Itty Bitty Kiini

Just got this delivered to my office in SF And I'm currently waiting on a pink version. I think it's a complete understatement when I say that finding one of these right now is as hard as finding a Mansur Gavriel bucket bag. Kiini swimwear is just sold out everywhere. So after stalking the google terms "kiini" "swimwear" and "shop" I finally found one on Net-a-Porter and Anthropologie, which I promptly ordered in a large — the only size available. LOLZ. A large is probably going to be just fine for my bottom (which is pretty big), but the top? I will likely be swimming in it. Can I just rant for a moment on the stupidity of selling bikinis in sets where you have zero option to choose the top and bottom size? As If I am a one-size-fits-all doll.  It's insane to me that retailers haven't figured out the ability to do this. I suspect I will have to tailor the top. This won't be a problem since the Kiini literally has zero fasteners. Like none. The bikini relies solely on the stretchiness of the material to fit your body, which makes the entire process of deciding if it even fits super tough. If this sounds like an entire complain/rant post, it's not! I'm lucky to have one of these in my possession because I have a sea of black swimsuits and want something a little colorful for my upcoming trip to Turks and Caicos at the end of this month.

More updates to come.

NewbarK

All about the fancy pool slides, guys. I would post a litany of links right now with my handy dandy RewardStyle app, but I wouldn't actually support the concept of spending $300 on a pair of pool slides. Zara and J.Crew make much more economical options. FYI.

Because I love you.

Isabel Marant Pre-Fall Sounds Good Right Now

Somber Fiesta

Ph. Biby Pacheco

In real life, this ruffled top is a pretty mix of ocean blue with retro pink and yellow weaving hues swirling about it. It looks almost like a farmer's market shopping basket that Mexican women carry — which is part of the reason I absolutely loved this top the moment I saw it. I tried it on over whatever dress I was wearing, right then and there, no dressing room needed, and boom: it was beautifully proportioned ruffles that make anything you're wearing look like a fiesta. 

Color photos coming soon, duh, because this top is so beautiful in full living color (get it?!, like the show!). I just wanted to showcase the bright top in a quieter way, since my mom did such a beautiful job capturing the details.

"ONE OF KIND" ANTHROPOLOGIE top (I guess this means it's only available in limited quanities, in-store, and it's all handmade). 

In Which Sack Dresses Are My Summer Wardrobe

One of my favorite things about sack dresses is how absolutely enormous they are. They don't skim your skin, but instead balloon in places and create contrasting proportions. So when people mention that they are so unflattering, I'm like, "au contraire mon cheri" because the contrasting proportions are great for downplaying problem areas — like hips, or out of shape legs, or maybe a bloating belly from a Memorial Day Weekend at the pool with food and drinks.  Here's the thing though: if you're going to wear a sack dress, you have to be sexy somewhere else. That means show some skin, wear some heels, lipstick...something. Otherwise, it becomes too covered up to be flattering.

KAAREM dress (size small) also this one and this one, J. CREW denim jacket, MADEWELL sunglasses, J.CREW sandals (size 8, run small), NARS matte multiple lipstick/blush

Warm Weather Dressing For Work

I'd wear this to work in a heartbeat. A heartbeat, I tell you! 

EVERLANE sandals, APIECE APART dress

Zara Summer 2014

 Please excuse me as I hoard items into a shopping cart. New years resolutions, stay near me!

Wear This Now: Washed Out

 3.1 PHILLIP LIM sweater  /  RAG & BONE shorts  /  3.1 PHILLIP LIM bag  /  ZARA shoes  /  KATE SPADE SATURDAY sunnies

The 4th of July is fast approaching and all I want to wear is oversized knits by 3.1 Phllip Lim, boyfriend shorts by Rag & Bone, and top that off with black leather simple things. The round gold sunnies from Kate Spade Saturday remind me of my long lost pair of Karen Walker Von Trapps — I miss them so much! We'll see how they pan out when they arrive at my doorstep. Duh, pictures to come (or maybe even video?) 

Dot and Dash

Wearing: Kathleen Whitaker earrings (courtesy of Kathleen Whitaker), Minusey dress

It turns out that adding some angular gold earrings to a provincially frilly dress is a great way to add an unexpected twist an otherwise predictable lakeside outfit. I like to think of the dots and dashes like a minimal morse code, displaying a secret message on my ears, only known to me. I'm not well versed in the language, per say, but I'm pretty sure I was trying to make them say, "Hey earrings, why are so cool?"That's what I think about them anyway whenever I put them on anyway, so why not try to make them speak it? Shop them here!

Images by Nick Smith

Welcome to North Carolina

Wearing: Minusey dress, Karen Walker Number One sunglasses, Kathleen Whitaker earrings (courtesy of Kathleen Whitaker), Beauty: YSL lip gloss stain in #7 Coral Aquatic, YSL cream blush in #2 Powdery Rose, Anastasia brow pencil


It's only my second time in the Tarheel State, but this time around it felt so familiar. For one thing I got around to bringing the right amount of layers, which is not very many when you factor in the heat and humidity. My favorite accessories here are the AC in the car and the refillable water bottle by your side (recycling is not a big thing here...yet? Fingers crossed). I packed a suitcase of easy dresses, nothing too form fitting, and a variety of flats. Make up was simple: a little blush, neutral earthy colors for the eyes, and a little bit of lip gloss stain. Packing this light meant slipping into a whole new routine,  a whole new fast routine, one that surprisingly carried over to my life in the Bay Area; Less is more. Even my hair is 100% natural here, having forgotten my Bumble and Bumble products. Yes, there may be time for extravagance, and layers, and make up, and HD correcting powder (for real), but for the most part getting dolled up should be this simple. I get it now, North Carolina. I sincerely thank you for teaching this city girl, raised in LA and grown in Berkeley, a valuable lesson.

Photos by Nick Smith

Close Up: Kathleen Whitaker Jewelry

Photo by Nick Smith

This is one of my favorite photos from tomorrow's post featuring Kathleen Whitaker Jewelry. What I like best about wearing her jewelry is that they are minimal, depending on which specific stud you choose, they can be tiny (which I love) and mixed and matched easily. The wide variety of bars, studs, and gold leaf earrings available make filling up six vacant earring spaces more fun than it should be. This was shot in North Carolina, which turned out to be the ideal setting for her jewelry to shine. It's unavoidable, really, when you're in the midst of all that green little 14k gold creations have no other choice but to shine.  Check out Kathleen Whitaker's jewelry. Owners of ears with multiple piercings, like me, will not regret it.

Snapshots From North Carolina

Photos by Me + Nick Smith

Taking a break from regularly scheduled fashion programs to bring you a couple down-home snapshots from my trip to North Carolina. We're staying on the border of North and South Carolina, which means traveling to The Peach Tree to get some peach ice cream will cause you to cross the state lines so many times and bring up lessons in gerrymandering. It's strange to see everything so spread out here, but the abundance of green everywhere means every shot is so beautifully different to me. Definitely not the typical city fare. So excuse me while I indulge in sharing a couple of my favorite snapshots so far.

Behind the Scenes with Refinery29

Photos by Nick Smith

What's more fun than having a photo shoot done by Refinery29? Having a photo shoot within a photo shoot and assigning the wonderful task of taking candid-like shots to your fiancé. How Christopher Nolan of us. Hope you enjoy a peek at the constant adjusting, weird pouty faces, and inadvertent contortions it sometimes takes to make some pretty pictures.