There is much to love about a fitted
cropped jacket, whether it's a blazer, or made from leather, or cut from denim. It's such a perfect addition to a summer-y dress, or even just a
loose-fitting t-shirt or
blouse, because it makes the whole outfit look put-together, but relaxed and cool, too.
I own a classic
Levi's version that I love, but I'm coveting this
motorcycle style in a light peroxide wash. What do you guys think? Is it worth $98? Meanwhile, check out
Need Supply's gigantic sale selection—they just marked much of it down another 25%.
Charlotte Ronson's adorable capsule collection for JCPenney, 'I
Heart Ronson,' is somehow, miraculously, on clearance—which means that the already great prices are even better. I'm snapping up this ikat
print top (marked down to $14.99!)—I love how quiet and subdued it is, despite the relatively bright color palette. I would wear it like the model (unbuttoned, wrapped, and tucked in), or even tied over a dress. And this nearly pegged-leg
pair of jeans (also $14.99!) are so crisp, which is exactly what I want now that it's legitimately hot and muggy. As a bonus, the mega retailer finally opened a Manhattan outpost, which is only eight blocks from the office, down in
Herald Square. Now I can go and shop the label over lunch!
I love to accessorize—to a sometimes comical effect—and so I generally try to tone down the colors in my clothing to mitigate the bananas-ness going on elsewhere. Nobody wants to look like a clown, right? Meanwhile, since I've primarily been working an all
grey, black, and white palette this summer, I think I can pull off these nicely affordable cuffs ($20!) from
Alltherageonline. I love the beads on these stretchy,
elastic bracelets best, though this
other one is really pretty, too.
I've spent the last few days up in Maine, where it has more or less rained incessantly. Like waterproof boots, a sturdy raincoat is something I just haven't pulled the trigger on, despite the fact that I've needed one for years. This is because I don't want a version from a fashion-y brand, yet so many Gore-tex options are just plain ugly. Fortunately, I'm near Portland, and thus near Freeport—home to
L.L. Bean, which is sort of the perfect rainy day destination. I'm not sure how many of you have visited
this flagship, but I wasn't exactly expecting to encounter a store the size of a small village. Despite its intimidating depth, it's really fun inside, complete with taxidermy, boxes of saltwater taffy, and all the outerwear and camping gear you could ever want. I ultimately settled on this
bright yellow rain jacket from the men's department (the women's coats were a little too short in the sleeves and boxy in the body) in a size small. It seemed appropriately Paddington Bear-ish. Everything at "Bean" has a lifetime guarantee, too, which means that this is the only rain jacket I plan on ever buying. If any of you guys are heading up to the outlets at Freeport, make sure to check-out the brand new outpost for
Seabags—the full range seemed to be represented inside (it opened so recently that they're still installing the fixtures).
For me, it's
H&M (I always stop by for some layering t-shirts and
walk out with multiple bags of things that don't fit in my already-packed closet). And also, maybe surprisingly,
The Container Store. I cannot wind my way through its maze of aisles without buying at least four storage solutions—not only am I convinced that by maximizing my closets I can add hundreds of square feet to my apartment, but I just love
canvas bins, and
paper drawers with all my heart.
Organizing to me, is what
packing is to Shop Girl,
Emily Hsieh. Fortunately, The Container Store is having a huge sale, which extends to the brilliantly space-saving,
Lucky-favorite,
huggable hangers.
I have a major soft spot for Clu t-shirt dresses—I have five, in fact,
and buy them whenever I stumble across them on sale. (That said, I'm tempted to pay full-price for
this one.) They're super easy to style, perfect for packing (many are cut from wrinkle-free materials, or are intentionally rumpled), and excessively comfortable—three qualities that this very nicely-priced Mossimo
t-shirt dress from Target also shares. I love the blouson shape and the elastic waistband—I would leave it as is, or throw on a big vintage belt—and it wins big points for the fact that it can go either super-casual or quasi-fancy. Definitely a no-brainer wardrobe addition (it's also available in black and red, though I'm partial to this royal blue).
For me, it's that I don't own
rain boots. Every time it pours, as it is this morning here in New York, I sure do wish I owned a pair, but when I encounter them in stores (Which is with alarming frequency:
Hunter Wellies are now showing up at cash wraps at the rate of the ever-ubiquitous Hanky Panky thong!), I can never motivate to buy a pair, even though I know I'll use them all the time. What sort of mental block is this? Why am I so lazy about something that is a total necessity (and cute, to boot!)? What's your major shopping stumbling block? On a related note, I love these nicely priced ($48) equestrian-style
rain boots from Urban Outfitters. Perhaps they'll inspire me to finally pull the trigger.
To my mind, a shirt that is both subtly sexy and comfortable is somewhat of a boon when it's time to get dressed to go out at night. Like most people, I want to be able to eat whatever I want at dinner with impunity and not have to worry about sucking my stomach in! Normally, anything empire-waisted with some good draping qualifies, though if one isn't in the mood to show a lot of cleavage, I think this Forever 21 tank is an even
better pick. All the tiered drapes make it look pretty dressy—so all it requires is some cigarette-leg
jeans,
heels, and one piece of
statement jewelry. Also, it's cut long, which makes for a body-lengthening silhouette—always a good thing.
Robin, our beloved publicist, sent me a link to
this video,
which I've now watched six times in a row. Not only is it desperately making me want to visit the Kuroshio Sea at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan (it's so overwhelmingly gigantic that it holds FOUR whale sharks), but it's making me want to get in the ocean, stat—with a
waterproof case for my Flip video camera, naturally. And for this trip to the beach, I'd like to pack this
Michael Michael Kors top, which is now only $30. I love its oversized
tie-dyed stripes (an office obsession, clearly), and it's the sort of piece that's easy to throw on with anything, from shorts for day, to white jeans for night.
I've been vaguely on the search for a canvas, satchel-type bag for years now. But they're always way over-priced (like in the multiple hundreds of dollars), which just doesn't make sense considering that they're not even leather. I think the search is over, though, because my heart is set on this version by
Ally Capellino—it's priced in pounds (35.23 to be extremely precise), and will need to be shipped to me care of the Tate Modern in
London, but I still think it's worth it. It looks elegant, durable, and fuss-free. And since I'm already splurging on shipping, I think I might add this
gradient tote by graphic designer Cristian Zuzunaga, too. It would definitely make shopping for groceries more fun. And while I'm at it, I love these
rainbow plates and
lace-patterned mugs.
There is much to love about a fitted cropped jacket, whether it's a blazer, or made from leather, or cut from denim. It's such a perfect addition to a summer-y dress, or even just a loose-fitting t-shirt or blouse, because it makes the whole outfit look put-together, but relaxed and cool, too. I own a classic Levi's version that I love, but I'm coveting this motorcycle style in a light peroxide wash. What do you guys think? Is it worth $98? Meanwhile, check out Need Supply's gigantic sale selection—they just marked much of it down another 25%.
