Save this tip for a rainy day

There are two kinds of people in the world: people who love the rain and people who hate it. I'm still on the hunt for someone who has an opinion about rain that is in between those two extremes. 

Whichever kind of person you are, rainy days do not have to be an excuse to sacrifice your sense of style when you get dressed in the morning. Raindrops hitting your windshield like bullets or gray blankets of clouds are not excuses to get lazy! 

One thing we probably all have in common is that at one point or another (especially for New Englanders), rain has been so severe we may have needed rain boots. And anyone who owns a pair of rain boots knows that regardless of what style, color, brand or height of boot, that rain boots are not the most fashionable pair of shoes ever walked in by man. This is where Good, Better, Dressed comes in to save the day.

Although not trendy, rain boots are practical, so people afraid of getting their feet wet wear them, simple as that. But rain boots don't come attached to a hoodie and jeans or sweatpants because it's cold and wet outside. Contrary to popular belief, they can be salvaged as a portion of your fashion equation. 

Lindsay Somerville helps me show you how cheesy rain boots can look chic while doing their job quite easily.

Leg warmers are always a quick solution to the rainy day boot blues. They allow for a more sophisticated presentation of the boots and help separate any colors or patterns you may want independent of each other between pants and boots.

sweater: say what @ marshall's

pants: jennyfer

leg warmers: wet seal

boots: chico's

necklace: buffalo exchange

And here are a few more options 

sweater: say what @ marshall's

necklace: forever xxi

bracelets: claire's

skirt: forever xxi

tights: marshall's

leg warmers: target

sweater: weathervane

scarf: pashmina

earrings: forever xxi

bracelet: flea market

ring: buffalo exchange

tights: target

Designers are doing a great job at masking the less-than-beautiful design of the rain boot:

ebay.com

etsy.com

Ilse Jacobsen

Hunter @ topshop.com

aliexpress.com

obaz.com

NO MORE EXCUSES on rainy days starting today. Find yourself a great pair and get ready to look good the next time it rains

- nali xo

  

One Love

I'm a huge fan of statement tees because they add a little sass to an otherwise straightforward outfit, but they can also broadcast a good message if you're willing to showcase your beliefs on your chest. 

Anyone who knows me knows I am one thousand percent supportive of human rights. I believe that it doesn't matter who you are, who you love or what you believe in, a person is still a person no matter what and should be treated as such. I hope that one day gay marriage will be as common and accepted as interracial marriage and that another day not too far behind, they will both just be called 'marriages', without a need to specify who. That's why I was psyched when I found this American Apparel tank at Buffalo Exchange this week while probing the thrift scene.

My favorite thing about this shirt is the fact that it was originally sold at American Apparel. This casual clothing company has been around since 1989 when it was created by Dov Charney, a t-shirt specialist and an American culture aficionado. Now, the vender has since won "Retailer of the Year"at the 15th Annual Michael Awards for the Fashion Industry along with many other prestigious awards, and continues to be one of the fastest growing companies in the world. Not to mention that the company's target (young adults) is infatuated with the company because of the status AA has created for themselves. Companies like AA delivering social messages through their products (gay rights, immigration reform) tell teenagers who have not yet made up their minds about hot button issues that it's cool to support them. Status in the fashion world is HUGE and gives so much power to the people who hold it. I only wish more companies would use their influence like American Apparel does to help convince more people of what they, as humans, should be standing for. We're all here for the same reason, why make it harder for someone else on your team?

necklace: claire's

pants: bebe @ buffalo exchange

denim shirt: american eagle outfitters

sneakers: no name

hat: scoutmob.com

Easily paired casually or a little more sophisticated, this shirt is sure to make a pop not only with the words printed on it but also with the bright color of it.

shirt: reckless @ pac sun

shorts: sans soucy @ marshall's

boots: sm @ sear's

tights: t.j.maxx

bandana: michael's

Take the extra step of support and throw on a pair of heart printed leggings or tights to drive home the message of honest love.

skirt: forever xxi

cardigan: piazzitalia

moccasins: target

Express yourselves and your beliefs and think before you speak. You may not be able to change the world (or the government) but having an opinion matters. If your opinion is against someone's rights as a human, you're entitled to that, but reconsider before calling something 'gay' because you don't like it. If 'straight' were used a negative connotation, you wouldn't be too happy, so don't rain on someone else's parade just because they were born different from you. And for all you supporters out there, even if you just buy a t-shirt that says 'legalize gay' or get more educated on how far gay rights have come, it matters. Keep learning, and teach others around you about what they might not know. When it comes down to it, we're all in this together and I can't wait for the day that everyone realizes it.

- nali xo

Fashion AcaDEMIcs

Now that Halloween month is over, I'm back to spending my Wednesdays drooling over fashion icons and figuring out how to justly imitate their sense of style. Today, I happen to be drooling over Demi Lovato. 

Besides being talented and well-dressed, Demi has the it-factor everyone is dying for because of her ability to be 100% relatable to her fans. She has struggled with depression, self-harm and bulimia and has opened up about her battle so fans could understand and be inspired by her in their own trials. Demi may have gotten to where she is by being a 'Disney girl', but it's clear she has grown out of that image with class and now is a symbol of strength for teenagers and other age groups to overcome their personal monsters. 

Her style is very characteristic of the 'rocker' persona she now depicts through what she wears. In my opinion it seems she has three types of signature outfits:

The blazer & graphic tee combo

The sweater & shorts combo

Made in the USA theme

This is my way of pledging allegiance to Demi's one-of-a-kind sense of style

The blazer & graphic tee:

blazer: love culture

tee: ed sheeran official merchandise

pants: bdg @ urban outfitters

shoes: no name

Jacket & shorts with Demi-esque hair color top:

shirt: wet seal

jacket: sans soucy @ marshall's

shorts: vintage

tights: forever xxi

sneaks: converse

necklace: forever xxi

Sweater & shorts/Made in the USA:

shirt: bozzolo @ t.j.maxx

sleeveless sweater: mossimo @ target

shorts: forever xxi

boots: target

bracelets: forever xxi & h&m

necklace: macy's

Of course, if you want to completely snag her style, you'll have to get used to dyeing your hair...

A LOT (;

- nali xo

SamZARA of a denim shirt

First off, happy Halloween all you little ghosts and goblins! I hope you get enough candy today to rot all your teeth!


Samsara: (n) Buddhism  the transmigration or rebirth of a person.

All thrift stores have a Buddhist style to them don't you think? Each item of clothing that has some kind of story to tell is passed from person to person, each time being reborn and given new stories to tell from the people who wore them. Someone may have had the best night of their life in a pair of jeans that they eventually give away, one day becoming someone else's favorite pair of jeans. In my opinion it's quite magical all thrift shoppers are so closely connected without even realizing it.

For my thrift find of the week, I ventured into the men's section again and was lucky enough to stumble across an item of clothing from Zara. Not only is 10x cheaper than it would've been in the actual store, but it's something so simple that it can be worn many different ways, and yet so ornate in the casual design of it.

tank: forever xxi

pants: bdg @ urban outfitters

boots: de blossom collections

pants: target

belt: vintage

boots: sm @ sears

socks; christmas tree shop

 NOTE: Halloween 'trick or treat' socks should only be worn today and no other day. Side effects of wearing Halloween socks on days that are not Halloween may include, but are not limited to, pointing and laughing from strangers and a feeling of low self-esteem.

suspenders: macy's

pants: one clothing @ marshall's

boots: target

 Denim and corduroy, united in perfect harmony. Not too much corduroy that it overtakes the simple button-down denim design, but just enough to make it so the shirt isn't just another denim button-down design. How many more reasons do you need to start shopping for men's clothes?

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(taken from http://www.chris.com/ascii/index.php?art=holiday/halloween)

- nali xo

Check Your Calendars

TOMORROW'S HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!

In case anyone didn't already know. Tomorrow is Halloween. I can't wait to see who everyone decides to be tomorrow night and who will be in a visible identity crisis. Follow me on instagram @ goodbetterdressed because on November 1 I'll be posting pictures of my favorite costumes I saw on the internet and in the outernet. My final Halloween themed inspiration of the week for this year is today (tear) so I decided to go out with a bang. Or should I say, out with a two-step. 

I've created the quick-fix recipe to the 80's style dance/workout girl that has proven to be a Halloween hit over the years. It's ridiculous to pay $30+ at the party store when you could put together an identical uniform for free. 

Ingredients:

1 pair of brightly colored leggings/ tights. I know you've all been to at least one neon party (a sweet sixteen probably). Pull those babies out of the back of the drawer.

1 vintage authentic workout leotard (if your mom was cool enough to have one like mine) 

Leotard may be substituted with solid colored full body bathing suit

2 leg warmers (any color)

1 off the shoulder sweatshirt (bonus points if it has a vintage logo/movie on it)

2 sneakers (high-top, low-top, sparkly, patterned, whatever you want)

No baking necessary for heat!

sweatshirt: forever xxi

leotard:  vintage

leggings: target

leg warmers: wet seal

sneakers: pom d'api

If you're feeling daring, why not try out the gym in these duds? 

Because not every trend from the 80s should come back, that's why not.

Happy Halloween-ing everyone! Have a safe and wonderful day/night, however you choose to spend All Hallows Eve.

- nali xo

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

The clock is ticking away and in less than three days we'll all (hopefully) be dressing up for Halloween! I have a last minute Halloween week #manicuremonday for you all to use or be inspired by!

You can do the candy corn nails, or the new 'bloody' trend, OR you can come up with something completely original drawn by your own hand. The nail art pen I've used for manis in past posts is great for any kind of design, as opposed to previously made decals that can't be changed. I drew up a classic creepy style for Halloween week: graveyard theme. 

One hand covered in cobwebs, the other reads R.I.P. Personalize this idea yourself, the spookier when the lights turn off the better. 

What better way to match graveyard nails than to pair a cobweb look alike sweater with neutral 'tomb color' tones? Here's my fall weather approved/tombstone inspired/manicure Monday outfit.

This time of year leg warmers are obviously a must.

button up: american eagle (mens)

sweater: guess

jeans: my pretty denim by cache cache

necklace: ralph lauren @ buffalo exchange

leg warmers: wet seal

shoes: candie's @ kohl's

Giant, shapeless sweaters may leave you stumped as to how to wear them. Instead of just layering the same white tank top underneath why not try a patterned button-up or a flannel next time you cozy into the knit holes.