fall fashion - Stuff Parents Need

Fall Looks from Thakoon for DesigNation (at Kohl’s!)

October 9, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to Kohl’s for providing a gift card so I could go pick out my favorite styles from Thakoon for DesigNation. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

So there are approximately 500 things I love about shopping at Kohl’s, and one of those things is that they have amazing partnerships with famous designers and tastemakers. Through these partnerships, Kohl’s is able to offer exclusive lines of on-trend merchandise at a wallet-friendly price point.

One of their more recent partnerships is with American designer Thakoon Panichgul. His signature looks tend to be British and tomboy-ish, yet with a feminine twist. I thought it would be fun to put together an outfit exclusively from this line that I’d love to wear all fall and winter.

Here’s what I fell in love with from Thakoon for DesigNation:

Fall floral! Yes, please! Look at that gorgeous shade of pink in those petals. It was love at first sight for me when I saw the Floral Knot-Front Top at my local Kohl’s.

I want to show you that knot detailing. It gives the top something unique that I really like. I also think it’s a figure-flattering look (just in case you might be concerned about having knot right around your belly!).

The bottoms I scored are actually seamed leggings, though I think they fit a bit more like pants. I absolutely love the detailing on the legs. These are meant to be a wardrobe staple, but there are little design elements to give your pants a very updated feel!

And finally, for when the chill finally starts to settle in the air, I simply could not resist the flyaway cardigan. It makes me want to find a bonfire immediately! 🙂 Fair warning, though: this cardigan runs HUGE. I had to get a size small and as flattered as I felt by buying that size, I promise you, I don’t wear that size. I normally wear a large!

All 3 pieces go really well together, but they are also great stand alone pieces that you could easily mix and match with other items in your wardrobe.

I’m glad I checked out this line. I wouldn’t describe my personal style as “British feminine tomboy” for sure, but I definitely found looks that I loved and that I’m happy to be working into my wardrobe this fall. Make a point to check out Thakoon for DesigNation at your nearest Kohl’s, as well as online, as they have some online exclusives, too!

Fashion Friday: Look What I Just Bought (For a Steal!)

October 3, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Affiliate links included. I only promote what I love!

My Cents of Style is having a GREAT sale today, friends! They have TONS of beautiful fall merchandise for 60% off plus free shipping when you use the code COZYFALL. I just spend $39.96 and bought two great pieces:

It’s called the cocoon cardigan and I bought it in teal, but it is available in several colors! Here’s another angle and color:

SWOON!!!

I also snagged a pair of boots in tan. Such a great shade that will go with everything!

Again, I spent $39.96 shipped for two awesome fall items. SO pumped! 🙂 Here are some other things that made me swoon, though I had to stop my shopping before the bill started to climb!

Aztec Shawl- $11.98!

SO many great infinity scarves! You’ve got to go check it out, friends! Let me know what you get!

Kohl’s Fall Fashion Finds for Men (My 90% off Find!)

October 1, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 17 Comments

Thanks to Kohl’s for sending a gift card my way. All thoughts, opinions, and expenses beyond the gift card amount are my own.

One of my very favorite stores to shop at, both online and in-store, is Kohl’s. I have a few reasons why I love them so very much.

1. My mother-in-law used to work at customer service at Kohl’s and I remember stories from her about how Kohl’s would always bend over backwards to ensure that the customer was satisfied. It honestly reminded me of the stories you hear about the customer service offered at stores that are much higher end. I was very impressed with her stories, and I have found them to be true any time I have been to customer service, as well. Returns are hassle-free and employees are very friendly and helpful.

2. Kohl’s knows how to have a sale! This store is NOT afraid to mark stuff down. I routinely find things at Kohl’s that are similar in price to what I might pay at a consignment or even thrift store. Only the item’s at Kohl’s are new with tags. Gotta love that!

3. Kohl’s stays on trend. I love the designer collaborations Kohl’s has (Vera Wang and Marc Anthony are two that come to mind). Those pieces are sharp and right on trend, and at a price point my budget can handle.

I particularly like heading to Kohl’s whenever my husband, Tim, is in need of some new items for work. From full suits to business casual, Kohl’s has a wide range of items for every work wardrobe. We headed to the store looking to spend around $100, and hoping we could pull together an outfit. In the end, we spent $125 (including tax), but we got TWO work appropriate outfits!

Tim was wearing this brown sweater when we went into the store, and we actually used it as a building piece for putting something together that was very “fall.” We quickly found this Arrow Plaid Button-Down shirt (on sale for $26.99) and knew it was just perfect. I then headed over to the tie section to see what I could coordinate with it to dress it up a bit for work. I opted for something with a very minimal pattern since the shirt already had a lot going on. The Izod Hilton Grid Tie is what I chose (on sale for $24.99). I think it turned out great!

Then we looked for a pair of pants that we liked. I pulled many different pairs of pants for Tim, and he had a strong preference for one set. We were shocked and totally thrilled when we realized that checkout that these pants were on MEGA markdown. They were originally $54 and we paid $5.40 for them. Talk about the deal of the day!!!

In total, the shirt, tie and pants, all from Kohl’s, set us back $57.38 plus tax. That is REALLY awesome (but you already knew that, didn’t you?!).

While we were in the store, Tim requested a dressy pair of gray slacks, and decided on this pair from Docker’s (on sale for $34.99). I only buy flat front pants for him. Can anyone enlighten me on why pleated pants are still being made? They totally baffle me…I think they are flattering to 0% of the people who wear them. Anyway, Tim said this pair of pants was really comfortable, which he appreciates immensely. He rides his bike to work every day, so he needs to balance comfort with the fact that he needs to look office appropriate. These pants are perfect.

This Apt. 9 Modern Fit Striped Shirt (on sale for $21.99). I was very impressed with the number of slim cut shirts I saw at Kohl’s while we were shopping. So many men wear their shirts WAY too big and baggy, and it isn’t flattering at all. You don’t need excess fabric hanging off your body like that, fellas. Go for the slimmer cut, even if you aren’t slim, yourself. You will look better in something that actually fits you, instead of something that just hangs on you, I promise!

So this second outfit of a shirt and pants cost $56.98 plus tax. Another great buy! And even though we somehow magically ended up with a pair of pants that was 90% off, I didn’t even go through their clearance section. They had rows and rows of stuff 60% off, so there were more great deals to be had, but we just ran out of time. Additionally, I earned $20 in Kohl’s cash that I can use starting this Sunday. It literally works like cash in the store. I don’t have a minimum purchase that I need to make. I’ve just got $20 to spend freely! I will most likely spend it on some items for the girls for our upcoming Disney trip. Kohl’s has a TON of cute Disney apparel! 🙂

Do you shop at Kohl’s for yourself or for other family members? Have you ever stumbled upon a killer deal like our 90% off pants find? I’d love to hear about it! I thought the other deals we had were decent, too, and we shopped without even paying attention to the price tags. It’s nice to know that you aren’t going to be shocked in a bad way when you get to the checkout counter!

Get the Look: Trendy Jacket at Sears #ThisisStyle

October 12, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This “get the look” Sears shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias (#cbias) and their client.

Cool mornings have arrived in Chattanooga! It actually makes for a confusing time of year in terms of wardrobe, because there will often be a 30-40 degree shift in temperatures from the time I take my 4-year-old to preschool in the morning to the time when my husband gets home from work for the day.

But even if I can only sport my fall fashion pieces for a few hours each morning, I’ll take it! I recently brought down all of my long-sleeve clothes from the attic and assessed what I needed to purchase to bring my look up to date.

Trendy Jackets Change Your Look

I think one of the smartest places to get maximum bang for your buck with your fall/winter wardrobe is with your jackets and coats. Buying a trendy coat can help you look very current without having to commit to a wardrobe overhaul. And right now, Sears has some jackets that are right on trend with a price tag that is very doable! I spent some time checking out 2013 fashion trends to see how I could get my look updated.

Brass and Leather

I decided to step outside of my comfort zone this year and try out a look that is a bit more edgy. I have noticed that brass detailing is in, and so is leather. I don’t usually wear either, but I discovered a cute jacket that incorporated both looks!

This is the Triple Star Coachman Jacket, currently on sale for $56.99. It actually doesn’t have any leather on it at all, but from a distance, one would think that it did.

Why This Look Works for Me

This is a really nice jacket for anyone who wants to show off (or even create) an hourglass shape. The zipper is curvy, and jacket has a fit and flare look about it, which is actually quite a feminine touch on an otherwise “harder” look. And this is precisely why I feel comfortable pulling off this very trendy look. I’m actually getting to do it on my terms, thanks to this jacket! Fit and flare is one of my very favorite styles, and I just love that I found it on this jacket!

I also appreciate attention to detail, and I was drawn to the detailed hardware on this piece. Pardon the pun, but I thought gave the jacket a polished look!

How to Style a Biker-Chic Jacket

When I went shopping at Sears, I wanted to find a few other fun and trendy pieces that I could pair with what I am calling my “biker-chic” jacket. And I went for two trends that I never would have thought I could pull off: leather pants and printed pants.

But come and see….everything turned out great!

For the leather pants, just remember that you don’t have to go all the way with this trend. I thought these pants with a faux leather stripe down the side gave enough of a nod to leather without making me uncomfortable. And in fact, they were VERY comfortable. And the stripe is figure-flattering, in my opinion. The price was also fantastic: $22.79! And they come in petite, so I don’t have to get them altered. I felt like a chic New Yorker in my black-on-black outfit. I pulled off two new-to-me trends in one outfit, and I still felt like myself in it. Very nice!

Houndstooth Pants

Ok, so houndstooth is really big right now, and so are printed pants. So I decided to roll the dice and go for some houndstooth printed pants. I would have totally yelled at myself for making this purchase even a year ago. I’m petite, yet not exactly tiny, so how in the world could I pull off a print like this on my bottom half???

I thought the jacket I purchased would be a fun pairing with them. Since the jacket covers up quite a bit of me, pairing it with my houndstooth pants is a great way to ease into wearing a pattern like this. I love how they are just peeking out, giving others a glimpse at my trendy look.

But I actually loved the look enough to feel very comfortable taking off my jacket. I paired the pants with a black turtleneck (same one as the leather stripe pants, actually) and I added a long strand of pearls. Houndstooth is such a preppy fabric, that it only seemed right to do so! 🙂

#ThisisStyle: Get the Look

If you are looking for a few new pieces to update your wardrobe this season Sears has a whole section of their website called searsStyle, that is devoted to the latest trends. They even have a “chic on a shoestring” section, which I adore. They are really committed to helping us get the look for less! I also really recommend following @searsStyle on Instagram for the very latest pics showing what is happening at Sears!

One of my other favorite sources of inspiration is this Pinterest board, which includes styled looks from Sears put together by real women, just like you and me! I have gotten some really good ideas from these ladies! Definitely peruse it and see what you can find there.

Shop Your Way

And please don’t forget about the Shop Your Way rewards program. I know many of you are already members, but if you aren’t yet, it is totally free to sign up and the rewards are sweet! For example, when I was shopping online earlier this week, upon logging in to my SYW rewards account, I was immediately credited with $7 to use in the store. Just because! Why yes, I will take that $7…thank you! I also earned points when I made my purchase, and those points will give me credit toward future purchases. Basically, Shop Your Way is the gift that keeps on giving!

I’d love to hear which of the 2013 fashion trends you are going to try out this fall! What did you think of the looks I put together?