High Waisted

MANSUR GAVRIEL mini bucket, MADEWELL jeans,  CARVEN collar, 

Off With Her Heard

CAMEO dress (c/o Adela Mei) (size S), ALL SAINTS jacket (size 4), CARVEN collar, VINCE corduroy leggings (size XS)

It's nice that it only took my mind months to figure out how to correctly articulate the runway trend of of wearing pants under dresses without completely feeling like one of those toddlers who choose to wear their entire mismatched closet at once. Although it's hard to tell from a photograph, the pants I'm wearing are a super-tight corduroy, which is a nice texture contrast to the dress's jacquard feeling material in real life —plus, it's much warmer than tights, you know in case you find yourself in San Francisco during our freaking summers. It took the right dress and the right cut to make it all click mentally. It turns out a voluminous drop waist like the one in this Cameo dress is a good way to balance out any sort of pant, as long as it is more slim fitted or simple than the volume up top.

My Ideal Holiday Party Outfit Is Heavily Inspired by Prada Spring 2014

KARLA SPETIC top  //  CARVEN skirt  //  SHAUNE LEANE  //  MARC JACOBS The 1984 bag (on sale)  //  VALENTINO Rockstud (on sale!)

Wear This Now: The Refined Bohemian

Shop it:  1.  ALEXANDER MCQUEEN  (also here and here)/  2. REPOSSI (similar here) /  3.  SAINT LAURENT (also here and here)    / 4.  JOSEPH   /  5.  CARVEN  /   6.  RAY BAN  

Apron Boots

The investment has been made: the long-lusted after Balenciaga apron boots arrived at my door, and like a mother caring for her kin, I took it in for some service at the shoe repair shop fresh out of the box. There was nothing wrong with them--the apron boots are pretty much as amazing as they look on tumblr--but caring for these shoes should start on day one. Here's what I mean; the boots are meticulously crafted with impeccable details, including a sparkly clean wooden sole with a light covering of black paint. This is a no no for walking around in the city since wearing off the sole means the first time you bring them in to get the soles re-surfaced it will be more like a reconstruction job. Do yourself and your wallet a favor, bring them in to a talented cobbler to put on a protective rubber sole. It'll run you about $45 and its totally worth a couple hours wait. If you're in San Francisco, I swear by the nice people at Shoe Wiz in the mall. They are speedy and get the job done right.

ZARA top, ZARA skort, BALENCIAGA apron boots, CARVEN collar, KATE SPADE ring

Long Jacket Theory: Do you even need pants?

I think not. Tights is what we'll need for this (should the weather get chilly or your legs are less than smooth). Love the Paul & Joe Sister jacket. It's a classic double-breasted shape, slightly exaggerated, in a beautiful gem colored green. It's just subtle enough to make black look a little too boring. The rest of the accessories are no brainers to me: The Lulu Frost for J. Crew earrings and the Stubbs & Wootten loafers have been on my wish list for months! Make sure you check out that Carven dress. The back of it is to die for!

1] Paul & Joe Sister jacket, 2] Lulu Frost for J. Crew earrings , 3] Selima Sun for J. Crew sunglasses, 4] Stubbs & Wootten loafers, 5] Carven dress

Carven

Photos by Nick Smith

Funny how a cheeky Carven collar can change a basic black outfit into something a little bit more interesting. The Everlane tote makes its debut, despite being a favorite of mine for the entire summer. Shop it here.

Styling Thakoon's Pretty Birds

Easy, sweet, and now, Thakoon's Spring 2013 is available for pre-order on Moda Operandi, but the rest of the items are available now: Oscar de la Renta polka-dot pencil skirt, J. Crew cashmere cardigan, Tory Burch green suede satchel, Carven bow pumps.

Feelin' Hella Versatile

What's the point in buying an expensive Proenza Schouler PS11 leather clutch, a pair of Carven sunglasses,  A.L.C. Brice leather pants, and killer Manolo Blahnik CC pumps  if you can't rework them in other combinations?

We've seen how it could look graphic, very Gwen Stefani, here, so now behold the softer approach to wearing all that black leather. The peplum top by Three Floor is light as air and beautiful with the dreamy combination of baby blue and nude. The nude inserts, however, are less sweet and more badass, which is appropriate since you're pretty much rocking leather in every other aspect here.

Feelin' Hella Good

A graphic outfit inspired by the one-and-only Gwen Stefani. Her style is impeccably consistent throughout the years, not to mention trendsetting. She eschews current trends for whatever the hell she wants to wear, and I am really into that. This makes her a style icon, in my opinion, and she'll always by my 90s, braces wearing, pink hair dyin',  "Don't Speak" angst queen. 

Shop the look:

Manning Cartel Dice Digits top, A.L.C. Brice leather pants, Manolo Blahnik CC pumps, Proenza Schouler PS11 leather clutch, Carven sunglasses

Carven's Chartreuse Pastoral School Girls

K.I.S.S.

Let's keep it simple. My palette is clean, and I in the mood for something that is equally minimal. Carven's silk printed top is amazing. I'm still not over hyper-realist prints and this particular one is so pleasing to the eye. The landscape brown is gorgeous and neutral, and it's only natural to layer the Carven top over a pair of Michael Michael Kors silk pants.

Silk pants, remember when we tried that? Pajama comfort, YES.  The accessories, I must admit, are a bit of dream items for me. The J. Crew Tillary tote is like a modified Céline boston bag and I need to have it. Unfortunately, it doesn't ship until May. So good luck with that one. The YSL Spring 2012 platform pumps are here because I am in love with them. They are available for pre-order if you choose to drop some serious cash on them. So, again, good luck with that one. And finally, to end on a high note, some completely attainable Eddie Borgo studs in turquoise.

Baroque Dressing: Fur, Embellishments, Feathers, Knits, Leather, and Intricately Printed Silk

net-a-porter

Rose Gold Dressing

Eddie Borgo rose gold-plated tassel necklace, $225

Eddie Borgo rose gold-plated cone bracelet, $425

Eddie Borgo rose gold-plated cone studs, $150

Reed Krakoff leather ballerina flats, $395

Carven boucle skirt, $395

Equipment Brett crepe de chine shirt, $210

I'm having an Eddie Borgo moment right now, and apparently it's just rose gold.

I typically don't wear much jewelry, but when I do I like it to be impactful and minimal. The hands full of rings? It's not really my thing, as they are completely impractical unless you don't intend to wash your hands...ever. But this Eddie Borgo collection on net-a-porter is enough to make me contemplate wearing multiple pieces like his ALL AT ONCE. Crazy, I know.

The rose gold works for me because it's pretty much a neutral color. It's not as flashy as gold, and not as dull shiney as silver. With an all-neutral outfit, the rose gold almost blends in, and the flashy over-accessorizing seems just right.

Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah! A Music Festival Inspired Outfit That's Actually Wearable for More Sober Times

The best part is that each of these items can be reworked and reworn in different combinations, all year round. So even though some of the items are pricey, they would definitely be considered wardrobe staples, not trendy items.

Cardigan Rodarte for Opening Ceremony, $345, LaGarçonne.com
Sunglasses Victoria Beckham, $525, net-a-porter.com

Shoes: Aldo Woven Leather Platform Sandals, $80, Aldo.com

Fabulous fringe bag: Meli Melo leather pouch, $495, net-a-porter.com

Oversized Shirt: Carven poplin tunic, $420, LaGarçonne.com

Necklace: Roseark House Cross Rose Gold Necklace, $565, roseark.com

Emma Watson Has Been Exhibiting Great Style Lately: Carven Collared Dress Under A Not-Available-Unless-You're-Emma-Watson Burberry Studded Trench, and

tfs, net-a-porter, saks.com

Shopping La Garçonne For Fall Outfits: Look #2

This second outfit is more feminine from the start, with a silk and flowy Proenza Schouler dress in a cool green-blue palette to set the tone, layered under a cozy Zucca shrug ($917). Because there's so much volume on the top, the legs would be in a black pair of opaque tights and accessorized by an equally cool pair of Carven stacked heel suede pumps ($598).

I'm a less-is-more type of person when it comes to jewelry or accessories, but for this outfit I definitely want to highlight the adorable 3.1 Phillip Lim "Edie" bow bag in black ($795), and a tiny pop of warm tone in the Aesa pyramid stud earrings ($189).

The best part about this outfit is the pieces can all be worn separately throughout the year, which is a must when you're talking about paying north of $900 bucks for a cardigan.

images courtesy of lagarconne.com