Styling for "The Business of Falling in Love" with Hilary Duff & Jaime Pressley

Business of Falling in Love by bbailey12 featuring Forever21

Items in this set:
Elizabeth and James t shirt, $90
Alexander Wang top, 60 GBP
Forever21 vest, $18
Stella McCartney jacket, 488 GBP
BCBGMAXAZRIA shoes, $102

A few weeks ago I just happened to stumble upon a chance to be an extra in Hilary Duff's new movie "The Business of Falling in Love," and I couldn't pass up the chance to get some experience on a set. It's no new news to learn that I want to be a stylist, and I saw this opportunity as one which would give me some extra insight and knowledge about the business.

Call time was at 6am and I just stumbled in wearing the outfit pictured on the left: Elizabeth and James oversized tee; American Apparel bodysuit; my fav Tolani scarf; House of Harlow pendant necklace; and my Chanel flats... I wore the outfit out of comfort, but little did I know I was going to be on camera in it! I was assigned to be an office worker, but the on set stylist stopped me and switched me to the role of one of the models. She said my style was "Uptown cool" and just wanted me to wear what I already had on. The setting of the scenes were in Cosmopolitan's offices (Hilary's character is trying to become a fashion writer). I was beyond flattered to say the least especially since I was considered fashionable enough to be a "model" for Cosmo!!! Then she made me whole day by telling the other "models" to change into outfits that resembled mine. Talk about a fashion ego boost! Naturally I had to lose the comfy flats and change into my painfully tall black platforms, but it was well worth it. That day proved to me that I was definitely cut out for being a stylist!(sidenote: while putting together the looks above, I ran across a picture of Hilary Duff wearing the exact same scarf I had on that day! What are the odds? We had a seen together and I felt like she was staring at me weirdly, so perhaps if was the fact that I was wearing almost the exact same outfit that she had on in the picture above! She probably thought I was a crazy person, but I really had never seen that picture before! What are the odds? I guess she just has great taste, too!)

A few extras were kept for a few more scenes & my second look was more toned down. I went with American Apparel shiny leggings; a black Alezander Wang T tank; black Bamford satin blazer; grey & black striped Forever 21 swing vest; House of Harlow pendant necklace; a vintage multi-strand gold necklace; and Melani black & gold patent zipper boots. I threw on a black sequin beret just to keep the outfit from getting too boring. It won't be seen in the movie because we were filmed behind a frosted window pane of a conference room and were just being used to keep movement in the background. Too bad... it was a cute look!

Belated Halloween Costumes!

Halloween by bbailey12 featuring Vera Wang dresses

So my husband isn't really a fan of dressing up for Halloween... I , on the other hand, am obsessed with it! It took me a while to come up with a set of costumes we could wear together while making him still feel comfortable. Then it hit me... Kanye West & Taylor Swift at the VMAs! I already had a dress similar to hers that I bought at a Vera Wang Sample Sale and have no where else to wear it, so that was a major bonus because that would have been the most expensive part. It was almost too easy... He already had jeans and black shoes, so all I needed to buy was the Kanye shutter glasses ($7 at Hot Topic), a bottle of Hennessy to carry around, and a fake microphone (from a Halloween store). With Taylor's look a like dress already in my closet, I was pretty much set. I found some old shoes I had worn with another formal dress, bought some rhinestone bracelets and earrings and was good to go. The MoonMan was what worried me, but I had a bright idea... I could make it out of tinfoil! Sure it wouldn't be a perfect replica, but everyone would know what it was and the outfits were so funny that no one would have cared! I'm already Taylor's height and we have the same hair color and length, so all I needed to do was curl my hair and put it in a messy bun. Top it off with some red lip stain and I would be set. The key to making the outfits funny was to act just like they did--- "Kanye" needed to yell and act like a wild child while and "Taylor" just stood next to him looking frightened/confused and clutching her tinfoil moonman). I'm still really proud of my lightbulb idea & just wanted to share my creative moment with you! Hope you got a laugh out of this thought because I sure did!

My Fashion Must-Haves: Inspired by Mary Kate

Mary Kate by bbailey12 on Polyvore.com

Yeah, I know a lot of people mock Mary Kate Olsen for some of her eccentric looks, but I have no problem admitting that I am a huge fan of her fashion forward thinking. Sure, sometimes she looks like she woke up in a garbage can, but who hasn't had one of those days in the past? The tabloids obviously print the most absurd outfits so that more people will read their magazines, but what about the cool cutting edge outfits that she rocks the other 99% of the time? What I admire most her the Olsen twins' mind-set of "We don't care what you think." It isn't about pleasing anyone else, rather it's about what they feel artistically inspired to wear and what makes them feel good. I relate to that feeling by living in an area where fashion trends don't catch on until years later. By being in the moment & wearing what I feel is current and makes me look good, I've gotten a lot of looks and comments. So, I would like to focus on MK's looks & attitudes towards wearing creative ensembles, while still keeping it to something that can be worn in the real world... because not all of us have billions of $$$ and live the Hollywood lifestyle where almost anything goes.

1. Slim Cut Black Pants - these classic staples should be stocked in bulk. From leather, satin, cotton, and denim: there is NEVER enough in your closet. I repeat, never enough. They slim you down and when you're shorter (like MK) a slim cut lengthens your legs. On top of that, they go with everything. The ultimate in versatility! From day to night, the same pair of pants can do it all.

2. Plaids - mostly thrown over jean shorts in the summer time, this look is perfect for fall & winter as well. An over sized plaid shirt over leggings gives the appearance of being effortlessly cool. The Olsen's Elizabeth & James line has tons of over sized plaid shirts that range up to $200 and I have invested in a few, but for those days where I really don't want to wear my nicer pieces I bought several men's plaid shirts at sporting goods stores for around $20 each. They don't fit the female form as well, so I simply belt them to give myself a little shape. It's economical & they have a ton more selection of colors & prints.

3. Big Black Sunglasses - yes, I understand that most guys are against the trend & many people say it isn't flattering, but if Jackie O wore them, then I'm always going to be on board. It's that high class chic vibe they give off that I adore. They are also life savers on those days where I don't have time to put on make-up. I don't understand how anyone can live without them.

4. Leather Jackets - another piece that MK wears constantly, as do I. A leather jacket takes a plain black outfit and really gives it an edge. I'm a fan of jackets with a lot of metal hardware to give a little texture and pop to the look. They are such tough pieces, but have the chic quality to them. Always an eye catcher!

5. Black Boots/Booties/Platforms- so the Olsens are very short girls... I am the exact opposite. At 5'11" I spent most of my life in flats, but I finally have turned that around and now constantly wear heels. I decided not to let my height restrict my fashion choices. The one thing that I almost always do is buy shoes in black. For every pair of brown shoes I own, I have 3 black pairs. They don't go out of style and go with practically everything in my closet. Sure, my husband complains and says they all look alike, but when I want peep toes for a cocktail party, or platforms for going out, I'm all set.

6. Hats - an easy fix when you need a little color or your just too tired to try and fix your hair. A cool beret will always set you apart without making too big of a statement. My favorite that I constantly wear is a black matte sequin beret. It gives my outfits a bit of shimmer & adds this cool 1990's Brenda Walsh vibe to my look. Plus, on a bad hair day, a hat is a complete life saver!!!

7. MOST IMPORTANTLY: WHEN IN DOUBT, WEAR BLACK- Look at her pictures... even when MK isn't wearing all black she's in dark jewel tones. Maybe its because I'm fair skinned and can't pull of most bright colors, but I strongly believe in the majority of my wardrobe being black. You just can't go wrong with it. I can wear most of my black clothing to work & then transform it into something completely fun & different for night. Example: Oversized black tshirt with dress pants, black pumps, and a black boyfriend blazer for work... same shirt, switch the pants for leggings, keep the shoes, ditch the blazer and add a ton of gold bangles and you're ready for the night. It's all about accessorizing when you're wearing all black, and I happen to be an accessory junkie. I'd rather blow a lot of money on a bag and jewelry than clothing. And wearing all black allows me to layer a lot more bracelets, wear bright colored purses, and more funky shoes. The best part is that black never goes out of style or out of season, so you can invest more money into key pieces that you'll be likely to use for years to come.


So thanks, MK, for being an inspiration and always wearing what you feel regardless of what others think or say. I think that is an admirable quality that is hard to find these days, and while I don't always agree with your fashion choices (but mostly I do), I highly respect your boldness & consistency in being true to yourself. Because nothing looks better on a girl than confidence.