Do you guys remember People Style Watch Magazine? 

I LOVED that magazine. I still can't believe that they discontinued it. But from what I remember, they always had a picture like the one above, pointing at all of the different parts of an outfit that made it work. I love looking at fashion like it's an equation - if you put this together with this, then - voila! Perfect outfit. 

I thought I'd tackle a tricky outfit combo - looking laidback while also looking put-together. It's definitely easy to go too far in either direction! On the one hand, you want to look laidback: but instead of putting on a cute sweater, you end up in a sweatshirt. On the other hand, you want to look put-together: but instead of putting on a comfortable pair of jeans, you end up wearing a pencil skirt. It can be hard to balance being cute with being comfortable! 

Well, the other night I went out to dinner with Jacob. It had been a long day for both of us - he's studying for the bar exam and we're moving, so we're currently sleeping in an empty apartment - and I didn't want to put on something uncomfortable, but I still wanted to look like I had put in some effort. I came up with this look and immediately wanted to share it with you all! So here's my equation for the perfect laidback + put-together combo.

1. Start with a bright maxi dress. I think maxi dresses are the best base for a laidback outfit that still looks put-together. You don't have to worry if you missed a spot shaving your legs and, especially if it's a bright color, a maxi dress attracts attention because there's so much fabric to look at. This red maxi dress is from Rent the Runway Unlimited, and it's absolutely lovely, but I linked a few very similar alternatives below. It cinches in at the waist, which gives you a lovely shape, and it flows so nicely in the summer wind. 

2. Put on a nude cami if your dress is too revealing. On a night when you're looking to be comfortable, you don't want to have to check your top every two minutes to make sure you're covered, do you? Make life easy for yourself. Put on a nude cami underneath if you feel your dress is too low-cut, and don't worry about it! The fact that it's nude means it won't draw attention to the fact that you're wearing a cami, but you'll feel less stressed when you know that your decolletage is covered!  

3. Do your hair with some beachy waves. Having your hair styled is a nice addition to a laidback + put-together look, but sometimes we don't have all the time in the world to curl every last strand of hair on our head. I say - fake it till you make it! Beachy waves are meant to look messy, so if you quickly curl a few pieces all over your head, then shake everything out, you'll have a cute, messy head of hair that pairs well with this look. 

4. Put on a dainty lariat necklace, or a small pendant. When I'm trying to look laidback, I don't immediately think of big statement earrings or a huge necklace. Instead, I opt for something smaller and daintier. The reason for this is, you can leave on something small and dainty all the time. It doesn't look like you specifically sat down at your jewelry box and searched for a while till you found the perfect necklace. A small pendant or lariat goes with anything, so you can throw it on and not really think about whether or not "it goes." 

5. You want to wear flip-flops? Find a cute alternative! Do you like wearing flip-flops all summer long? Well, flip-flops don't really look put-together in my opinion. Instead, find a pair of shoes that feel like flip-flops but look like sandals! I love this pair from Franco Sarto because they are SO comfortable, but they look so much nicer than your average pair of flip-flops. And they go with everything! A miniskirt? Absolutely. A maxi dress? You betcha. A pair of jeans? I mean, of course. 

6. Throw on a fun shoulder bag. Last but not least, a cute shoulder bag will tie your whole look together. Shoulder bags, or cross-body bags, are the best for laidback looks because you can throw them on and not have to think about it. You don't have to carry it in your hand all night, either. Choose your favorite color - and it's kind of fun if your purse doesn't match your outfit perfectly!

And that's all it takes! Do you like this look? Would you wear something like this? Let me know in the comments down below! 

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase something. ​​​Thank you so much for your support! ​

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Does anyone else love traditional Indian attire as much as I do? I mean, it is absolutely stunning!

This past weekend, Jacob and I went to a traditional Indian wedding. It was so beautiful - the colors were so bright, the bride was stunning in her red wedding gown, and the food was absolutely delicious. I had never been to an Indian wedding before, and oh my goodness, am I glad we were able to attend. On our invitation, we were invited to wear Indian formal attire, and Jacob and I jumped at the chance. We love engaging with and experiencing different cultures. So we hopped on Amazon (our favorite buy-anything-anytime website) and did some digging!

Just as a side note, please forgive me in advance if I get any of my information wrong - I'd love to know more about these beautiful traditions, but unfortunately I am not totally educated on them! And please feel free to correct me in the comments below. 

The wedding was made up of four parts over the course of two days - the Sangeet, the wedding ceremony, a lunch buffet, and the reception. We enjoyed all of it thoroughly, and I thought I would share what I wore from beginning to end! It was a lovely event, and we are so happy for our friends newly-married status.

The night before the wedding, we were invited to attend the Sangeet, a pre-wedding event that celebrates the union of the bride and groom's families. I love the idea of a Sangeet - it gets you in the mood for the actual wedding day and it gives guests a chance to get to know each other the night before the big event. As well, at this event they had a lovely woman doing Henna on the bridesmaids as well as the guests. I grew up seeing my Persian friends get Henna, and I always loved it - so I thought I would get a design myself to go with my saree the following day!

This dress is from Marchesa Notte, and even though this exact dress isn't available, Marchesa Notte has what looks to me like an updated version. I rented it from Rent the Runway Unlimited and it fit like a glove (I wore it in a size 4, if that's any indication). I paired this dress with - can you believe it? - the shoes I wore on my wedding day! I haven't worn them since we got married, and I thought now was as good a time as ever to put them to good use! I love these shoes - they're really classic and the design is beautiful. I will warn you, though - the first night I wore these my feet felt fine, but wearing them a second day really ended up hurting my toes. So if you're not planning on wearing them for basically 24 hours, you should be fine. 

For jewelry, I wore the beautiful necklace my husband gifted me for our wedding anniversary and a pair of pearl and crystal drop earrings. I didn't want to wear anything too large to distract from the beauty of the dress. Then, I curled my hair (mostly in preparation for the following day's updo), painted my nails red, and paired the look with a bronze smokey eye and a red lip. 

The wedding began at 10:00 AM, so I woke up early to get a head start on my hair and makeup. I knew I was going to do an easy updo, so I wasn't too worried about that, but I was really excited to do a dramatic Indian-inspired makeup look. I looked up some inspiration online and came up with the above look! I think what really makes this makeup stand out is the glitter on my eyelids. It's one of my favorite glitter products and I always get compliments when I use it. Mine had slightly dried out, but here's a quick tip - if a product of yours seems dried out, dry putting a few drops of saline solution in and see if that helps! It definitely fixed my problem. I also accentuated the shape of my eyes by extending my eyeliner into my inner corners, exaggerating that cat-eye effect. 

Moving onto my outfit, I wanted to find something affordable to wear to the wedding since many of the options I had found were out of my price range. So I decided to buy a long, stretchy skirt and amatching crop top on Amazon that I could wear again in the future. The skirt wouldn't really show underneath the saree, and I hoped that the beauty of the fabric of the saree might distract away from the casual nature of the crop top. Everyone at the wedding was very sweet and said they loved my outfit, so I think it's okay to wear a crop top underneath a saree (just as an FYI)! 

Now, there are many beautiful sarees on Amazon, but I ended up choosing this one because I loved the color of the fabric. I also have a sewing machine at home, so I was able to hem both sides (since the material showed up raw). I watched a couple of YouTube videos to teach myself how to drape a saree - but when I arrived at the wedding, a wonderful woman there asked me if I needed help and retied the whole thing for me! She was such an angel, and she did such a beautiful job. 

I paired the outfit with the same shoes I had worn the night before (which didn't end up being the best idea) and a few sparkly jewelry pieces, including a crystal-encrusted bracelet, a pair of drop earrings, and a choker. 

The wedding ceremony itself was a stunning affair. There were red, yellow, and orange followers bedecking the mandap (a canopy similar to a chuppah at a Jewish wedding.) The bride was so stunning - I honestly still can't get over it. Nearing the end of the ceremony, they brought us little cups of ice cream, which was so delicious and a fun touch! After the ceremony, we all had lunch and then there was a break before the cocktail hour and the evening reception.
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Jacob and I decided to wear our outfits through the day. My only major wardrobe change was into a pair of sandals so that I could dance the night away - and I am so glad I did! I didn't have to worry about my feet and I could really just enjoy the music. 

If you ever have the opportunity to attend an Indian wedding in traditional attire - I say, go for it. It is so beautiful and I felt less out of place in a saree than I did in that first cocktail dress! And I have to tell you. After speaking with many of the people at the wedding, it was made clear to me that they liked seeing everyone there embracing their culture and their dress. It was a way of honoring the day.

Have you ever been to a traditional Indian wedding? Have you worn a saree? Let me know in the comments below! 

​*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase something. ​​​Thank you so much for your support! ​

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