UGG, Those Are Cute!
Mens and Womens - I handpicked my favorite UGG sneaks for you here!
Read MoreHow To Let Tough Times Develop You, Not Destroy You
I wrote this post for those of us who've had every good intention to start 2018 off on the right foot. Yet for each of our own personal reasons, we just seem to be struggling through life's curve-balls and challenges. So my blog post this week starts with a simple realization, then follows with some call-to-actions. And by the end, I hope you've found a new way to look at these challenges in your life that you might not have thought of before.
First, Realize This: It's Your Round 1.
When we face a challenge, we usually consider it a challenge because, well, we’ve never BEEN through it before. We’re not sure what to do.
If this was our Round 2, we’d be working through it with a little more ease, right? This is an important concept for us to realize at the start of any hardship. So let's cut ourselves some slack and accept that this is tough, and we therefore may not be our best selves right now.
Next, Grieve. Hard.
Don’t try to one-up your hardship at the very beginning. If your situation hurts in any sort of way, allow yourself to feel it. Do what you need to do to truly feel the pain and grieve yourself through it. This is a good thing.
Why? Because you VALUE that part of your life. Life and all its happenings actually MEAN something to you.
But When Is It Time For Me To “Get Over it” and “Move On?”
I personally believe you should never “get over” the loss of a loved one, a pet, a relationship, a job, or anything else personal that made up a huge part of your life. Rather, you can learn to live with their memory in a new way. Or, if you’re simply upset about something at work, school, home, or wherever, then remember what I said above. At then end of the day we should let these difficult times develop us, not destroy us.
Ok, How?
If you find yourself in a continuous pattern of sulk where you feel like it’s destroying you or parts of your life, try this. Zoom out and look at your situation from above. Like a bird watching over you.
Really try to understand the entire picture at hand, and how this current hardship plays into your potential 80+ years of life on this earth. This will allow you to visualize from the entire perspective of your past, present, and future. Not just from the perspective as you see things right now.
Find your highs. Your happy moments. Your accomplishments. Grab ahold of them to help you walk forward each day.
Find your lows. What you perceive as weaknesses. And while you’re zoomed out on your life at a bird’s eye view, the important thing to notice is this. These are NOT in fact low points of your life, they’re LEARNING points.
Because as each hour and day passes, you’re actually gaining something. You’re gaining experience, strength, and a deeper appreciation for the things that mean so much to you.
So take your challenges into the New Year as a person of strength. Because as each day passes, you continue to learn how to live through them. So that at the end of the day, we let the hardships we face develop us, not destroy us.
Make it a great 2018,
-Kristin
This is How I Toured Paso Robles Wine Country
What is up y'all! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying the kickoff to the holidays! This year I flew out to California to spend Thanksgiving with my boyfriend and his family. I took the entire week off from work, UNPLUGGED, and thought what better way to kick off the week than with two days in wine country? So I landed in LA Monday morning and hit the road immediately to travel the PCH up to Paso Robles.
Why Paso? Two reasons - 1) I LOVE Justin wine and 2) I LOVE Ancient Peaks wine. If these two gems came from Paso, then I was excited to see what else this wine country had to offer.
Paso Robles: The Itinerary
While planning this out, I was warned not to make the mistake of getting "slammered," which is the act of scheduling way too many winery visits in one day. Whether that actually happened is debatable, but I like to make the most of my days so here's how it went down:
Monday afternoon: Ancient Peaks winery
Ancient Peaks sits at the bottom end of Paso Robles. Since we arrived into the area late Monday afternoon, we thought this would be our winery choice for the day before driving into the heart of Paso and checking into our hotel.
Ancient Peaks' tasting room is more of a storefront experience, versus sitting on sprawling vineyards. But, I absolutely LOVED the interior of it, and our wine server was so awesome and knowledgeable. They have a really cute outdoor area with little cask fountains and couches that look out to the streets of the quaint little town of Santa Margarita.
The wine I went there for is the Oyster Ridge Cabernet, which is the final wine on their tasting menu. Clearly I have good taste. The wine that shockingly blew me away was their Chardonnay. I'm NOT a Chard fan, but I was shocked at how light and airy theirs was. The flight included 5 wines (1 white and 4 reds) for $15. Overall good value and I recommend stopping in.
Hotel: Holiday Inn Paso Robles
I researched a ton of different hotel options, but ended up using IHG points to stay for free at the Holiday Inn Express because it's located in the dead center of Paso. We were 150% satisfied with the accommodations. So after getting a much needed long night's sleep, we arrived to Justin the next day, bright and early.
Tuesday Winery #1: Justin
Justin sits way back there in the valley so have patience on your drive. I highly recommend making this your first stop of the day given its distance, then you can work your way back in to town.
The inside of Justin has an open air, contemporary vibe to it. We took a walk around and found our favorite Justin bottles staring back at us behind thick glass cases. Justin enthusiasts, carry a napkin to catch your drool. The Eighty-One and Isosceles never looked so good.
They also have a restaurant on site that overlooks the vineyard. We opted not to eat so early, so we instead found a spot outside overlooking their vineyards.
Justin's tasting is 5 wines for $20. The pours were average 1 oz as you can see below, and their wines are all SO damn good that even if we got stiffed some, it didn't matter. In my opinion, their wines are standout in quality.
The views were really nice, and it just so happened that sitting next to us were Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra! This is me finally realizing why the couple looked so familiar. No we did not do a group pic lol. But Justin did have the most adorable fall setup at the entrance of their winery so Derek and I posed for that.
Tuesday Winery #2: Daou
Ok. Now you want to talk about views? Daou's views are absolutely breathtaking. And their outdoor seating area has couches, blankets, fire pits, and spans multiple levels into the vineyard. Everything about this place is beautiful and you'll want to spend the entire day here...
...If you're the richest man in the world that is. It is EXPENSIVE, with the wine tastings coming in at a measly $40 per person. What?? Yes, $40 for 5 tiny pours. Now it'd be one thing if the pours were generous, but they were by far the tiniest pours I have EVER seen in my life. Like, so tiny I couldn't even tell you what the wine tasted like.
I was pretty upset about this, but when I turned my eyes away from the 4 drops of a "tasting" in my glass and looked out at the 360 degree vistas, I felt better.
We also ordered a $40 cheese and charcuterie plate (as if we had a choice lol), though it was pretty substantial, and really good I might add.
And then the bill came.
HERE IS THE SECRET TO NOT GOING BROKE AT DAOU: Do NOT do the wine tastings. Rather, you can order their best bottle for $65 and share it. That's an entire bottle for you and your company to spend the day there soaking in the views, for a TOTAL of $65.
Here's where it gets even better. If you do the wine tastings, you're confined to their upper deck, so the server can keep watch on your status and tend to you better. If you pass on the tastings and order either full glasses or a bottle, you can sit yourself wherever you'd like on the grounds. And as I mentioned above, they have some STUNNING seating areas. Trust me, this is 100% the way to go.
Tuesday Winery #3: Alta Colina
Talk about some awesome estate wines. It was really cool getting to meet this family, including the friendliest German Shepard pup I have ever seen - Honey! Their wine tasting was $15 for 5 wines. And it is here I finally bought a bottle to take home, in which they waived our tasting fee.
This was one of those fun wineries where at this point you're loosened up and just shooting the sh-t with the owners. Or, if you're like me, you're on the ground giving belly rubs to the family dog. (recall from my Instastories lol).
There isn't a view from the tasting room's bar, per say, but that's because the tasting room sits at the base of their vineyards, so the views expand backwards and upwards. Regardless, it was one of my favorites spots we visited.
Tuesday Winery #4: Bodega de Edgar
This tasting room actually sits on the 2nd floor of another winery and distillery called Villicana Winery & ReFind Distillery. So as not to cause confusion when you pull up, look for this staircase on the left side of the building.
I love Riojas which is what I was hoping to get from this winery, however they didn't have any on their tasting flight. Major bummer. We ordered the tasting regardless, which I think was $10, and yeah I'll say the wines were good. I'll also remind you this was our 4th winery soooo.....recall that term "slammered" above.
Now what I will say is the story of Edgar, the founder, is REALLY cool. So if anything, I'd recommend reading the backstory to this winery. And of course if you love Spanish reds, then swing on by for sure.
Tuesday Winery #5 (barely) : Eberle
I mean, can I get a round of applause that we even made it to a 5th winery in one day on our own two feet??
So Eberle is the winery with the totally awesome cave tours. However, we showed up 10 minutes before closing time so the tours were done for the day. I wasn't really impressed with Eberle's wine quality, however the tastings were FREE so the wine bar was packed with people. And for as packed as they were, the service was still really good.
We grabbed two full glasses of wine (for free!) and walked outside to check out the views. Did we really need two glasses of wine at this point? Absolutely not. But the glasses served their purpose, allowing me to get the pretty cool shots you see here.
Six Wineries in 1.5 Days....That's a wrap!
Whew! We did good. We had great weather, great wine, and great company. Overall verdict - I would go back to Paso Robles in a heartbeat! For now, I'm taking a teeny tiny break from wine lol. Hope you all enjoyed this post, and comment below if you've been and want to share your experiences, have questions, or just want to say hi!
Keep doing it for kicks! - Kristin
How To Create 7 Different Outfits With 1 Pair of Sneaks
This was SUCH a fun concept to come up with because a) who doesn't love buying an awesome pair of shoes, and b) who doesn't love justifying them with SEVEN different outfits??
Let me introduce you to the shoe, so appropriately named the Huntington Middie. It's casual, it's clean, and quite frankly it turns heads. Which is why I call it my game-changer shoe. But, GET THIS. As is the mission of everything Suits & Sneaks, I've taken this shoe and dressed it up for you to wear to WORK, to HAPPY HOUR, and yes, to simply #KEEPITCASUAL on the weekends.
So let's dive into this amazingly comfortable pair of sneaks (which include plush insoles btw!), styled SEVEN different ways for each day of your week. Here we go!
When you wake up late, still feeling full and groggy from the weekend, and for the love of God just want to feel comfortable for the next 8 hours of your day....This is the outfit for you.
Offset the casualness and comfort of these pants and sneaks with a tan blazer. And, bedazzle yourself in pearls. You've heard me say this a million times: Offsetting is the way to go for that refined, polished casual look.
Shop This Look:
Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies
You made it through Monday looking good, and if your coworkers had some sort of decency, they saved those important meetings for Tuesday. Here's where you dress up your look with the easiest, most professional color out there - Black.
BUT, don't be boring and wear black shoes. That doesn't interest anyone.
Instead, look like you've got style sense by changing up the shoe color with your black pants and blazer. Sit down status-quo dressers. Game-Changer just walked into the room.
Shop This Look:
Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies
Halfway through the week and starting to tire out? Simply take it down a notch with a warm, comfy sweater and this soft, muted pink scarf. Next, offset the comfort on top with some dark fitted jeans or even a pencil skirt on bottom!
Shop the Look:
Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies
A popular happy hour day, they say. You definitely don't want to dress like a boring professional cause you're likely to hit up the bar scene after work. You also don't want to walk into the office LOOKING like you're hitting up the bar scene after work. #AMIRIGHT?
Here's a happy medium that's fun, but smart enough for the office. And if jean jackets are more so meant for Friday, just switch this jacket out for a cute fitted blazer! Hello Polished Casual.
Shop the Look:
Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies
Ahhh, the day where the jean jacket IS allowed. Grab those comfy pants from Monday and just swap out the top! Here you could go with a neutral shirt, or get a little ballsy with a graphic tee under your jacket or blazer. Just don't forget the accessories with this look.
While your threads are totes casual, you want to offset them with some accessories, like the bandanna scarf I've done here. Or how about fun jewelry like a wooden watch?? No matter how casual you go, accessories and jackets will always polish you off.
Shop This Look:
Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies
I absolutely LOVE these Middies with shorts. And here's where I stress how dang COMFORTABLE these shoes are. I never even got blisters from wearing them brand new! Take it from the girl with the foot injury that put her in sneaks in the first place. These shoes are SO EASY to wear while you're running around.
The long cardigan takes the look up a notch. It also covers the top half of your thighs if you're feeling a little subconscious about them. Like in this case, I would've preferred tanner legs lol. Florida girl problems.
Shop This Look:
Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies
A day meant for rest that's quite often supplemented with shopping or brunching. Pair your Middies with a soft, floral shirt. Top it off with a neutral, fitted blazer, and bam! You're ready to walk in the door of any occasion.
My favorite part about this look are the sneakers and the blazer. Because the combo simply screams: This girl quickly ran out the door and STILL managed to look styled! Can we say #GOALS??
Shop The Look:
Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies
Speaking of occasion, today was a special day! I mean WOW. What a post! You just got SEVEN different outfit ideas! And all laid out for you with just ONE pair of sneaks!!!
I hope you all enjoyed browsing through the pictures and outfit inspiration to pair up with your new Middies! Click the signup or subscribe button and I'll send you an easy-access style card with all the deets!
And allow me to give mad props to my photographer Nick Pecori who took all of the beautiful pictures you see in this post. Comment below with what you think!
I Guess I'm a Guy's Girl? My Style Explained.
I’ve never officially coined myself as such, but it was the two words that came to my mind when I thought about the history of my style. I did an Urban Dictionary check just to be sure (total sarcasm people, but for kicks, see below):
"Guy’s girl: That girl who can just chill and be one of the guys. She’s into sports, beer, action flicks, and doesn’t give a damn what others think. However, unlike the tomboy, she has her gang of girl mates who she shops with and does girly stuff." (Source: Urbandictionary.com)
So yeah, I guess you could say this describes me. And anyone who’s known me throughout my life would probably agree: A guy’s girl.
The guys of my youth:
Maybe it’s cause I was the first-born and my dad and I were (still are) super close. My dad helped me out with everything, from homework to coaching me in softball for years, to perfecting my volleyball serves, to somehow getting the message across when my skirts were too short.
My cousin Brian lived next door to me on one side, and on the other side of my house were two boys also my age, Keith and Craig. So we all grew up together, playing mostly non-girly games. You could probably label me as a tomboy in my youth. I definitely rocked the backwards hat for longer than I’d like to admit. But that’s what my inner circle wore. Don’t get me wrong though, I still had what seemed like the largest Barbie collection in the world. And yes, I thought Ken was hot AF. But sitting right next to the Barbie bin was a bin of Legos, and right next to the Legos, a bin of cars. I really was into just about everything.
Anyways I guess with all of that, I just took a liking to chillin’ with the boys. I think cause it was just that, chill. I showed up to hang out and play games as I felt best myself. I never really worried about having to win guys over with my appearance because they all liked hanging out with me for my personality. I think? (c’mon, we were like 8 years old).
High school:
Once I hit the teenage years, my parents might argue I was anything BUT chill, but whatever that’s called hormones. And yes, I still crushed on the cute guys in school. So at this point my parents (poor dad) had their hands full because I basically always had a boyfriend. I couldn’t help it, I just liked hanging out with the guys! I liked what they talked about. They talked about ACTUAL STUFF, rather than gossiped about each other. Actual stuff was way more interesting to me. And I’m not stereotyping girls NOW, I’m merely telling you what I actually experienced BACK THEN. 20+ years ago.
College:
I joined a sorority in college. Three months of that was all I could take. I made some amazing friends through it, who were very much guy’s girls like myself. And basically, we just enjoyed hanging out at the frat houses drinking beer and playing games with the guys. That didn’t sit well with the more senior sorority girls as you could imagine. Things started to suck, people were mean, and I asked myself, why would I want to spend my free time in such mental state? So I quit, and then I could hang out with my frat guy friends as much as I wanted. Bye Felicia.
The last two years in college I lived with my two best girl friends, on a floor of otherwise guys. The guys were our “bros”, and we, although girls, were their “bros”. Again, one giant group of friends that just enjoyed watching football and drinking beer together. We wore some makeup. I’d say we were attractive. But we just enjoyed hanging with the guys. Nothing more. We still call each other “Bro” to this day by the way.
Me, today:
So my style today has been what it always has been, 100% me and however I’m feeling at the time. I’ve never condoned wearing something outside of my comfort zone solely to solicit a response from someone else. Though sometimes you just have to do it in the working world (i.e. wear a suit to an interview, please). But such is the premise of Suits & Sneaks. I prefer to feel myself and wear what I’ve got. I can polish things off where needed, but otherwise I’m using my confidence in dressing as the real me, to make wearing jeans, sneaks, and a hat look cute.
If the whole “polish off your look” part leaves you feeling a little clueless, well that’s what I’m here for, so holler at me anytime. And definitely subscribe and follow me on Instagram. I give lots of examples on how to effortlessly spruce up your sweats, ripped jeans and then some. But more than anything, let your confidence come from within. Be proud of who you are now, where you came from, and the direction you want to take. A light on the inside can almost always be seen on the outside.
Chat soon!
Kristin
Inside My Latest Photo Shoot
Take a sneak peek into the Suits & Sneaks summer-to-fall photo shoot.
Read MoreHow to Style a White Blazer with Sneakers
Here's a teeny tiny teaser clip on how I styled a white blazer with jeans and pink sneakers! Be sure to subscribe to my Suits & Sneaks YouTube Channel where I'll be pumping out tons more Suits & Sneaks outfit ideas! Enjoy!
A Gift of Time for Mom
I’ve heard it many times, “There is nothing greater than being a mom.” While I’m not one myself, I’m awed by the fact that every time I hear this, I’m watching the words come out of a somewhat exhausted-looking woman’s mouth. I can tell that underlying those words are hours, days, and years of worry, sleepless nights, and money hard spent. And I can’t find any other way to describe witnessing motherhood as witnessing a life of complete selflessness. While these two words can’t ever truly portray that amount of gratitude I have in my heart, I want to say to my own mom, thank you.
Mother’s Day is around the corner and chances are your mom, or your wife, to this day continues to run around the house, checking off her to-do lists, cleaning up after your family, cooking you dinner, and transporting your kids. Basically, everything you somehow never remember to do, yet she always does. Because Mom always knows the time and when to be where...
I came across a totally unique Mother’s Day gift idea to share with you.
Have you ever seen a wooden watch?
Now when it comes to shopping, I am one who tends to venture off the beaten path. If the rest of the world has it, I don’t want it. So as you can imagine, when I came across such a unique watch I didn’t think twice about getting one.
If you’re shopping for Mom, here is a link to the women’s watches. Or, if you’ve already fallen in love with the glowing mint-faced watch in this post, here is the link to this specific mint-faced watch.
Now that I own one, I can tell you what I love about it:
1. Shipping is free and mine arrived in two days!
2. The packaging makes for the perfect gift.
I opened the packaging to find this beautiful wooden keepsake box. Spend some time looking at this box because you’ll even see it has a little hidden drawer. Perhaps, the perfect place to store your most treasured rings or earrings.
3. The wood color on these watches is beautiful and so different than the typical metal watches.
And when you finally get past the packaging, you’ll notice your brand new watch resting on its little JORD pillow.
4. Because it’s wood, it’s lightweight.
Which means there’s no sweat piling up between your skin and the watch.
5. The face color options they have are so springtime and beautiful.
All of the models and colors for women can be found here.
And GUYS, men's models and colors can be found here
BONUS: Best of all, the company, JORD Watches, will engrave the watch for you. Honestly, could this timing be any more perfect for Mother’s Day?
If any moms are reading this, I wish you all a Happy Mother’s Day. Whether your kids are with you or far, know that your time is cherished and you are so greatly loved.
~Kristin
Thinking about a Grad Gift or Father's Day surprise? Follow @suits.and.sneaks on Instagram where I'm giving away $100 for a JORD Watch on 5/21/17!
The Turquoise Series: Bright. Bold. Becoming.
You guys. I'm not even exaggerating when I tell you I wore this outfit to work today and got compliments ALL DAY LONG. They went a little something like this:
1. Nice job on the outfit!
2. You look so bright!
3. Omg, that is so springy and summery!
4. That is a total springtime color, I love it.
5. Omg even your shoes match!
6. I just love that color it makes me smile.
7. Wow I've seen you twice today, I can't believe I've never met you prior!
See what good outfits can do you?? Can we say #makeyoumemorable?? I mean gosh, who wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of such love every day? And while at work!
As such, get ready for an explosion of turquoise on my Instagram feed. In the meantime, get in on the color pop! I put together my some of my favorite turquoise dresses and sneaks for you ladies below! A separate makeup and accessories post will follow. And guys, I have a whole separate post for you hitting suitsandsneaks.com right after this one. Happy shopping!
Meet Turquoise Chuck:
My Favorite Turquoise Dresses
Suits & Sneaks: How to Look Polished Casual
So you’re one of the lucky ones who got hired into an office casual workplace. Your brilliant HR department recognizes that productivity, creativity, and innovativeness can be directly correlated with comfort. I mean let’s be real here, how can you think freely when you’re being choked by your necktie or trying to sit still to avoid wrinkles? Ladies, how can you run down the halls cranking out work when you run the risk of tripping over your heels? So much for efficiency.
But now you can breathe a sigh of relief. Those days are behind you. No more ironing or dry cleaning. You get to wake up and throw on whatever the heck you feel like and waltz into work straight up Zuckerburg style. You’re ready to innovate, produce, and speak freely in your white tee and jeans. Your productivity has soared. You feel like a gazelle flying through the Sahara. Nothing is stopping you now. At least nothing YOU seem to notice. But not so fast speed racer.
Let’s face it. Work clothes are annoying. They’re expensive, and they put many of us in a bad mood even before we put them on. But I think we can acknowledge that, when worn correctly, they make a good employee look really good. A serious employee look seriously driven. An all-talk employee look, well, believable. Basically, work clothes make a worker look legit. Put someone like that next to the t-shirt and jeans guy and let the stereotype answer the question for you – Mr. Suit-and-Tie surely has to be the other guy’s boss, right? Not necessarily. But you must realize, perception is everything. And whether you like it or not, a HUGE part of one’s upward movement in a company, no matter the size, industry, or location, is based largely on the element of perception. Perception of your work ethic, your accessibility to others, your willingness to help, and, wait for it, your appearance. And guess which one is recognized by most people first? Ding, ding, ding! First impressions are everything, right? This still holds true in an “office casual” setting, yet this logic often gets thrown out the window with the dry cleaning bag full of no-longer-needed white collar shirts.
So let me introduce you to a concept I like to call, “polished casual.” This is my inspiration, my passion, my main purpose behind creating Suits & Sneaks. You can dress as casually as you want, exactly to your personality, and still look driven, passionate, and promotable. So, some tips:
Rock the Suits and Sneaks look (obviously): I’m not even kidding, blazers are the godsend to the office casual phenomenon. And yes, I know they can get hot, but listen here, if I can sport this attire in Tampa, Florida’s 100 degree, 98% humidity months, then y’all can too. The look here is to be yourself, with an added layer of professionalism (blazer), offset with an added layer of hip (sneaks). Contrary to the full business professional attire, you’ll rock the same fashionable look while appearing as if you didn’t even try. [suddenly singing Beyonce’s “I woke up like this” song…] I can’t even tell you how many times people have stopped me and said, “I love the Chucks,” or, “You’re rockin’ that outfit, nicely done!” So find a few good fitted blazers or jackets, pair with some hip, casual sneakers, then get ready to rock.
Wear the right balance of fit vs. comfort: Obviously fitted clothes will always look better than baggier clothes. But, you can totally mix both! Gentlemen – Wear that comfy t-shirt with an added sport coat on top. Add fitted jeans, and finish off with some spankin’ new casual kicks. I can’t speak for all women, but for those who share my style, gentlemen - you will look HOT (again, that Beyonce song is in my head). Ladies – there are some awesome linen pant styles out now that finish off fitted at the ankles. Tuck a loose fitting shirt into these, add a scarf, pull your hair back, finish off with fashionista sunglasses, and voila! You’re totally comfortable, yet look like you stepped right out of a Pinterest board. Which leads me to my next tip...
Accessorize! Guys and girls both. Guys – you can do this by rocking all different watches, belts, ties, and shoes. Girls – Scarves are the easiest, most manageable, versatile, cost effective accessory you could buy. Check out some of our favorites on our Shop page. Accessories will instantly dress up your I-rolled-out-of-bed-and-threw-on-what-I-had look.
Carry a trendy laptop bag. This is getting easier as more purse-laptop bag hybrid styles are hitting the market. Buy a few different colors so you can swap them out with your outfits then get ready to rock your new arm candy. See some of the styles we picked out on our Shop page.
Look crisp. This is all about ensuring you look polished in your comfy clothes. So give them a good starch and iron before wearing them. Don’t come to work in wrinkly, casual clothes. That is when you look like you don’t care.
And finally, be yourself! Dress to your personality. Make your base truly reflective of you and use some of the above tips to simply polish off your look. Then, go into work feeling fabulous in your body, because your outer shell better reflects the inner you. And to have a feeling as fabulous as that during your 9 to 5 workday is truly rewarding.
So you get the concept but need some inspiration ideas? You came to the right site my friends, because this is what I love to do. Follow Suits & Sneaks on social media and check out new outfit inspirations weekly! Want to contribute your inspirations to Suits & Sneaks? Go ahead and tag us on social media or submit your best kicks here.
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The Most Flattering Piece of Clothing You Should Wear Today
While the name “Suits and Sneaks” speaks for itself, I wanted to take a quick moment and share with you why the “Suits” part is so key to your polished causal wardrobe. Guys and girls, read on for the top four things simply wearing a jacket can do for you.
1. You can wear whatever style you want underneath.
I love when I see professional on the outside and then something so stylish, trendy, or heck, even downright funny underneath it. It shows the world that you can be professional and have a totally kick-ass personality shining through at the same time.
2. It shapes you where it counts.
Ladies, the blazer tucks you in on both the waist and chest lines so you can walk into work with clean edges. Guys, if you’re looking for size, the jacket gives you the broad shoulders and chest you’ve been working towards (with no extra reps needed). And just as the ladies benefit, it also polishes off your waist line by hiding that little bit of extra you might be carrying.
3. It hides wrinkly or sloppy shirts.
Even if your shirts are perfectly pressed in the morning, they’re going to soften up and wrinkle as the day goes on. The jacket however, being the heavier material it is, will stand strong for you, keeping you crisp looking and sharp for the entire day.
4. It shows you care.
Throwing a nice, fitted jacket on top of your outfit is the easiest way to one-up your level of professionalism without actually having to do any extra work. It gives you an added layer of clout, of stature, and it simply polishes you off.
So hold up your jacket my friends, give it a great big smile and say, “Jacket, you complete me.” Because that’s exactly the look it’s giving you, one of polished completion. Be sure to check out some of my favorite styles I picked out below. And of course, follow @suits.and.sneaks on Instagram for your dose of daily Suits & Sneaks fashion posts.
Jackets for the Gals:
Jackets for the Guys:
Sending You Chooka & Cheer
Suits & Sneaks recognizes that sometimes the weather could be a little better, and when moments like that strike, one must save the sneaker from the elements and don the next best thing: The Chooka Boot.
To start, the brand name itself is just adorable. But you really haven't seen adorable yet until you've browsed through their collection. It's large, and it's versatile. So we took it upon ourselves to pick out our favorites and share them with you here.
For the Trendsetter Who Screams "Look at My Baby Blues" :
For the Timeless Designer Who Loves a Gray Slate:
For the Plaid Lover:
The Horse Rider:
And For the Love of Dots & Designs:
These are the easiest gifts for any girl on your list. May you send her Chooka & Cheer!
~Kristin, Suits & Sneaks
Orange & Gray: How Cole Haan Kicked Us Into a Color Obsession
Ode to Cole Haan and their attention to detail. Who would've thought the little orange tag affixed to their Grand Ox lace-up shoe would send Suits & Sneaks into a serious color obsession?
Not that Kristin's downtown condo wasn't already decked out in orange and gray...
...But let's just say this got her really excited.
For starters, this lace-up shoe is so versatile, it can be worn just about anywhere. To work, to shop, to school, to teach school, to fun gatherings, to...ok you get the point. To anywhere. Second, it is SO light and so comfortable. We dare you to just stop what you're doing and see how high you can jump in them. And third, the orange accent makes it so fun to pair with other pieces. And you can do so in such a way it looks like you didn't even try. Actually, you don't even have to try, it's as simple as this picture below.
We pulled some of our favorite gray and orange accessories and included here. The shoes are marked down from $150 and the scarves are, well, just flipping adorable.
Way more to come with this color scheme and shoe so be sure to like Suits & Sneaks on Facebook and follow us on Instagram!
Suits & Sneaks Goes Two Ways With the H&M Slit Skirt
This just might be one of our favorite fashion features yet. This slit skirt can be glammed up or dressed down, and both with you in your sneaks!
Classy Elegant:
We absolutely love the color of this H&M button-down blouse tucked into their navy blue slit skirt. Both fabrics are super light, super chic, and super comfy. Crank the glam factor up a notch with this pink and gold studded clutch held in your fancy Lagos-blinged hand. Want a true kicker? Grab these pink and navy Pumas for a match made in heaven.
Classy Casual:
Winter is around the corner and we're just going to say it - the only things missing from this look are snowflakes. Here is a classy casual, comfortable, yet oh-so-adorable everyday take on this H&M skirt. We were fortunate enough to snag this simple, light-blue fitted tee for just $5 during an H&M sale, and we found the deal of a lifetime with this beautiful H&M scarf. Which kick did we pick to finish it off? Our vote goes to Toms for total comfort.
Shop similar styles below!
Suits & Sneaks Outfit Calculation: The Monday Morning Meeting
Your alarm is blaring. You don't want to move. Yet, you can't hit snooze to fall back asleep because the anxiety of your morning meetings is taking over your head. Yippee, it's Monday! And the last thing you want to do is starch, iron, and put on heels. Here, we've calculated a non-iron, super comfortable, no-heel, yet chic, professional look to get you through your day.
Step 1: The blazer.
Go to your gray, fitted blazer and wear it over a chic, pretty, non-iron, high-neck, lace shirt. Got professional appeal? Check.
Step 2: Dark skinnies. Gray oxfords.
Dark, fitted jeans and these Cole Haan Oxfords make it easy to get dressed. Got comfort? Check.
Step 3: Glam up.
Gosh we love this part. Add a little bling for that final touch. Got the Polished Casual look? Check.
Now go make it a great day!
Suits & Sneaks: Be Comfortable. Look Polished.
Good morning, it's Monday! Chances are you enjoyed a few too many football games over the weekend and haven't quite rehydrated yet. And on that note, we bet the LAST thing you feel like doing is sitting at your desk in an uncomfortable, starched button down. Or tight-waist pants. Or cute but painfully, unbearable heels. Don't worry, we get it, and we got your back. So, here are two simple outfit ideas to get you guys and gals through your Monday. Enjoy!
Suits & Sneaks: We Are Live!
Hello friends and welcome to Suits & Sneaks! Here, we're all about being modern, casual, and straight up simple in an otherwise complex working world. So here are four things to know about our site so you get the best experience:
- First, be sure to check out our About page to learn how we were founded.
- Next, subscribe to our blog where each week we'll post an article on career-related advice and an article on polished casual fashion.
- Third, make sure you follow us on social media so you can be in touch with the entire Suits & Sneaks community!
- Enjoy our site! Leave comments, share with your friends, AND send us what you got! Love to write? Have some killer outfits? Submit them on our Contact page and we just might be featuring you!
Doin' it for kicks,
Kristin Leigh, Suits & Sneaks Founder
SUITS & SNEAKS SHOPPER ALERT: Keep the Look of Nautical Summers Alive
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The Season for Red, White, and Blue
Never Ends.
It is seriously impossible for us to get tired of the red, white, and blue combo no matter what season it is! So prepare yourself to see more patriotic happiness from Suits & Sneaks throughout these upcoming fall and winter months. There's just something about this combo that no matter when you wear it, you instantly look clean, fun, preppy, and put-together. And what better Sneak to get you there than Sperry's Top-Sider Pier View? With the totally unique lace style of these shoes - be prepared to get a ton of compliments. Grab them now and don't forget to show us your kicks.
Anchors away!