Outfit Post: Sunday Funday in NYC

This past Sunday V and I went into the city with some couple-friends of mine (now ours) who had yet to meet his acquaintance. The game-plan was brunch at Catch in the Meatpacking District, a spot I was happy to revisit as I had only been when they first opened, and while brunch is casual, Meatpacking is scene-y. My compromise? Sporty-chic.

Dressy track pants have been the rage for awhile now and I'm happy to see that this trend will be continuing into the fall (partly because they're comfortable and partly because I overpaid for the ones I'm wearing here). I was originally going to pair these pants with white Converse, but I changed my mind last minute and wore these sandals instead. In my last outfit post I neglected to call attention to them, but they're new, they're super comfortable (it's better than wearing slippers) and they were only $27. I couldn't resist, I bought them in black too (last I checked they were still available on the Naturalizer website). It feels like you're wearing slippers out, seriously, your feet will thank me.

Top: Project Social T from Urban Outfitters Pants: Theory from the Theory Outlet in Riverhead Glasses: Prada Sandals: Naturalizer Watch: Michael Kors from Nordstrom Bracelet: Vintage

Summer Jam: All About That Bass

My music taste is all over the charts (#punintended), but one of my favorite guilty pleasures is bubblegum pop music. I'm not just talking about Britney and Christina either, I'm talking about random stuff too (Ever heard "Viva la Radio" by Lolly? You can thank me later.). Whenever I hear a wonderfully infectious track I'm compelled to share it with others, which brings me to my latest obsession, "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor.

I'm not going to get into the lyrics or comment on the song as a "body acceptance anthem" like Jenny Trout does on her blog (interesting read though, definitely check it out if you're into that type of thing). Why? I don't care. It's pop-tastic and I'm a petite woman with a "cakey booty," as a salesgirl at Alice + Olivia once told me, and this song makes me want to "shake it, shake it, like I'm supposed to do." Keep the bubblegum coming, Ms. Trainor.

Enjoy:

Outfit Post: NYC Birthday Drinks

This week V and I went to a birthday party for a wonderful friend in NYC. It was at an intimate venue on a Thursday night so I wanted to be comfortable, but stylish (I guess that's pretty much anyone's goal on a random day/night). It's still pretty hot in New York (80's during the day, 70's at night) so I seized the opportunity to wear these Rag & Bone shorts I'd scored at a sample sale a few months back. The waistband is undefined and there are no belt loops, so I didn't want to wear a top I had to tuck in. They also have leather trim. V actually selected this great ASTR top that we picked our together at Nordstrom and I love the beaded detailing.  It's the details that pull this look together and it was really fun and easy to wear.

 

 Top: ASTR Shorts: Rag & Bone Sandals: Naturalizer Bag: Tory Burch

 

And how could I forget my fabulous new lipstick? Tom Ford

Color Corrected

Changing hair salons is not a decision that I take lightly, but I recently decided to make the move to a salon in my town because, besides being a 20 minute drive from where I currently live, my old salon changed ownership and I wasn't a fan of the new regime. 

As anyone who colors their hair knows, you want to plan your appointments around major events. Since V and I had a family trip and the wedding of a dear friend over the next two weeks, I put it off until right before we departed for the trip. My roots were out of control. With almost 2" of white roots I looked like I was slowly turning into Rogue in X-Men (think of Anna Paquin's portrayal in the live-action version, not the comics).

My appointment was at 5:30 and construction traffic made me almost 20 minutes late, but the lovely ladies at Defusion in Rockville Centre squeezed me in. I had stopped in earlier in the week for a consult and explained that, in addition to getting my roots done, I really just wanted them to make my hair healthy again. Previous attempts at pink lowlights and ombré had left my ends fried and if I'm going to have my hair this long that simply won't do. 

Dee covered my roots with the perfect shade of chocolate brown (I had emphasized that, while I was okay with 'warmth,' I did not want red tones. Long Island ladies know why it's important to stress this, lest you wind up with a color I call "Long Island Hairdresser Red."). One of the assistants rinsed out my color and covered my hair from root to tip in a glaze. 

The result? Right back to the dark and shiny locks that I love. Bring on the upcoming events!

Outfit Post: Adventures in Conservative Crop Topping

Crop tops have been all the rage for awhile now and, while my first instinct was to groan at the thought of exposed, dangling belly-rings (sorry, my last mental image of this type of top is from the 90's), my second thought was that this could really work in my favor. You see, at 5'1" I am petite. When paired with high-waisted pants and skirts, a crop top can really add length to my little frame. And so I began to experiment...

Here I am in Montauk back in June. V and I went out late Friday night and stayed at a fabulous little place called Hartman's Briney Breezes. The room and grounds were immaculate, the view was spectacular (an unobstructed view of the ocean, which was just across the street, no complaints here), and the location was great. While Montauk has gotten a bit more scene-y in the past few years, it still has a reputation for being laid-back, so I figured this was the perfect place to try out this trend.

Outfit #1 Lunch at Navy Beach
It was a bit chilly so I actually layered a Ralph Lauren Supply Company "Boyfriend" button-down over this look (not pictured). The outfit was super comfortable and I almost didn't want to change for our evening out (almost). Crop top: River Island Maxi Skirt: MINT Shades: Ralph Lauren Sandals (not clearly pictured): Nine West

Outfit #2 Dinner at Clam and Chowder House at Salivar's Dock and out (The Harbor Raw Bar & Lounge, The Electric Eel at Ruschmeyer's*, and The Surf Lodge)
I've never been one for dressing scantily-clad on my birthday (did I mention that that's what this staycation was for?). Instead I usually opt for light-weight tunics or feminine separates. This year I decided to mix it up and go for a look that could probably be best described as Jenna Lyons-inspired (I dunno, you can see it, if you have something more clever feel free to leave it in the comments). I love every single item that went into this outfit and I was beyond comfortable. Every outfit should feel like this. The only bummer is that you can't see how adorable this crop top truly is in this photo since I layered my favorite drape-y cardigan over it. Oh well, I'll just have to wear it again... Tank: Nordstrom Pants: Banana Republic Petites Cardigan: All Saints Kicks: Converse Crossbody Bag: Tory Burch Specs: Chanel

*Fun fact: Ruschmeyer's is an old summer camp that was turned into a hotel with cabin-inspired guestrooms.

Verdict: I "heart" crop tops.

Fire Island Style

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a bachelorette party for one of my nearest and dearest friends, J. With more than a dozen girls in attendance, we were traveling as a fairly large pack and it was a blast.

To those of you who are not familiar, Fire Island is the large center island of the outer barrier islands parallel to the south shore of Long Island (thanks, Wikipedia!). It's a great place for families to go on vacation, I've been going to Fire Island since I was seven years old, but it's also no stranger to bachelorette parties. This weekend we saw several other brides-to-be and each one was having a great time.

Many groups donned matching t-shirts, but we declined in favor of breezy maxi dresses, sundresses, and chic shorts outfits. I've included my outfit from Saturday night in this post. The dress is from the Old Navy petite department and it is beyond comfortable! It has this lightweight mesh lining that allows it to float away from your body, even on sticky summer nights. Last I checked it's still available on their website, I highly recommend purchasing one for yourself before they sell out.

Sunset view from our dinner table at Schooner's our first night

Black maxi dress twins

Dress: Old Navy Sandals: Prabal Gurung for Target Cross-Body Bag: Tory Burch Earrings: Random boutique in college (Sorry, every once in awhile I forget where exactly I bought something.) Sunglasses: Rayban

Gray hair, don't care

Not sure if I've ever mentioned this before, but I'm going prematurely gray. Last time I asked my colorist for a percentage she told me about 80% - that was a few years ago. While I used to be religious about getting my roots touched up, lately I've been embracing the silver streaks. Who knows, after the wedding I might let it all go!

Getting silly with the adult ring toss game at Flynn's

Taking it down to the beach on our last evening.

Outfit Post: 4th of July Fashion

V and I spent this 4th of July with friends in Williamsburg. The weather in the NY area was not great, but thankfully the rain held off and we were able to see the Macy's fireworks display. 

We could call this look preppy and patriotic. (I don't really do "Williamsburg" well - I can't even mismatch my bathing suit tops and bottoms.) We stopped at Bloomie's Soho so I could grab that fabulous Tom Ford "Cherry Lush" lipstick I'm wearing here. The extra pop if red really completed the look for me. 

Hope you enjoyed the 4th! It's always been one of my favorite holidays. 

Shirt: J. Crew Shorts: Banana Republic  Belt: J. Crew Kicks: Converse Watch: Michael Kors Bag (which you can't really see): Kate Spade Saturday