Fresh for Fall

/ 1. Topshop Tank / 2. Forever 21 Jacket / 3. Topshop Skirt / 4. Forever 21 Sandals

After what felt like excruciating heat for about the past week (I totally forgot about no AC at school), the weather finally cooled a bit yesterday. While it was certainly still every bit sandal weather footwear-wise, getting to throw on a new favorite varsity jacket with the coolest quilting that I found for $18 the day before, made that exciting look towards fall a good one. With a black and white palette and faux leather jacket, metallic sandals in a similar style to the ones above, added the shine needed to take the simple palette to a sophisticated one, all while happily welcoming fall.

Watercolor Rose

/ Topshop top and skirt / Zara heels and purse / DIY sunglasses /

Lately, it's a pretty rare occasion where I come across a garment that stops me and I automatically need to have it. Even rarer, is that it is in a reasonably affordable price range. I have been working on trying to add in a few special pieces into my wardrobe, regardless of their wearability, and this skirt from Topshop had all of the qualities I was looking for. Feminine, dainty, and unique in design, it is one of the pieces that has the power of making you feel a bit prettier just by putting it on. Bonus points, it reminds me of Katie Rodger's Dior illustration on Paper Fashion!

Have you seen any of these special pieces lately? I'd love to see.

Embellished Americana

/ J.Crew button down (sample sale) / Vintage Levi's from LF / Zara heels / H&M clutch / Illamasqua polish / 

When I would think of classic American dressing, jeans and a white t-shirt would come to mind. As much as I love a good basic, I wouldn't really call them my go-to. Still inspired by the denim and white combination, and the concept of easy dressing in mind, I pulled out pieces that much more suited my sense of style to update the classic pairing. Both the button down and the vintage Levi's are updated versions of classics in themselves. A white button-down can easily seem quite stiff and conservative, and ill-fitted denim can come across as borrowed from your parents--and not in the chic oversized way. However, with a bit of embellished beads and rhinestones and a fitted shape for the top, and a distressed appearance and lace inserts for the shorts, these pieces are still classics, but for a girl who likes her basics--a little less basic. 

PS: Happy Birthday, daddy! I hope it's full of everything you wanted. xo

Elizabeth Street

/ Christian Siriano dress c/o / Christian Siriano belt (on sale!) / Christian Siriano heels /

Is there a piece in your wardrobe that you can always rely on regardless of the occasion? For me, it's this Christian Siriano circle skirt dress. With it's flattering shape and obvious little black dress appeal, it always manages to make me feel feminine, polished, and pretty. When it comes to little black dresses, one of the many great qualities about them is that there are limitless ways to style them. This pink metallic snap belt, which is on sale at the store (!), and the seafoam Julie mary-jane's provide just the right amount of additions, without taking away from the dress's own beauty, as well. 

Are you as much in love with Christian Siriano's pieces as I am? If so, head to his store located at

252 Elizabeth Street btw Prince & Houston in Nolita

New York City

to pick up some fabulous pieces. They're even having a summer sale!

Piña

/ Topshop dress / H&M sandals / Zara purse / Forever21 necklace / Michael Kors watch / Anthropologie Sunglasses /

I've never been much of a beach person, I don't like getting wet and I'm not particularly fond of sand. So, it surprised even me when I took a spontaneous late afternoon excursion out to Coney Island for the first time. Since being in the city since May, this was my first actual 'summer activity', and I was overly excited to dress the part. I had purchased this pineapple dress at a Topshop sale last month and felt like what better day to pull it out from a sea of black and to actually bring it to the sea. With it's all-over pineapple print, the small details like triangular midriff cutout, cross-over neckline, and criss-cross open back provide just the right amount of interesting elements to keep it from bridging over to too cutesy.

Have you ever been to Coney Island? Did you sport any festive summer apparel, as well?

Vintage Blues

/ Vintage Dress / H&M Clutch / Zara Heels /

One of my favorite parts about vintage pieces is that they are so one-of-a-kind. As much as I love my fast fashion stores, there really is something special about having a piece in your wardrobe that no one else shares with you. When it comes to vintage, I am quite particular about what I like, and it is usually in the form of devastatingly feminine pieces. This dress is no exception, and is probably one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe. I knew when I saw it last summer at the since closed Zachary's Smile in New York City's West Village that it was a piece that really got to me. Hard to appreciate the details in photographs, everything from the delicate zipper to the inner construction shows the time put in to make this dress that you just don't find in your fast fashion pieces today. In styling this dress, I tried to complement the silvery blues of the bows that adorned the skirt and shoulders with my latest favorite metallic heels, snakeskin print clutch, and skipping on the jewelry-it clearly isn't needed.

Do you have a favorite vintage piece? One of my other favorites is a 1950's lilac prom dress that I keep hanging in my closet as a daily source of inspiration.

The Importance of a Blouse

/ Madewell blouse / Zara shorts, purse, and heels / J.Crew headband (Crewcuts) / Brandy Melville ring / Michael Kors watch / Street Vendor from Austin, TX necklace /

Having a few great blouses is a necessity in any wardrobe, especially one of a working gal. There are infinite possibilities to pair them with, are almost always office appropriate, and easy to switch up for after work, as well. One of my first blouses in my wardrobe was this abstract floral one from Madewell around four years ago. This was a piece that made me feel instantly sophisticated and polished, and it still manages to do so today. For work yesterday I pulled out this old favorite to pair with my latest favorite Zara shorts and to add a bit of brightness to the darker colors, metallic heels provided the perfect balance. 

Have you filled in the blouse section of your wardrobe? Which are your favorites?

Tuesday Shoesday

As much as I have been talking about iridescent/metallic shoes and accessories (and basically any fashion style), I finally purchased a pair of shoes like the ones I had been eyeing. When I got caught in a crazy rainstorm the other day, I found myself stopping into H&M to browse  stay dry. Lucky for me, these blue and silver metallic sandals were on sale for $10. For a trend that may or may not stick around for long--even though I must admit, I am obsessed-- this great price, and the gloomy weather, made this purchase an easy one to make. In the summer, sandals are an obvious staple. Since I have gotten rather tired of wearing my basic black flats as my go-to, I am excited to see how I can incorporate these into my outfits and making them work as a creative nod to neutrals. Stay tuned!

If you're loving these as much as I do, head over to H&M and pick up a pair. There is also a great style of metallic blue heels for $15 that are waiting for you, as well. 

The Great Graphite

//Skirt: Forever 21//Tank: Topshop//Boots+Purse: Target//Watch: Michael Kors//Ring: H&M//Necklace: Street Vendor in Austin, TX//

Do you guys have certain things that you seemingly always buy on impulse? After a long dedication to pleated skirts, I thought that my love of them had dwindled and been brought to a close until I ventured into the clearance section at Forever 21 last week. Though this is the section usually filled with missing sequin clubbing skirts, drab faux furs, and assorted miscellaneous trinkets, this pleated graphite metallic skirt caught my eye. While the fabric is somewhat reminiscent of a trash-bag, in both the sound it makes and the texture, the $10 price tag and way it sparkled when it caught the light definitely caught my attention, as well. When I wore this skirt this past weekend, I kept the rest of the components of my outfit in the neutral range with my purse, boots, and minimal but still statement-worthy jewelry. Needless to say, my love of pleats is anything but shaken, and the clearance section at Forever 21 will definitely be more frequently visited.

Bright + Metallic

    Forever 21 sweater and necklace//Topshop vest//Christian Siriano skirt//Michael Kors watch//and Steve Madden shoes

Pencil skirts are one of those basic styles that every girl should have in her closet. This Christian Siriano pencil skirt, however, is anything but basic. With the metallic gold and silver threads that run through it and perfect length, only minimal jewelry is required because is is decorative in itself. In pairing a few key but simple pieces like my bright fuchsia sweater and a faux leather vest for a little warmth with the look, the skirt is still the main focus, while working with the rest of the outfit, as well. 

Dress Up

Jacquard, like brocade, is a fabric that always makes a garment feel special and unique to me. This short sleeved Jacquard floral print dress with an inverted pleat in the front that although is a fairly simple design, is one that is the perfect base for layering in the cooler weathered climates. I can picture paring this piece with an army green utility jacket that would work well with the cold, silver, and bronze metallics that are found in this dress's fabric, as well as dressing it down a bit. 

How would you style this dress? Are you a fan of Jacquard?

Tuesday Shoesday

As feminine and classic as I usually am, quite often I find myself interested in and wishing to try out pieces and styles that are a little unlike me. Anything in a brocade fabric is always beautiful to me--the way that the metallic threads shine and the way that it adds a bit of luxury to whatever it is sewn to. These Kenzo zip-front boots are a pair that while typically not my go-to style, are definitely a pair that I would love to try out. This pair is from Kenzo's pre-fall 2012 collection that was filled with an abundance of rich and deep colors (burgundy, mustard, navy blues) scattered with bits and pieces of pattern mixing and a few prints. While at first, this pair of boots may seem unpractical for their abilities to easily pair with a daily wardrobe, I am already dreaming up ways in which they can be the showstopper of the outfit throughout the fall and winter seasons. 

Would you attempt brocade boots?

Dress Up

As much as a sucker I am for a really feminine fit-and-flare, waist-accented silhouette for a dress, there is a strong place in my heart for a great boxy dress. This week's dress is one that fills many classifications of things that go into making a favorite style boxy dress to me. I love how while the sleeves are short, they are longer than usual, and how as a whole, the dress can appear almost as if it is a top and skirt as separates. Although my university's colors are orange and blue, surprisingly, that is not the reason that the colors work well for me. The combination of a dark navy and almost rusty/metallic orange, are great colors for fall and winter and can work as a great base for coats or tights and the metallic quality would look great with one of my favorite additions--gold jewelry.

Have a great weekend, everyone! I'm headed home for Thanksgiving Break.