8 Great Uses for Bridesmaid Dresses After the Wedding

Everyone says that they want to buy bridesmaid dresses that they will use again. In the past, this was fairly difficult. Some of the puffy sleeve pastel wonders of the 80s were a bit, ahem, hard to love. Today’s gowns, however, are utterly wearable. Stylish and versatile, the idea of wearing them again is no longer a distant dream. Rather, it is a dream-fulfilling reality!

Struggling to think of more than one practical way to reuse your bridesmaid dress after the wedding day? We’ve compiled a list of seven ideas, all totally possible if you make a point of choosing a bridesmaid dress that can be used again.

1. If you are in high school or college, wear your bridesmaid dress again to a prom, dance, or sorority formal.
2. Choose a versatile cocktail dress in a color that flatters you, or that is timeless like dark grey bridesmaid dresses are, or even one in solid black if it works with your bride’s palette, and you’ll have a go-to party dress for any number of social situations.
3. Have a generous heart? Donate your gown to charity. Most major cities have organizations that accept gowns as donations. They are offered to underprivileged girls and those suffering from life-threatening, serious diseases.
4. Taking a family cruise or have a cousin or girlfriend who is? Multiple formal nights on a single cruise necessitate a selection of dresses, so keep yours in your travel fashion arsenal.
5. Select a style that you can wear to a future wedding. Many bridesmaid gowns these days are simply great dresses. If it doesn’t scream wedding party, don’t be afraid to wear it as a guest.
6. Start a swap. If you are in a close circle of ladies all around the same age and with similar body types, you could start a swap. You’ll infinitely expand the number of dresses you have to choose from next time you need something pretty or impressive.
7. Contact a local community or school theater program and donate your gown as a costume for a future production.
8. If you simply want to have fun with your dress, offer to crash your bride’s “trash the dress” session – a photographer can do great things with a few extra participants willing to put it all on the line.

Are you a bride trying to choose gowns for your attendants to wear to your wedding? Whether they are paying for their attire per custom, or you are gifting their dresses to them, it is highly advisable to choose a color and fabric and allow your bridesmaids to select a style that they feel amazing in. This goes an extra long way toward making their dresses appropriate choices to wear in the future.

Is your color palette very bold or avant garde? Consider selecting a gown in a neutral color, or one that is appropriate to multiple social situations, and then accenting with jewelry and flowers in your other colors. For example, if your palette is turquoise, grey and tangerine, choose grey bridesmaid dresses with turquoise jewelry and tangerine bouquets. If you select shoes that will go with other outfits as well, your attendants will only love you even more than they do now!

Bridesmaids shoulder enough expenses as part of a wedding party – bridesmaid dresses should be both beautiful and practical, and are the best value when they can be worn again.

Copyright: <a href='http://es.123rf.com/profile_dolgachov'>dolgachov / 123RF Foto de archivo</a>Azazie Adriana

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   P.S. - This is a collaborative post with Azazie. All opinions expressed are my own.

10 Stylish Ways to Stay Warm this Winter with StyleWe

If you're brave enough to venture into the Boxing Day ring, this list of winter essentials might help you roll with the punches. StyleWe and A Mug Full of Style bring you the hottest trends for this winter season.

1. A Cape Jacket

This is a great outerwear style for the in-between weather. Get a cape jacket to wear in a bold print to wear as a stement piece this winter. 

2. A Cold Shoulder Sweater

A cold shoulder shows just enough skin to look sexy without freezing yourself. You can pait it with leggings for a casual day in or tuck it into a pencil skirt for a night out. 

3. A Long Down Jacket

Gone are the days when a down jacket made you look like a shapeless sleeping bag. A long down jacket in an interesting colour is anything but boring.

4. A Fuzzy Sweater

A fuzzy sweater in a jewel or pastel just screams diva without compromising on style. You'll feel like you're curled up in a cozy blanket all day long.

5. Black Leggings

A pair of essential black leggings is a must-have for every fashionista. It hides all your trouble spots and you can dress them up or down as you wish. 

6. Patched Trench Coat

This trench coat with butterfly patches combines two of the best winter trends. Invest in a classic army green trench and you can pin removable patches of your choice onto it. 

7. A Red Holiday Party Dress

This is a perfect dress to make a statement this holiday season. Accentuate your toned shoulders and hide the problem areas with the an off-shoulder, shift style dress. 

8. Velvet Anything 

Velvet is everywhere this season. This twisted velvet top reeks luxe and class when combined with a basic skirt or pant. 

9. A Sweater Tunic

A sweater tunic is perfect for work or play. Play with a basic colour by adding on interesting accessories and pleather leggings. 

10. A Mock Turtleneck

The nineties favourite makes a comeback! Create this look yourself by pairing your favourite holiday dress with a turtleneck or by one like this which does the job for you. 

You can get any of these independent designer winter looks at StyleWe on their website or by following them on Our Twitter. StyleWe also carries a gorgeous range of summerwear like dresses, shorts and bikini for your winter getaway. 

P.S. This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are honest and unbiased. 

5 Tips to Make Your Blog Photos Look Great

If you are an avid fashion blogger you understand how hard it is to set yourself apart from the rest to stand out and get noticed. One of the best ways to do this is to have great blog photos that showcase your style. Following these five tips may help you make the photos for your blog look better.

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Don’t be afraid to invest: First of all invest in a good camera. The camera itself does not have to be very pricey (look for a DSLR camera to start), but what you definitely need are good lens. Finding the best lens to give you the best contrast and depth to show off your outfits actually makes all the difference. Also, if you are really passionate about photography, you can take some fashion photography courses like this one in order to gain important technical skills and express your creative ideas successfully.

Find the right lighting: For different outfits and styles it is important to choose the right lighting. You may spend countless hours trying to find the right location, so play around with the lighting to see what works best. The times right before sunset and after sunrise are the so-called “golden hours” which provide the best lighting for photography. The light hits the focus of the picture more directly, but play with the aperture to find the right balance.

Find the best location: Always look for inspiration in other blogs or magazines to pair the right location with the outfit and style you are shooting. You will not want to rip off these shoots but use them as guidelines to find a cool location for yours. A good backdrop for great fashion is always a must.

Watch how you crop your photos: When you are editing your photos be careful how you crop them. Read up on the rule of thirds and play around with how you want the focal point to appear in your designs.

Use the most flattering angles: It is essential to learn how to use angles and leading lines to capture the best photo. Using buildings or shadows helps lead the view to the subject of the photo. This takes time to learn, but be sure to have fun doing it! Playing around with all the aspects of your photo shoot is half of the adventure. Never be afraid to fail and don’t think too much about it, sometimes all of the right pieces will just fall into place.

P.S.- This is a collaborative post. 

L'Oreal Hydra Total Skincare Review

For those of you who know me personally, know that I recently made some big changes in my life. Which is why I think I have a good enough reason for my absence from my blog. I recently moved to a new country, started a new job, and gave a face-lift of sorts to my blog. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a gorgeous gift in my mail a month back which made my move all the more sweeter. My shift to Canada was welcomed with some new products by L'Oreal courtesy of Influenster Canada. So, I figured what better why to start my blog again than with a review of the L'Oreal Hydra Total Skincare range. 

The box arrived with gorgeous packaging in which the products were packed to make sure that there were no leaks. The Hydra-Total 5 comes is 3 ranges for different skin types and I received the Ultra-Soothing range in the micellar water, toner, and moisturizer. The other lines are called fresh and ultra-even. Each product has not just one but 5 great benefits for your skin! 

MICELLAR WATER

Price: $8.47 CAD at Walmart.

I was really excited to try this one as I had never used micellar water before or even heard of it for that matter.I was a little doubtful of using it as I have combination skin and the product was for dry to sensitive skin. But, I was pretty happy with the product! I love how light it felt and was almost as refreshing as a toner. The 5 benefits are cleanser, make-up remover, soothes dry skin, softens, hydrates. It is basically a cleanser and I am currently using it as a makeup remover. It doesn't irritate my skin at all, which is great since it is super sensitive and I break out from most makeup removers. Out of all 3 this is probably one I would repurchase the most.  

TONER

Price: $8.47 CAD at Walmart

The toner had a gel-like consistency which was something  did not expect in a toner. It still felt good on the skin though and spread easily and had a pleasant cooling effect. It has the effects of a toner, removes impurities, soothes dry skin, softens, and hydrates. I doubt that I will repurchase it though as I have other toners that I prefer for combination skin although I have no complaints with this one. This is another winner for sensitive skin!  

MOISTURIZER

Price: $12.97 CAD at Walmart

The ultra-soothing moisturizer moisturizes, soothes dry skin, replenishes, softens, and comforts. This moisturizer was one of those products that I felt was more geared towards dry skin rather than sensitive as it not feel as good on mine than the others. I also have an oily T-Zone so I have a hard time finding moisturizers anyways. I would probably not buy it again as it did not suit my skin type at all!

I received theses products complimentary from Influenster Canada for testing purpose. All opinions expressed in the post are honest, unbiased and my own.