I have been on a major black and white kick lately. All my latest clothing purchases have been black or white. Maybe a little gray here and there. Some people might find it boring, but head-to-toe black and white just feels so effortlessly cool. A loose-fit white button down and a pair of black skinnies has been my go-to outfit. If I feel like a pop of color, I’ll throw on a pair of colorful flats or switch to a bright purse.
While I was in New York last month, I saw the Birkenstock trend in full force. Everyone wearing them looked so cool. Birkenstocks have been on and off my wish list for the last couple years, but I didn’t want to fall into the trap of buying an ‘it’ item too late. At the height of my ‘need it’ phase, I texted Grace from New York asking for advice. I was standing in the SoHo Bloomingdales looking crazed with a floor sample of the Birkenstock Arizona sandal in one hand, my phone in the other hand, and a coffee in the crook of my arm. Grace was on the fence, telling me the styling can easily go from chic to crunchy (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in San Francisco). True. I ended up walking out of the store empty-handed. Yet again, I needed to think about it.
But yesterday, it happened. I finally caved and ordered a pair. A lot of people may tag this as part of the ugly 90s fashion revival, but it doesn’t matter. I like them and that’s what matters.
Last month, Madewell posted about an Instagram contest on their blog. Just snap a picture of your fall essentials and tag it with #WildlySimple. Wildly simple, indeed.
Here are the items I can’t live without this season:
What are your fall essentials?
1 TopShop / 2 Zara / 3 J.Crew / 4 Zara / 5 Barbour / 6 Mackage
I’ve been eagerly awaiting fall, and today we experienced the first rain in months in San Francisco. Fall doesn’t officially start until tomorrow, but I loved the early chance to break out a rain coat on my way to pick up breakfast treats this morning at Arizmendi. I have my eye on basic and neutral outerwear that can easily be thrown over any outfit. I might even open up my wallet to finally get a Barbour jacket I’ve been wanting for some time.
Happy Friday dear readers! This weekend I’m planning to get out of the house while it is still warm to explore some more of my SOMA neighborhood– grabbing margaritas at Tres Tequila Lounge, and waking up early for the SF Flower Mart . I’m also excited to put in some work around the apartment over the next couple days– cleaning and donating (the not fun stuff), and then lighting a new candle, buying some lamps for my living room, and maybe even getting a little tree for my small apartment. To fuel all that cleaning, I’m looking forward to trying to make my own cold-brewed coffee tonight so I can enjoy it tomorrow, as well as this amazing looking grilled potato and arugula salad. Can you say yum!?
With all the summer sales going on, I’m also making it a mission to go through my closet and make a list of some fall staples I’ll be needing in the coming months. This outfit made me realize I need a brown suede motorcycle jacket asap (similar here), as well as a timeless bucket bag and goop-approved ring for good measure. I’m also eying these black boots, since I practically lived in my one pair of Cole Haan riding boots last winter, and that 35% off is pretty hard to resist!
Hope you are all enjoying summer– I can’t believe we are already halfway through July!
After a bit of gloomy weather earlier this week, summer is now in full swing and I’m ready to fill my closet with more crisp whites, breezy linens, and bright florals. I was sick in bed yesterday and used the down time to online shop. I was enamored by J. Crew’s current set of Looks We Love — a recurring feature on their site. The muted, yet impactful, color palette was what first caught my attention. Every look was so stunningly effortless, I had to refrain from buying the whole summer collection. Above are my favorite looks from the set. What are yours?
images via J. Crew
I fell in love with the sweatshirt (below) on Pinterest, and after some searching around I found out it was one of the pieces from Madewell’s Fall ’13 collection. I love the pairing of more feminine pieces– silk tanks, cardigans, and striped skirts– with masculine staples like bomber jackets, baseball hats, and classic checkerboard Vans. Although I’m glad that the weather right now is too warm to wear these outfits, I’m definitely looking forward to having these pieces in stores in a couple months!
credit: Yu Tsai via Fast Company
Jenna Lyons. She’s the current President and Creative Director at J. Crew…and my current style inspiration/obsession. She’s been credited with pulling J. Crew out of its slump and redefining the brand, now a tastemaker and formidable player in the fashion industry. It’s no wonder she was recently named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, 2013. Lyons is the new J. Crew – her personal style is the effortless perfection of geek chic and feminine tomboy.
Many of her delightfully unexpected outfits have combined structured and relaxed pieces, like a crisp, feminine blazer with ripped boyfriend jeans and bright pumps. I love the pairing of sequin pants and an easy striped tee below. And check out that shoe collection!
credit: Rebecca Greenfield via Elle Decor
Even her interior styling in both her J. Crew office and home is something to envy.
credit: Matt Furman via Fast Company
via Curbed
Her eclectic style is undoubtedly, yet subtly feminine. She has definitely inspired my own style and I’ve found myself wondering “What would Jenna Lyons do?” when thinking about outfits or decor. What do you think of Jenna Lyons’ style?
We’re back! It was a great weekend in Orange County, filled with friends, food, a beautiful wedding (more on that later!) and a crazy heatwave. On Sunday as Eric and I were leaving Southern California, we stopped by one of our favorite novelty food stands, Bruxie, to indulge in one of their awesome waffle sandwiches (their roasted mushroom, goat cheese, and sun dried tomato sandwich is seriously good). Although the food was amazing as always, I couldn’t help but be jealous of the women wearing dresses to beat the heat– I had on pants in preparation for the chilly SF weather and felt like I was melting.
Fast forward to this morning, when this dress by Graham and Spencer appeared in my Pinterest feed via Mrs. French. It ticks all the boxes for a perfect summer staple: lightweight cotton with a modern tie-dye pattern, sleeves to protect you from the sun as well as overly air-conditioned rooms, and beautiful lace detailing to soften the structured shirt dress shape. I can also envision wearing this as a tunic, belted over some white jeans and metallic sandals (I love these from Kate Spade, and these from Ancient Greek).
After my first brush with summer this weekend, I am definitely keeping an eye out for more warm weather staples as the new season’s collections are being rolled out. Have you put any other dresses on your wishlist for summer?
image via.
J.Crew, Madewell, and vintage necklaces and bangles
Picking an outfit in the morning sometimes seems like such a chore, so my go-to outfit has always been jeans and a simple top. To keep things interesting, I like to pair a basic outfit with bright and sparkly accessories. It’s the easiest way for me to feel chic and put together with very little effort.
J. Crew has always been a favorite spot to pick up statement necklaces with both classic and modern designs. Their spring line of jewelry is full of pastel lucites and candy colored crystals – perfect additions to neutral tops.
Images via
Dressed In Orange 