Wrapped Up

Wearing a blanket outside of the house used to be reserved for days of extreme hangover or tailgating a football game (or a combination of both).

Now, thanks largely in part to Burberry sending some of the fashionable elite monogrammed versions of their latest "blanket poncho". This is especially exciting for those located in areas where the next five months can bring nothing but cold stinging noses and frozen toes until the April/May thaw.

The thought of never removing our blankets is one I can definitely get behind and where fashion really has met function in the coziest way possible. 

InStyle

From Olivia Palermo to Cara Delevigne, most of the figures whose style I aim to somewhat emulate have been donning this comfy hybrid, meaning my inclination toward buying one of my own is increasing by the day (good marketing, Burberry! If only I could afford your version..)

Instead of taking out some loans to get my own personalized Burberry blanket cape, I have found some more fiscally responsible versions to get wrapped up in.
(Although the DIY possibilities are endless with this, especially with cute festive blankets being sold essentially everywhere, go nuts!)

Topshop

Urban Outfitters

New Look

ASOS

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Fall Wish List

Pretty much summed up from the title, these are the pieces that hopefully stumble home one night and find themselves in my closet....hopefully within the next few weeks. 

Topshop

DKNYC

Urban Outfitters

DailyLook

Sole Society

LOFT

Benetton

One Teaspoon

J.Crew

ASOS

What's on your wish list?! What is missing from mine?! Leave a comment and tell me!

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Sporty Spice

The sporty-chic trend has been around for a couple of seasons now, especially since the inception of the now ubiquitous sneaker-wedge silhouette coined by Isabel Marant. Since these sneaks were seemingly worn by every celebrity and blogger in the entire world, the concept of taking the gym to the street became much less taboo and much more chic. 

Most notably, the "jogger pants" trend that has gone from the walls of Planet Fitness to the runway. This exciting development means for those uninterested in indulging the confines of skinny jeans, but want to distance themselves from harem pants, now have a happy medium. 

From the throwback excitement of the varsity jacket (made more exciting with panels of leather) to jerseys made into variably office appropriate shift dresses, this trend is everywhere and for everyone. 

So, although we can't all look like Taylor Swift leaving the gym (is she a witch?!) many brands have taken the sports route in their new collections, there really is no excuse to just wear yoga pants everyday to pass off as "sporty"....(only those ones when you really need to...we've all been there)

Chanel via T Magazine

Even Chanel has gotten on the bandwagon and made tweed-rubber hybrid sneakers.

(Please take a moment and picture Karl Lagerfeld in sneakers)

BCBG

3.1 Phillip Lim

Alexander Wang

ASOS

ASOS

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Worth the InVESTment?

By glancing at photos of my middle school years, it is clear that this gal has never said no to a good vest. Aside from the fact that a very fetching maroon knit vest that accompanied my school uniform, every fall meant purchasing a brand new puffer vest for the cooler months. 

Although this puffer vest fascination waned throughout my formative years (although never fully disappeared), the next vest purchases were during my college years and were an army cargo vest, a leather moto vest (something I may not have worn as much as anticipated), and what girl didn't dabble in the faux-fur vest trend?

However, an emerging trend this fall has been of the more formal and longer length vest varieties. As I laid eyes upon these amazing structures of wool and leather, my vest obsession (obvestssion?) came hurdling back into view. 

...and also Olivia Palermo (aka my queen) rocked the heck out of an orange version which is reason enough to try it out.

DailyMail

Although initially, with my views of the traditional puffer vest fresh in my mind, these new silhouettes seemed more like sleeveless coats as opposed to vests, a distinction I realized that was only important in my own personal repertoire, really. 

With much help from an article on my favorite website (dare I say, of all time?), Refinery29, I have compiled a list of some of my favorites – from the affordable to the take-out-a-loan-dare-to-dream variety. 

Madewell

Ann Taylor

Topshop

Club Monaco

Mango

Urban Outfitters

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Midi Skirt-spiration

I tend to obsess over trends that I inherently cannot pull off. Whether it's due to my body type or simply the recurring issue of my height (still waiting for that growth spurt to send me over the 5'2 mark) there are some things I just ache to make work for me.  

The current trend I am dying to pull off is the midi skirt. 

In all descriptions of the skirt, it shouldn't really flatter anyone. Cinching at the waist (good), A-line past the knees (bad), and hitting at the widest part of the calf (also bad). But, by some miracle of the fashion silhouette gods (which I can only assume is Anna Wintour chatting away with Grace Coddington and Ralph Lauren) it works!

Although a little more difficult to pull off and style than the maxi or mini skirt, the midi brings a wealth of outfit opportunities, especially this summer and into the fall. While I toil away attempting to elongate my frame enough to pull this off, I have compiled some of my favorite midi skirt looks to spark some ideas.

Angel Style 

Eleanor's NYC 

Atlantic-Pacific

Threadflip

Color Me Courtney

ASOS

La Chimenea de las Hadas

And a post wouldn't be complete without a quick shootout to my all-time style icon Livvy P (a nickname she doesn't know I gave her)

Olivia Palermo via Elle

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Summer Wish List

Making lists is somewhat of a passion of mine. To put it in perspective, I think I came out of the womb and probably checked "take first breath" off my mental to-do list. It's my most notable (and endearing? annoying?) Type-A quality.

This list-making fascination has come in quite handy when juggling classes, internships, a social life, and finances (a.k.a how exactly how many trips to the Whole Foods salad bar I can make in between paychecks). 

I have now started to make lists at the start of each season of what would ideally make its way into my closet sometime in the coming months. This keeps me focused and also helps me refrain from purchasing items purely out of impulse or because Olivia Palermo was wearing it in InStyle this week.
(The girl's got serious style, what can I say?)

For this summer, my list may not be extensive, but it is specific. It is as follows:

1. A light, draped trench coat

1 Rachel Zoe via Shopbop // 2 Haute Hippie via Shopbop // 3 NastyGal

Aside from the obvious aesthetic reasons I may wish to procure this item, I also think it will be my first step in owning a real-life grown up trench coat now that I am a post-grad. 

2. Metallic Pumps

1 Manolo Blahnik via Barneys // 2 Club Monaco // 3 J.Crew

Truth be told, these have been on my wish list for a couple of months, and only a few weeks ago did I finally bite the bullet and buy the J.Crew version, pictured as #3 here. I have only had them in my possession for about two weeks, but they are already one of my more used summer heels. 

3. High-Waisted Dark(ish) Denim

1 Levi's // 2 H&M // 3 H&M

For whatever reason, I don't own a pair of these suckers. I know this isn't the most summer-themed item, but I think that high-waisted denim is the perfect complement to any summer top for a night out. The days may be sweltering, but I somehow always feel the chill enough to wish I had worn pants out. 

4. LWD (Little White Dress)

1 Dolce Vita via Bloomingdales // 2 Zara // 3 Urban Outfitters

This is the item on my list I am a little less specific about. To be honest, I'm not sure what kind of LWD  I am after, although it seems I have a sleeveless theme here.

5. Floral Skirt

1 Givenchy via Selfridges // 2 ASOS // 3. Jealous Tomato via Piperlime

Floral skirts such as these remind me of Joan in Mad Men, only instead of strutting around an office, I hope to don one of them to a day at the Saratoga Race Track sometime this summer. The print will also distract everyone from my obviously bleak expression when I lose all of my money whilst there!

So that's my wish list, it is ever-growing and ever-edited depending on my mood and the day. I will plan on doing one of these before every season. 

(sort of doing this in the throws of summer, but you can't win them all!)

What's on your list?! What am I missing from mine!?

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Thrifty Thursday: Diet of Vegan Leather Skirts

Name one reason you shouldn't have a leather skater skirt in your closet at this very moment. Nothing? That's what I thought.
 Forget the trench coat or the LBD, I have decided this is the new staple of every 20-something's wardrobes. (That statement may need to be retracted after the initial high of this new find has subsided, but humor me for now)
I have spotted these fun little numbers (am I 60?) at stores all over ranging from traditional black to light pink, from ass-grazing to floor length. The one thing that has varied just as much as the shape and length of the garment is the price. Considering this is Thrifty Thursday, I will give you the low-down on what I have discovered.

Source: Urban Outfitters

I first saw this lovely vegan leather skater skirt on Urban Outfitters, which, coming in at a reasonable $69 dollars, isn't SO bad. However, when you consider the fact you are buying something that is probably one of the lesser practical items, you may want to save some of that dough.

Source: Asos

I then went scouring on my typical go-tos for the thriftiest of fashions. However, one place that I can alsmot always rely on to have amazing sales, Asos, threw me a curveball with this skater skirt coming in at a whopping $175.90! Asos, for shame.

Source: Tobi

Then, my reliable source for amazing items for great prices, Tobi, came through with a vengeance. I found, dare I say it, the cutest version of them all, and for the great price of $30. AND if you sign up for Tobi, they tend to send you amazing deals like 50% off a purchase....worth it!



All in all, the vegan skirts are obviously the cheaper (and more humane) options. Win-win.

Get out there and replace your LBD with your LBVLS (little black vegan leather skirt....working title...)


P.S. I would write a cute little "Happy Thanksgiving!" part of this post if I wasn't so bitter about missing it this year being in London...I guess I just lost that battle too.

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