off duty dress
Tuesday, July 3
Despite the Fourth of July falling mid-week this year, the celebration, it seems, will be as multi-faceted as ever. With back-to-back barbecues on either side of the holiday, and a parade and fireworks in between, this stylish, throw-it-on-and-go T by Alexander Wang dress I recently picked up will see me through at least part of the festivities...
1. T by Alexander Wang dress, $92, netaporter.com
2. Karen Walker sunglasses, $220, shopbop.com
3. Wayuu Taya bag, $180, netaporter.com
4. Ancient Greek sandals, $255, barneys.com
P.S. This is my version of patriotic-chic!
the great outdoors
Monday, July 2
My husband grew up camping. (Though I've never seen him do it, he's the type who could probably rub two sticks together and make a fire.) In recent years, he has gotten back into it with our kids, but truth be told, I've been apprehensive about going. Though I love the outdoors, and got my feet muddy at my share of Dead shows back in the day, I am a city girl at heart who has never been drawn to "roughing it."
As it turns out though, my kids inherited the camping gene as well (it may be their favorite activity), and thus recently, in what felt going-in like an act of motherly duty, I relented and agreed the time had come for me to camp.
This past weekend, along with my friend Minnie and her family, we packed our cars with tents, sleeping bags, surfboards, and coolers of food, and set out for rural North Santa Barbara County. I had assumed that inviting another city girl with me would somehow make the whole enterprise more palatable, since I would have someone to relate/complain to. Though I got that wrong, since it turns out that Minnie is an experienced and capable camper--it actually did not matter because we (yes - myself included) had an amazing time.
As we all know, there's something freeing about being away from city life. It's just easy to forget sometimes. The lack of cell phone reception and even a shower was rendered quite irrelevant in the face of nature's beauty. We awoke to the sun's first rays casting shadows of rustling willows on our tent, swam with seals in the ocean, came across hawks, cows and wild horses in the surrounding pastures, and nearly wandered into a rattlesnake nest. We also survived gale force winds that violently battered our tent during the night - at one point I thought we'd get swept up into the air like a flying saucer.
But we also did some very civilized things, like made scrambled eggs with goat cheese on our Coleman grill, and we also surfed and paddle boarded. Since this my fashion blog I would be remiss if I did not mention that somehow through it all, Minnie looked chic and perfectly in her element, layering a James Perse tank with a cozy Marc Jacobs sweater, and at night with a puffy Patagonia jacket!
I could go on and on about my voyage into the wilderness but I'd rather not, lest my husband happily forget how much I still enjoy a comfy hotel bed.
statement shoes
Monday, July 2
These are not your everyday shoes. But that's the point. They are over the top yet undeniably fun. Perfect for adding drama to an easy summer sheath--or just going all out big. Here's how I'd roll in them...
1. Topshop ikat print dress, $72, topshop.com
2. Alexis Bittar crystal encrusted extra small gold hoops, $145, charmandchain.com
3. Clare Vivier clutch, $155, shopbop.com
4. Asos pom pom heels, $140, asos.com
summer boots
Friday, June 29
What's your take on wearing booties during the summer? I admit it feels counterintuitive. In fact, I debated wearing my Isabel Marant Dicker boots to a Lucky cover shoot yesterday, because they felt so wintry paired with my black jeans. I ended up not wearing them, but when I arrived at the shoot, lo and behold, Lucky's fashion editor Elle Strauss was wearing her black Dickers with black jeans--and she looked as chic as can be, as usual. Here are some booties that I think are suitable for summer from Acne, Dolce Vita and Chloe. The ones in the picture above are Rag & Bone.
Photo: Hanneli Mustaparta
leather-like jeans
Friday, June 29
I bought a pair of zipper-trimmed wax coated black jeans from Zara last summer and they have hardly seen a day off since. The finish looks like leather, the cut is incredibly flattering, and they're as comfortable as can be. I know that I have inspired at least a dozen friends to buy the same pair and in multiple colors. They are that good and, thankfully, still available in store and online in dwindling supply in grey. Now comes this winning pair from J. Brand--zipper-free, but cut and cropped in all the right places, just like Zara's, and rendered in fall's hottest hue, oxblood. Miraculously, they're on mega sale at Barneys. I'm going to wear them into the ground right now with a simple tee, and come this fall, with...
1. Raquel Allegra t-shirt, $185, netaporter.com
2. Topshop knitted sweater, $76, topshop.com
3. Club Monaco fringed leather tote, $275, clubmonaco.com
4. Rag & Bone booties, $495, shopbop.com
5. J. Brand waxed jeans, $89, barneys.com
celine chic
Thursday, June 28
If I had to choose one absolute must-have from all the resort collections, I'd, without a doubt, pick Celine's wide leg, contrasting hem trousers. I promise you: everyone is going to be clamoring for them. I suspect that H&M will come out with a derivative pair and that denim brands will design their iterations as well. In the meantime, Zara has a cropped, warm-weather friendly version for just $89.
the drop waist dress
Thursday, June 28
I was on a Lucky photo shoot yesterday and there were more than a handful of drop waist dresses on the racks from designers like Diane Von Furstenberg and Marc Jacobs. (We can thank Victoria Beckham for bringing back this ladylike silhouette.) I seriously love this black leather one. Leather is going to be everywhere this fall, and here it yields something all-purpose, yet cool, fun and edgy, especially with...
1. River Island leather dress, $168, riverisland.com
2. Lulu Frost crystal and resin earrings, $190, netaporter.com
3. Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch, $268, shopbop.com
4. Gucci open-toe sandal bootie $960, nordstrom.com
the denim vest
Thursday, June 28
There were a dozen denim vests hanging on the racks at Lucky's last cover shoot and many of them were layered over sparkly Marc Jacobs dresses and lacy Louis Vuitton frocks. The combination was unexpected yet thoroughly cool. Here's how I'd wear mine...
1. Kain t-shirt
2. Topshop denim vest, $76, topshop.com
3. Asos beaded clutch,
4. Whistles sandals
5. Topshop pleated skirt, $56, topshop.com
a clean slate
Wednesday, June 27
There is no look that's more summery-elegant than head-to-white. It's so fresh-looking--and so simple to pull off. The woman, pictured above, looks like she's wearing a basic Hanes t-shirt, tucked, albeit, into a gorgeous asymmetrical skirt. She sticks to a clean, minimalist theme with nude strappy sandals (which also happen to make her legs look like they go on forever.) I am sure you could recreate this look with things you already have in your closet, but if not, here are some summer whites to consider from Ellery Camaraderie (an edgy peplum skirt, no less), Robert Rodriguez and Zara, and for the shoes, these beige Ann Taylor sandals will do the trick.
Photo: Tommy Ton
the printed jacket
Wednesday, June 27
One of the biggest trends to emerge from the Resort 2013 collections is the printed jacket. Lanvin, Prabal Gurung, and Stella McCartney all featured bold patterned blazers, brandished with everything from animal spots to vibrant florals. I'd go for it like this...
1. Topshop striped blouse, $56, topshop.com
2. Topshop animal jacquard blazer, $90, topshop.com
3. Givenchy Pandora bag, $1695, ssense.com
4. Alexander McQueen suede loafers, $645, netaporter.com
5. Rag & Bone waxed jeans, $255, netaporter.com