{ block party }

{ block party }

{ karen walker sunnies, kelly framel necklace, nümph sweater courtesy of modcloth, stella mccartney corset, dedegumo watch, coach classic duffle, banana republic socks, alexander wang shoes (best seen HERE) }

had a pretty spectacular week, but man am i ready for the weekend! slouchy dresses are my jam for the next few days.

{ grazia }

{ grazia }

i'm currently writing to you from milan, where i am honored to be a guest of grazia magazine for fashion week. before coming over, they asked me to shoot a story and share a few words for their website on the topic of grace ('grazia' is the italian word for this). it's a trait i certainly aspire to exude, albeit one i don't always achieve. anyway, in case you don't speak italian (me neither!), i've included excerpts from the piece i wrote below:



{ karen walker sunnies, primary blouse and skirt, forever21 cropped cami, gifted corello bag, alexander wang shoes }

GRACE. Grace is a virtue that’s far-too-infrequently celebrated these days. It’s not about stature or prominence or even glamour. Grace is elegance. It is deference and authority in equal measure. It is good manners, it is kindness and it is a sense of propriety.

But grace is not stuffy. It is being comfortable in one’s own skin, while conscientiously allowing others to feel equally at ease around you. In fashion, this means dressing in a way that is appropriate to your lifestyle and surroundings. That is, embracing your age (at any age!) by combining femininity with a dose of mystery, plus a necessary nod to functionality.



{ nine west sunnies, club monaco jacket, kelly framel necklace, vintage dress (last seen HERE), corello belt, yves saint laurent shoes }

Happily, graceful is the perfect word to describe this season’s long-skirted look. Full and pleated, or languidly bias-cut, it matters not. Either way, the look is simultaneously timeless and contemporary. It harkens back to the silhouettes of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, but can be paired just as easily with a utility jacket and wedges as a trench coat and pumps. Modern mid-length skirts can veer fairly formal or incredibly casual – this is not a 1950’s sort of femininity. It’s current in that it’s comfortable and it’s elegant because it works in nearly any situation. You’ll rarely feel under-dressed...



{ juicy couture sunnies, halston heritage trench, meg dress, gifted corello belt, marni clutch, lamb shoes }

please CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article and see many more pictures of these looks on grazia.it. then, CLICK HERE to check out my up-to-the-minute updates from milano!!

{ party time }

{ party time }

can you feel it? fashion week is nearly upon us!! ready or not, it's kicking off this wednesday, september 7th, when i'll be speaking at lucky's FABB conference (will you be there?).

the following evening, for fashion's night out (thursday, september 8th), you're all invited to join me (plus a few friends, like leandra and natalie) at 7pm at coach's 595 madison avenue location, to celebrate the relaunch of their classic duffle bag:


{ karen walker sunnies, vintage boy's jacket (also seen HERE), hi-line t-shirt, bird by juicy couture linen shorts (recently seen HERE), coach classics bag (last seen HERE), chan luu bracelet, michael kors watch, alexander wang shoes }

a little after 8, i hope you'll all head towards soho with me, for a dress-up soiree at the mackage store at 123 mercer street. i'll be hanging about and doling out styling advice. and my friend and photog jeremy james will be on hand to document the whole thing ~ so pop by and pose for him, won't you?!



{ lanvin for h+m sunnies, gifted mackage blazer, vintage beaded dress, gifted coach classics bag (last seen HERE) and brian atwood shoes }

mark you calendars! thursday night: first coach, then mackage. i can't wait to see you!!

{ plaids }

{ plaids }

{ karen walker 'number one' sunnies, gifted l.a.m.b. top, vintage moschino skirt (recently seen HERE / the plaid is created from rows of type!), anya hindmarch clutch, alexander wang shoes }



as my hair gets a teensy bit longer, i've been alternating between tighter, twenties-ish curls (as seen yesterday) and this looser, more natural wave (also worn on monday). it's the same process, but this time around i'm curling bigger sections at a time and using much less hairspray. love having another option! i can't wait till i can break into braids and buns and center parts and such. this is a whole new frontier of girlhood for me!!

{ another great day }

{ another great day }

{ karen walker sunnies, fit dress, dedegumo watch + leather wrap bracelet, juicy couture tiger's eye studded cuff, gifted corello bag and shoes // photos taken outside the hotel unique ~ if you're ever in sao paulo i highly recommend it! }

i'm writing this post from the airport lounge, sad to be on my way out of sao paulo. i had such a wonderful trip! so many lovely experiences got packed into a few short days, and i am determined to be back again soon. speaking of packing, i was forced to acquire a second suitcase after looting the city's supply of bags, dresses, and shoes. my lovely hosts made sure i only stepped foot into brazilian boutiques, and as a result i was thrilled to discover a surplus of new-to-me talent. each piece will remind me of this wonderful week with every wear!
---
in other news, i'm excited to announce that we have a winner in the primary giveaway. click here to find out if it's you!!

{ from afar }

{ from afar }

{ karen walker sunnies, gifted tigresse dress + corello belt and bag, alexander wang shoes }

just checking in quickly from sao paulo, where i'm shooting the spring 2012 campaign for corello, a famed brazilian brand (they made the belt and bag i'm wearing today). i'm having such a great time with new and old friends, including carolina (who wore this same tigresse dress yesterday ~ we're loving the designers here!). i will have many more pictures to share soon; until then, thank you bia for helping me capture today's costumery!!

{ summertime } and the livin's easy

{ summertime } and the livin's easy

{ karen walker sunnies, helmut lang jacket (seen with the same shorts HERE), banana republic heritage vest (last seen HERE), kelly framel tangerine tiki necklace & hot pink skull necklace, ya tank courtesy of modcloth, alexander wang shorts, christian louboutin shoes, bag courtesy of coach }

my favorite days are when i feel at once comfortable and chic ~ so i'm really loving all my easy summer separates. something's just clicking this season! speaking of, i finally took these shorts to the cleaners, and it was embarrassingly hard to do. if i can't go a week without them in my wardrobe, how did i ever survive before?! #creatureofhabit

---
PS: who's planning to come out to juicy couture for tomorrow's party? i hope i get to meet a lot of you there!! i've got a cute outfit picked out and everything.

{ everything }

{ everything }

{ karen walker sunnies, kelly framel elephant necklace, helmut lang blazer (it's nearly identical to THIS ONE, but in linen!), maddy ...k blouse courtesy of modcloth (favorite thing ever from them?), chan luu wrap bracelet, alexander wang shorts and shoes, rebecca minkoff clutch }

do you think it would be acceptable for me to wear this outfit every day for the rest of my life? because it's already been three times this week. it's essentially the summerized version of THIS ONE, but even more comfortable. #seriousfave

{ glamourai giveaway } how does $500 sound?

{ glamourai giveaway } how does $500 sound?

since announcing my guest editorship over at beso, i've only added (and added!) to my favorites list. beso is honestly one of my most-frequented shopping spots, and 'favoriting' is such an easy trick for keeping track of all the things i want online.

to get you one step closer to whatever you're currently coveting, beso and i are teaming up to give away a $500 credit towards your favorite things. to enter to win, all you have to do is:

1. create a beso account, if you haven't already (it takes 3 seconds and is a fun and addictive way to stalk all the things you want/need/love).
2. browse the site and 'favorite' (click on the gray heart next to any product and watch it light up) at least 10 items; you can even favorite your most-loved shops by clicking here.
3. then, leave me a comment with your beso username, so i can check out your faves and also alert you if (when!) you win.

pictured in this post are three of my most-favorite 'favorites' ~ karen walker sunnies (does anyone do it better than her?!), work-with-anything alexander wang shoes (totally bought em, totally love em), and cool thakoon shorts that offer a nice alternative to the chevron pair i constantly wear. you can view my complete collection HERE or HERE.

{ an american girl }

{ an american girl }

{ karen walker sunnies, neiman marcus cashmere sweater, vintage natori tunic, rue de.... jeans, dolce vita shoes }

wishing my fellow americans a fun & safe memorial day weekend, with this unintentionally (but fortuitously) patriotic costumery. i'll be spending the next few days helping my baby sister move to new york city. i couldn't be more excited about anything else in the whole world!!

{ grannystyle }

{ grannystyle }

{ karen walker sunnies, f21 vest, vintage beetle brooches, vintage studio ferre belt, reworked vintage dress (last seen LONG AGO), balenciaga bermudas (also worn HERE), kelly framel ocean jasper meridian ring, juicy couture cuff, kristin embossed croc satchel courtesy of coach, vintage prada pumps }

{ party in the back }

{ party in the back }

just as we attempted to shoot a few photos, humongous, menacing, unexpected raindrops suddenly appeared (as evidenced by my shirt). immediately running for cover was the only option, so it was lucky that my intrepid photographer managed to snap the beautiful back of this blouse as i fled for safety.
{ karen walker sunnies, vintage earrings, blouse courtesy of portmans, gifted juicy couture sailor shorts & cuff, vintage gucci bag, prada pumps }