Truly Madly Deeply

What’s an item in your closet that adds an instant speck of coolness to your outfit? A drapey black coat? A pair of figure-flattering skinny jeans? Or perhaps a statement sweater with charming take on an iconic logo (if a Féline Meow or Ballinciaga shirt ever came across your glossy finds). 

Whether your ideal look is inspired by minimalistic Swedish influences or saturated with clashing patterns, there’s always that ONE item adding an extra pep to your outfit no matter what styles you favor. And for somebody that dilly-dallies between monochromatic and color-blocking separates, striped midi skirts to pink leather skinnies, I love pieces that seamlessly transcend beyond the limit of trends. Of course there needs to be no shortage of pairing options! So was my thought when I came across this Charcoal Aubrey Jacket from Mad Style when I stopped by the boutique on Division street. It was love at first sight! I was immediately sold by how chic and versatile it is from drapey waterfall design to the accent zippers to the pleather sleeves. Need I say more?

Nonetheless a timeless addition to my wardrobe, there are so many ways to wrap up in style and ward off the winter chills in this edgy number! Channel that retro vibe with slouchy T’s and 70’s denims for your creative gig, or settle for a subtle look with silk button-downs and slacks for more conservative setting. And when the minute hand passes 5:00 PM, swap into more sultry alternatives like mini skirts and over-the-knee boots for a night on the town. To kick it up a notch, I paired the jacket alongside red jeans with ruffle accents (on sale 30% off!) and a chained envelope clutch also from Mad Style. The end result? An edgy rocker-chic look that transcends from day to night with no need for a moto jacket !What’s your street style staple that cameleon ifself into different looks –sophisticated, preppy, normcore, or avant-garde if you may? 🙂

Xo~ Lena

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Jacket: Mad Style// Top: Banana Republic// Pants: Joe’s Jeans// Shoes: Vince Camuto// Bag: MadStyle//

In collaboration with Mad Style; thoughts and opinions are my own

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Fifty Shades of Beige

Whether your newfound glory is sipping hot cocoa by the fireplace or playing up the layering trend, there’s a seasonal change that we’ve recently come to terms with in the Windy City – the nonchalant tonal shrug from crisp autumn breeze towards blistering winter chills.

Long gone were the days where a prismatic array of floral prints, soft pastels, and color mash-ups sprawled over Paris Fashion Week runways and emulated in our daily wares. Though bone-chilling the weather may be, swaying us away from trendy pieces like pleated skirts and crop tops, we have a swoon-worthy selection of luxe fabrics and crisp silhouettes to work into our wardrobe. From Céline’s longline duster coats to Helmut Lang’s shearling biker jacket, we have countless ways to integrate new fashion powerhouse designs into our ensembles while embracing a new season to come. Stylishly. No gritty teeth allowed.Granted if you follow my blog for a while you’d notice I have an affinity for monochromatic separates (with a hint of colorful accessories), and it’s a given that I admire certain designers for their subtle indications of toned-down colors and classic designs. One of my favorite collections was from Chloé designer Clare Waight Keller sartorially introduced at Gustave Eiffel-Lycée Carno. Her minimalistic choice of colors entailed desert–khaki, camel, sand, blue and white, all of which are minimalistic hues that emphasized clean silhouettes and placid colors (like this biker jacket that exudes cool minimalistic edge).

I enjoyed perusing her collection because I believe classic staples are essential in our wardrobe at any given time, and multiple shades of beige like cream, camel, dessert sand, and unbleached silk are great foundations to build into a full-fledged outfit.

The choice is abundant — pair a caramel fuzzy sweater with distressed denim jeans, or for slightly cooler days experiment with the same color scheme by mixing a heavier fabric like cashmere with a lightweight button down shirt. In my outfit today I paired a baroque-styled cream shirt with a brown and beige wool cape, which I then added on suede boots (reminding me of these Rag & Bone ones I’ve been eyeing), Prada cat-eye shades, Seven jeans scored from a Shopbop sale (currently 30% to 70% OFF Seven and Citizens of Humanity Jeans at shopbop.com!) and a chocolate brown duffel bag in a classic silhouette to complete the streamlined look without going that off-kilter road.

What’s your take on the luxe layering trend, and have you put together an outfit with the simplistic triad of beige, brown and cream? 🙂

Xo~ Lena

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Top: Forever 21// Pants: J Brand// Cape: Club Monaco// Heels: Vince Camuto// Bag: Louis Vuitton// Shades: Prada// Necklace: Thailand

Well Vested

As we’ve long bid our adieus to summer and the abundance of sunshine, warmth, and saccharine-colored dresses, there are certain wardrobe staples that I like to keep on heavy rotation when we plunge into Fall. Though the fickle weather has awakened our affinity for hot cocoa and toasty evenings by the fireplace, liminal time still exists for us to polish off our looks sans hefty jackets, thermal puffers, and shearling-lined boots.

My favorite outfits to work into that interim phase? A souped up moto jacket with a jersey panelled number. An oversized camel coat over a nifty sweater. Or an olive green suede vest with faux fur lining paired with a patterned blouse like this one I got at Nordstrom (where now you can save up to 40% at the Nordstrom Clearance Sale through November 11!)

While some wear a long vest like a sleeveless coat, others ditch the menswear-inspired look by choosing a gilet like this fuzzy TopShop version. But there’s one tenet of this trend that makes it a cult favorite – it can be worn open as a layering piece, so you can stick to your choice of minimalistic dressing with a faux fur vest in the same hue (all-black ensembles rejoice!), or add a bit of spunk with a printed shirt in the same color family.

Given the vest’s prominent color is green, I made sure my Tory Burch shirt picked it up along with other fall foliage hues (I also like this funky leopard print by Roberto Cavalli). And to give this eminently wearable outfit all the ease for travel and commute (granted you don’t have a chauffeur or you take public transportation to work everyday, you stylish urbanite), I paired it with black skinny jeans and brown Chelsea boots (this UGG pair I’m wearing has wool sockliner and foam-cushioned footbed!)

There you go, a classic Fall pairing that’ll have you one step away from perfecting those wanderlust-inducing snaps on Instagram!

Xo~ Lena

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Photos: Jason J Photography

Top: Tory Burch// Vest: Vince Camuto//Pants: Paige// Boots: UGG// Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs// Shades: Prada

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Bittersweet Wonders

Chicago in all its enrapturing sights and glory is a sprawling city with so many things to do. Bonafide comedy shows at Second City. Lush promenade walks along Michigan Avenue. Shopping mecca for those deep pocket spenders along Magnificent Mile. As devoted and mesmerized I am with the Beaux-Arts architecture, Praire Style industrial feats, and Euro-centric culinary delights the city has to offer, there are days when I just want to take a breather from all the movements, the noise, the smoldering sights and seek solace in a peaceful place.

Do you ever want to freeze a moment and lavish in the stillness of time? That the daily iteration of errands to do, goals to meet, and tasks to accomplish have you looking for the “pause” button? As if being swept away on my feet by the illusory painted glory of the Windy City, I decided it was time to set both feet on the ground and travel to somewhere new. To breathe, to clear my head, to start with a clean slate. So off to the Crossroads of America I go. Bye bye Chicago, hello Mishawaka!

Nicknamed the “the Princess City” of Indiana (strange enough there were no tiaras in sight), the neighborhood we stayed at on Bittersweet and Jefferson had a community spirit and “hometown” feel. Everything from the old-fashioned record player to the s’mores-friendly fire pit was quaint and endearing, not to mention the curated selection of quilted patchwork blankets provided for our stay. As if the cabin itself wasn’t alluring enough, we were blessed with the nature-infused visuals from the backyard. Pristine waterfront. Leafy greens in vibrant Autumn hues. The more I gazed into the clear horizon and took in the ethereal beauty of Mother Nature, the more the hovering cloud above my head began to dissipate.

To keep my look simple and refined without compromising style and comfort, I wore a lengthy textured sweater over opaque tights. And because we spent a big chunk of our time strolling through the woods, I chose sole support and traction by taking these wedge sneakers out for a spin. The outerwear contenders were fleece jacket or navy coat with wool lapels, so evidently I went with the latter for its chic and edgy flair.

Trick of the trade with pairing – strut layer upon layer by wearing a long jumper underneath a fitted coat. The peekaboo effect would not only give your outfit that fashionable nod of approval, but also ideal for girls with pear-shaped bodies that want to downplay certain areas (as the dual-layered effect takes the eye away from the hips). Not to mention so on-trend and sartorially astute! To complete this look I wore this tribal necklace to keep dullness at bay. Who likes a monotonous outfit from head to toe without a fun pop of color like this cherry red?

They say that Mother Nature is always speaking. She speaks in a language understood within the peaceful mind of the sincere observer. And at peace was I after this mini getaway — refreshed, re-livened, and ready to take on the coils and fans of the bustling city again! Like the beauty we see around us, it was priceless 🙂

Xo~ Lena

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Top: BCBG Generation// Tights: Forever 21// Jacket: TopShop// Shoes: Puma// Bag: Louis Vuitton// Necklace: Boutique in Bangkok// Shades: Prada

Photos: Jason J Photography

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Shades of Neoprene Blue

“The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.” – Pablo Picasso

There’s something palpably enticing about a nature-inspired artwork. Think of the inherent beauty spun from commonplace visuals we see around. The captivating light effects cast from the vast horizon of mere abyss. Or the iridescent glow from lush contrasts between water, boulders, and edifice. Simple bearings of nature can oftentimes inspire and motivate us to ponder, to visualize, and to creative wonders.

In essence art has no restrictions nor bound by any absolute definition. A painter with an eye for precision and a desire to elicit a concept, a mood, or emotion with a vast array of colors is as remarkable a tastemaker as a designer with an eye for seamlessly executed textural stripes and crafty color coordination.

Thus art and fashion have had a long relationship in fusing illustrative designs into ready-to-wear attires, with major glossies from Miuccia Prada’s illustrative murals of models’ faces to confetti-themed Miu Miu coats at Paris Fashion Week. So when dressing up becomes a work of art, it’s nonetheless the designing, the curating, and ultimately the pairing that makes fashion a creative playground that brings life to artistic designs.

In my outfit today I wanted to relay the impact of art on fashion by choosing a stretchy neoprene sheath from Kenzo that boasts a vibrant, watercolor-inspired print throughout. I love the off-kilter stripes of yellow and blue and the clash of opposite wavelengths that create a shocking effect. A cult favorite moto jacket was in high demand for fending off the chills, and these lace up heels brought ultra back to chic.

Every ensemble needs a wild card, no? So I took this avant-garde design up a notch by keeping my essentials in a tribal-infused trapezoid clutch. Take it from Picasso who believed the purpose of art was to wash the dust of daily life off our souls. So relax, have fun, and add that extra pep to your ensemble with a wild card pairing 🙂

Xo~ Lena

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Dress: Kenzo// Jacket: Hinge// Shoes: Prabal Gurung for Target// Accessories: Topshop// Clutch: Boutique in Kenya// Shades: Prada

Photos: Jason J Photography

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Midi Is My Hobby

Maxi skirts long have had their heyday when floor-grazing patterned sheaths dominated the runway, from a Valentino macramé lace number to a Cavalli beaded ruffled dress with glamorous boho movement. And mini trends were just as prevalent during the fashion week extravaganza, turning the summer staple to a showgoer uniform worn with striped orange jumpers and coveted heels.

Then there’s the midi skirt trend that graced the street style playground in various shapes and form. Full, pleated, patterned, lace. A style so versatile that it’s evolved for the sole purpose of style and practice with a hint of Parisienne chic. Stumped on how to integrate a style favored by leggy models into your ensembles? Sky-high heels aside, here are two of my favorite midi styles for work and play (happy hour salute!)

1.) Patterned: whether floral, baroque or jacquard lace, a printed midi will flatter your silhouette. Teamed with crop tops and dainty heels, the outfit is great for a cocktail party or an evening soirée. A friendly reminder — to emphasize a feature, choose large prints; to downplay one, go for smaller prints.

2.) Pencil Cut: a great office staple, it’s a surefire way to take your 9-5 wardrobe up a notch. Choose a high-waisted version and tuck in your crop top (belts optional) and add on bold accessories like chic eyewear and bejeweled necklaces.

In my outfit today I played up the 2 iconic styles with this midi skirt from Milly by saturating my ensemble with bright colors. Because the effervescent floral number held the spotlight, I paired it with a black crop top and kitten heels. Sensory overload. Under tab. Want to add extra pep to your look?  Make sure your accessories pick up a color on your skirt, like the demure orange earrings that matched the coral hue on my dress.

Whether you want to pull off this season’s ladylike trends with a pleated midi, or add an offbeat edge with a leather skirt, there’s an option for everyone. What’s your favorite midi style of the moment?

Xo~ Lena

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Top: H&M// Skirt: Milly// Shoes: 14th Union// Bag: Zara// Shades: Prada// Choker: Forever 21

Photos: Jason J

A Hint of Potpourri

Fashion at the rim of each season is like a trendsetting neophyte. Reborn and relived in a vast array of nubby textures, hanky hems and high octane prints. The dawn of spring came sweet quilted pastel numbers and floral prints. The cusp of summer? Soon followed suit with jacquard patterns and elastomeric neoprene sheaths.

Now that Summer has finally come to a close, we can take a cue from sartorial street style in New York and the bemused editors at Fashion Week to experiment with novel silhouettes and materials. With new season comes new trend-setting confections. What can we anticipate as the “IT” trends for Fall?

Would it err towards edgy asymmetrical leather wraps Olivia Palermo wore during New York Fashion Week, or more curated selection of Parisienne neutral ensembles à la française (with an ample dose of cat eye + red lips). 

In my outfit today I steered clear from the normcore trend chaperoned down catwalk shows towards a more whimsical look. One that plays up the color-blocking trend much like the Dries Van Noten collection at Paris Fashion Week filled with lavish fabrics and incongruous prints. The key to keeping a mishmash array of colors under tab in a 2-piece outfit? Make sure one color is present in both top and bottom, and that single hue is varied in pattern and texture.

Here I have my acid wash Rag and Bone button down shirt, which serves as the neutral piece, paired with my silky leaf print shorts de Marc Jacobs. Blue was the collective color that kept the look in-line. Accessories were minimal in gold, and shoes were a simple shade of nude.

Play up the wildcard with a hodgepodge of colors? Why not dear, it’s Friday! Care to be a fashion daredevil today? 🙂

Xo~ Lena

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     Top: Rag and Bone// Shorts: Marc Jacobs// Sandals: Aldo// Clutch: Urban Expression// Jewelry: Forever 21 + J Crew// Shades: Prada

Photos: Jason J

Monochrome À La Mode

From flare to body-con, from ’30s midis to boxy wool sweaters, monochromatic black ensembles were omnipresent in fashion week shows across the Western Hemisphere.  A lineup of trend-setting antics that elicit a subtle sense of chic, avant-garde elation was sprung from the classics: sculptural tops, waxen jackets, perforated pullovers, and (a fashion staple) leather skinnies.

    

An applauding mishmash of classic vibes isn’t new to the fashion world. Down the Lincoln Center catwalks to the stone-cobbled streets of Paris, celebrities and socialites alike gear towards this classic streamlined look for its underscored à la mode impression. Simply put – versatile and never out of style.

We can take a page out of Poppy Delevingne’s style playbook and put together an all-black ensemble that lends itself nicely to an evening soirée. Or a 9-5 gig. Or a retail therapy session. So to master this veritably chic style in your everyday life, take note of the following:

1.) Fabrics – Vary in texture! Macramé tops, wool pants, leather moto jackets, you get my drift. Make sure dense and sheer fabrics offset one another. You don’t want to pair a mesh top with a lace body-con dress. Leave some to the imagination.

2.) Accessories– Tribal beads, stackable rings, printed scarfs, fedoras. Accenting your outfit with colorful baubles and season-appropriate toppers would galvanize you to anywhere but ho hum.

 

3.) Lips– Pucker up! Give the dark ensemble a shot of adrenaline with fiery red lips! Cherry or fuchsia, coral or pink. Choose one that bodes well with your skin tone (say young maiden, bold red for fair, orange for medium, berry for dark).

My head-to-toe black ensemble today resonates with the idea of simplicity with an edge. Highly enamored by this Alexander Wang number the moment I walked in the store, the subtle folds across the front adds a tendril of flair to a classic silhouette. To hold steady my visual interest, I mix and mingled various fabrics like a patterned leather jacket and dark denim skinnies. Gold-toned accessories are my go-to source of color as well as this orange Pashli and cherry red lips from YSL Rouge Volupté. Favorite item du jour? These velvety cut-out heels from Elie Tahari 🙂

What’s your favorite neutral ensemble for Fall? Please comment and let me know! Happy pairing!

Xo~ Lena

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Top: Alexander Wang// Jeans: Paige// Jacket: Hinge// Shoes: Elie Tahari// Bag: Phillip Lim// Bracelets: Urban Outfitters// Shades: Prada

Photos: Jason J

Borrowed From The Boys

London Fashion Week has long been considered the “kooky aunt” of fashion weeks, as The New York Times deftly stated in its recap. After a 7-day iteration of fashion-forward catwalk shows and street style panoplies at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, the style-setters quickly jetted over to the Swinging City for the British fashion extravaganza.

Unlike the brazen, digitally-consumed summation of its predecessor (think Rebecca Minkoff’s high-tech glasses and Ralph Lauren’s Godzilla-like holograms of models on his runway), London Fashion Week’s normcore styles were, well quite frankly, normal. Modest and understated, to say the least (with the lack of a 10-feet tall inflatable pink elephant).

A Burberry blanket coat perhaps (hefty on the market at $1300) or a copious dose of feminine pleats. My favorite style? Haute-androgyny. Menswear designs. Think bomber jacket dress from Christopher Raeburn, rucksack from Preen, and denim jacket from Burberry.

I loved how models worked the dandy look, from Cara Delevingne’s satin 2-piece navy suit (no bra intended) to Kate Moss’s fitted suede trench coat that worked seamlessly into her all-black ensemble. This feminine spin on a typically male trend is no stranger to the fashion world. Flash back to the early ’20s, Chanel introduced sailor pants as a trend-setting alternative to trousers worn by women in traditionally male jobs. Soon a slew of designers emulated her fashion-forward concoctions with collarless boxy wool jackets and jersey pants. Want to work this trend into your office wardrobe?

Try these 3 trends: 1.) Sleek cropped pants with a nifty button-down shirt 2.) Patterned oversize blazer like houndstooth or tweed over satin shorts, or 3,) Chambray shirt, leather skinnies and chelsea boots.

As to my take on androgynous haute couture, I worked in a boxy beaded sweatshirt over a crisp white button down shirt. I really like the round neckline, stand-up collar, and colorful embroidery as this played up my usual run of the mill shirt.

Staging in a pop of color with the blood orange clutch was tricky but the color well illuminated the beaded embroidery when framed together in a shot so I thought why not? The brighter the outfit, the happier this OL (office lady). To finish this look, I kept my pants and accessories to a minimum with these Paige denim jeans and black ankle boots.

Of course if you’re opting for that seventies swagger of Mick Jagger, turn to Miu Miu’s clashing striped collar and Valentino’s shiny slip-ons. After all, every good tomboy has a throwback rock ‘n roll feminine side 🙂

Xo~ Lena

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Sweater: H&M// Shirt: Banana Republic// Jeans: Paige Denim// Boots: BP Shoes// Clutch: Tory Burch// Shades: Prada

Photos: Jason J

 

Earn Wings And Sky Out

“For me, time is the greatest mystery of all. The fact is that we’re dreaming all the time. That’s what really gets me. We have a fathomless lake of unconsciousness just beneath our skulls.” – Anthony Hopkins

They often say dreaming is the foreground to imagination that’s free, unhampered, and limitless. As a child, we often use our wandering mind to dream the unthinkable, gather concrete mortar for our supporting blocks, and build castles in the air. Not ones that we live lavishly in complacency, but those that house our solid character and drive our pursuit. Our passion. Who we want to be, and what we want to achieve.

To ponder is one, to chase after is another. Though dreams and ambitions steer our journey to new grounds, oftentimes we get so wrapped up in modern mayhem and digital conundrums (4G LTE where art thou?) that we forget our initial bearings and saunter our way to aggravated terrains. We forget our objective, we cede our motive. So to regroup my thoughts when they are scattered along four miles of Lake Shore Drive, I would take a breather by the lakeside and enjoy the view across the horizon.

Invigorating. Unruffled. Free.

To tribute this journey of revitalizing self (and rendering positive impact on my surrounding), I picked out this embroidered A-line dress from Mata Traders. I love the hand block prints and craft designs as much as the company’s motive in making fashion an impactful metric for fair trade and creating a sphere of meaningful work opportunities for women in India and Nepal. Thus this statement piece coincides with the idea of educating and empowering self and others as the company’s mantra spans a long latitude with a socially-gratifying impact. Mata means “mother” in Hindi, and their clothing is a tribute to the female shakti power in each and every one of us! To find out more about this Shore Club Dress and learn about how their quality handiwork makes fair trade products fashion-forward and unique, check them out HERE!

Fresh air. Breezy and potent by nature. Unhampered sight. Untampered mind. That’s the shakti power of Mother Nature 🙂

Xo~ Lena

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Dress: Mata Traders// Sweater: Abercrombie & Fitch// Belt: H&M// Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs// Shoes: Vince Camuto// Shades: Prada// Bracelet: Topshop// Earrings: Anne Haywood

In collaboration with Mata Traders; thoughts and opinions are my own.