September 28, 2011

Today's Everyday Fashion: TJ Maxx Challenge






































I am taking a little break from vacation posts today to tell you about this fun contest I'm taking part in! The challenge: Marshall's/TJ Maxx sent me a ruana (the black item I'm wearing) + gift cards with the goal of coming up with the best outfit with the ruana. I am competing against 4 other bloggers for a grand prize of $500 gift card (!!). (GO HERE to vote once a day, and leave a comment to be entered to win your own gift card!) Here is what I came up with:

Ruana: c/o Marshall's/TJ Maxx
Dress: Fire Los Angeles, $24.99 (Marshall's)
Belt: Joe's Jeans, $19.99 (Marshall's)
Shoes: Nine West, $49.99 (Marshall's)
Purse: Nine West, $39.99 (TJ Maxx)

Grand total = $134.96

My entry: "I'll admit, when I received the challenge from TJ Maxx/Marshall's to style an outfit with a ruana, I had to look up what a ruana was! It turns out that there are many different ways to wear this scarf/poncho/sweater, but I loved the idea of a long vest look, worn over a dress to give it an extra visual layer, but also some added warmth. I specifically wanted a long-sleeve leopard dress to go with my black ruana, and that's exactly what I found after shopping in the juniors section at Marshall's for 5 minutes! It was awesome to find the perfect dress so quickly, and all I had left to find were accessories. I decided to go with casual leather pieces to dress down the silk dress and pick up the brown and yellow tones in the print. I am loving the loafer trend this fall, so I paired my outfit with loafer pumps by Nine West. I also added a mustard purse by Nine West, and the finishing piece was a belt in a similar shade of brown to tie everything together and cinch my waist. I love the idea of wearing a ruana like this to give a party dress extra oomph and keep you warm this fall, and I'm excited to find other ways of wearing it too!"

So, how did I do? :-) Please click the picture below once a day to vote for my outfit! Thanks loves. xoxo, J.

86 comments:

  1. Never heard of a ruana. Is it a big long scarf or more like a vest?  I am having a hard time visualizing what it looks like not styled.  Do you think you could show us?

    I do like your leopard dress!   Thanks, Heather

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's a big long scarf, almost like a pashmina, but thicker and with scalloped edges. You could Google "ruana" - they are all different and I can't find one that specifically looks like mine online but essentially it's a very wide, long scarf. You can open it up and wrap it around you like a poncho, or fold it over and wear it like a vest like I did here! (among many other uses I'm sure)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love this look!  It really is a half scarf/half vest :)  The shoes are to die for, too!  Voted for you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love everything about this look...you have it in the bag!!! I am going to see if my local TJMaxx has the shoes! Great job J...I just voted!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you so much for voting Jenn! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yay, thank you so much Kara! I appreciate your vote! :-) 

    ReplyDelete
  7. I voted for ya!!! Hope you win!

    ~Nina

    ReplyDelete
  8. i love this look! and voted for you too of course :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love this idea.  It's a scarf and and a wrap - it's what we need in the warmer winter months!  I need to get to Marshall's/TJ Maxx!

    ReplyDelete
  10. J you look wonderful! I voted for you, and while the other contestants are lovely, I think you've got this! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I just voted! Love the outfit. And I'm totally loving the loafer trend. Need to get me some of those shoes asap!  
    And I definitely think you came up with the most creative way to wear that black ruana! 

    ReplyDelete
  12. J I love everything about this, especially the shoes!  I voted for you. 

    ReplyDelete
  13. Loved this outfit! Just voted good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  14. i voted! do we comment here to be entered? or on the voting site? ooh! i hope i win.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Katherine, leave a comment on the voting site and you will be entered to win! Fingers crossed for ya! :-) Thank you for voting!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks so much for your vote! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you Sara! And thanks for voting! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank you so much Carrie! I am loving the loafer trend too, planning to do a shopping post about it soon. Thanks for voting! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you so much Sabrina! I appreciate your vote!! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  20. It can definitely be used a lot of different ways! I'm looking forward to playing with it some more!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks so much for voting Aubree! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thank you so much for voting Nina! I really want to win! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  23. After looking at all the entries I totally think you rocked this- very sheek and creative. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Yay, thank you so much Tesaner! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  25. never heard of ruana before, but i love what you did with it
    brett

    ReplyDelete
  26. Doesn't look like you have much of a competition. Looks like you won!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I voted for you. And by the way, I wouldn't have known what a ruana was either. You learn something new every day!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Your outfit looks great and I LOVE Marshall's. I voted for you!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Loved your outfit compared to everyone else!!! Totally voted!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. You have my vote!  The entrants were cute, but you really highlighted an alternate use for the ruana that the others did not.  Without your entry, I would have just assumed this was another type of sweater.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Your outfit rocks! and Your use of the ruana is so unique!! You totally got this, girl!! Got my vote :-)

    ReplyDelete
  32. You were definitely the most creative in your ruana styling. Goooooo J!

    ReplyDelete
  33. J- very cute. I tried those shoes on today in black but I ended up passing on them. Now Im thinking I should go back and get them! Do you love them? Are they comfortable? I only had them on for a second so I didnt get a good idea of the fit.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Soooo sorry but your outfit looks dated and toooo matchy-matchy :( .. but LOVE LOVE the possesionista outfit. xx

    ReplyDelete
  35. Why in the world would you tell me that?

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thanks Shawna, I only had the shoes on for the picture so I can't really say how comfy they are. I have similar shoes so I don't think I'm keeping them, but they seemed really comfy and really cute for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thank you Kelsey!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Thank you so much Suzanne! I appreciate your vote! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  39. Thank you Demetra! I appreciate your votes! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Thank you so much Lacey! I appreciate you voting for me! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  41. I think it's between you and Possessionista. I voted for you though! Good luck! Also, would love to see some longer skirts and dresses (i.e. at least knee length). Everything these days is way too short...at least for my tastes. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  42. Thanks so much for voting for me Lilly! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  43. Thanks so much for voting for me! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  44. ...sorry but your outfit looks dated and toooo matchy-matchy : (  but LOVE LOVE the possessionista post! xx
    PS: please don't delete my post (again)

    ReplyDelete
  45. Thank you so much Patti! And cheers to learning something new. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  46. Thanks Brandi, I believe I am currently in second place so please keep voting! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  47. Thanks Brett! I appreciate your votes! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  48. You post isn't deleted. It's two comments under this one.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Thanks Hannah! I appreciate your votes! Everything tends to be way short on me, frustrates me to no end. Fall/winter are coming up though which means more pants, tights, etc! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  50. I voted for you! Good luck! Love the outfit.

    ReplyDelete
  51. You've done it again!  Thanks for your daily dose of inspiration!  You've got my vote! 

    ReplyDelete
  52. I really like your silk leopard-print dress with your black cashmere ruana!!    For, say, our common----(always *variably*-temperatured!!)----OFFICE SETTINGS, to use your black ruana as a classy, very *stylish* extra layer of warmth, as you've shown it here, is just............ genuinely *inspired*!!   

    With some different accessories, your black cashmere ruana and silk leopard-print dress seem like they just might be able to transition from work-to-evening, too, with some............ creative piece-placement............ and also maybe with some creative overdraping and/or underdraping, I'd think (??)    Lots of versatile, *versatile*, VERSATILE options for Very Creative You, J!!

    ReplyDelete
  53. Just voted! I probably would have never thought of this. Great job J!

    Janell
    www.fashionableyoubyj.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  54. Your outfit is easily the best out of all of those. I think I am going to try this look, but use a thick scarf instead of a ruana, because I don't have one of those. Super cute! Oh, and I voted. :)

    ReplyDelete
  55. first of all I love your blog <3... just wanted to share my take on the outfit and thought if compared with the 'other one' you will take it as  good feedback and probably 'inspire' future outfits.... I guess since it's a competition it was rude from my part.... so sorry - It wont happen again. xx

    ReplyDelete
  56. I voted! Yours is the most thought out look!

    ReplyDelete
  57. Oh honey noooo! Sorry but that look is just bad. And I'm not particularly fond of the shape of the leopard print dress on you.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Thanks Ashley!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Thanks Vivienne! 

    ReplyDelete
  60. Thank you so much Jenny! :-) A scarf could also work for this! 

    ReplyDelete
  61. Thanks so much for your vote Janell! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  62. Thank you so much for your votes Denise, I appreciate it! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  63. Thank you so much!! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  64. Thank you so much Rosanna! I appreciate your votes!! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  65. Love the outfit!  Love that dress and how you styled it!

    ReplyDelete
  66. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this dress!  Wow, you have given me a reason to go shopping at Marshalls...This would be perfect for a fashion show that I am attending.  I live in NYC so I hope to find it at one of my locations.  

    ReplyDelete
  67. I think you're outfit was the best out of all of them. I hope you win! Just voted. :)

    ReplyDelete
  68. I love how creative you were with this challenge. Voted for ya! Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  69. this outfit is best however the season for wearing this stuff is gone and now i have to wait for next year to wear that stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Thank you so much Andrea! I appreciate your votes! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  71. Thank you Dee! I appreciate your votes!:-)

    ReplyDelete
  72. Thank you Mommy Posh! I agree, this dress would be perfect for a fashion show! I'm not keeping all of the items from this outfit, but I can't wait to wear this dress this fall! It's super cute, hope you find one.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Thank you so much Shirley! I appreciate your votes! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  74. Fabulous outfit!! I voted for you :)

    ReplyDelete
  75. Your legs are amazing! I need your workouts!!! :) What size are you in jeans? (Gap or AE)

    ReplyDelete
  76. So sweet Brittany, thank you! I wear a size 2 in jeans at Gap! 

    ReplyDelete
  77. Thanks so much Lauren! I appreciate your vote!

    ReplyDelete
  78. Cute! I would never be able to pull it off!!

    I voted as well... :)

    ReplyDelete
  79. What a great way to style the ruana! I'll admit: I've taken a look at them in stores and wondered what the heck I'd do with the darn thing...this looks so chic!

    ReplyDelete
  80. did you recently get those nine west pumps?

    ReplyDelete
  81. Cin, this was a challenge from TJ Maxx, so I had to get everything new from their stores to wear in my outfit photo. I got the shoes just a few days before I posted this. I actually returned them though - I"m planning to get some loafer inspired pumps eventually but these looked too much like shoes I already have so decided to pass! :-) 

    ReplyDelete
  82. thanks for the info!!  I love those pumps. Im going to try and find them!

    ReplyDelete