I think (I've had it forever)

-Skirt from Target

-Flower pin from Target

-Bangles from Old Navy

-Gossip ring

-Bandolino wedges

And as I'm itemizing it, I'm realizing this outfit was also tres inexpensive.  Bonus!

Fashion Fights Poverty

On Friday September 25th, six local eco and ethical friendly designers will come together to celebrate the 5th annual Fashion Fights Poverty at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. Each of the six designers will showcase new and unique designs to raise awareness about how to dress responsibly. Tickets are $150 for general seats or $75 for standing. T-shirts are $25. The three objectives of Fashion Fights Poverty is to Rethink, Reuse and ReAct! Join the cause while helping to create awareness.

The 6 local designers are:

Mirza Mperial--The influence of art, architecture and culture are seen in this designer's women wear.

Aidah Collection--This hand made women's wear collection uses natural materials, honest factories, and donates a part of the proceeds to non-profit organizations.

Nudie Jeans Co--Jeans, tees and underwear are all made from 100% organic cotton.

ReneeQ Bespoke--Creates stylish t-shirts from materials that are organic and biodegradable. The fabrics that are left over are sewn together to create other outfits in order to recycle.

Rene Geneva Designs--Uses only 100% organic materials in order to have low impact on the environment.

Studio D Maxsi--Mostly made from silk by hand, the designs are influenced by the African culture.

Outfit Inspiration: Versatility On a Budget

Yesterday, this outfit took me from a networking meeting, working all day and to a concert at the Birchmere at night.  Gotta love a versatile outfit!  If you live in the DC area and haven't been to Gossip, I highly recommend it.  I got both the dress and the ring there over the weekend.  The dress was $38 and the ring was $12.  Everything in her store is under $100 and I always find unique pieces there.  I love that the dress has kind of a vintage feel and I'm totally obsessed with the ring for some reason.  It makes me happy to look down and see it on my finger.

-Dress and ring from Gossip

-Ferragamo handbag (OK, not exactly a budget item but I did get it when it was 60% off, that counts, right?)

-X-it flats bought at DSW

Let's Talk Live video

Here's the video from my TV segment yesterday, chatting about back to school fashion on a budget.  Enjoy!

Cathy Phillips Live on News Channel 8 Today!

If you're around a television today at noon, I'll be a guest on News Channel 8's Let's Talk Live here in DC.  I'll be chatting about back to school fashion on a budget.  If you miss it, I'll try to post the video here for all to see.  Have a great Monday!

Great Fashion Books! by Carrie

Fashion books are an easy, informative read for anyone interested in style. Here are some more recent fashion books.

"How To Have Style" by Isaac Mizrahi

This book came out last year from the famous fashion designer. I

t has 400 pages with full color that addresses issues such as shopping on a budget, stop wearing jeans, dressing for a black tie event, how to wear color, and skirt lengths. Sold for about $30

"The Style Strategy" by Nina Garcia

From the Project Runway judge and Marie Claire fashion director, gives advise about being budget conscious. She gives a list of celebrity bargain fashion musts. The reader will also learn how to maximize the wardrobe they already own. For about $22. She is also the author of "The One Hundred" and "The Little Black Book of Style."

"The Gospel According to Coco Chanel"

Set to release September 1, this books talks about the life of the french fashion designer icon, along with style tips. The 225 page book explores Coco's ideas on fashion and life. For about $20. A major motion picture about Coco, entitled "Coco before Chanel" will be released this fall.

Shopping Ann Taylor Loft

I've mentioned Ann Taylor's new design team and how I'm more into them this season than usual.  I popped into Ann Taylor Loft today and saw a couple of super cute pieces for reasonable prices!  The jeans are only $59.50 and the dress is $79.50.

These pale ballerina pink skinny jeans are so sweet.  They looked slightly pinker and slightly cuter in the store (I think these are the same ones).

And this shirt dress is adorable.  I would take the matching belt off and add a different belt to jazz it up.  It would be so easy to through on with a pair of flats.

Last Minute Summer Style Update

This time of year, it doesn't make a lot of sense to invest in summer styles since it will be fall before we know it.  But sometimes you just need a little update to jazz things up.  The solution: a colorful, summery hair accessory.  This post is inspired by my sister who was having trouble finding a headband/hair accessory whose bows and flowers didn't make her look and feel like a little girl.  

For a more sophisticated look, take some inspiration from Mischa Barton's bold feather.  This green and blue one from Urban Outfitters is more subtle but still packs a punch.

I've been into wearing flowers in my hair all summer but I can't do the ones attached to headbands because the flower sticking out right at the front of my head makes me feel silly.  I like clips and bobby pins like these, from Forever21 that you can wear further back on the side of your head or near your ponytail.  F21 has tons more options to sort through.  H&M and Target are also good resources for trendy and cheap hair accessories.  Let me know what you find!

I've been getting a lot of questions about what's going to be hot for fall this year.  Of course, I'll be talking more about it as the season progresses but check out my take on the hottest fall trends in my Examiner.com article.

Photo Shoot

New pics from a photo shoot I worked on.  They turned out so hot!  So editorial.  I loved the clothes and the JJ Singh jewelry we used for the shoot.  Fabulous.  The shoot was headed by the marvelous James Cornwell and photographed by the wonderful Tim Coburn.

Outfit Inspiration

-BCBG dress

-Ideology jacket (this is an old brand that Hecht's used to carry that no longer exists)

-Thifted belt

-Bandolino wedges

August is Fashionista Friends and Family Month at Cathy Phillips Fashion!

Get excited!  August is fashionista friends and family month at Cathy Phillips Fashion and that includes all of you as well as your friends and family!  I am offering a discount on all closet consultations this month as an end of summer treat.  Mention this offer and book your closet analysis before the end of August (you can schedule it for after August as long as it's on the calendar before the end of the month) and you will receive 30% off! This is the first time I have ever offered this deal so take advantage and get a head start on getting your fall wardrobe in order.

After the closet analysis, your wardrobe will be edited down to keep only the fabulous pieces, you'll know what styles work for you and what you need to complete your ideal wardrobe.  A fabulous and consciously coordinated wardrobe will make your mornings easier and your days and nights more confident.  If it's been a while since I've been in your closet, this is a great opportunity for a wardrobe refresher.  Or if you are a new customer, this is the perfect time to get things started to create your ideal wardrobe.  Tell your sisters, husbands, coworkers, friends, family, everyone you know!  I'll even offer the discount on closet analysis gift certificates. 

Contact me by email at cathy@cathyphillipsfashion.com or by phone at 703.527.2471 to book your appointment today.  I hope to work with many of you soon!

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Outfit Inspiration: Mix and Match

-F21 tank

-Charlotte Russe skirt

-Betsy Johnson bird necklace

-Long necklace from BP Nordstrom

-Old Navy bangles

-Bandolino wedges

500 Days of Summer Style

500 Days of Summer began by reminding us that while this is a story of boy meets girl, "this is not a love story".  Well, things may not have ended in true love for Tom and Summer but I definitely fell in love with both of their wardrobes.  They are both just too adorable!

Style Inspiration from Summer:

1. Headbands

2. Bows (in your hair and on your blouse)

3. Vests

4 Ruffled blouses

5. Vintage-inspired dresses

6. Shades of Blue

Style Inspiration from Tom:

1. Skinny ties

2. Cardigans

3. Sweater vests

4. Vintage tees