And A Shining New Year

(1) Top: Banana Republic / Belt: Ann Klein / Skirt: Ann Taylor / Shoes: Isola / Earrings: Kenneth Cole

(2) Top: Banana Republic / Blazer: I.N.C. International Concepts / Jeans: The Limited via TJ Maxx #fabfind / Shoes: Jessica Simpson / Earrings: Lord & Taylor / Necklace: Kate Spade

(3) Top: Banana Republic / Skirt: Banana Republic / Shoes, Necklace, Earrings: Kate Spade 

Shine Bright | Happy New Year & shine bright!  New Year's Eve was fantastic.  Southern cuisine was on the menu at Georgia Browns; fried green tomatoes (best I've ever had), crab stuffed shrimp with spinach and mac and cheese, a side of collard greens, topped with my favorite dessert, red velvet cake.  Afterwards, the New Year was brought in at church (Zion); a nice change from previous years.  

For my New Year's Eve outfit, I knew I wanted to sparkle.  So, I started with my new favorite gold top from Banana Republic.  Option number 2 won but I think the other options will make an appearance some time in the future.

Option 1

Option 2

 Option 3

Leanila Style

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FLOTUS Style: Michelle Obama Our Style Favorites

You know we had to start with the Inauguration gown!

FLOTUS Style: in Jason Wu at Inauguration Ball 2013

FLOTUS' Inauguration 2013 gown featured at Smithsonian National Museum of American History

FLOTUS Style: in Peter Soronen at State Dinner

FLOTUS Style: Marchesa gown at Kennedy Center Honors

FLOTUS Style: in ASOS

FLOTUS Style: in J Mendel at Buckingham Palace

FLOTUS Style: in Tracy Feith dress at Memorial Day Ceremony

FLOTUS Style: in Michael Kors dress

FLOTUS Style: in Jason Wu gown at the Inaugural Ball

FLOTUS Style: in Isabel Toldeo dress

FLOTUS Style: in Naeem Kahn gown at State Dinner

What isn't there to love about FLOTUS' Style?

FLOTUS has far too many fabulous outfits to list them all but for a list with nearly all of her looks, check out @HuffPostStyle's slideshow here (scroll to the bottom of the article for the slideshow).  

Her style is inspiring!  She's not afraid to step out the box and give young, emerging designers a break.  And, most importantly on our list, from time-to-time, she also loves to score a budget friendly aka #fabfind just like us!  Our First Lady has been known to sport Michael Kors (as featured above) and J. Crew, among many other #fabfind friendly designers.   

FLOTUS is definitely a STYLE star!

. . . F O L L O W   M E . . .

Leanila Style

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Prints and Color

Color & Prints Obsessed | I've noticed a running theme lately.  I tend to be drawn to any and everything with cool prints and pops of color.  This is a flash back of an outfit I wore to work not too long ago.  I love the bold stripes in this skirt; add the pop of color with the blouse and pair with an equally bold color necklace, and the outfit is complete.

Leanila Style

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Still Wearing White

Define Your Style | So, Labor Day has passed, and I'm still wearing white.  To be honest, I don't think I ever followed that rule.  Style is what you make it, and I've always worn what I want, when I want while being mindful of course of what works best for me.  And, after doing a bit of research, it seems that most women don't really follow the "no white after Labor Day" rule.  Coco Chanel even once wore white all year long.  While I don't foresee myself doing quite that, I can say that I'm not packing away my whites yet.

~Leanila Style

Leanila Style

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J. Crew Debuts Fall Catalog on Pinterest

Pinning J. Crew | In the land where everyone is pinning, tweeting, liking, and sharing, J. Crew found a way to reach the masses and for free.  Monday morning, they provided a sneak peak at their September Style Guide on Pinterest.  Followers were offered the opportunity to pre-order looks prior to them becoming available today on their website.

J. Crew isn’t the first apparel line to use social media to market to the masses.  Guess’ “Color Me Inspired” contest to win a pair of colored jeans generated a huge buzz when they used Pinterest to invite users to create inspiration boards around the colors of their Guess 2012 Spring collection.  Other designers have garnered the social media buzz through means Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube to name a few.

With snail mail drawing near extinction, retailers and marketers need to find new and innovative ways to reach the consumers.  Let’s face it, people can receive mail online, pay bills, send invitations, shop, network and advertise your brands online.  In a land where social media accounts for over 120 billion minutes of our time, according to Nielson’s 2012 Annual Social Media Report, advertising through social media is a no-brainer.  

For J. Crew, offering an exclusive look at their new line to their Pinterest followers granted their followers VIP status, thus providing an incentive to gain new Pinterest followers.  Additionally, using Pinterest allowed them to reach a new audience outside of their mail subscriber list.  J. Crew’s Pinterest followers will like pictures and most importantly re-pin pictures on their own page, thus reaching that pinner’s followers.  Sheer brilliance!

Check out my favorite fall picks on my Hello Fall Pinterest board.

Find other interesting Pinterest marketing campaigns on Mashable. 

Happy pinning!

Leanila Style

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Adding a Pop of Neon

 Style Blogging & Profiling Again | So, I've been working at my new job for a couple of months now, and it's a big change {style-wise, that is} from my former job.  Where ripped jeans, fitted tees, and sneakers were the norm, I've traded them for pleated skirts, button up shirts, and stilletos {talk about a huge u-turn in my wardrobe}.  I may not be able to wear whatever the heck I want to wear to work anymore, but I'm okay with that.  Each day is a new adventure in pulling together professional work attire with my own artistic spin.  I reintroduce to you, Leanila Style, a place where art and style meet.

Leanila Style

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