Suz on Style Tips

Many offices (including mine) have Casual Fridays. You would think it would be easy for the average person to figure out what is appropriate attire for Casual Friday and what is not. Unfortunately, many people take this to the extreme and wear wildly inappropriate clothing.

Here are Suz on Style Tips for Casual Friday:

1.) No jeans with holes, tears, or rips.

These are stylish, yes, but not appropriate for the office. Instead, opt for a pair with no holes, tears or rips in a dark wash. Stay away for jeggings (leggings made to look like jeans -- see previous post for rules on leggings) or very tight styles. A trouser style jean in a dark wash is a great choice. I recommend these from Loft.

2.) No sweatpants, yoga pants, pallazzo pants or any sort of pant that would be comfortable enough to wear to bed. It's the office people, not a couch!

Sorry, Britney! You are not office appropriate. Or any sort of appropriate in this outfit.

3.) No message tees. Message tees will make you seem juvenile when you are trying to portray that you are a serious employee. Opt instead for a smart sweater or blazer. I recommend this boyfriend blazer from The Gap for $98.00.

4.) No tennis shoes. Tennis shoes are inherently too casual. They are made for the gym, the street and the tennis court -- not the office. Instead, opt for flats, boots, brogues, or heels. I recommend sparkle flats (see previous post) to give your outfit that little bit of pizazz it needs.

5.) No flip-flops, tank-tops, shorts, mini-skirts, slippers, mid-section baring tops, cut-off jean shorts, sweatshirts, or cleavage-baring shirts. Basically, anything that shows too much leg, arm, stomach, boob or foot is not appropriate.

Now, here's a Suz on Style recommended Casual Friday outfit:

Start with a great pair of trouser jeans. Pair it with a feminine blouse and a boyfriend blazer. Add your sparkle flats and a fun scarf or necklace to top off the look. Change into some killer heels and viola!, you are ready for happy hour. Your perfect casual Friday look courtesy of Suz on Style. Your welcome.

'Til Next Time,

Stay Stylish!

Jeans: Loft

Top: J.Crew

Blazer: Gap

Flats: Banana Republic

Scarf: Banana Republic

Necklace: J.Crew

Suz on Style Tips

Leggings. Love them or hate them, they are a huge trend right now. Here are my top 5 tips for rocking leggings.


Suz on Style's Tips for Wearing Leggings



Rule Number One: Leggings are not pants!! Let me repeat, LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS! Therefore, you must make sure to cover your rear-end. Sure, you can go alot shorter then you would if wearing tights or bare legged...but you still must cover your bum.

Lindsay! Put on some pants!!!


Rule Number Two: No capri leggings. Capri leggings will cut the look of your calf in half right at the meatiest part. This will make your legs look chunky and disrupt the long, lean line of your body.




Sorry Khole, but this is not a good look!



Rule Number Three: Make sure the fabric of your leggings is thick enough so when you bend and move you are not exposing any skin. Some of the cheaper leggings can be so thin that when you stretch the fabric at all it becomes almost see-through. That, combined with not covering your bum, could be a huge problem.


Rule Number Four: Stick to neutral shades. I know, I know...the pink, purple, leopard, zebra, metallic colored leggings are so cute. Maybe. Ask yourself, would I wear pink or leopard print pants? Probably not. So, do not wear them in leggings. Neutral shades = black, grey, brown, navy blue.



(Do not wear these!)


Rule Number Five: Only wear leggings with two kinds of shoes. Boots or flats. If you wear leggings with high heels, in my opinion, you will look like a street walker (especially if you are additionally violating either rule number one or rule number four). You run the risk of looking like you just came from pilates class or the gym if you wear your leggings with athletic shoes. Therefore, in my opinion, you can't go wrong with ballet flats (see sparkle flats post below) or boots.

(Look! Our bums are covered!)

Following the rules, and looking great!



'Til Next Time,
Stay Stylish!

Suz on Style Trend Alert!

Red Alert! There is a massive shoe-trend and you would be remiss if you did not partake. Every woman can wear this trend and it is available in all price points. It's not only a fun trend, it can be worn with almost anything.

What is the trend you ask?

SPARKLE FLATS!

They are super cute and even the big shoe designers are showing them this fall. This includes the godmother of cute flats, Tory Burch, and the master of all shoes, Jimmy Choo. You can also find them for as cheap as $12.99. Read on and find your favorite pair.

Jimmy Choo: (left) These retail for $365.00 and can be found at Nordstroms.

Tory Burch: (below) This Tory Burch pair features the iconic Tory Burch emblem on the toe and retails for $235.00. They can be found at Nordstroms as well.

J.Crew offers this pair for $125.00.

This pair from Banana Republic (right) are $79.00.

Ann Taylor Loft (left) and Bandolino (right) offer extremely similar options for $59.50 and $69.00 respectively.

Steve Madden offers this pair that looks remarkably like the Jimmy Choos for only $59.00.

Lastly, Mossimo for Target (right) has an option for just $12.99!

With prices like these, how can you afford NOT to own a pair??

'Til Next Time,

Stay Stylish!

Suz on Style For Less

The Challenge: Create a complete head-to-toe, on-trend look for under $100.00.
Challenge Accepted!
In fact, it is so easy, I can do it with pieces all from one store -- Old Navy. Plus, I'll even have money left over for accessories.

The Look: Western.

Pants: Leggings. They are cheap, on-trend and comfortable. $8.00.

Shirt: Plaid Shirt. The red print of this shirt is super cute. $22.50.

Boots: Slouchy cowboy boots. Faux leather. $39.50.

Total spent so far: $70.00.

For the remaining $30 there are some options:

Option One: faux fur. Only the diehard fashionistas

will probably feel comfortable in this trend, but for the price, why not give it a try?! Faux fur vest: $29.50.

Option Two: Accessories

Scarf: $12.50 and ring $10.00.

The great thing about all of these pieces is they are all extremely versatile. The leggings are a must-have in every girls wardrobe. The plaid shirt can be worn with jeans or under sweaters. The boots are a great option with skirts or jeans. Even the faux fur vest could be worn over almost anything. Have fun with the trends -- just don't spend a fortune on them...they won't be en vogue for long. Save the money for your investment pieces.

'Til Next Time,

Stay Stylish!

Suz on Stylish Gifts

Do you ever need a gift for a friend, but have no idea what to get them? Suz has two words for you: Erin. Gallagher.
Erin Gallagher specializes in design-your-own jewelry. There are several options for the stones and the chains. If you design in the store, you can even pick the actual stone that will be used on your item.
A friend of mine recently turned 30 and we designed a necklace for her from Erin Gallagher. We chose the 'Ginger' necklace with blue topaz and aquamarine stones with the 'silver sattelite' chain (left). It was the perfect gift. She loved it and it was more thoughtful than the usual gift because we were able to design the necklace ourselves. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly and the prices are definitely reasonable for the product you recieve.

They also have beautiful pieces designed by the staff at Erin Gallagher. My favorites are the 'Catherine' (below, right), the Emma (below, middle) and the 'Sophie' (below, left).

EG also has a whole line of jewelry for brides and bridesmaids and will host jewelry parties for you and your friends.

Erin Gallagher is located in Lincoln Park at 1013 W Webster near the corner of Sheffield and Webster. They have a great website where you can shop and design your own at http://www.egjewelry.com/.

'Til Next Time,

Stay Stylish!

Suz on Fashion and the Law

My two worlds are literally colliding and I couldn't be happier. Fordham Law School is launching it's "Fashion Law Institute" this fall. It is the first law school to offer a fashion law institute and is the first law school to offer courses in fashion law for it's law students.

The Fashion Law Institute was created in conjunction with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and it's President, Diane Von Furstenberg (i.e. the godmother of the wrap dress). While there are no 'majors' in law school, students at Fordham will be able to take classes focusing on aspects of the law that affect the fashion industry including, fashion law and finance, fashion ethics, fashion retail law and fashion law practicum.

You lawyers out there...are you ready for the best part? Not only will the Institute offer public seminar series for design and legal professionals, as well as a Summer Intensive course open to degree and non-degree students, but the institute will also be holding an annual symposium and other seminars and events offering....wait for it....wait for it..... Continuing Legal Education credits!

An opportunity to gain CLE credits while learning about fashion law in NYC?!?! Where do I sign up?

For more information check out: http://law.fordham.edu/fashion-law-institute/fashionlaw.htm

Photos: Left, Susan Scafidi, Fashion Law Institute Director; Right, Diane Von Furstenberg

'Til Next Time,

Stay Stylish!

Suz on Reese's Style for Less

I love Reese Witherspoon's casual chic style. She always looks comfortable, cute and classic. Here are some of my favorite recent Reese looks and how you can wear them for less.









This first look is great for summer. It also is showcasing the shorts trend. If you have great legs, show them off! These shorts from J.Crew are on sale for $29.99. Pair it with a plain navy long sleeved tee with a white tank-top underneath and, Viola!, you are wearing Reese's outfit.This long sleeved tank is also from J.Crew and retails for $24.50 or 2 for $35.













This next look (left) is also fairly easy to replicate. I love the nod to Reese's southern upbringing with her fun cowboy boots. All you need here is a fun, cotton skirt, a tank or tee shirt, a long cardigan and some cowboy boots. The skirt (below) is from J.Crew and is on sale for $39.99. The boots are from a great brand, Frye. They make high-quality leather boots that will last a lifetime. These are the "Billy Vintage" and retail for $268. You can find them on piperlime.com. The long cardigan is from Ann Taylor loft and comes in seven fun colors for $49.50. Loftonline.com.
























This third look I really love. It's the perfect hot, stylish, casual summer day look. I think I did a great job finding an almost identical skirt. This skirt is from a website called, GoJane.com, and retails for $19.60! Steal. The tank top is from J.Crew and is $18 or two for $30. The sandals are from Michael Antonio and are available on Piperlime.com for $29.99. The panama hat is from J.Crew (again) and retails for $58.

















The fourth and final look is a great way casual way to wear stripes. I have a couple options both from J.Crew for the top. The first is $118 and is a classic from a company called, Saint James (sold on jcrew.com). The second shirt is also from J.Crew and retails for $42.50. Finally, pair it with a great pair of skinny jeans (I recommend the 'always skinny' from Gap for $69.50) and a cute pair of pointy-toed black flats (these are from Nine West and retail for $69) and you're rockin' Reese's look!





'Til next time,

Stay Stylish!