LE CATCH

I thought it was love at first sight. I spotted an oversize white sweater on a mannequin at Zara, styled with the sleeves rolled up and a knee-length skirt. It looked exactly right: comfortably stylish. Like something I'd live in all winter long. But when I tried it on, it looked more like I was wearing one of my husband's sweaters. Not right at all. When I left the fitting room, I concluded that I definitely need a oversize sweater but not one that is so extra large it looks like a baggy sack. Finding one that strikes the extra large-but-flattering balance is no easy feat, but I managed to find a few such as this J.Crew, this Equipment, this Gucci and this L'Agence, along with a few snaps of girls, who pull off this big-next-season look with aplomb.

$155, piperlime

This just may be the best way to buy into fall's sophisticated moto-inspired boot trend.

1. J.Crew cashmere sweater, $288, jcrew.com
2. Mulberry wool and silk blazer, $1900, netaporter.com
3. Smith+Mara ear cuff, $250, shopbop.com
4. Bauble Bar ring set, $28, baublebar.com
5. Sam Edelman buckle boots, $155, piperlime.com
6. Issa pants, $325, netaporter.com

$175, shopbop

These studs would give me the double ear pierced look I don't have but (sometimes) want--along with a good dose of sparkle. (You can tell I really like them as I featured them in silver yesterday!). I'd rock them casually like this...

1. Acne Studios wool and mohair sweater, $380, matchesfashion.com
2. Elizabeth and James earrings, $175, shopbop.com
3. Dolce & Gabbana Beauty Voluptuous Lipstick in Italian Monica, $34, nordstrom.com
4. Kate Spade top handle bag, $498, piperlime.com
5. Simone Rocha chain-embellished flat, $885, netaporter.com
6. AG Jeans, $115, theoutnet.com

Pulling off fall's new layered trend has just been made a whole lot easier thanks to J.Crew's genius shirt/sweater hybrids. They come in various color combos, but my favorites include the one, above, and this one and this one (in red). P.S. J.Crew is offering 25% off select fall styles with the code SHOPNOW through 8/25.

$67, asos

This clutch is the kind of conversation piece that gets me chatting away.

1. Stella McCartney dress, $1290, netaporter.com
2. Elizabeth and James earrings, $175, shopbop.com
3. Asos sequin tassel clutch, $67, asos.com
4. Via Spiga metallic silver sandals, $250, nordstrom.com

On a drizzly day late last week, I took my five-year-old son to the surf shop, where I came across some white braided rope bracelets, the kind I bought and wore every summer when I was a kid. With every dip in the ocean and water-skiing loop around the bay, the bracelet would slowly shrink to fit my wrist, so that by summer's end it was impossible to slip off my hand. Just the way I liked it. I offered to buy a rope bracelet for my son, telling him how much I loved wearing one every summer, explaining how it aged and frayed with the sun and salt. Nope, he didn't want it. Not even a little bit. Instead, he asked for a red frisbee. Fast forward to this morning, when I spotted this braided bracelet, with undone tasseled ends, glinty, gold and grown-up. My new version of the rope bracelet.

$350, nordstrom

It's a pump! It's a bootie! It's a definite fall statement.

1. Marni floral print dress, $1970, netaporter.com
2. Isabel Marant crystal ring set, $100, netaporter.com
3. Asos lip bag, $32, asos.com
4. Tory Burch cut-out pumps, $350, nordstrom.com

Nothing beats a cozy sweater once temperatures start to dip except a cozy furry sweater. It's one of fall's key pieces that I want to wear, because it will add texture and fun to almost any outfit. But to avoid looking like a muppet (or Chewbacca), I'll team it with streamlined jeans or pants or feminine skirts. Some warm and fuzzy options: this Nightwalker, Opening Ceremony, this Asos, this Milly, and this Vince.

Photo:Stockholm Street Style

$58, pixie market

This statement skirt has Montauk-to-metropolitan versatility. I like!

1. Studio Nicholson top, $325, netaporter.com
2. Tory Burch charm bracelet, $195, toryburch.com
3. Lizzie Fortunato clutch, $380, shopbop.com
4. Joie sandals, $285, neimanmarcus.com
5. Pixie Market tassel skirt, $58, pixiemarket.com

I made a whirlwind trip to Bali last week. The occasion: an extended family wedding, along with an opportunity to indulge in some incredibly rare R&R with my mother and twin sister. Bali, as you may recall, is where my Indonesian mother and Dutch photographer father first met. At the time he was shooting images which were later exhibited in the Smithsonian and in Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum. I've been to Bali numerous times, the first when I was six years old, but it's been over ten years since my last trip. My, how it has changed! It's now teeming with tourists and traffic but, thankfully, the island's inherent magic remains. We crammed in sightseeing, seaside frolicking and shopping in between the wedding festivities, venturing south to Uluwatu (pictured above and below) and inland to Ubud to check out the rice fields. Herewith, my adventures!

Uluwatu is near the southern tip of Bali, and its towering waves along with its sharp and shallow coral reef make a leisurely dip in the ocean pretty much impossible. But perhaps you wouldn't want to swim there anyway: legend has it the Indian Ocean sea goddess Nyai Roro Kiduyou ruthlessly rules the violent waves here, and since she favors green, wearing a green bathing suit is forbidden--lest you want to drown. Believe it or not, both my mother and my surfer husband, who is the least superstitious person I know, abide by this rule.

When it was time to hit the beach, we headed around the peninsula's corner to Finn's Beach Club and its calmer waters and white sandy shores--perfect for chilling out. To get down to this beach club, you have to take the equivalent of a small open-air funicular that slowly scales the steep cliff. The vibe is very Ibiza minus the thumping dance music and foam.

In case you get too hot after your stair climb up, you can always take a dip in this cliffside infinity pool. (It's wider than it appears.)

Next up, a day trip to Ubud, Bali's cultural center, where one goes to eat, pray and love. I did all of the above, along with check out the abundantly gorgeous rice fields. (My dress is by For Love & Lemons.)

Some of Bali's rice fields are thousands of years old. This one is situated in the backyard of Ubud's Chedi Club, a sprawling and serene estate, where the wedding rehearsal dinner was being staged. The grounds are breathtaking (see below).

All dressed for the party in this gleaming, feather-light Asos top and skirt, double-fisted to boot! (I'm holding my sister's wine glass while she snapped away.) Find my Givenchy sandals here.

In between all the festivities, I took some time out to shop in Sanur... (my bag is from Iomoi)

Drink from a coconut in Uluwatu.

Dine out in a bikini (and in a dress I am wearing backwards and tucked into a pair of shorts, no less!) at Cafe Batujimbar. (Truth be told, I ate lunch here three times during my visit. It's that good!)

And parade around in pom pom-trimmed shorts (made in Bali) around the pool. This is vacation, after all! (My top is by Peter Som x Kohl's.)

My twin sister Coliena and I also bonded over early morning runs on the beach, late night chats and rummaging through each other's suitcases for more clothes to wear/borrow/steal. She's wearing an Asos sequin dress, featured here, and I'm sporting a cut-out Self Portrait frock, also highlighted here.

This was the last sunset of my trip--an awe-inspiring, forever memorable sight. I'll be back one day again, Bali!