Brocade This, Brocade That

I'm going to both apologize for and blame any mistakes or grammatical errors in this post on House of Cards...

I wanted to finish the season before too much time passed and someone inadvertently spoiled it for me, which meant multi-tasking between blogging and Netflix (thankful for whoever invented Smart TV's). I succeeded at about 10p last night…and all I'm going to say is, this was really Claire's season (sorry, Frank!). I haven't talked to many other people who watch it yet, so if you did I want to know what you thought of the season! 

Anyway, back to the reason for today's post, aside from the fact that I needed to get one up since it's been a while (oops). Let's rewind to a few weeks ago—I don't want to get too in-depth on NYFW because really, what do I have to say that's different from what anyone else can say? I think Hallie summed up what's going on in the blogging industry side of NYFW pretty well in this post; I did very little reach-out on behalf of my blog, but I did attend some shows for work—or, more aptly, I had invites to a lot of shows for work that I didn't even make it to. We hosted a little party at the SoHo Grand on Friday night that week, which meant an early morning, late night, and whopping five shows missed that day (including my favorite, Suno!). 

Saturday rolled around and I finally rolled my already-dragging ass out of bed to hit up Tibi & Mara Hoffman, which the NYFW gods had put one right after the other in locations 50 blocks apart. I hoofed it a few blocks east after the Tibi show to beat the crowds, snagged a cab, and zoomed uptown as fast as I could. Both shows were beautiful in their own right—Tibi had a great color palette for fall with unexpected pastels and soft, chenille-like fabrics, while Mara Hoffman continued to grow away from her signature printed fabrics and experiment with embellishments and hints of oversized accents. Afterwards, I met up with Emily to grab some much-needed caffeine, catch up before she jetted off somewhere warm, and snap some photos in the snow…we are fashion bloggers, after all, and what's a winter without snow photos? I kid, obviously, but it does make a nice accent (and help hide the huge bags under my eyes). 

It will be interesting to see how NYFW continues to evolve in coming seasons to accommodate bloggers and the demand for instant gratification, but for now I'm just glad it's over. It was right back into a busy work week for me after the weekend, and I haven't really slowed down since—spring is coming, after all! I've been packing my calendar and just this past weekend saw both the New York City Ballet and a Broadway show; yesterday morning was spent hanging out at Jonathan Adler's incredible SoHo store to kick off his collaboration with Pond's, and tonight I'm going to get my ass handed back to me with my first-ever class at the Fhitting Room's new location in Flatiron. Wish me luck! 

Zara Jacket (old)

Elizabeth & James Brocade Blazer

J. Crew Blouse 

Acne Studios Jeans

Tibi Brocade Boots

3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli

Bite Beauty Lipstick in Violet

Collared

 If you take a look back at every style/outfit post I've ever done, you may notice that I do not wear collared shirts, with the exception of a previous appearance of the one in today's post. I've never been a big fan of the way they look on me, but after getting this uneven hemmed sweater I took a little style inspiration from my co-workers and donned it over my sole button-down. The look has grown on me so much that I've set my sights on acquiring a few more—baby style steps, right?

You may have also noticed me 'gramming some #countrylife pictures a few weeks ago...my younger sister recently bought a house just south of Des Moines, and we shot these pictures outside her barn. Gratuitous photos of my family's horses below!

Zara Coat || Inhabit Sweater || Elizabeth and James Blouse || Boyfriend Jeans

Schutz Shoes Ankle Boots (on sale!!) || Ray-Ban Aviators || NARS Lip Pencil in Yu

Color Crush: Cobalt

If you've been a regular visitor for a while (thank you!), you're aware of my affinity for the color blue. If forced to guess, I would say 1/3 or so my closet is made up of shades of blue, from royal to cobalt to turquoise to mint to teal-and my nail polish collection, too. Naturally I was beyond excited to hear that Pantone had named dazzling blue their color of the year for 2014, particularly since my shopping addiction buying habits still seem to gravitate towards any and all shades. 

You may remember I added a flounced blue coat to my wardrobe last year, but this year I'm looking for clean, modern lines à la Tibi. I'd also love to get a pair (or two) of blue heels-bonus if they're metallic! Blue is one of the easiest colors to incorporate into both your wardrobe and your home-it's a relaxing, calm hue but brings more personality than a gray or black (yet blends seamlessly with both).   

Clockwise from top left: Nasty Gal Shoes || Tibi Twill Coat || West Elm Agate Bookend || BKR Water Bottle || DVF Austine Sweater || Dori Scengeri Icarus Earrings || Tess Giberson Leather Pencil Skirt || Zara Suede Pump || Clare Vivier Brocade Clutch || 7 For All Mankind Cigarette Jean || Elizabeth and James Blouse || Adrianna Papell Lace Dress || Noir Jewelry Necklace || Butter London polish in Scouse

NYFW: Elizabeth and James Presentation

I'm probably going to keep everything short & sweet this week...not only do I have a major life change happening at the end of the week, I was also unlucky enough to catch the season's first cold last week and it's only been getting worse. While I appreciate the reminder to use the hand sanitizer I keep on my keys more often, getting 5 hours of sleep a night because I can't breathe out of my nose just isn't going to cut it. 

On a less-gross note, I was lucky enough to nab an invite to one of the last presentations of NYFW for Elizabeth and James. Not only am I a longtime Olsen twin fan (possibly related to the fact that my sister & I were frequently told we looked like them growing up), I'm a huge fan of their both their lines, too. Even though I went years without wearing a button-down, the blouse in this post has quickly become a staple and I'm planning to make my first major handbag investment this fall with their leopard print satchel.

My favorite look in the presentation was this white silk trench with a slouchy, ripped boyfriend jean and delicate black kitten heel. Everything about it screams oozes downtown cool. The collection was a mix of relaxed silhouettes and tailored separates, easily dressing any girl for work, weekends and nights out, too. The finishing touch comes from simple leather totes and satchels, plus a cool pair of shades. 

I don't know about you, but I'm already excited for spring to return (I know, I know, most of you are probably fall people-but hey, a girl can dream!). 

Holiday Weekends + Link Love

I cannot even begin to tell all of you how happy I am that it's Friday! Not only has it been an impossibly long and stressful week, I am so very much looking forward to a three-day weekend. While I have no (current) beach plans like I did last weekend-the above photo was at Jones Beach out on Long Island-I'll be catching up with friends in town, celebrating a couple birthdays and trying to get a little me time in before NYFW starts next week! 

Link Love has been MIA for a few weeks by and large because I've been too swamped to spend much time kicking around the Internet. Thankfully, I've got friends who key me in to all the good stuff and a few sites I drop by once or twice a week.


Hallie shared a great list of how she preps for NYFW (which reminded me I hadn't done hardly anything! Definitely using this as loose guidelines each season from here on out).

An incredibly cool infographic of NYC & how it's changed since Bloomberg took office.

Sephora is clearancing out their nail polish line. Sorry, bank account!

This hilarious guide to Land of the Hipsters, aka Brooklyn courtesy of Refinery29.

Fall must, courtesy of Elizabeth and James.

How to take care of your lingerie.

Perfect art addition for anywhere in your place: Max Wanger prints.

I found a new favorite coffee & bagel house in my neighborhood.

I'm starting to change my mind about perforated boots, thanks to French Connection.

The coolest clutches I've seen.

Currently reading some more Bill Bryson, but thinking this might be next on my list.

A kick-ass card (literally).

Oh, good-reasons why you WANT your mind to wander!

How to ask for a raise.

Need decor inspiration? Look no further.

Finally going to Peels for brunch this weekend!


What caught your eye this week? Have a great (long) weekend!

Tailored Whites

Like I said yesterday, the neutrals combination is appealing to me more and more lately. I pulled these white separates together for a day of meetings and they transitioned perfectly to Jessica's Birchbox x Ann Taylor Ready. Set. Finished. event in the evening (check out her recap, and Kelly's, too, for some great photos) and then to dinner and drinks at night! The blouse, skirt & heels were all recently picked up on my last trip home and have quickly become wardrobe staples, along with my trusty black blazer.I can also picture the blouse in the fall with my green brocade Elizabeth and James blazer, dark denim & metallic heels.

It's also the perfect time to pull together some white-on-white before Labor Day...I've come across fellow bloggers Julia, Jessica, Merritt and Hallie all rocking white combos this week, too!

Blazer, Zara || Blouse, Elizabeth and James (similar) || Skirt, Aryn K (similar) || Shoes, Jessica Simpson

Necklace, Sequin Jewelry || Pedicure, OPI Teal the Cows Come Home

Photos: Jessica Sturdy

Lust vs. Must: Leopard Print Satchel

In case you haven't heard by now, Elizabeth & James (yes, that would be one of the lines designed by the Olsen twins!) is releasing its first line of handbags this fall. Since I'm on a bit of a leopard kick, I feel in love with the leopard print satchel as soon as I laid eyes on it, but the $625 price tag doesn't quite mesh with my plan to pay down some debts-I'm looking at you, student loans-so I found a cheaper alternative. This studded duffel from Steve Madden still has plenty of room to store everything I find myself carrying around while looking chic, as leopard always does!

Lust || Must

Summer Shorts Sale

The best part about the middle of any season is when retailers start clearing out merchandise to make room for next season! By now, we've all seen the charts and articles and guides telling us when we can find the best deals on seasonal items-and July is the month to stock up on cute shorts for next summer while they're on serious sale. I've pulled together my favorite colorful, printed & denim styles from current sales (including red leather at 70% off!). Good thing there's still several more weeks to break some of these styles in before next summer ;)

L to R: Pink || Blue || Red

Tye-Dye || Floral || Dots

White || Light Wash || Dark Wash