stock market

images via pinterest

i've had a pair of taupe birkenstocks for at least 7 years now - i actually can't remember when or why i bought them. potentially for a high school trip to greece? but  since i never ended up wearing them (sorry mom), they are essentially still in mint condition. i pulled them out last summer just as the ugly-shoe trend began in earnest (and after i saw mary-kate olsen wearing some with jeans), but after spotting these photos above, it's clear my suede slides won't be making the cut this season. i love the stark black and white leather versions with a super simple outfit, like a cotton dress or blazer - and a nice tan wouldn't hurt either. now i just need to decide which ones to buy. they even come in patent leather! and the comfort factor cannot be beat.

roped in

everyone's loving ankle-wrap heels right now, including me (evidenced here and here), and sometimes they even veer into "leg climbing" territory (explored by marlien here). why not go all out, right? on the flip side, i'm looking back to the days of preppy ankle-wrap espadrilles like the ones j.crew used to sell. i remember being in middle school and loving the bright colors and bold patterns on their sky-high, ankle-wrap beauties. i was too young to wear clunky wedges, but i eventually begged my mom to get me a navy and pink pair when they were on sale. i then proceeded to never, ever wear them... rookie mistake! 

that being said, j.crew is getting back to basics by selling some of their classic ankle-wrap espadrilles in chic colors and lower heels. i'm loving them in black or nude; i would wear mine tied in a bow, and with something light and flowy like this...

{ karen walker sunglasses, zara dress, dannijo earrings, 

primary clutch, j.crew espadrilles }

II emily

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

IN: the conde nast intern magazine

it's august. summer is officially ending. 

and these past three months went by super fast, mostly because of one significant detail: i was able to participate in the condé nast summer 2012 intern program in the city that literally never sleeps, new york city. to say it was an amazing experience is an understatement; to attempt to properly put it into words would be an injustice. let's just say i had some unbelievable opportunities, met some amazing people and overall had a beyond wonderful time in NYC! 

outside of my amazing internship (i worked in the editorial dept. of style.com), i gained some invaluable experience working on a condé nast project. each intern in my program (there were 91 of us total) had the opportunity to work on the entirely intern-produced magazine IN. upon completion, the magazine gets distributed to executives the conde nast offices (yes, this was a slightly terrifying fact) but of course i wanted to join the team! i worked as a stylist for the fashion editorial shoot and also wrote a feature article with one of my friends and fellow interns, jonathan. although this magazine took a lot of hard work (and required getting soaked in the rain for several hours!), it was undoubtedly worth it:

{ the cover }

you can click here to view the entire magazine online; the editorial i styled is on page 28. it accompanies the feature about fashion blogging, including interviews with leandra medine of the man repeller and john jannuzzi of textbook. i helped write the piece about john jannuzzi, which is at the end of the article on page 32.


 click here to read a full Q&A with mr. jannuzzi -- exclusive to the IN website.


i'm definitely sad the summer has come to the end, but the memories will last a lifetime!

II emily

trend hopping

while trying to shop restrictively (nyc shopping is literally better than anywhere else ever) i've subconsciously indulged several of my favorite summer trends: 

1) neon + neutrals // c wonder clutch (such a steal!)

2) drop-waist tunics // uniqlo (so cute with slim pants + a chunky heel)

3) leopard (when isn't this a trend?) // zara mini bag

4) industrial earrings // rachel rachel roy (also seen in this post)

5) americana stripes // uniqlo t-shirt dress 

what are you wearing this summer?

II emily

ashley

this is my ultimate summer beauty look. (on one of my ultimate style icons, to boot.) it's both natural and ethereal, chic yet not stuffy. soft waves, lightly bronzed skin, shimmery cheeks, baby doll lashes, nude lips and a bit of gold eyeshadow hint at the ever-so-popular "bare faced" look while adding radiance and subtle definition. the key is to choose bronzer that's just a touch darker than your natural skin tone (otherwise you'll look too harsh) and to thoroughly blend your highlighter and eye shadows so everything looks nice and soft.

 it sure helps that all of this takes five minutes to master. seriously. besides the occasional swipe of gel eyeliner for nighttime events, i'm keeping this look in rotation all season long.

{ image via olsens anonymous // naked2 eyeshadow palette, stila bronzer, stila lip gloss in "kitten," nars the multiple in copacabana}

II emily

summer accessories

{clockwise from top left: ASOS loafers, french sole flats, ASOS clutch, j.crew flats, j.crew cork clutch, ASOS bow belt, ASOS bow belt, nixon watch, ASOS tote, ASOS clutch}

i just found out i am officially spending this summer in NYC working as an intern with condé

 nast. of course, the first thing that came to mind (after OMG, OMG, OMG) was: what will i wear?

i'm not entirely sure what my dress code will entail, but i'm guessing my normal summer uniform of sundresses and sandals is out of the question. instead of investing in an entire new wardrobe, though, i'm hoping some strong (and affordable) accessories will do all the work for me. 

simple outfits with statement-making bags, shoes, belts, watches, etc. are not only easy, but chic in that effortless, oh-i-just-threw-this-together kind of way. the pastels and brights above  are all on my wish list; those perfect pale blue flats would brighten up an all-black ensemble, ditto for the bold clutches, which could double as foolproof evening bags. 

II emily

LWD

when a woman hears "LBD," she doesn't even need to process what exactly this acronym stands for. every classy lady needs her trusty LBD - little black dress, boys - but as a midwestern college girl who spends her days lounging on the porch, buying nail polish at cvs, and going to music festivals, a black dress is the last thing i will reach for this summer.

instead, i have an LWD - a little white dress. when in doubt, i reach for this forever21 number i bought at the beginning of the summer and have since worn at least twenty times. if i'm worried about the scorching indiana heat, want something comfy and easy, or just can't settle on a decent outfit, this embroidered ivory dress never lets me down! it always feels fresh and breezy - just what i need on a fashion-frustration day. i can dress it up or down, and can accessorize it in countless different ways so it never feels tired. i truly believe a little white (or cream) dress is an everyday summer essential.

one of the best parts? this dress cost me around $25 - and while i hope it lasts forever, i'm never bothered by the nagging fear of wearing it to death or, god forbid, ruining it in some way. (in fact, i almost want to go back to forever21 and see if i can buy one (or two) more to save for next summer...)

here are some other great LWD options for you!

Forever 21 Feminine Feat Dress ($29.80)

Forever 21 Raschel Knit Lace Dress ($24.80)

Mod Cloth Cake from Scratch Dress ($73.99)

Free People Lace Trim Shift Dress ($118.00) -- a bit of a splurge, but i think it would be worth it! {just look at that detail at the hem...}

- emily