Summer, where art thou?

It’s May, it’s still raining, and school is almost over. Where is the beautiful season that is summer!

To celebrate the near arrival of summer, there are some things you must see. I’m waiting (impatiently) for the warm weather, the melting ice cream, and the non-existent bad weather!!!!! Until then…I’ve been thinking about what would be great summer clothes that would:

1. Look fantabulous.

2. Keep me cool.

3. Keep me cool enough, so I don’t look like a walking scandal.

4. Look seasonally appropriate (ie. colors and shorts)

5. Be comfortable!

So what will meet all these requirements on my list? Let’s ponder, shall we?

Starting with your head, it’s important to keep your head protected from the sun, especially during the sweltering summer. If you’re like me and love hats, this would be a perfect hat. With hats, such as this lovely straw boater hat, your lovelier head will stay well protected.

Although with a hat, you probably won’t need glasses. But if you rather wear glasses, make sure you find a pair that will look great on you and actually protect your eyes from the blazing sun. For example, I would definitely buy these Karen Walker glasses because not only do they look vintage with a modern twist, they would definitely protect my eyes from the sun.

These Vivienne Westwood earrings are not a necessity, but they have the prettiest colors that would add the finishing touches to your summer outfit.

If you feel that your summer outfit is a little empty, adding any type of noticeable necklace fill that void immediately. This vintage orb locket necklace would be a nice little touch to an outfit since it is of a noticeable length and has a very simple design.

If you’re a traveler, what are you going to carry all of your summer outfits in?!

This vintage duffle bag is a perfect size for either a carry-on bag or a piece of luggage for a brief voyage.

For the summer, shirts will either help you stay cool or drown you in the heat. This shirt, despite it’s tourist-ness, is both cropped and sleeveless which will clearly keep you constantly cool.

If the weather is a bit chilly, this would be a great blouse by All Saints to wear. It’s long sleeved, yet still cropped, and the fabric appears very light-weight. Also, if you’re going out to dinner with the family, this would be a great top to wear with a nice pair of shorts.

(All Saints has recently opened their store in the city!)

Speaking of shorts, these Madewell denim shorts would be great to wear during the day because they are short and very comfortable.

Skirts, on the other hand, are always perfect to wear during the day or night.

These two vintage skirts are silky, which will keep you cool either during the day or night, they are not too long and not too short, and they have rad patterns.

Say you’re going to a summer party..you’re probably going to wear a dress, right? Luckily for you, Meadham Kirchhoff has recently created some beautiful dresses that are now selling at Topshop! Perfect timing for summer, eh?

But if you’re looking for a dainty dress just to wear casually, Urban Outfitters provides you with an assortment of dresses that will fit any occasion, such as this one. This dress, by Pins & Needles, is found at Urban Outfitters. You could honestly wear it for a dinner, a party, or simply for a picnic in the park.

If it suddenly becomes cold and you can always quickly pick up a denim jacket, which usually goes with any outfit (unless your outfit consists of denim already). Denim jackets are very easy to find right now. American Apparel, for example, is selling vintage Levi’s denim jackets. Vintage stores, such as Amarcord, will definitely carry a few wonderful denim jackets.

If you’re in a warm and fuzzy mood, a sweater might be a better choice. Vintage sweaters, like this one, usually are either softer due to age or have more details such as jewels, sequins, or buttons.

Particularly during the summer, comfortable shoes are important. Sometimes choosing the wrong shoes can cause you pain or massive heat. Flats or sandals would probably the best choice. But deciding which ones to buy is the difficult part. Even if you think they are incredibly stunning, they might not be stunningly comfy to walk in if you’re going to be venturing throughout the day. I love these Miu Miu shoes because they have cats on them…and because they’re very comfortable.

Sandals are a very fun type of shoe, especially these espadrilles. Not only are they (most of the time) comfortable, they are almost always pretty and quaint. These espadrilles, which are very popular in Spain, are also becoming very popular here.

I hope you’re excited for the hot days of summer arriving soon, because I definitely am. I’m ready for final exams to finally be over, so we can be set free!!!! Leave a comment and let me know what you will be doing for summer vacation 🙂

X A.C.

Rad Discovery!

I’ve been browsing multiple sites and have found some designers that I’ve grown to love, so I am now showing you my recent discoveries.

Designers including, Carin Wester, LNA, American Retro, Peter Jensen, t.b.a., and Shakuhachi are some my favorites that I’ve found. Finding new designers always brighten my day, and I hope you enjoy all these fresh collections made by these wonderful designers!

Also, with finals arriving soon, it’s nice to have a little break from the work so….what better way to spend your break than to look at these marvelous designs!

1. Carin Wester

She first launched her brand in 2003. This year, she has created a collection full of simplicity, style, and definitely femininity.

With just a little spontaneous exposure, these two examples show lovely, clean designs but in a ravishing feminine way.

2. LNA

If you’re looking for something basic, but edgy, this brand is most definitely your soulmate. Designers, Lauren Alexander and April Leight created this brand with basic t-shirts in mind. This season they’ve created a fusion of their basic tees and added a bit of spice to them.

Clearly shown are two very basic black tops, but it is also clear that they are not ordinary black tops…

3. American Retro

Created by David and Gregory Pariente in 2002, this label fools the eye. Despite of the name, it is actually a French brand. Interesting enough, this brand incorporates Parisian and American style.

Simple, white, and stunningly fabulous.

4. Peter Jensen

Peter Jensen, a Danish designer, has always created collections that are both fun to wear and youthful. His designs include details, embroidery, graphics, and of course, playfulness.

Although I probably wouldn’t wear the pants, I think they give trousers a very great and jolly name. The purse, on the other hand, I adore!

5. t.b.a.

Also known as “To be adored,” which I already do, is a brand that combines the elements of elegance, femininity, modernity, and ladylikeness. Their debut collection includes little details such as gold zippers, buttons, and silky materials.

I want these two things so badly! I love the little details of the skirt, and the embroidered collar on the dress. I absolutely adore the dress and every little thing about it (the color, the little buttons on the top, the silkiness of the bottom half, and the color.) Goodness!!

6. Shakuhachi

Regardless of the Japanese name meaning “bamboo flute,” this Australian brand is an accessible and youthful one that has casual tops and trousers, details, and acid-wash denim.

Everything about this collection is incredibly perfect. It’s almost as if someone took all the beautiful and ideal pieces of clothing out of my brain and made it into a reality.

I hope you check these brands out because they are ‘t.b.a.,’ to be adored!

Next time you take a break from studying, check my blog again for a new post.

x AC

Looking Racoculously Sharp

Architecture, uniqueness, exposed skin,  what could honestly sound better? While venturing online, I came upon a beautiful look that is perfect for any fancy occasion. You could be going to a dinner or going to a fancy schmancy event and wear this look, you’d still look stunning.

What is the look exactly, you ask? I don’t have a clear name to refer to it so I will make up a word…RACOCULOUS, meaning extremely ridiculous as in the fact that these clothes are racoculous. Anyways, this look includes, clean cut dresses that are straightforward, unique architecture, and small slivers of exposure of skin, yeah, very scandalous.

For you, I present multiple outfits that show all these traits of design, simplicity, and slits of bare skin.

(shoes by Elizabeth and James, dress by Helmut Lang, and ring by Jules Smith)

These outfits sum up the theme of this look. Each has small fragments of transparency or exposure, each illustrate architecture, and each lovely show simplicity yet individuality .

(skirt by Mason by Michelle Mason and shoes by Open Ceremony)

(dress by Open Ceremony and shoes by Modern Vintage)

(dress by Open Ceremony and watch by La Mer)

I actually own that watch…so, what do you think? This might not be your style, but I think this look is incredible and of course racoculous.

Xx A.C.

Ps. Don’t you think the basis of all this architecture was inspired by Gaga?

(dresses actually by Prada and hat created by Frank Gehry)

Voici L’Agence!

Looking for a badass, yet elegant, outfit? L’Agence is a label that is spreading like a disease!

There isn’t that much to say about L’Agence in general besides the fact that this brand is fresh and basically breathtaking. If you want to wear something simple yet bold, rebellish yet graceful, you should check this brand out ASAP. Places to find it include: Intermix and Net-A-Porter.

(images from nylonmag.com and net-a-porter.com)

xx A.C.