Indian Summer

Today's post is an homage to the weather, while we all nervously await the arrival of colder weather this weekend (only 45º on Saturday…I don't want to think about it).

Here in NYC, we're going to hit a high near 70 (!) for the day. While that's not quite like a summer 70, where the sun feels warm and you could even break a small sweat, I'll take it. Today's IRL look includes a sleeveless black maxi tee dress with a light sweater layered on top, but I'm nostalgic for a few weekends back when temps neared 80 and I was able to head out in my favorite chambray pants and a lightweight (ahem, slightly sheer) tank for a day of brunch and rooftop hangs in Brooklyn. After today, I think it'll be time to say goodbye to bare legs 'til next spring, and start looking toward my next adventure…London! That's all I've got for today, as I've got to dash out the door for a work conference (well, really I have plenty of time, but it'd be a waste of a day if I miss the free coffee/breakfast part…that's like, at least half the reason I agree to go to these things).

Francesca's Collections Tank  (old) || J. Crew Chambray Pants || Jeffrey Campbell Loafers

Michael Kors Crossbody || C. Wonder Chain Bracelet || Illesteva Sunglasses

Parisian Dreaming

Have you ever had a moment with a piece of clothing (or pair of shoes or some other accessory) where you thought, "It will be mine. Oh, yes, it will be mine"? That was me with this yellow jacket—and yes I just made a Wayne's World reference. 

I first spotted it on Pinterest and immediately tracked it to Zara online, but knew I'd need to try it on (thanks for the wide shoulders, Mom). Later that night, we had a fateful moment through the window as I passed Zara with Jess and Hallie after SoulCycle. I couldn't admit my obsession then, but the jacket and I made a date for Tuesday and the rest, as they say, is history. 

It's been buried in my closet for nearly two months, but the last few beautiful weekends have finally justified its grand arrival and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to shoot it on this quiet street near Washington Square Park. Once I looked at the photos, I realized my look was rather Parisian—which felt appropriate, since across the street from these pics is the Institute of French Studies for NYU! I was so hoping to finally make a trip to the city of light this year, but duty my sister's wedding calls. As of now I'm just testing out my wardrobe for when I do finally get to make the trip—Paris does call for the best version of oneself (c'mon, 2015!).

Zara Jacket || Madewell Linen Tee || Anthropologie Scarf || Boyfriend Jean (25% off with code INTHEFAMILY14)

Jeffrey Campell Studded Flat || Ray-Ban Sunglasses || Michael Kors Watch

Teenage Throwback

How is it already December? I planned to get a lot of work done this weekend, but by the time it rolled around I decided it was time to (mostly) disconnect from technology and enjoy some friend (& Soulcycle) time instead! Of course, that meant coming back to 450+ emails by Sunday afternoon...oops. Worth it, though!

 I hate to disappoint, but these pictures aren't actually from my teenage years—instead, it's a bit of an homage to my formative years, when I opted to dress in screen tees, plaid and flannel button downs and jeans that more often than not had holes worn through the knees. As you can see, I've changed it up a little bit here, but the influence is there—and all that's really missing are my Chuck Taylors and rainbow colored hair (don't worry, I'll try to dig up a photo for you all when I'm home for the holidays). In case you haven't guessed yet, I was pretty heavily influenced by Nirvana and the era of early pop-punk. Hello, Warped Tour! 

Zara Coat || Forever 21 Button-Down || Coney Island Tank || Joe's Jeans

Jeffrey Campbell DOA Booties || Ray-Ban Sunglasses || Sequin NYC Custom Zodiac Necklaces c/o

Stila Eyeliner || YSL Rouge Volupté in Forbidden Burgundy

Get the Look

Photos: Jessica Sturdy

Weekly Wants

Let me bring you up date to on weather in NYC & really, across a lot of the U.S., too—it got cold this week. And by cold I mean I woke up to snow flurries outside my window yesterday morning (which meant I decided to oversleep, oops). As I'm sure I said many a time last year, I hate dislike hate winter. And snow, and cold, and short days, the list goes on and on! Since I have to suffer through it, though, I've got my eye on a lot of warm accessories, like cashmere gloves, oversize scarves and lots of leather (my kind of LOL). I'm aware it's a little ironic that there are no coats or sweaters in this, but trust me-a leather cami with a blazer on top will keep me warm like nothing else. Thankfully, we're going to get a little boost of warm weather over the weekend—don't be surprised if you run into me out in a t-shirt, celebrating it for the last time I can!

Clockwise from top left: J. Crew Café Capri || Baublebar Emerald Spike Necklace || Shake by Carli Davidson || Gold Brush Vase || J. Crew Collection Stained Glass Jacquard Dress || The 2 Bandits Sunshine Daydream Cuff || Cami NYC in Leather || Burberry Cashmere Gloves || J. Crew Penny Loafers || Sea Crepe & Leather Split Skirt || Mark and Graham Audrey Rolling Tote || Zara Checked Woollen Scarf || Jeffrey Campbell Jessa Link Bootie

Not For Sale

 Thanks to a friend of mine investing in a leather jacket recently, I spent a lot of time both in the All Saints store and browsing online...which is how I discovered this tank, part of their Not For Sale campaign to support anti-human trafficking efforts. Not only do part of the proceeds support an excellent cause, I love the DIY-collage effect, which taps into my punk-kid roots (remember my plaid pants story? Yeah, that went even further). All this outfit is lacking are some pink or blue streaks in my hair—I bet you don't miss that, mom!

Jacket (similar) || All Saints Tank || Express Pants || Jeffrey Campbell Boots

Ray-Ban Sunglasses || Francesca's Collection Crossbody || Into the Night OPI Nail Polish

Photos: Jessica Sturdy

Cashmere and Pumpkins

A few weekends ago, Jessica and I decided we needed to get out of the city with a little day trip out to the Hamptons, since they have a plethora of one of fall's best things-pumpkins! We hopped an early Jitney and were out there by afternoon-what we did NOT count on were all the families (hoards of small children included) who had the exact same thing planned. Luckily for us, we were able to get our pumpkin/apple cider donut fix and then cross the street to Duckwalk Vineyards for a little wine tasting-sans hoards of children-before heading back to the city.

Keeping with my weekend casual theme, I dressed pretty simply for the day. I've been living in this super-soft cashmere sweater from Otte since picking it up a few weeks ago.

Jacket, Zara (old, updated version) || Sweater, Otte || Jeans, 7 For All Mankind 

Boots, Jeffrey Campbell || Necklace, Sequin Jewelry || Sunglasses, Ray-Ban

Photos: Jessica Sturdy

Style Anatomy: Wine & Leather

I can have a lot of trouble getting dressed in the mornings. Sometimes, I know exactly what I want to wear and it comes out just how I imagined, but more often than not I end up hating everything I own because combinations always look much better in my head than in the mirror. I forget about the little details-the fit, the hardware, the colors-that can make a seemingly perfect combination clash. I've found that if I focus on one piece I'd really like to wear and build up from there, it can (sometimes-not always) lead to a look I really love, like this one!

This look started with the leather accented oxblood top. I was heading to a show at Terminal 5 in the evening and knew I wanted something brooding, tinged with punk, so I added a pair of black skinnies and my favorite Jeffrey Campbells. Chilly fall weather calls for a jacket, and nothing says rock-n-roll like a leather one. Since I'm rarely without lip color, I opted for a dark wine-tinted stain. The final touches are, of course, all in blue. I picked up this hat a few weeks ago and had been itching for the perfect opportunity to wear it; the sunnies & scarf are regulars in my arsenal and happened to blend seamlessly into the rest of this look. Et, voilà! So many of my favorite pieces, working in harmony. 

Jacket, L.A. find (similar) || Top, Zara (similar) || Jeans, 7 For All Mankind

Boots, Jeffrey Campbell || Bag, Phillip Lim for Target || Scarf, Italian street vendor

Hat, Goorin Brothers || Sunglasses, Ray-Ban || Lipstain, Bite Beauty || Blue & Gold Necklace, Lionette

Photos: Ashley Manfred

Easy Breezy

I picked up this dress earlier in the summer after I spotted it on Jacey (apparently I wasn't the only one-Molly told me last week that she did as well!) and proceeded to wear it entirely too much. I'd normally shy away from white-I'm a magnet for spills when I wear it-but the versatility of this dress was too perfect to pass up. It's fully lined (I can't tell you how many times I've returned or not purchased white pieces because they're too sheer) and works with just about everything in my closet. I can't wait to pair it with tights & a blazer when it gets colder!

On a sadder note, this dress was inside out on my floor recently when I went to light a candle. The match didn't want to light at first, then splintered and broke just as it did, landing on the dress! Thankfully, I put it out before it burned through both layers, and the fact that it's lined was about the only thing that saved me. I've become so attached to the dress I spent nearly an hour trying to find it online, to no avail! Ah, well, at least it's not completely ruined.

Dress, Express (similar) || Quartz Necklace, Sparkle Farm

Cuff, Sequin Jewelry || Boots, Jeffrey Campbell

NYFW: It's Like You're my Mirror

Finally sharing my last post from NYFW with you today! I've had this H&M dress for almost a year, but since it's just a tad ridiculous, I'd never gotten the guts to wear it (seriously, sitting at my desk in it all day would just be weird). Thankfully, NYFW is all about being a little ridiculous, so I did a little night-before planning. Normally, a statement dress like this wouldn't work with a statement necklace, but something about the Supernova necklace from Sequin works perfectly with the slightly galactic-themed print of the dress. The mirrored sunnies were entirely unintentional, but when you're wearing a mirror-print dress...

 

Dress, H&M || Necklace, Sequin Jewelry || Sunglasses, Ray-Ban || Bag, Zara || Boots, Jeffrey Campbell

*Ed. note: I am aware my bag looks like I'm carrying everything but the kitchen sink that day, and that's because I basically was.

P.S.-did you catch this look on the NastyGal blog & Pinterest?? I'm a little giddy-excited at having been included!

Photos: Katelyn Herlein

Fall is Coming

Converting your wardrobe from summer to fall (used to be known as: getting ready for back to school) is all about pulling in a few key pieces without covering up too much at once. The weather in NYC has gotten considerably cooler lately, although it looks like summer is going to give its last gasping breath later this week. Since I spend most of my days in an air-conditioned building looking longingly out the window, I tend to dress more for the weather in the evenings when I'll be spending time outside. That means bringing back denim with slouchy tees gauzy tops, or pulling a blazer over summer dresses. Sleek gold accents make any look polished, like a classic gold chain necklace or metal hardware on your shoes & bags.

Clockwise from top left: Zara Checked Blazer with Elbow Patches || Helmut Lang Leather Pocket Shirt || Maxmara Printed Scarf || J. Crew Classic Link Bracelet || Pickwick & Weller Nouvel Tee || Nike Dunk Sky Hi Paris || Paige Denim Cropped Boyfriend Jean || Jeffrey Campbell Westin Boot || VPL x Otte Overhang T

Stars & Stripes Style

Is it really (almost) the Fourth of July already? It feels like just yesterday my mom was here over Memorial Day weekend, and somehow we're halfway through the summer! Luckily, I have a Betsey Johnson knit dress already prepped for the holiday complete with a solid blue skirt and red & white striped top, but I was feeling the need to bring some new red, white & blue into my holiday this year. How incredible are those flag print shoes? I already own this white dress from Express (and wear it frequently, sans belt-it's lined and both flattering & comfortable!), but I'm crushing hard on this star print bib necklace (bonus: it's on sale). Usually, my Fourth of July holidays in Iowa were spent at the pool during the day & shooting off fireworks (acquired from a 1.5 hour drive down to Missouri) at night, but this year I'm looking forward to a quiet four days off in the city while most of my friends work or travel. I haven't decided whether I'm going to hit the beach tomorrow, or attempt a few things around the city I don't normally have time to make it to (like the rain room at MoMA). Follow me on instagram to see what I decide!

P.S. if those mirrored Ray-Bans look familiar, that's because you've seen them here, here, here & here!

Clockwise starting from left: J. Crew Linen Peasant Top || Dolce Vita Sandal (on sale!) || Forever 21 Rhinestone Flag iPhone Case || David Aubrey Cobalt Bib Necklace || Express Sleeveless Shirtdress || C. Wonder Keepsake Box || Ray-Ban Aviator Sunglasses || Alexander Wang Emelie Bag (on sale!) || Jeffrey Campbell El Carmen Platform || Sophia 203 Star Necklace (on sale!) || Grand Bazaar Canvas Bag (on sale!) || BDG Americana Short (on sale!) || Zara Nautical Stripe Canvas Slipper

*image via

Polka Dots & Studs

I'm pretty lucky to work in a fairly casual office environment-unless it's market/we have appointments (or, you know, some days you have Vogue editors coming by) we can rock jeans, tees and various forms of flat shoes. Other days, though, I feel like stepping it up, like I did with this dotted dress & my new favorite blazer (translation: I wear it several times a week). I love the versatility of this dress, but polka dots can feel a little girly to me sometimes-enter spiked loafers & a serious statement necklace!

Dress, Von Maur (old, similar) | Blazer, Zara | Necklace, Sequin Jewelry

Bag, Steve Madden | Shoes, Jeffrey Campbell