fruit punch

images via pinterest

as summer finally (finally!) approaches, i'm loving bright color combinations, like pink and orange (or orange and yellow, or blue and green)... the bolder the better! subtlety is reserved for the winter months. go all out this season with my favorite pieces below:

{ from top left: miss selfridge necklace, baublebar triangle earrings, loeffler randall bag, michael kors watch, butter london "teddy girl" nail polish, nars "barbarella" (sheer peach) lipstick, adia kibur earrings, clare vivier clutch, topshop skirt, loeffler randall woven sandals, tory burch bow sandals }

II emily

the look for less: acne pencil skirt

images via pinterest

the minute i saw a new york fashion editor wearing her distressed acne pencil skirt with silver manolo sandals, a white peplum top & neon dannijo necklace last summer, i was hooked on the trend. i love how the women above styled the same skirt with crisp, structured shapes for unexpected contrast. the skirt would look all wrong worn with equally edgy items - like moto boots or a biker jacket - but with unexpected pastels and glinty accessories, it's perfect.

however, the acne skirt is no longer available and was very pricey. this one by miss selfridge is strikingly similar, but for a fraction of the cost. i'd wear it with a classic striped tee, raffia clutch, a little sparkle and easy flats: 

{ j.crew tee, miss selfridge skirt, j.crew necklace, bop basics bag, jeffrey campbell flats }

the new boho

asos jacket

i spotted the jacket above in this month's lucky magazine and promptly tore out the page, stuffed it in my purse, and solemn swore i would order it as soon as i got my hands on a compter (i was on a plane at the time). lo and behold, it's sold out in nearly every size, but i'm holding out hope for a restock...

this sweet jacket was featured in lucky's shopping guide appropriately titled "the new boho." like this jacket, the editorial was all about a fresh new brand of bohemian -- think less hippie flares and tunics, more embroidery, pom poms, structured silhouettes, bold patterns, cute sneakers and pops of metallic. it's exactly what i want to wear all summer long, and this jacket is a fantastic starting point (assuming it comes back in stock one of these days...) i especially love the red trim and slightly spanish vibe in the embroidery.

check out full looks and pieces from the lucky spread here, and see how i would style the  jacket below...

{ asos jacket, miss selfridge skirt, juicy couture earrings, 

christopher kon clutch, zara sandals }

II emily

b&w

asos clutch

lately i've been on a constant hunt for oversized, flat clutches in every color, pattern & texture. they add a little edge to any ensemble -- from a dressed-up nighttime look or a slouchy sweater during the day. i've amassed quite the collection, including a metallic gold one from the neiman marcus x target collab, an embroidered antik batik bag, a silver glitter case from ann taylor, and a neon pink one by c.wonder. 

this black & white animal print clutch would be the perfect addition, plus it's wildly versatile. it's minimalist and clean, but adds extra interest to a neutral look. it would look great with my standard everyday outfit of skinny jeans, a loose tee, flat sandals & glinty jewelry:

 { james perse tee, j brand jeans, jenny packham earrings, michael kors watch, marc by marc jacobs ring, asos clutch, tory burch card case, rebecca minkoff sandals }

II emily

spring pinspiration

some of the pretty things inspiring me this season.

you can see all of my pinterest boards here.

xx

{ everything i want right now: a signet ring (this one is also great), mirrored nails & a ysl arty ring }

{ a simple black+blue jeans outfit with clever details: studded pumps & a braided updo }

{ a sweet everyday makeup look: hot pink lips and shimmery shadow }

{ i love this refined-yet-casual look: black shorts, strappy sandals & a striped tee }

{ can't wait to buy this giant 2-inch curling iron to get soft bended ends }

via the beauty department

{ a cute denim-on-denim update: super wide flares }

{ everything i could want in a room: pops of hot pink, some ethnic patterns & gold accents }

{ this hair color is pretty much perfect }

{ showing some love for retro high waisted bikinis }

II emily

chrome kicks

it's hard not to fall hard for everything at j.crew, but their sale section always proves the most tempting. the perpetually on-trend, always-wearable clothing mecca marks down nearly every single item they sell, and usually there's an added bonus, like "extra 25% off orders of $150 or more" or "free shipping with this special code" .... how can you resist?

i clicked through their sale yesterday and experienced a mixture of emotions. i was a) tempted to buy winter boots in preparation for next season, b) torn over which pastel sperry i'd want to wear on my fictional sailboat vacation this summer, and c) immediately obsessed with these silver superga sneakers:

superga sneakers are the ultimate classic, and there's a reason they're called "the people's shoes of italy." they're incredibly well-made and go with everything. we all have a pair of converse lo-tops (or 3), but these are so much chicer. i love the ultra-modern silver leather here -- it's a simple update on the original -- and they're the perfect shoe to get into the whole "wear sneakers with everything" trend. (i love how everyone's been wearing colorful running shoes, but i don't think i could pull it off) PS: you can also get plain white or navy superga sneakers here.

wear your silver kicks with loose (faux) leather skinnies, a bright striped tank and super-simple accessories for a sleek yet laid-back look...

{ topshop tank, karl pants (similar here), le specs sunglasses, michael kors watch, tom binns earrings, loeffler randall bag, superga sneakers }

tribal mix

zara shoes

tribal/ethnic prints are going to be huge this season, and these sandals by zara (!!!) are crazy cool, shockingly affordable and would be the perfect mixed-media punch for all of my basic summer outfits. i can picture these with all of my favorite skinny jeans -- from my trusty rag & bone "legging" jeans to my trendier destroyed styles -- as well as with a simple loose tank, black wrap skirt and sleek accessories. it lets the sandals take center stage but still feels totally effortless.

{ oliver peoples sunglasses, t by alexander wang muscle tank, zara wrap skirt (another great one here), giles & brother earrings, repossi ring, prada bag, & zara sandals }

II emily

splurge or save

i recently posted on my instagram that i purchased 3 sunglasses in 2 days. and while this is shamelessly accurate... i could have bought more. i'm a little (very) obsessed with sunglasses, especially thick, oversized tortoiseshell ones. and when the racks of forever21, h&m and urban outfitters all boast about 10 sunglasses i want and all of them only cost $5 - $15, it's really hard to say no. like, really hard.

that being said, i certainly understand the value of high-quality, more expensive sunglasses. i bought a pair of chanel shades back in 2009 and they fit my face perfectly, feel light as air and still look brand-new. the same goes for a pair of coach shades my parents gave me for christmas, which are the perfect shape for every day and fit amazingly well. but when it comes to trendier styles, like the mirrored aviators and oversized sunnies i got at h&m, you have to go for the bargains.

which brings me to the image below: can you tell which pair of retro round sunglasses costs the most? all 4 are practically identical... 

fyi: they're pictured in order from most expensive to least expensive. but who would ever know that?

the top pair, by the row x linda farrow, cost $442... enough said. the next ones, by illesteva, cost $160 -- a hefty price tag for such a trendy shape, but worth it if you know you'll wear them for a while. the third pair is from madewell and costs a cool $55, which also isn't terrible -- but i would still be hesitant to shell out that kind of cash. 

the bottom pair, which i got last weekend at urban outfitters, costs just $14. i don't know about you, but i'd rather save my pennies for frozen yogurt and starbuck's blonde roast coffee than 1 pair of popular sunglasses. they may not be high-quality resin, but they look fantastic -- i'll look just as chic as any girl rocking the linda farrows.

would you splurge or save on these sunnies? 

II emily

my next bag: the leather duffel

image via the jew in j.crew

"it bags" come and go, and while i've never owned one myself, i'm pretty sure i would get major anxiety if i were to purchase a celine tote or studded valentino. i'm constantly plagued by questions like, what if i got sick of it after a year? what if the bag suddenly goes out of style and i look totally dated and out of touch? 

luckily, there are some styles and silhouettes that will never really go out of style -- like a proenza schouler ps11 or a quilted chanel. another shape that's steadily gaining ground is the leather duffel, originally made popular by the louis vuitton speedy back in the 1930s. speedy bags still look perfectly chic, adding a casual touch to the fancy louis vuitton heritage. the leather duffel bags below would provide that same shot of laid-back, slouchy glamour (and a few are much more reasonably priced):

{ from top left: clare vivier leather 'escale' duffel (available with a monogram!), tory burch 'robinson spectator middy' bag, alexander wang 'rocco' bag, clare vivier haircalf 'escale' bag, see by chloe 'harriet' duffel bag, vintage chanel doctor bag (via WGCA vintage) }

II emily

between the lines

after yesterday's post, i went a little stripe crazy and quickly found a winning combination at madewell. the crimson, navy and ivory stripes look even better when you add another bold pattern into the mix (although i'm pretty sure everyone has agreed that leopard is now a neutral) and i love the final result. sleek, no-fuss accessories are the finishing touch for a modern, endlessly chic ensemble.

{ madewell top, madewell skirt, thierry lasry sunglasses, j.crew clutch (on sale), ginette_ny diamond earrings, michael kors signet ring, j.crew pumps }

stripes on stripes

images via atlantic-pacific, stockholm street style, and le catch

loving these multi-striped ensembles -- as long as you keep the colors relatively similar, you can't go wrong. wide stripes, skinny stripes, color blocked stripes... it's all good! 

in all of these photos, the striped pieces share a common color (in this case, navy/black). picture a navy-and-white sweater with a pink and navy skirt... or a green and navy skirt... if each item shares 1 color, you're set.

i have plenty of striped items in my closet but could always use more -- maybe this tee, this dress, this sweater, this jacket, this shift, and a skirt or two... 

PS: you can get blair's exact coat here at ASOS.

II emily