Spring Trends: Getting Prints into Your Wardrobe

One of the hottest trends off the Spring Runways is prints and they are EVERYWHERE. Prints are very easy to incorporate into your existing wardrobe.

{Photo Credit ELLE Tumblr Fashion Blog}

One of the easiest ways to add print to your wardrobe is with a printed scarf. Art Deco and florals are the most new this season, layer these back with a plan short sleeve v-neck tee, jeans, and flats and you will be tres chic!

Be sure to check out our Scarf it Up! post to learn some of the fun ways to wear your new printed scarf.

Printed Scarfs by brittany-diedrich-hayes featuring a silk shawl

Printed Tops layer easily back to colored bottoms and jeans. Remember that the print should be the statement of the outfit, make sure you down play the rest of your outfit items so we don't see you on the next "What Not to Wear" :)

{Photo Credit FABSUGAR}

Another easy investment is printed shoes. These will layer back with jeans especially skinny jeans (regular and ankle length). Find a color in the floral and find a solid top in your wardrobe that layers back to it. Since they are far apart when you are wearing them, they won't look super "matchy, matchy".

Printed Shoes by brittany-diedrich-hayes featuring floral boots

If you really want to embrace the new print trend, invest in a pair of printed bottoms. If you want them to last into next season buy pastel ones (hint hint Spring 2013 trend!) Printed bottoms are not necessarily for everyone and are NOT the easiest to wear. These might be the item you try on and convince yourself that only skinny girls or models can wear, and you might be right...

See more posts by Fashionista-Brit on her blog Belle époque.

Brittany Hayes is a Milwaukee area Stylist that studied Fashion Merchandising at Northern Illinois University. Her attention to detail and creative eye can turn any outfit into a masterpiece. Brittany is a featured fashion contributor for @MilwaukeeMamas and @tresbelleboutique

Wear it yourself: Colored Bottoms

Colored bottoms are EVERYWHERE. I've blogged about it before, but thought I would post a picture of my outfit today for work (I know I definitely push "business casual" to the limits, but they leave us alone in Product Development because we are the "creative" ones). 

Remember to pair your colored bottoms with neutral shades. Below I've paired my mint green bottoms with a nude burn out with white lace tank and a light chambray shirt over. Pair with heels or flats, layered jewelry and you are ready to go. :)

Burnout/Lace Tank: Blue Pepper $39- Tres Belle Boutique, 

Bottoms: LC Lauren Conrad $60 - Kohls

Chambray top: Forever 21 $19.90

Gold butterfly necklace w/ Dec. birthstone drop Magnolia metal 

Jewel Kade necklace 

Mint/Rhinestone necklace - Tres Belle Boutique

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad - Kohl's (Sold out online, but still in stores)

Re-mixing my jewelry from this post :)

Love my Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme wear polish in Coral Reef

Marc by Marc Jacobs Rose Gold Watch 

Dog: Not for sale :) But she sure does look cute with the outfit!

See more posts by Fashionista-Brit on her blog Belle époque.

Brittany Hayes is a Milwaukee area Stylist that studied Fashion Merchandising at Northern Illinois University. Her attention to detail and creative eye can turn any outfit into a masterpiece. Brittany is a featured fashion contributor for @MilwaukeeMamas and @tresbelleboutique

Contest: The Closet Challenge

Remember the scene in the first Sex and the City movie when they show her new closet? I want that. As a lover of fashion I respect a great closet.

We live in a small, 3 bedroom, 1941 house right outside of Milwaukee...as you can imagine, the closet space sucks. Since it's just me and my husband, I negotiated a bedroom for a closet :) Like a true Fashionista, I need my space to be creative. Much to my husband's dislike, this room is usually a hot mess with clothes and jewelry everywhere from where I spent the morning in a frantic rush trying to create my perfect look of the day. It's my space, and I love it. 

My closet <3

Of course I dream of this....

And these....

OK, you get the point, on to the contest. :)

Up for grabs: A $50 Gift Certificate to Tres Belle Boutique. This can be used at the store in Lake Geneva, WI or online. 

How to enter: Post a picture of your closet (no worries, it doesn't have to look like these, it can be a mess for all I care!!-Mine is!) to Belle époque's Facebook page. 

In one to two sentences caption the picture with why you deserve the $50 gift certificate. 

For example: For every new piece of clothing I buy, I will donate 2. 

Or...

I'm a mother of 3 kids...all girls!

**You need a minimum of 10 "likes" to be eligible to win and the person with the most "likes" by Wednesday, April 18th wins the $50 Gift Certificate. **

So what are you waiting for? Run to your closet, get your picture and start getting your Facebook friends to vote! 

See more posts by Fashionista-Brit on her blog Belle époque.

Brittany Hayes is a Milwaukee area Stylist that studied Fashion Merchandising at Northern Illinois University. Her attention to detail and creative eye can turn any outfit into a masterpiece. Brittany is a featured fashion contributor for @MilwaukeeMamas and @tresbelleboutiquewww.tresbelleboutique.net

{Photo credits: Fashionista Brit's Closet, houzz.com, theberry.com}

Like a French Girl: Perfume

{Fragonard Factory, Eze, France}

No French woman is complete without her signature scent. Did you know the most French women have a "day" perfume and an "evening" perfume? A French women's scent is her calling card, so it's important when picking your perfume that you make sure it's something that you love and really speaks to who you are.

Don’t over spray-- just a hint on the right side of your neck and on your left wrist is enough. Spray the perfume in the air and walk into it if you must. Your signature scent should never be overpowering, just delicate enough to stir up faint emotions in whoever is lucky enough to greet you. {foreignIQ}

Be sure to stop into Tres Belle and check out our scents from Fragonard, Tokyo Milk, Lollia, and Lothantique to get your scent today! 

See more posts by Fashionista-Brit on her blog Belle époque.

Brittany Hayes is a Milwaukee area Stylist that studied Fashion Merchandising at Northern Illinois University. Her attention to detail and creative eye can turn any outfit into a masterpiece. Brittany is a featured fashion contributor for @MilwaukeeMamas and @tresbelleboutique

Color

In case you haven't noticed, color is EVERYWHERE right now. Being in the industry its definitely been fun listening to everyone's reactions. My favorite has been "seriously, that's so 80's" and OK they are right, but come on, there were some pretty fabulous thing in the 80s... OK I'm still working on these but color is one of them :)


Ways to wear color:
1. Own it - seriously who cares, it's fun, new, and completely takes your mind off the winter weather. Plus it's not like you will be the only person wearing the hottest trend right now


2. Wear it back to a neutral - make sure your pops of color have a neutral in the stripe, or you layer your top with a grey, black, tan, white, etc color. This makes it easier for all you beginners.
3. Pick top or bottom - Colored bottoms are all the rage, so this is an option if you can't find a top you love.



4. Start slow - Maybe its bright jewelry, or a hair accessory. As soon as you start getting compliments (and you will), you are going to go from dipping your toes in to cannon balling off the high dive into color :)
5. Don't be afraid to get noticed - I swear that means you look fantastic and wearing bright colors WILL get you noticed :) So practice that cat walk, put your head up high and own it.




Posted by Fashionista Brit