On My Radar: Urban Renewal

This fall is all about re-imagining classically boho, relaxed, or otherwise unassuming pieces to give them an edge that's, well, edgier. No one will take you for anything less than commanding when you take one of these reworked pieces to the streets.

1. The Beanie. Normally a favorite of ski bums, aujourd-hui style icons like Taylor Swift have made this cozy style instantly chic and a must-have for fall. Pairing it with an attitude-packed cropped t-shirt, tough leather leggings, and sky-high platforms give the beanie a whole new feel.

2. Feather Jewelry. Peacock feathers or graphic colors like black and white make feather jewelry less a bohemian staple and more an updated alternative to chandelier earrings for the street-smart urban girl. Use the peacock variety to add a pop of color to a neutral monochromatic outfit as shown, or match them to an equally punchy top or skirt (just not both...there is such a thing as too much turquoise).

3. The Panama. Seen on the silver screen in Westerns like True Grit and There Will Be Blood, a Panama hat is more sophisticated and versatile than its close relative the cowboy hat, but undeniably rugged and more tomboyish than berets or cloches. Which is why a gray felt variety lends the style incredible conviction and a surprising amount of femininity when paired with a maxi or body-con skirt.

4. The Maxi. Luxe fabrics like chiffon and satin are a fresh take on this floor-dusting boho style. Maybe still not appropriate for the office, but platform stilettos and a cropped tee or sweater make the skirt perfect for a day at the mall or a night out with the girls. Bonus: the maxi need not go into hibernation for the winter - the length hides a pair of cozy leggings.

Ballet-Chic

I love the idea of turning dancewear into ready-to-wear clothes for everyday, and I plan to design a collection around the idea one of these days.  So I was really excited to find the pink skirt - I'm obsessed with how much movement it has!  The other outfit is just an old reliable favorite.  I really like the shopping center I shot this in because it has so much character - the fireplace, the murals, the fountains.  It really adds to the whole experience and I just had to get some of the artistic backdrops in.

Skirt & lace top: Forever21.  Shoes: Juicy Couture.

Top: Bluefly.  Skirt: Free People.  Boots: Steve Madden.

Career-Changing News!

Happy Saturday night, my fellow bloggers!

Once again, I've found myself swamped with other commitments, and so I've been totally scatterbrained.  But tonight, I received some news that could possibly jump-start my fashion career.  Through a connection my mother has, I landed an internship for next summer with Zandra Rhodes in London!  I am so excited for the opportunity to get inside the brain of the woman who is not only one of the connoisseurs of haute punk, but is practically the mother of bold prints and costumes.  Also, Ms. Rhodes basically wants to know from me what I want from the internship - such a unique opportunity!

I better start saving if I'm going to be doing any sort of shopping!  (And it would be a crime not to.)  I should probably start planning too; it's going to take that long...I absolutely cannot wait!  I have wanted to go to London for so long.

That's all for now, but I'll pick back up again tomorrow.

Hidden Gem: Target Hats

I was at Target the other day to pick up a few things  - you know how it goes at Target, you go there with four things on your list and end up with a bill of $100 or more.  I didn't really have anywhere to be that day, so I took some time to peruse my favorite parts of the store, and unexpectedly, found an abundance of adorable hats.  I love hats as accessories, so it's shocking that I walked away without buying one.  I have a cute basic beret from Target that I love, but I didn't realize the store was such a great place to find hats!  What really makes them awesome is that most of the winter hats (my favorite) are wool or mostly wool, which is a big thing because quality is important to me when it comes to accessories.  I know where I'll be doing a lot of my winter accessorizing from now on!  A few of my personal favorites from Target's selection:

I find this one especially interesting because it has the floppy shape of a summer sun hat, but is made of wool to make it a winter hat.  I think it would lend the wearer an unexpected air of mystery.

 

Neutrals: Lovely or Lifeless?

Yet another week has slipped through my fingers, what with all my job hunting and deep-cleaning my apartment, but now that I've landed a job (two, in fact!) and my apartment is clean, it's time to get back on track.  I was recently skimming Global Fashion News and other fashion news sites, and in addition to "rediscovered classics" I saw a continuation of the trend of wearing neutral colors that's been going for the past few seasons.

This is a trend that I just can't get fully on board with.  I see the allure of soft pinks and ivories (I have a few pieces in those colors), and I understand the versatility of the color family, but I can't understand the appeal of beiges, taupes, and browns.  To me, trying to match your clothes to your skin color looks dowdy and lifeless.  Fashion magazine after fashion magazine has encouraged choosing shades closest to your skin tone, and I just don't see how that does anything for the wearer.  When I went shoe-shopping recently, I even tried to like a few pairs of flesh-toned ballet flats because of the versatility, and I couldn't.

What does everyone think?  Am I crazy, or are neutral-toned outfits weird to more people than just me?

Smell of Summer

I really wanted to do a shoot in the mountains because the Flatirons are so beautiful, and they really capture the feeling of summer right now.  This is one of my favorite dresses - I usually only wear it in the fall because of the colors, but I thought it would work really well with the atmosphere of the mountains.

The pictures ended up with a little more of a senior portrait-y feel than I usually like, and they don't focus as much on the outfit. But it was still a lot of fun, and the effects on some of the shots are really cool!

On My Radar: The Sartorialist

Hello, my fellow bloggers!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful Friday evening.  Personally, I've been hiding inside (at the mall, in the yoga studio, etc.) for the past few days avoiding the searing heat.

My hairstylist introduced me to a wonderful fashion blog called The Sartorialist.  I'm sure some of you (if not all, and I'm just incredibly airheaded) have heard of it, since Scott Schuman and blog have become quite famous in the fashion world.  I particularly relate to The Sartorialist because his documentation of everyday street style that he comes across in his amazing adventures is what I hope to achieve eventually with my blog.

I'm not going to dilute his work by reposting his photography, so here's just the link: http://www.thesartorialist.com/
The blog is really inspiring, so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

Shopping Spree: Much-Needed "Essentials"

I hit the mall yesterday with a girlfriend for a little back-to-school shopping (so it's a little early yet - sue me) and ended up with some things I've had on my "wanted" list for a while - I hadn't necessarily been planning to buy them yesterday, but I couldn't pass them up when I saw them.

When I was getting shots of everything, I was really glad my closet makes a decent backdrop so my horribly messy room didn't have to be in the background, haha.

I love this skirt!  I've been wanting a skirt with a floaty, balletic feel to it for a while, and this color is perfect.  Pink-tinged, but not just straight pink. I think it will transition well into fall with tights and boots once the season for bare legs is over (not yet, thank goodness). From Forever21.

I was so excited to find this sweater.  I have a sleeveless dress that's ivory with an almost peachy tint to it, and have been searching for the perfect color of cardigan to go over it for a long time. I can't wait to pair them! From New York & Co.  

Finally got the light gray bodycon skirt I wanted :) It's a little big because they were out of my size, but for the price I paid, I can deal with it.  From Charlotte Russe.

My wardrobe is gasping for ballet flats since a lot of the ones I have are really worn out. I have a bit of a dilemma with ballet flats because I love them, but they get beat up so quickly walking everywhere on campus. But these have pretty decent soles, and I didn't have to spend too much on them.  I'll just have to keep getting them re-soled. From BCBGeneration.

I sort of got some animal print into my wardrobe with the snake-embossed flats!  I need to get some more flats in the near future, though.

Hipster Charm

Hello fellow bloggers!

I've always loved how much personality the Pearl Street Mall has, so I just had to get some shots at some of the storefronts.  The Urban Outfitters is in a really cool old space, which fits the character of the store perfectly.  There are some really cute sushi restaurants on little side streets, too.  The idea to shoot in front of locations like these was inspired by some of my favorite Anthropologie catalogs, and this is one of my favorite old outfits.  We tried to move away from the straight portrait-style shots of the other shoots so far.  I had a lot of fun!

I like this one because the angle makes my legs look sort of long - something I'm always trying for.

I think this is my favorite shot.

Late to the Party: Wardrobe Gap

It has come to my attention that there is not a single animal-print item anywhere in my wardrobe.  This is a serious problem - I almost feel like I should revoke my own fashionista status.  Needless to say, the situation needs to be rectified immediately, and luckily I'm going shopping with one of my friends on Monday.  I'm going to keep my eyes open for something irresistible in an animal print.  I'm browsing online now for back-to-school clothes, and I found a few things to consider as ideas.  I'm especially partial to the cheetah-print skirt since I love the bodycon silhouette so much, but we'll see what I discover on Monday that makes me purr.

 

 Meow!

InStyle: Inspirations & Ideas

Hello Hello!

I've been MIA lately and may be for a little while longer - things suddenly got hectic with job hunting, writing, etc.  But I took a little while tonight to flip through the brand-new issue of InStyle: Makeover: and found some inspirations and ideas I'm definitely excited to try out.

1. DIY projects.  The magazine has some really cool ideas for embellishments to add to clothes with little more than glue, a little ribbon, and some lace or feather trim.  In particular, I want to try making the feather-trim necklace that can serve as a collar for a dress and adding lace to a basic t-shirt.  I'll post pics once I actually do this stuff - I'm so excited!

Also, there were some simpler ideas to help transform accessories - putting a brooch on a chain to make a necklace, wearing necklaces as bracelets, and putting clip-on earrings onto flats to dress them up.  I'll try these ideas too!

2. New pieces.  Featured trends for fall I'm tempted by.
-Capes!  A cape would take a lot of guts to pull off, but I love that the silhouette is so different from standard peacoats and parkas.  I think they have a real old-world charm.  This short version from American Apparel would be awesome!

3. Inspirations for outfits.  The issue of InStyle is ripe with ideas for outfits and looks.
-Lately I've been in a slump with my jet-setting attire, settling for leggings, and oversize hoodie, and boots.  Not acceptable!  Luckily, in a set of classic style tips, InStyle helped nail it down: a cashmere wrap, a scarf, jeans, and boots are my new airplane uniform.  Substitute flats for boots in the warmer months, and I'm set.

-The magazine had the idea of buying cashmere sweaters at JCrew in kids' sizes, which are half the price of adult sizes.  I'm a believer in the idea that there is no such thing as too much cashmere, and since I'm so tiny, this idea is genius.

-Alexa Chung: InStyle cited the model/muse/designer as a major fashion inspiration, and her tomboy-chic style is right up my alley.  Some looks of hers I love:

Especially love this one.  She is too cute!

Photos from Google.

-Print mixing.  I've never been way into prints before - I usually prefer solids because I'm so picky - but I've seen some super-cute prints lately and since mixing and matching them has been deemed acceptable for years now, I might be ready to venture into that realm.  More on that another time.


4. New store to check out.  www.asos.com, a British clothing site.  It's like a quirkier version of Urban Outfitters, with a mix of designers and lower-priced pieces. I'm too exhausted right now to give my full attention to the site, so I'll browse it later and post the pieces that really catch my eye.  


This hasn't been my most attentive post, but I'll hopefully pick back up again within a few days.  Happy Thursday night!  (I guess it's Friday now...)

P.S. Not sure why, but some of the text is showing up really small and I can't get it to change.  Too tired to fix it now. 

Trends: Looking Before Leaping + "New" Discovery

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Even though my personal style is trendy and quirky, I can be very hesitant about trying a particular funky trend.  Specifically, two trends I've bucked thus far but am finding myself falling for are rompers and moccasin booties.  I've always thought rompers can be really cute if you pull them off right, but I've avoided them thus far because I figured they were a fast-fading fad, because after all, you can't spell "trend" without "e-n-d".  While it remains to be seen how long they'll be in, they haven't gone away yet, and I'm now tempted.  I know, I know - I'm late to the game.  I'm just glad that the current issue of InStyle, which is my favorite magazine, featured the long-pants version of rompers in its regular "The Look" section.  I prefer the short ones, and they would look so cute with fall pieces like tights, boyfriend cardigans, flats, and knit hats.  Specifically, I think this Urban Outfitters one is cute:

I'll keep you updated on whether I cave and buy one.

Moving on: I know moccasin boots have been in for a while, and I did not like them at first.  But since taking up residence in Boulder, my style has adapted slightly to the free-spirited environment.  Not to mention I'm always on the lookout for pieces that are cute yet comfy, since I walk everywhere on campus.  I'm still not a fan of knee-high moccasin boots, but I'm starting to really like the ankle versions.  They'd be great to transition into winter with wool socks, since it hardly ever snows here.  I think my color of choice would be either tan or taupe:

I just might have to get a pair of these.  Updates to follow.

Finally, I've found a "new" fashion blog I love.  A few years ago, one of my mom's coworkers brought me a copy of an issue of T, which is the New York Times's style magazine.  I loved it because of its high-end, mysterious, and almost aloof air, but I sort of forgot about it until a few days ago when I stumbled across T's blog.  It's a great all-encompassing style blog that's really inspiring.  Check it at http://www.nytimes.com/pages/t-magazine/.

Until next time, happy blogging!

Perfect Fall Outfit #1

Hello hello!

In case you haven't picked up on it yet, I'm super excited for fall. Especially in light of back-to-school, I can't help but start planning dream outfits for daytime.  I have a lot of items similar to the following outfit, but these particular pieces are so cute I hope to actually buy as many of them as possible eventually!  I do need more bags and boots, and I love, love, love lacy knee and thigh-high socks.

Fall 2011 Lookbook Gems

I'm so exhausted I feel like I'm about to pass out with my face on my keyboard, so this is going to be a quickie.  These are from Free People's pre-fall lookbook - I can never get enough of the chameleonic spirit of the company.  Also, as a side note, I love the model's strong eyebrows - so unexpectedly chic.

Not a huge fan of the leather shorts, but I totally dig the poncho and the juxtaposition between the tribal and tough-girl pieces.

I love cropped, boxy tops - so many possibilities for bottoms! This one looks light enough to transition easily from summer to fall by layering. I'm huge on layering to create depth. Needless to say, the colors are gorgeous too.

 

 

This would be a showstopper on a night out! I like the gunmetal-colored one better (shown on the product page). This is a real run-this-town dress.

Rachel Zoe has her new lookbook out, and there are some pieces I have the urge to run out and buy NOW (good thing it's 12:30 AM, or I just might).  The outfits are so chic, they speak for themselves.

 Photo Sources: Freepeople.com & The Huffington Post