Banana Republic Issa Collection Three-Quarter Sleeve Wrap Dress

The anticipation was building. I gave in and decided to take my Royal Blue Issa Collection Three-Quarter Sleeve Wrap Dress from Banana Republic out for a spin.

My thoughts on this dress I can sum it up in 5 words - I absolutely LOVE this dress.

I love the royal blue color. The wrap style makes the dress even more flattering and cinches the waist perfectly creating an hourglass figure. I did notice that the fabric is a jersey knit material, however, if you wear proper undergarments then you will be fine. The dress drapes beautifully and the length was also perfect for work and hits right above my knees. 

This dress can be dressed up or down. I was on my way to work so I decided to pair this dress with my Tory Burch Caroline Patent Ballet Flats and my Louis Vuitton handbag.

Also, until 8/17, Banana Republic is offering 35% off their Full Priced Styles. Use code BRSHOPNOW to snatch up pieces from the collection as they’re going fast!

I hope you guys liked this look! I would love to hear if anyone bought any pieces from the collection!! 

Issa London x Collection Launches at Banana Republic

The hours this morning seemed to drag on and on and on.  When the time on my desktop hit 12:00PM noon, I grabbed my Louis Vuitton handbag and ran out of work down to Walnut Street.  Now, today might seem like a normal Thursday, but to us fashionistas today is the day for retail reckoning.  

Today's the day us fashionistas get a chance to get our hands on the Issa London x Collection at Banana Republic! Issa London became popular after Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, wore an iconic royal blue wrap dress for her engagement to Prince William back in November 2010.  Below is the exact outfit she wore - it's so chic! The picture on the right side is the Issa Collection Three-Quarter Sleeve Wrap Dress which retails for $130.

Image provided by Stylenews

A typical Issa dress can run anywhere from $500 to $700 but with this new collaboration, Issa London is bringing affordable prices to Banana Republic, making clothing more accessible to the average woman with prices ranging from $39 to $150. The collection has 40 pieces and is available online and in select stores.The collection includes pretty dress, scarves, jewelry, blouses, and knits.

So back to my story.  I ran all the way to Banana Republic in Center City and was so glad to see *drum roll please* Issa dresses still available - Score! I instantly started grabbing dresses in every color to try on - royal blue, purple, white with spots (the one which Naomi Watts was pictured in), green, black... etc! I would say that probably the end of the day today the collection will be sold out as everyone wants to be wearing what Kate Middleton is wearing! I ended up getting a couple of things (you'll have to keep reading the blog in the future days to come to see pictures of what I bought)!

The fit on the dresses are perfect as I'm 5'7" and the size small came right below my knees.  The extra-small comes above my knees but I like the longer length since I could wear the dresses to work as well and get more use out of them. 

Few pictures from the collection... 

What do you think about the collection? Will you be buying any of the pieces?!

Black Lace Dress

Happy Monday loves! Today I felt like wearing a fun, lace dress to work. The dress in itself is quite a statement with a cute floral cotton design, a flattering flare silhouette and an empire waist seaming.  The dress is also the perfect amount of sleeveless for those who have a corporate job like me.  I can see myself wearing this dress to so many different occasions – work, out to dinner, at a party, or a wedding... The options are endless!

The back of the dress has a keyhole detail with a back neck button closure.  Also, my favorite part of the dress is the exposed back zip with oversized grosgrain tie.

Here is my Alex and Ani bangle with one of my all time favorite quotes! How cute is this?!

Outfit Details: 

Dress: Floral Cotton Eyelet Flare dress in Black from LOFT (Get it here, retails $98.00) Shoes: Levity Jalone Pump in Nude/Black Reptile (Get it here, retails $59.95)
Wallet: Tory Burch
Bracelet: Alex & Ani “Everything Happens For a Reason Charm” Bangle in Russian Gold (Get it here, retails for $32.00)
Watch: Bulova (Similar here, retails $298.00)

Review of Steve Madden Flat Cuff Thong Sandal

Recently I've been obsessing over these super cute Steve Madden Flat Cuff Thong Sandals which retail for $59.95.  I have been rocking these sandals a lot lately as they instantly spice up any outfit.  These sandals are also very comfortable which is another big plus and I absolutely love the gold cuff detail.

Steve Madden makes these sandals in three different colors: Black, White, and Cognac.  I went with the Cognac because I felt like I would get more use out of them versus the Black or White.  Also, the sandals run true to size - Below is the size 9.

Here is an up close look at the cuff detail...

I did find an alternative more affordable version from Charlotte Russe.  They are called the Metallic Band Flat Sandal which retails for only $22.50!  The sandals come in either Coral or Gold. 
 
What do you guys think of the cuff details on the sandals?

Current Indian Fashion of Anarkali Suits

A few weekends ago I attended a reception in which I decided to wear a fancy, very colorful, and bright anarkali suit since I hadn't dressed up in Indian clothing or even attended an Indian wedding since last year. 

Anarkalis are usually worn during party occasions which make you look and feel glamourous.  These outfits are extremely stylish and are also very comfortable.  There are so many different colors, styles, out there - the options are endless!

So what exactly is an anarkali?  An anarkali suit is basically a long frock which is tighter in the chest area and then flares out towards the bottom. The pants that you pair with the anarkali suit are tight like leggings.  The sleeves are usually made out of a net material.  Sleeve length can be anywhere from long sleeves, three-quarter sleeves, or half sleeve.  It's really whatever your preference is.

The outfit I wore is absolutely stunning and pictures don't do it justice. The mixture of hot pink, purple, turquoise, and blue colors mixed in with gold coloring is very beautiful.  The detail on the neck area is stunning specifically with the colored beading along with the gold and silver beading. 

Since the neck and chest area were heavily beaded, I decided to not wear a necklace and went with dangling earrings instead.  I also wore purple and gold colored bangles and also gold colored heels. 

I also decided to keep the hair simple yet elegant in a low bun. I loved the way my hair came out! It's basically two buns made to look like one large bun.  I did a side part with it also. This hairstyle looks like you spent a lot of time on it but in all actuality it only took me about 10-15 minutes! 

I hope you guys like the outfit! Also if any of you guys would like to see a hair tutorial in the future please let me know by using the comment section!