{Style} Tiger Eye

Coat- Forever 21 | tiger sweater- Kenzo | plaid pants- Uniqlo | pumps- ShoeMint | pearl necklace- Zara | lips ring- Forever 21 | bangles- J.Crew | watch- Michael Kors


Photos by Brittney Le Blanc

{Style} For the Love of Plaid...

Mornings are often a struggle for me, so sometimes I literally just have to throw things together in hopes that they work. This, dear reader, was one of those outfits. I knew I wanted to wear this shimmery top the second I saw it peeking through a heap of clothes (aka the state of my closet right now), and the pants were selected solely because they were within reach. The bar is low, my friends. From there, I figured I didn't have much to lose, so I threw on this blazer and hoped for the best. The end result? Let's just say it's somewhere between secretary chic and Caddyshack... I'll take it.

Outfit details: top- Forever 21; blazer- Zara; plaid pants- Uniqlo; pumps- Joe Fresh; necklace- Forever 21; bracelet- The Bay; watch- Michael Kors

{Life Log} Confessions of a Shopaholic...

My shopping ban has come and gone, and difficult as it was at times, I learned a thing or two along the way... So I guess in retrospect it was kind of a good thing� Kind of. No but seriously, I'm really glad I took a break long enough to appreciate my pre-existing wardrobe and all the things I can do with less.

The biggest thing I learned during my month of no shopping was that I spend waaaay too much money on clothes. And the more I buy, the more I seem to want to buy. It's a strange, vicious cycle, and half the time I don't even wear some of the things that come home with me... What's up with that? Seriously, the top I wore in this post was bought over five years ago and it had never been worn� It still had its tags!

Now don't get me wrong, I still love shopping as much as the next girl, I just don't want to mindlessly buy things because I think I should... That's just not healthy. Because in the age-old words of Carrie Bradshaw herself, "Why are we should-ing all over ourselves?" I think homegirl was on to something.

So here's to taking a step back and learning to love what we have... I know I will. xx

Outfit details: jacket- Zara; sweater- TNA; plaid pants- Uniglo; booties- Forever 21

{Style} Falling for Plaid...

I bought these pants a few weeks ago while in New York, but for some reason I forgot all about them until this past weekend. Super lame on my part (what a dumb dumb!), but awesome because their reappearance couldn't have come at a better time. You see my friends, the impossible is happening� I, Vickie Laliotis, shopping junkie and clothing fiend, am embarking on a month-long shopping ban. So if anything, rediscovering these bad boys eases the pain that not shopping has left in my heart... Sigh.

So why am I putting myself through such anguish, you ask? Well lovelies, let me lay it all out for you. First of all, I went a little crazy in NYC (you'll be seeing more of the damage in upcoming posts!) and I need to spend a little time paying off the old credit card. Second, and most important, I think it's time I came back down to earth and worked with the existing pieces in my wardrobe, of which believe me there are plenty. Blogging can sometimes skew your perception of what's important, and as much as I love shopping and putting together outfits, I don't think it's always healthy to let yourself get carried away. Somewhere along the way I lost that sense of balance, so I figure one month sans shopping will help me appreciate what I have and show me that I don't always need to buy something new to stay relevant... At least I hope not.

So here's to one month of recycling, remixing and shopping my own closet... Happy October! xx

Outfit details: military vest- Old Navy (similar here); tank- Urban Outfitters; plaid pants- Uniqlo (similar here); cheetah pumps- Calvin Klein (similar here); oxblood tote- Zara; watch- Michael Kors; necklace- Forever 21