Leather Skirt

Leather Skirt by mayrabarragan featuring blue jackets

Job Interview

Job Interview by mayrabarragan featuring black pumps

How To Wear a Denim Jacket . . .

     No matter what your personal style is, there are certain pieces that every girl should own in her closet. One of those pieces a Denim Jacket. They are very accessible and can be found at any price range, at many different washes. They can also be worn in any season and are a great piece to make any outfit casual cool. The outfit combinations are effortless and plenty. Below I created 3 super easy, super cute way to wear a Denim jacket.

     For my first outfit idea I paired black skinny jeans with a lace polka dot blouse with a denim jacket thrown over. This look is for those in-between days where it sunny but a still a bit chilly. So I paired the outfit with tall riding boots ( ankle boots for be good as well ) a classic watch, summer hat, and shades to shield your pretty eyes from the sun.

     The second option is probably the easiest and my favorite way to wear a denim jacket. All there is to it is a nice summer dress, and it is a perfect option to wear during warmer days. I accessorized this look with simple rose stud earrings, cute wedges and a matching tote to keep a summer look.

     Another easy outfit combination that can be used during warmer months is a tee and skirt combo. I love this outfit for a outside music festival or even for any outside outing. Some cute strappy sandal, and fringed side purse with round sunglasses would complete this stylish combo.

Where to Buy a Denim Jacket:

     Like I said before you can buy a denim jacket at any store and at any price range. Below are my favorite stores to find a them and my favorite picks:

1. American Eagle Faded Denim Jacket $49.95

2. Gap 1969 Denim Jacket $$69.95

3. Kohl's ELLE Denim Jacket $39.99

4. Thrift Stores

     Do you have a denim jacket? If so what are your favorite ways to wear it? I would love to know your way of wearing this classic staple.

Easy Outfit Combinations

     Life can get pretty busy, and when it does we have temptations to "let ourselves go" because we are either too busy or too tired to put a decent outfit together. Which is why I believe we should always have a few easy outfit combinations on hand for those days that we don't have the time to think about our outfits.

Outfit Combination 1: Preppy Chic ( Button Blouse+Printed Tank+Black Skater Skirt+Black Riding Boots)

     The first easy outfit combinations is a simple button up blouse, printed tank top, solid skater skirt and tall riding boots. Very preppy and very easy. Besides chances are you might have these in your closet already and if you do not you can easily substitutes the clothes for something else and still look amazing.

Outfit Combination 2: Relaxed and Trendy ( Kimono Jacket+Plain Tee+Jeans+Scalloped Flats)

     Kimono jackets are chic and in right now. Also they are so easy to style! You can make them dressy or casual. For this look I chose a more casual look. I chose a plain tee and dark blue jeans. With the kimono jacket over it. There are a few ways to wear a kimono jacket. For this look I belted the jacket at the waist to give me some waist definition, however the choice is up to you. 

Outfit Combination 3: Ready For Spring (Spring Dress +Denim Jacket+Scalloped Flats)

    Another easy outfit combination is a dress. This takes so effort whatsoever, all you have to do is put on your favorite day dress and wear a jean jacket over it. This outfit also makes it perfect for these warmer months we will be having.

     What other easy outfit combinations do you have? I would like to hear more options and ideas from you all.

I Went Shopping: March Edition.

I Went Shopping: March Edition. by mayrabarragan featuring LC Lauren Conrad

     March is my birthday month so naturally I have received money, gift cards, and discounts in honor of my birthday. So with that money I was able to buy a few things for my always expanding wardrobe. 

1. Elle Denim Jacket $20

•  Every girl needs a jean jacket in their closet. It is a classic piece that can work with any season. I would always ask my older sister to borrow her jean jacket because it is good quality and it has a worn in quality that I liked. But after taking her advice I decided to buy one for myself. So I bought a Elle Denim jacket from Kohl's in a medium wash, that is more versatile for my closet.  

2. Baby Blue Lace Fit and Flare Dress $24:

• I love lace and I love pastel colors. So when I saw this baby blue lace fit and flare dress I snatched it up. It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland, and it makes a great Easter dress. I bought it at Target, which always has super cute clothes and accessories. I love getting my skinny belts from there also. 

3. LC Lauren Conrad Lace Crepe Top $10

• Another Kohl's buy. This time I just got a simple feminine ivory blouse with a key hole back and lace sleeves. I like ivory, white, and black tops that complete outfits. I like wearing this top with high waist skirts or jeans. It is a great staple piece.

4. LC Lauren Conrad Bow Smoking Slippers $19.00

• So let me be honest about these shoes. My actually bought these shoes for herself but she thought they were too young for her so she just passed it on to me. These are so cute that I can barely stand it. Smoking slippers are very masculine but with the bows it gives it a femininity touch and they are so comfortable and on trend right now. 

5. Vintage 1973 Avon Porcelain  Locket $10

• Out of everything I bought this month, this has been my favorite! It is a 1973 gold porcelain locket. My first ever vintage find! I even have it in a special place in my jewelry armoire. This is a piece of jewelry that I will want to pass on to my daughters if I ever have any. 

   

OOTD: Denim Jacket and Coral Skirt Sunday Outfit

Sunday Outfit by mayrabarragan featuring a bead bracelet

        In my family- Sunday is family day, and the day is usually the same routine. So I try to be as casual as I can be; but still look good. So for this Sunday I wore . . .

• Denim Jacket
• Black Lace Top
• Coral Skater Skirt
• Floral Lace Tights
• Black Flats
• Matching Coral Earrings ad Bracelet Set

Just another Sunday . . . 

     

One Skirt 3 Ways: Maxi Skirt

One Skirt 3 Ways: Maxi Skirt by mayrabarragan featuring a flower necklace

     A few months ago I bought this LC Lauren Conrad Pink Tulle Skirt at my local Kohl's and ever since then I have loved it! I love maxi skirt but becaouse I am short (5'4) and plus size I never thought I could wear them so I avoided them. But when I saw think muted pink skirt I fell in love with it and I decided to give it a try. Now my rule when buying any item of clothing is that if you don't have at least 3 ways of wearing it then it is not worth the buy, of course there are exceptions but I follow this rule most often. That is the best way to get the most out of your closet. So after I went to the store and tried on and liked how it looked I decided to buy it.

     Above I made a set of the 3 ways that I wear my Pink Tulle Maxi Skirt . . .

• Casual: I wear it with a white v-neck tee, distress jean jacket, black sandals, as for accessories I wear my pastel pink/green/ivory skull bracelets with some gold ball earrings and my Black Ray-Bans.
• Sweet: For my Sweet look I paired the skirt with a beige woven blouse that has ruffle detailed bib, nude scalloped edge flats, and for accessories I wear pale pink flower earrings with a matching gold long pale pink necklace and a multi strand bracelet with small pearls.
• Romantic: Finally for my romantic look I wore my black lace crew neck top, black flats and as for accessories I went simple and wore pearl stud earrings with a pearl bracelet and I wore a pink rose crown on my head.

     These are just a few ways that I wear my maxi skirt. I am so glad that I ended up buying this skirt. It reminds me a bit of a grown up ballerina. It is so sweet and feminine.

Lazy Days in Pink

Lazy Days in Pink by mayrabarragan featuring ruffle tops

Motivational Monday . . . .

    A little motivation to get thru the week. Things are happening this week that I am excited for and looking forward too. So I have to keep a positive mind and say bye-bye to negativity!

Personal Post: What Do I expect in My Future . . .

     Okay so I just turned 24 last  Monday!! I know right. I can hardly believe it myself. So during the weeks leading up to it I felt as if I was having a existential mid-quarter life crisis. Not kidding. I felt and still somewhat feel like I have accomplished NOTHING that I have gotten nowhere in life and that I was stuck in this crazy road that we call life. I had friends, family, even my best friends talking to me explain to me that it was all in my head. They tried to get me to see my values and moral and reminded me that despite my looooong road in getting a degree I was finally studying on the thing I believe I was truly meant to do . . . Fashion.

     Having my mini crisis pass I have began to really think about where my life is and where I plan on going. Looking back on this past year I have realized that I have grown as a person. I find my way of thinking and my thoughts being way different than when I was 18. I also realized that even though I have made mistakes and had followed the wrong major for 5 years I have seen that the fact that I started this journey of fashion school a year ago and that it was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Not everybody is as lucky as me to follow their passion. Although a major in fashion merchandising is not what my parents would of liked at least I should be glad that they have accepted it and let me follow my dreams, even though I still get told a few things about it every now and then.

     I have things and people in my life that I did not have last year. I have gained amazing great people in my life that makes me feel blessed and still keeping the old ones. So in short I began focusing on what I didn't have and began focusing on what I do have. I realized that the things that I do not have are not impossible things to achieve. In my heart I know I will get them and I will get there. Now seeing my life a bit more clearly I began putting into perspective what I do want in the future. Of course in my future I want to fall in love, get married and have kids and travel the world. But I also see something extremely important to me and that is a career I am passionate about. In my future I see myself finally getting my long awaited degree in Fashion Merchandising. I hope to either become a stylist, visual merchandiser, or a fashion writer. One thing I absolutely want and see in my future is opening a vintage shop. It would be a dream for me to work alongside beautiful vintage pieces that have a story ready to be unlocked.

     It is plain to see that I have huge plans for myself. I may be a year older and tad bit wiser but I still have a long way to go. I still have many lessons to learn and things to accept. God willing I will have plenty of time to learn those lesson and mature into a adult that my parents will be proud of.

OOTD: Sunday Outing

  On Sunday I went to the movies and to breakfast with my sister and her friends. It was so much fun! I had strawberry crepes with whipped creme and we went to watch "300: Rise of a Empire" which is typically not really my type of movie but they had a hot guys so why not right? Anyway I loved my outfit that day that I had my sister take a picture of what I wore. So I wore the red skirt my sister gave me for my birthday (It has quickly become my favorite skirt) I tucked in my black/white striped shirt from Forever21. It was a little cold when I left so I put on my tan trench coat over the outfit with the sleeves rolled up. For accessories I wore my tan crochet oxford shoes, long bronze pocket-watch necklace, pearl earrings and my black Asos skirt. My inspiration for this outfit was Parisian so I hope it translated well, I think it did since various people told me I looked cute.

Closer Look:

My whole outfit.

My Black Scalloped Edge Asos Purse

Get my Look:

Shirt: Similar 
Skirt: Here
Trench Coat: Similar
Shoes: Similar
Bag: Similar
Earrings: Here 
Necklace: Here



  I hope to post more outfit photos on my blog. I do not always have someone to take good pictures of my outfits so hopefully I will find someone to take more picture more often.

A Golden Afternoon . . . .in ModCloth

A Golden Afternoon by mayrabarragan featuring peep toe shoes

        This past Monday on my birthday I received a email from ModStylist Amy inviting me to take part of a campaign of theirs where me and  group of other fashion bloggers would be styling a piece chosen by the company. So in a heart beat I said YES! I have been a huge fan of ModCloth for years. My favorite Alice in Wonderland Necklace is from there and so is this beautiful red skirt my sister gave me for my birthday that is so flattering on me! What I love about ModCloth is their indie, vintage, whimsical pieces and  they have a large range of styles and sizes that you will be able to find just about anything in your size. A few of my favorite pieces would have to be Flowers on End Dress in Blanc ,  Pretty Pastries Dress , and Coach Tour Dress in Lavender. Those are just a few of the dresses I liked, if I put everything I love from the site I  might of well posted the whole site. That is how much I love ModCloth.

        Let get back to the dress. ModCloth send me their Shoreline Memories Dress to style which is  also available in plus size. Now to be honest when I saw this dress I loved it of course! and it reminded me of spending a day at Santa Monica pier or of being transferred into a post card of another decade. So I wanted to try something different, and because I just went to an afternoon tea service with my best friends and because I obviously love Alice In Wonderland I decided to get inspiration from that. What I did I Paired the dress with blue low wedges, Alice in Wonderland heart earrings, a yellow Cambridge Satchel, two gold bow pins, and some ladylike gloves. Also because it is still a bit chilly in some parts of the world I added this amazing blue coat with ruffle detailing and pin this way beyond adorable tea pot pin on the coat. 

      And just like that I was able to turn a dress reminiscence of  vintage beach days into a dress proper for tea. I hope you enjoyed the set I made and don't forget to stop by ModCloth to check out everything ModCloth has to offer.

Motivational Monday . . .

    A few words of inspiration for the upcoming week. These are word I will definitely take to heart as I go back to school this week and continue with my education and my dream, despite my mistakes and frustration I have been having. Hope you all have great week.

My Weekend in Pictures . . .

   A little about my weekend in pictures . . . .

 

       I started my weekend by eating strawberry toaster pastry and drinking tea, while reading the month Vogue magazine with Lena Dunham on the cover. I have found these magazines extremely useful in my classes, I constantly need to tear out pictures for homework and projects in class. 

  

     

      On Saturday I went to a "Frozen" theme birthday party which was extremely cute and fun! For the party I wore . . .

• LC Lauren Conrad Dusty Pink Tulle Pleated Maxi Skirt: I got this skirt last week and I adore it! It is my fave item in my closet right now. I folded the gold waist band inside and used a skinny gold belt instead.
• Mossimo White V-Neck from Target: I took a white v-neck tee and tucked it inside the skirt.
• Gap Jean Jacket: I wore a a jean jacket with sleeves rolled up that I borrowed from my sister that she has had for maybe around 8 years, so it looks worn and I like worn jean jackets. 
• LC Lauren Conrad Nude Flats: My parents gave me these flats for Christmas, this is the third time I wore them so they still give me blisters but I love them.
• LC Lauren Conrad Gold Pink Flower Long Necklace: I need to accessorize, so I just put on a long simple necklace to my outfit would not be too boring.
• Asos Black Satchel Purse: I got this purse like 3 weeks ago when it was on sale, so this is currently my to go purse right now. 
• Ray-Ban Wayfarer Shades: It was sunny so I just put on my favorite black sunglasses. 

      Like I said above, on Saturday I went to a "Frozen" theme Birthday Party. It was a fun magical little party with delicious sweets and even a appearance by Queen Elsa! But these Olaf center pieces were my favorite! How cute is it!

      On Sunday I did the usual routine. Me and my family went to church, ran errands, and made dinner together. Sunday is usually a bit busy because we drive all around town to do things but this week we only had 2 places to go too so it was refreshing to have a much more easier Sunday. That day I wore . . .

• Forever 21 Black Skater Skirt: I have also been obsess over this skirt.
• Gap White and Black Striped Tank Top: My favorite tank top! I honestly feel like this is one of my most worn shirts. Such a staple. 
• Gap Jean Jacket: I re-wore the jean jacket I wore for the birthday party also with the sleeves rolled up.
• H&M Black Opaque Tights: It was a bit chilly in the morning so I put on some  black tights to keep me warm during the church service.
• Mossimo Red Patent Leather Flats from Target: I needed some color into the outfit so I put on my red flats.
• Gold/Black Leather Cuff & Black Gold Stud Heart Earring: I kept the accessories simple, so I wore this Gold/ Black Leather Cuff I got from Charlotte Russe with some Black Heart Earrings that has some Gold Studs that watch with the cuff, I usually pair them together.
• Asos Black Satchel Purse: My favorite purse at the moment so I wear with everything.
• Revlon Lip Butter Lipstick in Red Velvet: My makeup was so simple that day ()Foundation, Blush, and Mascara) that I wanted add red lips. So I wore my favorite red lipstick.

     I ended my weekend by watching my two favorite shows; Downton Abbey and Sherlock while eating a delicious marble flavored cupcakes and doing my nails afterwards. 

Overall I enjoyed my weekend It was not dull nor overly busy but it was a good one. I hope all weekends could be the same pace as this one, maybe this year I will have more good weekends and less bad ones.

The 11/30 System: How to Get a 30 Outfits With Just 11 Wardrobe Pieces

 This past semester in school during my Clothing Selection course, my professor gave the class very handy system to use with ourselves and with clients. A system that we call the 11/30 system, which we manage to take 11 clothing pieces and create a month worth of outfits.

Breaking it all down:

The system is very easy to follow and remember. It does not include shoes and accessories but I promise that once you add them the outfits will just look better. Once you learn the system and how to use it, it makes getting ready much easier. So here is the break down . . .

• 3 Tops
• 3 Bottoms
• 3 Jackets
• 2 Dresses

The trick is to finding items that will go with your personal style, lifestyle, and that they can easily match up with everything else. 

Making the Outfits:

For the purpose of this post I will make 30 outfits with classic wardrobe pieces, you don't have to use these exact pieces if you decide to do it on your own, you can use the same formula but with pieces that are more your style. You can also just make adjustments and use the formula thru the seasons by changing the fabric of the clothes and the shapes and colors and prints.  

Pieces I Used:

• Tops: Blue Chambray Blouse, Black Lace Blouse, & White/Black Stripe Tank Top.
• Bottoms: Black Skater Skirt, Black Jeans, & Blue Jeans.
• Jackets: Black Blazer, Tan Trench Coat, & Black Leather Jacket
• Dresses: Little Black Dress and Day Dress

Outfits:

1. Black Lace Blouse + Black Jeans + Tan Trench Coat
2. Blue Chambray Blouse + Blue Jeans + Black Blazer
3. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Black Jeans + Black Leather Jacket
4. Little Black Dress + Tan Trench Coat
5. Black Lace Blouse + Blue Jeans + Black Leather Jacket
6. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Blue Chambray Blouse + Black Skater Skirt
7. Black Lace Blouse + Black Skater  Skirt + Black Leather Jacket
8. White/Black Stripe Tank Top +  Black Skater Skirt + Black Blazer
9. Little Black Dress + Black Blazer   
10. Day Dress + Tan Trench Coat
11. Black Lace Blouse + Black Skater  Skirt + Tan Trench Coat  
    
12. Little Black Dress + Black Leather Jacket
13. Day Dress + Black Blazer
14. Day Dress  + Black Leather Jacket
15. Little Black Dress
16. Day Dress
17. Black Lace Blouse + Black Jeans
18. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Blue Jeans
19. White/Black Stripe Tank Top +  Black Skater Skirt  + Black Leather Jacket
20. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Blue Jeans + Tan Trench Coat
21. White/Black Stripe Tank Top +  Black Skater Skirt + Black Blazer
22. Black Lace Blouse + Black Skater Skirt + Black Blazer
23. Black Lace Blouse + Blue Jeans + Tan Trench Coat 
    
24. Blue Chambray Blouse + Black Jeans  + Black Blazer  
25. Blue Chambray Blouse + Black Skater Skirt
26. Black Lace Blouse + Black Skater Skirt
27. Black Lace Blouse + Black Jeans
28. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Blue Chambray Blouse + Blue Jeans
29. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Blue Jeans + Black Leather Jacket
30. Blue Chambray Blouse + Blue Jeans + Black Leather Jacket

Making the outfits can get a bit challenging after you use all the pieces once, so you sometimes have to get a bit creative. But once you get the hang of it, it gets easier. Well I hope this system will help you as much as it has helped me.

New Year, New Chapter, New Me! Hopefully . . . .

I can't believe it is already 2014! Wow 2013 sure went fast. What a stressful and bad year I had, but I also had some good. Last year I made the brave decision to study what I was truly meant to do, I got a new puppy who I just adore and love more than anything in my world! And I still have my family and friends.

I am looking forward for this new year. I am determine to make it a good one with my family and friends. I also plan to be more involve in life. I have high hopes and positives vibes for myself this year. Also, me and my two friends are planning a blog that I hope you will follow as well. So thank you for still keeping my blog in your blogs list and thank you for the visits despite I have not been so involved in the blog recently. I fully intend on being more involve and making changes such as posting outfit post.

Can't wait to hear from you all once again!