Back to School

     Hi everybody! I went through the feedback I received from my last blog, and it was quite a mixed bag. It seems as though half of you would like personal stories and self esteem blogs, while the other half enjoy the beauty tip format. Here's what I am going to do; I am going to alternate for the next couple of weeks, and then when I get off of vacation, I will begin doing 2 separate blogs a week again. I will do a personal blog on Tuesdays and then a beauty tip blog on Fridays. Thank you so much for your feedback, and please keep it coming.

     So this week, I did some research on what fashion trends will be hot for the fall. I figure a lot of you are either starting to shop for Back to School, or you are taking your kids for B2S shopping. So here's my list of trending fall fashion for 2013.

     I never thought I'd say this, but the 90's are back! So soon? Yes. I scanned through Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Nylon, and Marie Claire magazines as well as style.com for Back to School trends, and here's the skinny:

1. Overalls. This can mean overall dresses, overall shorts, or regular length overalls.

2. Platform shoes. Platform maryjanes especially are very trendy right now.

3. Denim, denim and more denim. Make sure you have a denim jacket for the crisp fall weather. 

They're light, but will serve as a nice barrier against the season change.

4. Floral! Weather it is pants, dresses, blazers or shoes, floral is in.

5. Blazers are adorable! Bright fabrics and bold colors or prints are very hot this fall.

     I know some of you dread going B2S shopping, so here are some tips for when buying the essentials:

1. Always try things on in the store. Sizing is varied with different brands, and it actually saves time (you don't have to go back to the store for returns later) to try things on. 

2. If you like the style of a top, try it on in several colors. Then pick out which is most flattering. I know people tend to stick to the same colors, and I have been guilty of this myself. Bright bold colors are in, so try something you wouldn't ordinarily grab.

3. When choosing jeans, I like to look for soft stretchy material, especially when looking for skinny jeans. If you attend school on a campus, you might consider lighter feeling denim that won't irritate when walking a lot. 

4. Start in the shoe department, before looking at other clothes. This is important, because you can try them on and wear them around the store while you shop. This will tell you if they are comfortable enough to wear. I've bought plenty of shoes that were seemingly comfortable in the store, but then I had to walk in them when I got home and disliked them.

5. A lot of people don't see it as important to try on accessories, but how many times have you bought a bracelet or a necklace and then never wore it because it didn't really go with anything you had? Depending on what store you're in, see if you can try them on with your outfits. If you can't, try them on with what you're wearing and put them against something you're going to buy. If it fits with what you have, you'll probably wear it.

     There you have it! I hope this helps, and happy shopping!