fashion blogger

Spring Outfit Recap 2017

Published on June 20, 2017June 20, 2017 by PeculiarPorter8 Comments

Hello darling! Guess what day tomorrow is? The first day of summer. It is crazy how fast time flies. I’ve already graduated a little over a month ago… and guess what… yesterday, I accepted my first job. I’m incredibly thrilled and excited to start my new position as a social media coordinator in two weeks. I’m so happy I can finally delete the ZipRecruiter and LinkedIn apps off my phone. Bye-bye job search and hello working girl status.

Styling Jean Jacket

Billie Jean is Not My Lover

I was extremely excited to buy my first jean jacket. I know, it is probably super embarrassing that I’ve never had one before and I should hide all evidence that I never had one before. Luckily for you, I’m pretty open with you guys and I show how I made this jean jacket my own.

DIY Blake Lively Jeans

Okay, I’m completely biased but this post is 100% my favorite out of this spring collection… maybe even my favorite post on my blog. I show you how you can turn a cheap pair of jeans into this chic, boho pair of painted jeans. If you need some spunk in your current wardrobe definitely check out this post. You could even do it to a pair of shorts.

How to Get Away With Wearing Pastels, Pleats, and Polka-dots

If mint pants aren’t your cup of tea these ones are about to. Sometimes polka-dots can be tricked to pair with other elements, but I show you how you can add the perfect amount of sassy to your favorite polka-dot pair of jeans.

What I’ll Remember Most About Siena College

Okay, so if you click on that link be prepared for a tear jerker. I think back on all of the amazing times I had at Siena college and try not to cry my eyes out. Also, I show case all of my friends rocking their best formal gear.

Senior Cruise

This senior event was a little bit more casual than our formal but all the seniors still killed the game. I’m already counting down the day until the next time I can wear this blue dress. P.S. it is on sale right now and comes in black!

Siena College Champagne Toast

Take a sneak peak into one of the best traditions Siena College has. Plus, I show you a peak at all our graduation caps.

Siena College’s Graduation

Ahh, yes the dreaded moment where we all enter the real world. I’m not going to lie I balled my eyes out at graduation when they played a sappy video of all the moments the class of 2017 shared together. 63 days until 100 days post gradation where I get to see the lovely class again.

How To Spice Up a Graphic Tee

Let me show you a few of the tricks I have up my sleeve when it comes to styling a graphic tee. Graphic tees are definitely a key fashion piece for any fashionista.

Stripes that Flatter

I’ll admit, finding the right stripes for your body can be a tricky adventure. Check out a few of my tips on how I find the perfect stripes for my body.

Why You Need Pointed Flats in Your Life

If you don’t already own pointed flats in your life check out this post on why you’re making the biggest mistake of your life. Nuff said.

Now one of the biggest updates I did this spring was create a Facebook page where you can keep up to date on my blog posts. I’m going to start posting more on it so I’ll hopefully see you stay up to date on some of my fun posts coming up. But if you want to see the best inside scoop on what my day to day life is I would check out my Instagram. I’ve been on a following frenzy so I’ll be sure to check out your Instagram as well.

So what was your favorite look? I’m between my DIY post and my Graphic Tee post. Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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Stripes That Flatter

Published on June 13, 2017June 13, 2017 by PeculiarPorter19 Comments

Hello darling! How is your day going? It is finally h-o-t in Connecticut. It is about time! The past month has been wishy-washy from low 50’s to low 70’s so you bet I’m ready for some nice 80° weather.

Earlier this spring, I interned with Saratoga Living Magazine. I wore this stripe J.Crew dress on one of my days in the office. I definitely have a love hate relationship with stripes and I have a few tips up my sleeve on how I pick the perfect stripe dress.

Tip: Look for pieces that incorporate vertical stripes alongside the horizontal stripes.

If you find a piece that has vertical stripes on your sleeves, near your legs, or on your waist line it will automatically make your silhouette look slimmer and leaner. One of the main reasons I love this dress so much is because the vertical stripes on my waist make my petite torso look so much longer than it actually is. The wide pleats below my waist line also elongate my hips making my waist look even smaller. So when you’re looking for a stripe dress find one that incorporates vertical stripes in your “trouble areas.”

Tip: don’t go overboard with stripes.

Stripes are a busy pattern. It might be wise to try and keep stripes as minimal as possible. If your want more stripes in your outfit try for a bigger pattern so that it doesn’t overwhelm the eye. Since this dress has very tiny stripes it was good that it was at a shorter length compared to a midi or maxi dress. The stripes would have been overwhelming with that amount of fabric.

Tip: Include a bold color in your outfit to break up the busy pattern.

My polo cardigan is the perfect addition to this outfit to break up the thin stripes. If you want to experiment with stripes in this warmer weather definitely try out a bright colored shoe, earrings, or necklace… maybe even a hat! They are all great additions that will incorporate not only your personality but some fun in your outfit.

Other than rocking some stripes I’ve been hunting down jobs. Some of you may be curious how I’m handling my post college life. I’m in this bittersweet faze where I’m happy that my four years are done but also sad that I’m not returning to my “home” this upcoming fall. I’ve been applying to jobs left and right on LinkedIn and Ziprecruiter. I’ve had a few bites here and there and I have a big interview today (fingers crossed that it goes well). My dreams and moral are high so it’s just up to the big guy to send me in the direction I’m needed.

Do I have any recent college graduates reading my blog? Let me know in the comments down below how you’re handling the post college life.

As always,

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Photo Credit: Blogger friend Alicia Bryan. Her blog.

How to Spice Up a Graphic Tee

Published on May 30, 2017May 30, 2017 by PeculiarPorter13 Comments

Hello darlings! Are you being hit by this miserable cold wave? I’m back in Connecticut and it has been in the low 50°’s all week AND it has been raining. Talk about a double-edge-sword.

On the brighter side, this outfit is always my go-to mood booster. This is something about a quirky, graphic tee and a bold, print skirt that puts on one of those feel good smiles on my face. (Speaking of which, my cacti obsession has not ended… I may have just received this cacti print shirt! I’m in love!)

Graphic tees can sometimes be tricky to style. Trust me, I went through a weird phase in middle school where I loved buying graphic tees but would only style them with dark wash skinny jeans. What is the fun in that?

Tip: Spice up that sassy tee with some equally sassy elements.

By adding more patterns and textures in your outfit, you automatically make it so that your outfit is more eye catching. The trick to adding either color or sassy bottoms into your graphic tee is looking at what the pieces have in common. Now, obviously white and black go with everything. Sorry, you caught me… I went for the easy way out. However, if this shirt was in same green the skirt has and still said this fun saying, it would still go perfectly. I love picking a color that is barely represented in a wild pattern like that green and wearing that color as a top. This makes the little color representation stand out and make it more alluring.

Tip: Tie the graphic tee in a knot to give the outfit more dimension. By doing this you automatically make your outfit look more flattering on your body.

The majority of this outfit (tee and skirt) is from Banana Republic. I admit, I rarely ever shop at Banana Republic. I might need to lurk their graphic tee section more because this tee has been on my body nonstop lately. I currently am dreaming about this shirt on sale and this shirt that would look great with high waisted green pants. I usually style this En Blanc En Noir shirt with a knot because it breaks down the material bulk. Plus, it gives my outfit even more sass.

What does your favorite graphic tee say/look? How do you normally style it? Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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Photo Credit

I Guess We Clean Up Nicely

Published on April 18, 2017April 18, 2017 by PeculiarPorter13 Comments

Helly darling! This post is a little bit different from my typical blog post. I love when bloggers give me a little glimpse into their lives, so I figured I’d do the same for you guys. The other week my college put on a little shindig for English major, members of our college magazine and newspaper, and the online publication Her Campus. Since I’m an English major and part of Her Campus I decided to go with my lovely friends.

Sadly, the only details I have on dresses are my friend Courtney’s dress and my dress (pictured above). Courtney’s dress and shoes were found at Nordstrom Rack a day prior to this event. I’m obsessed with the beautiful floral pattern on her dress.

My bright red dress was found at Urban Outfitters in September. Sadly they do not sell it anymore. It has this funky strappy back that I feel head over heels for. I might be super annoying for even saying that because I don’t actually have a picture of that detail. The necklace is a J.Crew Factory classic. It is currently on sale for $24.50 so buy it while it is on sale! I’m also obsessed with this similar necklace that is also on sale. Last but not least, my adorable, eye-catching shoes are from Off Broadway. I ended up getting a size up (I’m normally a 7.5 but I got an 8) because they were a little snug. You’ll be seeing these shoes more as the senior events progress (I have a senior formal next week! Eeek. How time flies).

I hope you have a great rest of your day! What is your favorite semi-formal look?

As always,

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DIY Blake Lively Jeans

Published on April 4, 2017April 5, 2017 by PeculiarPorter27 Comments

Hello darling! Happy April! I’m so happy it is finally not March (my least favorite month). March just always seems to draaaag on. No worries though, it is finally April and the flowers are hopefully going to start popping out like jack-in-the-boxes.

I’ve been wanting to try and DIY a pair of jeans for the longest time. I always see this epic post from brit.co floating around Pinterest, so I decided to try it out for myself. After hunting high and low for a pair of distressed boyfriend jeans at Marshall’s, I finally found this pair made by Abercrombie Fitch. If you want to find my exact pair you can look high and low for it at Marshall’s or find a similar pair here, here, here, and here.

Since I already had acrylic paint, I decided to use that and paint on my jeans. I started out with a glob of white paint and just splattered it all over the front and back of my jeans. To get a more “painty” look I started just rubbing the faded paint brunch of the pockets and edges of my jeans.

Tip: Make it easier to splatter the paint get a big brush and glob a ton of the paint with the brush tip. Also, it is going to fling back at you so be prepared!

For the tree branch, I decided to use a thin brush to make the branch first. I put one on my left back pocket, bottom left leg, and right upper thigh. To make the flowers, I mixed 4-5 pinks and purples in order to get a colored contrast.

Tip: It is really hard to use a brush for this process (trust me, I tried), so I tried a plethora of Q-tips instead. They really helped blend the different colors together.

After I painted my jeans, I wanted 24 hours for it to dry. Since I used acrylic, I wanted to figure out how I could make sure the paint wouldn’t wash off or flick off when I washed them. This blog recommended that using heat can actually set the paint. So, I really didn’t want to use an iron because I didn’t know if it would ruin it. The blog recommended putting it in the the oven for a very low temperature. So, I did and now my paint is pretty secure.

As for the rest of my outfit, I wanted to keep it really light like my pants. I opted for a white button down from American Eagle and a lace bandeau from Francesca’s (the white is sold in stores). I also wanted to add a little bit of fun with my pointed flats.

Would you ever paint a pair of jeans? My next adventure would be trying to recreate the Ralph Lauren painted Jeans. They look as if an artist kept touching his or her leg because the paint is coated on the thighs in various colors. Also, the rips in the jeans are also strung together with string. Let me know in the comments if you would ever paint a pair of your own jeans!

As always,

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Billie “Jean” is Not My Lover

Published on March 28, 2017March 28, 2017 by PeculiarPorter18 Comments

Hello darling! Okay, so this is post is a little weird because I was hoping all of the snow would have melted by now. I actually took this “shoot” two days before the giant two-foot snow storm. Right now, I’m looking out my window seeing long forecast of rain and still about a solid six inches of snow. No worries, I’m staying positive. After all… rain does bring flowers, right?

I may be a fashion blogger, but I’ve actually never owned a jean jacket until now. Yes, you read that right. Jean jackets aren’t usually up my style ally because I tend to dress more preppy and edgy than causal. I really wanted to spunk up my wardrobe and venture out to new exciting outfits (don’t we all), so I decided to get this jean jacket.

Advice: Look for a jean jacket that hits above your hips so that it is easier to style.

I liked the way this jacket fit because I wanted a jean jacket that would hit just above my hips. I knew I wouldn’t be wearing this jacket with a lot of pants because, lets face it, I mostly wear jeans and jean on jean is not a trend I particularly enjoy. Also, jean jackets look awesome with dresses and skirts for when it is warmer out. For this look, I decided to wear my favorite sateen purple jeans from American Eagle and a baggy, speckled sweater. Since the jean jacket hits higher than the sweater, it definitely creates more of a layered look. Lastly, I threw on a pair of pointed, light-grey flats that instantly elongated my legs.

Obviously, I had to add a little bit of my personality to this adorable jean jacket. I was shopping online on Forever 21’s website and found out that they sell a pin pack that contained a cactus! If you know anything about me you know I’m obsessed with cacti. How couldn’t I be? When I went into the store I looked high and low for the pin package but couldn’t find it anywhere. I was about to leave and… there… it… was! They seem to have stopped selling the pin pack online but if you’re on the hunt for a cute personality pin pack definitely check out my girly runner up purchase.

Do you own a jean jacket? If so what is your go to outfit with it? If you don’t own a jean jacket… would you ever purchase one? Let me know in the comments down below!

As always,

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How to Style a Mock Turtle Neck Shirt

Published on January 31, 2017February 13, 2017 by PeculiarPorter12 Comments

Hello darling! I’m going to let you in a little secret… when I was really little, I told my mother I would never wear a turtle neck. Hi, Mom! Don’t worry, back then I thought lime green look oh-so-fabulous with metallic gold. So yes, today I break a few rules and hopefully never revert to my old ways. And trust me, I can hear my mother’s voice in my ears bragging, “I told you so.”

This incredibly brilliant mock turtleneck is from the wonderful American Eagle… come to think of it so is my cardigan and jeans. Yes, it is no secret that American Eagle gives me life. You could easily pair this shirt by itself because of it’s rich detailing. However, I wanted to add a little bit more attention to this outfit and throw on a big statement necklace and a speckled cardigan. Bam!

Fun fact: the Porter family used to own two turtles at one point (I’m thinking about this because of the turtleneck sweater). We actually had a few animals growing up now that I think about it… 5 guinea pigs (I had two and then my older brother got jealous so he had to get two. Mine were incredibly fat… think butternut squash and Andrew’s were incredibly small… think small baked potato), 4 dogs, one common goldfish (I won it at a fair and it lived for 7 years), two turtles, one gecko, 2 hamsters, and many koi fish. The animals were spaced out over time but still, that is a significant amount of animals. Do you think that is a lot?

If I wanted to wear this mock turtle neck for Valentine’s day, I would definitely pair it with more daintier jewelry and a maroon/soft pink cardigan. The reason I picked this more in-your-face necklace is because it paired so nicely with the speckled cardigan and black knee high boots. Plus, it really is an interesting combination when the edgy necklace is paired with dainty lace.

Have you ever told your mom you’re never going to wear something when you were little? Who was right? Would you wear a mock turtle neck? Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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P.S. If you ever come to Troy, New York you’ll have to visit the Louis Rubin Memorial Approach. It’s located right next to RPI and you get this amazing view.