25 Days of Style: a Fashion Blog series -- Day 23

     Day 23 and February is here! And if you're anywhere below the Mason-Dixon line (especially where I am) then you're probably feeling a little hint of spring coming along, but it's not that quite warm yet! This is usually the time of the year when I'm itching for a bit more color and floral in my ensemble and what best way to incorporate that into my look than spring/summer scarves! Instead of reaching for your favorite heavy knit scarf, why not try one of your light summer scarves in that fun and colorful print. There are sooo many ways to tie and style a scarf (Fashion Blog scarf tutorial coming soon? yes?) and today, I just simply tied it using the modern technique thanks to our friends at WHOWHATWEAR.com. It sounds fancy, but it's actually quite simple. It's basically a circle, infinity, or tube scarf styling (among its many names) minus the ends of the scarf being perpetually sewn together, because this is just a regular rectangular scarf. 

     With the lightweight scarf being the focal point of my look, it won't necessarily keep me warm so this thermal striped shirt (with super cute gold buttons!) along with my favorite skinny jeans in a classic wash and my new coat investment -- this basic black but super chic pea coat -- I'm toasty as ever. If you've been keeping up with the style series, then I hope that you remembered my style advice when it comes to jackets, blazers, and other outerwear. A basic black pea coat in a very good quality is a must-have investment. I call it an investment because winter after winter after winter, you'll find yourself wearing it over and over. It's basically timeless. I own several winter coats, many of them in different styles and color and for the longest time due to a winter necessity purchase in college, I bought a rather cheap navy pea coat (The town where I went to college was your average college town and it didn't really have a lot of places to shop other than one main shopping mall and tons of small business boutiques which didn't really carry much merchandise.) And after one winter season of wearing it, the navy pea coat already started falling apart! But that's what happens when I pay $30 for a cheap coat that's of poor quality and it took me forever to find one that's just right -- the right color, the right size, great heavy and quality material, and in my price range. 

     I know that not everyone can dish out major cash for an investment buy like a good winter coat, so in that case my advice is wait around for the major winter sales. Wait until after Christmas and New Years when the stores are trying to get rid of all their winter inventory to make room for the spring and summer lines. But word of caution, since a lot of these garments have being hanging on the racks since before Thanksgiving, it probably had to withstand a lot of customer abuse from being touched and tried on. Before you make your purchase, make sure that there aren't any defects in the garments -- rips, stains, missing buttons, etc -- because if it is fixable after a trip to the tailor (or something you can fix yourself!), then the store will (if their store policy permits it, which more stores do) give you a discounted price for the garment except with a caveat. When stores usually give you discounts due to a defect in the garment it's usually a final sale which means that you can no longer exchange it for a refund or store credit, so you've been warned! 

     And finally, what do you think of my sparkly TOMS?? Are you familiar with TOMS shoes? If not, then all you need to know is that they're super comfortable and your purchase goes towards an amazing cause. Because for every one pair of TOMS shoes that is purchased, the company donates one to a child who needs them! How great is that! It's their one for one policy and I think it's fantastic. Being fashionable and a beauty is one thing, but we all have to remember to give back and this is a great start. I got my pair at Nordstrom but if there's not one near where you live, there are also a lot of select stores that carry them or you can go to their website www.toms.com to get your pair. They come in a great array of colors and like I said, they're incredibly comfortable. Remember, being beautiful starts inside. 

Love, KB

striped thermal shirt by J.Crew

black pea coat by Zara 

skinny jeans by BDG -- Urban Outfitters 

scarf by H&M

shoes by TOMS

Magazine Covergirl -- Vogue: Taylor Swift (February 2012)

sweater by Rodarte / hat by Patricia Underwood

     It's finally February and time to share Vogue's new and first time cover girl, Taylor Swift! I've had this issue for a while now and I couldn't wait to share it with everyone but wanted to wait until the designated month to share. And she's Fashion Blog's first magazine cover girl post in 2012! I love first time cover girls because I like seeing the change within the person throughout the years. And if they stay as good as being chosen for this highly coveted privilege to be featured on the cover of fashion's ultimate bible, then hopefully those changes you see are good as well. I mean, Sarah Jessica Parker has graced the cover, what -- six times now? -- and you can see the distinct change between her very first to her very latest and she's still Carrie Bradshaw to me. My favorite first time Vogue cover girls last year were Lady Gaga in March 2011 and Emma Watson in July 2011. 

     I really like this month's cover story of Taylor Swift because of two elements: she's dressed from head to toe Rodarte in almost all of the looks and the clothes that the stylist of the shoot, Tonne Goodman, has chosen for her is something that we usually don't see her in, which is very refreshing. In this editorial appropriately titled for this Valentine's Day month as "The Single Life," and shot by Mario Testino, Taylor is not in her usual girly and whimsical pastel colored dresses and curls. For once, her hair is straight and Vogue gave her bangs which I'm so glad she kept (but for how long, I don't know.) There is definitely still the country girl element in all of the looks, especially in those Miu Miu rose print boots, but the look and styling is much more edgier than what we're used to and I like it a lot. When a stylist creates a look that stays true to the theme and person or people that they're dealing with, but puts a completely different and surprising twist to it, that particular body of work stands out and I commend Tonne for doing just that. 

dress by Rodarte / boots by Jil Sander

coat and dress by Rodarte / boots by Miu Miu / bag by Carlos Falchi

on Taylor dress and hat by Rodarte / boots by Michael Kors

dress by Rodarte / jeans by Levi's / boots by Miu Miu
sunglasses by Ray-Ban / hat by Patricia Underwood
bag by Andrew Marc

top and jacket by Rodarte / jeans by Rag & Bone / boots by Miu Miu

Love, KB

25 Days of Style: a Fashion Blog series -- Day 22

     Day 22 and I'm still a bit elated from all of the birthday celebrations yesterday (and these past two weeks really.) I feel incredibly blessed to have such amazing friends and family. So my first day being twenty-five and I'm in the mood for something very relaxed and effortless, but with a touch of an on-trend accessory. And what's more effortless than a comfy knit sweater in a bright blue hue, my favorite pair of black skinnies, and black wedge booties? As for the on-trend accessory, my latest jewelry find is this black lace bib necklace that's totally fabulous and even possible to make yourself (a DIY Fashion Blog perhaps?) 

     If you read as many style books as I do, investing in a lot of accessories and costume jewelry is the style advise that you often read about when the issue of having a limited budget arises. Obviously not all of us can afford all of the pieces fresh off the runway, but as trends trickle down to the department stores, a lot of the looks, especially the accessories, almost always show up at the nearest jewelry rack near you. Aside from being so versatile, jewelry and accessories are relatively inexpensive (thank you Coco Chanel for popularizing costume jewelry!) and every woman can wear them! Not only are they completely affordable, but they also complete the outfit and add a little something to an otherwise simple look. Any store that sells women's apparel almost always sells jewelry and other accessories which happens to be one of my favorite things to do while shopping. Finding a unique jewelry finds in these stores is my absolute favorite. And since these are costume jewelry (the price that you've paid for them should suggest at the quality of how it's made and what it's made out of) just be cautious at the amount of nickel that's in them in case you have a certain sensitivity to such substances. 

     As for my other accessory, what do you think of my new Cambridge satchel??! Yes, it was birthday gift! And I'm already absolutely obsessed with it! I've always wanted to invest in a good sized leather satchel that can carry a lot of my day to day essentials as well as travel necessities (like my Instax camera, Flip cam, digital camera, travel sized sketch pad, and sunnies.) And it was this travel aspect which inspired me to create the unique name card, which also has my personal information on the back. Before it was a major film, Breakfast at Tiffany's was a short story written by Truman Capote and if you've read it, then you should know what I'm talking about! 

Love, KB

cobalt blue sweater by American Eagle

black skinny jeans by BDG -- Urban Outfitters 

black lace bib necklace by Forever 21 

black suede booties by Steve Madden

satchel by Cambridge Satchel Company 

2012 SAG Awards

1. Michelle Williams in Valentino 

     This past Sunday the 18th Annual SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards took place. Compared to the Golden Globes and the Oscars, the SAG awards is a bit more low key and relaxed, because this is an award show that's solely based on their peers. I believe TBS's advertising logo for the event is Actors celebrating Actors celebrating Acting. But nonetheless, the ladies of Hollywood, without disappointment came out to leave a lasting impression. My favorite look of the night however has to be Michelle Williams in a red Valentino. How appropriate right? If you're going to wear Valentino, why not choose a gown in a color that's he's so famously known for. The lace detailing on the shoulders which spreads to the back is just divine, and even though I've been saying this since she got that haircut, no one can pull off that pixie cut better than she can. Even though she didn't win the Best Actress award for her role as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn, she was the clear winner for the best dressed in my fashion book. The rest of my favorite looks are as follows:

2. Emily Blunt in Oscar de la Renta 

Such a beautiful jewel tone-green and super sexy leg slit! The Twitterverse was buzzing about this dress and how could you not love it let alone Emily Blunt?

3. Emma Stone in Alexander McQueen

Take notice my little fashionistas, tea length/midi skirts and dresses are going to be making a comeback and this McQueen dress is the perfect start (despite the fact that Tina Fey tried to get the ball rolling with this hem length a couple of award seasons back) 

4. Kristin Wiig in Balenciaga 

The moment I saw her on the red carpet, I believe my first words were, Holy What the Choker? I guess it took some getting used to, because after a while, I actually didn't mind the choker, but I think it had a lot to do with the fact of how well the dress fits her body and how the styling of her hair and make up makes up for it (and I love her as a brunette btw) 

5. Rose Byrne in Elie Saab

Before she was that snooty girl in Bridesmaids, I first became familiar with Rose Byrne through a little movie called Wicker Park where she played a complete psycho-of-a-neighbor. But at least her taste in fashion is not as crazy. I think this Elie Saab jumpsuit is so modern and fashion forward and suits her perfectly. If you're going to wear pants at an award show, might as well a jumpsuit as chic as this one. But I bet you're going to be regretting the choice once you need to use the ladies room. 

6. Sofia Vergara in Marchesa 

Over the past few award shows, Sofia Vergara has finally rubbed off on me. Even though I've seen her in this silhouette so many times before, I think it's perfect for her because it highlights her assets very well. She still needs help pronouncing her A's and E's but I think that's what I love about her. 

7. Natalie Portman in Giambattista Valli 

I didn't see Natalie Portman on the red carpet, but once she stepped out to present, her Giambattista Valli dress confirmed my beliefs about her love for deep red/wine/purple gowns. Remember all of her red carpet looks last year? She wore a Rodarte gown (how fitting) in a similar, but brighter hue when she received her first Academy Award for Best Actress. 

8. Kailey Cuoco in Romona Keveza 

The red carpet commentary on this dress was mixed, but I personally love it. Sweetheart necklines -- love. Pastel colors -- love. Explosion of ruffles on the skirt -- double love (and milkmaid braid -- adorable!) Kind of reminds of a Monique Lhuillier frock, but Romona Keveza is definitely a label that everyone is going to start hearing often on the red carpet for the years to come. 

9. Viola Davis in Marchesa

Marchesa -- Need  I say more? But I do love this Marchesa dress on Viola Davis. Not only does it fit her well, but the styling of the entire look is also perfect with the right kind and right amount of accessories. Congrats on the Best Actress award for The Help! I still need to watch it.  

10. Jayma Maysin Reem Acra 

Before she was that teacher on Glee she was that girl I loathed the most on Ugly Betty (Betty and Henry belonged together) but T.V. grudges aside, I think this shimmery Reem Acra with the lace sheathe detailing in the back is actually quite beautiful.      

Love, KB

25 Days of Style: a Fashion Blog series -- Day 21

     Day 21 and the day that I've been dreading since entering my adulthood is here -- My 25th birthday. Don't get me wrong, looking old is the least of my problems -- I look like a sixteen year old teenage girl. I just feel like there's so much that I still want to do and feel like I'm running out of time (eep!) But nonetheless, this is a happy occasion, because I love birthdays (especially when it's mine! lol.) I've been showered with great gifts and company from the past week and I couldn't help but feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world, even without all of the presents. I have an amazing family and sister, great friends, and a beyond wonderful best friend who simultaneously act as my significant other. And since today is my birthday, let me make this blog post brief so I can get back to celebrating and feeling old. 

     Here's my style advice on birthday outfits: wear ANYTHING that makes you feel pretty, happy, and or sexy. My red 25th birthday dress is very modest Kate Middleton in the front, but very va-va-voom sexy with its bare back. However, I still feel it's the right balance of class, intrigue, and provocativeness (just plan accordingly when wearing bare/open back styles if you know what I mean. We don't want those things poking out when it gets chilly.) For a little bit of sparkle (because every girl needs a little sparkle on her birthday!), I've opted for my favorite investment buy of the month which this crystal collar necklace. And for a touch of simplicity, since the dress and choice of accessory is so loud, I've chosen my favorite black suede pumps. Birthdays is the perfect time to wear whatever fancies you, because the day is about you after all. Where what you want, let your hair down, and have lots of fun. This is even the day to have fun with your make-up and nail polish! Glitter? Go for it! Today really gives true meaning to it's my party and I'll cry if I want to (hopefully no genuine tears of sadness!) Oh, and off to eat cake too! I wish someone really did make me that Chanel cake. But I don't know if I'll be able have the heart to destroy something so prettyyyyy. 

Love, KB

dress by Zara 

black suede pumps by Steve Madden

poplin/peter pan collar necklace by BCBG