When Not to Shop the Clearance Racks

Four months since my last post and now, finally, I am b a c k. This whole adulting thing (i.e. having a career, going grocery shopping, buying your first car, etc.) can be pretty time consuming and in my case, had me very preoccupied / disenchanted with blogging. Yesterday however, I had a chance encounter in TJ Maxx that made me feel like I needed to log into my blogger account and share with the world.

Here's what happened...

I was dressed in my favorite boyfriend jeans (the same ones you saw here and here), scoping out furry throw pillows (my latest obsession) when I came across the prettiest plum-colored, knee-high boots, I ever did see. I rushed over to admire the bad boys and when I looked down to see that there were only two pair in the store, the display being a size 8 1/2 (my size!) I knew that I at least had to try them on....

Well, if you've ever tried on a lust worthy shoe before, you know that once you try it on, you pretty much own it. In the case of Kierra vs the pretty Kate Spade Saturday Plum Knee - High boots...well, I did something I don't normally do. 

I bought the damn boots -- at full price. 

The damn boots. 

That's right, I forked over the whole $XXX.99 that T.J. Maxx was asking for them(which was actually a great price for the regularly $295 suckers)and saved myself 1)The hassle of going back every week to see if they had been marked down, yet & 2) The potential heartbreak of someone else buying them. 

So, here's my advice to all of you out there who like me, make the clearance rack your first stop in a store. Pay full price if and when: 

It's a Novel Item -- basically, you can't walk into Target or Forever21 (btw, are we still shopping there?)and find one million other items that look just like it. 

It's High Quality-- You can never go wrong with investing in quality, whether it be quality pieces for your wardrobe or your home.

You Can Actually Afford It -- Hey, every now and then it's OK to ball on a budget. Full price at T.J. Maxx isn't necessarily full price at Neiman Marcus or Saks and in my case, buying the boots wasn't resulting in me eating Ramen Noodles for the rest of the month...so, why not indulge in moderation?  

 

Holy Chic!

T-shirt: Old Navy / Skirt: New York & Co / Belt: The Limited / Pumps: Enzo Angiolini/ Gloves: TJ Maxx / Fur: The Loft (old) /Shades: TJ Maxx (similar)

If you follow me on Instagram you know that I spent the past few days in New York City catching up with my best friend. We spent 70 percent of our time shopping, 20 percent of it singing, dancing and posting snapchat videos to Beyonce's 7/11 and the other 10 percent eating. It's literally been a year since I last saw my best friend but what stood out the most to me during our time together was how much we have both matured. I know that I have matured stylistically and confidence wise based solely on the fact that 1-2 years ago I would have been crawling out of my skin and super uncomfortable to wear something as gaudy and boisterous as this. 

I felt like such a diva as I posed for these pictures though and can't wait for an excuse to slip back into this outfit. I've done the whole screen print tee + pencil skirt look several times before on the blog (ie. Flawless, Love in the Equation), but what adds more dimension to this particular look are the many different textures of my accessories. The faux-fur around my neck is actually a collar that I removed from a sweater I purchased a few years back. Since it was so so cold there, it was just as much for warmth as for looks. The leather gloves were also another part of the look that doubled for practicality and style. Also, in the past I would have probably needed a good excuse to justify wearing something like this but now the only excuse I need is that I'm a grown woman and I can do whatever I want! Lol

 

Americana

Tank: Gap / Shorts: Gap / Shades: T.J. Maxx / Watch: Michael Kors / Necklace: Express / Shoes: Converese

No matter what, I can always count on Gap to have classic, quality pieces that I can add to my wardrobe and yesterday was no different. I had originally went into the store with plans of only doing a little window shopping (who was I kidding?) but couldn't resist the soft cotton of this t-shirt or these high waisted shorts. I felt like Farrah Fawcette in this racerback tee, center part and aviator lenses, not to mention I got complemented on this simple tee over and over yesterday. In my opinion, this outfit pretty much epitomizes the Fourth of July. 

24K

Top: The Limited / Pants: TJ Maxx / Hat: Marshalls  / Shoes: Jessica Simpson / Purse: c/o Deb / Shades: Rue21

I invested in my first baseball cap this past fall as a way to remedy bad hair days but never did I think I would develop a new obsession. I love throwing on a baseball cap with a polished look like this one to make it a tad more casual. This look in particular could be described as sporty luxe because even though the cap is casual, the black and gold color palette is fancy, schmancy. To really make this look more casual, I would ditch my fab Jessica Simpson pumps for my black chucks. 

P.S. If you're in the RDU area, head to Southpoint Mall tonight to see Clinton Kelly! 

Girl About Town

Shirt: The Limited / Shorts: Marilyn Monroe / Shoes: Nine West via TJ Maxx/ Purse: Kate Spade / Bracelet: Express

Yesterday I celebrated 22 years of living in  hot pink hot pants, my precious Kate Spade bag and a new hot pink lip. I purchased these shorts last week while wasting time before getting my hair done and didn't try them on until yesterday morning. Though my first thought when I put them on was, "these are little shorter than I thought they would be," I couldn't resist their color and decided to indulge just this once for my birthday. Once I was dressed, I couldn't help but feel that in some way my outfit was lacking, so I made a trip to the MAC counter for a fun pink lip! 

I've never felt comfortable enough to wear pink lipstick before, so this shopping trip was somewhat of big deal. I tried on several shades of pink, until I finally settled on "Girl About Town." The girl at the counter tried to persuade me into "Pink Pigeon," but I wasn't a fan of the matte finish. She kept trying to entice me into buying it saying, "but this is the new style" and "not many people have this color yet." Despite her persuasions, at 22 I've learned that it's not so much about fitting in as it is being comfortable. I brought "Girl About Town" and confidently sported my pink lips around town as I did some birthday shopping. 

This was the perfect birthday outfit for me in that it was girly, simple and pink. 

The Silver Pumps

 

Sweatshirt: Forever21/ Leggings: The Limited/ Shoes: JcPenny

Helena of Brooklyn Blonde is the first, and perhaps only person I've ever seen wear metallic silver pumps and make them look classy. For the last few months I've been salivating over her silver Jimmy Choo's and searching for a similar pair of my own. I finally found the perfect pair at JcPenny's on clearance for $7! They were the only pair and they just so happened to be my size, which obviously means they were meant to be, and just for me!

I paired them with my leather leggings and this recent purchase, a bedazzled sweatshirt from Forever21 for a sleek and polished look. I can't wait to style these heels with other items in my closet, I know they are going to get some good mileage!

The Showstopper

 

 

Dress: Malloy via TJMaxx/ Shoes: ZooShoo/ Clutch: Victoria Secret via Goodwill/ Ring: OldNavy/ Bracelet: Rue21

Everyday this summer as I drove home from my internship, I would pass by the marquee of the Carolina Theater and I would always think to myself, "I really want to take some pictures there." 

The day before I returned to Raleigh for school, I did, wearing a dress that I absolutely love.

The dress is a black ballerina-esque number that I purchased from T.J. Maxx. I love how the leotard -style slims my body and also how the chiffon skirt hangs. It really is a lovely dress. 

The dress is a Malloy Los Angles Design. I've got several dresses from this brand (All via TJ Maxx and Marshalls). I would love to find the website for it however, because the dresses are all so flattering and inexpensive and  I want more! I originally wore this dress to a fashion show I covered for my school newspaper back in April. It definitely turned a few heads. 

I'll even go as far as to say it was a showstopper. Which is fine with me, because occasionally I like to turn heads and break necks. 

I accessorized this look with my (favorite) gold link bracelet from Rue21, snake ring from Old Navy and gold sparkly clutch from Victoria Secret. 

What is your favorite showstopping piece of clothing? 

Impulse Buys, Neon & My 1st Giveaway!

Impulse buys.

We've all been there and if you're like me, done that. In fact, the neon pink satchel I'm sporting in this post is just one of my many impulse buys. Now, don't get me wrong. At the time that I purchased it, I thought it was so cute, and I just had to have it. While I still think its super adorable, in the 8 almost 9 months that I've had it, I've probably worn it a total of three times, which is why I am ready and willing to ship it off to one of my lucky readers in my first blog give away! We'll get to that later though.

Neon colors are not typically seen on the baseball field, but that didn't stop me from adding a splash of color to the dugout yesterday! I kept things simple (as I usually do) with my neon green capris from The Limited, super soft blue tank from TJ Maxx and sparkly canvas sneakers from Target. My "Kiss my lips" necklace and gold link bracelet are both from Rue21.

When it comes to neon colors, I think that they all look great together. In other words, there is not secret to putting together a winning neon color combination. I had originally paired with these pants a tank top made out of the same material, but in a tangerine color. The only reason I changed it was because I didn't like the way the silver luster of my sneakers looked with it.

Another combination that I have come to like is that of gold and silver. For the longest time, I have been under the misconception that gold and silver accessories shouldn't be mixed. But, here lately I've noticed that it makes for a chic combination. What are some of your favorite color and jewelry combinations?

Now, for the giveaway!

All you have to do is:

 1) Leave a comment below with your e-mail address 

2) Follow me on Twitter: @sophisitKatedXO

3) Follow me on Instagram: @sophisitKated92 

A winner will be announced on Monday, August 5th!

Good Luck!

Welcome to The Good Life

 Boy, this must  be the life! Imagine it. You get all dressed up— nails done, hair done, everything did— and head to the Fashion Capital of the world, New York City, for a totally “EnVogue” party. What makes this party so “EnVogue” you ask? Well, besides the fact that its hosted by Teen Vogue Magazine, the fact that the 500 guests in attendance were hand selected by the editorial staff of Teen Vogue Magazine. Also, these same 500 people will likely be some of fashions biggest superstars, and they’re all gathered in the same place at the same time. To be exact, they are all gathered in the H&M store on East  42^nd and 5^th streets, which by the way was closed just for their shopping pleasures. What makes it even more surreal, is that you are among those people. 

Yes, that must be the life and last weekend I got my first taste of it! 

After the longest 10 hour ride  of my life, I arrived in New York City and was immediately intrigued by all of the lights (I promise this post is not an homage to Kanye West...promise). Though I've been to NYC several times in the past, this time was a bit different in that it was as a result of my own accomplishment. Needles to say I was ready to begin my stint at Teen Vogue Fashion University and more importantly my night. For the occasion  I got a lil' fancy in a pair of silk leopard shorts from Cache, a sheer tie neck blouse from OldNavy, Jessica Simpson Collection tights, and boots from T.J. Maxx. My cross necklace and gold bracelet were from Forever 21 while my gold hoops came from Express. 

Where it all went down

A look inside the party

The H&M shopping event was a lot of fun and me being me one of the best part of my night was checking out all of the amazing outfits. Not only that, but there was also a 25% discount for the students of  Teen Vogue Fashion U, hors d'oeuvres, an incredible DJ and a live band. 

Okay, so besides being surrounded by gorgeous people and gorgeous clothing ( I've never been so aesthetically pleased before!) The absolute best part of my night was being able to spend time with my best friend, who is currently in NYC pursing her modeling dream! Luckily, Fashion U students were allowed to bring one guest with them to Friday nights shopping event, and given that I hadn't seen my bestie in over 2 months I thought it would be the perfect time for us to catch up! 

A'storia and I waiting in line for the party to begin

A'storia with her Farrah Fawcett going on

Friday night was just the kick off of my three day weekend in New York City and at Teen Vogue Fashion U, but just from the first night I knew the rest of my trip was going to be a blast! This was all just the start of The Good Life.

Stay tuned for parts 2 & 3!

-xoxo

Kisses from Kierra