Grin and Bare It

Jacket, AG.  Top, Forever 21.  Skirt, American Apparel.  Shoes, Zara.  Bag, Vintage.

It's definitely started to feel like Spring here in LA!  The days are longer and the temperature has been sitting pretty in the 70s for a few weeks now.  My extensive collection of little sundresses gives me a lot of great outfits to choose from, but they can get boring after a while.  Normally a one-piece, quick and easy dress devotee, I've been playing with separates more and more to create a unique Spring/Summer look.

One common complaint from my personal shopping clients is, "I don't know what to wear during the summer months."  The heat really seems to mess with people- I'm constantly hearing "It's too hot to put in effort!" or "I didn't have the energy to look further than a tank and cut-offs".  Hot weather isn't an excuse to forget about fashion- it IS a great excuse to challenge yourself though!

Head scarf, American Apparel.  Earrings, Forever 21.

This season, I've been focusing on creating a wardrobe of fun mix-and-match pieces that can be combined in infinite ways.  In fact, I haven't bought a dress in quite a while!  Crop tops, long printed skirts, and bright cardis and blazers have taken over my wardrobe.  With so many options, I'm guaranteeing that I'll never feel bored with Spring/Summer fashion again.

One of my favorite finds so far is this fun midi-length skirt from American Apparel.  This style is 50% off right now and available in tons of different colors, so go scoop one up now while you can!  "Midi" skirts (also known as "tea length") are really having a moment right now.  Because the length is so conservative, you can really have fun with color, print, and the other pieces you pair it with. 

I took that conservative/wild approach and paired my long, high-waisted skirt with a cute little cropped top!  I picked up this gem from Forever 21 last summer (with high-waisted short shorts to match) and it's been waiting for the perfect outfit to come along ever since.  I feel OK about baring my midriff to the world in this look because I'm covered up everywhere else!  I wouldn't dream of wearing a belly-baring shirt with a mini skirt or even with tight pants- a balance of tight/loose or short/long is what keeps a daring outfit classy.

That being said, sometimes the sun got a little too hot to handle in this jacket!

The 50s/60s flair of this look inspired me to do something a little different with my hair!  I grabbed a head wrap from American Apparel and channeled Brigitte Bardot in this iconic pic:

A little straw basket purse and mod floral earrings tied everything together for a classic but funky way to handle the spring heat! 

Fashion Tips from "Grin and Bare It":

1.  The weather is no excuse for sloppy dressing.  Cooler days give you the opportunity to experiment with layering, and hotter days should challenge you to come up with fun, unexpected combinations that won't weigh you down.  Jewelry and shoes are great ways to add more "oomph" to your summer look: you can wear your traditional summer uniform of short shorts and a tank, but elevate them with bright layered jewels or funky wedge sandals. 

2.  This season is the season to bare it!  Cropped tops and underwear-as-outerwear are huge in the fashion world, so there are plenty of options for you to try out.  Just remember that when you decide to show off one part of your body, you should conceal another- that sense of "peek-a-boo" keeps your look mysterious and classy instead of party-girl crazy.

3.  Separates are the best way to punch up your wardrobe.  While dresses are fun and easy, they don't offer as much variety as separate pieces do.  Have at least one bright shirt, one striped shirt, and one floral shirt in your wardrobe to pair with different colored jeans, printed shorts, and fun skirts- you'll never run out of options!

Now that we've covered warm weather wardrobes, what other common complaints do you have?  I'd love to help!

Pink Lady

On New Year's Eve, I did the unthinkable: I rang in the New Year sans lipstick.  

I spent all of New Year's Eve day planning outfits in my head, and I took a lot of inspiration from the 1960s.  I knew I wanted to do heavy, Twiggy-esque eye makeup and tease my hair up into a bouffant, and I had just purchased some Pepto-pink pumps that I wanted to wear.  This combination left no room for my signature red lips, and the New Year is all about change, right?  So I went bare-lipped, and it was so freeing! 

Sweater, F21.  Skirt, Carolina Herrera.  Bag, Vintage.  Shoes, Aldo.

While I've still been rocking red most days of 2013, my NYE experience has opened me up to more pucker possibilities: glossy lips, nude lips, purple lips- but most of all, pink lips!  I've been so obsessed with this new look that I planned a whole outfit to match my mouth- there's just something so classic and classy about one head-to-toe color!

My newest heels (a great find at Wasteland) were an obvious choice, and a vintage Carolina Herrara skirt (that I wore WAY back in 2011 here) completed the pink trifecta.  Because head-to-toe pink seems a tad over the top, a mod black and white sweater provided some contrast but still kept up with the 1960s mood I've been feeling lately.  I added a vintage bag handed down to me from my Nanny, teased my hair up a little bigger than usual and swiped on my new favorite lipstick and my outfit was almost complete!

Earrings, F21 (customized by me).  Ring, Alexis Bittar.  Brooch, H&M.

I had some fun with my jewelry and decided on a "garden" theme- bugs and flowers aplenty.  Collecting animal jewelry is one of my hobbies, so I had plenty of garden creatures to choose from.  Today I added a fly brooch, flower earrings, and a beetle ring to my 60s look.  It's so important to have fun dressing up, and little add-ons like an animal pin, a printed scarf, or even frilly socks make a fashion statement so much more personal!

Fashion Tips from "Pink Lady": 

1.  Find part of your look that is the same everyday (for instance, do you always part your hair in the middle? Do you throw the same hoodie on over everything?) and change it up!  Maybe it won't stick, but the spirit of change will inspire you to see yourself and your style in new ways!

2.  Anything can be a jumping-off point for a new look or outfit, so be open to anything!  The idea of a 60s bouffant hairdo translated into a mood/lipstick/trend change in my wardrobe- maybe an 80s song on the radio will inspire you to break out your legwarmers, or a finding a new recipe to try out might trigger a 50s housewife phase.

3.  Want to try a matchy-matchy look?  You have some options!  To test head-to-toe color, vary the shades: classic denim paired with a bright blue tee shirt and a navy blazer makes for a modern monochrome moment.  For a look that is similar to the one I wore here, try wearing a dress and shoes of the same shade and break it up with a neutral belt at the waist. 

4.  Pencil skirts (a straight up-and-down cut that usually stops below the knee) like the one I wore here are traditionally worn with tight fitting tops, button downs, or blazers.  Try an oversize sweater or even a peplum top for a new spin on a classic piece. 

5.  Make your hair and makeup an extension of your outfit- this one goes for guys too!  The same way an interview-appropriate outfit can be ruined by messy hair or an unruly beard, a fancy updo or freshly trimmed mustache can elevate a basic look.

My next post is going to be about taking inspiration from a personal style icon.  Who are your favorite fashionistas (or fashionistos)??

Out With the Old

Jacket, Jack.  Boots, Joie.  Dress, Alice & Olivia.

Lately everything in my has been changing, and I thought I'd document some of those changes with my first blog post in almost two months!

My first west coast winter has officially begun, and I'm surprised at how quickly my body forgot what cold actually feels like!  A breezy 60-degree day that previously would've prompted me to pull on shorts and sandals now chills me to the bone, so I've had to stock up on some light layering staples- like this amazing Jack coat I found on the sale rack at Urban Outfitters!

Vest, DVF.

A jacket is usually appropriate in the morning, but by midday the sun is out in full force and I need something a little lighter to throw on over my minidresses.   That's where this amazing rabbit fur DVF vest comes in!  I scooped it up last year when I was working at Diane von Furstenberg, but never got much use out if because Spring was just starting.  It's proven to be the most functional layering piece in my closet!  It keeps me super warm and cozy, but since it's sleeveless I'm not overheating when the sun decides to show up.  

I've also been trying out a new clothing silhouette.  Usually I love the always-flattering 50s hourglass look, but lately I've been gravitating towards short, swingy tent dresses like this cute little number from Alice & Olivia.  

And you know what?  I'm loving the new look!   I can get away with wearing a much shorter skirt when it's paired with a loose and swingy shape up top, and it's fun to mix it up and accentuate my legs!  

I bought these over-the-knee leather boots from Joie to go with my miniskirts- they make a sexy statement that's still covered-up.  I'm obsessed!

Bag, BDG.

After trying out a super-short skirt and loving it, I thought I'd try out super-short hair.  I just chopped my tresses this morning at Vidal Sassoon, and I love the results!  A new haircut always leaves me feeling fresh and ready to start over again, which is just what I needed!

Here's hoping that my new look will inspire me to blog more :)

  

Head To Toe

Top, Michael Kors.  Skirt, Carolina Herrera.  Shoes, F21.

Lately I've developed a slight obsession with the color pink.  I don't know how or why it happened, but suddenly after years of having no interest in the color, I can't seem to go shopping without picking up something in this girlish hue.

This Michael Kors top is easy to mix-and-match with different bottoms, and since it's made of stretch silk it feels a bit dressier than your basic tee.  I paired it with this amazing vintage Carolina Herrera polka-dotted skirt from Second Time Around- a match made in heaven!

Bag, Ferragamo.

This outfit felt very 50's/60's, which inspired my good friend and hairstylist Anna Kathryn to give me some sweet victory rolls!  I absolutely loved this hairdo--  so much so that I didn't even mind that my ears were showing (usually a no-no for me)!  The victory rolls added 'oomph' to the look, and I'm going to try to make my hair an extension of my outfits more often.

I found these fantastic strappy sandals at Forever 21 last week.  They look a lot more expensive than they were, which is always a good thing!  I've been wearing them non-stop, because the blush tone matches absolutely everything- a great alternative to a nude pump!

XOXO!