Your fashion challenge this week (should you choose to accept it)? Wear a bold color with pride. And don’t pair it with black.

I get a lot of fashion inspiration from the ladies in my office. All things considered, I work with a pretty stylish bunch. Plus, since we all work at a marketing agency, we can take some pretty fierce fashion risks not typically allowed behind the cubicle walls at your standard corporate office.

This week I’ve loved all the colors my coworkers are rocking! I’ve been inspired by these colors’ abilities to lift spirits and fake people into believing it’s already summer! Bright highlighter yellows, bold red-oranges and fluorescent blues make for a very cheerful office. (And a group of fashionistas who seem to have this whole color blocking trend in the bag.)

So how can you mix bright, bold colors for the office? (If you’re the typical black and gray girl, you might be rolling your eyes right now.) You can wear bright colors to the office. You can have a positive impact on your coworkers. And you can do this without losing any professional credibility or getting called-out by HR.

Some ideas to get you started?

:: Buy a bright sheath dress instead of the traditional black or gray sheath dress! Pair it with contrasting colors for a look that’s office appropriate and full of color.

:: Pair a brightly colored cardigan with your outfits! This can help you easy into the idea of sporting a bright color more often.

:: Put a bright bag into rotation! Get comfortable rocking a brightly colored bag with numerous outfits and color schemes.

The great news about wearing color is that you WILL get more compliments than imaginable. Because color evokes such a range of emotions, be prepared to bask in the glory of everyone telling you how great you look.

When it comes to shopping, I’ve been around the block. So it comes as a surprise when a shopping experience “wows” me. But I recently had a shopping experience that knocked my stilettos off at Behind the Scenes (BTS), a boutique in Minneapolis.

Boutique owner India made the whole experience a delight. When I walked in the door I was greeted and she knew exactly who I was, a fashion blogger she had connected with via Twitter. (Obviously, this made me feel famous, important and awesome.) Point team BTS.

For the next hour, I felt like I was hanging out with Beyoncé in her closet, drinking champagne, and trying on all of her clothes while she told me how pretty I looked. (Side note: India reminded me of Beyoncé. This may have been because Destiny’s Child was playing in the background. It may have been because she, herself, is gorgeous and has dreamy, long and wavy hair ala Beyoncé. But who wouldn’t want to feel like they were hanging out with Beyoncé? Really.) India helped me pick out lots of fun looks to try on—the whole time keeping my body shape in mind and pushing my style boundaries. (Side note: I love people that push my style boundaries. They will be the people that get me hooked on the next best thing. And for this I thank them.)

All of the dress-up resulted in me finding several pieces I could have traveled home with. But self control kicked in and I only snagged four things (notice how that’s actually not much control at all): an adorable black and white strapless dress for summer, a white “loose and flowy” shirt accented with lace, a tunic style shirt with an awesome print, and a sassy summery dress with red print.

The whole time I was playing dress-up, India was snapping pictures of me and tweeting them. And this was totally cool, as long as she promised not to reveal my pasty legs to the Twittersphere. C’mon, what fashion blogger wouldn’t want the world to see pics of them trying on cute clothing?

Will I go back to Behind the Scenes? You bet. With new inventory arriving every week and prices that tended to range between $30-$100, it’s a girl’s best bet for finding weekend party attire without going broke. Many times when I’m visiting a new boutique, I limit myself to ONE new item. At Behind the Scenes there was no need to do that—I could buy several things for the price of one dress at competing stores.

Check out Behind the Scenes for yourself:

Behind the Scenes
1026 Washington Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN

Become a fan on Facebook and learn more about Behind The Scenes.

It’s official. My friends have turned my outfit choices into a form of gambling. This weekend, I arrived at a house where several of my friends had congregated prior to a birthday party. Upon my entrance, people immediately started shouting things like, “I knew it” and “she’s got leopard on, point for me!”

Turns out, bets had been placed on me wearing leopard print and Joe’s Jeans.

I am so predictable. I wore leopard print heels with my Joe’s “The Rocker” Jeans. But c’mon, that’s what building a personal brand is all about. While some might get lost in the hoopla of trying the latest trends, I try to stay true to my personal style. And the good news? People are catching on.

What would your friends take bets on you wearing? And is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Ever wonder how the editors at ELLE Magazine come up with their story assignments? In this fun little gem of a video, ELLE associate editor (and good friend) Julie Vadnal takes a journey into the world of viral pop video stardom.

Things we love about this video:

1) The song. Holy contagious! I can't get this out of my head. I keep thinking how perfect it would be to get pumped up for a Friday night out with the ladies.

2) The men. They are all fierce (on top of being rock-star dancers), especially when they dance in heels.

3) Julie's hair. It's fabulous. I've been envious of Julie's locks since we met years ago, but her hair looks great in the video. FYI: Julie did do a feature for ELLE in 2011 in which she tried a different hair style for three weeks.

4) The message. C'mon! More boys need to make us feel the way we feel in our heels. (Oh, oh, oh, oh-oh.)

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week just came to a wrap in NYC yesterday and in my opinion, they certainly saved one of the best for last. My favorite showing for Fall 2012 was definitely Ralph Lauren, who presented yesterday. I loved the richness of the collection—from the refined pops of animal print and the gold detailing to the lush velvet and opulent silk.

This collection took me back to The Great Gatsby in a relevant and current way. Plus, I loved how the collection contained so much tailored menswear. My favorite fashion statements are those that blend two seemingly opposite things. In this collection, Lauren does just that—he creates a mash-up of manly layers that still seem to be strikingly feminine (and look fun to wear). I’m especially excited about the traditional patterns and plaids accented with vibrant pops of color—it all equates to a very classic and romantic feel. (And the top hats. Let’s please make top hats happen.)

If you’re looking to go aristocratic chic for Fall 2012, then Ralph Lauren’s collection is the cat's pajamas. Here are a few of my favorite looks from the show.

I love this look, look 3, for an everyday fall outfit. There are so many layers in this combination, yet they all work so well together: plaid, argyle, animal print and the crazy weave of a brightly colored sweater. I also really enjoy the tie.

Tailored three-piece suits, like this one, are so interesting to me. And something about that extra vest layer makes a suit feel so much more special. This look really becomes feminine with the pink shirt underneath it. And again, I love the tie.

This is a look I'm already familiar with. I love pairing bold pops of bright jewel tones or neons with more subdued separates. The subtle plaids make this all the more desirable.

Nothing says "aristocrat" like a red velvet suit. It's wild, yet old-money at the same time. Nice work, Ralphie.

This look, Look 27, is clean and elegant...but with a vintage appeal. I love the fit of the trench (it looks just a little drapey) and the accent of the gold jewelry. Clean, rich and elegant.

While a number of stunning gowns were shown at Ralph Lauren, this one hits a high note with me. The color is showstopping and the cut is simple. To me, this is what effortless beauty looks like.

I have never been one of those girls who can stroll into Target and come out with an awesome looking outfit. It’s just not a strength of mine. On the contrary, I have friends who can always find adorable clothes at Target—from the shoes to the accessories, they find it all at one store. I’m more complex…I have to mix many articles of clothing from many stores to achieve the funky-meets-polished look that I usually go for.

Occasionally, I will find myself strolling through Target looking for toothpaste and getting distracted by something cute. That’s exactly what happened last week when I came across this vibrant colored cotton skirt on my way to get nail polish remover.

Why does this skirt rock?
1) The vibrant color rocks my world. It’s also available in hot pink (score).
2) It’s comfortable and good for layering with tights and numerous shirt styles.
3) It’s versatile. You could pull it up and belt it for a high-waisted look or pull it down on your hips for a low-slung fit.
4) It was $17.99.

So there you have it! A Target find that was actually good enough to blog about. Pick up the Mossimo Womens Ponte Knit Skirt at your local store.

Because it's Wednesday...and I'm feeling pretty damn strong.

Last night I had a nightmare. I was shopping and finding loads of cool stuff that all happened to be on sale. At this point in the story, you’re probably thinking, “Emily, that is not a nightmare. That sounds like the best dream ever.” But it’s at this point that we take a drastic turn for the worse.

You see, as I picked up the designer merchandise I quickly realized that something was very wrong with all of it. The first bag I selected from the rack of goods was a beautiful Gucci satchel. Or so I thought. When I picked up the bag with the traditional Gucci horsebit detailing, it said “Christian LaCroix” across the front. Imagine my confusion. In fact, I was so confused in my dream that I slid the bag to the back of the rack and picked up my next find, which was a Versace purse that was very obviously Versace (the famed logo of Medusa’s head was clearly visible). Yet when I opened shiny leather purse it was lined with Burberry’s nova check. I couldn’t understand what was happening.

This type of confused shopping went on for what seemed like an eternity. I found sweaters, scarves, belts and more bags, and each one appeared to be the bastard child of two famed fashion houses. Hermes and Louis Vuitton, Prada and Chloe, Chanel and Marc Jacobs. No wonder this is all on sale, I thought.

I share this dream with you not to tout my knowledge of fashion, but because I think this dream was symbolic in meaning. What can we learn from it?

At the very core of fashion, there lies a vision. If a designer is good—and if the legacy of that designer lives on through his or her fashion house—then that vision will be applied to every collection ever created by that brand. But today, consumers are so focused on labels that sometimes artistic direction is ruined for the sake of mass selling.

While fashion is changing and morphing and brands traditionally reserved for the elite are making their way to the masses, I think it’s important that anyone with an interest in fashion truly understand this lesson: a logo or label does not make something designer. For something to be designer it must be a tribute to that brand’s very essence—it must embody the spirit and artistic direction of that brand.

And if Burberry and Versace ever get together and have a love child, I don’t want a birth announcement.