What to Wear: Fashion's Night Out 2012

Hold on to your Ray-Bans--Fashion's Night Out is celebrating its fourth year and kicking off New York Fashion Week this Thursday, September 6th. This crazy mixup of celebs and the fashion obsessed (I saw Pharrell and almost got knocked down by Kanye and his security last year) is set to take over the city once again, proving that even the chic are capable of forming mobs. First night out? Scout your locations early, otherwise you'll probably end up wandering through Soho wondering where everyone else got the free champagne.

Other than catching a glimpse of the Biebs (you've been warned), bragging rights will be given to those stylish enough to stand out in a sea of fashion and culture. Street-style photogs will be out in full force, and the world should know how stylish you are. Need some help? Try one of these notice-me ensembles on for size!

True warriors will need comfy footwear, like a chic flat, to tackle as many events as possible. Bonus! You'll also be more stable after a few sips of bubbly:

Scotch & Soda printed shirt, $45 / Oasis faux leather pants, $64 / Topshop dip-dyed denim jacket, $100 /  Zara studded slipper, $50 / GoJane triangle pendant necklace, $12 / Windsor skull wrap bracelet, $11

Oh, me? I'm part of the designer's entourage, can't you tell?

H&M sleeveless shirt, $24 / Oasis mini skirt, $57 / Ava Adorn chain wrap bracelet, $20 / C.Wonder elephant bangle, $48 /  Tory Burch crossbody bag, $365 / Perry platform boots  

Too cool for FNO, but still want to check out the festivities? Look like you accidentally wandered here while looking so darn chic:

Skip n Whistle Cat Sweatshirt, $27 / H&M boyfriend jeans, $24 / Dune wedge heels, $125 / ASOS studded bracelets, $26 / Butter London in 'Union Jack Black', $14

Lucky you! You've got an invite to an exclusive party:

Mango sheer top, $50 / Bqueen bandage skirt, $59 (was $99) / Alexis Bittar ring, $88 (was $175) / Betsey Johnson neon clutch, $82 (was $98) / NARS lip gloss in 'Wonder', $24 / Sam Edelman ankle booties, $144 (was $290)

Anyone plan to participate in Fashion's Night Out this year? Have you gone in the past?

Turn on the Brights!

Wal G striped dress, $60, Xena stackable rings, $115, Longchamp travel tote bag, $125, Miso bib necklace, $24, Zara platform sandals, $100

Spring is fast approaching and I am love, love, loving the bright colors coming with it. After a few neutral-dominating seasons, my senses have fully welcomed all things pink, yellow, tangerine and mint. This nautical striped dress is a solid base to incorporate the bright bag and shoes, with cream and gold jewelry to keep the look from going full-blown Technicolor.

I think Kate Spade would approve, don't you?

Speaking of awesome Kates, be sure to say hey to my friend Kate at her new blog, Cilantro and Spice, where she chronicles her adventures in food, music and life in NYC!

Valentine's Rebellion

Pardon my absence, but I've been a busy little bee these days. Allow me to make it up to you with a little V-day magic:

Jane Norman sheer blouse, $30, Emilio Pucci skirt, $368 (was $1,150), Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Rose Exuberante, $26, Lulu Guinness black clutch, $750, House of Harlow 1960 gold chain necklace, $73 (was $143), Alexis Bittar cuff bangle, $425, Christian Louboutin high heels, $775

Inspired (a little bit) by Leslie Knope's Parks and Rec "Gal-entine's Day," this hubba-hubba getup is for those who don't give an ish about Cupid. But I will say, you can e-mail me your thanks if you don't go home alone.. ifyaknowwhatimean.

Anyone have a great date planned this evening? I'm currently sans-man, but perusing Brooklyn bars with a few friends and glass or two of pinot noir sounds downright romantic to me!

Careerwoman

Hello ladies and gents! Sorry for the accidental mini-vacay, I've had a whirlwind past few days. Highlights: attended the first taping for Anderson Cooper's brand new daytime talk show, landed and started a (very, very) short-term temp position at a publishing house and spent an entire day drinking for a friend's biergarten birthday. This past week=winning.

However, today was definitely one of those days where you could find me standing in front of my closet for hours, pondering the dreaded first-day-of-work outfit. I landed on a simple printed sheath dress, but in my dream land, I kind of wish I could have worn this:

Dorothy Perkins boatneck top, $25 / Jason Wu cascade skirt, $765 / Butter nailpolish in 'Pink Ribbon', $14 / House of Harlow 1960 cuff, $229 / Zara bowling bag, $26 / Tory Burch booties, $395

Granted, you can get away with a lot of clothing options in a creative environment, so perhaps this isn't for everyone's workplace. I love the fact that the outfit itself is fairly understated, but the killer shoes and major cuff give this ensemble its kick (though I personally would be 6'3 in those Tory Burch beauties). And it should be noted that I have crazy love for nude nails lately.

Also note: I don't give a damn about matching my shoes and bag. Yes, I said it!

What I Wish I Were Wearing

Daytrip faux fur coat, $49 / Jen Kao beaded tank, $225 / Citizens of Humanity skinny jeans, $180 / Rebecca Minkoff MAC, $295 / House of Harlow 1960 tassel earrings, $75 / Tory Burch booties, $395

Maybe it's the constant fear of melting into the New York City sidewalks, but I'm beyond ready for this heatwave to end. In fact, between semi-blacking out and chugging gallons of water all week, I'm just itching to go into reverse hibernation until fall arrives.

I wouldn't wish winter on anybody, but late fall? That's my kind of temperature. Boot weather, come find me!

Am I crazy? What do you wish you could wear right now?

Rollercoaster Diva

Rebel Yell shirt, $69 / 3.1 Phillip Lim cotton shorts, $113 / Full Tilt sunglasses, $8 / House of Harlow 1960 bracelet, $80 / Jennifer Zeuner initial necklace, $144 / House of Harlow 1960 sandals, $149

Cedar Point, here I come! Time for a day of sun, rollercoasters and thrill rides.

Luckily, I grew up only an hour away from America's Roller Coast, so in my many summers of experience dangling from steel tracks, I've picked up these tips to dress like a true ride warrior:

• Stay away from huge necklaces or earrings that are going to hit you in the face at 93MPH.
• Wear comfortable, breathable shoes! The little heel on these HoH sandals should help provide more support than cheap rubber flip flops.
• Bring a change of clothes if you plan to go on water rides. Or wear clothes that won't cling and take forever to dry (like jean shorts). These 3.1 Phillip Lim shorts are made of cotton!
• Don't forget the sunscreen..
• Simply rock a cute bangle, just because I effin' love accessories.

Any other tips to add? What is your favorite amusement/theme park?

Inspired by: Liz of Late Afternoon

Liz of Late Afternoon, image via her blog

I've really been into utility shirts lately (if you follow me on Twitter, you'd know I just scored two vintage Dior blouses for $20 each!), and when I saw Liz's version, I just had to re-create it. I adore the revealing yet non-scandalous bralet, which is a perfect subtle-sexy balance.

Even if you aren't as daring as Liz, the shirts below are sheer enough to wear buttoned-up and still give the right amount of attention to the less-often admired.

Reiss silk utility shirt, $150 / Miso floral bralet, $40 / Current/Elliott skinny jeans, $272 / Zara leather heels, $50 / Kenneth Jay Lane chunky necklace, $150

Unif utility shirt, $66 / TopShop tie-dye bralet, $14 / Hydraulic shorts, $28 / Minnetonka moccasins, $50 / American Retro river hat, $99

Madewell utility shirt, $110 / Topshop sunflower bralet, $40 / Jovonna maxi skirt, $104 / Sam Edelman lace-up wedges, $193 / American Rag braided belt, $100

What do you think? Would you give any of these looks a try? If not, I'd love to hear how you would style it!

A Highly Patriotic July 4th

Eva Franco poppy dress, $245 at Modcloth.com / Sperry Topsider wedges, $90 / Charlotte Russe floppy hat, $13 / Butter London nail polish in Hen Party, $14 at zappos.com / Straw Studios summer handbag, $36 at Lori's Shoes


Do you take dressing for the Fourth of July to the extremes? Not exactly "wearing an American flag as a toga" extreme, but if you love to rock the red, white and blue while eating Sloppy Joes and lighting fireworks, consider a slightly subtle approach, like this one.

Also--has anyone else gotten into nude nails? I'm such a fan for summer! I think they would be especially polished and beautiful with this look. I'm currently rocking "III" by China Glaze, which I will document for you all the next time I paint my nails.. because my 3am manicure just isn't cutting it right now, haha.

Date Night: Stargazing

What I am about to say is going to forever incriminate me as incredibly nerdy: I love stargazing. Not checking out celebrities, and not looking at the sky and simply noticing its beauty. I'm that girl that trips on the cracks in the sidewalk at night because she's too busy looking up and trying to teach her friends how to find North by guidance of Polaris and, depending on the season*, helping them find their Zodiac's constellation.

Yeah, that kind of nerd. I'm also a romantic, and have yet to go on a stargazing date! Can you imagine teaching your significant other (or learning together!) how to spot Orion** in the middle of an open field? This is what I would wear:

Leifsdottir mini dress, $350 at Leifsdottier / boyfriend jacket, $49 at H&M / DV by Dolce Vita sandal, $60 at Nordstrom / oversized clutch, $65 at Topshop / star bracelet, $10 at Topshop / Deborah Lippmann 'Lady Sings The Blues' nailpolish, $18 at Barneys

Would you wear this, or do you have other ideas for a romantic viewing of the cosmos?

*Not because I'm a jerk and don't want to find constellations when it's cold out, but because the stars above us in winter at midnight are not the same stars above us in the summer at midnight because of the Earth's rotation around its axis and its rotation around the sun--GAHH I've gone nerdy on you. Told you this post would be mind-blowing!

**If you're curious, Orion is fairly easy to spot because he is made of several of the brightest stars. Even in New York, I can find him!

Little Monster Style

I will take on any excuse to dress in extremes. On Halloween, I ran around NYC as Beyonce's "Honey B" from the "Telephone" video. However, that is just one of the many reasons I am ridiculously excited to see Lady Gaga kick off the Good Morning America Summer Concert series this Friday in Central Park! I would love, love to wear this:

galaxy sequin dress, $72 at French Connection / Alexander Wang extreme cat-eye sunglasses, $325 at ShopFatal.com / Jeffrey Campbell wedge ankle bootie, $155 at SoleStruck.com / Pamela Love tribal jewelry, $750 at Barneys / / MAC x Lady Gaga Viva Glam lipstick

While Gaga can get away with running around sans pants, I plan to avoid that route and rock a few extra layers of fabric on Friday. Also, since it's outside, non-wedge heels (sinking into grass) and leather are not an option. Not that I own much leather-oriented clothing (or heels, for that 5'11 matter). And for jewelry: if it isn't dangerous, it isn't Gaga.

How to Rock a Rainy Day

Wash away boring rainy-day vibes with this rock-inspired outfit.

Marc Jacobs Lola 3.4 oz Eau De Parfum, $88 at Sephora / cheetah-print top, $25 at H&M / skull-print umbrella, $18 at Sourpuss Clothing / rain boots, $189 at Madewell / J Brand skinny jeans, $176 at Barney's / suede clutch, $100 at Topshop

Anchors Aweigh

Have a boating trip on the horizon? If you do, consider this colorful cruise-inspired combo.

tote bag, $12 at Hayden Harnett / polka dot bikini, $16 (top) at Old Navy / cotton shorts, $12 at H&M / canvas deck shoes, $45 at Topshop / Nixon Time Teller watch, $91 at my-wardrobe.com / Bond No. 9 New York Hamptons, $220 at Saks Fifth Ave

Pretty as a Picnic

Believe it or not, New York has tons of beautiful parks, and I'm lucky enough to live just a few blocks away from the biggest in Brooklyn. And at some snow-covered point this winter, I, a bit stir-crazy, became obsessed with picnics. Probably because Mother Nature was telling me I couldn't have one. No one likes being told what they can and can not do, right?

Well guess what, it's picnic time. Take that, Mother effin' Nature.

wanderlust dress, $68 at Madewell / Miu Miu platform gladiator sandals, $386 at Bluefly.com / ostrich-print scarf, $36 at Topshop / Marc Jacobs 'Daisy' Eau de Toilette, $75 at Nordstrom

Side note--picnic baskets can get pretty expensive! Hm. Who knew?

Also, sorry, Mother Nature. But you were really mean this year.

Running away to Tahiti

Nothing would please me more than if my wonderful boyfriend dropped two tickets to Tahiti in my lap tomorrow. I can imagine I'd wear something like this, in addition to the frosty umbrella drink that would be finding its way to my hand, stat.

jersey tee, $75 at Calypso St Barth / cut-off shorts, $50 at Abercrombie / Black Poppy canvas sandals, $23 at Pacsun / Magid retro handbag, $33 at endless.com / retro sunglasses, $89 at jackwills.com / SPF 50 sunblock, $10 at neutrogena.com / beaded woven wrap bracelet, $7 at Aeropostale

Don't get me wrong, Brooklyn is gorgeous right now.. but it doesn't look like this.

I'm coming for you, Tahiti.