Saturday, November 30, 2013

Shoe Crush Saturday: Chloé Bema Patent Bootie

I'm not usually the biggest fan of camel-colored anything, especially boots (I lean towards chestnut or chocolate), but these camel Chloé Bema Patent Booties caught my eye. I think it's because they are such an elegant, supple patent leather, whereas I normally see camel shoes in a dull leather or suede, which feels very vintage (and not in a good way) to me. These booties are made of a glowing, soft, shiny patent leather and I just want to grab them through my screen. They'll go great with tartan plaid (which is very trendy right now), jeans, black, or darker shades of brown. If I had the $400 for these shoes, I would definitely pair them with plaid pants. The heel is only 3" so they're very wearable for walking around or going to work. 




Thursday, November 28, 2013

Gobble Gobble






Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Remember to give thanks for all the great things in your life and even give other people a reason to give thanks! Go spend some time at a food kitchen, donate your leftover Thanksgiving food, or donate old winter clothes to people in need. You'll feel good and people will be giving thanks for people like you!

Blouse: similar   Pants: Joe's Jeans   Shoes: Tahari (mine are gold)   Purse:Rebecca Minkoff   Necklace: Baublebar   Ring: Tiffany & Co.

Rainy Daze




You know those days when you're in such a deep sleep that you think your alarm is part of your dream? Today was one of those days for me. It didn't help that it was raining all day either. As I mentioned the other day, I'm a weirdo who matches my outfits to my rainboots. I went for a silk blouse with some hints of red, white, and orange in it and a long black blazer. Rain makes me really gloomy so I just never feel like dressing up, hence the jeans.

Blouse: Theory (old) - similar   Blazer: Nicole Miller (old) - similar   Jeans: Zara   Boots: Burberry

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Gifts for the [20-something] Man in Your Life

Finding a present for the man in your life may seem like the most impossible task on the planet. Some men are a little easier than others, but if you're with a man who doesn't know what he likes, but knows what he doesn't like, you'll have a tough time shopping. My boyfriend of two years is the latter. He is very specific in what he likes and shopping for him can be a nightmare (especially when I'm shopping for a gift). You want to get him something that shows that you pay attention to the little things and try and remember some of the things that he oooh and ahhhs at while you're shopping together or when you're watching TV. I always see lists of gifts for men around the holidays and I find them really centered towards older men. Well, here's my list of fool-proof gifts for the 20-something year old man in your life.

1. Leather Wallet
when it's time to move on from that wallet his dad got him when he was 12...
Polo Ralph Lauren

2. Stainless Steel or Leather Band Watch
whenever he checks the time, he'll think of you
Nixon
 
Michael Kors

3. Beer of the Month Club
your man will love you forever
Beer of the Month Club

4. Cashmere-lined Leather Gloves
these are useful, comfortable, chic, and you can drive in them... unless you live in somewhere like, say, Hawaii
Ralph Lauren

5. iPhone Case/Bottle Opener
self-explanatory
Openacase

6. Great Headphones
really... who doesn't need good headphones?!
Beats by dre

7. TV Headphones
so he can watch TV while you sleep!
Sharper Image

8. Netflix
great for him AND you!
Netflix

9. Swiss Army Knife
perfect for all things manly! (even get it engraved with his initials or a special message)

Swiss Army

10. Kindle or iPad
perfect for travel, a commute to work, or just hanging around
Amazon

Apple

Monday, November 25, 2013

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things




As you can tell, I'm wearing an assortment of things that I've written about in the past week: cashmere, metallic, and leather booties. Honestly, I wasn't even thinking about that when I got dressed this morning. I was mostly focused on not turning into a human popsicle in this below-freezing weather (cue cashmere). I love the classic look of layering a crew neck sweater over a button-up blouse. It's timeless, professional, comfortable, and personally I think it's a "smart" look. I really am trying to add more color into my apparently drab winter wardrobe so I wanted to mix this classic top with some funky metallic blue pants and a neon green necklace. I'd definitely recommend a pair of metallic pants if you don't already own a pair because the amount of compliments I got on them today (from women and men) is astounding.

Blouse: H&M   Sweater: similar   Jeans: 7 For All Mankind   Shoes: Franco Sarto   Necklace: similar    Nails: Essie - skirting the issue

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Jetsetter

It's the holidays and that probably means you're traveling to visit family or go on an exotic vacation, but packing can be a nightmare. I'm no stranger to traveling, particularly for short weekend trips. I've done three study abroad programs, during which I spent weekends traveling. I've gone on other few-week-long trips to Europe and many family vacations. As a fairly high-maintenance girl, packing can be hard. For 2 weeks in Ecuador I packed 2 checked suitcases and 1 carry on. A year later I packed the same amount for 7 weeks in Italy. Even better still, I packed the same amount for 6 months in Spain. By now, I'd consider myself an expert in the art of packing. First thing first, pack light. No matter where you're going, you're going to want to buy clothes and souvenirs, so make sure you have room for all of your new goodies. Secondly, check the weather where you're going. Don't pack things "just in case" - you'll end up overpacking. I'm sure whatever you might need "just in case" you can pick up where ever you're going. Third, always include these 10 essentials no matter your destination.

1. Sunglasses

Marc by Marc Jacobs
I have 5 pairs of sunglasses and I used to stupidly pack all of them every time I traveled. That is a huge waste of space and one pair will do just fine.


2. Plain Black Tights

DKNY
Whether you're layering them under a pair of jeans, go out for a fancy, romantic dinner, or under a skirt or shorts, you can never go wrong with a pair of tights (and they don't take up much space).


3. Cardigan
J.Crew

A cardigan is quite possibly the most versatile piece of clothing you could ever own. This J.Crew one is my favorite (I have 4 of them) and it goes with any outfit you can imagine.


4. Leather Ankle Boots

ASOS

Again, this is a classic and versatile item that you can't go wrong packing. Dress them up, dress them down, and they're comfy to go see some sights!


5. Skinny Jeans


Skinny jeans are going to serve you well on vacation. You can pretty much do anything and go anywhere in skinny jeans and you're bound to wear them more than once on your vacation. I'd opt for a dark wash because they're more slimming and easier to dress up.


6. Carry-All Bag


Mansur Gavriel


It's important to have a bag large enough to be your carry on, but without hurting your shoulders or your back. Take all that extra carry on stuff out once you reach your destination and use it as your purse. 


7. Stylish Scarf

If you really did pack light like I told you to, then you're probably going to end up repeating outfits. A fun, colorful scarf can make an already worn outfit, look refreshed and brand new.


8. Heels


Pack your favorite heels for the simple reason that you never know where you'll end up on vacation. You may find yourself partying the night away or have an impromptu photoshoot in front of a famous monument like the Eiffel Tower. 


9. LBD


Every woman should have at least one LBD in her closet. Choose one that can transition from day-to-night easily and you'll find yourself with many outfits from one dress. Add a belt, a cardigan, and flats during the day and whip on heels and fun jewelry at night.


10. Crossbody Bag


You're going to want your hands free to take pictures, hold shopping bags, etc, so you'll need a crossbody bag no matter where you go. It's particularly important if you're visiting a country that is known for pick-pocketing to have a bag with more than one type of closure. I've sticked to that rule and I've never been pick-pocketed on any of my adventures (knock on wood!).


Saturday, November 23, 2013

Shoe Crush Saturday: Miu Miu Peep Toe Mary Janes

I saw this pair of glammed out Miu Miu pumps in the December issue of Vogue, which inspired me to check out more from the brand. Amidst browsing their website, lusting over handbags and shoes, none of which I can afford, I fell in love with this classic Mary Jane inspired pump. They are a gorgeous, modern twist on a classic, timeless shoe. Mary Janes have been a popular women's shoe since the early 1900s, but originally for girls, the modern Mary Jane looks sophisticated and classy on women, as well. These shoes are perfect for the holiday season and come in a variety of winter colors that certainly will give you that holiday spirit. What I love most about them is the gold, silver, and white metallic patent leather (mixed with suede). If I'm going to splurge on anything this holiday season, it's definitely going to be these peep-toe Mary Janes from Miu Miu.






Also check out some similar, less expensive shoes:

                  RED Valentino                    Jeffrey Campbell                               Isolá

            
                    Franco Sarto                             ASOS                                   Marni

Friday, November 22, 2013

Black, Red and Burberry All Over







I love my Burberry rain boots, but I always feel the need to compulsively match the rest of my outfit to my boots. That means I end up wearing some variation of shades of red, black, white, cream, tan, and gray. Today tops any other day that I've matched my outfit to my boots: I wore a Burberry trench, too (and my glasses are Burberry). It's a new level of matchy-matchy for me. Granted, I didn't wear my boots or trench all day. I swapped out my boots for a pair of red suede wedges going for that chic New York all black look with a pop of color and a statement necklace. There's no fashion statement more "New York" than wearing head-to-toe black.

Trench:  Burberry  Jeans: 7 For All Mankind  Shirt: similar   Shoes: Express   Boots: Burberry   Necklace: Baublebar   

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Jonesing for Jacquard

Jacquard has never been so hot. This intricate style is being used in every which way this winter and I'm loving it. I love texture and jacquard adds texture to an outfit. It's very elegant and classic and can dress up any outfit. I'm used to seeing it on dresses and maybe sweaters, but this season you can find jacquard shirts, skirts, sweaters, dresses, blazers, etc. You name it - you can find it [in jacquard]. Just because it adds a fancier edge to clothes, doesn't mean it's girly anymore; jacquard can be found in any color or design, but it's becoming popular on some great menswear inspired pieces as well as very flirty and girly pieces, too. Here are some of my favorite jacquard pieces for this winter:



1. J. Crew
2. Stella McCartney
3. Mango
4. Tibi
5. Topshop
6. Zara
7. ASOS
8. ASOS
9. Club Monaco

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Oversized [Cashmere] Sweater





There's nothing I love more about cold weather than being able to wear cashmere sweaters every day. For as long as I can remember I've had a plethora of different colored cashmere sweaters in my closet. This collection was started by my grandmother; she used to buy cashmere sweaters for me and my cousins every year for Chanukkah - and then I became addicted to cashmere. Lucky for me, I found this yummy winter white gem in my closet this morning and had a tough deliberation with myself whether to rock it with a fun pair of pants, leggings, or a skirt. Clearly I decided to milk the fall weather a little bit longer by wearing a red vegan leather skirt. My favorite pairing with any oversized sweater are chunky boots. This is a comfy, but still chic and office-appropriate outfit.

Sweater: similar and similar   Skirt: W118 (available in black) - similar   Shoes: Nine West - similar