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Sophistication with a wild side at the relaunch of Just Cavalli and foulard prints galore at D&G's last show.


via Style

autumnal arrival

Wearing | jumper c/o Romwe • feather hair clip c/o Gypsy Warrior • Papaya paperbag shorts

It's always the closure of another summer chapter that some sort of delicate gloom takes a hold of me. The mornings become darker and the days shift into more work than play, but still the post meridian sun shines bright and the last of the Indian summer's heat lingers on. There is also the promising dawn of autumn: skies bluer than sapphire and a gentle warmth in the air filled with golden leaves swirling beneath your eyes as fresh winds rush through your fingertips (though I do not advise riding a bike with no hands), so inviting for afternoons spent pouncing around in a new array of clothing combinations. With that said, I've welcomed the official start of fall with a soft, cozy knit jumper and silky tribal print shorts. I may not be able to don heavy coats and wool snoods just yet, but in the meantime, incorporating these bold patterns and creamy hues into my daily rotation happily fills my cup of tea.

a sartorial confection

Wearing | contrast shirt c/o Romwe • DIY pussybow • shorts from Santee Alley • nylon socks • vintage lace-up booties • cat eyes from Fairfax Flea Market

What's not to love about an occasional flash of color and a classic collared shirt? I'm a huge fan of oxford shirts with sharp contrasting details so when I saw this on Romwe, I knew I had to have it! And in a candy mint hue? Just goes along suitably with all the frosty sherbet-like neons, ice cream colors, and rainbow of petit four pastels trending on the Spring 2012 runways.
My picks: Ralph Lauren's return to The Great Gatsby and flapper-esque garden party frocks that would have had Daisy Buchanan planning her preorders, 3.1 Phillip Lim's and Tibi's modernized '90s minimalism, and Mulberry's delicious brights that had me craving a box of macarons.

weekend look

Wearing | Foreign Exchange poncho top • striped harem pants c/o Romwe • thrifted belt • Forever 21 bracelet • Michael Kors espadrille wedges • Claschic (coming 2012) flap bag • clubmaster wayfarers

A little bit of Chloé in the bag and another bit of Parisian chic in the Breton stripes. As usual with my achromatic ensembles, bold splashes of red and gold all around. Nothing makes a classier color palette! These très comfy pants came with a black sash belt, but I substituted it with a red leather belt this time around and used the sash as a headband instead. Coincidentally, I wore this outfit while making an impromptu stop for lunch at Paris in a Cup in Old Towne Orange. Needless to say, this cutesy, almost over-the-top, but charming French-themed tea salon/bakery is slowly peaking its way to be part of my regular stomping grounds on Glassell. Creamy baked potato soup and fresh hazelnut scones, j'adore!

back to basics

Wearing | H&M top • J. Crew blazer • The Limited cutoffs • Nine West belt • cat-eye sunnies from Fairfax Flea Market

With Southern California holding onto summer like no other last week, the dog days had left me feeling uninspired to the point that the very thought of assembling an outfit compels a motive to rather sit in front of the A/C in pjs. Beyond doubt, I still wear things but it's become more of a halfhearted consequence to as not to go naked. Fortunately, my go-to for these days always end up in my channeling Allison from the original Melrose Place: loose white tees, high waist washed out denim shorts, a cool staple blazer casually draped over my shoulders, and sleek black belt to pull the laidback look together. Basics. Never. Get. Old. On the contrary, these sunglasses are undeniably influenced by House of Harlow 1960's "Chelsea," but for only $7, how can anyone resist?! Needless to say, they are fast becoming my favorite frames.

hello september

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Scouring through fashion blogs for an Apparel Analysis project the other night eventually led to coming across a slew of late summer/early fall inspiration—and getting side-tracked by food porn. And for some reason, I just noticed that I always somehow successfully manage to incorporate a photo of fries in all my mood board posts. Not intentional. On another note, I've finally updated my blog shop! Please check it out here :)