Sneak Peek: Python heels for Spring

I’m trying to get into the habit of planning my wardrobe ahead of time instead of shopping in season all the time. Not only does planning lend the opportunity to save with markdowns, but it also gives me some pieces to look forward to when the weather turns. I stopped buying winter clothes at the end of November and started stocking up for spring. This turned out to be a great idea when I was home for the holidays because there just so happen to be some great outlet stores near where my family lives, and there were some serious after-Christmas sales happening on spring/summer items. My favorite find was this pair of L.K. Bennett python heels that I seriously can’t wait to break out when it’s warm enough. I think they’ll look just as great paired with a flirty dress as they will with a pair of cuffed jeans! What are you looking forward to wearing this spring?

Spring Preview

Sometimes when the weather gets just a little too cold and the days a little too dark, I can’t help but daydream about warmer days and shorter hemlines. I’m about at that point where I don’t want to think about another layer or go through the process of bundling and un-bundling as I come and go during the day. Luckily, even though the temperature isn’t quite right for bare legs and sandals yet, there are plenty of spring items sneaking their way into the stores already. I’m already stocking up! Here are a few of my picks for the spring.

{1} Prabal Gurung for Target (available February 10th) | {2} Club Monaco | {3} Tibi

{1} Kate Spade | {2} Deepa Gurnani | {3} Etsy

{1} Rebecca Minkoff | {2} Schutz | {3} Zara

Comptoir des Cotonniers Spring 2012

Were you a part of the great Jason Wu for Target debacle this past weekend? Hopefully not, because the scene at my local store on Sunday morning was not pretty. I mean, the women screaming and fighting and calling each other unsavory names kind of “not pretty.” I managed to nab a few dresses and a handbag, but I refuse to play dirty for clothes from Target. Or from anywhere, for that matter. I’m a lady, for goodness sake!

Jason Wu’s capsule collection was inspired by an “American girl in Paris”, which is funny because the new spring collection from Parisian boutique Comptoir des Cotonniers is inspired by two French girls on a road trip in California! Go figure. I love that Comptoir has a blouse with a sweet little bow at the neck, just as Jason Wu did for Target. I really love the clothes at Comptoir for their great fit and perfect balance between simplicity and a unique je ne sais quoi! Also, their boutiques in Manhattan have the most lovely, helpful sales assistants who know juuuust how to style everything in a way that makes it difficult for me to leave empty-handed. Here are a few great looks from the Spring 2012 collection (you can see the full lookbook here)!

Fashion Fixation: Red Pants

Red pants have been all over the place this spring and summer. I’ve tried desperately to find a pair of my own that were both flattering and affordable, but so far I haven’t had very much luck. I’m not worried about it though — after taking a look at the Claudie Pierlot Winter 2011 look book, I’m pretty sure that the style can be easily transitioned into fall and worn with fun knits and rock-chic separates (I love this trench with leather arms!). Here are a few pairs that I’m hoping I’ll have more luck with than I’ve been having so far!

1. ASOS Tailored Slim Waistband Crop Pants — $51.72

2. Rachel Roy Tropical Wool Skinny Zip Pants — $103.50

3. BDG Twill Grazer Mid-Rise Pant — $29.00

It’s Shocking! Neons for Spring

No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to pull myself away from ne0n colors. Like a moth attracted to an outrageously obnoxious fluorescent light, I keep coming back to this bright and punchy spring trend while never having the courage to just go on and try it. Although you’ll probably (ok, make that definitely) never see me in the lovely Christopher Kane number pictured above, I’ve been looking for ways to incorporate a little more fluo-fun into my wardrobe for spring.

This pair of heels from Zara marries two partners of one of the best color combinations, in my opinion: nude and fluorescent. The neutral color of the shoe balances out the crazy pop of bright yellow, making it completely wearable.

If you haven’t seen and/or drooled over one of Cambridge Satchel Co.‘s fluorescent satchels yet, I don’t really know where you’ve been. I can imagine that wearing one of these bags with an otherwise simple outfit would just make such a statement. The other awesome thing is that you can opt to have your initials embossed on the front of the bag, which I think is so old-timey and cool.

Would I wear this dress? Maybe if I had a really, really good excuse to look like a paillette-ed Big Bird. I can’t imagine how much this sucker by ASOS BLACK weighs, much less how you’d sit down in it without ruffling your sequins into a terrible state, but sometimes there are more important things in life than answering rational questions.

I really love the beautiful, tailored look of this Nanette Lepore blouse, and it’s made just that much better by being bright, neon orange. This is definitely a more wearable option than the Big Bird dress, but obviously not as risky. And let’s face it… if you don’t take a little risk and look like you’re lost and trying to find your way back to Sesame Street, how much fun are you really having?

The Opposite of Winter Blahs

Every morning when I eagerly check the weather report, the temperature seems to slowly creep upwards, only to plummet back down a few days later. Maybe it’s because this winter has been so depressingly long that every store front seems to be filled with color for spring. I love that we’re skipping right over the soft, girly pastels and jumping right into screaming neons and fun brights that are reminiscent of the hot beachy weather we wish we were having (note: this post can not be used against me in July when I’m breaking out in heat rash and complaining about how f%$&*#@ hot NYC is during the summer).

This great asymmetric top from Zara has been calling to me since the first day that I laid eyes on it. The cut is so chic, and it literally provides a blank canvas for anything else you want to layer with it.

Also from Zara, these shockingly bright trousers are tailored enough to wear to work, but fun enough for the weekend too. If this doesn’t scream “sunshine” to you, I’m not sure what will.

I love the punchy color blocking on this Nine West bag. This is a great option if you want a trendy and colorful bag without spending a fortune on a leather one (yes, we all know how I feel about faux-leather, but sometimes you gotta be thrifty!)

What are you adding to your spring wardrobe to shake the winter blahs?

Shoe Love: Marais USA

I’m in the market for some new shoes — big time. I tend to be one of those people who wear shoes into the ground, and my go-to flats are definitely feeling a little drafty lately since there is a hole in the toe. Oops!

A few weeks ago, I saw the shoe collection from Marais USA, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since. The shoes are really cute and not overly expensive. The thing I like most about them is that they have really clean and simple designs, which I think would translate into a really easily wearable pair of shoes!

The Two-toned Flat is a great basic flat with a kid suede toe. I’d love them in the cranberry color to replace my favorite pair of red flats that are falling apart!

Another great basic with a sporty side-cutout! The Mercer Flat comes in a pretty sick key lime color that would instantly breathe life into an otherwise plain outfit.

This Kitten Heel style has everything a great warm-weather shoe should have — bright color, a heel low enough to run around in, and plenty of peep toe to show off your pedicure. And even better, it’s on sale right now!

Little White Dress

White has never been my best color. I’ve convinced myself over the years that my skin is just far too pale to carry it off, especially when it comes to dresses. I love the idea of a pretty, flowy, feminine white dress, but I picture myself looking more like Ophelia (you know, after she drowned in the river) than like the free-spirited hippie frolicking in a flowery meadow.

I finally got over my fear and ordered a white dress from ASOS last week, but when it arrived today I was disappointed — the color and style were great, but the dress was cut a little awkwardly and the fabric was so sheer that even wearing a slip underneath revealed more than I was willing to show off in public. So now the good news is that the color (or absence of color) looked good on me. The bad news is that I need to find a dress constructed well enough to conceal what needs to be concealed. Here are a few I’ve got my eye on.

Staring at Stars Gauze Dress at Urban Outfitters — This dress is lovely and simple, and the off-white color of the fabric works a little better on pasty girls like me!

Trina Turk Geralyn Dress at Piperlime — Oh, how I wish I could afford this beauty right now. The cut of this dress is so pretty and flattering, and the lace adds a nice touch of class to it.

Sunburst Maxi Dress at Free People — This is definitely something I’d have to wear a belt with so that it didn’t look huge, but I’m really liking the length of this dress and the pleated detail at the bust. It would look adorable with a brown belt cinched at the waist and a really bright bag to add a little color.

DIY: Fabric Flower Necklace

Remember this fabric that I posted about a few weeks ago? Well, I’ve been crafting since then and this is what I came up with! A new accessory for spring:

Each flower is like a tiny pillow, stuffed with fiberfill. Then, I wrapped them with colorful contrasting embroidery floss to form the petals and strung them together with chain! I think this will make for a fun accessory to add color to outfits! Want a DIY tutorial? Let me know in the comments!

Do You Buy Faux Leather?

Tonight as I was browsing the web for a little Spring inspiration, I stumbled across this bright, fun bag by Melie Bianco. It has a lot of what I’m looking for in a bag — a pop of color, nice structure and large enough to lug around half of my life with me at all times. Everything was looking great to me, until one tiny detail jumped out at me: the bag is “faux leather”, which to me screams “PVC! Plastic! Cheap!” I fully realize that this reaction might make me seem like a snob; I don’t know where my aversion to anything faux leather came from but I just can’t seem to get over it, especially when it comes to handbags. I don’t own many handbags, consequently, but nearly all of mine are real leather. I have theories that they look nicer, last longer and wear better, but that also comes with a hefty price tag!

As I considered this bag further, I realized that it wasn’t “cheap” by any stretch — nearly $100 for a faux leather bag? How could I justify that? This is where I’d love an opinion — would you rather have fewer real leather handbags and instead buy more like this one? Do you feel like these PVC-type bags can look real, or can you always spot them from a mile away?