Public School Chic

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

I just can't get enough of beautiful minimalism. Crisp white lines, carefully executed black separates, ingenious drapes and shapes, while staying true to it's timeless and unique nature, without being overtly trendy. Minimalist fashion is something I truly admire, over the past year I've even cleaned up my wardrobe to be much more bare. No loud colors or of the moment pieces, I've carefully curated my closet to be something more timeless, something I can continue to grow with and wear for the next five or ten years. It wasn't easy but I found inspiration from so many brands and designers to fully acknowledge what it means to have a "minimalist" fashion sense. That is exactly how I found out about Public School New York!

Floral Persuasion

Photos by Melissa Alam

You would never think that at one point in my life, I loathed floral patterns! I was very much a "tomboy" growing up, you wouldn't catch me dead in a flower print! Time has changed and I have welcomed the florals into my life. Nowadays, I cannot take off this fantastic Spring print, all thanks to my first Philadelphia Flower Show a few years ago. Change is good! Although, I did manage to channel my tomboy phase with the parka jacket over the dress. It was my way of making this very feminine silhouette into something very edgy! 

Dress: Club Monaco, jacket: H&M(Similar),  belt: Forever21, socks: American Apparel, pumps: Schutz, rings: Aoki, gifted, sunnies: Firmoo

Definitely going to see a lot more of the floral persuasion from me this season! Dear readers, how do you feel about floral prints, you love them or hate them?

White Out.

This was my outfit for the Most Fashionable Women event. I chose to wear something simple yet fashion forward. I didn't want to wear anything too extravagant, especially since I was going to be taking photos and schmoozing! Since I was wearing white, I was extra careful not to get anything on it! 

Dress: Free People, jacket: Forever21, wedges: Jeffrey Campbell, bag: UO, jewelry: anthropologie, forever21, gifted

                                                                                                                       Xoxo,
                                                                                                                          Jacqui

The Little Pink Dress.

Lately I have found myself wearing this particular dress quite frequently, in many different ways. This little pink dress I found At Forever21 is perfect for layering, it's awesome by its self but I find it lacks interest, alone. I'm starting to feel like my go to color is pink, many things I own are pink or pink related, even my BF is starting to notice! It's an addiction!

It Girls by Jacqueline DavisMoranti

I created this image of four characters to represent the different looks and outfits that I managed to pull off with the dress. The "Feminine" girl is wearing the pink dress under a classic, bow pleated skirt and a scarf draped around her neck. This look could also be considered preppy as well, especially if you switch out the scarf for a cardigan, A la Carlton Banks style! Little Miss "Boho" wears her dress under a fun, printed, A- line skirt. "Edgy" girl is a bit more daring, she wears it (the dress) over a sleeveless, button up blouse, then tops it off with a leather vest. Very Girls Night Out! The last girl, "Urban" wears her pink dress under a striped body con skirt and a cool fringed vest. This look might seem sort of bohemian, but I think the body con skirt took it out of that category. 

These are the same looks on the It Girls.

I've been asked before if I actually wear the outfits I post on my dress form, he answer is ofcourse! I wouldn't post something and say that I wore it, without actually wearing it. Where is the fun in that?! I do so much, especially in the creative field, so i'm not restricted by a uniform. Expressing my self in what I wear is something I do, to the fullest extent! 

It cracks me up, when women worry about buying things that their friends already have, for fear of having the same dress, pants, skirt, shoes, you name it! It all depends on how you style it, because as I have demonstrated, you can easily wear one dress in so many different ways. Have fun styling!

                                                                            Xoxo,

                                                                                     Jacqui

"Im Sexy and I Know It" LMAFO

When it comes to dressing sexy, it's a bit of a different aesthetic for me. Sexy to me is not about how much cleavage i need to show off or how much leg action needs to be seen. I would much rather see a  figure shown off in a full length, crew neck, body con dress.

 No, it has nothing to do with my body, it has to do with my level of comfort, I'm not comfortable wearing a super short dress, where the hem is inches away from my crotch. Or a dress with a super low cut, and have men's eyes fall below my eyes during 95% of the conversation. 

Top: Threadsence.com, Skirt: Shopakira.com, Jacket: Forever21, Belt: Oldnavy, Shoes and jewelry: thrifted

With this look, i wanted to be sexy in my own way. Can I just say, this citron color has my heart! This peplum skirt is awesome, it's high waisted and fits my body like a glove. I have a tendency to wear a lot of high waisted skirts, pants, and jeans with cropped tops, it shows just the right amount of skin! The jacket topped it off by giving it an edgy flair, to contrast the feminine silhouette of the peplum skirt and the ever so glamorous pointy toe pumps. How do you like to dress "sexy?"

                                                             Xoxo,

                                                                    Jacqui

Jewelry With a Punch.

        One of the best ways to turn an outfit from drab to fab is through the use of accessories. Accessories have a wide array of subcategories, shoes, bags, hats, belts, and jewelry! I've recently fallen in love with an amazing jewelry line, Concrete Polish. The jewelry is completely different from the norm, it's definitely one of the most unique collections i've seen in a long while. Angela Monaco is the designer of the brand and her inspirations are minerals, crystals and metals. The pieces in the collection have a very urban, bohemia feel. It's got an untraditional, but timeless sense to it. One of my favorite pieces is the Pineapple Crystal Ring, it's so beautiful and alternative, just the way I like it! Concrete Polish just recently introduced a clothing brand to the showroom, The Radlands. It features a collaborative line by Angela's assistant/ co worker, Linda Smyth. Everything in the collection is amazing, with a ton of unique screen printed shirts, tie- dyed tanks, and cute woven wallets to replace that bulky leather one in our bags!

If you're in the Philadelphia area, check out the showroom at 716 North 3rd street, in the Northern Liberties neighborhood. If not, you can still check out the website!

 

                                                                                              All photos taken by me!

                                                                                                                        Xoxo,
                                                                                                                            Jacqui

Tarte.

Top and shoes: thrifted, skirt: Forever21, scarf: J.Crew, Belt: Old Navy

I really love playing with colors, especially the ones that fall under the primaries.

                                                                                                   Xoxo,

                                                                                                           Jacqui

Closet Cravings.

        I attended an event recently, Skai Blue Media Showcase, where I saw some beautiful fashion designs, from local Philadelphia designers. It was a showroom event with exquisitely picked work. I loved all of the designs that were featured but my absolute favorite were from Marina Makaron.
        Her designs were bright and in your face, patterned! Both combinations which I truly do adore! Crafted with silk, in tunic dress form, I could totally see myself wearing it to cocktail hour or a night out with the girls! There was also a longer length dress that was featured, it had a very "goddess" look, a modest plunged neckline, with draping sleeves. Excuse my drooling! I love that she plays with ethnic prints in a wide array of colors, Makaron makes the ultimate statement pieces. Here's a few drool- worthy pictures! Make sure to check out the collection on her site, I promise you'll love it as much as I do!

  

All images via Marina Makaron Moscow

Photo courtesy of: Hannan Saleh

Here's my outfit for that night.

                                                              Xoxo,

                                                                     Jacqui

Fabric of the Season.

        This season I'm noticing more and more stores with chiffon and chiffon like tops, dresses, skirts and even pants. It's perfect for the warmer months, airy, lightweight, and super comfortable. Its also very functional. Since it's sheer you can vary the options of what you want to pair it with. You can try a basic tank top or camisole, or my favorite choice for summer music festivals, bandeaus! You can also have fun with the color choices, bold neons and prints, or nudes and neutrals. Anyway you choose to wear it will be great! This trend proves to be a great and functional piece for any fashion maven's closet.

                                                                                                                      Xoxo,
                                                                                                                         Jacqui

Recent.

Top, blazer, skirt and shoes: Forever21, Belt: H&M, Jewelry: gifted

Top: Forever21, Bandeau: Guess, Jeans: J Brand, Boots: Bakers, Jewelry: Forever21, gifted

                                                                                                                 Xoxo,
                                                                                                                       Jacqui

Grunge + Girly

I just wanted to show you how to take this very edgy jacket and wear it with something more feminine and girly to give this jacket diverse ways to wear. I'm so sick of seeing black on black as if it's the only way to wear a leather jacket! 

This outfit consists of a multi color sweater of brown-hued stripes with a box- pleated khaki skirt. I'd finish it of with my Shoemint taupe Jollys. I tied the look together with a knotted silver chain, it makes the jacket stand out even more with this feminine, preppy outfit. You could wear this to class, to an early lunch date or even a concert. 

The jacket in this outfit is paired with a black, velvet bodysuit, cream pleated maxi skirt and a wide silver belt. The silver accessories, like the necklace and the belt help to tie the look together with the jacket, which is key, if you threw in gold accented accessories, it would look out of place. You always want the accents on the clothing item to match your accessories. This outfit is very ballerina- esque, it would be a great outfit for a late date. I'd pair this up with a pair of caged heels. 

On another note, my recent week has been so hectic, working overnights to complete a floor set really starts to take a toll on you. I haven't ad the time to take many outfit pictures, most of them were jeans and a sweater anyways. 

                                                                   Xoxo,

                                                                            Jacqui