Late Summer Flare

Crochet Crop Top: MinkPink 'Cotton Fields' (on sale here from $62 to $37)

Flared Pants: Others Follow

Heeled Sandals: Jeffrey Campbell 'Encase' (on sale here from $160 to $49)

Necklace: Vanessa Mooney

Hat: Vintage

Summer may technically be over, but I tend to stretch my summer wardrobe for another month or so til SoCal temps drop lower than 80 degrees. 

One of my favorite summer items that I've been wearing quite often for the past couple months are flared pants! They're perfect for the scorching hot temps because of how thin and lightweight they are! Plus, they always come in fun colors and prints. Below are a few simple tips I always use when styling printed pants! Hope you find them helpful! 

TIPS:

1) Pair your printed bottoms with a solid colored top. Typically, I'd choose a top in a color that's also found in the bottom. This will help bring your look together and make it cohesive.

2) Choose a fitted top if your bottoms are looser and flowy. And choose a looser top for the more fitted bottoms. This will help balance out your whole look.

3) I would suggest wearing printed bottoms with some sort of heel to elongate your legs. The busy prints can make your legs appear shorter so throw on some heels to finish off the look.

Cream of the Crop (Top)

Crop Top: Fairground 'Astra Crop Top' in Dali Lama Print - Revolve Clothing (here)

Silk Trousers: Olive & Oak - Nordstrom

Heels: Jeffrey Campbell 'Hough' (here)

Bracelets: DIY Swarovski Crystal bracelet & Vintage Bone Cuff

Ring: CC Skye 'Fools Gold' Ring (here)

Short body-con dresses are obviously sexy but silk trousers can be sexy too if you style wisely! Since the weather has warmed up significantly, I no longer have to bundle up with huge coats or leather jackets to go out. Instead, I opted for a printed crop top and some silk trousers for a girls' night out this weekend. I chose a sleeveless crop top as the focal piece of my outfit to keep things young and fun. I also kept the rest of the outfit fairly simple to balance out the busy printed top. 

Styling Tip: When going out for fancy drinks at a restaurant or bar, I personally like to choose either to expose my legs OR my arms for a sleeker and chicer ensemble. I leave the shorter skirts and dresses for the more wild and crazy parties.

Even though we "sprang forward" with daylight savings, I feel like it's 3 hours later than it actually is. I can't help feeling this way after the weekend that I just had. The last 4 days pretty much consisted of nothing but drinking, hiking, and swimming with some work squeezed in here and there. I am so exhausted that I was ready to pass out at 7pm today but then I realized that I hadn't worked out, eaten, or blogged yet. Now that that's all done....Good night, world!!!

Super BRRR Sunday

Vest: MinkPink Sherpa-lined Blanket Vest (here)

Long sleeve Top: Joe's Jeans Linen Tee

Destroyed Denim Pants: Dittos

Booties: Koolaburra (here)

Jewelry: Vanessa Mooney (here)

Although I'm really not a sports type of gal, I did end up watching the Super Bowl last night and I thoroughly enjoyed watching The Broncos get their butts kicked by The Seahawks. No exaggeration... the final score was 43 - 8! I mean it was a brutal butt kicking!!! I honestly don't know anything about the teams but I was rooting for The Seahawks because I'm obsessed with all things Seattle related. I even want to eventually purchase a summer home in Seattle lol. I visited Seattle for a work trip a couple summers ago and I instantly fell in love with everything there--the food, the people, the abundance of music, the art, etc. Unfortunately I despise the rain so I think I'll only be able to handle summers there when I retire hahaha. 

Anyway, it started to actually feel like it was finally winter in California yesterday. I was freezing but I luckily I stayed warm in my favorite sherpa-lined blanket vest from MinkPink during the BBQ. I simply threw it over a comfy linen long sleeved t-shirt from Joe's Jeans and tucked that into a pair of light washed Dittos Jeans. I finished the look with a pair of chestnut brown booties and tons of Vanessa Mooney. 

Cheers to a great Monday!

Black & Blue

Just keeping it casual in black & blue while chic-ing it up a bit with heels and a faux leather cap. I felt like I had take advantage of the sunny and warmer winter days last week so I paired my outfit with some open toe heels.

However, this week has been miserably cold for me especially because I start to shiver uncontrollably once the temperature drops anywhere near the mid-60s lol.  And according to the LA Times, "A cold Canadian air mass moving into Southern California could drop temperatures across inland valleys into the 30s and 20s beginning Tuesday night and is expected to last through the rest of the week." Sadly, I don't know if I'll last til the end of the week because I'm already freezing my bum off!!! 

Men's Sweater: Projek Raw

Tank: Zara

Pants: Gap

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell 'Hough' (here)

Necklace: Vanessa Mooney

Cap: Urban Outfitters

Bracelet: Luv AJ

Sheer Pleasure

I also picked up this exquisite little number on my crazy shopping spree at the Isabel Marant pour H&M collaboration launch that I wrote about in "I maRant to H&M". 

This silk chiffon dress far exceeded my expectations. The lookbook really does not do this dress any justice (even though Milla Jovovich looks stunning as always). You have to see the dress in person to appreciate the intricate details that include: the subtle metallic embroidery throughout the dress, the peacock-like pattern, the puffed shoulders and ruching on the sleeves, the cinched waist, and the raw edges.  

I really love how this dress just effortlessly oozes class and elegance with its conservative yet form-fitting silhouette and intricate details. This dress hits just below the knee so in order to elongate my legs, I styled it with a nude heel. I kept the rest of the look simple for my boyfriend's family brunch with minimal jewelry, makeup, and a nude lip. For a nighttime look, this dress would look spectacular with some classic black pumps, a long black coat, and some red lips to add some drama. Now show me how you girls styled your Isabel Marant pour H&M silk chiffon dresses! 

Jacket: Isabel Marant pour H&M (here)

(Complete Lookbook here)

 Shoes: Steve Madden (similar here)

 

 

Capped It Off

Eddie and I capped off our Labor Day weekend by throwing a BBQ get together for a bunch of high school buddies. We decided to grill our usual go-to favorite...carne asada because you can never really go wrong with some carne asada, guacamole, chips, and salsa! We spent the day playing Cards Against Humanity (which is like an inappropriate version of Apples to Apples lol), eating and drinking, swimming, hot tubbing, and eating some more. It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend with my love.

I wore the newest addition to my closet...this amazing One Teaspoon blazer (thanks to my amazingly generous aunt). I am so obsessed with it!!! The colors, the prints, the cut...it's all just so so so gorgeous! I've only had it for a few days but I know I'm going to be prancing around town in this piece quite often! It's just such a versatile piece that can either be dressed up or down. I decided to keep my look pretty casual for the BBQ with a simple white silk tank top, cutoff denim shorts, the blazer, and some beige colored peep-toe booties. I guess the heels and the silk weren't the most casual but it was meant to be a laid back look. 

I capped off my outfit with a leather baseball cap, which has been a favorite accessory of mine lately. Not only does it just look cute with everything, it also provides shade for my face. It's a total win win for me. Below are some tips for buying and wearing this leather cap trend.

Tips:

1) Buy a solid colored leather cap because they're easy to incorporate into any outfit. They add an instant touch of chicness and sleekness to any look. Note: I personally like solid accessories because I'm not really a pro at mixing prints. But if you are, by all means go crazy with printed and embellished caps!

2) You can style it with something feminine like a short dress or miniskirt to contrast the sweetness with some edge. 

3) You can cap off your casual t-shirt and jeans and instantly create a chic look. I personally like to add heels to most of my outfits (unless I'm running around all day) so when my clothes are more casual, I counter it with lots of accessories like layers of jewelry and heels.

Leather Cap: Urban Outfitters

Palm Tree Printed Blazer: One Teaspoon 'November Rain' (here)

Silk Tank Top: The T Refinery (Planet Blue)

Shorts: CarMar (LF Stores)

Peep-Toe Booties: Dolce Vita 'Niven' (here)

Bracelets: Vanessa Mooney (here and here) and Luv AJ (here)

Necklace: Vanessa Mooney (here)

My first plate of food...out of like 5 hahaha

Typical Natasha...Stuffing my face with food. 

Don't bother me...I'm eating, Eddie!

As the night went on, more and more old friends stopped by for pool/jacuzzi time! Notice how they're all guys?! Lol.