personal style
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5 ‘Must Haves’ For Your Next Evening Night Out
I was invited to a wedding this past weekend and my getting-ready routine went a little something like this:
“OMG, I can’t find a nice bag! And what about my sandals?! And, dear goodness, what am I going to wear out over my shoulders?!”
After panicking for about 15 minutes (why do I leave things for last minute?) it dawned on me: I couldn’t really find anything because I didn’t really have anything. Ladies, just as we have our must-haves for daywear during all the different seasons, we, too, must have it for evening events!
I’ve rounded up a few starter “must-haves”; the choice is, obviously, ultimately yours, but make sure you have something you can easily (and quickly) pull out. Investing in some evening basics will make these evenings out so much more of a breeze and will be a great start to your oh-so-glam collection. So on that note, let’s get to it!
New York Fashion Week with shopstyle social house
Ah! This has been one of my first true New York Fashion Week (NYFW) experiences and although it may be crazy, busy, and I’ve chased cabs & ubered on my phone like never before, I have to say, I can’t wait for next season! One of my highlights was attending Shop Style’s Social House event and getting to meet new vendors and bloggers! I had my outfit chosen prior to the event but failed to even think about the weather! Full disclosure: it was hot that day. My skirt was beautifully pleated (I am SO into pleats and this liquid, sheen touch to it!), but it was a little heavy for the 80+ degree weather, so I was dying a little. Nevertheless, you rock what you own, right?!
Seeing Montreal from Up High
Exploring a city and wearing something that can take me from one activity to the next, seamlessly, is always a plus. I took on the challenge of wearing a bodysuit that is newly being deemed as leisurée, athleisure-meets-lingerie, and let it follow me from one adventure to the other as we continued to roam around Montreal. And you know what? It definitely kept up- from café to pool and everything inbetween.
Stay Calm and Invest On
Ah, Sandro Paris. A brand that has been catching my eye with some of its pieces recently. Now, to be honest, I had sticker shock when I first viewed their collection; but, in my recent learnings, sometimes you pay for those extra little details or that fabric that just feels, well, of a better quality. I’ve also had my fair share of clothing that starts to deteriorate after a second or third wash and I want a long-term relationship with my clothing these days. So, it was no surprise that when purchasing this Sandro dress (my first!), I had my mother at the back of my mind saying, “Loren, invest in your clothing.” Whether it meant this dress or not, I decided to give it a shot. Continue reading for more behind this simple outfit and a Savannah, GA must-eat!
Tybee Island, Georgia
Looking for somewhere that has the appeal of Cape Cod for a fraction of the cost and encourages you to adopt a little bit of southern living? Well, look no further than Tybee Island, Georgia, where the seafood is just-caught, homes are like something out of a pretty coloring book, and activities ranging from kayaking to crabbing are plentiful. This hidden gem is becoming more widely discovered amongst many tourists, so plan your trip while you still have the edge ;).
Saying “Oui, Oui” in Savannah
I am never ashamed and am open to admit that I am a total Francophile. I learned French in high school, chose to visit France instead of having a Sweet Sixteen when I was, well, fifteen, minored in French in college and then studied abroad for a semester to Lyon, France. Can you tell I am a little obsessed? 😉 So when I was away in Savannah and in my research stumbled upon little local “French” places, you knew I just had to visit.
The Skytop Lodge
Transitional Outfit & Encouragement
Ah, Spring is coming and I couldn’t be more excited! I am especially thrilled for all of the pastels hitting the stores soon! However, I wanted to give this time of the year the respect it deserves with some transitional dressing. My husband and I had a brunch date in our neighborhood the other day and didn’t have much planned for the day, except to enjoy a little bit of the down time that seems to be so rare these days.
Color in NYC Fashion ;)
Yes, I do love me some color. But, honestly, there is just something so easy and classic about black and grey; it just works so well together (and did I mention it was just so easy?)! I guess that must be why it’s a popular NYC combo- everyone is in a NY minute here, so the easiest thing to do sometimes is just grab that absence of color and run out the house- and that’s OK!
Layers & Brunch
After a crazy blizzard in NYC last week that yielded in about 25″ of snow (*does some elementary school math*), which amounts to just about 2 feet (yay, me!), the ice still hasn’t completely melted here, but the weather did warm up a bit. So, when getting dressed to meet up with a few fabulous people for brunch on Saturday, I opted to layer up instead of wearing a heavy down-alternative coat because, well, I felt like I would have melted faster than the snow itself. *chuckles*
Cozy in a Knit
I’ll admit, sweater shopping is a little difficult for me sometimes; there are certain, er, assets that just don’t make the process easy at all. For example, due to curvy hips, it’s difficult to find a pull-over sweater that won’t stretch to infinity at the hips and then bulk me up at the waist (extra space for boxes of munchkins on each side, I feel!). So, you can only image my happiness when I found this super cozy “curved” sweater!
crop top & pleats
I can still remember being at Macy’s and holding the crop top in my hand thinking “Nope, still not feeling it,” but something inside said ‘give it a chance’ and so off to the register I went and brought it home. I tried it on and thought ‘boy, I really need to hit the gym,” but reminded myself that things in life are worth trying for and I have to live for the now instead of the future. So I ripped the price tag off and paired the top away.
two dresses in one
I love finding sweet dresses. And I especially love it if I find that they are reversible! When I spotted this Kora Rae dress online, I just knew I had to have it! When a single dress can take the guess work out of the ‘what should I wear?’ scenario for two separate occasions, well then, I’m #winning.
lace crochet romper
You know how you’ve been meaning to do something and years pass and you never get to it? Well, that was me with visiting Providence, Rhode Island. When our friends mentioned they were traveling there for the weekend, well, we just had to go- the time had come! So we packed our things and headed up northeast. Three and a half hours later, we found ourselves in Providence.
down by the pier
After spending the morning cooped up in the house due to rainy weather, my husband and I decided to head out to Oyster Bay, Long Island for the afternoon. The sun started to peak out of the sky and, well, why not take the chance :). I quickly tossed on some easy pieces and off we went!
white summer dress…
I’m always up for having some fun in the sun and when I find myself hungry in NYC that means eating al-fresco!
Floral Skirt & Street Art
I always love heading back to my hometown in Brooklyn. It is changing so rapidly, but I stay excited when I see things that remain constant (like the graffiti) because it reminds me of my childhood & what I grew up seeing every day. I was back there to see my dad and celebrate his birthday, so I picked up some balloons along the way to surprise him (I’ve come a long way with these balloons and nothing says ‘birthday’ quite like balloons do, right? Right) :).
I was actually in such a rush to get ready that morning (can you tell from the crazy hair?) that I quickly picked out one of my favorite floral skirts from Zara (the cut on it is so flattering!) and paired it with a black top. The top was actually a long-line side-split shirt (I had to make it work, I was running late!), so I unbuttoned some of the bottom buttons up front, tied it up into two knots and tucked the long tail in the back into my skirt. I tossed on some nude shoes and voilà – done.
Needless to say, it was a wonderful evening filled with laughter and smiles :). See more outfit info down below!
xo,
Loren.
April Spring Picks
cozy spring stroll…
I couldn’t believe the weather app today when I opened it on my phone and it said it was a fabulous sunny 56 degrees! I quickly jumped at the opportunity to wear a light spring dress and layer over it a chunky-ish sweater! Good thing, too, it was sunny but boy was that wind blowing! Fringe is big this season and it makes an outfit just a bit more playful (and the fact that this bag also has an adjustable strap makes it even more fun – and convenient)! Happy Saturday, all! 🙂
Scroll down to see outfit details below!
start of spring
Spring is here and I just cannot wait to whip out the floral skirts! It’s still a little too cold here in NYC for that, though, so I opted to go for a floral blouse, instead. Oh, and picked up some tulips, too, to fill my ‘floral’ needs! 😉 Fake it ’til you make it, right?!