District of Chic

baby blues

2013-06-16T23:20:00.002-04:00

...and the summer of denim continues.

Ray-Ban wayfarers
J. Press shirt (similar here and here)
BCBG watch
vintage belt
DIY distressed denim shorts (other options here and here)
Zara sandals
Loeffler Randall bag

swing

2013-06-12T22:15:00.001-04:00

Going back to the '60s Derby Day inspo, the Jean Shrimpton image in particular has been playing on repeat in my mind - part of the reason I was so excited about these shoes. Wearing them with a swingy mini dress kind of makes one want to skip around like Twiggy and pretend it's groovy London. Yeah baby.

Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses (new style here)
A.V. Max necklace c/o Max & Chloe
ASOS dress (old, new ones here and here)
Hermes, Madewell, and Amrita Singh bangles
Nicholas Kirkwood shoes (also here and similar here)
Sophie Hulme bag

dazzle

2013-06-10T21:07:00.002-04:00

I've been coveting these Nicholas Kirkwood's for months and they finally went on sale! Though the stripes are a bit trendy, I often find that I get the most long-term wear out of my more "out-there" statement shoes. Doesn't hurt that the heel height is extremely reasonable. B thinks they look like WWI dazzle camouflage!

glowworm

2013-06-07T19:28:00.000-04:00

Though it's nice to have a rainy night as an excuse to cozy up in front of the internets, I'm still daydreaming about warmer days. This was what I wore last Friday for the lovely luncheon at Tysons Fairfax Square. This rain better not last all weekend...

Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses (old, new ones here)
Maya Brenner necklace
A.V. Max necklace c/o Max & Chloe
Topshop top (another one here)
thrifted blazer (similar styles here and here)
Madewell, Amrita Singh, Hermes, and Lou Lou's bracelets (love this set here )
Madewell rings
BCBG watch
Ann Taylor belt
Zara pants
ASOS shoes
Sophie Hulme bag

an afternoon at Tysons Fairfax Square

2013-06-06T20:59:00.000-04:00

The fine folks at Tysons Fairfax Square invited a few of us lucky bloggers to an intimate luncheon at Chef Geoff's. I actually have a bit of personal history with this shopping center. I used to go to the movie theater that was here when I was a kid (saw both Titanic and The Big Lebowski here, oh yes). All of my much-loved Hermès bangles were picked out here on highly-anticipated shopping trips with my mom and grandmother. Also where many a B and dad tie were chosen for various celebratory occasions. Oh, and the Tiffany's here was where I accidentally tried on a heartbreakingly beautiful engagement ring that just so happened to be set with an ~~eye-poppingly expensive~~ extremely rare blue diamond. The salespeople were so polite when they took me into the super secure jewelry trying-on room that I'm sure is generally reserved for sultans and Richard Branson, but I was all too happy to very carefully hand it back to them when I heard the upper six figure price tag. This time I oggled Gatsby-themed pearl necklaces and onyx rings. I'm a huge Deco fan so Jazz-Age Glamour is kind of my dream jewelry collection. And now, with Chef Geoff's recently opening (B and I went on our first date at the original one on New Mexico), I think we can neatly round out this trip down memory lane. Looking forward to many more trips in the future :-).

natstag

2013-06-04T22:21:00.000-04:00

Even though I'm not a huge sports fan, nothing beats a Nats game when it's nice and sunny out. (But just between you and me, I'm mostly in it for the hot dogs :-)

Ray-Ban wayfarers
Ralph Lauren jacket (similar here)
vintage Hofbrauhaus t-shirt
Madewell, Hermes, Lou Lou's, and Amrita Singh bangles
BCBG watch
Madewell rings
Mango jeans (old, new styles here and here)
Converse Chuck Taylors
Theory bag

blurred lines

2013-06-03T22:34:00.000-04:00

This weekend was an action-packed one, full of birthday antics. Something about ~~general laziness~~ hot weather and draws me to easy, one-piece dressing. Enter the Mara Hoffman dress. I've had this one for years and it still remains one of my favorite summer party pieces. Something very South Beach about it, don't you think?

Maya Brenner necklace
Mara Hoffman dress (old, new beauties here and here)
Madewell, Hermès, and Amrita Singh bangles (similar here)
BCBG watch
ASOS rings (similar set here)
Zara shoes
Sophie Hulme bag

summer is here!

2013-06-01T13:25:00.001-04:00

orange bags outside Hermès after a fun luncheon at Tysons Fairfax Square // another yummy meal from scratchDC with new Belle Banquet placemats

green gables in Georgetown // our BBQ bar

#natitude // enviable bar selection featuring Green Hat and Square One

his and hers at Pete's // delicious frickles at Mad Fox Brewing

Italian "drunken noodles" // first of the roses

crawfish boil // Nails Inc. 'Belsize Park,' nOir and vintage rings, Sperry watch

Kate and Martin rock epic Derby Day hats // Barnabas does the great outdoors

cocktails Kill Bill-style at Daikaya // ramen at Daikaya

More of what I've been up to on the @districtofchic instagram. Hope you all are enjoying your weekends!

Sunday Funday

2013-05-30T23:45:00.000-04:00

Hmmm, seem to be on a BBQ-centric post kick lately. 'Tis the season, I suppose. These photos were from a Sunday Funday BBQ that B and I hosted this past weekend. Since this was our first party in a while, I decided to leverage some of the magical little pinterest party ideas I've been squirreling away. I mean, seriously, what did we do before that magical little inspo-sharing machine?

B and I did burgers from Roseda Farm (highly recommend their beef) and an assortment of hot dogs and brats from Red Apron, Roseda, and Trader Joe's. For cocktails, we had a gin and tonic bar with fresh herbs from our garden and French 75s with lavender simple syrup (which I just recently discovered is ridiculously easy to make in the microwave*).

I wish I could take credit for those beautiful homemade red velvet and blueberry whoopie pies, but those were the work of a talented friend!

**1 cup water, 2 cups sugar, 3 tbsp lavender flowers mixed and zapped in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Allow mixture to cool, then remove the lavender flowers.

A.V. Max necklace c/o Max & Chloe
James Perse t-shirt
thrifted blazer (love this one, too)
BCBG watch
thrifted belt
Zara denim skirt
Zara sandals (old, cool ones here and here)

buttercup

2013-05-28T16:29:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the temporary absence guys. Took a much-needed break from computers this weekend and it was glorious. But let's flashback to last weekend, when B and his friends hosted their annual crawfish boil. For some reason, all I wanted to wear was light colors and I decided to tempt fate and run with it. Not surprisingly, the blazer and jeans ended up with a couple stains (whatever, it wasn't their first rodeo), but thankfully the "new" vintage blouse made it out unscathed. I recently found this baby at Havana Vintage and couldn't love it more. The watch managed to make it out safely, too, which is good because I think I'll be using both pieces on a regular basis this summer.

A.V. Max necklace c/o Max & Chloe
vintage top (similar here)
Zara blazer
watch c/o Sperry
Madewell and nOir rings (similar set here)
Mango jeans
Stuart Weitzman shoes (old, new style here)
vintage purse
nails in Nails Inc. 'Belsize Park'

time capsule

2013-05-22T22:40:00.002-04:00

Nothin' fancy. Just an easy outfit for a Mother's Day picnic at Glen Echo with the fam. I remember coming here to ride on the amazing carrousel when I was a kid, but I hadn't been back in ages. Luckily it's hardly changed since then - it's so well-preserved that you feel like you're walking into a time warp.

Ray-Ban wayfarers
Jigsaw London sweater (similar here)
Madewell and Amrita Singh bangles
BCBG watch
Madewell and nOir rings (close match here)
Zara jeans
Theory sandals (old, big fan of these, too)
Sophie Hulme bag

the spec

2013-05-20T23:18:00.001-04:00

I don't think I've been this excited about a pair of shoes in a while. Equally stunned by the fact that they're ASOS. Holy affordable, Batman.

Maya Brenner necklace
StyleMint t-shirt
Banana Republic jacket (old, another great one here)
Hermes, Madewell, and Amrita Singh bangles
Urban Outfitters skirt
ASOS spectators
Loeffler Randall bag
nails in Nails Inc. 'Belsize Park'

I've told every little star

2013-05-16T22:53:00.000-04:00

Ok, so let's talk about denim again. Or maybe just wear this time...

This outfit was for B and my Saturday night anniversary dinner at Boqueria. Having spent the day bumbling around Virginia wineries, we weren't up for a super formal meal and it was kind of nice to just graze.

A.V. Max necklace c/o Max & Chloe
Stylemint t-shirt
Zara blazer (old, close match here)
BCBG watch
7FAM jeans
Theyskens Theory pumps (old, currently lusting after these and these)
Sophie Hulme bag

handsome hound

2013-05-14T21:33:00.000-04:00

Those of you who follow me on Instagram might have noticed a new four-legged addition to our little family. Since we were all matchy-matchy the other day (yes we are one step away from matching Christmas sweaters), I thought it would be the perfect time to introduce you. Meet Barnabas the greyhound! He has a few blemishes here and there (a portion of his left ear is missing from some mystery accident and he has a Frankenweeniesque scar on his right hind leg from a career-ending racing injury), but B and I think he's pretty adorable nonetheless.

If any of you are considering adopting a dog, I definitely encourage you to take a look at greyhounds! They're very sweet and mild-mannered and, despite what you might think, big lazy couch potatoes that want nothing more than to lie around and look pretty all day! If you're in the DC area, check out Greyhound Welfare - they were extremely helpful throughout the entire adoption process and matched us with the prefect dog!

Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses (old, love these new ones)
Stylemint t-shirt
Anthropologie cardigan
BCBG watch (close match here)
Hermès, Amrita Singh, and Madewell bangles
nOir rings (similar set here)
belt from Violet Boutique
Mango jeans (old, similar here and here)
Pour La Victoire flats

denim on the brain

2013-05-11T10:13:00.000-04:00

In looking through my recent pinterest/tumblr photos, I noticed a common theme. Pretty much the easiest formula to master: casual denim + polished shoes (flats and heels work equally well). Rinse. Repeat.

images via amlul, Style by Kling, Style Heroine, Song of Style, Victoria Törnegren, Sea of Shoes, Tommy Ton, Sincerely Jules, they all hate us, Daily Cup of Couture

KDP5

2013-05-08T23:02:00.000-04:00

So my Derby Day outfit wasn't exactly '60s-inspired, but somewhat old-fashioned nonetheless. Growing up, I used to hate tucked-in button-downs, but lately, that seems to have changed. But enough about me, let's talk about all of the fun outfits at KDP5! Everyone went all out, which was cause for much deliberation amongst the judges. Oh and I can safely say I walked away with a serious case of hat envy! Check out the event photos on Guest of a Guest and thank you so much to the Perry Center for inviting me to be a part of a great event for a great cause!

I'm wearing:
LydellNYC necklace (similar here)
Ann Taylor button-down
BCBG watch
vintage, nOir and Madewell rings (similar here)
C. Wonder belt and letter buckle c/o Washingtonian
Romwe skirt (old, beautiful ones here and here)
Stuart Weitzman maryjanes (new babies here and here)
vintage purse
nails in Essie 'bikini so teeny' and 'turquoise and caicos'

stripes 'n' brights

2013-05-06T23:10:00.000-04:00

Just a comfy, running-around-and-catching-up-on-errands outfit from Saturday. B and I also managed to squeeze in a quick brunch at Café La Ruche for nostalgic purposes. Used to be a favorite brunch spot of ours when we first started dating and I was happy to discover it's still just as adorable as I remember it :-).

Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses (old, but love these)
Zara blazer
thrifted dress (adorable one here)
Hermes, Madewell, and Amrita Singh bangles (similar here)
BCBG watch
Pour la Victoire flats
Romwe bag (this one is really cute, too)

Derby Day Dressing

2013-05-02T21:32:00.000-04:00

With the Derby fast approaching, I've got my eye on '60s style. When you think about it, it's a perfect fit - hats and bright colors were in, as were sturdy kitten heels (ideal for turf navigation in the infield).

Speaking of style, come show me what you got at the Perry Center's 5th Annual Derby Party! I'll be judging the best-dressed contest alongside Kate Warren, Eliot Payne, and Daniel Williams!

Hope to see you there!

(images via The Swinging Sixties, Hoodoo That Voodoo, Bazaar, Melbourne Cup, Fuck Yeah '60s Fashion)

dissolved girl

2013-05-01T23:03:00.001-04:00

I've always been a fan of band t-shirts, but when I saw this baby pop up on Topshop, no clear thoughts crossed through my head, just compulsive click right into the shopping cart. One of my favorite bands. Hands down, my favorite concert of all time. 2003 in Paris...by myself. And it was incredible. Believe it or not, I even still have a few pictures of it lying around on my hard drive...

Oh and one of my favorite videos of all time...

Elizabeth Cole earrings
Topshop Massive Attack top (sold out, but same cut here)
vintage belt
Lee Angel cuff (similar here)
ASOS rings (close match here)
Ray-Ban wayfarers
Mango jeans
Givenchy boots (similar version here)
Topshop clutch

brand new bag

2013-04-29T20:13:00.001-04:00

Freshening up the bag selection. The shape/size/color of this baby is perfect.

A.V. Max necklace c/o Max & Chloe
Holly Sharp dress
Zara blazer (old, similar here)
Hermes, Madewell, and Amrita Singh bangles
BCBG watch
ASOS rings (close match here)
Betseyville shoes (old, this pair is super cool)
Loeffler Randall bag

softee

2013-04-25T21:33:00.000-04:00

Been feelin' the grunge vibe in the best sort of way. All I want to do is wear oversized, worn to silk-like textured t-shirts untucked with their denim counterparts. Extra pointy heels somehow balances it all out.

Ray-Ban wayfarers
ASOS t-shirt (similar here)
ASOS necklace
BCBG watch
Taryn Reed Bracelet c/o
ASOS rings
7FAM jeans
Theyskens Theory pumps
Sophie Hulme bag

Washingtonian's Spring Forward Feature

2013-04-23T21:53:00.000-04:00

I meant to share this sooner, but before I knew it, April was almost over! Not too long ago, I was invited to model alongside 13 of DC's most stylish bloggers for Washingtonian's spring fashion feature. Aside from the incredible experience to be featured on the pages of a publication I've grown up reading and getting to play "real life model" in beautiful clothes and accessories for a day, I really enjoyed meeting Kate Greene, Belle, Cheralee, and Caitlin for the first time. It's always nice to meet bloggers that are just as lovely in person as they are online. Check out the issue on stands now!

I'm wearing:
Pinstripe gown by Katie Ermilio, similar styles at barneys.com. Resin drop earrings from Charm. And my own ASOS rings; Hermès, Madewell, and Amrita Singh bangles; and Zara shoes.

PS Some behind the scenes shots here!

little blooms

2013-04-22T22:36:00.000-04:00

Rolling off an action-packed weekend/week from which I feel like I'm still not fully caught up yet. How's your Monday going?

Maya Brenner initial necklace (c/o)
JW Los Angeles blazer (old, love this new one)
StyleMint t-shirt
Madewell and nOir rings (similar here)
Hermes, Kenneth Jay Lane, Madewell, and Amrita Singh bangles
BCBG watch
vintage belt
Mango jeans (old, similar here)
Zara boots (another pretty pair here)
KMRii bag

fauxhawk

2013-04-17T11:56:00.000-04:00

Took the new mohawk earrings out for a spin on Saturday for cocktails at Donovan House followed by a fun dinner with friends at Oyamel. These babies are like awesome headdresses for your ears. And can we talk about the fact that it's finally warm enough for crop tops?!!

Ray-Ban wayfarers
Elizabeth Cole earrings (in black here)
vintage necklace
Topshop top
BCBG watch
nOir and Madewell rings (similar here)
H&M skirt
Zara pumps (current, great pair here, too)
Sophie Hulme bag

as of late

2013-04-14T23:23:00.000-04:00

spring blooms // view from Donovan House before dinner at Oyamel

vintage necklace, Elizabeth Cole earrings, nOir rings // Zara dress, Madewell bangles, Lou Lou bangles, Amrita Singh bangles, Madewell rings

wine-braised pork with pasta (yum!) // hungry beast

pretty purple at Union Market // brunch at Lyon Hall

afternoon snack at Pearl Dive // Hermès, Amrita Singh, and Madewell bangles with ASOS rings

red shoe collecting (Zara, Belle by Sigerson Morrison, Pour la Victoire) // divine pies at Pupatella

More on the @districtofchic instagram...