Seersucker & Blueberries

Yesterday afternoon a friend of mine came over and was fully equipped with a bubbly personality to match the other bubbly she brought. Gracing me with her presence (and some champagne) we decided to have a drink together before she met with her boyfriend. It was a great time and I even got a photographer for the day (sorry, iPhone). 

In the photo I'm wearing the same +H&M seersucker cotton shorts my boyfriend gave me. I paired them with an equally light colored blue to match the pastel striping in my shorts. There was no need for me to change into a different belt because I still very much like how the lighter brown looks with the outfit. It gives it a sort of detail and pop that another might not provide. Another thing that I really love about this look is just how summery it is. The fabrics are light, the colors are light, and everything just meshes to make for a great outfit. It was also very appropriate for the little boat outing my friend invited me along for. It was truly a fantastic day. We lost some blueberries in the making of this post, but I think it was well worth it.

Blue Button-down (H&M), Seersucker shorts (H&M), Brown belt (Thrifted), Emporio Armani watch, Cherry red loafers (Thrifted)

A Nautical Adventure

While still in Puerto Rico my family decided to go out into the older parts of the island and explore some of the more reputable historic and cultural areas of Old San Juan. It was an overall amazing time and it was great to explore and actually see a different side of the world that I would have otherwise never known about. Another great thing about the district is how ornate it is. Everything from the color of the buildings to the cobblestone roads was so beautiful. 

Since the trip was going to take such a large amount of walking and meant a lot of exposure to the humidity, I had to make sure that I was comfortable and in breathable fabrics. My bottoms are (again) chino shorts that I made from a pair of pants I found in my closet. The navy in the shorts are very complimenting to the light blue cotton my button-down is made of. The shirt has a contrasting navy & stripe detailing along the collar and the cuff, making for a perfect match with the shorts. As for the shoes, they proved to work well for the occasion. The navy and white detail in my canvas boat shoes (by ASOS) for a very nautical look, appropriate for the beachside environment throughout the entire island. Long story short, I'm embracing the nautical feel of this entire trip.

  Shirt by H&M, Chino shorts by Kohl's, Canvas shoes by ASOS

Invasion of the Stripes

Stripes have been found on the runway this season as one of the up and coming trends for this spring and summer. Granted, stripes have always been a trend, but I take this to mean that you will be seeing more striped products out in stores and boutiques. I'm all for it. This trend is one that I followed even before I discovered it as a trend this season. They add quite a bit of flare to an otherwise plain item. For example, a shirt is simple until you add some colorful horizontal or vertical stripes to it. Personally, I only wear horizontal stripes as a top simply because I feel like vertical stripes elongate my body's appearance and are hard to look at for a very long time. However, I love vertical stripes on shorts and pants.

They look nice, clean, and as previously mentioned, make boring pieces exciting. They're fun! And you can wear them on just about anything and look stylish. My favorite stripes items are accessories. The red tie picture above by Smith Street would look great with a white button-up and blue suit, giving a very simple look a bit of a nautical twist. Adding to the idea of flare, other accessories which look great in stripes include backpacks, shirts, and even some shoes if done properly. The boat shoes and espadrilles pictured above are examples of nicely constructed striped shoes. To you right, you can see how I personally wore stripes. I've paired my navy pinstriped shorts with a very eye-popping blue and a simple vintage brown leather belt. It's a classic look that has an added touch thanks to the patterning of the shorts. Take away the stripes and you have just another boring outfit. I don't like to mix more than one patterned detailing with outfits, so I personally wouldn't try adding another striped piece but that's just me. Feel free to mix it up and make them your own! And just as a quick style tip, I would suggest going nautical with navy blue or red stripes for this season to match that incoming summer feel. Thanks for reading and stay styling! :)

Nautical but Nice

Today I'm wearing more of a nautically inspired outfit in some of my favorite pieces of clothing. Here I'm wearing my navy blue Foreign Exchange military jacket paired with more blue in my navy & white striped top from H&M (out of season). I've paired them with a simple styled skinny jean in charcoal grey and my white canvas Lacoste L27s (very comfortable for a lazy day). I always love wearing blue for the simple fact that the color can be worn so many different ways. It just never gets old to me. What about you? What's your idea of a timeless color?

Bold in Blue

One thing I'm excited for is wearing #bright , vibrant colors this season. With blue making a huge appearance in this year's SS13 #fashion , I'm going to have a lot of fun playing with the different shades that will be available in-store. This is probably one of my favorite #spring outfits - a more royal #blue pocket tee paired with my favorite (cuffed) white & navy pin-striped shorts and #thrifted deep maroon Jeffrey Campbell penny loafers. What's your favorite spring outfit? Feel free to share!