outfits

Winter into spring transitional outfit

 in General Fashion  tagged banana republic / bcbg / givenchy / kendra scott / milly / nyfw outfits / outfits / saint laurent / spring 2015 / winter 2015 by

nyfw street style outfitnyfw street style handbag jewelrywinter into spring outfit 2015saint laurent handbag springPictured: Winter look at NYFW: Coat: Guess / Earrings: John Hardy / Lipstick: Chanel 94 Confident / Top: Banana Republic / Skirt: Milly / Handbag: Givenchy / Nail Polish: c/o Dolce & Gabbana Pearl Shimmer / Bracelets: c/o Kendra Scott cuff, tennis bracelet / Tights: Ann Taylor / Shoes: BCBG Runway

Spring look: Earrings: Bauble Bar / Lipstick: Chanel 93 Intime / Sunglasses: Prada / Top: Banana Republic / Necklace: Kendra Scott / Skirt: Milly / Bracelets: c/o Kendra Scott cuff, tennis bracelet / Nail Polish: Gucci Abyss / Handbag: Saint Laurent / Shoes: BCBG Runway

February and March are always confusing months for a wardrobe. One day it will be eighty degrees and perfect weather, the next next day it can drop down to sixty degrees and start to rain. Of course, since we have a drought in the San Francisco Bay Area, we are seeing more of those eighty degree, pool days rather than the cooler, rainy days. Oh how we wish for rain! But I digress. . .

Since the weather is transitioning from winter into spring, our wardrobe needs to be able to transition too. This is why I love skirts in thick fabrics which can easily be worn with tights on cool days, and bare legs on warmer days. This Milly skirt fits the transitional bill. It has a black band at the top, covered by my shirt-sorry about that, which allows it to be worn with black tights, and a black wool coat for cool days. On warmer days, the bright colors and the festive pattern work well for a spring look. Love that!

I wore this skirt at fashion week in early February when temperatures dropped below ten degrees. I have never been so cold in my life! Thankfully, this skirt is easy to layer and added a little bright color to the dreary days in New York. My friend Jenna snapped a few pictures of me inside the tents between shows because it was way too cold to take pictures outside. Plus, I wanted to have one last photo opp with the Mercedes Benz display. This was the last fashion week in New York they would be sponsoring so I needed a little souvenir. 😉

Now that the weather is starting to warm up, and it is officially spring, I look forward to wearing this skirt with less layers; and eventually short sleeves as we head towards summer!

Skirts are my favorite transitional pieces from winter into spring, what is your favorite way to transition between seasons?

Easy spring dressing

 in General Fashion  tagged outfits / spring 2015 / tory burch by

tory burch dress spring tory burch dress tory burch spring 2015

Pictured: Sunglasses: Prada / Earrings: Bauble Bar / Lipstick: Chanel 94 Confident / Dress: Tory Burch / Handbag: Chloe / Nail Polish: Gucci Abyss / Ring: The 2 Bandits / Shoes: Prada (old, also love SAVE or SPLURGE)

I originally purchased this dress to wear in New York for fashion week. When it was time to pack, I realized this dress was way too thin for the freezing temperatures I would encounter back east. This led me to leave the dress hanging in my closet, and my suitcase to hold thicker garments.

Now that it is March, the weather here in the San Francisco Bay Area has been hovering in the 70’s, and even low 80’s! This means I can pull out all my favorite spring clothing; as well as this dress! The fabric is thin and cool; despite the long sleeves. This makes the dress ideal for meetings, church, or any gathering where you need to look polished. Love that!

I also love how the pattern breaks up the stripes, so they do not make me look wider. Always a good thing 😉 Do you have a favorite dress for spring which is fast becoming your go-to item? Please share in the comments below!

1970’s vintage outfit for spring

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion  tagged 1970s / gap / mansur gavriel / outfits / spring 2015 / vintage styles by

1970s vintage outfit spring 2015 mansur gavriel mini bucket bag mansur gavriel mini drawstring bag prada sunglasses spring 2015

Pictured: Sunglasses: Prada / Earrings: c/o Twisted Silver (use code INSIDERS for 15% off) / Lipstick: Chanel 94 Confident / Blouse: vintage circa 1970’s, for current patchwork options, please see widget at bottom of this post / Jeans: Gap / Handbag: Mansur Gavriel / Ring: The 2 Bandits / Nail Polish: Gucci Abyss / Shoes: See by Chloe (past season, also love SAVE or SPLURGE)

After returning from New York Fashion Week, I have become infatuated with 1970’s style. Of course, this is the current “IT” decade when it comes to fashion in 2015. But after seeing the heavy 1970’s influence on the runways for fall, I have decided to try and twist my current wardrobe to reflect a retro, 1970’s vibe.

Since the 1970’s are of-the-moment, I decided to pull my Mom’s patchwork blouse out of my closet and start wearing it again. There is a little story behind this blouse. My Mom first purchased it from a little boutique in Strawberry, a sub-section of Mill Valley in Marin County, in the 1970’s. She used to wear this blouse often. I remember her wearing it with flare jeans, as well as tan suede culottes. She also paired it with a medium brown suede, a-line skirt, with buttons down the front. The skirt hit just at her knees. She usually did not wear the necktie with the blouse. She preferred the blouse neck-tie free. I, on the other hand, love the neck-tie!

I first “stole” this blouse out of her closet when I was in high school. She had not worn it in at least ten years, but loved it so much she held onto it. (I wish she kept that button front suede skirt! Grrrr) I loved the hippie vibe the blouse gave off, so my junior year of high school I snatched it from her closet and paired it with a pair of jeans. Back then, jeans were skinny and had zippers by the ankles. And yes, there was a triangle on my derriere. So very high school for us GenXers! The overall look was not exactly 1970’s, but in my sixteen-year-old mind, it was!

Since I drove myself to school that day, my Mom did not notice I was wearing her blouse. After school, I had swim practice and changed at the pool. The blouse went on a hanger which I hung in the backseat of my car. I came home from practice wearing sweats, so my Mom still had no idea I took her blouse and wore it that day. Oh my!

Fast forward a few weeks and my Mom noticed the blouse missing from her closet. How could she?! After all, she had not worn it in years! Alas, she went straight into my room and checked my closet. Of course, there it was! I was so scared of getting grounded for taking her treasured blouse, instead, she laughed! She was so happy I liked something which was hers, she told me I could keep it! Of course, I was reminded to ask next time 😉

So, ever since high school, this blouse has hung in my closet and I have worn it every-so-often. It came to college with me too! I am thrilled to be able to wear it this spring. I can’t wait to pair it with culottes, after I find the perfect pair, and a button down suede skirt, if I can find which doesn’t break the bank!

Do you have any special vintage pieces you treasure? Please share!

Patchwork options for spring (hot trend!)