The Selection-Inspired Outfit

Ok, you can't really read The Selection by Kiera Cass without drooling over the cover.  And really, I feel like I'm almost betraying the book by creating an outfit based off of it.  Because it's perfect.  And doesn't need any changes.  Let's just look at it again, shall we?

 

I think if I owned this dress I would wear it all the time.  Even when I did the dishes.  Because it's that gorgeous!

Ok, moving on to the outfit I did design.  It's a day look inspired by the dress and an outfit I could see main character America wearing as she attends an afternoon tea in the palace.  Here it is:

Pretty cute, right?

So here's how I designed it:

• The dress on the cover is all about two things: ruffles and tulle.  Tulle ruffles!  I can't get enough!  So I chose an aqua dress with a ruffle waistline.  This particular dress is from the Mossimo brand at Target and is only $20!
• But I needed some tulle to add to the dress, so I found a white tulle slip/skirt (this one is from TopShop for $50) that could easily slide underneath the dress.  The dress goes from slightly stiff to pretty fun when a little bit of tulle is peeking out underneath!
• Pearls, pearls, pearls!  I wanted the dress to be layered in pearls to add a touch of the dramatic.  The shorter layer here is from Forever New for $24; the longer layer is from Tiffany's and is over $1300...yikes!
• Some silver pumps finish the look, because a possible-princess-to-be has to wear heels, right?  This particular shoes are YSL and are pretty pricey--$665!  But any cute silver pump would do.  

So what do you think?  I know, I know, it's not the dress on the cover...but a good representation, right?

I'll be back tomorrow to review The Elite, the second book in The Selection series.  See you then! 

*I am not associated with any of the companies mentioned.

Once-Inspired Outfit

Yesterday I reviewed the book Once by Anna Carey, the second book in the Eve series.  So today's post is an outfit inspired by Eve, our protagonist.  In Once, Eve becomes a princess and is required to visit various places during the day--gotta keep up appearances, you know.  So today's outfit focuses on that.  I designed a day outfit suitable for a princess visiting her subjects.

 

 Sweet and girly...just like a princess.

So let's break it down:

• A floral day dress, kind of reminiscent of the 50s.  It's sweet but not too soft (with colors like red and black thrown in) and easy to move around in.  The thin belt is perfect to accentuate the waist.
• Simple black ballet flats with a bow.  Of course this dress could easily be paired with heels, but the flats give it more of a day look.  And someone in flats seems less intimidating--just the message a princess wants to send to please the crowds.
• A bright orange clutch brings some "pop" into the outfit.  And doesn't this dress just look so much better with a clutch than a large satchel purse?
• Delicate peach nail polish--so sweet and clean-looking.
• Some stacked bracelets in traditional pearl (a princess must have pearls!) and black pearl and a few bangles.  I love the flower on the black pearl bracelet--it counterbalances the peach flowers in the dress so nicely!  These bracelets add a kick to the outfit while keeping it semi-traditional.
• Black stud earrings.  A princess wouldn't wear giant dangly earrings during the day--soft and sweet with studs.

So what do you think?  Could you see a princess in this outfit?

I'll be back tomorrow to review the third and final book in the Eve series, Rise.  See you then!