{ reliably styleable }

{ reliably styleable }

today, i present (a bit bittersweetly) my fourth and final costume, as inspired by my partnership with ralph lauren and the big pony collection scents. over the course of this collaboration, i've channeled sporty, seductive, adventurous ~ and today's motivation is stylishness!

now, labeling one's own outfit as being stylish can feel unnervingly presumptuous, so i decided to stick simply with those things i consider to be stalwarts of my own personal style. i always feel at ease in: bow-tie blouses, subtly textured layers, slim-fit, collarless jackets, slouchily tailored trousers, and classic gold pumps:

this collaboration's finishing scent-spiration, as i mentioned in THIS POST, is the collection's most abstracted. it mixes energizing hits of kyarawood and mandarin ~ essences i attempted to recall in the colors of this ensemble (ie: woody taupes met with saffron pops)!



while the ensemble itself felt inherently my style, i loved stumbling across this flag-mural garage art ~ as it seemed so rightly ralph lauren! it felt like an appropriate location from which to conclude the collision of our visions.

{ vintage yves saint laurent sunnies, gifted hare+hart leather trench (also seen HERE), borrowed ralph lauren cashmere cardigan and printed pussy-bow blouse, michael kors watch, prada pants, vintage clutch, miu miu bird brooch, manolo blahnik pumps }

if you'd like to win your own bottle of this stylish scent, please leave a comment below, letting me know what you consider to be your own style standbys. and please give a congratulatory clap to hilaryinspired*, who is the lucky winner** of scent number three!

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by the by, if you haven't already, please be sure to check out my GIFT GUIDE FOR GUYS, which was inspired by this and the other three big pony collection colognes!

*hilary, please email me your shipping information so i can send you your prize!!
** once again, i use random.org to pick contest winners ~ i can't bear to choose myself! xoK

{ wrappin n' happenin }

{ wrappin n' happenin }

when i was growing up, my mom used to attend an annual 'wrappin n' happenin' party ~ wherein friends would convene with wine, wrapping paper, and ribbons. they'd gab and wrap til every last prezzie was beautifully boxed. i always thought it was such a cute idea, and certainly could have used such an occasion prior to this weekend, when i realized too late that the paper i'd bought for a friend's gift was not spotted silver (as i'd assumed in the store), but spotted cellophane instead!

minutes before rushing out the door for her soirée, i attempted to improvise by lining the package with white tissue. still, even with the help of tons of tape (and lots of licks from a well-intentioned puppy), the end result was a dizzying mess. ah well, at least my erin fetherston dress was elegantly wrapped, with its pretty bow tied to perfection!

{ kelly framel pleated leather earrings, nina wrap dress courtesy of erin fetherston (lots more photos on HER BLOG!), kenzo for wolford lace tights }

in keeping with the season's perfectly-imperfect theme, i had a few friends over friday night to help decorate my vintage tinsel tree. every one of my loved ones brought an ornament or memento to add ~ and i couldn't be more excited by the results!! it's packed with playing cards, pine cones, feather boas, glitzy garlands, and a million memories. i think i've finally founded my own annual holiday happenin!

{ cool cat }

{ cool cat }

this weekend: wear, wear, re-wear. { versace sunnies, kelly framel earrings (NEW!), h+m scarf, zara leopard coat & snakeskin blouse, michael kors watch, vintage ring, gifted kate spade broome street jeans, pour la victoire boots }

{ ghost stories }

{ ghost stories }

{ tom ford sunnies, leather trench (in above pic) courtesy of hare+hart, topshop earrings, kelly framel pearl spiderlily ring, bird by juicy couture vest, edith dress courtesy of erin fetherston (many more photos on HER BLOG!), h+m tights, coach boots, OPI's got the blues for red nail polish }

whenever i wear erin fetherston's frocks, i feel like i've fallen into a fairytale ~ and i love how this particular piece seems more deeply indebted to the brothers grimm than to disney-like lore. even its name ~ the edith dress ~ calls to mind edith wharton (writer of many a supernaturalist ghost story), while its spider-web stripes recall lydia deets, beloved beetlejuice babe. paired with this creepy-crawly-cozy vest, methinks i'm ready to hit up the holiday parties with old jacob marley on my arm!! joyeux noël noir...

{ scout's honor }

{ scout's honor }

you may recall that, this holiday season, i'm periodically coordinating my costumery with each of the four big pony collection scents, as part of a collaboration with ralph lauren. you've already seen sporty and seductive, and today is all about adventure ~ glamorous girl scout style!!

in support of that theme, i accessorized this trench-coat/cape/caftan hybrid with a "bird-watching merit badge" and canvas camp-style belt.

as we started shooting these photos, snow flurries began to fall. against the bright white backdrop, i felt as if i were foraging through an urban tundra.

with that cold air all around me, the woody cologne felt enveloping and warm ~ like the after-glow of an evening fire.

{ lanvin for h+m sunnies, rachel rachel roy ear cuff, borrowed ralph lauren dress, lanvin brooch, f21 belt, gifted coach bag, no-name boots from 14th street }

if you'd like to win this sizzling scent for yourself, leave a comment below letting me know what adventure means to you ~ in style or otherwise (incidentally, i'm pleased to announce that sauvage* is the winner** of scent number two)! bonne chance to everyone on this current go-round!!

*sauvage, please email me your shipping information so i can send you your prize!!
** i use random.org to pick contest winners ~ i can't bear to choose myself! xoK

{ home sweet home }

{ home sweet home }

i spent the weekend on a spur-of-the-moment trip to miami, soaking in some sun and tons of inspiration via art basel. as amazing as the trip was, it was equally wonderful to return home to the cozy embrace of my nyc nest. see the whole thing today over on apartment therapy!!

{ a hudson holiday }

{ a hudson holiday }

this holiday season, i teamed up with hudson jeans to gift one reader with all four of my favorite denim styles. over the last couple of weeks, many of you voted on which you'd most like to see me wear as a holiday look ~ and each vote became a chance to win!

today, i'm pleased to announce that the signature bootcut in black ice won the popular vote...




{ vintage ysl sunnies, reworked vintage jacket, elizabeth+james top, vintage clutch, hudson jeans, dolce+gabbana shoes }

...and that marieta* will be the recipient of every one of the styles in my hudson shop-in-shop!! congratulations to our lucky lady** ~ and thank you to everyone who got involved!

*marieta, please email me your shipping information so i can send you your prize!!
** i use random.org to pick contest winners ~ i can't bear to choose myself! xoK

{ bunny } canine catnip & art aficionado

{ bunny } canine catnip & art aficionado

on tuesday, one of my favorite design sites came in to shoot some snaps of the apartment. i'm excited to share the results with you all next week ~ but in the meantime, how about a little outtake featuring BUNNY?!

this teeny-tiny pup of mine was recently attacked by a much bigger cat. when i mentioned it on twitter, we were overwhelmed by the sweet outpouring of well-wishes. thank you for all your kind words ~ she's a much-loved dog! things got a bit dicey, but i'm happy to report that she's healing rapidly and well (yet funnily unamused by yesterday's kitty-print shirt / i may have to shelve that one for a while).

{ now you see it }

{ now you see it }

{ lanvin for h+m sunnies, trompe l'oeil jacket courtesy of erin fetherston (more photos on HER BLOG!), cat-print blouse courtesy of modcloth, michael kors watch, f21 neoprene clutch, alice+olivia harem pants, lanvin for h+m shoes }

feeling a sort of super-future, softly techno vibe with this sparkly, scuba-ready laptop-case-turned-clutch, trippy trompe l'oeil jacket and jersey jam pants. this is the sort of ensemble that could have gone really relaxed, but for a few key accessories and a razor-sharp blazer. and i couldn't resist the subtle pun in pairing this kitty print blouse with leopard spotted shoes. hear me rawrrr.