Luxe Red Fur for Valentine's Day | A Mini Life Update

I have to start this post with a disclaimer: I really hate Valentine’s Day. This may seem like a strange utterance for someone who is engaged. However, my blasé opinion of Valentine’s Day well pre-dates my current relationship status. Without going down one of my personal favorite rabbit holes regarding the usually disappointing dichotomy of expectations vs reality as relates to women’s benchmark for men on February 14, let’s dive right into a more sartorial reason why Valentine’s Day doesn’t speak to me.

Ruffles, hearts, pink, ribbons…the Valentine’s Day aesthetic just doesn’t fit into what i have in my closet! For someone as attuned to their wardrobe as I am, the aesthetic of Valentine’s Day doesn’t vibe with the (mostly black or neutral) pieces in my closet. Taking it ever further, I definitely steer clear of overly feminine cuts in my wardrobe.

Maybe some of you are on my level and are wondering how to dress for the holiday without sacrificing personal style. My recommendation—and this goes for any holiday, from Valentine’s to Halloween—take one holiday element and run with just that one simple component.

In my case, I am not the number one fan of heart prints, pink, ruffles or ribbons. I am, however, a huge fan of the color red. I used that rich, romantic hue to inspire this Valentine’s Day look. It perfectly suits my style (at the end of the day, I am still wearing my staple all black), while still adding a luxurious and romantic sensuality through the deep red fur coat.

I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful Valentine’s Day! I will be spending the day stocking up on groceries for the next installment of Snow Apocalypse (hoping to snag early Vday chocolate sales as well). As far as this week goes, in my mind it is not V-Day week, it is “I passed the real estate exam on my first try week”! I am now so close to getting my full licensure and I can not wait to help people (maybe even some you readers) with any real estate needs. Needless to say, getting into real estate and planning a wedding at the same time has been a lot on my plate. There have been several times I have questioned my sanity, but what else is new? ;) Overall, things are BUSY but good, and we are looking forward to our August wedding in Vail, Colorado!

SHOP // RED FAUX FUR VDAY LOOK

Hello, World!

PHOTO SHOOT // DETAILS

PHOTOGRAPHY // SARA CLANCE PHOTOGRAPHY

LOCATION // CROSSROADS ART DISTRICT, KCMO

COAT // LPA VIA REVOLVE

CAMI // VICTORIAS SECRET (SOLD OUT, SIMILAR)

JEANS // AMERICAN EAGLE (SOLD OUT, SIMILAR)

BOOTIES // RAYE (SOLD OUT, SIMILAR)

Brand Crush | Fleur Du Mal

In my constant life mission of finding new and creative ways to go braless as much as possible (always), lingerie is not usually my thing. However, for luxury lingerie brand Fleur du Mal, I will make an exception.

First of all, the French phrase "fleur du mal" means "flower of evil," which has my philology-obsessed, light/dark dichotomy-loving brain all worked up. Second of all, Fleur's pieces are effortlessly sexy, with many of them crossing that bedroom-wear to streetwear line that I love so much. Finally, the lingerie has an elegant and refined look that's a bit more elevated than your typical Victoria's Secret find. I'm a firm proponent in the belief that yes there ARE other places to buy your intimates than VS! 

However, Fleur comes at a steep price. While I adore this brand and constantly troll around on their site, drooling over all the pretty, I definitely don't click "add to cart" often. In fact, this set is my first buy from Fleur (and I waited over a year for it to go on major sale). My advice, if you REALLY love an item and decide to take the plunge and purchase, go for one of the crossover pieces like a slip dress or kimono (that can be worn as a dress). These type of pieces will get a lot more wears for the price than splurging on a pricey corset, for example. 

Sometimes a brand is beautiful enough to be lusted over from afar and Fleur du Mal is one of those brands. In the meantime, I like to stalk their site for sales, and check out eBay and Poshmark for steals on Fleur pieces. 

Check out some of my favorite Fleur du Mal! 

// CLICK PICS TO SHOP // 

OUTFIT + PHOTO DETAILS 

PHOTOGRAPHY // STEVE GIBSON PHOTOGRAPHY 

BRALETTE // FLEUR DU MAL GALAXY LACE TRIANGLE BRA (SOLD OUT) 

SKIRT // FLEUR DU MAL GALAXY LACE PENCIL SKIRT (SOLD OUT) 

SHOES // MARC JACOBS 

Red Carpet Looks | Best of the Emmy's

Hey guys! Just a quick blog post listing my favorite red carpet looks from the Emmy's! I love seeing all the glamorous moments (and, let's face it, the not so glamorous attempts). What were some of you all's favorite looks this year? 

Kerry Washington looking stunning showing off her pregnancy! 

Kirsten Dunst. I love how her outfit--from her hair to her shoes--is 1920s inspired with modern flair.

Olivia Culpo. This dress is so flattering on her figure! 

Portia Doubleday does sex appeal the right way with this dress. 

Finally, my favorite look from the red carpet: Sophie Turner in Valentino. Love this (not only because I love Game of Thrones) but because this unpretentious, laid back glamour is definitely my vibe.