It's your birthday, so I know you wanna STYLE out...

June 20^th

The Event?  Birthday / Cirque Du Soleil: Zarkana performance
The City?  New York City

The Weather?  96 degrees

The Time of Day?  Late afternoon into night

      

          The Perfect Birthday Outfit. I don’t know about you guys but every year on my birthday, I’m faced with the same question: “What do I wear?” And whether you’re going out at night, having a relaxed birthday dinner with friends, or just simply getting together with family- there will definitely be pictures taken. Looking back on these photos should be fun, but if you don’t feel good in what you’re wearing then you won’t look good and it’s all downhill from there. So here’s a post devoted to what I, Jasmine (Co-Creator of fashiontakemyheart), wore for my special day and how it worked for me.

Call It Spring Polakis Wedges

          This year I decided to go to NYC for a Cirque Du Soleil show and going to Manhattan insures a good amount of walking, so the right footwear is key. Generally, when putting together an outfit I go by a simple rule: Pick the shoes you want to wear so they can guide your look. Though the shoes I had in mind didn’t scream, “Great for walking!”, the Call It Spring Polakis wedge sandals were perfect for this occasion. Originally 50 bucks, I got them on sale for $39.95 at JCPenney. And not only does the added height on a wedge elongate your legs but it gives any look a more stylized feel.

          So that was my jumping off point, and from there my outfit had a pretty clear direction. Now, any one of the details listed above can make picking an outfit difficult, but imagine all four rolled into one day. Haha… Instead of letting that slow me down though- I focused on each factor separately & then combined them.

          Altogether, I wanted a look that was birthday worthy and geared towards a night out in NYC, but not too sexified because that’s not my style. Add in nearly 100 degree weather and that means your clothes should be light and airy but with a darker color pallet for night. 

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A Forever21 model in the top

Back view w/ longer hemline

          I decided to go for a black sleeveless lace button down from Forever21 that I recently bought for $13.50. This top has a bunch of trendy elements: It’s collared (I buttoned it all the way to the top, which is new trend I’m fond of), with a high-low hemline (I tucked the shirt in my shorts for a more streamlined look), and see-through (I wore a black racerback bra underneath for less of a contrast.)

          As a bottom, I chose a pair of light pink essential woven shorts in a trouser style- also from Forever21. They were only $12.80, and they’re Top Rated on the site. This being my second time wearing them I can definitely agree with that rating; they have a bit of stretch so sizing is not an issue, the fabric can be dressed up or down, and the length is perfect.

         I belted my shorts with a dark brown faux leather belt that actually came with another pair of shorts. *CUTE-TIP: It’s practical to utilize every piece in your collection. For example even though a belt came with something, that doesn’t mean it belongs to it.* And I ended up using my go-to every day black shoulder bag with dark gold hardware (from Macy’s on sale for $20 bucks about two months ago); It was perfect and sensible.
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I like to Mix & Compliment, rather than just match. 

          Accessory-wise I decided to keep it light. I wore a layered necklace with a grey/taupe faceted bead strand and two separate antique gold chains that I purchased a couple of years ago, (I believe it was from Forever21… Can you tell I like that store? haha). I also went with stud earrings: a very light pink gemstone pair in the slight shape of a heart and a simple set of small dark gold studs. For bracelets, I chose a polished black & gold hinged cuff with a chain link accent (@ Macy’s for around $8), and three different beaded bracelets in: black, brown wood, and a squared gold.

          Lastly, it was time for my hair and makeup. (I know some girls do these steps first, but I pull the colors for my makeup from my outfit so they’re last in my book.) My hair was simple enough, since it was straight I put it into a low ponytail with a side part- to compliment my tailored menswear inspired outfit.

   

          Just to touch on my eyeshadow and blush: I applied a semi-smoky eye using a dark purple/grey on the outer corner of my eyelid and creases, two shades of mauve for my lids, and a light champagne as a highlight for the innermost corner of my eye and underneath my brow bone. A pearlescent pink blush on my cheeks was the finishing touch.

 SIDENOTE: My e.l.f. eyeshadow pallet is from Urban Outfitters, but I got it for only $5. Its 32 warm colors are awesome, much like my Wetnwild blush; Which leads into the underlying theme of this post: Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean its crap. Haha... Apart from my shoes- no item mentioned in this post was over $20, and I can easily say that I'll get my money's worth and then some with each one. ;-]

                                     

To sum up everything, my outfit was a success. Plus, I was completely comfortable all night, and by all night I mean into the next morning too since I partied at two bars after the show. haha... I hope you all enjoyed my outfit as much as I did, or at the very least were inspired by my choices and can apply them to your next ensemble dilemma. Feel free to send in your comments & suggestions, we'd love to hear from you. xx