Loom Fad

It's time for an inexpensive, casual, color pop. 

Loom Bracelets!

These bracelets are a go to accessory right now. And, they are DIY. This makes it double awesome because your making what you wear. There is room for bragging here.
Now, there is a huge range of bracelets and to make sure that nobody blows these off as unsophisticated pieces of jewlery, check this out:

So there is a variety of designs that you can make and at a relatively cheap. But we'll get to buying later. 

So far I have found 17 different designs for these bracelets. I've made two. A basic one, and a fishtail. They take patience and a bit of time, but worth it. I wear mine everyday! They match multiple styles of clothing and with the range of colors, they will really go with your wardrobe. 

If you are looking for ways to make these bracelets, you can go to youtube and ban. There is a tutorial for every design. Most of the videos are clear and easy to follow.

But you need the tolls: loom kit, rubberbands, and time. 

You can purchase the looms at the local grocery, pharmacy, craftstore, or at rainbowloom.com. I have also seen an infomercial. Mine was a Christmas present. But my brother did purchase his for $10. He also received a few hundred rubberbands with it. He also has a rubber and storage piece that I'm considering buying one myself.
Most loom kits are around $10 or $15. A package of rubberbands are $2 - $5. This is a great trend for everyone. I hope it stays a while.

Sparkle Discrimination

I love wearing sparkles but it seems to me the only time you can really find a good selection is around the holidays. In fact, when shopping during the past week, sparkles seem to equal a sale. They seem to be so highly associated with the holidays that they really are 'holiday' fashion. But why?

Here's a challenge: find a December AND July issue of any fashion magazine with a fair selection of glittery sparkly goodness. 

My magazine collection consists of Seveenteen, Teen Voque, Voque, and InStyle. I'm pretty use to the cylces from season to season. Spring is flowers, flirty, and showcases the femine style. Summer is, well, summer. Fall is earthy and starting back with layers. Then you have the sparkles and fur. There isn't a lot of wiggle room from those standards. 

This drives me crazy. I love wearing things that stand out and get a little attention. A shimmery piece does that job. But I am always afraid to break a sparkly shirt in, say, June. They aren't really there. Nobody seems to consider it and I think it is time that they do. Maybe some examples are needed here.

To explain, I made two searches on Google Images to see how the selection would change by adding the word 'winter' or 'summer' to the end of 'sparkly clothes' to see how the selection would change. It was huge. I had plenty to choice from with winter, but only a few for summer. Take a look:

Winter:

Summer:

All I found was ebbelishments.

This is unfair. Sparkles should be available to wear year round. But they are on sale so check in to your local stores to see what sparkly goodness you might find. 

Trends Now

After going to my local mall today, I was actually frustrated with what I saw. Or didn't see. Aside from your select department stores and jean speciality (American Eagle and Aeropostale) I could not find a pair of skinny jeans. There were plenty of skinny flare, but not normal old skinny jeans. It was annoying. For a girl on a budget, $30 is a lot for a pair of pants. So, denim is going back to flare. It's more advertised and avalible. But don't worry, your faithful skinnies will still be allowed to reign in your closet.
Now hang those skinnies besides leggings because they are still on the top. I found at least 10 pairs in every store. At least. Some made me question their companies designers while others were considered for purchase. (Long lines limited what I bought.) Though these little things had to be the highlight of my trip. Target sells these for $15 but, well, any amount of taste would prevent you from purchasing.

Aside from this print, I saw a lot of solid, striped, and florals. With a price common price range of $10 - $20, it is a very affordable trend. And incorporating a pair of leggings into your wardrobe is simple. My personal favorite pairing is with a baggy sweater. The look will take a max of 15 minutes with your basic make up and a simple up do. Plus, you will have a very comfortable day. 

I found the biggest selection of baggy sweaters at Forever 21. They were reasonable in price and made range to every personality. Whether your looking for an 'x', 'swag' or a clasic knitted print, you will find it. My friend the sweater sold at Forever 21 or forever21.com ($22.80) and says:

"I like it... It feels nice."

There are also some huge accesories that I consider must haves right now. Infinity scarves are huge. Whether it's knit or lace, it is in right now. These scarves require no tie or knotting patterns and can be thrown on. The only thing to watch out for is overpowerment. Always consider your size when purchasing these scarves. If you don't you may be engulfed in scarve. These scarves are sold at almost every store. Though they can run a little higher. So if you are looking for a staple consider a black or beige. But if you want a choice of 16 prints and colors, try a walmart.com 2 pack of scarves for 4.00. They are currently sold out.

This scarve from icing.com features a tie in of the infinty scarve and ombre. At $22.50, it has much potential. 

 

I'd like to finish up with showing you my favorite thing in my wardrobe. I do own these boots. They are Guess brand and listed on ebay for $35. 

These boots were a bit more than what I normally spend on shoes, but they are awesome. My slip on boots are fab, but combat boots are much better. With a strong sole, they are perfect to walk in. 

In general, combat boots add a strong touch to any outfit. I have paired these with anything from leggings to the classic jean and tshirt. They add a great touch that takes any look up a notch. 

These are the big trends that I have been seeing. Of course there are many more. So check out every style and make sure you have what works for you.