Back to School Specials

If you're like many of my friends and family members, today is your first day back at school for the year. And, if you're like me, today is also your last first day of school--ever. As my first class of this new year was my senior collection class, I'll admit that there was a good amount of pre-class pacing and jitters last night. However, since picking out your ideal first day of school outfit was always important for how you started the rest of the year (at least it was for me), here are some of the things that I think would make for a great first day! As many of you know, I did end up with the Ban.do planner (and absolutely love it!), but how great would sketchbooks and notebooks look tucked away in that Mansur Gavriel? Amazing, right!

Hope everyone has a great first day whatever grade you're staring. Can't wait to hear!

Sparkle + Shine

/ Forever 21 button-up / Topshop shorts (old) / Primark sandals / BaubleBar necklace / Michael Kors watch / David Yurman ring / 

I love my denim cut-offs as much as the next girl, but when it comes to shorts I have a special soft for dressier options. I got these minty brocade ones from Topshop a few summers ago and while I typically pair them with a simple t-shirt to dress them down, I decided to dress them up instead with prim pieces in the form of a crisp button-up (all the way!), sparkly new necklace, and favorite heeled sandals.

What are your favorite style of shorts? Dressy or Casual?

Vintage Celebration

Vintage Dress via Shareen Vintage / GAP denim jacket / Vintage purse (my grandmother's!) / Christian Siriano heels c/o / Michael Kors watch / Sunglasses from Anthropologie

Do you build your outfits around a pair of shoes? With shoes as amazing as these Christian Siriano ones, you can't help but start with them first. I've never seen anything like them and it feels like you are wearing bracelets on your ankles in the best way possible. Aside from my obvious obsession with them, I knew that one of the first things I wanted to try them with was this vintage dress from Shareen Vintage that's actually my mom's. I loved the way that the skirt of the dress sort of mimicked the skirts of the heels and created such a feminine feel that was perfect for the first of my early birthday celebrations.

Home Improvement

The Gallery Restaurant at Sketch London

There's no question that pink is a favorite of mine and I'm not picky for where it is. Whether it's fashion or interior design above, this dusty pink is a version that I am particularly fond of. While I never got the chance to visit, in perusing Pinterest for this week's Home Improvement post, and I'll admit, a little London withdrawal, I came across The Gallery Restaurant inside of Sketch--London. The pink is used perfectly by being paired with sort of rose gold chair bases and table top accents and a floor that is an unexpected herringbone pattern in a series of browns, and the fact that the chairs and booth style seating is plush velvet as opposed to a different fabric creates an incredibly luxe and pleasing look to the eye. Not to mention, the almost cartoon-like drawings perfectly aligned on the wall match the playful setting and definitely make me long for the time I get to jump back to London and visit Sketch.

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?

Style Crush : Yasmin Sewell

Left: Tulle skirt worn over cropped denim / Right: Flared floral pants + mod mini/turtleneck

Long before I knew who she was, referring to her as 'the girl in the pink dress', Yasmin Sewell has been one of my style crushes. She has a sense of style that is very polished focused on tailoring and the cut of garments (often leaning on the boxier side), as well as a fairly monochromatic approach to dressing, and is risk-taker. With her style, I always note that it is the shape and texture of the pieces that seem to be most important. Let me tell you, she sure can rock her share of wide-legged pants. As a London based (Australian born) buyer, fashion consultant, and member of the BFC's (British Fashion Council's) New Gen committee, she was even responsible for being the first to pick up (one of my absolute favorites) Christopher Kane's collection during her time at Browns department store in 2006. Not only is she a key figure for finding amazing talent, but her sense of style is talented in my book, as well.

Left: Feathered skirt + furry turtleneck / Right: Pink Power in cropped wide-leg trousers + button up

Left: Extreme wide-leg emerald culottes + furry turtleneck / Right: Christopher Kane's intricate velvet dress

Which are your favorite looks of Yasmin's?

Images found via Pinterest