• The Faux Shearling Transitional Top

    One of my favorite aspects of spring is not needing to wear a jacket or coat any longer. Living in the Midwest still presents the difficulty of cold mornings and warm afternoons. So, that is where the search for something that works for both weather types begins! I found this faux shearling sweatshirt by Poof! last fall, but I resisted wearing it during the bitterly cold months because it just wasn’t warm enough. However, since a jacket or coat is no longer necessary when walking around outside, this sweatshirt is just perfect to keep you both warm and cool! Another element of this top that I find endearing is how…

  • How to Wear the Neon Trend This Spring

    Months and months ago I predicted that neon was slowly becoming one of the trendiest color schemes of fall 2018. At the time I didn’t know it, but I was also predicting one of the biggest trends of spring 2019, too! I know that pastel is typically the colors that come to mind when you think of spring fashion, but I am here to say that there is most certainly plenty of room in the colorful spring market for more bold shades. Today, I want to expand on that prediction by talking a little bit about how you can incorporate neon into your spring wardrobe. #1. Try a bright version…

  • Moms Weekend 2019

    This past weekend was Moms Weekend on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, and it was sadly my brother’s (he is a senior) final year to celebrate. Today I wanted to share a little bit of what we did this Moms Weekend and how we kept a family tradition going strong. I know that typically the weekend is for catching up on sleep, but for the past five years we have volunteered for Campus and Community Day that just happens to fall on Moms Weekend. So we got up early to go put labels on packages that would later be filled with rice and oats and given to folks who…

  • The “Bee Kind” Sweatshirt & Cute Designs

    Today I am here to share another fashion trend that I have noticed a lot of here lately. As you can see, this sweatshirt looks pretty ordinary except for the one little detail near my shoulder. This little stitch detailing is what sold me on this top which I found at Old Navy. Over the past several weeks I have seen a number different types of sweatshirts that have all kinds of fun details in the same spot! This is an up and coming trend for the springtime and potentially in fall 2019. Definitely keep this trend idea in mine when shopping for clothes this season. I have seen several…

  • A Few of My Favorite Things Spring 2019

    The “A Few of My Favorite Things” series here on Faintly Familiar is always a highlight for me each new season! Springtime brings a flurry of different accessories and products to use that just do not get their time to shine in the winter or fall. Today, I want to share a few of the things that will be getting plenty of use from me. The Illinois Ball Cap This week I shared the ball cap that I will be wearing most this summer which you can see in the photo above. The state themed ball cap trend has gained some speed this spring, but I have had this particular…

  • Valentino Fall 2019 Ready-to-Wear Collection

    This collection by Valentino has reminded me of street art and graffiti from the first moment I saw it! I absolutely love the bold, artistic take with this runway. This is elevated street style, in my opinion! The red and pink colors that Valentino used in this collection are very reminiscent of what we see during Valentine’s Day celebrations which is very fitting for their name. While the deep green and white shades are more fit for the fall season it was designed to be worn in. This color palette works surprisingly well together, and makes for a really cool and somewhat edgy runway. Accessories acted as the glue that…

  • Giambattista Valli Fall 2019

    The Giambattista Valli fall 2019 collection felt more like a collection for springtime. Pastels have traditionally been something we see in the spring not fall, however, I kind of liked seeing it appear in a different season. One of my favorite colors is pink so that was an extra bonus from this runway. Another element I loved from this collection was the involvement of of florals! There is something so dreamy about the gowns that have these floral details on them, and I think they are such a lovely mix into an otherwise leaf dominated autumn season. Something that really surprised me about the Giambattista Valli runway was the fun,…

  • Christian Dior Fall 2019 Ready-to-Wear Collection

    With today’s Runway Review we see a return to 90’s street style! The consistent bucket hats are very reminiscent of 90’s fashion, however, I would say these are much more tame in terms of prints being used. I like how Dior used some of their most classic silhouettes for dresses and gowns for this runway. Typically we see fashion houses lazy attempts to be retro when it comes off a little cheap. However, these Dior throwbacks are simply stunning with all of their old time charm, but with just the right amount of modernity. The different prints used for this runway are particularly what remind me of the 90’s besides…

  • Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2019 Ready-to-Wear Collection

    With over one hundred ensembles shown in this Dolce & Gabbana runway, this collection was both vast and, at times, a bit eccentric. There was no clear influence upon this collection, from what I can tell. The only significant thread connecting each of these pieces is a sense of showmanship. Volume, volume, and more volume is the take away from Dolce & Gabbana. Don’t be surprised if in fall 2019 red carpets are dominated by voluminous dress. This rise of bold silhouettes reminds me of the bygone 1800’s era. All of these large details tend to say “notice me”. This is a striking departure from what we have seen on…

  • Movie Monday: The Long, Long Trailer (1954)

    If you know me then you know how much I love the television show I Love Lucy. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz are one of the best comedy duos of all time, in my opinion. You can imagine my excitement when I found out that the film The Long, Long Trailer starred this iconic couple! This whole film is a series of laugh-out-loud moments, and one of my personal favorite films. That is why I am so excited to be reviewing it today! Growing up I always admired the funny ladies of Old Hollywood. From Bewitched to I Love Lucy, there was no shortage of comedic leading ladies to look…