Feeling Spring

I’ve been really ‘feeling Spring’ over the past week while the sun has been shining bright in San Francisco. The temperature hasn’t quite caught up to the sun’s enthusiasm, though. So I’ve been searching for outfits that will keep me warm when I venture outside but also be light enough that I don’t feel too swaddled. 

Layering my Everlane sleeveless turtlenecks over tunics and jogger pants has been the perfect option for me. To get just a bit of polish, here I’ve chosen a silk jogger with leather striping and paired them with a high-heeled bootie. 

OUTFIT DETAILS - Velvet by Graham & Spencer Tunic; Everlane Chunky Knit Sleeveless; Vince Joggers; Calvin Klein Platform Booties; Jewelmint Rings; & Other Stories Clutch; NARS Roman Holiday Lipstick

Tank Leather

Over the past two years I’ve been on a journey to drastically simplify my closet. The real catalyst for this journey was a space limitation that occurred when my sweetie and I moved in together. We went from living separately in large downtown apartments in Austin to living together in a small studio with a closet built for one. Since the move, I can easily say that my wardrobe is about 1/5^th the size that it was 3 years ago in Austin. But the simplification really has been a benefit, because it’s forced me to examine and define the way that I want to look and ensure that each piece that I buy will be a workhorse that supports that aesthetic. 

One of the ways I’ve been rebuilding my wardrobe around fewer, better things is to look for diverse pieces to layer over basics. I look for vests, tube tops, corsets, and tanks that can be layered in non-standard ways. Here, I’ve taken a leather tank top that I scored on super sale from (Kate Spade) Saturday and layered over a minidress. You could achieve a similar look by layering any structured top (like a brocade or leather tank, crop top, or corset) over a bodycon dress. Lately, I’ve been wearing this tank over long-sleeved tunic tees and shirt dresses. I think this pairing over an American Apparel turtleneck dress is a great pairing for date nights. For a work appropriate look, I just wear the same thing over cropped trousers. 

OUTFIT DETAILS - American Apparel Dress; Kate Spade Saturday Leather Tank; Everlane Clutch; Calvin Klein Boots; J Crew Necklace & Cuff; NARS Roman Holiday Lipstick

Have a badass 2015!

A few weeks ago, as I was walking back to my office from getting a coffee I had a realization that I was wearing an “outfit”, that I had a “look”, and that I felt awesome! I’m not a supremely self-confident person on a regular basis, so I actually like to stop and acknowledge moments in my life when I DO feel good about myself. This particular moment really solidified for me the notion that fashion, styling, and creative self-expression can sometimes be the most powerful tool for us to develop our most confident and successful selves. When the clothes that you wear are making you feel your best, you can take the mental space that was making you feel fat or self-conscious or [insert your perceived flaw here] and focus on other things that you REALLY want to be thinking about. So, yes, I believe that the clothes do make the wo/man 

One of the main reasons I finally started posting content a few months ago (after nearly 10 years of false starts) was precisely because I was at a low point and felt like I just needed some accountability to dress better and be better. The supporting goal in making that statement was to help other people find their best, most badass selves that will make them kill it every day. I’m looking forward to the chance to connect with more people in 2015 and go on this journey together. 

Here’s hoping everyone has an extremely badass 2015!

OUTFIT DETAILS - American Apparel Turtleneck Dress; AYR Pants; Helmut Lang Vest; J Crew Necklace; Luv AJ x Jewelmint Rings; Express Mules; NARS Roman Holiday Lipstick

Blue Red

Dreary weather here in San Francisco still. I usually dress pretty dark and designerly, but today called for a bright pop. For me, that usually comes from the lipstick.

I love this old Rouge In Love shade from Lancome. I fell for it when I saw Emma Watson wearing it in an ad. Advertising totally works on me. That or Emma Watson does.

I’m also practically living in the new Everlane cashmere tunics. I got this grey one and a black one. This is probably the first outfit I’ve shared with them, but I’ve been wearing them over dresses, tunics and pants, and as pictured. I can be very uniform oriented in the way I dress when I get in a rut, and these are quickly becoming my new uniform. I may order more, as back ups.

One of my favorite styling tricks is to vary the length of layers. Here what I’ve done is wear the shorter layer over the longer, boxier top to nip in the waist just enough to indicate the figure. I typically prefer to wear the shorter layer over the longer when I wear pants. Then I’ll reverse that for skirts, wearing a miniskirt with a longer cardigan, for example.

I wasn’t sure that the oxblood and the purple would play well together. Now that I look back on the photos, though, I would wear this lipstick + jacket combo again. Oxblood and purple both have blue in them, so I think as long as the rest of your face and outfit is neutral that it isn’t an overwhelming combo.  

OUTFIT DETAILS - Sweater: Everlane; Jacket: Theory; Leggings: Helmut Lang; Shoes: Express; Bag: Givenchy; Rings: Maison Martin Margiela; Necklace: Elizabeth & James; Lips: Lancome Rouge In Love

Sunday Funday

We’re still having very wishy washy weather here in San Francisco. Humid, overcast, coolish, and sometimes rainy.

This lofty cotton Cheap Monday sweater has turned out to be a really friendly piece for this kind of weather. Sometimes I’ll wear it 4 different ways all weekend long. Here I’m dressing it up for a brunch date by pairing it with my new leather skirt from Madewell and an old Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch. 

This is the first leather skirt that I have owned, though I’ve been eying them for several seasons. I really want one of the Alexander Wang ones, but they sell out so quickly and are at the price point where it would be a major investment for me. This one from Madewell is at a good price, probably because it is constructed using several pieces of leather, so that really lowers the material cost. But I actually quite like the combination of the piecing together with the pebbled leather. Plus, it has an exposed back zipper, which I love!

By the way, I always recommend that if you are trying a new silhouette that you opt for a lower cost item first. Then you can experiment and build your confidence about how to wear it before spending more on an investment piece the next season. 

OUTFIT DETAILS - Sweater: Cheap Monday; Skirt: Madewell; Shoes: J Crew; Clutch: Marc by Marc Jacobs; Necklace: Elizabeth & James; Rings: Maison Martin Margiela; Lips: NARS Heat Wave

Suit Up

I have had this suit for over a month now and still haven’t worn it out yet. I’m pretty self conscious about baring much of my skin – I don’t wear a bare midriff or even tank tops very often. The bare midriff and my lack of courage to is the reason why I haven’t taken this suit out of the house yet. 

I think tonight is the night, though, since it has been raining pretty consistently for a week. A nice scuba outfit should be appropriate for the wet weather. 

The classic silhouette of this suit got me feeling a little bit dramatic in this shot. 

OUTFIT DETAILS - Suit: The Letter; Necklace: Elizabeth & James; Cuff: JCrew; Shoes: JCrew; Lips: NARS Heat Wave