Fall for prAna: Sustainable Fall Style

This post was created in partnership with prAna. Clothes were provided complimentary by prAna, opinions are provided solely by me.

With school starting up this week around these parts and a bit of an added chill in the air, I am feeling that never-seems-to-leave-you feeling of fall freshness and a new year. I'm in my thirties and haven't been in school for some time now but I never seem to lose that feeling of a crisp new year starting. I'm usually ready around this time to leave my summer clothes behind and start adding on the layers. I love summer but I am an autumn girl at heart. The season is rather fleeting here in Michigan as we move into full blown winter pretty quickly so I have to enjoy it while I can!

prAna recently contacted me to try out a few pieces from their fall collection. I thought this might be the perfect way to dip myself into some comfy autumn gear - something my wardrobe actually lacks! I've never been much of a tshirt and jeans kind of girl so when I get in that mood to throw some comfies on, I lack pieces that are things I would actually want to go out of the house in. Faded cotton sweatpants paired with my husband's old t-shirt is not usually a look I like to share outside of my at home world. ;-) You're welcome.

Chillin out maxin' relaxin' all cool warm... in my dropped shoulder pullover!

OUTFIT DETAILS

• Jeans: c/o prAna - Kara Jean in cargo green [exact / use GHFF15 for 15% off!]
• Sweatshirt: c/o prAna - Penelope Pullover in lacquered rose [exact / use GHFF15 for 15% off!]
• Shirt: Canyon River Blues chambray tunic [bought FREE!]
• Shoes: thrifted Aerosoles [similar]
• Glasses: Bonlook Skunkboy Twinkle Tort [exact]
• Bracelet: vintage copper bangle bought at a church sale [similar]

First, let's talk about these Kara jeans. Can I get an AMEN for jeans that fit in ALL areas? I often have an issue where my jeans might fit my legs well but then have a huge gap at my waist or require me to scoot them back up all the live long day. Not these. These jeans have the perfect amount of stretch without being too stretchy. I like the feeling of being "held in" without feeling like my clothes are too tight. These achieve that perfectly. They retail at $89.00 and are worth every penny because their cost per wear is going to essentially bring that cost to pennies.

I walked around Detroit in these over the weekend and didn't even think about what I was wearing... That's a true indication that these jeans are a winner. No adjustments necessary! If you take a look at their reviews, they have over 900 reviews with a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars! I am always nervous to buy jeans online without trying them on but after reading some reviews and reviewing their size chart, I bought my usual size 8. Personally, I find they fit very true to size as I have not a single complaint to make about the fit. And let's talk about those cuffs... I love that they have this awesome detail. One of my favorite "trends" right now is detailed denim - whether it be an interesting color, embroidery or other little details like that. I think this oversized cuff gives a cool different, edgy look over regular skinnies... but the best part is that the cuff isn't permanent and can be changed up! I love a piece of clothing that I can wear more than one way!

Those cuffs, though!

Oh, and here is something important that we haven't talked about yet: prAna is also all about sustainability. Whether it is fair trade, recycled or organic, they do an exceptional job at creating pieces that are true to their aesthetic in a way that is also good to the rest of the world! For example, my jeans are made with 75% organic cotton. The use of organic cotton helps to cut down on the use of pesticides and fertilizers which is healthier for the cotton farmers and helps to preserve the biodiversity of the land they use to farm. You can learn more about the ways prAna is part of the sustainable clothing movement right here. If you've read my blog for a while or know me personally, you know I am a huge advocate of buying secondhand clothing. Over the last year, I've been learning more about the sustainable fashion movement and have been feeling a pull toward it in addition to my secondhand shopping. That being said, I'm delighted to try these pieces out from prAna and talk about that more with you guys going forward.

The Penelope pullover was an easy choice to add to my closet. I liked the idea that it's a sweatshirt with a twist. I dressed it down here but am looking forward to layering it over some of my dresses to wear to work. The cowl neck gives it a more dressed up look than a normal sweatshirt. This is a great, lightweight layering piece that allows me to feel comfortable and warm without being too heavy or hard to pair with other pieces. I love the way my favorite chambray is peeking every so slightly out at the top. And going back to sustainability, this piece is fair trade factory certified and made with 60% organic cotton. I consider that a look good-feel good kind of piece and I look forward to adding more like that to my closet.

SHOP IT: prAna has kindly offered my readers a discount shopping code! Use promo code GHFF15 and get 15% OFF at prAna.com. Hurry - the code is only valid through NOVEMBER 20TH!

Disclosure: The Kara jeans and Penelope pullover were provided free of charge from prAna. Both products were selected by me, styled by me and all opinions shared are my honest thoughts. #fallforprAna

Linking up with Style Wise Link Up!

Tried & True Review: Finesse Haircare

Does anyone remember Finesse haircare? If you were like me, you were obsessed with it as a child. Though sold at drugstores even then, it had a certain je ne sais quoi. Somehow it had more glamour and seemed more luxe than any of the other bottles on the shelf.

Any why shouldn't it!? I'll be the first to say that I stand by drugstore brands any day of the week. Sure, I've tried fabulous salon brands but I've also come to put together quite an arsenal of drugstore brands that I remain true to throughout the years. And my pocketbook thanks me for that!

Pink tile or bust!

I recently had the chance to try out Finesse's Restore + Strengthen Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner. This could not have come at a better time. The Michigan winter we are currently living through this year has been brutal. While it hasn't snowed as much as it has in years past, the chill in the air has been consistent and cold. I feel like this is our coldest year yet. With that, my hair has been drier than it ever has been before. The products are described as being for hair that's dry, stubborn or sometimes frizzy. Yeah, ok, I'll admit to having some frizzy days and certainly to having some stubborn and dry days lately. Now, if you're like me with super fine, thin hair, you are probably very weary of touching your strands with anything that is labeled "moisturizing"... I get you, girl! Me too. Anything that is moisturizing tends to weigh my hair down, make it look super limp and give it the appearance that I haven't washed it in days. To say I was hesitant to try this shampoo and conditioner would be true. Well, let me tell you, I was very pleased with the results!

Give my messy strands a break... did I mention it's also been ridiculously windy here!?
Uh, I mean, I was going for the windswept look... yeah, yeah.

My tried and true review: My hair felt smoother, easier to manage and easier to style after using the moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Both products have that perfect fresh shampoo soap smell without being too overpowering. I love the clean, fresh scent. The shampoo has a thicker consistency than that of an everyday shampoo but lathers nicely without being too sudsy. The conditioner was super easy to rinse out, which, is always a test for me because I hate products that take too long to rinse out or, even worse, feel like they never rinse out.

Bonus: Is your naturally blonde hair currently black? Is red not your "natural" hair color? OK, it's not mine either... though it feels so naturally me! I have good news! Finesse's Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner are gentle enough for color-treated hair too!

Let's talk price: Fashion Frugality approved! Walmart is currently selling the same size bottles I used, a 13oz. bottle, for just $1.98 each. Walgreens is currently selling each 13oz. bottle for just $1.99. At under $4 for the duo, this is a fantastic deal.

Alright, alright, still don't believe me? Let me let these videos do the talking. Because, yes, if I was going to tell you about a shampoo and conditioner, I was certainly going to play the part of shampoo model girl and pretend I was in my own glamorous Finesse commercial! Onward:

Hit play!

Don't forget to head over to my Instagram (@fashionfrugality) to see more glamorous hair videos *wink wink* and my everyday Fashion Frugality items like these!

Disclosure: I was provided the Finesse Restore + Strength Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner free of charge from Brandbacker. This is a sponsored post via Brandbacker. This review, however, was written by me personally and reflects my personal opinions after trying the products. I was not expected to provide a favorable review.

Linking up with: Thursday Favorite Things

Setting Creative Goals for 2017

Oh, hello there. It's been such a long time, hasn't it?

I hardly meant to abandon Fashion Frugality but she took quite a bit of a back burner while life got lived and a wedding got planned and a new job got started over 2016.

That being said... uh, I don't mean to sound braggy, but my 2016 was actually quite kickass in a kickass awesome kind of way. But we will get to all of that on a different day. Today I want to talk a little bit about how I set a creative goal for myself for this 2017 year.

I set a creative goal (resolution? plan? I don't care what you want to call it but I like the word goal because I feel like it has more aim to it) for 2017 because I feel like life has gotten awfully non-creative. I used to have such a blast taking photos to share on Fashion Frugality, I mean... really many of them were pretty awkward and hilarious... but it was fun! I didn't care if they were magically beautifully epically edited with gorgeous backgrounds and fun locations. I just took photos! Of my style! Of frugal fashion! It was what it was and it was fun.

... why did that stop?! Seriously, why?

So, I asked myself that question a lot lately and I realized I really didn't have a good answer. Sure, things like buying a house, moving, planning a wedding, OMG PLANNING A WEDDING STILL TIRED JUST THINKING ABOUT THE PLANNING, and jobs all got in the way but... that's all just everyday things (ok, mostly) that happen to everyone. Why did I stop making time for fun, creative things?

So, yeah, I'm making time again. And I'm bringing along a new friend for the ride...

She doesn't have a name yet so feel free to throw out suggestions. Perhaps I 

should name her Mauve after the carpet in our bedroom/closet that came with 

our house? It's growing on me...

Honestly, I have to give a Cabi stylist that I found on Pinterest credit for the mannequin idea. I'm pretty sure I immediately re-pinned five zillion images of outfitted mannequins after I found the first one. Guys, it's like seeing a mannequin styled in a J. Crew store or an Anthropologie window display. I loved it! Why didn't I think of this before?

I don't have someone who can take photos of me on a whim in perfectly sunlit hours any day or time of the week. Often, the weather here in Michigan is drab during the winter and it is dark hours before I get home. That photo lifestyle just never worked for me and left me feeling frustrated and defeated when I didn't have the photos taken that I wanted to share. A simple fix of someone new like Miss Mannequin up there allows me to take photos when I have time and... while I am personally still in pajamas. That's creative happiness right there.

Keeping it real: This girl needs a sweater shaver to take care of that fuzz! Yikes!

Another creative goal of mine for 2017 is working on my photography skills and getting to know my camera better. I've had it for years now and I have never taken the time to hone any real skill to using it.

So here's to a creative new year and bringing back some frugal fashions to this here blog of mine!

Like the look above? It is 100% secondhand items! GAH! That makes my frugal fashion soul so happy. I've linked to similar items below so you can recreate it if you like but never forget the treasures that thrift stores hold. It's so easy to find these items secondhand too!

LOVE THE LOOK? SHOP SIMILAR ITEMS BELOW!