{ versioning } black skirt / white shirt

as i get a little older (and a LOT busier), my style seems to be getting more streamlined and defined. along the way, i've come to understand the value of truly great basics, and on mornings when i'm pressed for time, a black skirt + white shirt combo never fails me. i love that the look can be taken in so many different directions! here are a few iterations that i hope might inspire you to think of ways to elevate your own plain jane faves:

VERSION I // ruffled blouse + leather skirt
{ elizabeth + james sunnies, self-made necklace, theory blouse, h+m skirt (recently seen HERE), marc by marc jacobs clutch, stuart weitzman shoes }




VERSION II // man's shirt + fringed skirt
{ lanvin for h+m sunnies, american apparel shirt, (borrowed from the boys), vintage embroidery-turned-brooch, coach classics bag, primary skirt, banana republic socks, corello shoes }



VERSION III // polo shirt + knit skirt
{ vintage yves saint laurent sunnies from ebay, american apparel polo shirt (as above, it's from the men's department), zara skirt (i'm also lusting after THIS SIMILAR STYLE), vintage studio ferre belt, michael kors watch, banana republic socks, loeffler randall boots }

{ grazia }

i'm currently writing to you from milan, where i am honored to be a guest of grazia magazine for fashion week. before coming over, they asked me to shoot a story and share a few words for their website on the topic of grace ('grazia' is the italian word for this). it's a trait i certainly aspire to exude, albeit one i don't always achieve. anyway, in case you don't speak italian (me neither!), i've included excerpts from the piece i wrote below:



{ karen walker sunnies, primary blouse and skirt, forever21 cropped cami, gifted corello bag, alexander wang shoes }

GRACE. Grace is a virtue that’s far-too-infrequently celebrated these days. It’s not about stature or prominence or even glamour. Grace is elegance. It is deference and authority in equal measure. It is good manners, it is kindness and it is a sense of propriety.

But grace is not stuffy. It is being comfortable in one’s own skin, while conscientiously allowing others to feel equally at ease around you. In fashion, this means dressing in a way that is appropriate to your lifestyle and surroundings. That is, embracing your age (at any age!) by combining femininity with a dose of mystery, plus a necessary nod to functionality.



{ nine west sunnies, club monaco jacket, kelly framel necklace, vintage dress (last seen HERE), corello belt, yves saint laurent shoes }

Happily, graceful is the perfect word to describe this season’s long-skirted look. Full and pleated, or languidly bias-cut, it matters not. Either way, the look is simultaneously timeless and contemporary. It harkens back to the silhouettes of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, but can be paired just as easily with a utility jacket and wedges as a trench coat and pumps. Modern mid-length skirts can veer fairly formal or incredibly casual – this is not a 1950’s sort of femininity. It’s current in that it’s comfortable and it’s elegant because it works in nearly any situation. You’ll rarely feel under-dressed...



{ juicy couture sunnies, halston heritage trench, meg dress, gifted corello clutch, lamb shoes }

please CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article and see many more pictures of these looks on grazia.it. then, CLICK HERE to check out my up-to-the-minute updates from milano!!

{ auburn }

{ vintage yves saint laurent sunnies from ebay, self-designed necklace, gifted tory burch blouse, dedegumo watch, gifted bulgari bracelet, vintage bag, zara skirt, christian louboutin shoes }

it's officially that time of year when we're straddling seasons: summer brights suddenly feel silly, but it's not yet cool enough for full-on fall layers. so i've got a little of everything in here: lace-up sandals, meet color-blocked skirt (black and navy, every new york girl's favorite combo!), meet autumn-auburn blouse. plus a bag passed down from my great-grandmother ~ for me, the best part.

{ disco dream }

{ kelly framel necklace, primary silk dress, dedegumo watch, khirma eliazov cuff, tiffany & co clutch (last seen HERE), yves saint laurent shoes }

wore this dress to shows on saturday, then snapped these photos upon my return to the w hotel ~ my fashion week home-away-from-home for the second season now. more on that coming soon!!

{ down by } the boardwalk

{ vintage yves saint laurent sunnies (last seen HERE, where someone asked what i payed for them on ebay; i think it was around $150?), kelly framel obsidian skull necklace and chartreuse tiger's eye tassel necklace + new wrap bracelets (coming soon!), banana republic heritage vest, vintage fringe bag (last seen HERE), vintage calvin klein dress (i recently hemmed off 18" and love it more than ever!), corello shoes (last seen HERE), adorable papillon puppy }

i love to travel, but not nearly as much as i love being home with my bunny dog. while i was away in vegas, an earthquake sent shivers through new york city, and i was so worried for her i couldn't get back fast enough! we celebrated with a long walk by the williamsburg waterfront, plus lots of snuggles and belly rubs. now, apparently, we're facing a weekend hurricane. i'm wishing for everyone's safety over the coming days.
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in happier news, i'd like to extend overdue congratulations to virignia zint for winning our ellignton handbags giveaway!

{ tales } times two

{ vintage yves saint laurent sunnies from ebay, vintage levi's shirt from brimfield, vintage gucci bag from a boutique in brooklyn (last seen HERE), vintage moschino skirt from what goes around comes around, stuart weitzman shoes }

just a few more frames from my shoot with natalie joos.

{ another LBD } + a giveaway!

i've been all about the classics lately ~ in the past week, i've worn two denim + striped top combinations, and today marks my second little-black-dress-based ensemble in the same amount of time.

the fact is, a simple shift is the perfect solution when one needs to stay chic despite the completely blistering heat. just add minimal jewels (it's really too hot for serious accessories, so i just went for earrings here), plus a killer pair of kicks and a cute clutch:

the best thing about this outfit is that i get to share a piece of it with you!! ellington handbags (a new sponsor of this site), is generously giving away this pretty clutch (in either blue, red or black) to one lucky reader. to enter, just 'like' ellington on facebook, then leave them a comment letting them know which color you want. a winner will be selected next week!

{ vintage ysl sunnies from ebay, michael kors dress (similar HERE), black star clutch courtesy of ellington handbags, dolce + gabbana shoes }

{ down by } the schoolyard

{ vintage ysl sunnies (via ebay!), kelly framel necklace, chambray shirt stolen from a man friend, moon collective lace shorts courtesy of modcloth, michael kors clutch, alexander wang shoes }

{ reliably styleable }

today, i present (a bit bittersweetly) my fourth and final costume, as inspired by my partnership with ralph lauren and the big pony collection scents. over the course of this collaboration, i've channeled sporty, seductive, adventurous ~ and today's motivation is stylishness!

now, labeling one's own outfit as being stylish can feel unnervingly presumptuous, so i decided to stick simply with those things i consider to be stalwarts of my own personal style. i always feel at ease in: bow-tie blouses, subtly textured layers, slim-fit, collarless jackets, slouchily tailored trousers, and classic gold pumps:

this collaboration's finishing scent-spiration, as i mentioned in THIS POST, is the collection's most abstracted. it mixes energizing hits of kyarawood and mandarin ~ essences i attempted to recall in the colors of this ensemble (ie: woody taupes met with saffron pops)!



while the ensemble itself felt inherently my style, i loved stumbling across this flag-mural garage art ~ as it seemed so rightly ralph lauren! it felt like an appropriate location from which to conclude the collision of our visions.

{ vintage yves saint laurent sunnies, gifted hare+hart leather trench (also seen HERE), borrowed ralph lauren cashmere cardigan and printed pussy-bow blouse, michael kors watch, prada pants, vintage clutch, miu miu bird brooch, manolo blahnik pumps }

if you'd like to win your own bottle of this stylish scent, please leave a comment below, letting me know what you consider to be your own style standbys. and please give a congratulatory clap to hilaryinspired*, who is the lucky winner** of scent number three!

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by the by, if you haven't already, please be sure to check out my GIFT GUIDE FOR GUYS, which was inspired by this and the other three big pony collection colognes!

*hilary, please email me your shipping information so i can send you your prize!!
** once again, i use random.org to pick contest winners ~ i can't bear to choose myself! xoK