Photos by: Max Zoghbi

Good Morning readers, how beautiful does Rosa Flores of WBRZ look in this elegant white dress and bold red jewelry?  I’m so thrilled that she willingly agreed to letting me style her and have her model a couple of Valentine’s Day looks for Haute Off The Rack.  For Flores’ first Valentine’s Day outfit featured in today’s post, we went for  a classy and elegant look for to wear out to a fancy dinner with her husband.  I love how the red accessories pop against the white and add a little holiday flair to her look.  The removable white flower on the left side of her hip is actually a sweet memento that she saved from her wedding dress.  Flores wanted me to find a way to somehow include that special piece in her outfit as a reminder of why they’re celebrating Valentine’s Day together.  We didn’t want it to take away from the overall look, so we decided to blend it in with the white dress.  I felt that the flower added the perfect finishing touch.  Not only did it hold a lot of sentimental value, but it also gave the outfit a fun and flirty vibe.

 If you’re a fan of this gorgeous Valentine’s Day inspired look and want to see more, make sure to tune into Haute Off The Rack’s fashion segment next Wednesday, February 13th at 4 pm on WBRZ (on channel 2, 5 on Cox cable and 124).  This segment will be helpful for those of you who are stressing over what to wear on Valentine’s day without breaking your budget.  You can toss your worries out the window because I am here to help you look and feel your best by maximizing your outfit options and molding what you already own into the perfect romantic outfit.

During my fashion segment with WBRZ you will learn how to put together a Valentine’s Day outfit with pieces you already have in your closet and how to incorporate  little holiday flair into your look.  Also, I made sure to cover all of my bases by visiting with three women just like you who each have a different sense of style.  At each woman’s home, I searched through her closet and together we came up with the perfect Valentine’s look to best suit her personal style.

P.S. You can also watch the segment online at www.wbrz.com. I will post more details later!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photos by: Kristen Soileau

Outfit:  Distressed Denim jeans (J Brand), Striped Trench Coat (Loft old, but similar (here), Red Uber Clutch c/o (Thank you to Gigi New York), Nude Pumps (Boutique 9 old, but similar (here) <– SALE alert!

Jewelry: Gold Textured Chain bracelet c/o (Thank you to T + J Designs), Cream Silk Knot & Shine Bracelet Combo c/o  (Thank you to Brighthouse Baubles), Diamond and Bows ring c/o (Thank you to Hello Fab), Stella and Dot Renegade Cluster Bracelet, Michael Kors Gold and Horn Watch

Good Morning readers, I hope you’ve been having a great week. I put this outfit together because I wanted to give this white tee and distressed denim jeans a more sophisticated vibe.  I think the striped trench and oversized red clutch did the job perfectly!  I just love how the bright red color really pops against the stripes. For shoes and accessories, I chose an assortment of gold bracelets and nude pointy toe pumps to elongate my legs and since I had the the jeans cuffed at the bottom.  What do you think of this casual, yet sophisticated look?

 Also, I apologize for my lack of posts lately, but I have been super busy preparing for my fashion segment on WBRZ next week as well as shooting with Frock Candy for their Spring 2013 ad campaign.  I promise to have everything back on track soon along with the Gigi New York giveaway and a few other surprises!  Speaking of Gigi New York, Graphic Image is hosting an albums and frames sale.  Visit www.graphicimage.com to view the sale and save 50% OFF! Here are the details:

Spend $100 or more on each order and receive free shipping

• Free Shipping applies to ground shipping only
• Free shipping is only valid to U.S. addresses

Spend $150 or more on each order and receive an additional 10% off Winter Sale items

• Save up to 60%!
• Only valid on sale items
• Discount will automatically be applied to your shopping cart

Photos by: Kristen Soileau

Outfit: Sparkle and Fade Pleated Chiffon Skirt in Rose (Urban Outfitters) <– SALE alert, Gold Polkadot shirt (Gap), Blush and Metallic Sneaker Wedges (Available in stores at Jcpenny’s ), Mini Mac clutch in Sand (Rebecca Minkoff)

Jewelry: Pave link bracelet (J. Crew), Gold Cluster Renegade bracelet (Stella and Dot), Two-tone watch (Michael Kors),

Good Morning readers, today is the day!  I hope you like these treats because you know it isn’t party for me without some cupcakes. Now, you know I really wasn’t joking when I said that we’d be celebrating this entire week.  I can’t believe that it’s been a whole year since I first launched Haute Off The Rack.  This has truly been one of the most amazing and eye-opening years of my life.  I pushed myself to new levels and accomplished things I only dreamed I could do.  I am so proud of myself for sticking to my goals and making it this far, but believe me when I say that by no means was it easy. It took a lot of coffee, sleepless nights, determination, passion and of course the support my family, friends and readers. Now after a full year of blogging, I think I can safely say that all of my hard work has finally started paying off especially since Haute Off The Rack was just featured as one of New Orleans Top 10 Fashion Blogs on GoNola.com.  You can read the article here at New Orleans Top 10 Fashion Blogs.

 I have a quote that I’d like to share with you that got me through those occasional tough days where I found myself wondering why I had even started a blog and if I even had a chance of making it in the fashion industry.

“Forget all of the reasons why it won’t work and believe in the one reason why it will.” -Unknown Author

For me that reason is passion.  I believe that if you are truly passionate about something in life, you can achieve things you never thought possible.  I have a passion for teaching people how to incorporate new fashion trends into their style and helping women feel confident in what they wear.  This blog allows me to do both of those things as well as help new designers promote their brand, which in turn is so rewarding.  I hope to one day be a well-known and dependable wardrobe stylist or write for a prominent fashion magazine, and I have faith that this blog will help me get there.  So today I encourage you to step out of your box and start working on something that you’ve always wanted to do, but didn’t feel like you had the perseverance or determination to do it.  That actually reminds me of another quote:

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” -Earl Nightingale

So readers, I challenge you to raise the bar and turn those dreams of yours into reality.  You just might surprise yourself. Speaking of surprises, I have some exciting news coming up for Haute Off The Rack.  Make sure to check back next week!

By the way, what are your thoughts on how I styled these metallic sneaker wedges?  I figured that since this is a new year for Haute Off The Rack that I would try out a new trend.  I personally love the idea of sneakers hidden under such a chic and elegant skirt paired with a T-shirt. I think the sneaker wedges give this look a quirky and unexpected twist.  What do you think?

P.S. Thank you again to everyone who contributed to making this such a fabulous first year for Haute Off The Rack!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photos by: Kristen Soileau

Outfit: Sheer tank (Urban Outfitters), Sparkle and Fade Pleated Chiffon Skirt in Rose (Urban Outfitters) <– SALE alert, Nude  T-strap heels (Dee Keller)

Jewelry:  Monogram Necklace (here), Turquoise Shark Tooth Necklace and Wrap Bracelet, Beaded Bracelets and gold drop earrings c/o (Thank you to Tracy Kopfinger)– Please contact me at Jenn.hauteofftherack@gmail.com if you’re interested in purchasing any of the other jewelry featured in the post not listed!

Good Morning readers, I hope you’ve all been having a great week.  For those of you who have been following my blog from day one, you may recognize the photos below from my first week of outfit posts on Haute Off The Rack including my very first fashion feature. Speaking of my first fashion feature, I am forever grateful to Brighton Keller of Brighton The Day for teaching me the ropes to blogging and for working so diligently to help me get Haute Off The Rack started.  I couldn’t have done it without her!  I also can’t thank Max Zoghbi enough for his encouragement and providing me with such amazing photography during my first few months of fashion blogging.  Plus, he’s actually the one who sent me Kristen Soileau, my new photographer, when his videography business took off and didn’t allow him the time to shoot for Haute Off The Rack anymore. I feel so blessed to have had such a wonderful first year of blogging and I’m so thankful for all of my readers.  It means so much to me that you take a few minutes out of your day to take quick peek at my new posts.  Also, thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this such a great year and that includes my family, boyfriend, friends, photographers, readers and all of the brands and designers who reached out to collaborate with Haute Off The Rack.

Photos by: Max Zoghbi

Have a great day!