Born To Be Wild

It was an unlikely day in Philly recently, the weather was actually nice and cooler than it usually is during the summer. I took advantage of this day by wearing jeans! I know it doesn't seem like much but with high humidity and temperatures, jeans tend to feel like second skin which is why this day was an anamoly!  I usually stick to lighter fabrics like linen, polyester blends, cottons and sometimes silk. Rather than plain ol' jeans I took it a bit further!

Neutral Normal

When the weather begins to take a dip in temperatures, I tend to go darker with my wardrobe. Black begins to take over my wardrobe palette, creating a neutral canvas for most of my ensembles. As plain as the color black can be, I like to mix it up by adding textures and prints. That is why black will forever be a staple in my closet!

(In) Vested

In these last weeks of summer, the temperatures seem to stay at a steady degree of very hot and humid. Occasionally, there will be a nice breeze, billowing through the sodden heat. On those days, I feel tempted to wear a jacket but I don't look forward to feeling sweaty. Vests are actually a great option, they are light, airy, and versatile! Vests also tend to polish off any look. 

Think of all the possibilities of wearing a vest on the cooler months too, layering with it is a lot of fun! 

Vest: Zara(Similar), Dress: Omen Brand, jewelry: Jewelmint, Berricle, Aoki Boutique, shoes: Steve Madden(Similar)

You might remember me mentioning this dress in a recent post, it's by a local Philly designer, Omen Brand. I love this dress, it's so comfortable, drapes beautifully and it looks luxe! Dear readers what do you think of this look and how do you like to wear your vests?

Midriff- ing It

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but here in Philadelphia it's been one heck of a humid start to the summer season, and let's not mention the roster of bad hair days! My way of combatting this heat is by wearing many crop tops! Don't let wearing a crop top intimidate you, pair it with something high waisted so you don't feel over exposed. This is definitely going to be the summer of crop tops, especially since summer got a major head start around here! 

Top: American Apparel, pants: Free People (Similar), shoes: Steve Madden (Similar), belt: Jewelmint, vest: Levi's, jewelry: Forever21, Aoki Boutique, Urban Gem

Crop tops are a major must if you want to stay comfortable in high humidity temperatures. I suggest wearing them with a pair of harem styled pants to give you that edgy, retro vibe or as my BF likes to call it, A La MC Hammer style! Dear readers, how do you try to beat the heat and how do you wear your midriff baring tops?

#GetLucky Party

Some of you may remember my recent post about Aoki Boutique in Philadelphia hosting a summer kickoff event! It was a night filled with live music, Spodee wine, fashion and shopping of course! It was one of those hot and humid summer nights, I chose to beat the heat in my neon crop top! I love pairing crop tops with high waisted bottoms, it just has a very retro vibe to it. Plus, this makes wearing a cropped top less scandalous! 

Photos of me by Anh Mai

Top: Threadsence (similar), trousers: Robert Rodriguez, belt: Club Monaco, Pumps: Steve Madden, jewelry: Aoki Boutique, Forever21, H&M, gifted

The hashtag for the night was #getlucky, referring to the contest drawing to win a hot commodity necklace! The party was fun, I love that I was able to connect with people I haven't seen in a while and honestly that's the best part of these events, networking. Mingling with a slew of creative and talented individuals really excites me! Dear readers, how do you like to meet new people? How fond are you with networking? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Ombre Denim

Photos by Melissa Alam

Wearing denim is a trend that will absolutely never die out. It's casual, easy going, versatile, ageless, the list can go on forever! Although, wearing the same old blue jeans might get a little boring especially to someone like me who loves the diversity and eccentricities of fashion! Those indigo blues have upgraded from tattered and worn to patterned and coated. Denim has evolved to become such a mainstay in the fashion industry and I'm totally loving it! 

Wearing denim on denim is a fun and fashionable move, the variations on how to wear it are endless! As soon as I found this ombre denim top, I knew it would look amazing paired with one of my favorite Spring staples, white jeans. 

Top: Forever21, jeans: Free People, cardigan: Buffalo Exchange, belt: Club Monaco,  sneakers: Steve Madden, earrings & headband: Urban Outfitters

This Spring I definitely want to incorporate more denim on denim combinations into my daily ensembles. It's effortless and yet still very put together! Dear readers, how do you like to wear your denim pieces? 

Remixed, Striped Dress

I'm really trying to be better about wearing pieces in my wardrobe more often. I find that months later i'll find a piece a wore once and wonder why I forgot it. With the reason being, that it may be a piece that's very specific to a certain season. This dress for instance, simple, horizontally striped, 3/4 sleeves and fitted. It's super comfy, and super thin, and because of that I tend to wear it in the warmer months. Well, I wanted to challenge that perception and save some money! And here are two of my results!

Jacket: Zara, dress: H&M, scarf: Urban Outfitters, bag: Forever21, wedges: Steve Madden

I absolutely adore the print mixing trend, I try to abide by it every day! Stripes paired with an ethnic print seemed like the perfect free spirited look for a rainy day. 

Jacket and skirt: Forever21, dress: H&M, belt: thrifted, pumps: shoedazzle, satchel: Urban Outfitters

Another one of my favorite trends, the monochromatic look, shades of the same color family. This is a fun way to revamp your dresses, wearing a skirt over it, adds a new feeling to it! Blue skirt and blazer, with accents of gold felt very appropriate for an afternoon brunch. 

As you have seen, the key to this thin, summery dress is layers. By adding or subtracting layers, one can turn any article of clothing into a summer or winter appropriate piece. By treating the dress as a canvas, I was able to variate the colors and prints to pair with it. Also, tights/ hosiery are your best friends through out the winter! 

Dear readers, what do you think of these looks? How would you style this dress?