style philosophy: wear it three ways

We all know how this time of year goes: one day we wake up, it's 55, we get a huuuuge boner for Spring, and next thing we know we're running through our favorite store scooping up anything that exposes our limbs faster than you can say "pollen count." Along with add ons and base dressing (these are terms that I believe I made up), I am a whole hearted believer in wearability of every piece in your arsenal.

We've talked about it time and time again, but you have to stop, drop and think when you're considering adding something to your wardrobe this Spring (and any season, for that matter). One of my favorite mental tests is to imagine three outfits with the piece in question. This is an easy feat when you're buying purported classic pieces (white tees, jeans, blazers, etc), but it's a bit more difficult when you're holding a standalone piece. Let's walk through this together.

The piece in question is:

 Milly Tank, $154

Dope, right? Yet specific. The inclination is to take this home, make a complete outfit, and then leave it at that and never wear it with anything else. Trust me, I do it, too. "I'm not sure how to wear this" is one of the prime reasons that clothing is taking up precious real estate in your closet. Do not let it happen! Follow the three way (hehe) rule.

// pants // shoes (25% off with code SPRING25) // necklace // belt //

Look 1: date night / girls night / etc: Pair the shirt with jeans and strappy sandals. Tuck it into jeans and wrap yourself in a brown belt ; this adds intrigue and interest. Finish off with a long pendant. Enjoy!

// skirt // shoes // blazer //

Look 2: Work wear. Challenge yourself here. Grab your favorite blazer and that printed skirt that you only wear with a black button down and make something happen. Clogs are not out. Please buy these.

// bag // shoes // pants //

Look 3: Just because it's Saturday AM, doesn't mean you can't look FTD. These sandals are the 2015 Birkenstock (lofty proclamation but I'm going for it). You can never have too many fancy sweats and you absolutely need a bucket bag, no matter the size.

<drops the mic>

Any questions?

xoxo,

get the look: emma stone

 

I love celebrity culture. Way back when US weekly was the only way I could get my gossip fix, I used to devour the magazine every Friday while eating with my best friend Kennedy in the student union (this was after I took a 3 hour nap...every Friday). My favorite part of the magazine was always the paparazzi shots of the celebrities - I would scrutinize what they were wearing, then I would go back to my room and obsessively google until I found the makings of their outfit.

I wish I could say that I'm different now - but truthfully, I garner much of my sartorial inspiration from what's around me, and I spend a lot of time reading up on pop culture news, so there you have it. I am not ashamed!

Especially because I can bring you a sweet ass mood board on this dreary but balmy day. If you've been reading LRW for any period of time, you know how much I love Emma Stone. She's consistently a favorite for me on the red carpet, and when I saw her tooling around in the outfit above, I knew I wanted to recreate it.

// top // pants // jacket (love this too) // glasses // bag // shoes //

Is that not the IDEAL spring / summer outfit?

xoxo,

style dictionary: espadrille

Hi, friends! It's been a while since I did a style dictionary post, and I'll be honest here, mostly because I could never think of what to write about. But! Some lovely lady who took my survey mentioned that she missed these! And my babies get what my babies want. As I was brainstorming yesterday, I realized that maybe I don't need to seek out terms that no one (read: most people) don't know - maybe I just need to highlight things that in all likelihood, you've heard of, and give a good background on the term and why it's cool / matters.

So with that in mind, let's talk Spring and Summer's biggest shoe trend: the espadrille! If you attended the talk I did at The Brass Owl last month, Nicole and I raved about its perfection.

What it is: a light canvas shoe with a plaited fiber sole. You know what else it is? The perfect Spring/Summer shoe for the NYC gal, and a timeless pair of shoes that will never go out of style.

No, really. Espadrilles have been around since the 14th century (according to my friend wikipedia), and became the shoe choice of Salvidor Dali. Most are made in Spain, though nowadays you see high end retailers like Chanel producing couture versions. I bought the pair above at the oldest espadrille shop in Barcelona - I wish I had a picture, it was absolutely glorious.

If you don't have plans to hop on a plane to Spain anytime soon, here are a few affordable, super sweet espadrilles to add to your wardrobe this Spring:

// two tone // laces out // metallic // ballet //  slingback //

Yum! See you lovelies tomorrow!

xoxo,

how to: dress for success

Good morning! Sorry for the radio silence yesterday - that sickness was no joke. I'm already feeling much better as I type this up, and it got me to thinking: we all have those days where, for whatever reason, we feel awful. We're sick, we're sad, we're in a fight with a loved one, we got some bad news, work stress, it's raining, whatever. The temptation to put on whatever outfit is semi-clean and in front of your face is palpable. This is what I did Tuesday before my bug really started to kick in, and it didn't do me any favors. I've had a long standing philosophy that you should dress the opposite of how you feel - it truly works like a charm. If you're in need of a pick me up today, here's how to dress for success:

1. Eye cream: This is so key! When I have a sleepless night (or back when I had a shitty ex who made me cry a lot), I wake up with pillows under my eyes. Even my eyelids get really puffy. A great eye cream is key to de-puff and start fresh; I use Tata Harper's and I cannot recommend it enough. My friend taught me a great tip: keep your eye cream in the fridge. The cool application feels incredible and is instantly energizing.

2. Make-up: Sure, you can argue that make-up is sexist and unnecessary and silly and I won't argue with you. For me personally, however, I've always loved make-up, so it always makes me feel good to put on my face. To really brighten up my visage, I've been using this contour palette. I love the highlighter, which I swipe down my nose and across my hairline. Maybe you're not into make-up though, and that's fine, too! Treat yourself to a luxurious lotion application, your favorite perfume, or a new-to-you chapstick.

3. Bright colors: This is kind of obvious, I suppose, but it has to be mentioned. I wear a lot of black and blue, so it's great to pull out my favorite yellow sweater when I'm feeling less than chipper. You can't go wrong with these happy flats for Spring, either.

4. The back of your closet: Maybe you're in a bad mood because you have "nothing to wear." I've mentioned this before - really look at your wardrobe. Don't just sort through what's right in front of you (in my case, that means whatever's hanging at the end of the bed) - really have a look at what you've got. For me, that's a way to remember that I've got this chipper shirt to work with - day is instantly better.

5. Successorize: Last and never least. Do not discount the wonders that tiny studs can do. Just like you really looked at your closet - really look at your accessories. Layer some necklaces, create a thick bracelet stack, or just put on some earrings for a change.

What do you guys think? For me, this isn't about fashion or beauty at all, it's about acknowledging that you're worth a little TLC every day, especially when you're not feeling your best. And with that, I hope you have a lovely Thursday!

xoxo,

5 affordable spring accessories (and how to wear them)

I kind of feel like I left you guys hanging yesterday - it was a bit of a stream of consciousness post, and though I wholeheartedly stand by it, I want to give you guys some juice to work with. I've said time and time again that dressing yourself is about the add ons - that you could wear a plain white tee and jeans 7 days a week and never look the same. In thinking about dressing for Spring (whose warm sun will be coming any day now...), I came up with 5 lovely accessories for you to add to your closet, and how to wear them:

// sunglasses // tee // reversible necklace // scarf // mini bag // shoes // jeans //

1. Invest in an atypical pair of lenses (round, colored or mirrored lenses, frameless) and wear with everything. Let them do the talking; after you take them off, tuck them into your shirt collar to avoid having to wear a necklace.

2. Speaking of necklaces, buy a versatile long necklace to layer with your favorite dainty pendant (or sunglasses!). The long silhouette takes the guesswork out of what to pair it with - it goes with every neckline!

3. Buy a gauzy, neutral scarf. Tie it to the strap of your bag, then loop around the neck three times when you need some extra warmth.

4. Mini bags are a great way to layer color into an outfit without having to commit. Wisely invest - think about wearability, size, and durability. If it's real leather, you may be able to sell at the end of the season. If it's tiny, it's a great day trip or going out piece.

5. Close-toed shoes are worth their weight in gold for this time of year. The pair above can be worn with cute stocking socks or not, and is a great warm weather but forgot-to-get-a-pedicure option.

Looking back at this list, I realize that I haven't added any of these items into my wardrobe for this year - time to shop?

xoxo,