The Streets of Music City

To end off the summer, I went on a bit of a road trip to Nashville, Tennessee. I was really struck by how up and coming the city is. I thought it would be kind of traditional and old-fashioned, but Nashville is becoming modernized and is growing at a fast pace. Even if you don't like country music, there is so much to do and see there. That being said, live music is definitely a highlight. In basically every restaurant and bar down Broadway (the main drag downtown), you can pop in to hear up and coming musicians. I thought that country music was all the same, but I was definitely proven wrong. There was so much diversity in sound, vocal range, set lists, and style in the musicians I heard- all of whom were fantastic. The food was also absolutely amazing. There, I again was surprised. It wasn't just good ole' country fried food but a whole range of gourmet, fresh, local dishes in such fun and quirky settings.

If you know me then you know I love rompers. They have all the ease and cuteness of a dress without the possible dangers (read: bending down). I don't have to watch the way I'm sitting or fear the wind when I'm wearing a romper, and I love it. This one gave off slightly country vibes with its diamond shaped print so I thought it would be perfect for the southern city. As usual, I kept everything else rather minimal with my natural sandals from Forever 21 that I've featured in past posts. I swiped on a coat of Topshop lipstick in Rio Rio. It's a great shade of orange-red for newbies to bold lipstick, and is surprisingly subtle. 

Get the look:

Strapless Romper- Forever 21

Sandals- Forever 21 (similar)

Lipstick in Rio Rio- Topshop 

Rush Day One: Icewater

Rushing a sorority is a really exciting but also really stressful process. You always need to be smiling and engaging, and most of all enthusiastic! The way you dress also needs to reflect a positive image. The first round of rush for me had a casual dress code, but you still need to look cute and perhaps a bit more dressy than everyday wear. I again wore my knee-high boots from Ralph Lauren because they are a staple that will always be in style. Plus, they were really comfortable, which is important when you are standing around talking to the sisters of each sorority for 6 hours straight. I saw a few girls wearing heeled booties, and they were wincing and limping by the second hour, so fun ballet flats or flat boots are the way to go. I chose to wear my soft pink/peach Topshop tank top as opposed to a nice sweater because it can get really hot in the rush room, and I wanted the option of a tank to keep cool if it came to that. The flower lace collar really makes the top less casual and more elegant. Combined with the color, it's quite a feminine piece. To keep things simple, I wore a pair of high-waisted medium wash Factorie jeans. The key is that they were well fitting, and didn't bunch up or sag. A pair of well fitting jeans can make you look really put together and completes a nice, clean outfit. Finally, I threw on a white knit cardigan from Hollister. The cardigan matched the soft feminine look of the tank top, but was not so formal as a blazer, nor as casual as a denim jacket. I wore light makeup, as it's a very neutral look. I also had my hair loose in its natural gentle waves to keep up the easy yet put together look of the outfit. Even though it was exhausting, I had a great first day and met lots of wonderful sisters!

Get the look:
High boots- Ralph Lauren (similar)
Peach lace collared tank- Topshop
High-waisted Cassie jeans- Factorie
Cardigan- Hollister (similar)

Lisbon- Holiday Lookbook Day 2

No trip to Portugal is complete without a trip to Lisbon, so I went up for the night. Since I was traveling north, I had to dress a little warmer. I opted for a cute lace collared tank from Topshop tucked into Pull & Bear black high waisted jeans (bought in Ireland). I paired this with an embroidered linen jacket from Urban Renewal and a pair of tan leather heeled booties that I bought in Lagos. I swept my hair to the side in kind of a half french braid, I did keep taking pieces of my hair in as I braided down, but didn't use the entirety of my hair. This kept it looking loose yet classy. These pictures were actually taken in the courtyard of St George's castle! The view from the castle was stunning, I would definitely recommend you visit if you're ever in Lisbon.

Get the look:

Pink lace collared tank- Topshop
Black high waisted jeans- Pull and Bear (similar)
White linen jacket- Urban Renewal (similar)
Tan heeled ankle boots- Boutique (similar)

Pesky Weather

Autumn is a particularly tricky season to dress for, especially when you look outside and you see some people wearing puffy jackets and other people wearing T-shirts. Today was sunny and blue skied, but had a biting wind on occasion. I dressed for this with light layers. While I love everything about this outfit, the shearling waterfall cardigan is probably my favourite item. I got so many compliments on it, it's warm, but still lightweight. Other highlights are the crochet trim of the knit sweater (which is super soft) and my heeled boots. For makeup, I decided to add a pop of colour with my TopShop "Lips in the Damned" purple lippy. I was really skeptical when I got this online, but it's not nearly as dark as I thought it would be, and I honestly love how the colour looks against my skin tone!

Get the Look:
Hooded sweater- Abercrombie & Fitch (similar)
Daisy print skirt- Brandy Melville (similar)
Waterfall cardigan in Heather Grey- Hollister
Chunky Heeled Boots- Primark (similar)
Purple Lipstick- TopShop