fashion Archives » Alina Avery

Nippies: The Fashion Piece I Didn’t Know I Couldn’t Live Without

September 29, 2016 by Alina Avery Leave a Comment

Ok yes, a wordy and bold title, but Nippies have literally changed my life.

First, we’ll acknowledge that I have very little going on in the chest department. It’s a blessing and a curse, but it is what it is. Recently I started embracing my shape and choosing unlined bras and bralettes rather than the hefty push-ups I favored throughout my teens and early twenties, but I couldn’t take the plunge and go completely braless.

Until now.

My friend Lisa introduced me to the Bristols 6 Adhesive Nippies Skin this summer and it’s a total game changer. These nipple covers are truly amazing. Why, you ask? They’re super lightweight and actually stay stuck to you, which means you barely know you’re wearing them and don’t need to worry about them falling off at inopportune moments. The edges blend seamlessly into your skin and they come in three shades to match your skin tone, so they’re invisible under even sheer tops. They also provide just the slightest shape enhancement, without straps or wires or elastic. There’s even a larger size for bustier women (read: not me).

I know nipple covers are not exactly ground breaking, but past versions have lacked a few of the qualities that make the Nippies so great. They’ve either been too heavy, too thick and obvious, strangely colored, or not sticky enough. These both look and feel like you’re wearing nothing at all and have opened up my summer to all of the backless, plunging, halter, and otherwise tricky pieces.

They’ve become a staple in my wardrobe and I’m raving and recommending them to literally everyone I know with boobs. Seriously. You need these!

Spring Fashion Updates

March 17, 2016 by Alina Avery Leave a Comment

There’s no denying that it’s starting to feel like spring in the northeast. Especially with the time change, everyone is starting to feel that springtime bug.

I downsized my wardrobe back in the winter and have mostly stuck to a smaller collection of things that I love since then (with the exception of buying all of the activewear to avoid all of the laundry!) Lately, I’ve been starting to add in a few key pieces to update my wardrobe for spring. Here’s a quick look at what I’ve been buying and/or eyeing!

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I originally wanted this Topshop Structured Bardot Top in cream or black, just because I’ve somehow developed an aversion towards actually wearing colors over the past few years, but the only color that wasn’t sold out was this red-orange. I was so in love with the shape and style of it, I decided to buy it anyway, and I actually love it. I think it will get a lot of wear this spring and summer since it’s got a casual, flowy, relaxed vibe, but is structured enough that it can be dressed up for drinks or dancing!

Destructed denim looks so easy chic and cool for warmer weather. I have been wanting to add a pair of white jeans into my wardrobe, but it’s just not practical for me. I’m convinced that on the first wear I’ll spill some green juice or tomato soup or something devastating will happen to ruin them. Instead, I’m looking for a pair that’s a very light wash of denim which can serve the same function as a stark white pair, but a little less anxiety inducing. These Jbrand low-rise crops are the perfect light blue color, and I love that they’ve got both destruction above the knee (which is placed perfectly for us shorter girls) and a raw hem. If only they weren’t quite so expensive!

Backpacks are so trendy right now, and a lot more convenient and comfortable to carry! This one by Rebecca Minkoff has a removable clutch on the front, making your day to night transition even easier. I love the neutral putty color, and it’s large enough to fit a 13″ Macbook Pro. This piece would even transition well into the fall paired with a leather jacket and boots. I legitimately haven’t bought a new handbag since 2014, so maybe it’s time for an update?

On the beauty side of things, I’ve been wanting to stick to a similar effortlessly cool look for spring, which means swapping out dark or bright nail polish for more natural looking nails. I picked up the Deborah Lippmann Genie in a Bottle nail enhancer recently and love that it makes my tortured nails look clean and even and bright and fussfree.

Along the same lines, the Glam Glow Plumprageous Matte Lip Treatment makes your lips look a bit swollen (like you’ve just been making out!) without any added color or shine. It’s great to wear alone without worrying about transfering or smudging while giving your lips just a little extra something, or layered under your usual lip color for a little extra boost. The only complaint that I have is that the packaging and the applicator are tricky and gimmicky, but I’ve gotten over it!

Snow Day Style

January 19, 2016 by Alina Avery 1 Comment

It finally snowed in Boston. I’m anticipating a lot more snow this winter and the novelty has already worn off, but like my rainy day style, there’s something kind of magical about cozy snow day outfits.

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I’m fully embracing “athleisure”, and since becoming actually more active, I’ve been working a lot more active wear into my daily wardrobe (more on that later!) I’ve been obsessed with leggings from Beyond Yoga recently. They’re so soft and thick and flattering, both polished and comfortable and plenty warm. Totally worth the somewhat outrageous price tag since they can go to yoga or barre class, to brunch, to work, to the gym. As soon as I learned of impending snow, I decided it would be a legging day.

To make things a little less casual for work, I paired them with a denim button down layered with a structured white sweater. And, of course, you can’t go out in the snow without boots on! These are from Sperry and I snagged them from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in July (yes, July! I wanted to be prepared!) I love the short height and the neutral color. They’re also a bit more slim fitting which is a lot nicer than having bulky boots on all day, and they zip up, which makes them a breeze to get on and off.

Finally, my usual bling, which adds a bit of sparkle without going too over the top. This CC Skye necklace and the Gorjana earrings are both from a recent Rocksbox!

Obviously, top everything with a coat, hat, scarf, gloves, etc. if you’re going outside. Or don’t go outside. I mean, there’s snow out there and coffee in here. Seems like a no brainer!

Rocksbox

November 4, 2015 by Alina Avery 3 Comments

I’ve been a Rocksbox subscriber for almost two years now. If you don’t know, it’s kind of like Rent the Runway meets Birchbox meets Stitchfix… for jewelry.

You sign up for $19/month and fill out a style profile. A stylist will hand-match you to three pieces of designer costume jewelry, meaning no diamonds or platinum, but quality pieces that won’t turn your skin green or fall apart and plenty of sparkle from well-known names like House of Harlow and Gorjana.

You can wear the pieces for as long as you want, and when you’re done, just box them up and send them back, or you can keep them for 20% off the retail price.

While the fee is monthly, the shipments are not. If you aren’t excited about any of the pieces in a box, just send it back right away for another set. You don’t have to wait for the next month to refresh. Similarly, if you love your set but don’t want to buy it, you can keep wearing it for several months and you won’t get another set until you return it. So it’s less of a “subscription”, and more of a “membership” – almost like a mail order jewelry library.

I was never really into jewelry before. It was a bit of a vicious cycle where I wouldn’t wear jewelry, so I wouldn’t buy any because I never wore it, and then I’d never wear it because I never owned any! But all of that has changed. Here are a few of the pieces from Rocksbox that I’ve loved, purchased, and kept.

This House of Harlow necklace that’s edgy but super versatile.

And this Perry Street sparkler I wore for my wedding (and continue to wear all the time!)

And both pairs of earrings that I wear daily. The “diamonds” are from Gorjana and Holly from Due North wrote a great post about styling them! The Pavé Circle Studs are Sophie Harper and from my most recent Rocksbox set.

If you’re interested in trying Rocksbox, you can get your first box free with the code ALINABFF1!

The perfect piece of jewelry really does add the finishing touch to an outfit. Whether it’s to dress it up, create a statement, or add just a touch of personality. With Rocksbox, I’ve definitely tried different trends and pieces that would never make it onto my radar otherwise and stepped my jewelry game way way up. I highly recommend it!

My Denim Hack (and Collection)

October 8, 2015 by Alina Avery 4 Comments

Shopping for jeans has always been bittersweet for me. Sweet because: new jeans! Bitter because: the fitting room (and the price tags). It’s been a long time struggle until recently.

I magically found a pair of jeans that fit perfectly on sale at Intermix about three years ago. They were the J Brand 835 Mid Rise Capris (yes, capris, I have short little legs) in Misfit. The length hit me right above the ankle, which is perfect for wearing with ballet flats or heels or even sneakers. They weren’t too skinny through the legs, so they didn’t feel jegging-y or trendy, and the rise was just high enough that they weren’t sliding down whenever I bent over, but not so high to approach mom-jean territory. The wash was a medium dark, with just the right amount of stretch in the denim, and just the right amount of destruction on the knees. I wore those jeans until they fell apart.

J Brand 835 Mid Rise Capri in Misfit

At which point I began to panic. Because they were perfect, but soon they’d be unwearable.

But then I had a brilliant idea. I could just buy the same pair again!

Alas, no. The sale had ended, the jeans had sold out, and they were gone. But I did notice that J Brand had other washes and fabrics of the 835 Mid Rise Capris in stock. And on sale even. Which is when it hit me:

I could buy the same classic cut and size of jeans in various washes when they went on sale and never have to worry about trying on denim ever again. So I quickly signed up for J Brand emails, and whenever I got alerts about “Friends and Family” or “Extra 20% off” or “End of Season” sale events, I’d click through and quickly filter for my 835s and snag whatever’s in my size.

The different denim weights and washes sometimes feel slightly different, but every single pair so far has fit just as well as the original. Over the past few years, I’ve grown my denim wardrobe to include:

Dark Vintage – A more structured, dark wash, perfect for the office
Dropout – Soft, destroyed, light wash for summer weekends
Malta – True blue, indigo sateen, super soft and thin
Strobe – An unconventional gray that I wasn’t convinced about until I saw Kim Kardashian wear them
and Misfit – of course, a re-up on the jeans that started it all when they came back in stock the following year

I purchased every one of these for less than $100, most at around $60-$80, which is pretty damn good for J Brand, but if you’re looking at a lower price point, you could probably manage the same trick at Gap, Express, or J Crew, all of which have great staple denim lines.

So yes, every pair of jeans in my closet is the exact same cut from the exact same brand, but it’s such a classic shape and so perfect for me that I don’t even care.

And since you asked, next on my wishlist: Nightbird – A perfectly faded black that’s the just right blend of casual and sophisticated.

A Week in (Leather) Outfits

September 28, 2015 by Alina Avery 1 Comment

I’m in San Diego this week for work, so it’s a lot less like fall all of a sudden, but I’m sticking with it anyway. And what says fall fashion more than wearing leather? Well constructed leather pieces are perfectly structured but soft, sleek but warm, and classic but versatile. I’ve been accumulating leather (and leather look) pieces for years and decided that last week I’d honor the onset of fall weather with one whole work weeks worth of outfits styled around key leather pieces from my wardrobe.

The pieces:

Like I said, I’ve been collecting leather wardrobe staples for years, so a lot of these aren’t available online anymore. But they are pretty classic and therefore easy to find similar versions of. Let me know in the comments if you’re interested in similar pieces to any of these styles and I’ll do my best to hunt them down for you!

To kick off the week, I eased into it with a pair of super soft semi-sueded joggers. Mine are from Anthropologie, and I snagged them on super sale a few years ago. When looking for a jogger style, which is still pretty trendy, go for a slimmer cut and a cropped length so they look more sporty and less “I Dream of Jeannie”. I paired mine with a cropped cashmere/cotton blend sweater from Banana Republic. The cropped length makes the top appear more fitted and balances the cut of the pants. Try not to go too voluminous, but you don’t want it skin tight either. You’ll also want to go with a pointier toed shoe, either a flat or a pump, to elongate legs a bit (these are on sale, I say forget the white after Labor Day rule and go for it!) I also wore my (leather, duh) House of Harlow necklace (via Rocksbox) and the Kate Spade Cedar Street Mini Maise in black which I always get compliments on as it’s the most adorable tiny purse ever.

Tuesday I was heading to an evening event for #bostonbloggers so I thought I needed to keep my style a bit edgy. I wore these leather-look trousers from River Island which I snagged right after Anna posted about them. They are the perfect high-rise-skinny-leg cut and the leather is almost passable as genuine, even though these are vegan. I paired them with a white silk back tee from Theory (my version of an elevated basic), my favorite gold lariat necklace from Madewell, a classic J Crew canvas jacket that pretty much everyone and their grandma owns, and a pair of (super uncomfortable) ankle boots from Steve Madden.

I love this look for Wednesday. I actually wore this dress for our wedding rehearsal dinner back in March, but with a few styling updates it’s great for fall too. I toughened it up with the same booties and purse from earlier in the week, a pair of sheer black tights, a simple black cardigan (because the office is freezing) and a stack of gold bracelet from Baublebar (tassels are so hot right now).

Thursday I opted for a pair of Helena Quinn Suede Shorts that I got on mega ultra sale at Anthropologie last year. Seriously like 90% off. Shorts can be a little much for work, so I toned it down by paring it with a casual grey cardigan and flats. These are the Jimmy Choo “Alina” flats that I bought for my wedding because 1. they are named after me and 2. duh glitter flats. Topped it all off with a simple black cami and Tom Ford nail polish in Scarlet Chinois.

And finally Friday. A leather jacket I picked up from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this summer but had to leave in the closet for months until it was appropriate to wear. I dressed it up with a pair of (ok judge me) “Alina” pumps from Diane Von Furstenburg and a blingy necklace from Rocksbox (another item I wore at my wedding!) Then I dressed it back down with a simple v-neck t-shirt from Madewell (these are the best t-shirts EVER) and my favorite destroyed denim from J Brand.

So all-in-all, a pretty solid leather (slash “Alina” shoes, slash clothes from my wedding) week. As you can see, I tend to wear a lot of neutral colors when it comes to fashion and try to incorporate color with a bold lip or pop of eyeshadow. How do you wear leather? Do you have pieces you like to bring out every fall?