Back to School Essentials: Clothes | F/W 2014

Back to School Essentials: Clothes | F/W 2014 by lindsay-johnson61

Ahh, August. What a ridiculous month. It's like the October of Christmas. It's still summer, but somehow the school system has managed to work it's way into the end of the month. Which means we need to get ready for autumn and winter. Pronto. So, without further a due, here are my back to school clothing essentials!

Tops: Most of the time, I stick to the basics when it comes to my wardrobe. My back to school essential tops include basic long sleeved tops, button downs, victorian/bohemian blouses, basic tees, graphic tees, pullovers, and basic cardigans. When it comes to the long sleeved tops, button downs, basic tees, pullovers and basic cardigans, I recommend getting them in colors such as grey, black, white, and navy blue. On the long sleeved tops, also get black-and-white, horizontal stripes, which are classics. Similar to that, get vertical stripes (most of the previously mentioned color ranges work),  polka dots (same on the colors), and gingham print, which is pretty on trend now. When wearing boho or victorian tops, stick to white or cream with blue accents.

Outerwear: Leather jackets are something a person just can't live without. Trench coats are not super important, but look cool and are great for when it rains. Borge coats are super comfy and warm for when it rains. Army jackets are good for layering, which is kind of essential in cool weather. And lastly, leopard print coats. My staple piece. I cannot live without leopard print in my closet.

Jeans: Jeans will never go out of style. We will always be wearing jeans, no question. My back to school essential jeans include boyfriend jeans and skinny jeans. I don't really like boyfriend jeans that are too baggy or dark in color, so I usually go for light colored ones that are basically loose-fitting skinny jeans. Now, for skinny jeans, I like black, dark grey, and a classic denim blue. Rips optional.

Shoes: A girl can never have too many shoes. I've never really thought of myself as a shoe freak, but after seeing how many shoes I put in this post, I retract that statement. I love ankle/chelsea boots, biker boots, loafers, brogues, flats, and classic trainers. Multiple colors and fabrics when it comes to most of these shoes. The strappier the better when it comes to flats, I always say! And for the trainers, some Converse and Vans will do!

Underwear: This is, obviously, essential. For school, I don't really think you need anything fancy because, come on, it's school. So I've decided to go for some easy Calvin Klein bralet and "panties". God, I hate that word. There really needs to be a better word for them. Like knickers, why don't Americans use the word knickers?!

You may or may not be wondering why there are no skirts or dresses in this post. Well, personally, I think skirts and dresses just tend to get in the way when it comes to school. I will hardly ever wear a skirt to school. I like to be comfortable, especially in school, and I always find myself fussing with the hem and such. If you do add a skirt, just make sure it's school appropriate, and don't flash anyone.

Well I hoped this has helped you decide what to buy on your back to school shopping spree! And if not, I hope you enjoyed the read. Let me know if you'd like me to do more of this in the comments down below. I'll be doing all back to school related posts this month, so stay tuned! x

Clothing & Beauty Haul: 21-22 July 2014

Firstly, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts. I've been incredibly busy with family visiting, and my mom and I just recently had a birthday. Also, homework is a pain in the ass.

But, I wanted to start posting hauls, and I had some free time on my hands so I thought, "What the hell, let's actually make blog posts." So, here we are!

On the 21st, my mom and I had to drive down to Salt Lake City to drop my cousin off at her brother's apartment, and while we were there, we decided to pop into Steinmart. Steinmart isn't really my kind of store, because most of the clothes are for women older than me. However, I did manage to find a lovely stripy dress, leggings, or tights (I have no idea what we're calling them now), a bag, and a chambray top.

The dress is really cute, but its a little short (which is why I also purchased the leggings), and the fabrics a little heavy. Personally, I think I wouldn't need the leggings if I had skinny legs. But it's fine, because the legging/tight things are really lightweight, even if I think my legs look stubby in them.

The bag is definitely my new favorite bag. It looks like a wicker basket, which makes me feel like Jane Birkin, who, according to me, is one of the prettiest people ever to walk the face of the earth. It's a really great summer bag, and can hold a lot of things, which I've never really needed, because I never have a lot of shit to put into my bags.

The day after, my friend and I went back into the city to pick up some beauty items and celebrate my birthday a little bit early, since she wasn't going to be there. The first stop on our list was obviously Sephora, where I got some excellent beauty products. I grabbed the Eyeko Deluxe Mascara Duo, which consisted of the Black Magic and Midnight Blue mascara. Both, I think, will make great substitutes to the Eyeko mascara that I already have. However, I was nervous getting the Midnight Blue mascara, because, it's blue. Like, really blue. I read on the back of the tube that the blue makes your eyes pop, and also makes the whites of your eyes whiter. Will report back if these facts are verifiable.

The next product that I grabbed was Origins Clear Improvement ® Active Charcoal Mask Pods (another mouthful, Origins knows how to name) which are basically four little sampler pods of the face mask. I'm not too sure how well Origins products work (for me, at least), because I only own one other face mask, which is nothing like the charcoal mask. But I'm really excited to see if the mask will make an improvement to my already fucked up face. :-)



Now, because my birthday was the day after the shopping trip, Sephora also gave me the Happy Birthday Beautiful birthday gift, which is a Make Up For Ever travel sized/sampler product of a mascara and a lipstick. Unfortunately, you don't get to pick out the lipstick shade yourself, but it was fine, because the shade that they do give you is really pretty, natural pinkish brown shade. It literally almost looks like the lipstick version of the skin pigment on your lips, except maybe a little browner. The mascara is intense, with an incredibly huge brush—something I'd never pick out on my own. I guess it'll be a good sub for when I run out of all the mascaras that I just
purchased.

After Sephora, we peaked into H&M, where my friend bought me a cool muscle tee that I cannot show you at the moment, because it's in the wash. But it's white, and loose and feels great. She also got me a pineapple necklace, which is pretty rad because, well, pineapples. It's gold, too, so I feel very on trend, which is something I hardly ever feel.

Subsequently, I did two things I didn't think I would ever do: purchase something from Forever 21, and purchase something at Forever 21 in the men's section. Like every teenage girl, I've purchased things from Forever, things that were very on trend for the moment. But unlike teenage girls, I prefer quality over quantity when it comes to clothes. And for me, Forever just doesn't sell good clothes. Yes, they're cute, but I've had their tops become unthreaded really quickly after purchasing. My friend wanted to pop in, and while browsing around (Yes, in the mens section. I like to know what men are buying.) I found a top that screamed me because it had dinosaurs on it. Yes, dinosaurs. I have an addiction. I'm now sixteen and I like dinosaurs like an nine-year-old boy likes dinosaurs. Anyway, the shirt is nice and lightweight, and since it was in the men's, it came in a size extra large, which is good for me, because extra large men shirts are probably one the comfiest things ever. Now I just need a boyfriend to wear it and spray his cologne on it.

PS: The photo of the dino shirt is from my Instagram, and if you want to (or not, I believe that you're intelligent enough to make your own choices), you can follow me @johnsonlindsayh

Brands I Love: Monki

Brands I Love: Monki by lindsay-johnson61

If you couldn't tell already, I'm obsessed with clothes. I love the different atmospheres clothes can create. And lately, I've been noticing a big trend with minimal clothes. I guess the only way to describe it is adding a couple simple pieces together to create a fab look. It also looks really good when you at statement pieces, like a graphic top or a cool bag. One brand that does this really well is Monki. They take the trending "minimal" look, and add their own twist to it, with fun prints and quirky accessories. I personally like to go back to the basics, but I love looking at their clothes—they're so cool. Unfortunately, this rad brand only ships to mostly European and Asian countries, so you can't find any shops in the US or ship through the website. You can, however, get some of their clothes that are available at ASOS, which pretty much ships everywhere.

Click on any of the little pictures to get to their website via Polyvore, and feel free to click on the big picture or any of the links above to check out my Polyvore post and account.

Click here to shop Monki at ASOS | Click here for Monki website

Kate Moss x Topshop Review

Kate Moss has got to be one of the coolest people on the planet. By far. She has a vibe about her that makes her appear to be so elegant and edgy at the same time, which is what I try to achieve every time I put an outfit together. Topshop is home to a good 80% of my favorite pieces of clothing, so when a huge fashion icon like Miss Moss teams up with them to create her own collection, I freak out. WOOHOO!!! I like this collection because they had four different categories and you would take a quiz to see which "Kate" fit you the most.

Sooo I took the quiz to see which "Kate" I am, and apparently I'm under the category of Balearic Dressing. After looking at the clothes under that category, I was not let down. Although aztec prints aren't really my thing, the boho looks are perfect for summer, including a suede dress and some fun paisley print. The crochet dresses are also super cool. This is obviously my favorite "Kate" by the amount of pieces I put into the set.

When I'm not looking like a dirty hippy (not my words, but very descriptive), I like to wear black. And lots of it. Which is why I think the Tailoring Noir category is another perfect one for me. I like them, particularly because you dress them both up and down, unlike the other 3 categories. The scalloped tanks are very cute, as are the frilly shorts. I loved the beaded blouse as well, because it looks like it would also come from the Balearic Dressing category. Also, who can say no to a sparkly suit?!

Because these last two categories are so small and somewhat similar, I had to combine them. Both categories involve the night. In the Cocktail Hour category, I fell in love with the LBD's, as most girls will. I loved the textures that the dresses had, like the fringe, metal beading, and feathers. I also loved the pattern of the blossom dress. The girly print with the black behind them balance each other out. Sadly, there wasn't much for me to like in the Pyjama Dressing category. I've never been a fan of wearing pajamas outside of my house, so the fact that people do it in the name of fashion confuses me. I did like the black pajama suit, though. It didn't scream "I'm in pajama's", so that's always nice. I don't know whether I would wear the pieces separate or together, but either way, they look very chic and super comfy!

In order from left to right: Balearic Dressing, Tailoring Noir, Cocktail Hour/Pyjama Dressing

Kate Moss x Topshop Review by lindsay-johnson61 on polyvore.com

Unfortunately, I can't really check out any of these clothes in person. They look pretty on the computer, and hopefully in real life, but I can't make any promises. If I lived in a state with a Topshop in it, even if it was a 4 hour drive to Topshop, I would be right there, checking out the clothes to give you an official review. But of course, I cannot.

Anyways, I hope you're just as exited about this collection as I am! What are your favorite pieces/categories? Please fill free to leave comments down below with your opinions on the Kate Moss x Topshop collection! Until next time! x