Summer Styling

Since I didn't write a packing post for my last trip, I thought it might be fun to post some of my summer outfits.  One of my male friends was making fun of me for laying out all my clothes for trips and joked about doing it himself.  My first thought was that a male packing post is a great idea and second was that the joke is on him because they are some of my most popular posts.  Laying my clothes out helps me pack better for each trip. So many of us get into a rut and end up wearing the same outfits with the same accessories over and over again.  Thinking about my outfits helps me mix things up and hopefully inspires my readers to do the same.

My favorite outfit for spring and early summer was the one above.  I've worn it to a few events so I'm probably not allowed to wear it again.  Well, maybe one more time.  I was very proud of myself for creating an outfit with more color.  The Talbots skirt (sold out) looks yellow but is actually chartreuse in real life.  The J.Crew Wave Tank (on sale now) actually has a flouncy bottom that you can't see when it's tucked into the skirt.  The black blazer and gold bracelet are also from J.Crew.  The blue ring is Marcia Moran.  I made the necklace by tying together five strands of African beads together from the flea market that I bought for $20.  The color matches my favorite summer nail polish Lollipop from Essie.  The shoes are Manolo Blahnik that I bought on sale at Barneys last summer and the vintage straw Chanel bag is from Rice and Beans Vintage. 

I usually wear a lot of dresses which are great to throw on and go but you can't really restyle them to make other outfits.  I've been trying to buy more skirts and this chartreuse Talbots skirt is a good first skirt.  I like it with this old J.Crew button down.  I've never actually worn it with the striped Pretty Ballerina flats but I might in the Hamptons.  The white Goyard tote is a great lightweight summer bag.  Same necklace and nail polish and bracelet as above.  I'm "borrowing" the vintage Breitling watch from my father.  Thanks dad!

I know this looks the same but this blue shirt is a new Perfect Linen Shirt from J.Crew.  The white jeans are also a summer staple but I might have to buy a colored pair of pants so I can channel Tilda Swinton's character in I Am Love. That's part of the reason I threw pearls on with the shirt. Same accessories as above.

I thought I could pair the same linen shirt with the chartreuse skirt for an after work event with this Ikat clutch from Chico's.  The colors work perfectly with the skirt and my favorite old Christian Louboutin peep toe slingbacks. 

Talbots was kind enough to send me this beautiful floral skirt and I love that it can also be styled many different ways. For running around the city for work, I paired it with the old J.Crew blue shirt, vintage pearl necklace, Lanvin bracelets, Asha by ADM smoky topaz ring, vintage Breitling watch, Tom Ford sunglasses, nude Christian Louboutin flats and an old Louis Vuitton bag.  I want to have stripes painted on this bag but Louis Vuitton will only paint them on new bags.

I also like the same Talbots skirt with my ivory Blythe Blouse from J.Crew.  The necklace is from Calypso for Target, Lanvin bracelets, vintage watch, topaz ring, old Christian Louboutin wedges, and same Louis Vuitton bag.  The finishing touch is Potato Fields nail polish by Essie.

For hotter days, I can pair the Talbots skirt with my short sleeved Silk Sophie Blouse (on sale now) from J.Crew. I also recently splurged on this nude woven sandals from Prada. They are super comfortable and go with everything. The clutch is from Club Monaco and the accessories are the same as above.

As you can tell, I shop at lot at J.Crew and my new favorite dress is this Summer Hours Linen Dress.  It appears to be sold out online in the blue shade but is still available in muslin and beachwood.  I love it so much that I might buy it in the other colors too. It's perfect for steamy days in the city with my new Prada sandals and Club Monaco clutch. 

My other favorite summer dress is this black wrap dress I bought last summer from Club Monaco.  It works perfectly for day with flat sandals and for evening with heels.  It came with a self belt but I always replace them with my own.  It might be too matchy matchy with this one which is why it's sometimes good to lay things out.  I could switch it out for my Marni belt and take off the vintage necklace for a simpler look.

I always love a casual untucked shirt and white jeans for running around the city and this black silk blouse from Chico's is perfect.  I'm hoping my black Roger Vivier sandals will last one more summer since they are so comfortable.  They also dress up any outfit better than flip flops. The red necklace and nail polish add a pop of color as does my blue Hermes H-our watch.  If I really wanted to bring things full circle, I would pair the striped Wave Tank from J.Crew with the black blazer and white jeans. 

Now that it's getting hot and steamy in New York, I'll need more lighter pieces but lucky for me all the stores are holding their annual summer sales.  Happy Shopping and Styling!