Weekend Getaway Inspired

Working a "9-5" for a lot of people can mean complete boredom, stress and so on and so forth. With the summer coming up you might find yourself a little envious of the kiddies who are able to get the entire season off. So I always recommend a weekend rendevous out of town. This outfit is inspired for those who punch the clock everyday and leave work on Friday ready to hit the highway for some weekend fun. This dress is professional enough for work, yet comfortable and chic enough to transition you into a weekend of work-less bliss. Take care!

Inspired by Scandal Television Show

The highly anticipated television show, Scandal, featuring Kerry Washington debuted a couple of weeks ago. I think Washington is an excellent actress, so needless to say I was looking forward to the show's debut. I don't know what everyone else thinks, but so far I'm enjoying the show and I can't wait to see how it develops. Naturally, I couldn't help but to notice Olivia Pope's, Washington's character, wardrobe. She makes me want to step my work game up. Elements of her style that I have observed are: she is always wearing very light-colored or white pieces which can be indicative of her "save the day" reputation. Also, the show takes place in high-powered Washington, DC, so she is very tailored, everything fits perfectly and nothing is ever out of place no matter how uncomfortable the situation gets. This is an ensemble that I have put together inspired by Washington's character, Olivia Pope.

Coachella: Day to Night Contest Entry

So I entered my first contest on Polyvore's website. The challenge was to take one piece from a hot day to a cool night at the Coachella music festival. I chose this two-toned chiffon maxi skirt. Maxi skirts are one of my favorite items to wear because they're cool and breezy for a warm day, however, the length keeps your legs warm at night. White tank tops are once again my favorite and the crop top is an item that is definitely coming back in to style. Since it is a cool night in the desert, I decided to pair the crop top with a denim biker jacket. I can seriously see myself wearing this to Coachella!

Coachella: Day to Night by msjas featuring crop tops

Rodebjer crop top
£66 - farfetch.com

Armani Jeans denim jean jacket
£183 - farfetch.com

Maison Martin Margiela chiffon maxi skirt
£860 - brownsfashion.com

Rupert Sanderson ankle strap heels
£555 - brownsfashion.com

Wet Seal roman gladiator sandals
$13 - wetseal.com

A P C studded handbag
$575 - lagarconne.com

Zipper bag
$253 - boticca.com

Tribal necklace
$116 - kylerdesigns.com

Ela Stone gold feather earrings
£70 - julesb.co.uk

Roberta Chiarella crystal hoop earrings
$68 - maxandchloe.com

John Lewis multi strand necklace
£25 - johnlewis.com

Rainy Days

These random, rainy days here in Houston had me thinking if I were stuck in the rain this is what I would like to be caught wearing. J. Crew rubber ballet flats, a good trench coat, a nice oversized bag that can fit almost anything and an umbrella that doesn't bend inside out on me :-)

Ms. Jas

Rainy Days by msjas featuring a shopping bag

Junya Watanabe cotton jacket
£989 - farfetch.com

Yigal azrouël
£264 - farfetch.com

J.Crew bow shoes
$58 - jcrew.com

Chloé shopping bag
£1,519 - farfetch.com

J Crew gauze scarve
$125 - jcrew.com

Topshop umbrella
$30 - topshop.com

Work it Girl!

Okay, so for most people getting dressed for work can be a complete nightmare. However, I have some great news...it doesn't have to be! One thing I like to do that also makes my work day go by more smoothly is wearing color...bright colors. I would like to say that there is research available to prove that wearing bright colors improves your mood and attitude, but I haven't found that research just yet. Here is one of my favorite colors, turquoise. I like to call it my "power" color because when I wear it I feel like all eyes are on me. Which may be all in my head, but feeling that way helps me put a little more pep in my step. A way to include color in your wardrobe is to combine your colorful pieces with neutral colors. For example, wearing this turquoise dress with neutral accessories would definitely be the way to go for me. You can actually reverse this look with a beige or black dress and colorful accessories.  Work can be stressful enough, but what you wear on the outside can definitely affect how you feel on the inside. So punching up your wardrobe with a powerful color like this can come in handy if you have a major meeting or presentation. Hope this helps you get your week off to a wonderful start!

Wear to Work by msjas featuring a pink necklace

Cotton dress
£95 - coast-stores.com

Yves Saint Laurent leather tote handbag
€1.400 - montaignemarket.com

Banana Republic pink necklace
$70 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Mango cuff jewelry
£20 - mango.com

Janis By Janis Savitt clear stud earrings
$75 - ylang23.com

Polka Dots are Girl’s Best Friend, Too!

I consider getting dressed to be a fun and creative challenge. I would even go so far as to call it one of my hobbies, one that actually stuck. This week I decided to experiment with polka dots. Wearing any type of pattern can be tricky, but it certainly shouldn’t give you a panic attack. This is one look I wore to work, polka dots with plaid pumps. If you’re scared to go all the way with wearing patterns, try wearing the pattern on something small like a scarf or in this case, tights. Also, wearing small bursts of pattern will kick your outfit up a notch. It’s very inexpensive trick, I got these tights from Wal-Mart for five bucks and these pumps only cost me $12 at a Macy’s clearance sale.

Polka dots and plaid, oh my!

If you’re feeling bold, try wearing a patterned top or bottom. Beware the key word is “or.” Do NOT wear patterns from head to toe unless it’s a maxi dress or jumpsuit. I found this fabulous top on a weekend trip to San Antonio at T.J. Maxx, it was about $15. The neutral colors make it less intimidating and actually my first instinct was to rock it with a black pencil skirt which is fine. But I like to have a little fun with my style. So I rocked it with this pink mini-skirt I found at Forever 21 instead…it did everything, but break the bank at $9. I ended up wearing this ensemble to a party at the House of Blues and I really stood out amongst all of the “freakum” dresses and “club” shirts…in a good way.

Anyway, I hope you like what I put together and it inspires you to experiment with different patterns in your closet. Have fun!

Ms. Jas