DAILYLOOK Month 2 Review

I got my second DAILYLOOK Subscription box yesterday and had a better experience than last month so I thought I should do another review to explain some of the differences this month compared to last.

The first thing that I was impressed with this month is that on the packing slip, my personal stylist wrote a note that she was sorry that my box didn't work out last month and that she hoped things would be better this time around.  She also provided me with contact information for her so I may communicate with her should I feel so inclined.  I thought this was a nice touch and appreciate the sentiment.

Like I mentioned in my review last month, when you return items you get to review them so that they can make changes on future orders.  I didn't show this in the post so I'll share snapshots of the process I went through this time around.

As you can see from above, for each item that they send you, you answer a series of questions and also have space to leave notes, should you feel the need to leave any additional feedback.  I have been trying to make it a point in leaving comments with everything I both keep and return so that my stylist can have a better understanding of me and why I keep some things and not others.

I received 8 items, same as last month, and decided to keep 4 this time, whereas last month I sent everything back.  A couple of the items that I kept are not my normal style and I really debated on keeping them or sending them back  but then I reminded myself that one of my goals in signing up for the service in the first place was to try new things and get out of my comfort zone so that is what I am doing.  There also were a couple of things that I would have kept had they fit better, so overall this box was a pretty good success.

In addition to reviewing each item, you also get to review your overall experience, make suggestions, or request items for a special occasion.

The items are a little more expensive than I feel like they maybe should be or than I would normally spend on similar things, but they are still reasonable (I'm just a bargain shopper and love a good deal).

Want to see what I kept this month?

I really wasn't sure about the vegan leather leggings but they look a lot better on than I had expected and are different for me but I'm going to try them out.  The other item I wasn't too sure about was the Ally McBeal Boyfriend Button Down because I don't often wear button-up shirts but this one is long, which I love, so I decided to keep this and will probably rock it with the leggings.  I'll have to post a picture on Instagram when I do.

And the items I returned:

I liked the Origami Mini Skort (and so did my husband) but they were too small and I couldn't zip them up, so they had to go back.  I also considered the Classic Knit Jumpsuit (that would be very different for me too) because it looked awesome in the pants but I felt like the top drew too much attention to my belly so that had to go too.

I think I'll keep trying DailyLook out for a while and see how it goes.  But this month was better than last so that is promising!

If you want to try out DailyLook for yourself, sign up here: http://fbuy.me/ch8hh

DAILYLOOK Review

About a month ago I signed up for DAILYLOOK.  It's a subscription service that will send you a box full of items picked out especially for you (by a personal stylist that will review various social media pages that you provide to them to get a sense of your style) every month.  I've recently been doing a wardrobe overhaul and have cleared out probably half of my clothes.  I've been working on the mindset that I want to be excited about what I wear every day, so why own clothes that you don't love or don't make you feel like a million bucks?

Then I thought that I do limit myself in what I wear.  I do have a set style, as I'm sure most of us do, but I rarely branch out of that.  So I thought trying a subscription service would be a fun way to try new things, thus the decision to try DAILYLOOK.

When I got home from work yesterday, there was a fairly large box on my doorstep.  While I have been expecting a delivery from them, I was surprised at the size of the package.

When I opened the box, I was thrilled by the packaging...  I am a textile nerd.  I love fabrics, stationary, packaging, etc.  Most of my career has been involved in packaging and shipping so I really appreciate when someone goes the extra mile.  The above picture is after I fully opened the package, so you don't get to see how nice it looked before I ripped open the tissue paper and dug through the package, but how cute is the inside of this box?  I LOVED it!  For one thing, it is orange, which is my favorite color, and for another, it just makes you feel happy.  It was like getting a present.

Above are all my goodies laid out.

This was one of my favorites in the box.  A black lace dress.  I didn't keep it though as it was too small.

These pants were too small and I couldn't zip them up (thus the picture from behind) and I am not confident to pull off the crop top at this point in time either, so those went back.

Cute color, cute cut.  Just didn't love it though.

I apparently deleted the picture actually showing off the bracelet they sent (see just the littlest bit of it in the bottom left corner?) but I did get a picture of the cute packaging!  The bracelet was probably my favorite thing that they sent.  However, I didn't feel like it was worth the $69.99 they were charging for it.

All together they sent me 8 things to try.  Items not pictured are a skirt, a white tank top, and a handbag.

I ended up sending everything back from this shipment due either to dislike, size, or price.  When you send products back, you get a survey about why you are returning them so your stylist can adjust according to the feedback as necessary.

For some reason, when I signed up for the service, I was expecting a variety of brands of clothes and accessories and was disappointed that everything seemed to be DAILYLOOK brand.  I don't know if I just misunderstood this, or if it was not clearly expressed on the website, but if you sign up, I will say that is something to be aware of.

I think I will try the service for another couple of months to see if my feedback on my returns provides better results going forward.  On the initial package, I was honestly underwhelmed overall by both selection and quality, but I do think it is worth another shot.

But, I did see online this week that Hollywood Stylist Rachel Zoe will be launching a subscription service called Box of Style, starting next week.  I will absolutely be checking that out, once you can sign up for it on the 9th.  If you want more information on that, go here: http://thezoereport.com/shop/

Betsey Johnson

So, as I've said before, I am not super familiar with different designers and as a general rule, I can't tell you who designed what but there are a few exceptions to that rule.  Betsey Johnson is one of those exceptions and that may be just because of how unique, edgy, and rock and roll she is.  She is eccentric and is herself through and through.  I love that about her.  I love that in such a "serious" industry, she isn't afraid to be who she is.  She does cart wheels and splits down the runway at her fashion shows.  I don't know of any other designers that could get away with that.  I LOVE that about her.

Betsey Johnson isn't afraid of color, or print and while her designs aren't quite as edgy as she is (who else wears a tutu over boyfriend jeans and gets away with it?), they are edgy and classic in a sense not many could get away with.

Check out this lace inset dress on her website (www.BetseyJohnson.com)

It's a classic, fitted, sheath dress, but the turquoise in contrast with the black lace, really gives it a unique, young look to it.

This dress is super simple in the front with just a little ribbon and ruffle around the bottom, but then in the back, there's the heart cut out.  I think that is very fun and flirty.  Love it!  And honestly, who doesn't love polka dots?

Betsey also has fun jewelry, handbags, intimates, shoes, etc.  Definitely worth checking out her stuff from her site or at Nordstroms (it's the only place locally that I know of to get her things in SLC).  I've gotten cute earrings of hers at Nordstrom Rack and I love them.

Betsey has tons of personality.  Check out how awesome her perfume bottles are:

That's very punk rock.  I love it!  I haven't smelled it so I don't know how it smells but the bottle is awesome!

What else is awesome about Betsey?  She has a new reality show on the Style Network.  It started last month and is called XOX Betsey.  It's about life with her daughter Lulu, work, etc.  I don't have TV service so I have been watching online but so far I am really enjoying.  I just love that she is who she is (I know I said that already).

She has a couple of offers on her site right now:

• Free shipping on orders over $100 with keyword "LOVEBETSEY"
• Spend $125, get 20% off with keyword "BOLD20"

Check out her Spring/Summer 2013 runway show collection below:

Even her shows are rock and roll.  Her models are skipping, dancing, throwing things to the crowds.  So different from the usual predictable walk/stomp, straight faced models shows that you usually see.  Be warned that toward the end there are swim/underwear models, so young eyes may not want to watch as there are some scantily clad women.

Accessories, Accessories, Accessories

I've wanted to talk about accessories since day 1 but haven't quite known where to start.  I've taken a little time to think about it and am going to wing it so hopefully I manage to get the point across how I intend.

Most people know that accessories can make or break and outfit and can take you from "blah" to "wow" but accessorizing can be a lot harder than it seems like it should be.  I mean, all you have to do is throw on a necklace, a hat, shoes, something right?  What's so hard about that?

Well, there are a lot of things to think about.  What's the occasion?  What look are you going for?  Do your accessories match the style of your outfit?  How to combine prints and colors?  Etc.  But really, accessorizing isn't as hard as we make it out to be.

Start with your outfit.  Now, where are you going?

Work?  Wear practical shoes, either heel or flat, just something you are comfortable in and is appropriate for your work.  Good accessories for work are cardigans or blazers.  Keep jewelry keyed down for work.  Some good work outfits and accessory examples are:

Accessory wise, there isn't much to this outfit.  A simple cardigan, black heels, a belt, and a watch.  Easy.  But still a fun outfit.

I love this outfit.  Love the sharp lines on the blazer.  Simple necklace, bracelets, watch, belt, clutch.  Again, not too much to it right?

I could post dozens of examples for work but I think you can get the idea.  For work, keep it classy, keep it simple.

Date night is a little more fun.  You can use more accessories, brighter colors, just have more fun with it in general.  You still don't want to overdo it but you have a little more flexibility.

This outfit is fun for a casual date.  A statement necklace and a belt.  Super easy.

I love this outfit.  I could go from work to a night out pretty easily.  Work with a blazer and probably some different shoes. Date night, lose the blazer, sexy shoes.  Super easy.  You could add a necklace or some earrings.  Easy to put together and looking hot!

Summer casual?  Hanging out, shopping, going to the beach, luncheons, etc.

Simple eyelet dress is amped up with a belt, bracelets, a hat, simple jewelry.  Very cute.

Blazer, belt, bracelets, shoes.  Effortless but very polished and put together.

Accessorizing is easy, takes little time, but makes a huge difference.  Just keep colors, patterns, and proportions in mind.  Don't mix big, loud prints with more big, loud prints.  Aim for solids or simple prints instead (and yes, it is OK to mix prints with prints within reason).

Still not sold on accessories completely changing the look of an outfit?  Check out The Uniform Project (http://www.theuniformproject.com/year1/home/monthly/June.html).  A woman wears the same dress every day for a year and just styles it differently every day.  Some of her outfits are interesting to say the least, but it goes to show how differently you can make the same thing look depending on what you pair it with.  Here's an example of 10 days worth of her outfits:

I am sure I will do more posts on accessories in the future (I already am planning one dedicated to scarves), but I think this is a good, basic overview of accessories and the effect they can have.  Have fun accessorizing, but also keep it simple.  It's very easy to over accessorize and that can make you look like a little kid playing dress up (or worse, like a cheap hooker - that may have more to do with makeup than anything else but accessories can get you there too).

Side note, I pulled all my example pictures from Pinterest.  I generally try to search the pins back to their original source so I can give credit where credit is due, but I didn't have time for that today so I apologize for that and if anyone knows the source of the above photos, feel free to leave that info in a comment below.  I'll do my best to avoid doing this in the future.

"A woman makes an outfit her own with accessories." Oscar de la Renta

One last thing, Banana Republic is doing a giveaway right now.  You can win a $1000 gift card there, a 2 night trip to one of two locations, and a Fiat 500.  Enter here: http://on.fb.me/13qpRRI.  You can enter every day this month so be sure to enter daily :)