October Lookbook
One of my favorite ideas I had back in April for this website/blog was to create a lookbook each month, which would feature some of my favorite looks, colors, and styles from some of my favorite (and cheap) places to shop.
Now that October is in full swing, and the temperature is finally dropping, I can wear chunky sweaters and jeans with ease, bundle up with layers of scarves, and pull off a darker shade of lipstick.
In West Virginia, October means the whole spectrum of fall colors appearing on each tree. Bright oranges and reds sprinkled with hints of brown messily hang over Cooper's Rock. The sky is a beautiful blue, and the air is crisp.
Whether it's date night, or you're just chilling (quite literally, it's so cold now!), here are some of my favorite looks of fall!
Also, before we dive in, I'm going to link everything I possibly can, but some things are old and are no longer available. If that's the case, I'll try to link something similar! I will be doing this in future lookbooks too!
Outfit #1
Perfect for a day out filled with errands, this cute and casual outfit is built upon layers of denim, which we know isn't very good at keeping you warm. It's best to wear this on a day with a light breeze! I love the simple look of this!
Let's start with the basics; the tee and the jeans. This shirt is a stretchy, light-weight material from American Eagle called the Soft and Sexy Jegging Tee. This shirt is a few years old, but the line of shirts is still available! When you're pairing a shirt with dark jeans and a jean jacket, you want simple, neutral colors. If you go for a pattern, choose something that's not too harsh on the eyes! Hence, the stripes! I know that stripes aren't as in as they used to be, but it can add some texture to this outfit (as well as the shoes, which we'll get to in a minute!). White tees look perfect with this, but a light gray is also a good choice!
These jeans are actually from Target, and I love them even if they are a size too big! They have a small hole over each knee, and slightly frayed ends. It's a perfect mix of a nice pair of jeans that got a little rough around the edges. They're also a little distressed color-wise, which is something I prefer over a completely black pair of jeans. Personally, I think there is such a thing as "too much denim," so a black pair of pants is a way better bet than a pair of jeans that match the color of your jacket!
The jacket is also from American Eagle, and again, is a few years old. I love this one because it's not meant to be worn an extra size bigger. You can tell that it's meant to be a teeny tiny bit cropped, and more form-fitting. I also love the textures on the sides of it! I rolled up my sleeves twice, but you can leave them be if you wish!
The leather, quilted slip-ons are Steve Madden, and I am IN LOVE WITH THEM. They are the perfect slip-on shoe that goes good with everything from leggings, to jeans, to dresses! Slip-ons are an excellent go-to in the fall months. My mother and I always complain to each other that we never have any fall shoes, but we have been silenced by these babies! You can get them here in a few different colors, but I always like to go with a classic black! They're also insanely comfortable! I typically avoid slip-on shoes altogether because I hate breaking them in and getting blisters, but so far I've had nothing but a good review for these.
For jewelry, I love how this outfit goes with an armful of bracelets. I definitely am one of those girls who loads her wrists with jewelry (throwback to silly bands), especially the kind that hangs loose and clangs against each other! Obviously, Alex and Ani are a must (I'm wearing three: graduation of 2016, a mother-daughter one from my mom, and a ship's steering wheel), and I also have on a bracelet from a little decor store in Washington called Vintage and Bloom, which is the silver band with the caramel/bronze colored stone. This is a perfect fall bracelet because it features the perfect color for the month of October! The last bracelet I have on is a rose gold band from my favorite boutique in Myrtle Beach called Bijuju!
Outfit #2
This outfit is perfect for a day filled with classes! It's cozy, casual, but still can be considered a dressier outfit if need be. I once read an article awhile back saying that older college students who are taking classes with a smaller class size should really think about what they wear, because those teachers will really start to realize who you are as a person. And they may help get you a job someday! The article got a lot of backlash from people, but I kind of saw the point they were trying to get across. I have the same professor for three (!!!) of my classes, so she is definitely a reference on my resume, and I want to show her that I can dress my part if need be (did you know that broadcast journalists have a specific dress code? Even their hair has to be a certain length if you want to be considered "professional"!). Hence, I try to dress up a little, but at the same time, I love to remain casual and have the effortless look this outfit pulls off!
This sweater is from American Eagle, and it is super soft and a super beautiful fall color! I got it a size bigger than I usually wear, because I love my sweaters to be big and bulky, as we all know. On the front, there's a little ribbon that laces and weaves through the front of the sweater, giving it a cute design! I also love this sweater because it's not a material that snags easily, and that is something that has become a necessity for me lately! I am so careless when it comes to certain fashion things, so the fact that I don't have to worry about this is incredibly exciting! It also isn't static-y at all (we know the struggle on static)!
My jeans are also from American Eagle! They're boyfriend cut, which is all the rage now! I love how they look and fit! I have a few different pairs of American Eagle boyfriend jeans, but these are my favorite because of the holes and the color! They're also extremely durable, and they're higher cut, which is my personal preference. I love high waisted jeans and I am so happy they're in style. I will never go back to low rise jeans! Ever.
If you don't have ripped boyfriend jeans, I think just about any type of boyfriend jean will look good with this sweater and these boots! The sweater also hangs a little low, which I think is such a cute and effortless look.
These sunglasses are also from Bijuju, the boutique in Myrtle Beach! And this ring is actually my mother's from when she was in high school! It is a legit coin. I don't really have much to say about it, other than I love it and how it compliments fall colors!
Lastly, the shoes! I think a good pair of vans would do the trick with this outfit, but an even better fit are booties! These specific pair are from Old Navy, and they go with almost anything! They're super comfortable to walk in, even in good ol' hilly Morgantown. The only complaint I have about them: The left boot almost always gives me sort of a brush burn on the ankle if I wear them for a long time. Normally, I have to cover myself with a bandaid so it doesn't rub against my skin, which is kind of annoying when I'm rushing out the door. The spot is too high for socks to protect me. I still love them though; 9/10 for sure!
TIP: One thing I'm not a huge fan of is booties with jeans tucked into them! I like to roll my jeans up a few times so it exposes a little bit of skin! This is why I think boyfriend jeans are a staple item when it comes to booties!
Outfit #3
This outfit is one of my personal fall favs! It has so many colors and layers that scream colder weather! This is perfect for a cooler day because of the jacket and scarf, and can even be brought out in the rain! This outfit really screams pumpkin/apple picking to me!
Obviously, the main focal point of this outfit is the green jacket and the scarf! These jackets are everywhere right now, but they can be so expensive! Thankfully, I managed to snag this one from Buckle for around $50, which is a steal compared to the $120-$150 a similar one can cost. The jacket has a tie that goes around the waist so that you can cinch it if you wish (which I do). But the main reason I love this jacket, and the reason it can be set apart from others, is the textured lining! This lace is accented throughout the jacket, including underneath the lapels, underneath the sleeves so you can see them when their cuffed, and in the pockets! I got this jacket a size bigger than I usually would wear so that it would fit longer, so this cuts to around mid-thigh. It's also super soft and not to mention; the color! I LOVE this color so much! It's perfect for a fall day because it's a neutral color that also manages to add a touch of brightness to your outfit at the same time.
This scarf doesn't provide much warmth (it's definitely made for fashion purposes only), but it's still one of my favorites! I love to pair it with a white sweater, this green jacket, and everything in between! It can dress things up or down, depending on what else you wear! This scarf is from Francesca's, and it's the perfect size. If you wrap it around your neck just once, it reaches to a little bit past the end of your shirt. And it's plaid; which as we all know, is perfect for fall! With this color jacket, I like how red and black look best, but there are many different color combinations to choose from!
With a pattern choice brought in by the scarf and the texture in the jacket, your shirt needs to be pretty basic to avoid too much going on with your outfit. Hence, I am wearing a super soft gray long sleeve from Forever 21, but depending on the exact shade of green your jacket is and the colors in your scarf, other great options include white, black, and other lighter shades.
It may be a little difficult to see, but I'm wearing my favorite shade of lipstick for the fall months! I tend to keep my lip color lighter in the warm seasons and darker in the cold, and I'm using L'oreal Paris number 590 (blushing berry). I keep my lip products, tissues, oil wipes, etc. in this cute little Paris bag I got from a festival in Greensburg over the summer!
I went with basic jeans for this outfit from American Eagle! They don't have holes or anything, because again with already having quite a few patterns and textures, it can easily become too much. But if you're someone who only has ripped jeans, it would still look super cute! It may tone down the dressiness of your outfit though, so be careful!
I switched out my traditional light pink Kate Spade for a tote bag! Tote bags are incredibly versatile, light-weight, and extremely roomy. I got this one from my trip to Vox in New York City last April (shoutout to them, they gave one to all of us for free). I can't really explain why I chose to do this... I just really think it vibes well with the outfit!
The last part of this outfit are the rain boots! I got my Hunter boots two years ago and I have worn them consistently in the rain and snow ever since! I absolutely hate the rain because I resemble something much like a wet cat, so rain boots have become my best friend! Plus, it is such an amazing feeling to walk through a rain puddle and not get drenched. The only problem is that Hunter boots don't really keep your feet warm, as all rain boots have in common. But I throw on a pair of thick cabin socks and I'm all set!
themadisongreer LOOKBOOK FEATURE
For each lookbook that I create, I'm going to also promote a featured article of clothing! This doesn't necessarily have a complete outfit to go with, but rather it just showcases the article and where it came from!
This month's feature is a sweater that my boyfriend's mother got for me! She is literally THE BEST at getting bargains (as my boyfriend jokes, "what would Colleen do?"), and got this sweater so much cheaper than what it originally was! This sweater is perfect for date night, is super soft, and looks good on every figure! The off-the-shoulder look and the sleeves are perfect details to add to a basic black sweater! She got it at a small store in Washington, PA called David's Limited, which features tons of classy outfits!
This lookbook was super fun and challenging to make, but I hope yinz really enjoy it! I'd love to hear your opinions on it; what worked and what didn't! Also, if you have anything you'd want to see featured next month, I'd love to hear all about that as well!
Also, if you haven't seen, I have a new section of my homepage dedicated to these lookbooks, so if that's all you're interested in (which is totally cool), you'll be able to quickly maneuver through the site to get to new ones! And remember that I will have all of my lookbooks tagged under the lookbook category on my blog!
Thank you so much for reading and I will talk to yinz soon!
xoxo, Madison