Rihanna-Inspired Heels for Less

Hi ladies,

So I have a slight obsession with Rihanna. She's gorgeous, her tunes are catchy and lets face it, she's the queen of dressing sexy-but-I'm-not-even-trying. One staple that she pairs with everything from gowns to jeans, is ankle-strap sandals. For some reason, these heels are SEXY! There's not really much to it but a single strap over the toes, and one around the ankle, but this also might be the reason why it's so appealing: the simplicity. 

When I looked for these shoes online, I saw two options: Manolo Blahniks and Guiseppe Zanottis, both retailing for about $700. Of course, neither of these shoes are even close to being in my price range. 

I set out to find some look-a likes that I could actually afford and after a few hours of surfing the web I found a few options and narrowed it down to three options.

1) Steve Madden "Realove" $80

2) Michael Antonio "Jaxine" $30-$50

3)  Anne Michelle "Enzo 01" $25-$35

Being the bargain shopper I am, I decided to go with the Anne Michelle pair. However, the first two websites I went to were sold out of all these heels. I finally found them on an Amazon store and purchased them for a total of $30 with shipping. Although I am a 71/2, I chose a size 8, as I have a wider foot. 

They arrived in just 3 days and I was so excited that I just ripped the package open. They fit beautifully on my feet! I can  pair them with anything from my ankle-length pants, to shorts to dresses. They are definitely going to be worn everywhere and I will most likely order the same shoe in a nude color. I probably wouldn't wear these dancing, as they are single- soled sandals, but a nice dinner would do. 

So if you find them, snatch 'em up before they are all gone. 

Casual-Chic

Here's an idea for a night out, or fancy dinner. What I love about this outfit, is what I call "checks and balances." The casual crop-top tones down the heavily sequined skirt, but the accessories amps up the casual crop-tone. It leaves you with a casual-chic combo for a night out.

Chic by th3gemchronicles featuring blue jewelry

College Fashion: keeping it classy

Hi Girls!

Today I just want to talk a little about college fashion and why the way you dress is important. I'm a recent college grad, so I've done my fair share of dressing "lazy" as well as "dressing up." I get it, we all have days where we either feel like putting in some extra time to spruce up, or just feel like rolling out of bed. However, I never went to the extreme. Ex) wearing pajamas to school, or dressing like a hooker to class. The hooker part, I'm not exaggerating about. I've seen quite a few ladies come to class dressed in club dresses, or super short shorts.

See here's the thing... you are judged based on the way you look. Please follow me here. This is not a post to demean the way people dress; I'm all for expressing your personality through clothing. But there's a time and place for everything, and school is not the place to display your collection of mini skirts.

Besides education, college is an opportunity to NETWORK. Your professors, your administrators, and your peers can all be seen as an opportunity for you to land a gig or a job. When you take the time to dress appropriately for school, you will stand out to these people. Let's say your professor is looking to recommend someone for an internship, who is she going to recommend: the girl who looks like literally got out of bed, or the girl who's wearing a blazer and jeans?

Here's the thing.. you don't have to dress up in a suit! You just have to dress appropriately. Having a lazy day? You can wear those leggings, just make sure your top and accessories make it look a bit more polished. Want to dress it up to impress your crush? You can! Just don't wear 6 inch platform heels and short shorts.


Below are some examples of easy outfits you can put together for class.

Remember, wearing a school t-shirt is always a good option for those days you don't want to devote time to getting ready. It shows school pride and you can easily pair with leggings or jeans. 

Mismatched Bridesmaid Dresses

Hello Ladies,

How many of you have had to go through the "bridesmaid experience?" The experience includes  paying good money to buy a hideously ugly dress that will never be worn again. Sucks right?

I recently went to a wedding where the bridesmaids wore different dresses but all in one color. Some were long, some were short, some were chiffon and others satin, but somehow it just all meshed together.

The more I thought about this idea of mismatched bridesmaid dresses, the more I liked it. Why make your friends spend $300 on a dress they would never wear again, when they can go out and find a dress that suits them and spend as little as they want.

Here are two examples of mismatched Bridesmaid dresses:

Mismatched Bridesmaid Dresses 1 by th3gemchronicles 



I'm interested in what you guys think, leave your feedback in the comments below and lets talk!

Music Festival Fashion

Hello Ladies,

I recently went to SXSW in Austin, Texas, one of the nation's largest music festivals. The city was full of life as thousands of people flooded the streets to watch musical acts both old and new.

One of the best parts was standing in the middle of 6th street, the main street where all the action was taking place, and people watching. There were street performers, protesters, and of course people dressed in wacky outfits.

For the rest of us, dress was all about comfort and effortlessness. Most everyone had to do major walking during SXSW because venues were far apart, and the walk back to your car was often long. That means shoes that won't leave your feet aching after an hour.

Another comfort factor included dressing for the heat which meant a chance to wear the ever-popular high-waisted, frayed shorts. These shorts are the epitome of hippie-cool and can be paired with a casual tee for an easy outfit.

Cross-body bags, especially those with fringe, are essential to carrying your belongings and all the cool freebies you'll get.

Music Festival by th3gemchronicles featuring high shoes

Outdoor Wedding

Hello Ladies,

Spring is here, and that means wedding season! But not fancy, hotel, ball gown weddings. No, outdoors. walk-in-grass, sweat-your hair out weddings. 

Don't get me wrong, I love outdoor weddings and their beautiful simplicity. But as a wedding guest, it requires careful consideration of what to wear. 

There are three cardinal rules I stick to when choosing an outfit for an outdoor wedding:

1) Material

If you live in the South, than you understand how hot it can get during the summer. Make sure that you pick a dress that is light and airy and made up of materials such as cotton and chiffon. 

2) Color

An outdoor wedding is an opportunity to wear colors you wouldn't normally wear. Try a yellow, pink or orange dress or pick from a range of subdued pastel colors. Also try patterned fabrics!

3)Shoes

The last thing you want is to get your heels stuck in the grass, and stumble in front of all the guests. Make it easy for yourself and wear shoes with flat bottoms: wedges or sandals. 

Here are some great examples of outfits for an outdoor Spring/Summer wedding:

Outdoor Wedding by th3gemchronicles featuring bracelet jewelry

Hair and Makeup 

Your hair and makeup should be natural^2. What I mean by this, is to keep makeup and hair natural looking, but with a little oomph to make it wedding appropriate.

Makeup: 
Besides the heat interfering with your makeup, you really want to keep your makeup natural and blended as you will be sitting in natural lighting which will really show how much makeup you put on. The best way to avoid looking like a drag queen is to put your makeup on close to a window where you can see what you will look like in the sun.

If you're like me, and aren't blessed with perfect skin, it's fine to do your everyday foundation routine. Just make sure you spend extra time blending it all in as to avoid any obvious makeup lines.

A countdown to outdoor wedding makeup:
1) Fill in brows
2) Sweep a light colored eyeshadow over the lid
3) Line top lid with liquid/gel eyeliner and add mascara
4) Lightly dust a matte bronzer all over your face and neck
5) Add blush with shimmer to the apples of your cheeks up to your temple
6) Finish with a peach/pink lip gloss

Hair:
Play up your hair's natural texture. I have straight hair, and love to curl it. but it always ends up in a big frizz ball when I got outdoors. Here's your chance to embrace your waves, curls or sleek tresses. To prevent your hair from getting frizzy, add some serum or use an anti-humidity hairspray.

Or take a cue from Lauren Conrad (below) and do a messy up-do.

Image from brebeauty.com

Swimsuit Summer 2013

Hi Ladies,

Swim suit season is right around the corner. So I thought I'd share some super cute swim suit styles for this season.

Some of the swimsuits pictured below are pricey, but don't forget you can find tons of similar but affordable options at stores like Target, and online.

Swimsuit Summer 2013 by th3gemchronicles featuring bikini lab

Note that fringe, nautical and tribal are very hot this season. I threw in the leopard print because it's a classic and looks great on bronzed skin!


I also wanted to share a recent purchase. To be honest, I really hate to spend money on swimsuits. Why? Because they get faded and outdated after one season of use. So I refuse to spend more than $30 total for a bikini.
I was browsing for swimsuits on Ebay and I came upon these styles, super trendy and only $10-$15 for the whole piece???

So I bought it in a large, black *because I have junk in the trunk*
It took a while for it to get here, because it was shipped from China, but it worked out because I wouldn't have worn it for a few months anyways.
This is what I got:

I think it looked better on the models, but don't they always?
It's not amazing quality, but it looks durable and isn't see-through. It is a tad bit too tight for me, but I think I need to wear it around the house and stretch it out a bit for it feel comfortable.

Here are some other styles they are selling on Ebay for similar prices:

Just type "swimsuits" into the Ebay search bar, and these should be some of the top results. 

Rodeo Fashion

Howdy gals,

If you live in the South, you understand the importance of rodeo/county fair seasons. It a festive time where everyone gathers to eat fried food, play carnival games, watch the pros bull ride, and listen to some of the biggest country stars serenade you.

Besides all the obvious fun stuff, I also enjoyed people-watching and seeing what people were wearing. Here is a round-up of some top rodeo fashions from this year.

Rodeo Fashion by th3gemchronicles featuring cowgirl boots
Categorized by jeans, dresses, and shorts:
Jeans: You can wear either skinny jeans tucked into your cowboy boots, or boot-leg jeans worn over your cowboy boots. Lots of girls wore tied-up blouses in a fun print this year.
Dresses: Dresses always look cute and feminine with cowboy boots. A flowy dress screams southern belle, but to vamp it up wear a tight patterned tank dress. You can also wear a chambray blouse on top to add extra coverage or warmth.
Shorts: For the girl who want to show her legs, these lace shorts are super cute paired with a neutral colored top and turquoise jewelry. Learn how to make your own lace shorts in my DIY: lace shorts blog.

Cowboy Boots
In the South, cowboy boots are common. Not saying that we wear them everywhere we go, but you'll see them a lot. The bad thing is that they are very pricey, upwards of $200.
I have had my eye on a pair for many years, but I have never had the budget for them. Thankfully, I found a pair online for $100. Still expensive, but a lot cheaper than any pairs I've seen.

For you all that don't have cowboy boots in your wardrobe routine, it makes no sense to buy a real pair of cowboy boots at this price. Thankfully, western boots are in style now so you can find a pair at any retail store.

This pair is from Charlotte Russe for $40.