{ boots + brollies }

{ miu miu hat (yep, i just had to buy it), david yurman earrings + necklace (on loan for a shoot, but i couldn't resist test driving them myself!), halston heritage trench (last seen HERE), opening ceremony sweater (similar HERE), gifted joie elephant print shirt, vintage polkadot skirt, anya hindmarch bag (last seen at fashion week) navy hue tights, bottega veneta boots (recently seen HERE), samsonite umbrella }

yesterday was gloomy and grey ~ meaning of course that i was expected all over town, with hiding out in bed a definite non-option. whenever that happens, i'm grateful for the day i decided to invest in a pair of rainboots pretty enough for meetings ~ and an umbrella to match! speaking of these kicks, i recently wore the same pair HERE, but do you also remember them from way back when?!

and below, some ideas for how you can get the look right now, should you be so inclined:

GREY: buckled hunter boots and marc by marc jacobs panther print umbrella // ORANGE: hunter lace-up boots and shed rain umbrella // BLACK: juicy couture boots and swaine adeney brigg umbrella // BROWN: timberland boots and marc by marc jacobs animal print umbrella

{ mixology }

my style is forever evolving, but in a way this outfit felt like a throwback to what i was wearing back when this blog first began. i guess big gold jewelry, paired with possibly-too-many prints (never!) is always going to be my safe place.

it started with this padlock-spots-plus-snakeskin-print sachin + babi blouse, which encouraged me to keep piling on the patterns. polka dots and leopard have always seemed like neutrals to me, and it just made sense to finish it all off with richly colored leather accessories, to highlight the blouse's singular, emerald leather stripe.

{ tiffany aviators, zara coat (previously seen HERE and HERE // similar style available HERE), necklace and blouse courtesy of sachin + babi, michael kors watch, vintage skirt (also worn HERE and HERE // similar style available HERE), rebecca minkoff bag, bottega veneta boots }

PS: don't forget i'm hosting a giveaway with sachin + babi (designers of this subtly-intricate top) ~ CLICK HERE to enter!!

{ costume of the day } hair/bow

when i cropped the last of my locks off back in april, i noticed myself suddenly gravitating towards dramatically collared clothes. at first, it was all about sharp menswear-inspired collars. now, 7 months in, i'm still most comfortable wearing face-framing things ~ but i've learned that something as soft as an oversized bow will do just as well as razor-sharp ruff!

thus, this top has proven to be an invaluable layering piece (i also wore it HERE and HERE). it helps that it buttons all the way up to the neck before exploding into a bow; this way it's easier to tuck under stuff than most of my other bow-tie blouses. earlier this week i paired it with this very sixties-esque erin fetherston dress (more photos on her blog) and a pair of eerily-perfectly matched boots ~ and enjoyed the way the combination felt both mod and modern!

i think my crumply, paul-mccartney-coif reinforced the modish energy, and that's probably why i enjoy switching up my hair so often. each incarnation allows me to experiment anew with my style ~ and learn something fresh in matters of dress. so, even as i'm growing my locks out again, the transition is still inspiring me to transform.

{ self-designed jewelry (new store coming soon!), club monaco blouse, julia dress courtesy of erin fetherston, h+m tights, bottega veneta boots (i'm rocking the same pair on tory burch's blog today too!) }
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in other news, i keep replying to emails/tweets/facebook queries with promises of the imminent relaunch of my jewelry shop... and yet there's still just a liiiittle more work to be done! i'm sorry to keep those who have asked waiting; we're just now finishing up all the photographing/coding, etc., and i promise i'll update everyone the moment it's ready (hopefully by friday!). in case you can't wait that long to get your shop on, pop over to erin's ~ where all the pieces i've worn on the blog are now 30% off!