Fall-ing For Chunky Knits, Sequins, & Leather

I don't know how she does it, but every season Tory Burch releases a collection full of utterly wearable clothes that I can't help but want to make room for in my closet. Her Fall 10 lookbook is no exception. The perfect pairing of sequined scarves, leather leggings, and cozy sweaters is making me wish it could be Fall already!

Tory did such a great job with combining so many different fabrics and textures in classic shapes and adding her signature dose of sparkle.

What pieces have you falling for fall fashion?

xoxo, Lauren

P.S. Special Congrats to the winner of the Havaiana Giveaway, Style of a 20-Something  & the William Rast Shorts, Cheap College Chic. Thank you so much for entering & keep checking back for more giveaways:)

Fashion Mashups

oving these shots of Gossip Girl's Jessica Szhor from Nylon Magazine's newest issue. She is so mindblowingly gorgeous & really can pull off crazy pulled-together fashion combinations.

J. Crew with a poufy shouldered twist

Betsey Johnson florals meets Alexander Wang leather shorts

90's glamour grunge

Material Girl Underwear as Outerwear

Ziggy Stardust meets Lady Gaga

images via Nylon mag

Do you ever mix up two different trends/styles?

xoxo, Lauren

"You Musn't Be Afraid to Dream A Little Bigger Darling"

Today's post is about having big dreams.. because how boring would life be without them?

Never forget the importance of having big dreams, and most importantly following them!

xoxo, lauren

Snag Her Style: Fashion Blogger Edition

Sure, celebrities have great style, but honestly the fashion blogging community is overflowing with stylish individuals who deserve a spotlight! It's no wonder trdy bloggers have been starring in fashion campaigns left and right lately and become celebrities in their own right.

Here I've featured my takes on outfits from a few of my favorite fashion bloggers as a tribute to their fabulous style. Check out Taylor of Sterling Style, Erica of Fashion Chalet, & Alicia of Cheetah is the New Black for endless style inspiration!

Taylor of Sterling Style

Erika of Fashion Chalet


Alicia of  Cheetah is the New Black

These fashionistas are just a few of dozens of blogs on a daily basis! There is an infinite amount of inspiration in the fashion blogging community; it's great to see so many people who love fashion as much as I do!

What fashion bloggers do you look to for outfit inspiration?

xoxo, Lauren

J'aime mon Carré

Here at La Petite Fashionista, I have an affinity for all things French. Thus, when I stumbled upon the new marketing campaign for classic scarf designer, Hermès, it was love at first sight mon cheries! J'aime mon carré (english translation: I Love My Scarf) features stylish girls from New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo sporting Hermès scarves in a hip, updated way & telling their personal style story.

Throw in some sassy bios, dreamy videos, & scarf tying guides and this historic brand has a great move for capturing the young fashionista audience.

all images via J'aime mon Carré

I really like all of their incorporation of social media & well-loved hipsters like Harley Viera Newton into the campagn. Their scarves may be classic, but they're definitely keeping up with the trendsetters!

Are you a scarf wearer? If so, how do you rock yours?

xoxo, lauren

Inspired by: The Great Outdoors

So today I came to the realization that a mere week from now I'll be sitting in class..absolute madness! I can't believe how quickly the summer flew by. It was an incredible learning experience & I enjoyed being totally out of my element living in the Midwest for the last 3 months! I gave up the sizzling temperatures and beaches of FL for hikes in the state park, outdoor festivals, floating in the lake, & weekly burger night.. & loved every minute of it.

Going hiking to a cave at the State Park

Dinner w/ one of my favorite interns & fellow blogger @ Simply Fabulous Fashion

I think living up here really influenced my style.. as I've gained a greater appreciation for the outdoors I've noticed my wardrobe has too. I've incorporated more plaids, nature inspired items like turquoise, floral prints & leather, and rugged but classic denim into my wardrobe. My love for the great outdoors as even extended to my beauty repetoire- I've started using more organic skin care products too; a new favorite is plant oil, particularly Argan oil (perfect for conditioning hair after a dip in the lake!).

Here's a totally blurry computer photo of my outfit today (oh the joys of a dead camera battery)! I'm wearing a pale pink skirt  my favorite tan ankle cowboy boots, a floral print scarf & olive tank.

What destination inspires your outfit choices?

xoxo, Lauren

Back to School: Stylish College Girl Edition

As I'm entering my senior year of college and I watch my little sister enter college I've been reminiscing about my first year. I remember moving into the dorms with more stuff than anyone on my floor.. trying to cram all my clothes and shoes into a 2 ft wide closet. But then there was the late night talks with my roomie, dining hall dinners, and first college football game. 

I've come up with what I think are the absolute essentials for the stylish college student!

• 
  
  A Girly Tee or Sweater to show your school spirit (VSPink has great options.. i love this collegiate style cardigan!)
• 
  
  A Planner; swap out the one the school gives you with one for a little more personality.
• 
  
  Cute PJ's are essential when living in the dorms! You never know who you might see.
• 
  
  Comfy/Stylish flats for all the walking around campus you'll have to do.

I hope this helps all of you College Fashionistas!

 Check out some of my vintage posts about starting college too:

*5 Things I wish I knew as a Freshman

* DIY Dorm Decorating

*Cooking for College Students: Gramma's Mac & Cheese

*How to Glamourize Your Textbooks

What do you think the essential item for the stylish college girl is?

xoxo, Lauren

"I Want to Wake Up in the City That Doesn't Sleep"

Spotted this Cintia Dicker editorial in the September 2010 Marie Claire France. I love how perfectly captures the energy and adventurous spirit of New York City; such an exciting and one of a kind place to be (good luck to Casey, who just moved there)! Cintia is amazingly gorgeous as well..that red hair!

Do you dream of being in the Big Apple, as so many fashionistas do?

xoxo, Lauren

Would You Wear: Fall 2010 Shoe Trends

This season borrows inspiration from masculine styles like the oxford wingtip shoe and the desert boot (made famous by Clark). Shoe trend also look to 70's styling such as over the knee boots & clogs, but with a modern twist like studded hardware &  platform heels. The color palette looks to be leaning toward neutrals like black and tan in natural materials like leather and suede.

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Still not sold on these quirky styles? Check out how the trendsetters are wearing them:

Mary-Kate sporting black wedge clogs

Model off Duty rocking the Desert Boots

French Vogue Editor, Emmanuelle Alt in over-the-knee boots

Will you be taking any fashion risks for Fall and trying out one of these fun shoe trends.. which one would you wear?

xoxo, lauren

William Rast Back to School Giveaway with Luello.com

I'm super excited to tell everyone about the latest giveaway! La Petite Fashionista has partnered with premium online shopping destination, Luello to giveaway a pair of seriously awesome William Rast Scarlet 754 denim shorts (valued at $135) to one lucky reader!

The William Rast line is the brainchild of talented musician (& former *NSYNC-er), Justin Timberlake and business partner Trace Ayala. They came together to form what they think is the perfect combination of fashion and function in denim form. They draw from Timberlake's Tennessee roots to create jeans that are a little bit country & a little bit rock & roll

William Rast S/S 09 Collection via Style.com

To add this gorgeous pair of designer denim to your back to school (or post-grad) wardrobe there are a few ways to enter.

You must sign up for Luello's newsletter to hear about their latest products & giveaways (by leaving your email in the comments you are consenting to signing up for the newsletter!)

Want more chances to win?  (Note: mention if you're already doing one of these!)

+1: Follow La Petite Fashionista on twitter  (I've made it easy to share with the links below posts!)

+1: Become a fan of La Petite Fashionista on Facebook

+1 Follow my blog (via bloglovin, google reader, etc.)

The contest is open to U.S. Residents only and ends 8/25/10 at midnight e.s.t.-- make sure to include your email in your comment!

So since William Rast is both-- are you more country, or rock & roll?

xoxo, lauren

Smooth Moves

It seems that the body con look, popularized by Herve Leger's bandage dress isn't going anywhere. As cute as the slinky dresses look on celebrities on the red carpet, pulling them off in real life is a whole different story. The style emphasizes curves, which can make it hard for a lot of the female population to pull off!

The Sartorialist's body con outfit shot!

Luckily, slipping on a shapewear piece underneath a slim fitting dress is a quick fix for streamling your sillhouette. Lingerieplease sent me their Charnos shapewear to test out for a night on the town (outfit pictures to come!). It fits like a corset, but way comfier! It was a great solution for dresses that make you feel like you have to suck in all night while you're wearing them.

 I hate when trends are confined to certain body types; & i love the idea of making body con dresses a bit more wearable for the rest of us!

Do you wear "body con" style dresses, or do you perfer a spandex-free style?

xoxo, lauren

Mary-Kate: Back to Boho

I think it's absolutely amazing how much impact one person (or in their case two) can have on fashion. Mary-Kate Olsen completely popularized the bohemian trend a few years ago sending girls in search of fringe, embroidered denim & knee high boots. I think it's fascinating that the trend hasn't really gone anywhere- just reinvented itself each season with a new twist.






I miss seeing Mary-Kate and Ashley all over the fashion scene. I literally grew up watching and idolizing them. I love what they've done with The Row & this Marie Claire editorial will help give me my Olsen twin fix!

xoxo, lauren