Tuesday Shoesday: Slip-ons

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Did anyone else have a pair of Vans in middle school? Mine were polka dotted (I didn't think I could pull of the checkered ones) and I loved how they could be thrown on with basically anything. So, when slip-ons came back in style the past year or so, I was reminded of those I had from middle school but hesitant to get back into them again. After holding off for a while, I finally found the pair I had been searching for (#1) a pair of suede Vince ones at Nordstrom Rack for under $60 on clearance and instantly was hooked again. They are incredibly comfortable, have a sort of ease about them (no laces!), and just like the sneakers from yesterday's post, make nearly any outfit so much cooler. 

Do you have a pair of slip-ons? I think next I'll try a pair in the ankle style.

Sequins + Sneakers

 

/ J.Crew Sweatshirt (on sale!) / Zara skirt (old) / Nike sneakers / Wallet from Target / Michael Kors watch / David Yurman ring /

I love when a classic wardrobe staple, like a grey sweatshirt, gets an update. I had spotted this J.Crew version online and after keeping a gift card from there for far too long, realized that this was a perfect opportunity and piece to use it on. The sequin trim is just the right amount of sparkle for the simple shape and helps contrast with the sneakers. While I was never really a sneaker fan until about a year ago, I love how you can pair them with so many styles and they can instantly make your outfit casual and cooler at the same time. Sequins, chiffon, and sneakers--what more could you want in a casual look?

Cold Weather Wear

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Well wow, everyone! I think that it is officially Winter here in Syracuse. Goodbye PSL's and hello to Gingerbread and Peppermint Mocha's. Aside from all of my favorite warm winter beverages, Winter is one of my favorite seasons to dress for, despite my continued dislike for the cold weather--it's the Texan in me, I guess. Anyway, we just had our first real snowfall this past weekend and I'm officially in bundle mode. Over the years of attending college in one of the snowiest cities in America, I have found that accessories really are key to keeping warm and are also a great and easy way to add extra patterns and textures to your overall look. I put together a few of my necessities for once the weather cools down:

1. A statement faux fur coat: I have learned that having a few statement coats in your closet in addition to your go-to basics really is ideal when it comes to colder weather. Since there is a good chance that you will be wearing a coat everyday for the next four-five months, having a few that feel fun instead of just warm will make getting ready to brave the cold a little more stylish. I think I'm at the point to where I have a rainbow collection of faux fur (...oops), but this Topshop daisy one sure did catch my attention. 

2. A beanie / hat: This is the area that I need to improve on. Hats make such a difference when it comes to not having the heat escape your body. I for one, don't think that beanies look the best on me, but I saw this chunky H&M style this past weekend (after my ears were freezing) and am determined to start trying to pull them off even if it's just a warmth issue.

3. Fun mittens / gloves: If you're anything like me, keeping the same pair of mittens over the course of the winter season (forget the year) is quite the struggle. Like socks, I always end up with one of them and have misplaced the mate. Because of this, I try to have a few different styles always stocked up and in different places from my book bag, my car, and my room for whenever the cold hits. Inexpensive styles like these cute Old Navy ones keep me smiling even when I'm cold. 

4. Over-the-Knee boots: Boots are one of the best winter investments in my opinion. I have quite the collection of ankle boots in my shoe closet, but have yet to add a pair of over-the-knee ones. The Stuart Weitzman 50/50 is one that is on my 'winter wish list' year after year, but these Zara ones come in pretty close, too. How fabulous is the patent cap toe part?!

What are your must-haves for the Winter season? I'm also a huge fan of infinity scarves. They make all the difference in my opinion.

Invaluable

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When it comes to watches, I have been dedicated to my gold Michael Kors since I got it in high school six years ago. Usually I am drawn to chunkier mens style watches, and I love feeling the weight of it on my arm and the finish that it brings to an outfit overall. Invaluable is the world's largest online auction marketplace for so many luxury items from fine jewelry to artwork. I styled three looks around a particular mens watch on their site and while a Rolex isn't typically anywhere in my budget, I appreciated this style for it's silver and black sleek appearance compared to my glaring gold Kors for a change. Far too often I find myself wandering the mens watch section in department stores (and my dad's arm) for these styles that I am particularly attracted to, and this was a fun opportunity to see how a change in a timepiece can change an overall outfit and attitude. Here I have put together three different looks with this beautiful watch that I felt enhanced and worked well together with such an elegant and timeless piece. 

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Which is your favorite look above? How would you style this watch?

Check out all of the other mens watches on Invaluable! 

Favorite Fall Patterns

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Everyone has their favorite prints and patterns that they can't wait to specifically pull out for a certain season. For me, fall and winter are always associated with leopard and plaid. While leopard is a favorite of mine year-round, there is something about pairing it with wooly coats and sweaters that makes it particularly a favorite during cooler weathered months. As for plaid, going to Syracuse I absolutely can't live without my L.L. Bean fleece-lined flannels. They are absolute lifesavers and I've managed to hook about four of my friends onto them. With my oversized mens flannels as such a go-to during fall and winter here, I was in need of an equally comfortable, warm, and still stylish option but with something in a more feminine shape. Enter the GAP plaid shirtdress. As soon as I saw this during the GAP sale I knew that I needed it. While clearly not as warm as my beloved mens flannels, it is heavily lined for the weather and the colors of the plaid in it look great with my favorite leopard Zara chelsea boots--I've already checked. Look out for a post with this dress later in the week!

Have you ever mixed leopard + plaid? What are your favorite patterns to mix?

Birthday Brights

 / Zara top / Tracy Feith for Target skirt (2009) / Primark sandals / Rebecca Minkoff clutch / Michael Kors watch / Baublebar necklace / David Yurman ring / iPhone case from NYC /

Hello, everyone! After another summer in NYC I am back home for a couple of weeks and ready to get back to some regular posting for a bit. Yesterday we celebrated my dad's birthday, and there is something about being back in Texas that always makes me dress much brighter and want to combine so many patterns, and I think that concept clearly shows in this look. Birthdays are meant to be happy and in perusing my closet through the pieces I haven't seen in a while, I came across this Tracy Feith skirt that was part of a Target collaboration from 2009 (!). I love the vintage surfer/beach vibe that the neon flowers give off, and you simply can't go wrong with this shape of skirt. With the colors in the pattern as bright as they are, the white blouse and shoes keep everything else relatively simple, but give off a brightness of their own. And, obviously, the amazing Rebecca Minkoff clutch pulls everything together. As it was a birthday gift last year, it seemed fitting to pull it out to celebrate someone else's birthday, as well!

Tuesday Shoesday

Photos via Zara

Do you ever get surprised at pieces that you find yourself drawn to sometimes? For me, when I first  viewed the Chanel Autumn/Winter 2014 collection this past February, I was more interested in the supermarket set-up than I was the actual collection. However, as the months have gone by and the trends are beginning to creep in, I have definitely been affected and been drawn to the trainers with multiple fabric and texture combinations in the Chanel show that Zara has clearly been inspired from in these images. Using pink not so saccharinely has been seen for a while on the runways now, but I really love how these trainers are combined with such a dark black and almost tweed-like fabric so reminiscent of Chanel. And, with my new found love of sneakers, it looks like these may be finding themselves in my closet come fall.

Are you all still loving a fun tennis shoe or sticking to classic styles?

Denim Swap

/ GAP denim jacket / Aqua (Bloomingdales) romper / Primark shoes / Zara purse / Michael Kors watch / David Yurman Ring /

After a few days lacking in any plans, I was tired of changing into my new found routine of pajamas to denim boyfriend shorts and grey t-shirt combination. Instead, I reached for the comfort of the denim, but with jungle-like peacock embroideries and a classic black romper and strappy sandals, left me feeling a little bit better than I had the past few days. It's amazing how sometimes all that you need to get out of a style funk is swapping the fit and a few pieces.

What pieces do you reach for to fix your style rut?

On Wednesdays we wear PINK!

/ Pink set by me / Zara Heels /

With today being the 10th anniversary of the day Mean Girls opened in theaters, and it being a Wednesday (!), I decided what better occassion than today to pull out a piece I made last semester. 

" On Wednesdays we wear PINK " !

This is probably one of my favorite pieces that I have ever made. From the perfectly pink fabric, the black and white satiny piping, and another favorite, the bell sleeve, this little pink set that I made to complement a 60's style dress is just as fun to wear as it to look at. I love the idea that you can easily wear the pieces together as a set, or split them up. Options are fun to think about not only when designing, but when getting dressed as well. How cute would the pants look with a white t-shirt and denim jacket? Or, the top with high-waisted skinnies and fabulous heels?

As always, I'd love to hear any feedback.

Hope you all spent your Wednesdays piling on the pink.

xo

Black + White

/ Dress by Me / Necessary Clothing belt / Primark clutch / David Yurman ring / Zara heels /

Lately I've been particularly drawn to bold black and white stripes. There's something about them to me that is so classic and stylish, and I love when there are touches of color to accent them off. I made this knit dress my sophomore year and had never worn it, so when I saw the black and white striped bell sleeves peeking out of my rack in my closet, immediately I went for it. The fabric is two-sided (one with stripes the other with polka dots) and the play on the combination with the fun sleeves and sort of scalloped hem made it a dress that I will definitely be putting on more frequently in the future.

What do you all think? Do you like it? I'd love to hear feedback. 

Hope everyone has a great start to the week! 

Earthy

/ H&M T-shirt / Francesca's Collection Necklace / Skirt + Clutch by me / Zara Heels / Michael Kors Watch / David Yurman Ring /

 Happy Earth Day, everyone! I love the opportunity to dress for a specific theme or holiday, and Earth Day is no exception! When it comes to Earth Day and the environment in general, the first thing that comes to mind are trees and the color green. I made this pencil skirt last year and figured that the palm tree print was both on trend (so many tropic prints lately!) and suitable for the occasion. The combination of a t-shirt, pencil skirt, and heels is one that is hard to go wrong with, and by quickly tying the top into a simple knot keeps the prim pencil skirt and kitten heels a little less fussy.

How are you all celebrating Earth Day?

Updates

Since before this week I had been a little lax on posting, I figured it would good to put a little update here on 85 Dresses. These past few weeks have been rather busy and had some exciting things in them, and some of my favorites are the ones in the pictures.

1. Business Lady - After many rounds of trial and error, I finally printed my first set of business cards at the beginning of this month. I had been wanting to for a while, and kept them very true to myself with the 85 Dresses logo and gold glittered social media icons to make sure everyone who gets them will keep in touch. Now, who to hand them out to...

2. Spotted Sunnies - TJ Maxx isn't really a store that I visit very often when I am at home in Texas (or Syracuse), but all of my flatmates are major fans, so we ventured into the TK Maxx (London's version) and I couldn't resist leaving without these Moschino (Teen!) spotted sunglasses. They're severe cat-eye shape and classic black and white were perfect.

3. Styled - This past Saturday I styled my very first photoshoot with the help of my partner, Mariann Asayan, our photographer Samantha Stone, and model Hannah Gessler.  Our concept was heavily art-focused and I can't wait to share more. I got such a rush while doing it, and really think it was successful! 

4. Day in the Park - The weather was beautiful on Sunday, so a couple of friends and I headed to Hyde Park to sit and chat and take in the warmer temps. Perfect time to break out my favorite new Zara sandals that I had been eyeing for a while.

5. Coffee Craze - One of my favorite weekend activities is finding new coffee spots. There is nothing more that I love than chatting with friends over a great cup of coffee, and finding perfect spots to do so is an absolute must. After reading about Monocle online, a few friends and I walked to a new neighborhood nearby for some amazing iced lattes and people watching in the park nearby. Again, how can you resist those black and white stripes?!

Make sure that you follow me on Instagram @leshkoln to keep up with daily happenings!

Green Machine

Zara Coat / River Island Culottes / Baublebar Bracelet / Joseph Top / Givenchy Purse / Topshop Dress

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! While some of my flatmates ventured off to Ireland this past weekend to celebrate traditionally, I stayed in London enjoying the very much spring-time weather that we have been having lately. With green as the color of St. Patrick's Day, this kelly green color on all of the pieces featured in the image above, embody springtime, as well--even the coat for those unexpected cooler days and nights. When it comes to this shade of green, every item that I have of it is something unique and special because unlike its olive and army green friends, it is not seen as often, though it is definitely wearable. 

How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Do you sport green all day and pinch those who don't?

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Very Versailles

/ Jacket: GAP / Dress: Zara (old) / Belt + Ankle Boots: Target / Tights: H&M / Sunnies: NYC Street Vendor                           / Lipstick: Revlon / 

Again, I apologize for delayed posts. Since getting back from our early Spring Break, trip to Paris and Italy, and all of the assignments, I've been pretty exhausted. Still, I'm workin' on it to bring back the frequent content to 85 Dresses. 

As a result of the delay, these photos were taken a few weeks ago on our last day in Paris at the incredible Versailles. As this was my first (!) trip to Paris, traveling to Versailles for the day was extremely exciting, as it is a place that like many others, I had learned about in school and couldn't wait to see the luxury of it in person. While I found Paris overall to be fairly fancy and formal, when it came to getting dressed for Versailles, I figured that a gold sequin belt, classic red lipstick in my favorite shade, and rose adorned sunglasses were musts. Couldn't you picture Marie Antoinette having dozens of these sunnies if she lived during our time? To keep all of the extras a little toned down (but still with the pizazz that they add to the look) pairing them with a classic pleated dress and leather jacket created the effect that I was going for to feel a little extra glam for a place that was definitely full of it, too!

Style Photos by Indradevi Nuon

Three Ways: Lace Overalls Part III

/ Topshop coat / Zara purse, heels, and button-down / Necessary Clothing overalls / Francesca's necklace /

For the final part of our overalls three ways mini series, what better way to finish off layering than with our new favorite print--camo. Remembering how versatile it was from this post, I pulled out this jacket that I needed when I bought last winter at Topshop, but couldn't figure out what to pair it with--until now. This short jacket (that came with a removable faux fur vest inside) is the perfect alternative to your traditional single colored and longer versions when you feel like adding either a little bit of interest to an outfit or, in this case, a lot. Since these are overalls, not pants, the short length of the jacket allows for them to be shown off a bit more which also allows the lace to be seen, as well. It's interesting how so many things feel like neutrals to me now. From hot pink then denim and now camouflage, fashion is much more fun when you aren't stuck on whether or not things match and instead, just keep playing with the pieces until you come up with a final product that you love.

Have you gotten any more confident in camouflage? I'd love to know!

As for our mini series, check out the three final looks below!

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I hope you enjoyed this mini series as much as I did. 

Xo