YOU GUYS- happy 4th of july!!! I feel like it's been years since the holiday actually fell on a Friday, all rejoice! Here's to a big al fresco cookout, BBQ for days, cheerful times, lots of beer and mucho fun. So gather round the grill or the fire pit, swing your arms around your close ones and bust out your best kumbaya. But first, feast your eyes on this (longer than usual) Americana-inspired mood board. Cheers!
Summer in the city can bring on a bit of sartorial confusion: dressing like you're about to hit the beach just doesn't make sense in any scenario (unless you're indeed getting on the A train headed to Far Rockaway). On the other hand, in order to remain New York-dwelling-relevant, you can't exactly just put away all of the dark hues that your wardrobe encompasses. It's all about remaining city chic in the blistering heat. Not an easy feat, but doable.
While pinstripe was a huge trend this winter, there's no way it shouldn't extend to the warmer months in spite of its usually very wintery vibe. And there's no reason it has to look like you're headed to your 9 to 5 either. The key to balance, as always, is to juxtapose unexpected pieces together, like the irony of a happy hour tee (the softest ever, btw) paired with an office girl boss pencil skirt. A (not so?) subtle nod to summer equating to play time.
Summer in the city means not channeling Baywatch, but ain't no harm in throwing on a straw lid for the hell of it.
On a grey, chilly, unpleasant summer evening, one might find themselves at a loss for what to wear. You don't want your beautiful leather shoes to get wet, or any form of raindrop coming near your suede sandals (we all learned that lesson thanks to Seinfeld). And let's face it: rain makes everything more complicated, so the last thing you want to do is get all fancy whilst water is falling from the sky, am I right?
In my attempt to get myself together on one of those nights, my laid-back instincts got the best of me and I stepped out in what you see yonder. All things said, a cropped brocade pant in a flattering silhouette is one of those savior pieces -- they'll make you look appropriate for anything, even if you're wearing a loose t-shirt with a hole in it (yep, that's a legitimate hole in my neckline). But in a subconscious attempt at bringing no effort at all to the sartorial table (while secretly planning every.single.move.), the juxtaposition I so often discuss on this blog of two discording items prevails yet again.
Dressy trou meets loose worse-for-wear tee? Check! And a little pony hair zebra print on the paws serves as the bow on this package.
I only have a single shot of this outfit so it'll be just a quick one today. I know a lot of you can be at a loss for what to wear when it comes to a casual-yet-still-make-an-effort affair, am I right? You don't want to be too laid-back but feeling overdressed can be a little uncomfortable for most people. My rule of thumb in those instances is go with a skirt and flats and no one can accuse you of any sort of faux-pas.
I wore this to an in-law family gathering where the focus was showing off a very adorable baby. It could also work for a casual date, meeting the parents, a summer soirée and could be kicked up for any other occasion if you swap the cork slides for a pair of heels.
This was probably one of the fastest weeks to go by in all of history. Here is why: on Monday we decided to book a trip to Europe for, well, today. So I'll be off shortly to Amsterdam and then will be spending the week in Paris. Needless to say, I'm excited! Hope you guys have a fantastic weekend and as always, stay inspired with this mood board xx
Truth be told, I've never been a bodycon kind of gal. Through the years, I've owned a few spandex numbers, but those pieces never made it out onto the streets (not on my body, anyway) -- they always hung in my closet as fillers. The thought process behind having tight mini dresses was that every woman should be the proud owner at least one. I now scoff at this clueless supposition.
There are ladies out there who couldn't fathom the thought of wearing anything other than curve-hugging, crotch-grazing items on a night out, but personally, that scenario would be my nightmare come true. If I wasn't comfortable making public appearances in what could be described as Hervé Léger's legacy while in my heyday (that's arguable, I suppose), it only makes sense to say that I never will be.
I much prefer the volume to be turned up in the form of a structured silhouette and loose locks ran amok in the wind. Long live the potato sack dress! And bonus points if it comes in white neoprene with pockets -- you know, to give it a true boxy marshmallow paper bag look. This dress qualifies as nothing less than a fashion dress (as opposed to a bait for the opposite sex) and can therefore be paired with full confidence to impress all of your girl friends.
That's not to say that I have Amish tendencies (I mean no offense to the Amish, they are very nice people). While I don't care to reveal the fact that I might have eaten too much at lunch with a belly-caressing garment, I have no problem whatsoever in showing as much leg as I possibly can, sometimes often pushing the boundaries of appropriateness. For very obvious reasons, this dress could not exist as it does if it wasn't cut above the knee.
It's a dress that should probably be avoided during mating season, but if, like me, you just don't care about those things, strap on a pair of alluring high heels (I didn't say you had to be completely void of sex appeal) and slip into your least shape-flattering shift. Allez, hop!
Playing with proportions is something I have a particular fondness for. You can make completely simple pieces look that much more interesting if you wear them in an unexpected way. This easy summer look is a good example of giving a little twist to otherwise very basic items: a billowy tank paired with a flared mini skirt, which together produce a double triangle shape (also allowing for more eating thanks to not putting any accent whatsoever on my waist, ha).
Black and white are probably my two favorite colors to wear and therefore finding simple tricks to bring a different dynamic into the mix becomes imperative. A little underpinning lace peekaboo also alway ads a little je ne sais quoi. Maintaining the casual, minimal vibes I consistently stick to also meant sliding into, well, my slides. These cheapy poor man's Birkentsocks from H&M are probably my favorite purchase of the season thus far. Ringing in at 25 bones, their comfort level is unparalleled.
Another quickie this Thursday, selfie edition. Just a classic, clean look worn on a chilly summer day, and that carried over to cocktail time seamlessly. Booties with a mini skirt and an oversized chunky knit is forever my go-to combo. Hope you guys are having a great week!
Having the BEST time in Paris! You can live vicariously follow my adventures on instagram... and in the meantime, enjoy this very French-inspired mood board. Have a wonderful weekend everyone xx
Who better to carry the Fashion Over Reason name on their person than yours truly? Thank you, Bow & Drape for making this possible. Make your own hat, too, and feel the pride take you over when you wear your own creation (so to speak).
Things are always a bit worse-for-wear in ye olde cranium when resurfacing from a vacation extending beyond a long weekend. When you're away for less than four days, the brain is a little mushy, but bounces back easily enough, not having had time to rejuvenate. You may be somewhat hazy on the Monday, but the transition doesn't require any real necessity to grease the grind wheel.
On the other hand, when you leave for ten days (as I just have), a few things happen: the break has been lengthy enough to transport your existence into an alternate territory, thus refueling your mind with things that have pushed everything else into a far abyss. Being gone for a substantial amount of time actually makes you feel revitalized, armed with a renewed desire to get things going. You come back reinvigorated, complete with endless motivation to take things on. The only roadblock is getting into that headspace to seize the momentum without succumbing to being overwhelmed by the multiple tasks that have stacked up during your absence. Transitioning from vacation head to work mode while staying on top of things is the most challenging part of homecoming. To me, anyway.
And with that said, while I had the most amazing time (I'm assuming you've been following my adventures in Europe? ), I am incredibly happy to be home and to proceed with summer, right here in the city. There really is no place like it.
Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks while I roll out some of my looks from this eurotrip (and bear with me while I get settled back into the groove)!
The summer continues on in all of its warm, entrancing glory and I'm here to provide your with a cushion ensuring a soft landing right into the weekend. Enjoy, loves xx
Ain't no thang to look like a human checkerboard if you're going to be doing it according your personal style convictions. In this instance, I am relishing in my unintentional channeling of Hedi's Saint Laurent girl -- I swear, I didn't mean to! -- with my pairing of the two most basic hues in history. How cool of me. A classic combo of black and white, with a rock n' roll, modern boho twist (how's that for a definition?). Because something as timeless as those two shades can also be inadvertently trendy, as demonstrated to us by Slimane himself.
The most important "lesson" (I'm putting that in quotation marks because it is to be loosely interpreted) to take away from this outfit is that my checkerboard look is a discerned variation of the penguin suit, a woman's riff on the tuxedo, if you will. As a self-proclaimed [high-maintenance] tomboy, I have an innate gravitational pull toward all types of menswear, whether it's baggy trousers, impeccable tailoring, oversized anything, you name it.
The tuxedo is something so very intrinsically manly, forever the peak on the fancy scale for our male counterparts. Adapting that vibe to an ensemble that is all woman is not only incredibly fun, but also a bit unexpected, which is always a good way to stand out. But what's even more amusing about the whole thing is that while my outfit is reminiscent of Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent, it also borrows something from Yves's woman, the one he imagined wearing Le Smoking, that legendary woman's wear play on the tuxedo. Check mate.
I wasn't able to get a good shot of this look, safe for the blurry selfies you see below, but I felt like it was one of those fun summer outfits that was worth the gallery anyway, should it rustle up some ideas for your own ensembles when at a loss for what to wear. This graphic skirt is the only piece I kept from my Peter Pilotto x Target order and I'm glad I decided to step outside of my patternless comfort zone -- while still staying in line with my love of neutrals -- and held on to this fun, playful summer piece.
The menswear oxford offsets the femininity of the prominent leg display and just like that you have the perfect fusion and girlie and boyish.
New York City is a pretty magical place all around, but there's something even more intangibly spectacular about it once the sun has set and the evening turns into night. The bright lights of the mega metropolis has this indescribable energy that can make even the weakest feel invincible. There really are no accurate words to describe the portrait I'm trying to paint -- it's something that has to be experienced to be fully understood.
Few things in life that are romanticized as extensively as the Concrete Jungle actually match what we build them up to be in our minds. Most often, the fantasy is far better than the reality, as our heads tend to hype things far too much for them to live up to. But the opposite can be said for the place that harbors the skyline of all skylines, the spirit of all spirits, the dream of all dreams. It's almost like the hustle is part of what makes this place so exciting.
Nighttime in the Big Apple is on another level. It can make the earliest of risers transform into a night owl and the sweetest lady crave a little insanity. One of my favorite lines on the Rent soundtrack provides a pretty accurate narrative: "In the evening I've got to roam, can't sleep in the city of neon and chrome." The crazy thing with New York is that even when the monotony of every day life and routine set in, it never gets dull because being bored is impossible in the city that never sleeps. To quote Rent again, "So let's find a bar, so dark we forget who we are." End scene.
Summer is in full swing and the weather is hitting peaks and valleys -- mostly peaks, in true NYC form. During those hot days of just hanging around the neighborhood, no one wants to don anything too fussy, nor do they want to be bothered to think too much about their attire on a lazy weekend day.
Ain't nothing wrong with going the plain Jane route when the scenario requires nothing more of you. Outdoor picnic? Check. Hazy mind from the night before? Check. Laying low for no good reason at all? Bringing along your best live canine accessory? Check, check.
So roll out of bed, take a brush to your teeth but not your hair, reach for your go-tos -- stripes and cutoffs in my case -- and don't think about it again until you have to change into something a little more, er, put together for the evening. Repeat the next day.
Summer is still going strong and a beautiful weekend awaits us. Make sure to stay inspired with this mood board and wishing all you an amazing break! xx
It's never an easy feat to find green spaces in New York. While there are beautiful parks that pepper the city, most of them usually consist of a playground, not much grass and a handball court. Taking Central Park, Prospect Park and McCarren Park out of the equation, the denizens of this great town are not exactly left with very many fauna options when in need of a bit of fresh air.
There are little gems in certain neighborhoods that are known as community gardens, which are nurtured by samaritans who crave a side of turf with their concrete. The setting for this shoot consists of probably the prettiest and vastest one I've ever come across -- the NYC hippies usually only get a little square of soil to cultivate on a corner block. How could we not shoot here? By the looks of it, you would never think that we are in the middle of Manhattan, right? Find out more about the West Side Community Garden here.
The beautiful nature setting even inspired me to break out of my sartorial comfort zone and introduce a print into my usually paired-down, neutrals mix. It's amazing how a magical opening filled with manicured trees and carefully planted flowers can be hidden among a New York City stretch of buildings and rouse something in you.
If there ever was such a thing as a summer staple, look no further: it is, without a shadow of a doubt, the little white dress. It requires no contemplation when clothing yourself in the morning and mindless outfits mean more time to apply that bright red lipstick that will give you some semblance of put-togetherness.
In line with the dog days of summer spirit, throw your messy hair back in a loose pony, strap on the easiest shoes in your roster and try to stay cool with a frosty beverage. That is certainly where I was headed upon capturing this LWD of a gem. Just repeat over and over until mother nature tells you to throw on a sweater.
PS I'd like to wish a very happy birthday to the most important woman in my life and my most faithful reader, my wonderful mom! Bonne fête maman, je t'aime ♥
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