FALL SHOPPING

forever 21 dress / club monaco top / madewell skinny skinny ankle jeans / madewell chambray dress / madewell drape pocket t / club monaco dress / madewell boho top / madewell necklace / madewell gallerist dress / madewell sleeveless chambray shirt / club monaco dress / mango gold cuff /  madewell silk shirt / club monaco t-shirt / mango booties / topshop dress / club monaco dress / forever 21 shirt / forever 21 skirt

This past Saturday, I spent some time on a cloudy New York day to wander around SoHo, planning to pop into a few shops that we don't have at home (like Uniqlo + Topshop) to check them out before I leave next weekend.  Of course, I ended up "popping in" to a whole bunch of other stores - though I did refrain from even trying things on, considering I know I'll be right back in them on the other side on the country at some point next week.  However, I made note of lots of lovely lovely things that I want in my closet for this upcoming fall.  I'm thinking shift dresses, black and white, soft t-shirts, army green, chambray, boho dresses, fit+flare skirts, and graphic gold jewelry. 

Can't wait to go home and do some serious damage!!

P.S. I've been on the hunt for long time for a good knockoff Isbael Marant-style bootie that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and doesn't make me look like I have cankles (easier said than done - my ankles are not naturally slim).  These Mango booties, with their perfectly taupey suede, the slight stacked wood heel, and the perfect dip in the front that flatters the less-than-slim ankles, might be exactly what I've been looking for all my life. (AKA the last two seasons).

J.CREW FALL 2013

It's almost the end of August, which means one thing: back-to-school shopping. Technically, this is my last year to actually go back-to-school shopping (unless I make good on my threat to my dad and decide to go to grad school for something random...), so I'm going big.  

Loving these looks from J.Crew's new arrivals - stripes with printed pants, fancy chambray, graphic tees + graphic sweaters, and a pajama-inpsired top! I was going to do a round-up of everything I wanted....but it ended up being too many things. Whoops!  If you're headed back-to-school shopping like me (or like to pretend to), make sure you hit up J.Crew for some fall goodies!!

via.

PRETTY LITTLE POUCHES

Just some pretty petite pouches I've pinned (try saying that five times fast!)

Perfect for corralling smaller objects in a huge tote or a beach bag,

 or just to grab and go on their own for dinner or drinks!

ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX

WHITE OUT

madewell vest / jcrew tee / anny and ava crystal necklace / asos heels / american eagle jeans

There's this girl in our office, Claire, who I have the biggest girl crush on. She has the best clothes and always looks so freaking cool. She's also tall and blonde and gorgeous, of course, but really she just always looks so great and I immediately want to wear exactly what she's wearing. (In a completely non-creepy way, of course.)

Anyway, she wore this outfit to work on a recent Friday (aka casual Friday aka you can get away with wearing jeans), and I loved it because it was so simple and looked so chic.  The denim vest offset the white-on-white, while the silver heels and statement necklace dressed it up enough for the office. She accessorized with a messy pony and bright lipstick, and I had to wipe the drool off my chin. (JK, dudes.) In my book, it's a perfect summer Friday work look.

A QUICK SPIN

classic summer sandals.

pretty chandy + painted ceiling.

lace pants.

major girl crush.

colored pencils + a jar full of ribbons.

a room overflowing with flowers.

cuffed + clutched.

Posting from the laundromat while waiting for my spin cycle to finish, and then off to dinner for a friends birthday! #mutlitaskingmaster #citythatneversleeps

These pretty things + more over on my tumblr!

FOURTH OF JULY: WHAT TO WEAR

dorothy perkins dress / jcrew bikini / forever 21 shorts / PJK skirt / clare vivier clutch / jcrew striped shirt / charlie jade maxi dress / sea bags tote / lovers and friends shorts / dolce vita top / jcrew sunhat / design darling necklace / forever 21 shorts / ray ban aviators 

I'm kicking off the countdown to one of my favorite holidays, the FOURTH OF JULY, with a little outfit inspiration. I always dress up for the 4th - both because I'm always at the beach for my family reunion and we never half-ass anything, and because half my closet is navy and white stripes anyway, so it's not entirely difficult. While the heinous accessories of American flag handkerchiefs tired around my head, leis, red white and blue beads, and other monstrosities from Party City might be well in my past (and luckily for me, immortalized in photographs), I still plan out a festive Fourth outfit.  

I'm just at the beach with the fam, so I tend to stick to a jorts-and-top combo, but I may have to step up my game to the fireworks shorts above.  And if you're doing anything remotely fancy, that maxi is a must.  I've found that pretty much everyone has blue and white in their closet, but red is a bit harder to come by. If you don't have that perfect red/white/blue printed skirt shown above, you can always just throw a red coral necklace on with your favorite Breton striped shirt or eyelet top.  

The bottom line: there no excuse not to dress up and party like it's 1776. #murica

A GAME OF LOVE

In honor of Wimbledon, it's time to break out your tennis whites.  Perfect for easy, breezy summer days, rock an LWD to work or pair a kicky white skirt with a matching top for weekend fun.  Punch it up with colorful accessories (bonus points if it's a cute tennis themed tote, ala Kate Spade) or go the extra mile and add white tennies.  You might not look like Pippa Middleton, but you will look like you just stepped off Centre Court. (Athleticism optional.)

MADEWELL SKIRT / JOIE ROMPER / KATE SPADE TOTE / RAG AND BONE DRESS / 

SUPERGA SNEAKERS / DSQUARED2 SKIRT / EQUIPMENT BLOUSE

TOP IMAGE VIA VANITY FAIR

A (MOSTLY UNREALISTIC) WISHLIST

What's in my virtual shopping cart right now:

01. REBECCA TAYLOR SHORTS: Ikat, polka dots, silk, shorts, black & white - so many things to love! Also, lovin' how Liz of Sequins & Stripes styled 'em here.

02. VINCE BLAZER: True confession - one of the other interns at my office has this. I didn't even know who made it; I just saw her wearing it one day and was like BAM! That is the perfectly casual drapey black blazer I've been looking for! Then I creeped on the tag when she hung it on the back of her chair and saw that it was Vince and almost $500 and went home and cried. (It's actually 50% off at Shopbop right now, so if you're the type of person that thinks $242.50 is spare change, be my guest.)

03. SHE INSIDE LACE TOP: Okay, so this is actually realistic. I've been looking for a good white lace top and saw this one on Pinterest. Yes, technically, it's apricot, but for twenty bucks I feel like I could "accidentally" throw it in with a bit of bleach??

04. MARYSIA SWIM HONOLULU BIKINI: I've been lusting after this since I saw it on Molly over at A Piece of Toast. The strapless style is my go-to, and the zig-zag cut adds a little something special. (And also probably really weird tan lines).

05. SPLENDID DRAPED TOP: Another thing that's perpetually on my wishlist: the perfect draped gray shirt. A little bit of dolman sleeve, a loose and long torso, and soft as a baby's butt - this Splendid tee fits the bill. Again, $74 is a bit out of my budget for a t-shirt, but when you spend so long looking for the perfect something, it's hard to resist when you actually find it. You never know - I do have a birthday coming up after all....

06. RACHEL ZOE GLADYS SANDAL: Confession: also saw this shoe on my fellow intern Erin. (She has the best clothes!!)  She has them in tan, but I immediately asked where she bought them and if they have them in black. I currently don't have a good pair of sandals to wear to work (my beat-up gold Jack Rogers aren't really an option...) and considering it's hot as hell in NYC right now, my feet are sweating just thinking about shoving them into flats all day.  This is exactly what I've been looking for: black, ankle strap, a bit of gold detail, and simple. Another thing to add to the birthday list....

*SIGH* What I wouldn't give for some extra cash money right now, kids.

COPYCAT: GOV BALL

Just in time for festival season to get into full swing comes this look from Governor's Ball this past weekend.  While I was sadly not in attendance myself, it seemed like a lot of cool, well-dressed girls were - this one being no exception.  Your own easy breezy festival formula: wear a men's shirt for a boxier fit, tie it up, and throw on a pair of leopard-print shorts and cool sunnies and call it a day.  (If it rained all day Friday like it did here in New York, add wellies).  If you didn't get a chance to go to Gov Ball, put on this must-hear playlist from Teen Vogue and pretend you're there!

shirt / sunglasses / shorts

photo via vogue

WARDROBE ESSENTIALS: THE BLACK SKIRT

Hey y'all! We're back with another installment of WARDROBE ESSENTIALS. 

Another wear-to-work classic that everyone needs to have: the black skirt.

This option from Nordstom is a great choice - its classic shape and bit of stretch flatters everyone! 

HALOGEN PENCIL SKIRT

INSPIRATION:

ALL VIA MY PINTEREST

J.CREW GRAY TSHIRT / FOREVER 21 BLACK CLUTCH / ASOS HEELS 

DOROTHY PERKINS STRIPED JACKET / J.CREW CHAMBRAY SHIRT / CHARLOTTE RUSSE FLATS

FOREVER 21 SWEATER / FOREVER 21 CROSSBODY / ASOS HEELS

FOREVER 21 SUNGLASSES / TARGET TAN JACKET / J.CREW FACTORY STRIPED SHIRT 

FIRST DAY OF INTERNSHIP OUTFIT

FORVER 21 BLAZER / BCBGENERATION HEELS / ZARA DRESS

The first day of your first internship is a lot like your first day of a new school. You have no idea what to expect - no idea what the culture's like, what's cool or not cool, whether or not they allow open-toed shoes in their business casual dress code...okay, maybe not that last one.  But there are the same first day butterflies, the same anxiousness that causes you to arrive 15 before you're supposed to and then have to loiter in a Starbucks across the street to kill time. And, of course, the same stress over what you're going to wear.

This is what I wore on the first day on my internship (Monday, for those of you keeping track).  This exact blazer, exact dress, and an older pair of heels that are similar in style.  I'm helping out with PR at a fashion company, where the dress code is business casual. I figured the heels would dress things up a bit for my first day, even though I'll probably wear flats/wedges from here on out, and that the blazer would make the outfit more conservative if needed. It wasn't - plus the intern closet (yes, it's actually called that) is sweltering.  But this cute, simple, on-trend dress that kept me relatively cool in the heat (and earned me some compliments!) was the perfect first-day-of-work look.

THINGS I PINNED AND LIKED

A new layout to share my fav pinterest finds each week.

Make sure to follow me on pinterest HERE for more spectacular things!

ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE

GET AT ME

ONE / TWO / THREE

Some on-trend beauties that I'd like to have in my closet right now...

WARDROBE ESSENTIALS: THE BLACK PANT

Hi y'all! New column alert here on SPECTACLE. After lugging my stuff across Europe for a semester and then planning on lugging it all back across the country in a few shorts weeks, I realize I'm in need of a major closet clean-out.  You know the drill - getting rid of what doesn't fit, what you don't wear, that sweater that was a gift and you haven't even wore it once, etc.  

And then, the beauty of that is that when you go out with the old, you go in with the new. I'm about to start an internship in a few weeks, and my wardrobe is seriously lacking in both the work clothes department and the essentials. I mean, I don't even own a white button down. (WHO AM I?) So I'll be bringing the twenty-something's wardrobe's essentials to a screen near you in the coming months, complete with inspiration and outfit ideas on the cheap.  So without further ado, the first wardrobe essential!

The whole point of essentials is that you'll wear them a lot and you'll wear them a long time.  So it doesn't have to be designer, but it's worth it to splurge on something with a little more quality, like these J.Crew work pants. Trust me, with the amount you'll wear them to work, they'll more than pay for themselves.

J.CREW PALEY PANT

ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR

Now that we've got our nice, quality black pants, it's time to mix things up.  I've taken these four outfits from above as inspiration, and add lower-priced items (read: things I can actually afford) to create four outstanding outfits that are ready for anything - and won't break the bank.

forever 21 top /  bauble bar necklace / daily look clutch / zara heels

forever 21 blouse / forever 21 scarf / type z loafers / topshop tote 

forever 21 peplum / zara heels / forever 21 crossbody / forever 21 sunglasses 

forever 21 top / loren hope necklace / forever 21 flats / zara bag 

SHOPPING SPREE

Okay, not really a spree, per say, considering I only bought two things. But two full price things at Zara as a college student studying abroad is like whoa! major shopping spree.  Anyway, I tried these pants and this dress on the other day and didn't buy them because my wallet started crying just thinking about it, but then I talked to my mom and she sent me an email the next day saying that she had thought about it and she thought I should go back and buy the pants, because who knew if I would be able to find a skinny-but-not-sausage-tight pair of waxed black jeans for 30 euro this fall?  

So I took that as a sign to buy the dress too. 

ONE + TWO

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

I grew up in Lilly shifts, and still love her agendas and tumblers and make-up cases (in my sorority's print, natch) for adding a little color and whimsy into my everyday life.  The world will be a little less colorful after today. RIP Lilly!

via

FANCY FEET

Wishing these punchy DV by dolce vita oxfords were on my feet this spring!

SPRINGBREAKERS

01. warby parker sunglasses / 02. kendra scott earrings / 03. stradivarius blouse / 04. etsy high-waisted jean shorts / 05. ancient greek clio sandals / 06. nine west clutch / 07. jcrew bikini / 08. the market basket co. straw tote / 09. gorjana rectangular hoops / 10. mara hoffman dress / 11. dsquared wedges

It's that time of year again - SPRING. BREAK.

Yes, we get it even here in Spain.  Technically, it's semana santa - aka Holy Week aka the week before Easter, but a week of no classes is a week of no classes, right?  I'm headed out of town Sunday, hitting up the Canary Islands, Valencia, and Mallora before making my way back to BCN.  That's right - enough of these cultural European cities.  This girl's tryna get her tan on.  

In the world inside my head, this is what I'd pack - a big tote bag and sandals to walk around town during the day, sunglasses and a bikini for the beach, and a tropical shift dress and wedges for when the sun goes down.  After all, you can only fit so much in a carry on, but when you're headed to the beach, you don't need much!

IT AIN'T EASY

This weekend is St. Paddy's Day.  (Not St. Patty's Day).  It's one of my favorite holidays, because it always seems to mark the start of Spring and pretty much all it entails is drinking lots of beer. (And also putting on lots of sunscreen, thanks to the fair skin and freckles that actually stem from my Irish heritage.)  This year, however, St. Patrick's Day is going to be a little bit different than just a giant fraternity party.

This year, I'm going to be in DUBLIN.

That's right - this girl's going to be at the heart of it all, in actual Ireland, to celebrate.  Sure, it'll be lots of American tourists, but whatever.  I'll be with a bunch of my friends (and I mean a bunch - St. Paddy's Day seems to be the Spring version of Oktoberfest for study abroad students).  I'll be rocking my green jeans.  I'll be drinking actual Guinness.  And I'll be in actual Ireland.

BAM!

For those of you significantly less cooler than me (just kidding), you can still celebrate in style.  

Check out some of these green picks to get you in the spirit for this weekend!

LOEFFLER RANDALL PUMPS / MICHAEL KORS COCKTAIL RING / SALONI MARIE BLOUSE / SEA DRESS / LINDA FARROW FOR THE ROW SUNGLASSES / STEVEN SHOES / MICHAEL KORS BAG / RAG & BONE CARDIGAN / FADE TO BLUE JEANS

LADY IN LEATHER

I've had a leather jacket (okay, fake leather) since about freshman or sophomore year of high school, when my fashionable mother bought it for me at Macy's.  I don't wear it that often at home because it doesn't quite fit with my preppier style, but obviously the game all changed when I came to Europe.  It's been too cold to wear it (I've been rocking either the black peacoat or the Barbour), but now the weather's getting nicer and it's the perfect thing to throw on in the morning or at night.

The only problem? It's molting.  Like, literally - the fake leather coating is peeling off at the seams and leaving behind the gross coarse gray fabric underneath.  It's nasty.  Luckily, I'm not wanting for shops - I knew between Zara, Mango, and H&M I'd find something cute and not too expensive.  So when my parents were here in Barcelona (got to milk that for all it's worth, dudes), my mom and I popped into Mango and came out with this beauty. It's soft and well-made and didn't break the bank, and it's already made its way into my daily outfits.  I'm definitely going to have to incorporate it into my outfits when I get back home as well!