Playfully sassy

 

OOTD styled with M.A.C.

“I loathe narcissism, but I approve of vanity.” — Diana Vreeland

There is something so playfully sassy about fitted, ripped jeans.

While the knee-high boots are the main style element of this outfit, the ripped jeans add an element of sass. The loose fitted, pullover taupe blouse is great in that it isn't a conventional color choice. Elbow-sleeve, roll tabs are a fashion must for me. I love the up-a-notch look that they give with a proper roll.

I chose to pair this outfit of the day with the Ellie gold-tone cuff bracelet. Embossed with cute, rotund elephants, the tall cuff gold-tone cuff is perfect for this sassy outfit. The hieroglyphic look of the cuff play well with the chevron pendant on the 24" necklace.
 
Get charmed today. Shop My Arm Charms. Fashionable arm charm for every style situation.

Prisoner to style

OOTD & M.A.C. Style Inspiration

 

"I have always believed that fashion was not only to make women more beautiful, but also to reassure them, give them confidence" - Yves Saint Laurent

 

You should be so lucky to be a prisoner of style!

I love the stark contrast of black and white with ANY accent color. Usually you see it with a pair of black slacks, white top and colorful add-ons in the accessories, but it's all in one piece in this outfit of the day!

The off the shoulder, knitted pullover is fabulous for more reasons than one. I love the slimming fit around the waist. It works marvelously on her hour glass figure. The off the shoulder reveal is respectfully sexy for even a mom out with the family. She needn't worry about where her pop of color comes from - it's already on the sweater. Easily noticed are the bold stripes of the yellow at both the top and bottom of the sweater, but did you see the thin yellow on the arm seam?

I chose to pair this outfit of the day with the Buckle-up in yellow (available in navy, red, cream, yellow and teal) wrap bracelet. The denim jeans keep the outfit playful and casual, much like the bracelet.
 
Get charmed today. Shop My Arm Charms. Fashionable arm charm for every style situation.

OOTD styled with M.A.C.

“Style is very personal. It has nothing to do with fashion. Fashion is over quickly. Style is forever. - Ralph Lauren

The tank and jeans don't make their final bow the last week of summer.

Forever faithful denim and tank  - so many options, so much potential. Get your best fashion jeans - you know the ones that make your butt look enviable and a fitted tank that embellishes all the right areas to form the foundation of your spring to fall transition outfits. Then add button-up cardigans, oversized V-neck sweaters or create a layered look with a button-up gingham long sleeve shirt.

For this look, I chose When In Rome, a high polished textured silver-tone hinged bracelet with raised gold-tone roman numerals. In 'time' this fashionable bracelet will be one of your favorites.

Get charmed today. Shop My Arm Charms. Fashionable arm charm for every style situation.

"Fall" for fashion

OOTD & M.A.C. Style Inspiration 

"A woman's dress should be a like a barbed-wire fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the view." —Sophia Loren

Ready to for fall fashion?

Okay, okay. So we haven't quite finished the summer yet - Atlanta is still experiencing scorchers - and I'm already talking 'bout fall. I can't help it! I love fall fashion, styles and colors; turtlenecks, thigh high boots with pencil skirts and neutral colors.


Summer fashion is great, but all too easy. Sad the woman who cannot make a head turn while she is flashing skin, but to demand attention clothed from head to toe - that takes real style. This OOTD is one of those outfits. Long pencil skirt, buttoned blouse and heavy leather materials make me think warm and cozy.

I paired this OOTD with Brazen Amazon, a hammered metal bangle. Love the texture that is affords this outfit. The shirt, skirt and leathers are smooth so the textured metal compliments the outfit well.

Get charmed today. Shop My Arm Charms. Fashionable arm charm for every style situation.

Transitions

OOTD styled with M.A.C

"Walk like you have three men walking behind you." —Oscar de la Renta

Fall is on it's way, but Summer is still here. What's a gal to do - there are those last few summer pieces we haven't worn, but we're excited to start piecing together our fall favorites.

Fashion transitions are so exciting. There always a good excuse to shop for more and it creates and unplanned rummages through your closet to rediscover some of your forgotten fashion assembles. 

While layers are the stylings of most fall/winter outfits, it's also the ? of seasonal transitions. Dressing in layers (winter/spring, summer/autumn,etc.) gives you the ability to go-with-the-flow. If it gets to hot, take something off or just the opposite. Take the OOTD paired with Alice, a light-weight gold-tone bracelet with turquoise charms, whimsical key hole and dangling antique key. This mid-thigh, 1-piece dress with lace bottom is both light-weight and appears soft and airy. While the bleached, sleeved denim jacket is light in color and is a 'soft' addition to the outfit, it serves as a great wind breaker. If it gets too hot, just take it off.

Get charmed today. Shop My Arm Charms. Fashionable arm charm for every style situation.

Ahoy!

OOTD & M.A.C. Style Inspiration 

'If you can’t be better than your competition, just dress better.' Anna Wintour

Is it just me or does anyone else get a nautical vibe with this outfit of the day? Perhaps it's the blue and white combo with stripes.

Even the multi-wrap watch band has braided leather that resembles a braided rope.  While I don't have a pair of white jeans myself, I really covet the idea! I just haven't found a pair that fit just right. If you're worried about the nautical theme coming across a little too masculine, check out the cork soled high heels. Nice touch!


I chose to pair this outfit of the day with the Buckle-Up navy blue bracelet.  On trend are the gold-tone buckle and the faux screw accessories. They go well with the gold-tone accessories on the purse.

Get charmed today. Shop My Arm Charms. Fashionable arm charm for every style situation.

Spring & Summer boho chic

 

OOTD styled with M.A.C.

 

“Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves, of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys, they’d just walk around naked at all times.” — Betsey Johnson

I literally could step out in this outfit every Saturday to run all my errands. Don't you just love the casually, comfortable Bohemian aire of this outfit of the day?

Some pieces of this outfit are four season, fashion staples. The denim shirt can be worn through all four seasons; as a partial button-up with a turtleneck during the winter, unbuttoned with a halter, or completely unbuttoned with a tank top. Don't confuse the browns for boring! The natural wood material compliments the gold-tone accents. Their earthy vibe lends to the Bohemian style.

I chose to pair this outfit of the day with the Wood Nymph bracelet. Deep brown, slightly curved sectional wood bracelet of stretch design.

Get charmed today. Shop My Arm Charms. Fashionable arm charm for every style situation.

Turn your headlights off

Headlights are for the front end of vehicles and NOT a woman's chest

Breast are more than a just a part of the female form. They probably should be considered accoutrements for fashion. Whether your preference is for revealing cleavage or a more conservative look, it's never good fashion etiquette to have your nipples poking through your shirt. You might need to put a band aid on this situation. Seriously. While padded bras will prevent your nipples from poking through, you may not like (or need) all the extra padding. Band aids may be the perfect way to use fashion finesse for this wardrobe malfunction. The large circular ones can usually provide enough coverage. I think this solution is great for the 'No Bra' days.

Don't ever let them hear you coming

 

Panty hose should be seen and not heard and there on the come back. You can see them on fashion runways with a modern twist. No longer are they saying "no to the hose". Now the fashion trendsetters are calling them "leg concealers".

When I heard that panty hose were coming back, I'll admit that I furrowed my brow and turned up my lip. I hate that wispy sound they make as the fabric on your thighs rub together. To minimize and possibly alleviate the sound altogether, try turning your panty hose INSIDE OUT. The fabric patterns are raised on the side to worn outwards. The friction of the material rubbing together creates that sound that is audible in a quiet office. Be mindful that with all the more modern fashion trends, they may not all be easily reversible.

Somewhere over the rainbow...

OOTD & M.A.C. Style Inspiration

 

'Fashion is about dressing according to what's fashionable. Style is more about being yourself.' - Oscar de la renta

 

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces of people passing by...

 

Nope. She's NOT Jennifer Aniston, but just as hot! True - not every woman could pull this look off, but she is representin' better than most.

This type of button-up is my favorite - sleeves with rolled button tabs. I love how most of these can be dressed up AND down quite easily. Have you seen a pair of shorts like these? One definitely need have a daring sense of style - and fabulous legs like hers - to avoid having an awkward fashion memory. The heels are simply fierce! They pick up the lines in the shorts.

I chose to pair this outfit of the day with the Bejeweled a 3 - piece stackable gold-tone bangle set. Inlayed with colorful circular and oval stones, it's perfect for this outfit.

Get charmed today. Shop My Arm Charms. Fashionable arm charm for every style situation. 

 

Pretty prissy, prissy!

 

OOTD & M.A.C. Style Inspiration

 

“Always dress like you’re going to see your worst enemy.” — Kimora Lee

Beads, baubles and bling!

This OOTD shows non pretentious priss. Pastel colors are absolutely the indication of soft femininity and their back this summer season. They are everywhere; shirts, skirts, purses and finger nail polish.

The soft, white, loose fitting pull over blouse initially presents a conservative aire.  However, its sheer quality softens the attitude of the entire outfit. If you look real close, you can see a halter top. This adds even more sass! The patterned pastel shorts underscore, "This is fun!" The beaded necklace mimics a prissy pearl necklace. Its shape and coloring immediately made me think of Baubles with its pastel green beads.

 Get charmed today. Shop My Arm Charms. Fashionable arm charm for every style situation.

Dressed up, down or somewhere in between with Basketweave

OOTD & M.A.C. Style Inspiration

 

“I like my money right where I can see it: hanging in my closet.” — Carrie Bradshaw

Whoever said summer fashion had to be about comfy t-shirts, cut-off shorts and flip flops?

This OOTD is about casual summer elegance. Everything about this outfit teeters between 'dressy' and casual chic. Don't let the casual styling of the tank fool you.
While a simple and basic summer staple, its pairing with each of
these pieces make this the perfect outfit for the summer socialite.

From head to toe:
Half rim lightly tinted sunglasses say, "I see you seeing me seeing you."
The full length lined skirt is anything BUT casual with its one-sided gathering. Toeless pumps show off a perfect manicure. An envelope clutch has always been a hint of stylish class.

I elected to pair the casual elegance of this outfit with Basketweave. It too can easily dress up or dress down. A beautiful silver-tone bracelet of popcorn design serves as easy arm charm with its large crystal studded flip magnetic closure - its just as beautiful if not more so than the bracelet itself. The flexible popcorn design has it softly lay on a wrist. It's actually the most popular arm charm in the boutique.

Get charmed today. Shop My Arm Charms. Fashionable arm charm for every style situation.

Memorable Memorial

Everyone loves a holiday, right? A holiday usually translates to at least one day off from work to do whatever you want even if that means absolutely nothing! Hey, no judgment here. Memorial Day is a bar-b-que holiday; fire up the grill in the back yard and enjoy time with family and friends. Most of us could care less about what we are wearing, but it was still hard for me to decide whether I should curate fashion jewelry of a patriotic theme. After all, My Arm Charms has fashionable arm charm for every style situation! In fact, Memorial Day was formerly called Decoration Day.

While I did decide against curating jewelry for this holiday - they tend to fall on the 'gaudy' end of the spectrum - I wanted to offer anyone who comes across this blog post a coupon code for this federal holiday. The code will expire at midnight on 5/25/2015.

At check-out, use code 50OFF to receive a whopping 50% off your entire order.

I'd love to hear about your Memorial holiday - How was it memorable?

Making the Curator's Cut

Ladies ask me all the time, "How do you know which bracelet to choose?" Let me tell you, in the beginning, it's really a crap shoot with an online vendor. When you log on and find that you literally have hundreds of items to select from, the colorful and inviting photos were enough to put me in a click-coma. Next 10. Next 10. Next 10. The average woman can easily lose herself in what I am going to call a Symphony of Serotonin that results in a lack of concern for time, cost and shipping charges! Initially, I would click and mentally "Ohhh" & "Ahhh" while my body assumed an increasingly more relaxed posture as a smile spread across my face because visions of happy customers danced in my head.

The first order I ever placed was complete crap. Items that I expected to look solid and substantial looked plastic and flimsy. Other pieces gave the forbidding promise of tarnishing as they didn't have either epoxy or rhodium coating. Should I keep them all and try to sell them or send them back and incur the cost return shipping charges and a restocking fee? Man! What was I thinking? I can't do this. Oh, but how I enjoyed the shopping experience - I couldn't give that up. And I already had such a clever name for my boutique; My Arm Charms! I told myself that I had to make a go of this thing.

I decided to study up and exam the pieces that I received while referring back to the images and descriptions. Understanding what I received per what I ordered afforded me insight into what specific descriptors really meant; what was I most likely to receive in the future if I ordered other pieces with the same descriptors? I examined the components of the pieces. That which looked to be of sturdy construction in the image - what did that translate to in real life? Overall, I have gotten much better at picking quality pieces from images and descriptions alone. Things I take into consideration:

• Epoxy coating (Offers a thicker & harder coating that is more resistant to water which can hasten discoloring)
• Rhodium coating (Offers a clear coating that prevents/slows tarnishing & color discoloration)
• Metal casting (Offers substantial weight and sturdier construction)
• Acrylic verses plastic (To prevent cracking)
• Flexible, moving parts (For ease of fitting various wrists sizes)

There are still a few fashion bracelet pieces here and there that do not make the curator's cut, but they are far, few and between repeated winners. Eventually, I will probably donate a large box of fashion bracelets to a local Goodwill or Salvation Army. Just be rest assured that the inferior pieces won't make it to the boutique - that's my promise.

Silver or Gold? You Don't Have To Choose

I have long out grown gold jewelry; 14k jeweled rings, earrings, bracelets, etc. My preference eventually evolved for white gold or even silver. The muted tone goes well with everything and doesn't clash with the aesthetics of the outfit. The bold coloring of the blaring gold almost comes across gaudy to me these days. Most days, I'm wearing timeless diamond stud earrings and diamond pendant necklace of white gold. For the most part, the only pieces of jewelry that I rotate are my bracelets which is why I love the concept of the My Arm Charms boutique. Why spend ridiculous amounts of money on bracelets when I know I will want to wear a different one everyday? Entre 'My Arm Charms' - fashionable arm charm for every style situation.

The practical solution to my problem was to find stylish bracelets at an affordable price to make it more practical to own ever more bracelets. As I continue to procure fashion bracelets for the boutique, my current favorites are those of both gold and silver-tone designs. Should I wear gold or silver? Now, I never have to chose. I can have accessorize with the best of both. The muted coloring of silver provides a look of sophistication while the gold coloring adds eye-catching, visually dramatic contrast. Take a look at some of the great pieces available at My Arm Charms!




Davina ($29.99) is a trendy cable cuff inspired by the David Yurman collection. Black glass on the cuff ends offer a beautiful design. Slightly adjustable, bend for a perfect fit.

 

Dahlia ($18.99), also inspired by the David Yurman line, is slightly smaller than Davina, but just as stylish. Featuring both black glass and clear rhinestones, it offers a softer and more feminine look.

 

 

 When In Rome ($14.99) is a truly unique hinge bracelet. Textured silver-tone metal contrast beautifully against the large, raised Roman numerals that beg the question, "What's that about?"

 

 

 

'Sophie' ($29.99) is for sophistication. Every portion of this hinge cuff features design and quality.

 

Latch-It ($9.99) is a light-weight accessory bracelet - great for stacking with other bracelets. The closure is a fashion accessory in and of itself so it wears all by itself.

Beachin'!

The snow has thawed, the days are getting longer, the passing spring showers have left promising buds in their wake and it's time to start making plans for the summer trips to the beach. Who said Salt Life was all about surf boards and flip-flops? Check out the fashionable arm charm at the boutique that offer a more feminine side to Salt Life.

Slip into your espadrilles, slide into your maxi skirt, pull on your fitted tank tops and push on your shades and head to My Arm Charms for some fashionable selections for the beach this summer. Get one before they're all gone.  

Enchanted Beach Pandora style clasp fashion bracelet with beautiful blue glass slide charms has a little bit of everything from the beach and ocean. Metal cast pieces make this a slightly weighted addition to your fashion jewelry wardrobe. Beach Glamour Similar to Beach Shimmer, Beach Glamour is for the lady who prefers silver-tone arm charm. Authentic sea shells add a serious touch to the faux pearls and large star fish. Sea Friends Too cute! Who hasn't seen a baby turtle and thought, "awww". The beautiful filigree pattern on the turtle shell gives this magnetic clip closure bracelet a charming look. Beach Shimmer Light-weight fashion bracelet inspired by the sea. Sun or shade, this dainty bracelet's gold-tone style will always glisten. Faux pearls add a feminine touch of sophistication to an otherwise playful look.

It IS a small world after all!

I got to meet Grace Liang, fashion blogger of www.ColorandGrace.com!

This big world just got a li'l bit smaller. Grace Liang recently had to travel down to Atlanta from her home of Troy, Michigan for a conference. Talk about the stars being in alignment. Since meeting Grace online 3 months ago, we have exchanged quite a few emails and all the while I felt "I would like to meet this person." There is truth in the expression, be careful what you wish for; I put that energy out there and my wish came true.

If you can you believe it, I was incredibly nervous to meet Grace. What was she really like? What would we talk about - just fashion and our blogs? I even hesitated on an outfit. Our scheduled dinner date was for Friday which is more of a casual-dress day at my place of employment. While I didn't want to pass up an opportunity to be comfortable, I didn't want to pick the 'wrong' outfit. I mean, after all, I was going to be meeting a fashion blogger later that afternoon. Hey, who doesn't have a few ridiculous and unsubstantiated hang-ups?!

I made dinner reservations at Poor Calvin's, an Atlanta Thai fusion Restaurant. It had great reviews and I was aiming to pick a place fairly close to Grace's hotel. Turns out it is a popular restaurant for good reason. Our server was incredibly polite, the interior décor was beautiful, the atmosphere was relaxed and conducive to talking and the food was wonderful!

Grace and I talked about everything. Of course, we spoke about her blog www.ColorandGrace.com, my online fashion bracelet boutique www.MyArmCharms.com as expected, but talk of her life in China then a transition to Shanghai, in addition to general topics like dating, marriage, travel, Atlanta and Michigan were all a part of the night's conversation. She was so easy to talk to. I felt like I was sitting across the table having a casual conversation about the usual with a close girlfriend - Whew! Truthfully, I was reluctant to end our dinner so I could get her back to the hotel and get home myself. We didn't end our meeting without Grace choosing two fashion bracelets that she wanted to promote on her blog; Toni - a boyfriend watch with a 3 bracelet set and Basketweave - a silver-tone popcorn style bracelet with a beautiful, heavy-weight magnetic flip closure. Visit my boutique to check them out and visit www.ColorandGrace.com to see pics of Grace styling them.

I ordered black tiger  shrimp & pad thai noodles

 Grace ordered grilled rack of lamb

Poor Calvin's décor

She Tried to Expose Me!!!!!

Rather, she tried to give me and my online boutique exposure! "She" is none other than fashion blogger Grace Liang of Color And Grace.

I came to visit Grace's website after discovering a few of her posts on Google+. I was immediately drawn to the fabulous pictures she shares. Grace posts regularly providing a glimpse of what she can do as a fashion blogger; creative and stylish outfits, attention grabbing post headings and a willingness to invite you into her new life here in America. Oh, I didn't mention? Grace is from China and only living here in the United States for 8 years as of April 19th. Imagine, coming to a new country, learning to speak English AND deciding to "step out" and create a blog to her sense of style with over 3,000+ Google+ followers, 600+ Instagram followers. Those are just two of her social media outlets. By the way, her blog is only 4 months old. Yeah, pretty impressive - I know.

This is exactly why I was so excited to learn that Grace wanted to post an interview about My Arm Charms on her blog to share my boutique offerings with her followers. Such a share shouldn't be taken as a common place gesture. Bloggers know that their followers placed a great deal of trust and, at the very least, appreciation for their opinions. Endorsements of any kind from a blogger are the creme de la creme; people who know what they are talking about talking about your product or service.

So, per Grace Liang's suggestion, check out My Arm Charms to my bracelet's.

My Arm Charms is a women's boutique featuring fashion bracelets for every style situation.

Where Does 'My Charm' Come From?

Every business has to have a name; a fairly unique identifier to enable your customers to find you and remember you. What's in a name? Simply put, it's everything!

Upon deciding that I wanted to open my own online fashion bracelet boutique for women, one of the first tasks on my To Do list was to come up with memorable name; one that would 1) stand out to my boutique patrons; just roll off their tongue as they shared the news with their girlfriends, 2) succinctly identify my boutique's major offerings and 3) be original enough that someone might want to offer me thousands for it in the future. While the last objective is still more of an enjoyable dream, I knew the other 2 were definitely doable.

I began by writing down adjectives that would soon describe my would-be fashion pieces. Adjectives that resonated with pleasant thoughts; what will the pieces look like, what will the predominant style offerings look like, how do I feel when I am wearing great accessories, etc. Sometimes single word adjectives came to mind. Other times entire phrases. I'm very pleased with 'My Arm Charms' - it's perfect!

Here are a few forerunners:

She Shackles
I really liked this one and was hung on it for quite a while despite gentle petitions to abandon it. Since the boutique is a women's fashion bracelet boutique, the 'She' was quite appropriate. 'Shackles', while restrictive and usually thought of for incarceration, is anything metal worn on the wrist. I thought it clever and the identical beginning consonant sound was catchy.

Wrist Priss
Originally thinking that I would limit my offerings to only bracelets, 'wrists' being in the title made sense. Unlike a 'shackle' that could conjure a more menacing thought, 'wrist' offered a more delicate if not benign mental image. 'Priss' accessorized 'Wrist' - kinda dressed it up.

Shut The Cuff Up
This boutique name offered all the sassy edge that I hoped would come to categorize my boutique offerings. I was really attached to this one too despite it being impractical. It didn't speak to what the boutique would sell and, while edgy, wasn't very memorable. Additionally, someone else was using it to sell bracelets on a social media platform. It was this concern and not the about the phrasing closely resembling profanity that ultimately made the decision for me.

Brace YourselfI know you get it! With each word play, I became more and more tickled by my 'clever' marketing potential. 'Brace' for 'bracelet'. You would be purchasing bracelets for yourself. The bracelets are would be so awesome that with each page scroll, one would need to brace themselves to handle it all. LOL. Yeah, this was the last one as I had to start reigning it all in.
Tell me in the comments below which name you prefer?
Now that you know how much time and effort went into selecting a name for what I hope to be your new online fashion bracelet boutique, please stop by the boutique to check out my picks. www.myarmcharms.com.

Humble Beginnings

As it reads on my boutique website, My Arm Charms:"Tired of standing in a department store circling the jewelry displays with a focused and territorial yet non threatening stance while sorting through jumbled jewelry assortments and maneuvering in between other silent women as you softly mutter, "Excuse me, excuse me", all while desperately trying not to knock anyone over with the 'not so sure' pile of assorted blouses, skirts, and skinny jeans flung over your shoulder because you cannot put them in your, "I know I'm going to buy these" cart just yet? Girl, me too!

I wanted a different shopping experience. A pleasant one that did not leave me feeling drained or so frustrated that I would allow myself to give up providing that I made the promise to stay until I picked something the next time. (So many broken promises.)  I decided that I wanted to offer other women the ability to shop at their leisure in a comfortable environment while enjoying the entire shopping experience. No crowds. No lines. No rush. Almost like having the jewelry displays all to yourself.

Do you have a business venture you are pursuing? Tell me in the comments below?
Entrer My Arm Charms! While still a work in progress, this online fashion bracelet boutique is a labor of love and my passion project. Why only bracelets? Because there are enough online 'jewelry' stores. I wanted to distinguish myself and cater to a very specific niche; the bracelet aficionado. (Affectionately, the bracelet snob.) I wanted to offer something to the masses of women who range anywhere from the fashion jewelry accessories lover to the women who just does not feel that any ensemble is complete without some arm charm. As the curator of a small, but continually growing boutique that aspires to be your new, favorite online fashion bracelet boutique, I cannot offer you live chats or real-time stylist - there are no fashion consultants standing by - I will make you (3) promises:

• To never place any bracelet on the site that I would not wear myself or want to see on you!
• To always provide an array of quality and affordable fashion bracelet options.
• To charge you for your bracelet and not frilly boxes, professionally posed models or unreasonable profit margins.

 So, explore your new online, fashion bracelet boutique! Select charm for your arm in several styles and for every fashion occasion! If you need a question answered, please feel free to contact me at customerservice@myarmcharms.com .
- Leslie D. "