Orange

// Lulu's dress (here in white) / Aldo Accessories necklace / Anthropologie sunglasses / Sam Edelman shoes //

I ordered this dress hoping to wear it for my college graduation this past May thinking it would be fun to wear orange to rep Syracuse's color. Funny part of the story, the dress didn't make it in time for graduation but literally as my mom and I were heading to the airport I got a call that my package had been delivered to my house so we booked it back into town to pick it up. 

Story aside, I love this dress for so many reasons. We all know about my obsession love for sleeves and these are different than any of the others in my collection. These lace trimmed bell sleeves are so delicate, but the intense orange color really makes them pop. At first I was a little worried that it was too bright, but after putting it on it felt perfectly fitting and fun for summer. 

What are you all up to this weekend? My little sister comes back from Italy tonight, so we are excited to welcome her back with Tex-Mex and hugs.

Uniform

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I've noticed that when I don't really need to dress a specific way, I have been more and more gravitating to a uniform that consists of black leather, white, and denim. It's funny how a few years ago, these pieces were not what I would reach for on most occasions, and now it is my go-to. I used to think of uniform dressing as boring, and sometimes still do, but it is definitely nice to know that when in doubt, running late, or just want to look put together without much effort, staying in these three colors and fabrications will have you looking classic regardless. I like to think of fashion as a daily puzzle or word problem if that makes sense--you have to keep trying on pieces to see which ones work together and which don't. In keeping in the color palette above, the challenge is more of finding fresh and alternative ways to switch up your look so that your uniform dressing doesn't become limiting.

What is your favorite combination of the pieces above? Lately I've been reaching for my faux leather pleated skirt, white slides, and a dark denim jacket.

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.

Fall Prep

/ GAP dress / Target tights / 9 West boots (old) / Baublebar necklace / Old Navy baseball cap (on sale!) / Michael Kors watch / 

So sorry, everyone! I had mentioned I was going to share this look last week and completely forgot! As I pulled out this dress to wear today (in a completely different way!), I thought you'd all like to see. 

I live in plaid once fall comes around and basically stay in it until the school year is over. As I mentioned in this post from a few weeks ago, this Gap shirtdress filled the void in my closet for plaid that wasn't in the form of a mens flannel--but still had the comfort of one. After my first law exam (help!), I thought that the felt baseball cap that I had been eyeing from Old Navy was deserved for at least finishing the exam. I've recently became obsessed with them and while I'm still not completely convinced that I can pull them off, I love the way that they can add a sort of sporty-prep to a look when paired with chunky rhinestones, leopard, classic riding boots--and obviously plaid.

 Hope everyone has a great start to the week. Can you believe it's already November?!

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?

Southern Springtime

 / Primark dress / Christian Siriano heels / Rebecca Minkoff clutch / David Yurman ring / Francesca's necklace / Michael Kors Watch /

 I don't know if it is the fact that I am home in Texas and the weather is heating up, but this outfit screams Southern Springtime to me. Now, while my family and I don't celebrate Easter, I do definitely partake in dressing up in Sunday best during the holiday. I always loved how pastels and pretty dresses always appeared when Easter was nearing, and for as long as I can remember, I always get a bit dressed up on Easter Sunday still. This Primark dress, with a perfect spring/summer length and a print that is so eye-catching, is the perfect southern staple. By pairing it with dainty seafoam heels and a chunky necklace in a similar color and large envelope clutch, you are able to add in some amazing accessories and details without going overboard in colors and textures. 

After four months of amazing London adventures, I am happily back in the United States. So, here's to a more regulated posting schedule and start to summer break for me! Hope everyone had an enjoyable Easter weekend!

London Fashion Week II

Nike Athletic Socks + Chunky Embossed Flatforms

As promised, as embarrassingly delayed as have most posts been lately, here are some photos from the first day that I stood outside of Somerset House at London Fashion Week. The fashion was exciting and fulfilled my fashion senses for sure, and as out-there as some of these styles may look in photos, some were surprisingly wearable when seen in person and are combinations that I am definitely keeping track of as inspiration for the future. 

Classic Chanel + Edgy Zippered Ankle Boots

A trendy duo with serious short hair inspiration

Two-Toned Coat + Snakeskin Bag

Black, White, and Pops of Color + Gold

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!

Black Basics

//Tank: Topshop//Shorts: Zara//Ankle Boots: Target//Bag: Vintage//Necklace: Forever 21//Ring: H&M//Watch: Michael Kors//

When it comes to jeans and a t-shirt, I was never really that kind of girl. As much as I appreciate a crisp white shirt and perfectly worn-in denim, I have never really felt comfortable when I wear them together. When it comes to the denim and a t-shirt idea, throwing on these faux leather Zara shorts and my favorite worn-in tank is the closest I got to. Basics to me are about simplicity and with an all black palette, gold accessories, and full-on comfort, this felt just as basic as an easy jeans and a t-shirt look, but with a little more interest and style instead.

What is one of your favorite basics in your wardrobe?

Gallery Girls

//Dress: Forever 21//Heels: Sam Edelman//Purse: Christian Siriano//Watch: Michael Kors//Ring: H&M//Necklace: From Austin, TX//

When I was in high school I was really interested in pursuing a career in art working in galleries and interacting with artists on a regular basis. While people that are actually a part of the Art world may completely disagree with me, when I put this look together, this specific type of art gallery girl is what I had in mind. When I used to study what these girls would wear that I was so infatuated with, they always had dresses composed of perfect simplicity and easy details that really made them what they were. I am not really fond of hi-low garments, but when it comes to asymmetry, like seen in this dress, I'm all in. The slanted sections of this dress, as well as the dropped sleeve addition on the right really make the piece. Not only did these girls have the best black dresses, but their accessories seemed to be what stole the show. Though their clothes were muted in color, the accessories often made up for it. This Christian Siriano neon chartreuse faux croc bag (similar bag here) is one of my favorites not only for it's shocking color and statement-worthy appearance, but for it's ability to constantly seem to complete outfits by simply adding it to the mix. So while I ended up pursuing a career in the fashion industry instead of in art, I still regularly cite gallery girls and people involved in the art world as a source of inspiration not only in art, but style, as well. 

Dress Up

I have found through examining collection after collection that when any garment--or lipstick-- is executed in this punchy fuchsia, I instantly love it. Aside from the obvious color infatuation, with it's slightly larger short sleeves, drop waist, full skirt, and knotted bow, there's no doubt what the reason's were for being drawn to this dress. This Giulietta party dress from the Pre-Fall 2013 collection was based around 1960's silhouettes and Breakfast at Tiffany's (when asked to keep Tiffany's & Co. in mind). While the dress is fairly simple, but still feminine, I appreciate the way in which Sofia Sizzi styled this particular look. With an un-fussy hairstyle and with basic black accessories in the shoes and frames of the model, this amazing dress is worn just how you would feel it was supposed to be. 

Herringbone

Topshop T-shirt//Forever 21 Necklace// Skirt that I made// Steve Madden shoes// and Michael Kors watch

As much as I love colors, I really appreciate garments that have interesting patterns and textures. When I made this skirt last year, I was drawn to the corduroy fabric that instead of the typical ribbing that is associated with corduroy, had an interesting herringbone pattern on it. I have always enjoyed pairing long sleeves with shorter skirts or shorts, and on the abnormally warm December day that we had in Houston on Sunday, this was a perfect outfit for meeting up with some friends for coffee. 

Denim Mini

{ By Corpus coat, Zara sweater, Topshop overall-dress, H&M tights, Forever 21 necklace, Michael Kors watch, and Mossimo Supply Co. ankle boots}

Denim mini skirts were the article of clothing that adorned every pre-teen girl in middle school. From crystal embellished to embroidery, every style was created for these popular minis. Since then, that trend has long faded, and what once used to be reserved for toddlers, elementary children, and My Twin dolls, came into style--The Overalls. While I am not brave enough to attempt the full-on overall style, this denim mini dress reminds me of the denim mini skirts that I used to love in middle school. With it's simple shape and the neutrality of the denim, it can be paired with basically anything just like your favorite pair of jeans. In wearing mine with a black and white striped sweater, black tights, and gold accessories, it is still a fairly basic look, but far different than what would be though of traditionally when associated with overalls. 

Tuesday Shoesday

In the past few years, I feel that leopard accessories and accents have taken the place where red ones used to thrive. Previously, a pop of red in either a shoe or purse made an outfit a bit sophisticated and complete without overwhelming the outfit as a whole. However, it appears that the red trend for accessories had long faded and made way for leopard in all realms of accents. In seeing this great mini-heeled loafer, I remembered how I had wanted to be a wearer of red and how red accessories and shoes can act almost like a swipe of red lipstick--it pulls it together the look while still allowing the details and components of the rest of your pieces to make a statement, as well. And, with the small spikes on the heel, it adds a little bit of edge, without being too bold.

Do you prefer red or leopard for accents or accessories?

A to Z: Jewelry

{This great necklace completes this simple and beautiful bodice}

When I was little, I was constantly infatuated with costume jewelry. Whether the pieces were real or fabricated didn't matter to me at all, but their intense sparkle and appearance sure did. When it comes to jewelry, my style regarding what pieces I actually wear has varied over the years. Though what I wear may change from chunky crystal pieces to more delicate and symbolic ones, jewelry is an easy way to transform a simple outfit to a spectacular one or to add on to a great outfit even more. Here are some pieces that I am particularly interested in at the moment.

{Stunning opal Art Deco earrings from the 30's.}

{A great lesson in layering longer pieces with shorter ones}

{For me, a great gold statement necklace is a necessity--This is YSL}

{Fun pieces like this Delfina Delettrez ring always make jewelry great to work with}

What are your favorite styles of jewelry? Do you prefer to mix and match or go with more classic pieces?