baggage

nope, i'm not going anywhere exciting but if i were this is probably how i'd start packing.

american apparel skirt and tshirt, thrifted white denim jacket, nine west shoes, amazing american tourister suitcase, various shoes.

inspiration- other bloggers

a year before jessie and i started rara.avis i was already following at least fifteen different fashion blogs. it was, and always will be, so inspirational for me to see how other fashion bloggers wear, style, and reinvent their every day clothing to suit their personalities and moods.

only a few months ago though did i get around to creating a "things to try" folder on my desktop. currently it is filled with pictures of some of my favorite bloggers whose outfits and style I covet. hopefully they won't mind if I share some images with you...

this first look is from melissa over at sex and coffee. i have these same socks and have been meaning to try this combination of black, gray, and green forever.

i have an orange skirt almost just like jane's from sea of shoes which i've been wanting to try with an athletic sweater.

the_kitten over at picked pics wears these men's pants perfectly. i need to buy a pair like this.

lulu of chictopia fame has put together mustard, black, and white so well. can i turn my mustard colored socks into such a good look i wonder?

i've been following louise since her first apperance on the sartorialist when she was captured wearing those great gray socks and green shoes. This picture motivated me to buy my first tube of red lipstick as well as wear my grandfather's pocket watch as a necklace.

if only every morning could be like this

good coffee, a good magazine and an oversized, comfy boy's cardigan. there is nothing better. in fact, i wish that my morning was going like this right now...






(cardigan: kristin's bf's...i stole it from the closet! tank: h&m, jeans: h&m trend, shoes: chinese laundry)

no skeletons in this closet

one of my favorite things about my apartment is my walk-in-closet. in nyc, where space is at a premium, it's a rarity to find so much room given away to clothing storage. it's a luxury that i try never to take for granted. sometimes i even just go in for a few seconds, close the door behind me, and smile.

and that's just half of the shoe and bag storage... there's much more below.

one by one...

this is one of my favorite fall jackets. i wear it constantly once the weather cools off. i've had it for years and it is perfect with jeans, skirts and dresses. can't beat that.







(jacket: i've had it so long, i have no idea, striped tank: f21, black skinny jeans: uniqlo, shoes: chinese laundry)

I see london, I see france

my hands down favorite show of london fashion week was easily charles anastase. his collection balanced the girlie, the geeky, and the tough with such amazing perfection that my heart aches for almost every look. it probably also doesn't hurt that he's combined three of my favorite things; killer shoes, dorky glasses, and hot lingerie. stay on the lookout for some shots of me trying this first look out. just as soon as I find the perfect see through skirt-slip...


images from style.com

devi kroell

i know NYFW is long gone, but i decided this week that i wanted to try and do a quick recap. then i realized that there is no such thing as a quick recap. so instead, i wanted to share my favorite collection from fashion week. there was a ton of great clothing and a lot of inspiring things, but only one collection had my full attention and awe from start to finish: devi kroell

i am in love with the structure and shapes in this collection. so so beautiful and i wish i could own every single piece of it. a girl can dream, right?

variations on a theme

occasionally i get stuck on certain color combinations and find myself wearing variations on the same color themes for days at a time. in the beginning of spring it was blue, black, and gray which lasted for what seemed like almost a month. a week back it was red, white, and blue which is so painfully prevalent here, but thankfully, didn't last half as long.





grandmother's jacket, jcrew tank, parasuco jeans, nine west shoes

bags, bags, everywhere

i am not really big on accessories, but i must admit that i do love bags. after a few years of carrying extremely large bags (carry-on luggage size) that caused more than a few bewildered glances from boyfriends, i have finally embraced the small(er) bag. in fact, i replaced my large bag obsession with a fondness for clutches. progress, right?

here are a few of my current faves.

dress you up

after wearing dresses non-stop for the past four months I can honestly say I'm sick and tired of them. however, when i open my closet door i can't help but run my fingers over this one (as i alternately frown in dismay at the rest). the pleats are so crisp and the gathering at the waist is complete perfection.

te casan shoes, grandmother's dress, jessie's oversized envelope clutch

inspiration-kate lanphear

now that fashion week is officially over, i think it is fitting to pay homage to one of my favorite style icons. kate lanphear (senior fashion editor, elle magazine) has always been someone who has inspired me-she is so effortlessly cool all the time. i love her casual and chic basics...she's such a bad ass.

parallel lines

this jacket is another of our thrifting finds. i think it was originally a dress but something about the texture, stripes, and color made be get it with the idea of outerwear in mind.

vintage dress-as-jacket, h&m dress-as-shirt, parasuco jeans (good for girls who need 34+ inseam and they don't shrink in length!), forever21 belt, aldo shoes