which one?

 $85, warehouse.co.uk

I came across these lovely lace blouses at Warehouse and I can't decide which one I like better. The yellow top is fun, up-to-the-minute and statementy, while the beige one is more subdued and elegant. Which one would you buy?  

floral frock

$116, warehouse.com

Bright and floral--the antidote to winter blues. Wear it with...

1. Warehouse blurred floral dress, $116, warehouse.co.uk

2. Elizabeth Cole rosebud jet earrings, $138, elizabethcole.com

3. See by Chloe suede clutch, $255, www.mytheresa.com

4. Valentino stud bootie, $875, bergdorfgoodman.com

*Winterize it with a big chunky cardigan or a snug leather motorcycle jacket and black wool tights.

of two minds

Photos by Janeen Lund

If you haven't heard of Of Two Minds you will. It's an upstart line that launched last year, with Paris-bred, LA-based (and Isabel Marant BFF) Sunjoo Moon at the helm. It's poised to be hugely successful, because Moon makes clothes we all want to wear: comfortable yet distinctly chic. What's more, she deftly imbues each and every piece with her own Malibu beachy-meets-French-chic vibe. For her spring collection, Moon combined lightweight ethnic-spirited prints with heavier tailored silhouettes. The result is pretty perfect, with billowy vivid patterned dresses, embroidered jackets and snappy skirts that are suitable for both the beach and the city. Since the weather has been relatively balmy in LA for the last few days, these filmy, floor-grazing sundresses and colorful tunics from her spring collection are all I want to wear. Look for Of Two Minds at ronherman.com in early 2012.

flower power

$47, riverisland.com

Romantic, vintage-spirited, and bold all at once. Wear it with this...

1. River Island floral print jacquard top, $47, riverisland.com

2. Collection by Giada Forte relaxed trouser, $394, barneys.com

3. Topshop color spot earrings, $35, topshop.com

4. Aperlai tiered sandal, $1060, kirnazabete.com

 * The finishing touch would be a punchy lipstick, like Heat Wave by Nars.

whistles

Whistles is a solidly cool and refreshingly affordable English label that nails the London girl's boho louche-meets-polished aesthetic. Whenever I travel across the pond I make a point of dropping into the Knightsbridge boutique to stock up, as the label is hard to find in the States. In between visits, I regularly shop on its website--and get inspired by how the brand cleverly translates trends and assembles sophisticated, yet easy (to wear and emulate!) outfits. Check out the fall collection for a bevy of outfit ideas--and below, a few of my favorite looks (yes, I am still hung up on evening-worthy jumpsuits).

stripe out

$355, apc.fr

I'm a little bit cashmere. I'm a little bit rock and roll. Wear it with this...

1. APC striped cashmere pullover, $355, apc.fr

2. CC Skye Deco Hinged bracelet, $175, ccskye.com

3. Proenza Schouler mini skirt, $675, netaporter.com

4. Givenchy zip front slingback, $895, barneys.com

forever dress

Photo: Harper's Bazaar

I am dress obsessed right now. 'Tis the season after all, with consecutive holiday parties, Yankee Swaps, and dinner dates on the calendar. But why is that whenever I am on the hunt for a head-turning dress, there's a dearth in the marketplace? And then, of course, when I am not seeking one, I come across a knockout. Adding insult to injury, I then reason that I have no upcoming shingdig that warrants the knockout and leave it in my wake. Am I the only one who experiences this? From now on I will pounce when I find something I fancy. Ideally, it would be like Alexa Chung's YSL strapless frock, above. It's so simple yet high-impact--and best of all enduringly stylish.

opposites attract

Photo: Citizen Couture

Who would have thought that teaming an apres-ski sweater with a leather fringe mini could add up to one impeccably cool outfit?  In this case, Taylor Tomasi Hill, Artistic Director at Moda Operandi. Just goes to show that sometimes combining the most disparate pieces can yield unexpectedly stylish results. Food for thought, my friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

big stud

$265, stylebop.com

A classic sweater with an edgy twist. (P.S. the riveted collar is removable too.)

Wear it with this...

1. Maje sweater with riveted collar, $265, stylebop.com

2. Current/Elliot low-rise skinnies*, $200, netaporter.com

3. Topshop suede bag, $50, topshop.com

4. Vince Camuto pump, $98, vincecamuto.com  

*If you're not feeling the lavender jeans (oh, trust me, you will come this spring, with all the pastels in play), go for black, blue or even winter white skinnies instead.

lovely lace

Source: Hanneli.com

If I were a hip French girl, this gorgeous lace concoction would be my wedding dress. The reality is I am not French and I am already (happily) married--but I still adore this dress. There's so much to love about it: it's pretty, timeless, elegant, provocative--and slightly, yet most significantly, offbeat. Lace can come across as too Victorian but the asymmetrical hemline and peekaboo sheerness transform this frock into one of the most seductive looks ever. It's by the amazing Australian label Lover. So tragic that it came out last summer. Looks like I am going to be logging hours on Ebay trying to track one down--or reconstructing my old wedding dress. 

bead bag

$27, forever21.com

The vivid Native American print makes this clutch spot on. Wear it with this...

1. Forever 21 beaded clutch, $27, forever21.com

2. Isabel Marant ruched dress, $995, barneys.com

3. Amanda Sterett for Cusp crystal earrings, $85, cusp.com

4. Miu Miu platform booties, $750, barneys.com

matchy matchy

Along with my fellow editors at Lucky Magazine, I am drawn to the new head-to-toe patterned outfits that popped up all over the resort runways. There's something very retro (dare I say Carol Brady) about this print-heavy look, but at the same time, it's fresh and different and adventurous. The floral set above is from J. Crew's spring collection. I kind of love it. It's such a statement. An all-out top-to-bottom commitment. But it's the type of trend that I will adapt to slowly. First, I will try a simple monochromatic outfit like the one below from Asos, then move on to subtle head-to-toe patterns. By the time I am ready for the big leagues, the fetching Carol Brady ensembles will be in stores.

comfy chic

$55, oldnavy.com

Cozy + comfortable + Navajo-chic = Covetable. Wear it with this...

1. Old Navy wrap cardigan, $55, oldnavy.com

2. Current/Elliot skinny jeans, $170, netaporter.com

3. Madewell Super sunglasses, $139, madewell.com

4. Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag, $448, marcjacobs.com

5. Dolce Vita Jamison boot, $119, dolcevita.com

tasselicious

$6, hm.com

So Oscar de la Renta--but not. Even so, darn good. Wear them with this...

1. H&M tassel earrings, $6, hm.com

2. J Brand skinny corduroy jeans, $175, netaporter.com
3. Mason by Michelle Mason leather trimmed jacket, $640, netaporter.com
4. Prada python pump, $1100, bergdorfgoodman.com
5. CC Skye clutch, $440, ccskye.com

my sister and me

Here we are, my twin sister and I, in Madewell's holiday catalog, which just came out. I am on the right with the mint scarf wrapped around my neck. Coco and I had a ball shooting this together last summer at a New York City photo studio, even though we did bicker about who was going to wear what. We both wanted to wear the paisley pencil skirt I'm sporting, but I convinced her the cobalt jeans looked better on her than they did on me. She finally capitulated. Such a good sister! To see more, check out Madewell's website. 

best fringe

$39, joefresh.com

Fringe, metallic, leather. Party on. (My NY co-editors have each bought one.) 
Wear it with this...

1. Joe Fresh fringe leather mini, $39, joefresh.com  
2. Margaret Howell cashmere sweater, $498, lagarconne.com  
3. Topshop Infrared lipstick, $16, topshop.com 
4. Calvin Klein booties, $695, bloomingdales.com 

**Three things: If you don't feel comfortable in a mini skirt, wear tights like these. Next time you're in NYC, you should check out Joe Fresh, a stylish, amazingly affordable Canadian retailer new to the States, with several just-opened locations throughout the city. The guy who founded it is also the mastermind behind Club Monaco. I'm a bit conservo, hence the sweater, and I sort of shudder at the idea of wearing anything too skin-baring with this short leather skirt, lest I want to look too, um, available. To each her own, I guess...

spring goodies

Here's a sneak peek at H&M's spring collection, full of punchy prints, vivid hues and easy, breezy silhouettes. I want everything, of course.

flawlessly simple

$395, barneys.com

My dream dress: graphic, modern and easy.  Wear it with this...

1. 10 Crosby striped dress, $395, barneys.com

2. H&M envelope clutch, $25, hm.com

3. Illesteva Frieda sunglasses, $190, lagarconne.com

4. Nine West black pumps, $89, endless.com

5. Forever 21 earrings, $6, forever21.com

P.S. The dress has strong a resort vibe, but it can be easily winterized layered over a white turtleneck (see inspiration here) and black tights. 

mean and green

Somehow, inexplicably, counter to every fashion impulse I've ever had before, I covet this green leather tote bag. It's look-at-me loud and seemingly difficult to pull off. It comes across as a one-season wonder. It's green! But then check out how it takes this basic all-black outfit and makes it cooler, better, distinctly of-the-moment. Imagine this bag with head to toe denim, or a white maxi dress, or even a camel coat. I'm convinced: it's fantastic. It's Balenciaga, of course, and I may just have to get one.

floralfest

I tried on this floral blouse at Zara when I was in New York last week and couldn't decide whether it was cute or crazy. Yes, it's super trendy (blooms will be big again this spring), and most likely I will wear it only a couple of times--justifiable at $49--but it's also undeniably fun and bright. What do you think?

sleek tee

$120, topshop.com

It's fantastically glamorous and downright comfortable--genius, really.

Wear it with this...

1. Topshop metallic tee, $120, topshop.com

2. Isabel Marant skinny leg pants, $475, barneys.com

3. Madewell bangle, $7, madewell.com

4. Kelly Wearstler pleated clutch, $850, kellywearstler.com

instant get

$595, barneys.com

I had a delicious lunch at Forage in Silverlake with LA-based bag designer and fashion bellwether Clare Vivier the other day and she was wearing these incredible boots with red jeans and a silk beige button-down. She could not have looked more chic. I thought to myself: I have a great pair of red pants and a silk beige button-down, so I can recreate this outfit and look chic, too. But I don't have the boots! They're very much like the cultish Isabel Marant ankle "Dicker" booties, but sparkly (read: refreshingly original). I love the juxtaposition of the glittery backside and the subdued beige suede. They're seasonless, versatile, statement-y: perfection.

silver collar

$28, topshop.com

Punch up a lived-in t-shirt or a navy crew neck sweater with this stunner.

Wear it with this...

1. Topshop collar necklace, $28, topshop.com

2. Current/Elliot skinny cord, $279, mytheresa.com

3. Mango t-shirt, $60, mango.com

4. Clare Vivier messenger bag, $365, communitycollection.com

5. Belle by Sigerson Morrison flats, $235, madewell.com

leopard jacquard chicness

Photo: British Vogue

I was en route from London to Capri when I came across this picture of J. Crew President and Creative Director Jenna Lyons in British Vogue. Clearly, the girl oozes style, manifest here in her lemon yellow sofa, graphic Moroccan rug--and leopard print pants! As soon as I returned to New York, I emailed my personal shopper at J. Crew in Santa Monica (his name is Chad and he is very helpful, FYI) and asked him to pre-order those pants for me. He did and told me they'd ship around mid-November. Turns out they hit Netaporter.com today and sold out within hours. Guess I am not the only one obsessed. But at least I know I will get a pair! Pre-order yours today before they're all gone. Check them out in all their glory.

 $250, jcrew.com

sweet and floral

$68, missselfridge.com

A vibrant yet sensible day dress that's very Miu Miu '40s-romantic.

Wear it with this...

1. Miss Selfridge oriental sleeved dress, $62, missselfridge.com

2. House of Harlow leather stud earrings, $32, charmandchain.com

3. Calypso spike minaudiere, $250, calypsostbarth.com

4. Barneys cut-out bootie, $425, barneys.com

P.S. I think the black accessories are important because they help toughen up the dress (i.e., so it doesn't look so matronly.) My twin sister, who has a more downtown sensibility, thinks mannish brogues would be perfect with this dress. Try these.

blue suede shoes

photo: thelocals.dk

I never knew I needed blue suede pumps until I came across this girl. She makes me want to run out and buy a pair this very minute. Of all things! I like how they give her outfit an exclamation point. I just wonder: could I pull them off? I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

gypsy jacket

$116, warehouse.co.uk

There's something Proenza-tribal-jet-setter-chic about this blazer. Non?

Wear it with this...

1. Warehouse embellished jacket, $116, warehouse.co.uk

2. Adam silk georgette tank, $180, netaporter.com

3. Topshop tinsel stripe trousers, $220, topshop.com

4. Clare Vivier pochette, $235, communitycollection.com 

*P.S. I'd wear pointy patent black stilettos with this to offset the gypsy factor/up the modern vibe

coming soon to h&m

I visited H&M's showroom last week to see the upcoming collections. In short, it's all good: minimally chic, bold pops of color, clean lines, and, of course, giddily affordable. The ombre fur jacket is already in stores (I snapped one up and yesterday my twin sister bought one too--not knowing that I had one. Funny!). The metallic sweatshirt is sleek and amazing; it should hit stores this week or next. I will be on the lookout.