Birthday Girl

Dress, Halston Heritage.  Necklace, Kenneth Jay Lane.  Bracelet, Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Yesterday I turned 22, and my favorite part of my birthday is picking out a birthday outfit!  This year I wanted to look glamorous, mature, sophisticated, and effortless and ended up in this chich Halston Heritage sheath.  I picked it up at my new favorite second-hand store, Wasteland, a few days ago and knew it would be perfect for my birthday festivities!

Pumps, Zara.  Bag, Ferragamo.

I love the sleek, minimalist style of the one-shouldered gown, and even though it's a bit shapeless- where's my waistline??- I think it works because it shows off the shoulders and legs.  I picked nude pumps to enlongate my legs; this pair from Zara almost perfectly matches my skin tone, fooling the eye into thinking the 4 extra inches added to my frame are natural.  One of my favorite fashion tricks!

My pearl-and-panther necklace from Kenneth Jay Lane lent the right amount of razzle-dazzle, and I threw on a Marc by Marc Jacobs snake bracelent and a few rings to jazz up a simple dress-and-heels combo.

Sunnies, Ralph Lauren. 

A pair of cat-eye glasses from Ralph Lauren upped the glitz factor!

Birthdays are the best excuse to get glammed up, even if your plans don't include a fancy evening out.  While this dress is most certainly an evening gown, I wore it out to a casual buffalo wing joint and felt like I was in a 5 star restaurant!  Fashion is all about having fun, and this dress accompanied me on one of those most fun nights I've ever had!!

Happy birthday to me!

Neutral Territory

Dress, Diane von Furstenberg.  Shoes, Zara.  Bag, MCM.  Belt, H&M.  Necklace, F21.

When deciding what to wear every morning, my goal is to choose outfits that will stand out in the crowd.  I'm a shy person and have trouble taking the initiative when talking to people, so I let my look do the talking for me!  I love when people can get a sense of who I am based on the clothing I'm wearing- I want my style to say that I'm classy, classic, fun, professional, quirky, intelligent, etc., depending on where I'm going.  Generally I rely on stark whites, dramatic darks, or flashy brights to get my point across, but this gold DVF dress showed me that neutral colors can really stand out when accessorized to perfection.

The golden hue of this classic DVF piece is sensational- while it is part of the brand's pre-fall collection (picture it with dark brown leather boots and a fur vest...mmm), the way the summer sunlight hits the fabric  makes it the perfect choice for a summer day dress as well.  I added a light tan belt for some contrast and matched it to my Zara nude pumps.

As soon as I got this dress I knew it called for a stand-out statement necklace, and I found the best bling for my buck at Forever 21.  The copper and gold jewels add just the right amout of intrigue without overpowering the simplicity of the shift dress.  My oversize vintage MCM clutch is a great mix between a delicate evening bag and an everyday carry-all and serves as an unexpected finishing touch.  

My favorite details in this outfit?  The zipper that spans the length of the back of the dress,

and pockets!

Putting together this look helped me conquer my fear of neutrals; instead of blending in beige, I'm getting noticed in gold!

Earning My Stripes

Dress, Karen Millen.  Shoes, J Crew.

 When I was younger, my family was very big on the "rewards system", where a good accomplishment always warranted a treat.  I've continued this tradition into my adulthood, and was compelled to treat myself to a new dress (or two...or three...) when I was offered a new job this week!  I've started working at the Betsey Johnson boutique in Beverly Hills, and I couldn't be more excited about it...  especially because my store is surrounded by lots of another amazing shops that just happen to be having huge summer sales!

On my break I skipped over to the Karen Millen boutique and snagged this striped sundress for over 70% off!

It was the first dress that caught my eye when I entered the shop, and there was only one left- in my size, no less- so I knew it was meant to be.  The quirky colors are perfectly colorblocked into the simple stripes, and even though there's a lot going on (color AND pattern), it works because the hues are subdued rather than in-your-face bright.

Plus, this Karen Millen creation came complete with a waist-cinching belt.  

Sunnies, Ralph Lauren.

I paired it with prim and proper pumps from J Crew and added my favorite Ralph Lauren frames to keep the look clean and classic.  This outfit is definitely going to be in heavy rotation this summer!

Golden State

Dress, Jovovich-Hawk.  Belt, H&M.  Shoes, J Crew.

Welcome to my first Los Angeles blog post!!  I've been in LA for a whole week now, and I am absolutely loving it.  My days have been spent unpacking, decorating my new digs, and scoping out my new town- especially the best shopping spots!  I managed to do a lot of thrifting damage in just one week, and the Jovovich-Hawk dress and J Crew pumps are evidence of my inability to control myself when up against a good deal!

My new favorite store, Wasteland, is a treasure trove of  used designer goodies.  I scored this sweet little floral print dress there for only $45-- new Jovovich-Hawk pieces go for hundreds!  What a deal!  

I loved the 40s elegance of the puffed sleeves, nipped-in waist, and fringe detailing, and the golden floral print feels very "LA" to me; everywhere I go girls are dressed up in little 90s flower print pieces, and I wanted to get in on the action in my own unique way.  I added an H&M sash belt to break up the print and (surprise, surprise!) whittle the waistline.

While the dress is very conservative in the front, it features a sexy slit down the back which perfectly frames my tattoo!!  I'm a sucker for anything that shows off my ink :)

Bag, Simply Vera by Vera Wang.

I paired it with brand new J Crew pumps featuring feminine detailing, and I threw on a faux alligator skin Simply Vera bag to add to the lady-like look.  

An up-close look at the pretty print and fun fringe:

Here's hoping that the rest of my time in LA is as amazing as this first week!

Animal Instincts

Dress and bag, vintage.  Belt, Ferragamo. Shoes, H&M.  Cat, Benny.

When I was packing for my big move out to California, I had to go through my closet piece by piece to determine what to take and what to leave.  Whittling down my wardrobe like this was a wonderful experience- I rediscovered pieces that I had forgotten about and reinvented my basics with long-lost accessories.  I also realized that a large portion of my clothing is animal-print!

Usually "animal-print" brings to mind leopard spots or zebra stripes, but I mean the phrase quite literally- I have a shirt covered in cartoon cockatoos, an awesome skirt with an owl on it, a kitten covered romper, and the list goes on and on.  One of my favorite animal prints is this vintage butterfly dress.

Most of these animal articles are creations that recall crazy cat ladies, so I decided to pose with one of my kitties, Benny!  He loved the attention and the camera loved him.

The colors in this dress feel so fresh and spring-y, so I matched my nail polish to the butterflies.  The mint green polish that I found is my new favorite, and I'll be rocking it all summer long!

This combo is going to be my go-to look for summer.  The material is light and airy, the colors are crisp, and the belt adds just enough intrigue; I can see this look going anywhere from a walk on the boardwalk to a barbeque or a summer evening soiree.

Benny likes it too!

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