Dear D'Arcy

By D'Arcy Vandenberg

How to Pattern mixing in 4 easy steps

 

pattern mixing

blush vest, stripe skirt, floral top mixing patterns with ease

blush vest, stripe skirt, floral top mixing patterns with ease

blush vest, stripe skirt, floral top mixing patterns with ease

lace up shoe nordstrom

Striped skirt (old) Floral tank (chic style) Blush shoes (Nordstrom sold out)  Earrings (jCrew)  

Have you ever wondered how to mix up patterns? I get asked this question a lot!  “How do you know what work’s?” Here is a couple easy way’s, I found that makes playing with pattern easy.

  1. Make sure to have a small print and a large! As shown above the floral is a large print and the stripe is a small. It works too…If the small was the floral and the large was a wide stripe. It gives balance.
  2. Make sure the patterns work in the same color pallet!  As shown above Blush always pairs well with grey! Like red goes with black:)
  3. Having a solid colored item like the blush vest, helps break it up! Think layers!
  4. Don’t think about it to hard…Clothing is suppose to be fun and a way to express yourself!  “PLAY” with your clothes, mix and match, you’ll get way more out of your wardrobe!

See…  4 easy tips  to help you Mix up patterns!  Happy Thursday! OX, D’Arcy

Tuesday Tip: Prepping outfit’s for your week…

prepping your clothes for the week

prepping your clothes for the week

prepping your clothes for the week

prepping your clothes for the week #flatlay

prepping your clothes for the week #flatlay

prepping your clothes for the week #flatlay

prepping your clothes for the week #flatlay

prepping your clothes for the week #flatlay

prepping your clothes for the week #flatlay

prepping your clothes for the week #flatlay

Happy Tuesday Tip Day!

Are you a busy mom or Career Girl or heck Both?

Today I wanted to Share with you one of MY time saving tricks. Just like Meal prep…It takes a little time but is a huge pay off when its done. Not to mention the amount of time saved… standing in your closet STARING at your clothes! BEEN there?

First= Look up the weather for the week… This allows you to organize the correct types of outfits for your week. Here in Utah you can go from Winter to Summer in A day! (I do my Outfit prep on Sunday)

Second= Look up your schedule for the week. This allows you to see if you need other outfits besides your normal work day outfits. (date night, bridal or baby shower, Special meeting, Church or event etc.)

Third= Have a space you can Hang them… A spot in Your closet, a garment hook, clothing rack or Garment rack. I have a clothing rack Shown above that holds about 8 organized outfits. You can Find RACK here. This rack is affordable and takes up very little space. It can even fit in most peoples walk in closet. I use these for my clients closets, perfect for a their weeks worth of outfits. 

Now for the fun part… Assembling your outfits! I like to put everything you need for the outfit on the Hanger. Top, Bottom and accessories. I then pick out what shoes and bags go with each outfit. ( If the bag is a clutch or small bag I hang that on hanger as well.) I then line all the outfits on rack according to the week, line up shoes underneath. (If I am doing this for a customer I take a picture of outfit all the pieces and clip to the hanger)  This process can take 1-2 hours depending on how fast you are at looking at your clothes and mixing it up.   I promise you it’s worth the time prepping your Clothes for the Week! If you haven’t done this before…You’ll be thanking me:)

Now….You’ll have all this extra time in your week! What will you do with it?  

I would love to know if you try this tip & comment below:)

Have a beautiful week! OX, D’Arcy

Knowing your body type…and Dressing for it!

Knowing your body type...Shirt dress & Bauble bar Jewelry

Knowing your body type...Shirt dress & Bauble bar Jewelry

Knowing your body type...Shirt dress & Bauble bar Jewelry

Knowing your body type...Shirt dress & Bauble bar Jewelry

Denim Shirt dress sold out, similar here , wedge here, jewelry Bauble bar sold out this would work  here & here,  clutch with Tassel BCBG sold out, similar here or here

 

 

Hello Beautiful’s! 

Today I am chatting about knowing your body and what works on it!  All of our bodies have a strengths and weakness. For instance My strength is my long legs and my weakness is I am square, no waist and I hold any extra weight in my middle area. I am a Ruler= Straight up & down! With this type of a build I am going to play up my legs and draw attention away from my middle. This is why Shirt dresses work great for me (above) It flatters my figure. While Shirt/shift dresses work on Almost every figure, Its shorter style and no waist line make’s it’s my go to in a dress choice.  I don’t wear Dresses that draw attention to the waist, have a  belt at the waist or the Popular wrap dresses because it isn’t flattering on me.  Now for a person that has a little waist It’s a perfect.  (some would say wearing a belted dress gives my square shape a shape!!! It does not…it just make me look square) This is one of the reasons to know what works on YOUR body! You need to feel comfortable and confident!

When you know what works on your body it makes shopping easier and you know what styles you can eliminate.  Now this doesn’t mean you have to purchase the same styles time after time! It just means you have a better sense of the styles you are looking for. Boy does this help in the try on rooms!! 🙂

I have found with my body type I look better in pencil skirts verses A line skirts because A line skirts draw attention to waist and have flowy fabric around the leg area, where a pencil skirt draws attention to my legs and is structured for a more tailored look that suits my shape. 

Knowing what works helps you to look and feel your best everyday! Why try to wear something just because it’s in Fashion if it doesn’t look good on your body, you won’t feel Fabulous!  Dressing for your body type will change how you look and purchase clothes!  Most of all, You will Always feel great!  For more about dressing for YOUR body TYPE, I found a great article for you over at Who Whore What .

If you have any questions or want some tips from me on what I think would look great on you.  Please leave a comment below and I will have you send me some photo’s of you via email, and I’ll be happy to send YOU your personal styling tips:)

Thank you for reading Dear D’Arcy, OX D’Arcy

 

Spring is in Bloom

flower print dress

flower print dress

flower print dress

 

flower print dress

flower print dress

 

 

Spring tulips

Daffodils photo of flowers

spring flowers

Hello Beautiful’s,  I hope you had a wonderful Easter and are enjoying the Spring blooms popping up. I love this time of year when flowers are are springing up, the trees have beautiful blooms and the smell of fresh cut grass fills the air.  I wanted to share with you the floral dress I wore for Easter that was under $40.00! A cute shirt dress with pockets and a puffy sleeve. I got so many compliments at church and it’s perfect for Spring! I paired it with my favorite wedge’s  and a cute statement earring . 

Do you love floral’s as much as I do?  I would love to know if you love wearing floral’s in the Spring!

Here’s a peek at the Spring blooms popping up around our neck of the woods…

I hope you have a lovely week & great weather. OX, D’Arcy

Tuesday’s Tip…Items every closet should have!!

Keeping your clothes Fresh, spot & Wrinkle FREE FAST …Items every closet should have!!

keeping your clothes spotless, static & Wrinkle free

 

clothing steamer

clothing wrinkle release

static gaurd

lint roller

olay face wipes to remove stains,

Hello Ladies, for this Tuesday’s Tip…I wanted to share with you some must have closet HELPERS…To keeping your clothes Spot, static, lint and wrinkle FREE!   These little helpers don’t cost a lot and are super helpful for a FAST fix! I don’t know about you but I am Always needing Fast fixes…These Items help me to keep my clothes Wrinkle, spot and Static FREE!

Downy’s Wrinkle release is My Go to for Quick wrinkled item’s!  So easy you just spray on, hang item before you hop in shower and when you get out it’s wrinkle free….This DOES NOT work on deep folded in wrinkles! It great on items that got wrinkled hanging in closet, got left in dryer to long or items you wore but didn’t launder! Here to purchase

Mini Steamer…Now this is a great handy little item (I hate to IRON) so this little guy can handle the Deep folded in wrinkles the Spray above cannot. Also perfect for those hard to iron/delicate fabrics! Here to purchase

Lint brush…is a must to keep fabric clean that like to collect lint or hair …I even use on my fabric/velvet hangers! (great for getting animal hair off throw pillows too) Here to purchase

Static Guard...A must for living in a DRY climate! Spray on clothes and presto NO cling…I have even used on my brush before for my hair!! Here to purchase

Face wipes or Baby wipes… these are Magic for removing a little stain quickly! I keep in my closet, bag, car etc….Here to purchase

A couple items not pictured,

1. I really suggest every fashionista has in her closet. 1 is a  great little mending kit! ( You can pick up at dollar store or at a craft store!) Needles, mixed threads, mini scissors,and some buttons! This really helps to do small repairs to your clothes. (PLEASE learn how to sew a button on or fix a small snag!) Here to purchase

2. Cloth shaver for Fuzz pill ball lint remover! Removes all those nasty balls from your sweaters and fabric that balls up! most are battery operated and easy to use. Here to purchase

3. Tide stick, just in case you stain is do deep for a wipe! Here to purchase

I hope you found my Tuesday’s tips to be helpful! I would love for you to leave a comment or question below!  Have a great day! OX, D’Arcy

Monday’s Muse

Street Style…

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham topOutfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit =Kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top, Marc Fisher similar here wedge sandal, Necklace found on our Idaho trip similar here , Gingham top similar here and Sun glasses Chic StyleBox, Nail polish here

Marc Fisher wedge

Street Style… Whether you need Monday’s Muse or Friday’s Date night… I have a effortless, Comfortable and Chic outfit you can grab inspiration from! White jeans, edgy leather jacket and Country gingham paired with this seasons hottest wedge sandal and cool pendant necklace.

Have a question on a outfit inspiration? Just leave a comment and I’ll be happy to help!    Happy Monday Beautiful’s! OX, D’Arcy

Spring Trend’s ( series 5) Pendant necklaces & Oversized Bag’s

Happy Saturday Pretty ladies!

I am Happy to share with you the last of my Spring Trend series!  (15 Top Spring Trend’s)  So today I bring you Pendant necklace’s and Oversize Bag’s….

I Love these two trends!

Pendant Necklaces are great because they elongate your neck and can be worn at any age. I love all the looks you can find in this style of necklace. From simple and plain to layers with tassel’s, crystal,s rocks and charms! You have a ton of options and it really dresses up a plain tee or tank. I have shown just a few of my favorite’s and in different price points for your budget. (Also worn through the pictures in my prior series.)

The Oversize Bag perfect for travel and even work! I love a large bag to tote ALL my work gear in… Ipad, organizer, wallet, make-up bag, notepad, lunch and….having a bag I can keep a little clutch in (to use when running in a shop or errand is handy) I feel like an oversize bag keeps my car organized as well! It’s my catch ALL!   This is another reason it’s great for Travel you can use for all of the above plus add magazines a small blanket scarf etc.  Oversize bag’s can get heavy so if using for a fashion statement or outfit accessory keep your content to a minimum! Here I showed some of my favorite’s for work, Travel and even the beach again in all price points for every budget. 

I hope you had a chance to read All of my Series on This Springs top 15 trends! If not Here is 1st  Here 2nd  Here 3rd  here is 4th 

Have a Beautiful weekend! OX D’Arcy

 

Spring Transition pieces

This Thursday I thought I would share some of my Favorite pieces that Transition into Spring well! I love the pretty color’s, and the romantic look this pallet has. Spring is tricky in Utah…You bounce from Winter to Summer in the Same week, so it’s nice to have pieces that look lighter then Winter colors but can be layered up or worn alone. Most of these items can easily be used in the Summer as well.

Today it snowed! Last week was beautiful and in the high 60’s which get’s ALL of our hopes up for Summer!  With pretty layer’s like these you can dress in Summer colors but be warm for a day’s like today! 

I hope you enjoyed my quick little post! Check back tomorrow for My Spring Ski Trip backing, OX D’Arcy

 

$58 ABERCROMBIE.COM ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CARDIGANS

$58 ABERCROMBIE.COM ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CARDIGANS

$34 YESSTYLE.COM CARDIGANS

$59 CHICWISH.COM CHICWISH SWEATERS

$60 NORDSTROM.COM TOPSHOP BLOUSES

$125 NORDSTROM.COM CUPCAKES AND CASHMERE JACKETS»

$25 HOLLISTERCO.COM HOLLISTER CO. JEANS

$248 DONALDJPLINER.COM DONALD J PLINER ANKLE BOOTIES

$118 HEELS.COM STEVE MADDEN ANKLE BOOTIES 

 $85 ZAPPOS.COMATHENA ALEXANDER SANDALS 

$25 ZULILY.COMBAMBOO SHOES

$39 ACCESSORIZE.COMACCESSORIZE CLUTCHES

$300 LANECRAWFORD.COMMIGNONNE GAVIGAN EARRINGS 

$70 DOMINO.COM BING BANG RINGS

 $12 AVENUE.COMAVENUE SUNGLASSES

$16 THEHUT.COM OPI NAIL POLISH

MARIECLAIRE.CO.UK INSTYLE.COM

 CABIONLINE.COM

Way to Wear…Flared Trouser jean

Happy Wednesday! 

I love sharing a way to wear something, with Skinny jeans being ALL the rage for the last couple of years it’s fun to add a different style of jeans into the mix. The trouser jean is a great jean for a dresser look. Perfect to wear with heel’s and a fun top. I love how they elongate the leg and the slight flare looks chic. This is a denim you could definitely pull of in a office setting or business meeting! 

Tip: This type of pant needs to be worn with a top that tucks in, otherwise its just to much fabric and doesn’t give the long sleek look you want with these pants.

 

Sts trouser sold out, similar here and here   Top Chic Style, leopard heels Sold out, Similar here, bracelet Michael Kors, suede clutch sold out, similar here 

Will you try the trouser flared jean? OX D’Arcy

Unmentionables (Undergarments Ever Woman should Own!) Tuesday Tip Day

 

Unmentionables….SHHH…What’s under the clothes! My picks I believe every woman should own to look and feel her best in clothes. Not every piece you will use all the time but is a must if you have that special dress, beautiful strapless top, a skirt that’s to sheer, a dress that’s a little short,a fabric that isn’t forgiving!

Back in the day’s when I did a little modeling you need to be prepared for anything because you never knew what you we’re showing up to do! So it was a must to have Nude and seamless undergarments they looked skin color and worked under everything with out showing lines. This is one reason I believe everyone should own a nude seamless thong!  Panty lines under slacks, pencils skirts a tight dress or formal wear is just unattractive! Shorter shirts and dresses call for a Shorty Panty that way Your unmentionables wont be hanging out:) Spanx Seamless panty is also great for this and a perfect alternative for those who need a little slimming or don’t feel comfortable in a thong! Strapless body suit works great for trousers and sheer tops or even strapless dress. Miraclesuit (or the same version from spanx) is great for dresses,evening gowns and fabrics that are not forgiving..this miracle worker hold and smooths everything out!  Now a day’s a lot of our dresses and skirts even tunic are sheer or see- through, it good to have a slip to protect people from seeing you unmentionable’s (nobody wants to see your pretty lace underwear but your honey:)…really!  I have shown 2 slips 1 for skirts 1 for dresses and long tunic’s!

Let’s chat Bra’s….Everyone has their favorite’s and I am a lover of lace and pretty lace bra’s and matching underwear.. But for Staple piece undergarments you need to Have these basics for specific reason’s….The seamless nude bra-perfect for tight tops and tee’s (no lines or lace pressing through!) The Strapless for any top that has cut outs, off the shoulder or even off the shoulder dresses ( avoid the ugly bra strap showing), The racer back for Tops, tanks or cut out tops that you need support but straps won’t show. Lace Racer back bralette is cute with oversize 1 sided off the shoulder tops and sweaters or under tank tops to give a sexy  pop of lace. Plus its fun to have lace pretties!

Breast helpers help fill in bra if your needing a lift or some padding and pedals cover nipple if you can’t wear a bra, due to the design of the top or dress!   

What you wear underneath is as important if not more important then what your wearing! It finishes the look of your outfit!  Say GOODBYE to seams, panty line, wrong bra’s and see through clothes! Trust me you look and feel amazing! 

I hope you enjoyed my Unmentionable’s tip’s! OX D’Arcy

  • Aerie underwire bra
  • $39AE.COM
  • Miraclesuit Shapewear Rear Lift Thigh Control High Waist Slimmer…
  • $60ZAPPOS.COM