YMI Obsessed

Landing your first job can be exciting, but it’s so hard to figure out what to wear everyday in the working world! It’s important to look put together and professional, but you don’t want to go digging around in your mom’s closet.

We’ll show you how to look office-chic at your first gig while still looking cool. All you need is a little help from some up-and-coming designers to pull your look together. Read on for The Next Big Thing: Modern Professional.

Start out with a pair of YMI wide-leg denim trousers. These pants have a super dark wash and a nice wide leg to make you look sleek and dressy without looking stuffy.

Next, get suited up with this awesome black blazer by YY Studio. It’s so important to have classic pieces in your wardrobe like a good black blazer. Designer Echo and four of her family members work together to craft all the garments that are custom made to perfection. Plus this blazer will work seamlessly with a day-to-night look for after work festivities!

Keep it simple yet elegant with this ruffle blouse by Zelaya. It’s handmade out of quality stretchy cotton knit so you remain comfy during those long meetings and conference calls. Zelaya is based out of El Salvador and is also a family business embraces fair trade values creates traditional and classic design with a contemporary sensibility.

Finally, you’ll need some cute jewelry to compliment your office-chic look. Choose a piece that’s fun and shows some personality. We love this felt necklace by Homako. – a.k.a. Yoko who was born in Japan and studied fashion design in Tokyo. Love it!

Now that you have an outfit to make you look cute and professional, it’s time to get to work!

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As of today, the summer is officially over. We in New York are reluctant to face the gray stormy weather, but you lucky ducks in southern California and other warm areas get to enjoy the sunshine for a while longer. (Not that we’re bitter or anything.)

Even though we’re sad, we must force ourselves to wipe our tears away because dressing for stormy weather can be so fun. We put together our ideal rainy day outfit using items from some of our favorite Etsy sellers. Enjoy The Next Big Thing: Rainy Day Edition.

When the elements get rough, it’s time to bust out a comfy coat. Our new gray trench is not only totally cute and fleecey, but it’ll protect you from rain and wind! Also? It’s only $44.00. Awesome!

Unless you’re into flashing, you should probably wear something under that trench coat. We love wearing dresses in the rain, and this navy dress by Ahpeele seems perfect for stormy weather. If you can’t beat those rain clouds, you might as well join them right? This adorable boatneck dress is equipped with pockets which gives it an A+ in our book. AdAm and Hiromi, the awesome team behind Ahpeele, first met during a Duck tour around Boston and it was love at first sight! They design and print clothes with Tokyo-influenced style.

Get lost in the clouds with this fluffy clutch by Recycled Rings. Made from an antique nickel purse frame and “hand picked clouds from the sky,” this little clutch is the perfect place to save your pennies for a rainy day. Designer Michelle hails from Chicago and is a part-time art therapist. We totally dig her jewelry and accessories that are made from recycled items.

Of course after the rain you get the best part…. The rainbow! To brighten up your story weather ensemble, we suggest this adorable Here Comes the Sun necklace by MIXKO. Designers Nahoko Koyama and Alexander Garnett formed a partnership to create stylish and practical products that inspire happiness. This cute necklace definitely makes us smile.

Now you’re ready to start singin’ in the rain!

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When thinking about Fall essentials, we’ve been getting really wrapped up in the idea of scrappy/destroyed/recycled materials. It’s fun to take things that are ripped up and combine them to make a well-put-together look. We pulled together some cool up-cycled clothes from up-and-coming designers and combined them with our new destroyed skinnys to bring you today’s Next Big Thing feature.

Start your scrappy look off right with our new destroyed skinny jeans. They’re super sexy and comfortable, and at under $50, they won’t put a big dent in your pocketbook!

Get cozy in Dad’s hand-me-down reconstructed button-up by PeekoApparel. Brook, the master mind behind the whole operation, enjoys hunting through thrift stores and finding materials to transform into something playful and wearable. We think the kimono style sleeves and military-esque buttons are so cute and def’ in right now!

Next up is this totally eye catching shoelace necklace from the queen of recycled fashions, Supayana. She spends one day a week scouring thrift stores looking for the best quality fabrics and garments because she is committed to creating less waste whenever possible – whoa. And get this, because she got all those shoelaces for free, she’s donating all of the proceeds to a no-kill animal shelter – double whoa!

Ok, now it’s really time to get scrappy and place this funky ring on your finger. Because times are tough, CEK Custom Designs is getting creative with their jewelry making. They’ve constructed this ring from sterling silver 16 gauge wire scraps that were left over from a previous bracelet. The pieces are wrapped and hammered into this unique design and then oxidized for a dramatic look. We simply adore this look and it can even be great for a guy (ehem, gift idea!)

So, just because something is second hand and shredded definitely does not mean it can’t be incredibly chic and smart! We love up-cycled garments and we love up-and-coming designers – so this outfit makes perfect sense to us and the environment!

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