crayola color block

It's. Cold. I'm waiting to take Charlie on his morning walk and he is burroughed underneath the covers next to Raven right now. He's no fool, as my dad would say.

This weather makes me tick. It's inspiring to me and I just feel more myself in the winter (insert cold-hearted bitch and/or Frozen joke here). Not to mention, getting dressed is so much more fun. The more layers, the more possibilities, the less of a chance people will see the stubble on my legs. Of course, I kind of wish I were on a ski weekend in Vermont right now, but New York in the cold is magical, too.

// coat (old, similar) // J. Crew sweater (old, similar) // jeans // boots //

There's nothing like a little primary color color blocking to keep your disposition nice and sunny in this weather. Oh! If you're loving my scarf, as I mentioned on Instagram, my SIL made it! She is a force with knit goods, and she is opening up an Etsy shop SOON! In the meantime, if you'd like a custom piece, please email me allie AT littleredswell DOT com for her contact info.

A special thanks to Ashley Caroline Photography - in between an epic day of shopping with her and Julia, we squeezed in a mini photoshoot. Love you, Ash!

xoxo,

                                                                                                                                              all photos by Ashley Caroline Photography.

fall under $100

Call me crazy, but I feel myself pulling ever so slightly away from button down shirts. Perhaps it's that I now work for myself, or it could be that I now think of this past summer as a sartorial revolution for me. Or I could cut the crap and say that I'm just sick of them. Whatever the reason, when I was sourcing pieces for this morning's post, I found myself silently vetoing plaid button downs. You see a lot of them here and I appreciate that maybe you may not share in my enthusiasm. But a drapey blouse. It's like giving a heroin addict methadone. Okay that's a terribly inappropriate analogy, but do you see what I mean? It's a nice go between. Ever flattering, not quite a button down, but a nice departure for me. Bonus! Every item in this moodboard is under $100. Have at it, friends!

top // denim // bag // boots

My dream is for this outfit to be paired with this incredibly cozy coat. What say you? Are you loving this as much as I am? You could easily swap out the jeans for a pair of trousers to make this corporate appropriate attire.

Friends! Do not forget to enter the giveaway! I'll be announcing the winner this Friday!!

xoxo,

and all that plaid

Two Saturdays ago, during the uber inspirational Monarch Workshop, my friend crush Victoria and I snuck away during a break and had a super mini photoshoot. You know when you just vibe with someone? The instant I heard the click of her shutter, I was all "Mmm hmm! This feels right." Mini though it was, we had a blast. Check it out...

plaid shirt as jacket // jeans // tee // shoes, similar here // bracelet

You know that phrase, "the clothes make the man"? Well, I think the accessories make the outfit. And I know I say this all the time, but I'm just wearing black jeans and a black tee! Could be boring, but it's not, thanks to my ridiculous sequined plaid jacket.

What's your favorite accessory that makes every outfit better?

xoxo,

all photos via Victoria Gloria.

i've got the blues

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 //

Who else is positively sick of this weather!? It just makes me kinda bummed! That Walter Baker jacket up top sure put a smile on my face, however. Sometimes, when the weather is like this, I just want to throw on sweats and not care what I look like. I do find, though, that dressing the opposite of how you feel usually has a blissful effect on one's mood. I'm going to try it today...check out my Instagram and see what I come up with!

(PS- What do you all think about my mood board?! I'm loving using photoshop for the blog - it just makes everything look cleaner, and proposals for clients (!!) are going to be a snap.)

xoxo

my go-to summer outfit

Morning, friends! Welcome to our new digs! Court and I have been slowly but surely working ourselves up to a makeover for a couple months now, and it's finally coming together! Still a few things to work out, but we're on the way! Hope you like it... If you live in New York, you got smacked in the face with full on summer this weekend. As always, I was grossly unprepared. I can't tan, so I'm never as excited for summer as you guys. But if I was, say, really excited and really prepared…these are the things I would put in my closet and never. take. off. all summer long:

1. The Perfect Tee

If you haven't invested in a comfy, looks good with everything tee, I highly suggest that be put on the docket this summer. In fall and winter, we have all this time to layer our outfit, so it's okay to experiment a little more. In summer, especially in NY, the fewer articles of clothing, the better…so you gotta get it right. I've mentioned before that my favorite is this one by Alexander Wang, but you can't go wrong with J. Crew, as well as Everlane. Bonus points for stripes.

2. Cutoffs

Please don't go out and buy something like this. I mean, do, if you have the dough, but also just try something for me. Go to your closet now and find a pair of jeans that you never wear. Everyone has them, and I know you've been putting off getting rid of them. Check it out:

I brought these ripped capris to Spain in 2006 when I spent a summer abroad. That trip was not a good example of any sartorial prowess that I might possess. In any case, many Spanish people laughed at my pants (why would she cut holes in her pants on purpose…stupid American), and I tend to agree with them. I once wore these capris with Prada loafers…just…not a good look.

Here they are today:

I made these babies into cut offs years ago and I constantly get compliments. So get cuttin', friends. By the way, I took this picture in line at Starbucks yesterday, but if you follow us on Instagram @littleredswell, there's a better shot.

3. Birkenstocks

Growing up, my sister was in high school during the Birkenstock craze, when boys would wear them with white hats and tie dyed tees… and we used to make fun of them! Now, they've been all I could think about. I mentioned to someone I know that I wanted to purchase them, and the response was, "NO! They're lesbian shoes!" So naturally I bought them, and have been wearing them on repeat (peat peat peat peat). YOU CAN'T PIGEON HOLE ME, NARROW MINDED BIRKENSTOCK HATER! I got mine from ASOS for $93, (DSW has them for $89 but they were sold out in my size), and here are a few other covetable styles: one, two, three.

So, what do you guys think? What's your summer go-to outfit?

all photos are my own.