2014 Style Resolutions

How cute is this sketch from Inslee?! I love all of her drawings, and may or may not like every single Instagram photo she posts (#notashamed). While clothes have always more or less been an obsession of mine, I am still in the process of building my perfect wardrobe. Actually, I feel like I only just started taking the matter seriously this summer after developing an obsession with blogs. Ask my friends... Boring classes where we were allowed to use our laptops, I was reading life advice (among other things...) on The College Prepster and admiring just how perfect Sarah Vickers wardrobe is on Classy Girls Wear Pearls. My two favorite blogs. Easily. (Honorable mention: Design Darling... also rapidly becoming a favorite!)

That being said, taking all I've learned from the countless hours I've spent online shopping and obsessing over style bloggers' looks, I've developed some style resolutions for 2014! But if we're being honest here, how well I carry through with these resolutions all depends on how I manage learning to budget...

The higher the heel, the closer to heaven?

Emily + heels = a joke. But actually, I kid you not. I'm 5'8", where I live isn't necessarily an environment that calls for heels, and half the year we have snow anyways. Heeled boots? I can do. Wedges? I got it. Actual big girl heels? Disaster.

In 2014, I'm hoping to finally conquer the heel situation. The J. Crew Etta Pumps are so adorable, and I've been wanting them for months. "Heels for the girl who wears only flats..." Sounds like a good starting place, right?

Only Style Remains the Same...

When I was growing up, I constantly felt the pressure to go along with all the trends. Now looking back at old pictures I wonder why in the world I would ever  wear a shirt sporting Aeropostale's take on the monkey. I cringe thinking about it. And while I still fall victim to the occasional trend (peplums will never flatter me...), I feel like I'm on the way to developing my own style.

I had to learn the hard way to not invest in trends that come and go, and to invest my money in classic pieces. How much money I've wasted on items I literally never wear is actually depressing. My goal for 2014 is to be extra cautious of what I'm buying. I firmly believe that things you love are worth investing in (and that doesn't just apply to clothes!). So hopefully when 2015 rolls around I'll have a closet to die for!

Make a Statement

I love statement pieces, but I'm still trying to figure out how to incorporate them into my wardrobe. A pop of color, a piece of jewelry, a bag with character... I love it all. I want it all. Figuring out what I can and can't pull off is going to be a lot of fun this year! Thank goodness for honest friends, right?

This doesn't just apply to necklaces or jewelry. Experimenting with different lip colors, breaking out the green coat in the middle of winter (I fell in love with one this summer in Zara...), and taking chances with your wardrobe are all ways to grow! I'm getting excited just thinking about it. I own nothing leopard print. I've been eyeing these flats from J. Crew for weeks, but they're not like anything else I'd wear. People say leopard print is a neutral; for me it's like "Woah, watch out! She's trying something new!" But, maybe it's worth the risk? I could totally rock it.

xoxo