Frocking Around Town

Everyone has something they can't get enough of in their closets. White blouses (guilty), nude heels (guilty), and spring dresses (especially guilty). With designers mixing neons, pastels, bright patterns, and romantic fabrics, there are more than enough trends to keep your closet happy and new.

The right dress has the ability to make you feel immensely glamorous, breezy, and perfect in a matter of seconds (or however long it takes you to put it on). But different occasions call for different ratios of flirt vs. minimal, bright vs. simple, and don't even get me started on the connotations behind different hemlines. Below are five picks for the various warm-weather, oh-do-I-accidentally-look-amazing situations you find yourself in as the temperatures rise. Personally, I need the dual-toned maxi like I need oxygen, and nothing beats lace for adding romance. The white open-shouldered Amador dress is ideal for a daytime jaunt, and the secret garden dress will have everyone staring. Plus, when it's warmer we get to call dresses 'frocks', yet another reason to stock up now.

You can find direct links to purchase on the Fashionably Tactless pinterest board Summer 2013 Survival Kit. Check back for more items you can't possibly live without for another month, like lip tint, Clinique CC cream, Warby Parkers, and sparkly pens. You know, the bare necessities. 

Seven Little Luxuries

With as much as I love putting together perfect spring wish list ensembles online, it's the little things that get me-

1. Pantone iPhone case in Yellow - Remember when you were a kid and the only way you could stomach a trip to Home Depot with your Dad was by stocking up on paint chips? Wait, I think I still have that problem.

2. 'Wear Sequins to Breakfast' Pencils - Inspirational quotes like these are really useful to have at your desk, especially when they are completely realistic and within reach.

3. Seahorse Salt Cellar - Honestly, I have absolutely no need for a salt cellar, especially one that costs seventy-five bucks. But seriously - can you imagine having this thing on your table? Anything you cook would automatically be considered gold.

4. Looking Up Pillow - If we can't travel somewhere european and incredibly romantic this summer, we can at least drink wine and stare at this pillow long enough till we're almost there.

5. Every Little Password Book - This handmade treasure from Mr.Boddington's Studio is just so incredibly chic and beautiful, I'm pretty sure when you collect your passwords in this you become an immensely important person.

6. Butter London Nail Lacquer in Poole - The cool, trendy hue gives skin an instantly warmer look, and Butter's bottles always make hands feel more expensive.

7. Magnifying Glass Necklace - Little charms are an adornment one can never have too much of. Plus, you can totally pretend this is a monocle when no one is looking.

For item links, visit the pinterest board here.

Spring Look : Grey + White + Gold

 

Had a chance to catch up with Raleigh Static this past week on a sunny afternoon. Even with all the bright, eclectic patterns taking over trends this season,  I'm still obsessed with combining light neutrals; grays, creams, and whites are everyone's friend, and they're even better together. 

 

 

 

 

 

I was wearing:

Shoes by Aldo

Bag from ModCloth

Top from Francesca's

Necklace from HT Jewelry

Ampersand stacking ring from CatBirdNYC
photos by Raleigh Static

The Jumpsuit Power Play

There are certain style staples that have seen their surges and downslides in the trend-driven wardrobes, but keep their timeless edge, bringing it with even more force every time they get another fifteen minutes in the spotlight. But as far as that go-to we all should have in our closet when we need to be reminded what can happen when we walk down the street with confidence, the jumpsuit power play this spring is becoming an entity all on it's own.

photo via harpersbazaar.com

Not only did it give Twiggy a little pep in her step, but David Bowie, Elvis, and even astronauts have experienced the power that a one piece, sleeveless suit made of just the proper skin clinging fabric can have on our moods. Seen this season with a fresh look from Jason Wu, Donna Karan Gray, and more, the jumpsuit is at yet another fashion peek, y'all.  DVF's Kawena Jumpsuit in the two patterns seen below have been breaking my heart at the beginning of the month, every month, when I still don't have an extra $450 to invest in an instant 'damn, I look good', moment. But we can at least use them as inspiration, right? If Elvis can do it, anyone can. 

Neil Young, Hair-Resort Spray, and Beaded Skirts

This month, all things celestial, charming, and adorned have been on my mind. Maybe it's because I can't stop listening to Neil Young's Harvest, or maybe it's because River Basin Outfitters and I are planning a shoot inspired by things occult, astrological, and generally awesome. Also, since Catbird introduced those stacking necklaces, my accessory-driven heart stopped. Whatever the reason behind it, the five products below and a background track of 'Old Man' have me feeling ready for Spring. 

Oscar De La Renta and Marchesa both showed romantic, chic beading in their Spring 2013 collections. An all-over beaded jumpsuit may be too much for day-to-day wear (and kind of hard to sit down in without being clouded by worry), but a beaded mini can be dressed up or down, and looks incredible with soft blouses, another big trend for this season. 

Lace and tulle have always been a feminine favorite of mine, and lady-like favorites hit the runway again hard this Spring. Ports 1961 mastered the, "Yeah- I totally had this sleeveless tennis sweater on my floor, and I just, like, layered it on over a pleated chiffon and lace slip because I'm hungover and it accidentally looks amazing," play with their take on the trend, and I'm dying to try recreating it over this peachy panel dress below. 

The only piece left to make it look like your Spring wardrobe is already complete (and it's only March)

is an amazing trip to see your favorite stylist at her new salon. Especially when she (Angela Goldman, hair extraordinaire & general life advisor) introduces you to Kevin Murphy styling products. 

An Early Spring Shakedown

I decided last week I was done wearing coats for the rest of the year- I'm too sick of winter, of layering, of cold, of the inability to wear my absolute favorite shirt (racer-back, acid-wash tank top, so worn it's simply threads at this point), and of how cold it is ALL THE TIME.

I'm ready for bloody marys, cucumber gin cocktails, chiffon maxis, worn out tank tops, and weather over seventy degrees on a regular basis.

Obviously, because I haven't been wearing a coat, I've been really cold, because it's kind of still winter out there. I know this isn't an advisable way to protest the elements, but it's making me feel empowered, so I'm going with it. We can still add touches of spring to our winter wardrobes now, tiding us over until the weather stops being so indecisive and moody, without sacrificing our warmth. My favorite ways of waking up from the cold-months of hibernation are pops of color, neutral-toned head-to-toe outfits, and layering over summer favorites. Here are some top picks to get you (and I) inspired as we step towards spring:

I'm obsessed with the pattern on those pointed slippers- they're the perfect compliment to wearing neutral and pastel tones, and add style immediately upon wearing.

One of the best spring transition accessories is a light neutral bag to go with everything, especially with the bright prints that are rampant this season.

Hopefully these will keep me calm until the warmer times ahead- either way, I'm sure by July I'll be so sick of the humidity I may readily contemplate moving to an iceberg.

Ideas Are Not Digital - Rainy Day Love Affair with Melvin Sokolsky

Today, with a seeping, gray sky outside my window, I figured the best bet I was going to have all day at true inspiration would be a very specific combination of caffeine and grilled cheese with raspberry preserves. Then, this pocket of gold popped up on my browser while searching through 1960s travel photography:

This collection of photographs was shot by Melvin Sokolsky for Harper Bazaar's "Bubble" Spring Collection in 1963. Apparently, the plexiglass and aircraft aluminum bubble was carted around Paris and suspended from a crane, with invisible tethers suspending it in mid-air. The model, Simone D'Aillencourt, is an icon of sixties fashion, and I'd imagine got a chance to say something like this to her friends before the shoot:

"Sorry, I won't be able to grace you with my presence at lunch tomorrow. Mel's about to put me in a glass bubble and float me around town like some image of a perfect woman shot down from outer space."

Or, at least I would have. 

The images are stunning- the orb truly appears to be floating in middair, and her look of intent and disregard of people around her in the outside world makes you wonder where she's steering her ship to end up. 

Also, can we talk about the balancing act of those heels while standing on a curved foundation? Her calf muscles were probably solid rocks after this. 

The vision and construction necessary to create something like this before digital effects were possible is obvious, but it also truly builds another world to be photographed, holding witness to an artist creating a temporary different dimension than what is familiar. 

Looking at the world this way was inspired by a recurring dream Sokolsky had of floating in a bubble over exotic locales, so forgive me if that's all I do for the rest of the day. 

photos courtesy of www.sokolsky.com