Flat Out Gorgeous

I love a good wedge, but my affection for ballet flats is no secret.

Help a terribly indecisive girl out. Which style is your favorite?

(From left to right): Madewell skimmers, J.Crew ballet flats, and Marais maryjanes

[photo cred to AMY STONE // COFFEE TALK]

Chambray Style

I know I wax poetic about silk and sequins, but I can't deny the fact that I'm a sucker for a good tee. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways... tees look great with skinny jeans and a pair of Bensimons (I'm going to mention my new kicks in every post this week, for I've worn them since they appeared on my doorstep and they've actually rendered me incapable of wearing anything else). Tees are simple enough to tuck into a frilly masterpiece of a skirt. Tees are soft, comfortable, and unbelievably flattering when you have the right fit and material (I love anything by James Perse, and my best friend swears by Madewell's artisan tees).

But sometimes (and I can't believe I'm about to say this), my tees get a little old. Maybe not old — a bit worn, if you will. After eight seasons, my tee needs a supporting actor to swoop in and help it win an Emmy. You know who that superstar is? Chambray. I get that this is old news, but here's the thing: the typical blue wash and classic shape just aren't doing it for me, so one of them needs to change. This is what separates an Emmy Award-winning supporting actor from the masses:

A ha! See, not slow on picking up the trend (which would make me a terrible style blogger); I'm just tweaking the trend to my own tastes. If I'm going to sell-out, I'm obviously going to do it for something a) grey, like this shirt by Rag & Bone on the left, or b) cut longer and reminiscent of oversized men's shirts, such as this J.Crew tunic. Are you a sucker for either one of these or more about the classic chambray shirt (which, of course, is a classic for a reason)?


[photo cred to 1 and 2, both via havelessbemore]

Spring Kicks

I just want to scoop up an armful of the new ballet flats from J. Crew and run. I'm already indecisive, and now I have to choose between snakeskin, Liberty florals, jacquard, studs, and tweed? Neon orange toe caps? Really, snakeskin?! I'm a sucker for snakeskin anything. LE SIGH.

A Bit of Bubbly

I know that Valentine's Day is right around the corner, but I'm going to slowly back away from the reds and fuchsias... and into the arms of my new favorite hue of romance, champagne. It's sweet, subtle, and can make even a masculine blazer seem delicate. I'm down with all sorts of champagne too — extra dry, rosé, peach (my personal favorite), strawberry... then again, I'll drink anything as long as it's bubbly, sweet, and comes in a pretty flute.

Champagne hues work as a neutral (think an effervescent, shimmery version of camel or tan) or add a touch of metallic allure to an ensemble. Dresses and embellished underpinnings are the obvious go-tos for the shade, but I'm also loving the look of champagne with more androgynous jackets and frilly little extras, such as these J. Crew pouchettes available here and here. The best part? These purses are still big enough for you to tuck in a teeny flask of Peach Passion André for when the going gets tough, or when you get thirsty in between meetings. Or bored. Or when you figure that because champagne is a French word, it's perfectly appropriate to sneak sips during your French class. Raise your glass!

[photo cred, clockwise from top, 1 and 2 via Musings in Femininity, 3 via Patterson Maker, J. Crew, 4]

Holiday Fever

 

Now, after a long, relaxing Thanksgiving weekend filled with late night drinks with old friends and dainty cheese flights of Taleggio, Gouda, and English Cheddar, I can unabashedly blast my Christmas music — my favorites are Bing Crosby and The Carpenters. My house is decked out in gold and white, with ribbon and lights wrapped around the banister and a glittery, snow-covered Christmas village in the living room. This editorial from J. Crew, though, inspires me to incorporate other hues, perhaps silver and the softest rose. I love that they used Confetti System to decorate; what could be more festive and appropriate for the holidays than bright, whimsical tassels?

Silk + Corduroy

I have this fatal attraction to light, airy tops that are perfect for summer, but love them too much to limit them to one or two seasons. A new and original way to incorporate them into fall? Add a sturdy jacket and corduroys to the mix. Cords lend an edge to the innocence of a silk blouse and act as a convenient transition piece to warmer, more substantial autumn looks. I'm a sucker for these cinnamon cords from J. Crew, which complement pastels of nearly every shade.

On top, I'm feeling the soft pinks that manage to retain a light, sheer look while standing up to unconventional neutrals, such as the cinnamon (pictured above) as well as navy and dark grey. Although this particular Aqua blouse would look fantastic paired with simple jeans, corduroys elevate it. The difference between the textures lends a cheeky twist to a staple and allows me to wear my favorite tops well into November.

Camel Code

I've fallen hard for the camel hue that's been taking runways by storm as of late. It's such a classic, subdued shade that's not exactly a neutral nor saturated with color. I love how innovative designers use other mainstay neutrals, such as grey and black, to offset the various tones of gold and brown. A soft, thicker texture to accompany camel is vital as well. My mother has a beautiful camel MaxMara coat; it's so soft and luxurious that when I was young, I loved to bury my head in it whenever she wrapped an arm around me. Designers have given an edge to camel by playing with the shapes instead of sticking with tried and true silhouettes. By combining camel with unstructured pullovers and cropped sweaters, the look walks the line between relaxed and sophisticated — perfect for chilly walks to class and lounging late at night with a new book.

[photo cred to J. Crew September 2010 via dress, design & decor, Elle Canada October 2010 via Smile via dress, design & decor, and Ylonka Verheul, Melissa Tammerijn and Marlena Szoka by Indlekofer & Knoepfel for Vogue Germany, September 2010 via A Glamorous Little Side Project via this is glamorous]

Styled: Part I

It was an accident.

Actually, I blame this. Because of it, I found myself half-dressed in a J Crew dressing room, trying to simultaneously be French and figure out where my waist had gone in the skirt I was wearing. One of J Crew's personal stylists, Shellie, halted on her way to a client, looked me up and down, and said, "Hon, can I try a few things on you?", which inevitably led to:

Don't let the harem pants fool you. Their success depends greatly on body type; Shellie spent twenty minutes trying to convince me that I don't have birthing hips (I do) before convincing me to wriggle into them. The thing about harem pants is that they create curves, so if you already have them (I thought I did), they won't be the most flattering pair of pants. Also, styling is of utmost importance here: harem pants look best when they're pushed up on the calf and when paired with an untucked blouse, which hides the top five inches of the pants. I swear they look better in real life. My fellow interns deemed them "sexy," "womanly," and "YOU LOOK LIKE A STICK." Naturally, I don't really care what I'm wearing so long as I can be described as a stick. Shellie then slapped the flannel shirt on me (there was a lot of crying involved with this — I'm allergic to flannel), added the blazer, cuffed the flannel over the sleeves of the blazer, and cinched it with a soft brown belt. After I slipped into the shoes (made in Italy, which is a big thing for me), I looked into the mirror and saw the J Crew model version of myself. I liked it. I liked it enough to buy the harem pants, the shoes, the blazer, and the belt (but not the flannel). Instead, I'll layer a soft, crumpled blue blouse underneath the blazer to get the same effect of the rolled cuffs. It's perfect for work and offers a hint of androgyny, which is probably my favorite thing in the world. Even better, these pieces won't work with only this outfit — Shellie introduced me to a few more options to give me more bang for my buck, which will follow shortly.

Hope your week is going splendidly!

Bonne Chance

I found this via A Cup of Jo and I can't stop watching it. The dreamy French melody, that pale orange lipstick, and her bright smile are enough to make me want to buy every single thing in J. Crew. Lucky for me, I'm about five feet from the beauty closet and approximately ten seconds away from poaching a citrusy lipstick like hers. Full disclosure: I also want to spin around in my underwear with some Charlotte Gainsbourg in the background.