Very Vuitton

Top, Whitney Koos.  Shorts, F21.  Clutch, ASOS.  Tights, Urban Outfitters.  Shoes, Target.

 As regular readers know, I am obsessed with rummaging through the racks of Wasteland, the best designer consignment shop in LA.  A few weeks ago I found this amazing Whitney Koos shirt and loved the retro 60s feel of it.  Unfortunately, I found a lot of other great pieces that day and left this top behind.  Imagine my surprise when the Louis Vuitton SS13 show came out the next day and featured this exact checkerboard print!

Louis Vuitton Spring 2013 RTW

I knew I had made a mistake in passing up this graphic print but thought I had to suck it up and deal.  Wrong!  This top was waiting patiently in the racks for me, begging to be bought.  I finally made the purchase yesterday and I am SO excited about it.

Taking inspiration from the way Marc Jacobs showed the print at Louis Vuitton, I kept the look a bit 60s and a bit sexy. 

A BumpIt and a yellow bow in my hair were a nod to the styling of the show as well as the actual runway- I love yellow and black together!  The vintage-looking car clutch I found on super-sale at ASOS.com was an easy choice- it matched the racing-flag feel of my shirt- while leather shorts kept the outfit modern.

My new "tattoo" tights from Urban Outfitters brought a bad-ass touch.  Throughout the day I constantly was asked about my tiger tattoo!  These tights let me have all of the street cred without the commitment- I'm going to be wearing them ALL the time!!



I'll be rocking this outfit tonight at my BFFs birthday party!  She has a blog too- annikadotbenitz.com- and her constant posts have inspired me to start blogging again, so thank Annika for new Hell or High Fashion posts!

Fancy Pants

Top, DVF.  Pants, Zara.  Clutch, MCM.  Jewelry, Marc by Marc & F21.

I’m currently going through one of those phases where I feel like I have nothing to wear, even though my closet doors are threatening to burst open with overflow at any moment.  Both of my jobs require different work wardrobes, and I feel a bit like a style schizophrenic-  I bounce betweeen florals and tutus for my day job at Betsey, and skinny jeans and rocker chains for my internship.  I feel like my own fashion identity is getting a little lost these days, but I'm using the opportunity to spice up my style and experiment a bit.  First new trend I'm trying?  Pants!

 These wide-leg polka-dot trousers have been waiting for their day in the sun for awhile; I scooped them up at Zara's seasonal sale for $19 and promptly forgot about them.  These particular pants aren't too far out of my usual skirt/dress comfort zone.  Because the legs are so wide and flowy, they actually appear to be a long skirt from certain angles.  Super comfy too!!  I paired them with a simple DVF tee. 

The low scoop in the back of the shirt really makes it for me!  As regular readers know, I am powerless against a garment that shows off my tatttoos.  :)

This look is very simple, so I added some suble contrast by putting spotted leopard pumps against the dotted black pants, and added my MCM clutch to tie in the brown-and-black theme.  I love the subtlty of small, mismatched patterns!

I always worry about wearing pants, because I'm afraid they'll make me look stumpy.  This pair changed my mind though-  I feel tall and slim, and I've never been more comfortable.  I'm glad to say that I now wear the pants!

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!

Coast to Coast

Dress, Zara.  Shoes, Jeffrey Campbell.  Necklace, F21.  Sunnies, AO.

Tomorrow night I'm packing up my Mustang and driving across the country, from New Jersey to California!   My big move has got me thinking about the different styles and trends coast to coast, and I'm defnitely an East Coast girl (at least fashion-wise).  

My closet is a sea of little black dresses, which are totally appropriate in New York- but I'll definitely look a little out of place covered head-to-toe in dark colors in the LA sunshine.  Instead of pairing these LBDs with simple black pumps, I tried to jazz up my look with funky booties, strands of pearls, and matching sunnies. 

Sitting on the hood of a yellow car also helped brighten up my style!

When I visited LA a few weeks ago, I found one of my best bargains to date in these AMAZING Jeffrey Campbell booties.  I had been eyeing the shoes online, waiting for them to be marked down from $200, when I stumbled across them in Wasteland (my new favorite consignment shop).  These beauties were mine for only $42!!

Booties, Jeffrey Campbell.  

Speaking of bargain hunting, I decided to do a little shopping in my brother's closet- "borrowed from the boys" has been a huge trend for the past few seasons- and came out with the perfect aviator frames.  Joey had ordered these a few years ago from American Optical, the company that supplies military pilots with their sunglasses, and never wore them.  I tried them on and instantly knew I had to borrow (or steal) them.  They looked just right with my new boots!

I threw on jumbled pearls and toted around my Lulu Guinness lips clutch to top off the outfit. 

This particular little black dress has quickly become my favorite, because all of the simple little details balance each other out beautifully.  The high neckline plays against the short hemline, the pleated skirt keeps it from being too stuffy, and the cutout back gives the dress some sex appeal!

I'm confident that this outfit will travel seamlessly between the east and west coasts- wish me luck on my drive!!