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High Fashion

Something about this vest makes me feel like royalty. Maybe not the Kate Middleton kind, but the New York socialyte-y, street style icon kind. Pairing it with these lambskin jeans also happens to be make a kickass combo. Everything I'm wearing right now is unbelievably soft, comfortable, and luxurious that I couldn't stop petting myself all day. Under this faux-fur vest (which btdubs has pockets - so sick), I'm wearing a silk blouse. These three materials make for a really interesting composition of textures. Even with a two-tone color palette, which is pretty simple, luxurious materials and different textures can make your outfit go from ho-hum to hot-damn.

Vest: Tahari - similar   Blouse: Ann Taylor (old) - similar   Pants: rag&bone - similar   Boots: Franco Sarto

Pairing Pastels

Tomorrow is officially spring and I am welcoming it with open arms and plenty of sweet spring pastels and cheerful bright hues. I've lugged my winter clothes back into their spring/summer hiding place and transformed my closet into an array of pastels, bright colors, and perky girly prints in a wide assortment of blouses, skirts, and dresses. They look so beautiful all put together hanging there that I wish I could wear them all together, but that would just be a hot mess. The outfit I ended up putting together really combines some of my fashion favorites for spring: bright teal; sheer blouses; pastel yellow (mostly because it makes me think of peeps... Mmmm); open shoes. A great way to combine a large spectrum of colors into your outfit with different pieces without looking too busy, is to work with a wide variety of shades from off-white shades to dark colors. You could even work an ombré/monochromatic look that way.

Blouse: Jaye.e.   Cardigan: H&M   Pants: French Connection   Shoes: Steve Madden

Yearning for Spring = Shorts in Winter

Okay, so it's definitely still cold out, but being that I'm a Jersey girl, I have very little patience especially when it comes to spring finally arriving after this brutal winter we've had. I'm so impatient that I just had to rock some shorts today. I'm actually not the biggest fan of shorts (you'll only see me in skirts and dresses all summer), but these silk Theory shorts are a dream come true. It's as if all the happiness and comfiness of wearing yoga pants was combined with the opulence of wearing luxurious silk pajamas to create these shorts. I personally think they look better with tights, which appropriately dresses them up, but they can definitely be worn with a sexy black pointed-toe pump. I also tried a trend that I've been a little skeptical of - layering necklaces. Who wants to deal with the annoyance of untangling your necklaces all day?! Surprisingly, I found that it wasn't quite as much of a pain as I had expected. These necklaces have thick enough chains that there was no need to break out a safety pin and untangle some knots.

Blouse: similar   Coat: Barney's (old) - similar   Shorts: Theory (old) - similar & similar   Boots: Nine West - similar   Nails: Deborah Lippmann - "Groove is in the Heart"

Shoe Crush Saturday: Dries Van Noten Double-Band Slingback Sandals

Even the women who like to dress a little more out of the box than the rest of us have days where they like to just keep it simple. These Dries Van Noten shoes are for the fashion forward, the trendsetters, and the minimalists. They're perfect for a vibrant, printed look from head-to-toe or if you want to dress up a solid knit sweater and a pair of jeans. Sometimes you have to let your shoes do the talking - and these shoes say "I'm sophisticated, fun, and I know what I want." These slingback sandals are believe it or not, a sensible shoe. They provide enough support over your foot, have a strap around the ankle, and have a thick mid-height heel, which won't have you taking your shoes off to massage your feet all day. 

Going Green

While I'm all for going green environmentally, I'm referring to the fact that it's St. Patty's weekend and I am ready to sham-rock ! I've kind of dubbed this blazer my "St. Patty's Day" blazer although why I didn't save it for Monday, I don't know. Either way, I love the asymmetrical hem, the zippers, and the shoulder detailing on it. It's not your standard blazer and I love that about it. With such a standout piece, I kept the rest of my outfit simple. If you want that piece that you really love to stand out to other people, keep the rest of your outfit neutral and likelihood is that they'll see what you see in your standout piece.

Shirt: Tahari   Blazer: Philosophy - similar  Pants: Joe's Jeans   Boots: Vince - similar   Necklace: from Manchester, UK   Nails: Butter London - "Inky Six"

Baseball Tee Gets A Makeover

A baseball tee and jeans are perfect for those days where you don't really feel like getting dressed up or don't have a need to, but you know that you'll still look put together. It's ideal for, say, going to a sporting event or a casual hike. Well, this baseball tee got a silk facelift into a blouse. The more dressy the material and a dark wash for your jeans will turn a casual, comfy outfit into a dressier look without sacrificing comfort. Dark wash jeans are the perfect combination of comfy casual and dressed up. There's nothing they won't look good with.

Shirt: W118 by Walter Baker - similar  Jeans: 7 for all mankind   Shoes: Rebecca Minkoff   Necklace: Anarchy Street   Lips: MAC - "Pink Poodle"

Quintessential Spring Stripes

When I think of stripes and how they are incorporated into spring fashion, I instantly see white and navy. It's reminiscent of a sailor's uniform and brings me into this daydream of boating and yachting and a preppy lifestyle filled with pastel colors mixed with sailor stripes and men in brightly-colored chubbies. There's nothing more springy and preppy than pairing this classic, simple navy and white striped dress with girly, colorful baubles, a denim jacket, and a pair of sandals. Sandals just weren't an option on this gray, gloomy, rainy day, so I went with the slightly less preppy, more trendy, ankle boot.

Dress: French Connection (old) - similar  Boots: Franco Sarto   Denim Jacket: Lucky Brand (old) - similar   Necklace: similar   Earrings: Betsey Johnson - similar

Shades of Seafoam

If yesterday's weather wasn't awesome enough, it was even more beautiful out today. It's a shame I had to spend my day indoors, but at least I looked the part of spring in these shades of seafoam. I posted these shoes on instagram when I got them a few months ago and I'm so happy I finally got to wear them and with this blazer of all things in my wardrobe. The way the variation of these seafoam blue and green hues compliments the shapes of this skirt and the geometric aspect of this blazer is really funky and an extraordinary pairing if I must say so myself. Seafoam is the perfect spring color in my opinion and there are a lot of options already out for the spring (dreaming of you, gorgeous seafoam Rebecca Minkoff tote) so embrace the beachiness!

Blazer: Jaye.e. (old) - similar  Shirt: James Perse   Skirt: Cynthia Steffe (old) - similar   Shoes: Schutz   Nails: Deborah Lipmann - "Mermaid's Kiss"   Necklace: J.Crew (old) - similar

Look Ma, No Jacket

I am welcoming this New York spring day with open arms and sandals (and no jacket in sight)! What a perfect day to wear light spring layers and finally, a real spring day to wear this outrageously awesome Peter Pilotto floral graphic dress. I normally don't like to repeat clothes other than jeans within the same month (I like to keep it fresh, ya know), but I have been planning to wear these sandals with this dress for about a month now and it just hasn't been warm enough to go out in sandals without looking like I'm completely nuts. Platform sandals such as this Elizabeth & James pair, pair well with sheath dresses like this, flared jeans, or even skinny jeans.

Dress: Peter Pilotto for Target   Blazer: Zara (old)   Shoes: Elizabeth and James - similar & similar

Shoe Crush Saturday: Kate Spade Saturday Mid-Heel Slingback Sandals

Mules and slingbacks are making a huge comeback this spring and what I'm digging about these Kate Spade Saturday Mid-Heel Slingback Sandals is that they're a beautiful combination of both styles. These are a slingback and a mule all in one pair of sandals. They come in very neutral colors (black, navy, and terracotta) so no matter which pair you buy, you'll be able to match them with anything. The light contrast heel on the black and navy turns these dark colors into a bright and sweet spring look, while the dark contrast heel on the terracotta bring this airy, girly pair a little more maturity. These slingbacks are very reasonably priced and are made of quality nubuck and leather so while practical and stylish, they're also durable and long-lasting.

Scary Spice Meets Sporty Spice

I hope the Spice Girls reference isn't before anyone's years; that'd be quite a shame. This look may be a result of my delirium the past few days, but it's so working. The lower half of this outfit (the boyfriend jeans and slip ons) is very boyish like Sporty Spice's feminine athletic style, while the top, a bold leopard print and my crazy hair, is a little more along the lines of Scary Spice and her flawlessly fierce and animalistic style.

Blouse: Equipment - similar  Cami: Zara (in stores)   Jeans: ASOS    Shoes: Rag & Bone   Lips: Sephora - It Girl   Necklace: from Italy - similar

Golden Girl

Sometimes you don't need to add bright colors to an outfit to make it exciting. Here's proof: this black and cream outfit is a lot more interesting because of the gold buttons, sparkly gold stripes, gold jewelry, and gold headband. There's no way fall short of chic when you add in lots of gold. It's as good as, well, gold. On one hand the colors of this outfit are very chic and mature, but the indivual pieces put together make for a sweet and youthful look. I'm not trying to look like I'm 30, but I don't want to look like I'm 16. For that reason, I chose these edgier lace-up heeled combat boots and a long blazer that still shows off my waist. It's important to find a good balance between mature and youthful when you're trying to look your age. I think it goes without saying that teens and women in their thirties aim to look like they're in their 20s so keep this style tip in mind.

Shirt: marc by marc jacobs (old)   Skirt: French Connection   Blazer: Nicole Miller (old) - similar  Shoes: Nine West - similar   Headband: J.Crew - similar  Nails: Butter London - "Jack The Lad"