Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone! I hope you all are having fabulous holidays; I know I am. I had a fun morning of exchanging gifts with my family and watching Breaking Bad, my step dad's favorite show. I snapped a couple photos of the outfit that I'll be wearing to my aunt's house where I'll get to see all my cousins and extended family. I built this outfit around a gift from my sister- a fuzzy black sweater and gold feather necklace. My sister knows me well and was sure to pick a nice comfy sweater for me and I am in love with it. The texture keeps the classic black from being too plain, and the coziness makes me hesitant to ever take it off. I paired it with a gray circle skirt, black knee highs that were a present from my mom, and black wedge boots.

Sweater: Forever 21, Skirt: Tobi, Socks: Unknown (gift), Shoes: Target, Necklace: Forever 21, Rings: American Eagle

Lately

Merry Christmas Eve! I've been so busy buying and wrapping gifts that I didn't even notice that it's been almost a week since I posted last. I have a lot of posts currently in the works but for now I just wanted to post some of the pictures I've been taking lately. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

How to Style Boys' Clothing

         Hello! I can't believe we're already halfway through this week. I've been staying busy with seeing family, catching up with friends, and working. With everything going on this break I've been reaching for my comfiest clothes while getting ready in the mornings, which are usually my boyfriend's. I have to admit to stealing a fair amount of his wardrobe over the years we've been together, and have acquired quite the collection of sweatshirts, t-shirts, sweaters, sweatpants- almost everything. So I wanted to show a few ways I incorporate boys' clothing in my everyday outfits. Of course, these don't have to be your boyfriend's clothes. I know my friends with brothers are often stealing their clothing, and some things I've picked up from thrift stores have been from the mens section so although I am styling my boyfriend's clothing in this post, any boyish clothes would apply.

Outfit #1: Dress: Forever 21, Socks: Target, Shoes: thrifted

Okay, first we have one of my favorite sweaters- a navy blue Ralph Lauren sweater. My boyfriend actually had two of these so he let me have one, and I wear it all the time. It's comfy and baggy which I like for layering over dresses. On this day I paired the sweater with one of my sundresses, a floral drop-waist dress from Forever 21. This dress has pockets so obviously I try to wear it into the winter. It functions well as a skirt and the fabric keeps this outfit from being too plain. To keep warm I threw on a pair of knee high socks and on my feet I slipped on a pair of shoes from Goodwill.

Outfit #2: Coat: Urban Outfitters, Dress: Urban Outfitters, Tights: unknown, Shoes: TJ Maxx

For a second look I chose one of his many fuzzy flannels for a day outside. I love layering flannels under my winter coats, and I thought this one went nicely with a white dress I bought on clearance at the beginning of fall from Urban Outfitters. Although I'm excited to wear it by itself in the spring and summer, I've had fun finding ways to style it in the colder months. I put on some black stockings and finished with my short black boots that fit the grunge theme of this outfit. 

Outfit #3: Sweater: Brandy Melville, Leggings: H&M, Shoes: thrifted

Last, I grabbed one of my favorite t-shirts from my boyfriend's stash and made it into a comfy outfit for lounging around the house or doing some holiday activities like decorating the tree or baking cookies. This shirt is long enough to be able to wear with leggings which I love, and to make the outfit even comfier I added a gray sweater that I got from PacSun. My shoes were borrowed from my sister, who picked them up at a thrift store. 

So I hope I made up for my lack of posts over the weekend; I have so many more ideas for posts so keep checking back!

Winter Wonderland

Happy Friday! I don't know about you guys but I am more than ready for the weekend to start. I kicked off my Friday festivities with a little photo shoot in my backyard to get some pictures in before the snow melted. It's still pretty chilly if you can't tell by my red nose, but I love being outside no matter the weather. This time of year the air is clear and feels fresher, and you don't have to worry about getting all sweaty. Plus it's a great excuse to layer up and throw on your favorite sweaters and coats. And I do love scarves, mittens, and hats and have about a dozen of each.
One of my favorite things to do in the winter is go exploring through the woods near my house. I wouldn't quite call it hiking because I stop too often to take pictures and climb on fallen trees and boulders. My friend Brigid and I love taking her dog Dali to a park near us where we can all run around and enjoy some time outdoors. This is an outfit I wore on one of our most recent trips to Nolde Forest. I like to dress comfortably and warmly, so that means lots of layers. In these pictures I'm wearing black leggings, my favorite sweater from Urban Outfitters, a green utility jacket also from Urban Outfitters, some gray mittens that were originally my sister's, and a super fluffy and adorable brown scarf I picked up at a gift shop in Rehoboth this summer. I love love love this scarf and everything about it- the soft texture, color, and the fact that it's an infinity scarf so I can easily throw it on and go. Unfortunately I didn't think to write down the name of the store I got it from, so I can't go back and buy it in every color like I usually do. I guess that just makes it more special.

Leggings: H&M, Sweater: Urban Outfitters, Jacket: Urban Outfitters, Mittens and Scarf: Unknown

Above are my favorite pictures from the hike. I can't wait to go back and take more!

Holiday Outfit Inspiration

Hey guys! It's been a busy few days but I wanted to take the time to make a blog post so no one thinks that I've abandoned this little blog already. I'm heading home today after a few days at school spent studying and catching up with friends before break. I'll miss everyone here but am more than ready for a month of winter activities and holiday parties. If you're anything like me, you're already stressing about what to wear to all the formal and not so formal events that happen this time of year. I decided to make just a few outfits to get you (and me) inspired.

Outfit #1: High-waisted jeans, lacy cami, long sweater, colored flats

For this outfit I thought of the more casual family parties I'll be going to, where I want to look cute and polished but not too done-up. These black high-waisted jeans are perfect for these occasions because they can be dressed up or down depending on the night. For this, I paired them with a simple black crop top with a lace detail that would look nice but not too attention-grabbing. Black is always a go-to color for me because it is classic and looks good on everyone. To keep warm you'll need a cozy sweater, so I chose a longer knit in a light shade that will contrast the black and make the outfit feel warmer. Maroon flats add a pop of color and gold jewelry finishes the look.

Outfit #2: Metallic circle skirt, cropped sweater, thigh high stockings, short boots

Of course, part of the fun of the holiday season is dressing up. So, for something a little more formal I put together an outfit that's trendy and fun but fitting for the winter. I started with a metallic circle skirt, something I think we'll be seeing a lot of soon. The metallic is eye-catching while the style of the skirt remains simple, with a higher waist and pleats. To balance out the brighter skirt I chose a white cropped sweater because I thought the fabric of the skirt and cozy texture of the knit worked well together. This sweater features a touch of gold running down in a V, so it adds a bit of bling and ties in the gold jewelry. The thigh highs will keep your legs warm and the short black boots add a funky spin on the classic outfit.

Outfit #3: Statement jacket, short-sleeved dress, tights, heeled boots

Last but not least, this outfit would be perfect for a formal event. The red dress, unique jacket, and high-heeled boots will have all eyes on you. I love the color of this simple dress; red is one of my favorite colors and the holiday season is the perfect excuse to wear it non-stop. Paired with black and gold it creates an elegant but edgy look. The jacket with leather detailing and gold accents fits right in with that theme, and is probably my favorite part of this look. The simple gold studs, black and gold boots, and black tights will tie the whole look together.

These are just a few ideas of what to wear this month. I will definitely be treating myself to a few of these pieces to brighten up my wardrobe when the dreary winter days are in full swing. Check back soon for more tips and inspiration!

Sweater Weather

           

Hello everyone! My name is Colleen and this is my first official blog post on Knits & Knees; how exciting! I created this blog back in August but never knew quite what I wanted to do with it, but I’ve spent the last few days brainstorming ideas and am so excited to share them all with you. First I just wanted to say a little about myself. I’m currently a freshman at Philadelphia University studying Communications. I absolutely love Philly and spend a lot of my time walking around Manayunk or exploring center city. The shops, restaurants, and parks are all fun to check out on weekends, and on weekdays there’s plenty to do on campus with events and volunteering. I have been very busy my first semester but am completely thrilled about it.

PhilaU is known for its fashion and I couldn’t help picking up a few styling tips from my friends here. When I asked them to describe my style their answers ranged from, “edgy casual” to “school uniform meets hipster”. I’m not really sure what to think of the variety of descriptions I got, but I guess that shows that I have a unique style and don’t mind mixing things up every once in a while. I’m a huge fan of skirts, tall socks, sweaters, and anything maroon. Although no one can rock prints quite like my friend Tori, I try to incorporate at least one pattern into all of my outfits so things never get too boring.

Today there was a blizzard blowing through my backyard, so I wasn’t able to take these photos outside where I wanted, but I had fun shooting in my room and staying nice and cozy. There will be plenty of time for cold, snowy photo shoots in the next few months! I spent most of my time this afternoon cleaning and working on some final projects for school, but I wanted to wear something that could transition into a night of going out and meeting up with friends.

I started out with one of my white summer dresses and tucked it into a pair of green high-waisted shorts. I love the pattern on this dress and wanted to find a way to wear it in the winter, so these Urban Outfitters shorts were the perfect solution and added a pop of color to the otherwise neutral color scheme. To keep my legs warm I wore a pair of plain black tights and added another layer for my feet, maroon socks that I bunched around my short brown boots. These shoes were a Christmas gift from my sister last year and I have certainly got a lot of use out of them. To finish the outfit I threw on a long knit sweater that I thought was the perfect texture to add to the patterned dress. Overall, this outfit was comfy but fun for a bleary, blizzardy day.

I guess that’s where I’ll leave things for now. Check back soon for more fun upcoming posts!

       

Dress: Forever 21, Shorts: Urban Outfitters, Sweater: Unknown (gift), Tights: Target, 

Socks: Unknown, Boots: Famous Footwear

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