2016 in Fashion

It's always fun to look back on the year and reflect. I often find myself feeling nostalgic and spend a bit of time looking through years past, the first year I did this type of post was 2010, and it's interesting to see how much my style has changed, and which items are still in my closet today.

January
blush pink blouse, grey cardigan, white denim, lace-up flats.jpg grey sweater dress, over the knee boots, fur bag.jpg nordic sweater, denim, snow boots, white parka-3.jpg

February
floral wrap blouse, denim, black boots, coach bag-4.jpg Cabi lace back top, grey cardigan, distressed denim, silver pumps-1.jpg grey peacoat, grey sweater, snow boots, fur hat-1.jpg

March
blue and white silk floral blouse, navy pants and blazer, dog-4.jpg printed maxi dress, white blazer, leopard clutch-5.jpg grey sweater, boyfriend jeans, laceup flats-2.jpg
April
white jeans, grey cardigan, nude lace up flats-2.jpg leopard print dress, leather jacket, fringe bag-9.jpg scalloped blazer, printed tank, navy pants, dog-7.jpg
May
striped peplum top, white jeans, straw clutch-13.jpg floral maxi dress, scalloped edge clutch, black sandals-3.jpg Elizabeth arden red door-8.jpg

June
leomon print skort, teal blouse, jeweled sandals-1.jpg little white dress, espidrilles, leather tote.jpg palm print blouse, white jeans, jeweled sandals, waist bag-6.jpg
July
white eyelet lace crop top, gingham shorts, nude sandals.jpg blue floral maxi dress, anchor belt, nude sandals-6.jpg pink sheath dress, clair v leopard clutch, gorjana vista cuff-3.jpg

August
Silk floral print dress, vintage box handbag, black sandals-1.jpg scalloped linen shirt, black pencil skirt, brown bag-4.jpg navy scalloped dress, rebecca minkoff bag and sandals.jpg

September
white off the shoulder lace dress, lace up heels, straw clutch-2.jpg dalmatian print skirt, off the shoulder tee, lace up heels.jpg Lilly Pulitzer Aralyn Shell Eyelet Shift Dress, silver pumps, pink bag-1.jpg

October
pom pom and fringe knit dress, leather field jacket, leopard clutch-1.jpg plaid shirt, camel cardigan, jeans, red coach willis bag.jpg kate spade japanese floral julep dress, sicky sunglasses, bamboo bag-1.jpg

November
white Culottes, camel sweater, toe cap heels, springbok clutch-1.jpg dark floral blouse, leopard pumps, banana republic accordion bag-5.jpg grey sweater dress, black boots, bucket bag-2.jpg

December
burgundy top, j.crew fleece vest, monogram necklace-3.jpg striped sweater, flared denim, red pea coat-5.jpg Green Tory Burch Silk Dress, snakeskin bag, anchor necklace-2.jpg

December Budget

I tried and failed to be good this month. The velvet dress I got in November from H&M ended up not working out, so I made an impulse decision to buy a last season Banana Republic dress from eBay to wear on Christmas eve. I also spied a listing for a Gorjana necklace I'd been wanting since I borrowed from from Rockbox last year, so I snatched that up too. Then I had some gift cards burning a hole in my pocket and over spent on both. I do however, feel I need to start the new year with a shopping ban, because my shopping has just been excessive lately, and it's quite unnecessary.


Gorjana Tanner Toggle Lariat Necklace, $25 via eBay
Banana Republic Shirred Silk Dress, $35 via eBay
Sterling Bee Ring, bought with Kohl's Cash similar
Matine Tilly Clutch, bought with gift card
Matine Tilly Tote, bought with gift card
Matine Leather Pom, $34
Old Navy Red Lace Up Flats, $16 similar
Thrifted Green Leather Vest, $15 (not pictured)

December Total = $125

Gifted: $50 of merchandise from Swap.com and a monogram necklace from Get Personlized Jewelry.

New Year's Looks with Swap.com

Every year when the holiday season rolls around I find myself rationalizing the desire to add another pretty dress to my closet. I know special occasion dresses have pretty much the lowest cost-per-wear out of anything else I own, yet what is New Year's Eve without a festive dress?

As I'm a big fan of shopping secondhand, I was really excited when Swap.com, an online consignment store, invited me to shop for some fabulous holiday looks, and the discounts off retail are so good I will never feel guilty about another special occasion dress again. The invetory at Swap.com is simply massive, and even with making sure to use filters for my size and colors I was interested in, I still spent hours browsing the site and adding things to my cart.

I finally decided on putting together a couple of New Year's looks - first up is New Year's Eve. I completely fell for the fun and on trend bell sleeves of this lace overlay dress. There is a similar one up on the site and it's only $17, new with tags. I added in my gold sequined clutch for the obligatory NYE sparkle and I'm ready for my champagne toast.

For my New Year's Day look I wanted something a bit more cozy, so when I found this Target sweater dress for $8, I immediately added it to my cart. I had actually been eyeing a similar dress that was retailing for over $100, so my eyes lit up when I saw this! I thought the fur vest would add just the right amount of holiday glamour while still keeping me warm and comfortable.

I was impressed at how expansive Swap.com's inventory was, and their search feature is pretty effective too. I do wish they would include a couple measurements for pieces, because if I wasn't familiar with a brand it's hard to know how the sizing runs, but they do allow for returns just in case a piece doesn't work out.

I'm really excited to do a little closet clean out and send a box into Swap.com as well - they offer a higher commission than my local thrift store!


 black lace dress, gold sequin clutch, studded pumps.jpg black lace dress, gold sequin clutch, studded pumps-4.jpg black lace dress, gold sequin clutch, studded pumps-5.jpg black lace dress, gold sequin clutch, studded pumps-1.jpg black lace dress, gold sequin clutch, studded pumps-7.jpg black lace dress, gold sequin clutch, studded pumps-6.jpg black lace dress, gold sequin clutch, studded pumps-3.jpg
The Rundown
Black Lace Dress c/o Swap
Studded Pumps c/o OASAP similar
Gold Sequined Clutch Halston similar
Tassel Earrings Banana Republic
Hammered Pendant Necklace Avon similar
Gold Herkimer Diamond Ring c/o Lumo
Chevron Ring Etsy via Silver Canyon Jewelry
Nail Color "No Place Like Chrome" Essie


Swap Burgundy Sweater Dress, fur vest, matine clutch.jpg Swap Burgundy Sweater Dress, fur vest, matine clutch-5.jpg Swap Burgundy Sweater Dress, fur vest, matine clutch-3.jpg   Swap Burgundy Sweater Dress, fur vest, matine clutch-4.jpg Swap Burgundy Sweater Dress, fur vest, matine clutch-7.jpg Swap Burgundy Sweater Dress, fur vest, matine clutch-2.jpg
The Rundown
Sweater Dress Target c/o Swap
Fur Vest c/o Choies similar
Boots "Jabine" Adrienne Vittadini
Metallic Scalloped Clutch Matine
Tanner Toggle Lariat Necklace Gorjana similar
Stacked Rings Gorjana via TJMaxx similar
Ruby Crystal Talisman Ring c/o Uncommon Goods
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
Nail Color "No Place Like Chrome" Essie

and
Elegance & Mommyhood's Thursday Moda

Swap.com provided me with a credit to shop their site in exchange for this post. Thanks for supporting the brands who support Chic on the Cheap!