This Charlotte Blogger Style Session features long time Charlotte resident and new fashion blogger Laura Long of Smart Southern Style. Laura started her blog 6 months ago in hopes to inspire ladies in their mid-30s and above who want to look fashionable and keep up with the latest style trends. In addition to her fashion blog, Laura works full time as a Sales Director in the Wireless industry and has a family including 2 daughters, ages 7 & 13. Laura loves shopping at local boutiques and was excited to style some spring looks from Charlotte’s Boutique in Myers Park.
Look #1
The first look features this beautiful cobalt blue dress by Britt Ryan. I think the ruffle down the front adds something extra to a traditional sheath dress. This cobalt blue color is flattering on any skin tone and would be perfect to wear to a spring wedding. The dress runs true to size and is a great style on all body types.
I paired it with some gold feather statement earrings from Charlotte’s. I added some simple gold bracelets and a gold clutch to tie in the gold from the earrings. Here the dress is paired with some simple nude heels, but it would also look great with neutral colored sandals. Charlotte’s has a nice shoe selection so there are several options in store that would would work well with the dress.
Look #1:
Britt Ryan dress – $238
Gold feather earrings – $48
Look #2
The next look is a perfect every day spring outfit. This outfit includes several of the top trends for spring: ruffles, florals and distressed hems. This ruffle sleeve top by Crosby is so versatile. You can pair it with blue denim for a casual look, and it would also look great with white jeans or pants. If you want to bring out the flower colors in the top, some colored denim in blush or red is another option.
I am loving all the distressed hems on jeans right now, so I chose these Hudson “Shark Bite” jeans. Shark bite is a perfect name for them, as it looks like a shark took a bite out of the bottom of each leg! I wore some large gold hoop earrings from Charlotte’s, as the top is bold and I did not want to take away from it by adding a bold or colorful earring. I added a colorful heeled sandal, but a more casual sandal would also work well. Charlotte’s has some cute Marc Fisher wedges in store that would look great with the jeans too.
Look #2:
Crosby flower pattern top – $168
Hudson Shark Bite jeans – $ 195
Gold hoop earrings – $70
Look #3
My final outfit from Charlotte’s is a modern take on a classic shirt dress that you can dress up or down. This black swing dress by Finley is a great closet staple. It is knee length on me (I am 5’5″), so great for you ladies who don’t like to wear really short dresses. It has a flattering silhouette and pockets, which are a great addition to any dress.
I added a trendy beaded necklace by Molly’s Beads, as brown and black pair well together. I wore the same large gold hoops as in the previous outfit to bring out the gold in the necklace. With my accessories and espadrilles, I kept the dress more causal for an everyday look. You could easily dress up this swing dress with some more sparkly jewelry and some high heeled sandals for a night out.
Look #3:
Finley swing dress – $240
Molly’s Beads necklace – $79
Gold hoop earrings – $70
These spring looks can be found at Charlotte’s in Myers Park at 901 Providence Road. You can find them on Instagram at @charlottesincclt and can reach them by phone at (980)299-7162. To follow Laura for more fashion inspiration, find @smartsouthernstyle on Facebook here and on Instagram here.
