Insiders Guide to Spring Accessories

FridayFridayFriday Happy Friday! I thought this week I would share an article I wrote recently for the blog over at my good friend Jia's boutique, Studio15. Now that our closets are finally being turned over to shorts and dresses and all things spring, it's the perfect time to try out some funky accessories to add pop to your spring outfits.

FUN SHAPED BAGS

​Girl​, put away that giant tote you've been lugging all winter! Anything that's large enough to conceal a small child is way too heavy this late in the springtime. Try trading out your usual bag for one that's not only smaller, but colorful and an unexpected shape. Kate Spade has been leading the charge this season with their line of wicker animal-shaped handbags, but I'm also in love with this fun watermelon bag from ban.do that's perfect for picnics and beach trips!

​Images from katespade.com

​ & ​

purseblog.com

​Image from thetomkatstudio.com​

UNEXPECTED EARRINGS​

Going along with the less-heavy-more-funky theme of the season, swap out your larger chandelier earrings for more petite styles that hug the ear. ​Especially popular this season are ear jackets, which have a small crystal or round post at the front of your lobe, and spikes or jewels hanging down from the back of the lobe. Another trend resurging are ear cuffs, especially those with spikes or delicate fringe-like chains.

​

​Images from baublebar.com & southbysoho.com​

HEADSCARVES

If you're a long-haired lady like me, spring and summer means ponytail season to get that hot hair up and off of your neck. My #1 go-to accessory when I'm running late on time ​(​and want to make my hairstyle look so much more elaborate than the two seconds it took to put it together​)​ is a headscarf. I own all three of the scarves below! Anthropologie is my favorite place to find them- they have great bright colors for spring and intricate beading that adds an extra luxe touch I've yet to find on scarves elsewhere.

​Images from anthropologie.com

​Image from southbysoho.com​

​​

SPIKES

The spike trend is still going strong this season - look for small, delicate spikes on earrings and bracelets, but also as a great detailing on sandals and flats. Those ​$900 ​Valentino rockstud sandals of Kat Tanita's might be out of reach for most of us, but brands like Ash, Dolce Vita, Rebecca Minkoff and Vince Camuto all have great options for this season.

​Image from withlovefromkat.com

​​Images from revolveclothing.com, shoes.com & shop.nordstrom.com​

ROUND MIRRORED SUNGLASSES

Last but not least, the quintessential spring accessory is a great pair of sunglasses. In lieu of the tried-and-true wayfarers and aviators, this season go for a mirrored pair (I'm loving blue and purple mirrors myself) and look for a large, more rounded shape with a plastic frame.

​​Photos from gorgeautiful.com & southbysoho.com​

What is your go-to accessory this season?

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Chilly & Casual

COAT: SANDRO (only left in navy) // TOP: FOREVER21 (SIMILAR) // 
PANTS: ZARA (SIMILAR, also love THESE in palm print) // SNEAKERS: C. WONDER (SIMILAR) // 
PURSE: KATE SPADE SATURDAY // SUNNIES: SIMILAR // RINGS: BANANA REPUBLIC (SIMILAR)

Hopefully the chilly days are fiiiinally coming to an end here in NYC, but I’ve loved wearing this olive wool jacket on windy days. The color and lighter weight are perfect for spring and fall, and can even be worn on not so cold days in winter. It has a great little fur collar detailing that’s thinner than most fur collars I’ve seen – it’s nice that it’s not too bulky-feeling for spring. This coat costs around $500 from Sandro, but I actually snagged it for $30 at my fave thrift shop, Beacon’s Closet!!

Fun fact: Apparently karma is a b**** for those who brag about their great jacket finds, because I had an entire venti coffee thrown on me by a stranger while wearing this coat the other day. I just got it back from the dry cleaners and spent about an hour brushing out the fur collar with my teasing comb to get it to look right again.

Good news: it was successful. Bad news: Beauty is pain, people. 

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Ode To The Earmuff

 Anthropologie Earmuffs

Giving a big sigh today while reading all these fashion blog posts showing open-toed heels and floral blouses proclaiming "Spring is Almost Here!" For those of you living in the frozen tundra that is the northeast, you know that spring is most certainly not here. Spring is still on vacation in Fiji and isn't even thinking about coming home yet. The low today in NYC is 3 degrees. 3 DEGREES. PLUS WIND. 

(Shivers at her desk under her two layers of scarves...). 

So stay bundled is the message of this post. And how to do that fashionably you may ask? Well I think a wool beanie is a cute as the next blogger, but my long, frizz-prone hair + a wool straightjacket pressing it to my head, does not for a good hair day make. Enter the earmuff (music of angels singing here). Keeps you warm where it counts, and won't mess up any 'do. Plus now that we're "supposedly" entering spring soon, there are some good sales to be found on winter wear. I'm wearing my favorite Athro earmuffs, I love how the cream color stands out against my hair, but a pair of black or oxblood ones would look so sleek! Check out some of my favorite fuzzy options below!

one // two // three // four // five // six

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Sweet Valentine

SWEATER: RALPH LAUREN (SIMILAR) + SKIRT: CHICWISH + HEELS: OLD NAVY (SIMILAR) + 

CLUTCH: ZARA + EARRINGS: F21 (SIMILAR) + RING: BANANA REPUBLIC + 

BRACELETS: J. CREW & C. WONDER

Ah romance is in the air. Or maybe that's just snow and freezing rain, am I right NYC?? Jokes. I have them. Valentine's gets a bad rap from a lot of folks, but I am such a sucker for the holiday. Valentines/Galentines, what's not to love about a pink frilly holiday where you eat candy and celebrate the people you love? Hallmark, I'm on board. 

This year, I took a break from my usual all-black-everything-new-yorker outfits to pair up a few of my most feminine pieces. To keep it updated, I mixed one pastel with one bright color (light pink and cherry red is much more sophisticated than hot pink and red). The soft cashmere sweater and mid-length full skirt give a sweet, classic vibe, and by keeping my accessories all red on bottom and pink on top, the look has a modern color blocking effect.

And in case you're still feeling grumpy about Valentine's Day, I leave you with this gem of positivity:

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snow day

CARDIGAN: OLD NAVY (SIMILAR) + LEGGINGS: VICTORIA SECRET + SCARF: NORDSTROM RACK (SIMILAR) + EARMUFFS: ANTHROPOLOGIE + BOOTS: HUNTER

So we all survived the snowpacalypse here in NYC, but it seems like the snow flurries and piles of white fluff  (oops I meant kind-of-dirty-gray-mush) are here to stay for a while. Enter city-girl’s two best snow-weather friends:

(1) A pair of classic TALL rain boots. These have replaced my standard black leather boots for the time being. Going with black rather than a bright color means my coworkers don’t seem to notice that I wear them every day, and man is it nice not to worry about jumping over slush puddles and getting salt all over my leather boots on my way to and from the office. TIP: BUY THE BOOTSOCKS. They are essentially questionably-pricey fleece kneesocks, but honestly, they’re worth every penny to keep your feet toasty warm. Classic boots like Hunters have no real lining without them. Fold them over your boot (pictured) for one look, or tuck them down into the boot for a sleeker look while still staying warm.

(2) Blanket Scarves. Warm and chunky layers, you can’t beat it. And if you haven’t yet succumbed to buying the Zara plaid blanket scarf almost every woman has this season, it’s time. Nothing beats being able to wrap your scarf around you and snuggle up when the wind picks up.

Stay warm!

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DIY HOLIDAY DINNER PARTY

(aka better late than never, right?)

 Ho Ho Ho Merrrrrrry Christmahannukwanzica! Yes, I know I'm a tad late on getting this out there in the internet world. Every year I hold two big dinner parties and invite all my New York friends- one in the spring, and one in the winter between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And while the holiday season has come and gone, there are a few tips I always stick to when hosting a large (budget friendly) dinner party for any occasion.

WHERE TO SPEND YOUR MONEY

(1) SPEND ON FOOD, NOT BOOZE. Reason: potluck dinners are pretty common in your twenties, but it's rare to be served a fully curated menu. It makes for a much more special occasion, rather than a stressful one with friends guessing what to bring. This also ensures all the dishes in your meal complement each other, since you have control of the menu, and you won’t end up with six servings of store-bought cookies and pasta salad.

(2) DON’T BUY ALCOHOL. Reason: ask your guests to bring a bottle of their favorite wine or beer. Friends will want to contribute to the party and this is an easy way to ensure everyone has a drink they’ll love. Bonus, this also is a subtle teaching moment about bringing a hostess gift to a party, hopefully a lesson your friends will carry with them.

(3) DON’T BUY EVERYDAY ITEMS YOU COULD BORROW. Reason: well, that’s dumb. Borrow folding tables, extra chairs, votive candles, serving dishes, even plates and cutlery if you need to. You don’t normally set a table for 16, so don’t feel like you need to invest in tons of extra everyday items. Your friends and neighbors surely have some staples you could borrow. Just be sure to plan ahead so you aren’t trying to run errands on the day of the party.

(4) DO BUY CLOTH NAPKINS AND CHARGERS. Reason: while apartment 5B definitely has some extra wine glasses you could borrow, they probably don’t have linen napkins and metallic chargers in a matching color scheme. I own 16 gold chargers (I purchased my first set of 12 at Target for $2 each, and picked up four more at Michael’s when they were on sale for $0.69!) and a mix of plain white cloth napkins (aka the cheapest you can buy) and gold chevron napkins (bought on sale at C. Wonder). Even when my chairs are mismatched or the china isn’t all from the same set, the table looks pulled together and polished because of the uniformity from the gold chargers and fancier napkins. Going with gold or silver means that you can use these items year round, another money saver.

(5) DON’T BUY CENTERPIECES. Reason: it’s way too easy to make. Unless you find a killer deal on flowers, forgo them for greenery that’s in season and CANDLES. Candles are the key to great ambiance. Borrow as many votives as you can and scatter them in random groupings down the center of your table. I also used bunches of holly (free: picked from my neighbor’s bush) and pine boughs (tipped the christmas tree salesman on my block $5 and got a whole bushel of leftover branches) as accents on my table and mantel.

(6) MAKE NAPKINS RINGS & PLACE CARDS. I always make my place settings out of something natural to decorate my table. This year I used the pine boughs I already had on hand and oversized gift tags that I hand-lettered with guests' names and tied together with twine.

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I'll Have A Blue Christmas

"And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when those blue memories start calling
You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue Christmas"

COAT: J. CREW (last season) + TURTLENECK: J. CREW + PANTS: RAG & BONE + 

BOOTS: STEVE MADDEN (SIMILAR) + BAG: MICHAEL KORS + GLOVES: OLD NAVY + 

SUNGLASSES: ASOS (SIMILAR) + EARRINGS: BLOOMINGDALES

Still waiting on those snowflakes here in NYC, but it's blue all the time here with the hottest (pun?) colors this winter - cobalt, navy and gray. I absolutely adore this statement wool coat from J. Crew - it's worth investing in more coats than just your below-freezing-marshmallow-man-standard-black-puffer-coat. Your outfit may be exquisitely styled, but no one's going to see it beneath your coat and scarf when it's this cold out. Make sure you love your outerwear just as much.

Also loving the mirrored sunglasses trend that's coming back... 

pretty sure my dad used to wear almost these exact glasses in 1991.

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