Style Tips // 15 Wardrobe Essentials that Never Fail

Recently, I've shared my thoughts on how to develop a personal style. Whether you're building a foundation to achieve the sense of style you can call your own or simply in need of tips on how to maximize your closet, I recommend 15 wardrobe essentials that will never do you wrong.

Spring Essentials from Target

What trends am I looking forward to most this spring season? Mixing neutrals and dressing up tees. In a little over a month, I'll be going on sailing the high seas on a Caribbean cruise. Imagine my relief when I realize that everything I'll need from head to toe can be found at Target, all reasonably priced too. I'm pretty sure it's going to be my one-stop-shop for all of my cruising essentials.

Outlook Eyewear Women's Cateye Sunglasses

Merona Women's Black Ribbon Floppy Hat

Outlook Eyewear Women's Round Clubmaster Sunglasses

Women's Perfect Fit Crew Tee

Pure Energy Women's V-Neck Tee

Fifth Sun Celfie Graphic Tee

Mossimo Supply Co Fringe Crossbody Bag

Moda Luxe Hobo Handbag

Merona Satchel Handbag

Sam Libby Heidi Flats

Maddie Perforated Chop-Out Booties

Caged Rylee Heels

What I Would Wear // Out with the Girls

I've put together some quick day and night looks for quality time with the girls (which, by the way, I desperately need). Notice, not wearing spring pastels and light neutrals in the fall is the rule to break this season. What other rules are you planning to break?

Day Look
1. Equipment Signature Blouse
2. Lucien Piccard St. Tropez Grey Watch
3. Madeleine Skirt (similar Ann Taylor Skirt)
4. Wolf & Badger Dear Frances Heels
5. Oliver Peoples Sunglasses
6. Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac
7. Miu Miu Metal Cap Toe Sneakers

Night Look
8. River Island Cream Wrap Blouse
9. Leather Look Pencil Skirt
10. Alice + Olivia Stacey Pumps
11. Nastygal Geo Watch
12. ASOS Suede Fringe Clutch (similar Michael Kors bag)
13. Caged Back Zip Heels (similar from Heels from Modcloth)

What I Would Wear // Mini-Vacation

With Memorial Day weekend upon us, I thought it would be a good time to respond to some requests I've gotten to write a post about modest vacation wear. Of course when traveling, exploring tourist attractions or heading to the beach, many of us wish to maintain a modest approach to dressing. However, as much as I am a believer in dressing modestly, I believe just as much in dressing appropriately for the occasion. And let's face it – wearing a long-sleeved turtleneck ankle dress is just not practical for a sunny getaway. So, I've listed 15 must-have items for a mini-vacation below, and I share some tips and tricks for packing light.

1. Black Cover-Up
2. Black One-Piece Swimsuit
3. Black & White Swell Sandals
4. Straw Sun Hat
5. Black Celine Sunglasses
6. Happy Tee
7. Yellow Midi Skirt
8. Cadaudda-Black Print Aldo Heels
9. Marc by Marc Jacobs Headband
10. Grey Maxi Dress
11. Denim Jacket
12. White Shopper Bag
13. Red Converse All-Stars
14. Dope Tee
15. Coral Aztec Print Pencil Skirt

Guaranteed, you can get through an entire weekend trip with a few fun tees, a basic dress, a good mix of comfortable shoes, and a swimsuit. Who wants to check a bag and stand the risk of losing it for the entire weekend? Or, if it's a road trip, why crowd your car or trunk with an over-sized suitcase when you could potentially have more room for snacks? (Sorry, food and I have a serious relationship; I always have to consider it.) The trick to packing light is to choose items that you can mix and match to create multiple looks, dressing basic pieces up or down. For the girl who says, "I don't believe in packing light, I believe in options," – try this method. You might be pleasantly surprised as to how many options you're able to come up with.

What I Would Wear // Weekend Maxi Dresses

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

When I relaunched My Garments of Praise, I asked you all what you would like to see around here. In turn, I got an overwhelming response via comments and emails (and that one text message) to feature more casual looks. A lot of you admitted to me that when it comes to work and church, putting together a modest and stylish outfit comes naturally; but for casual looks, extra effort gets put into not looking "frumpy".

This week, you may have noticed that the outfits I've posted are a little more casual than usual. I've also pulled some photos from previous posts to provide examples of how I wear maxi dresses (with the exception of #4 which is a skirt), spring wardrobe staples that I just can't get enough of for weekend wear. 

Here are a few maxi dresses that I'm currently craving. Pair sleeveless dresses with a cardigan, lightweight or denim jacket, or even a knotted shirt and you're good to go!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Lastly - just FYI - I've rearranged my blog labels (which you can find in the sidebar to the right) so that you can more easily navigate the site to find posts that interest you. You can filter "outfits" to only view my personal style posts, click on "A Modest Take" to see how I would put a modest spin on items that are trending, check out "WIWW" (What I Would Wear) to find out what I would wear for specific events or seasons, and so on... 
Hope you like the changes!

What I Would Wear // Valentine's Day

I know this post is a bit late seeing as though Valentine's Day is already tomorrow. Regardless, I still used the holiday as an excuse to play around in Polyvore and put some looks together.

Hope you like!



Sophisticated Love by mygarmentsofpraise featuring suede heels

1. L.K. Bennett Nicole Tailored Dress

2. Juicy Couture Pave Love Ring

3. Talullah Tu Lyla Black Panther Clutch

4. Black Diamant Heart Dial Watch

5. French 75 Suede Stiletto

My Cherie Amour by mygarmentsofpraise featuring a black and white dress

1. Black White Polka Dot Hepburn Dress

2. American Apparel Small Bow Hair Clips

3. I'm Not Ready Yet Clutch

4. Giorgio Armani Diamond Knit Cardigan

5. Sergio Rossi Flamenco Red Patent Leather Stiletto Pumps 

Funny Valentine by mygarmentsofpraise featuring floral dresses

1. Erdem Joyce Dartry Park-Print Dress
2. Emporio Armani Retro Ladies Watch
3. Aldo Simler Clutch
4. Topshop British Style Blazer
5. Guess by Marciano Ada Pump

What I Would Wear // NYFW

I'd love to be in New York for Fashion Week this week, especially for the IFB Conference to see some of my favorite bloggers. Since I didn't get to attend this year (fingers crossed for next year!), here are a few of my picks for what I might have worn - if my pockets permitted - to add some chic modesty to the mix... 

What I Would Wear to NYFW by mygarmentsofpraise featuring stella mccartney dresses

Hope you all are having a wonderful week so far!

What I Would Wear // Summer to Fall

It's been storming down here in Florida for the last few days, so I haven't gotten a chance to take outfit photos. I couldn't stay away for too long, so I decided to share a bit of what's on my mind for the fall season.

A lot of bloggers are excited about fall rolling around, but I'm actually dreading it. Where I live, we have summer weather all year with about three days of mild winter which makes it difficult to create seasonal looks. So, mainly for the sake of this blog, I'm going to try to pick out the most transitional colors and pieces that I'd wear in spring and summer and incorporate them into fall outfits. One color that was especially popular throughout the summer that I think will transition nicely from season to season is cobalt blue. Here are some ideas for how wear it:

1. Coriander Ava Silk Shirt by Equipment

2. Crepe Skirt with Drapery

3. Carrie Hibiscus & Calico Bag

4. Electric Blue Mid Heel Court by By Larin

5. Pleated Dress by Tibi

6. Cardigan Daphnee CS

7. ASOS Oversize Boyfriend Watch

8. Folded Clutch Bag by Boticca

9. ASOS Metallic Waist Belt

10. ASOS Paris Pointed High Heel

Hopefully I'll be back in business with an outfit post tomorrow! In the meantime, how are you preparing for fall?

What I Would Wear // Simple Black Dress

When planning what to wear for a long day ahead, the perfect outfit for me must be transitional (i.e. professional for the day, stylish for the night) and comfortable (i.e. easy to wear for the whole day!) In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a black dress. And with a few simple pieces, it's totally possible to transform your look from day to night!

1. Hampstead Shift Dress

Daytime Items:

2. Asos Slot Through Envelope Clutch

3. Guess Wrapped Up Snakeskin Watch

4. French Connection Beach Basket

5. Leather Court Shoes with Contrasting Toes

Nighttime Items:

6. Asos Black Patent Watch

7. Black-gold Minipopins handpainted from Boticca

8. Black Zia Suede Platform Shoe by DVF

What I Would Wear // Summer Daytime Event

Hi, there! This post launches something new to this blog: a series of modest outfit ideas for various occasions inspired by shops and brands found online. Every now and then, instead of an outfit post for that day, I'll share a few pieces that may spark some ideas of how you can mix and match while shopping or even from your own closet!

Please comment below and tell me what you think :)

(Disclaimer: I'm new to this, so next time I'll work on creating better images!)

1. Women's Lena Cream Sleeveless Dress

2. Guess Pixie Dust Buckle Watch

3. Asos Leather Croc Metal Bar Clutch Bag

4. Looped Bow Belt

5. Hybrid Coin-Torn-Spin Pin from Boticca

6. Gordon Chain Detail Court Shoe by Kors

7. Cream Ellie Bow Sleeve Shrug

8. La Mer Oversized Vintage Watch

9. Rare One Shoulder Dip Hem Dress

10. Mango Belt