Style inspiration: the kimono

Confession: ever since I saw Heartfire in that second episode of Arrested Development season 4, kimono-style jackets and tops have kind of been growing on me. This one from Zara is absolutely gorgeous.

I love the way it's styled, too. It makes what may be sort of a hard to pull off item casual and perfect for summer.

Trend: Rash guards

Trina Turk Avalon Rash Guard

I don't know. I sure haven't ever had anything against them, but rash guards have never really turned my head.

But: I think they've become a thing. (And I love it. And not just because we can't rely on just sunscreen anymore.)

Have you seen J.Crew's collaboration with Pret-a-Surf? Totally adorable. And it features--you guessed it--(chic) rash guards.

Love it. 

back...

...and front!

And then regular J.Crew has them too. And they're wonderful. 

I hope to snap up one of these babies on sale! I hope this style is here to stay. 

Make your own flower crown

However you may feel about Lana Del Ray, there's no denying that flower crowns have become a huge trend. I'm really excited about this--flower crowns are beautiful, bohemian, fresh, and are a great way to celebrate the seasonal reemergence of the sun!

That's why I was so excited when I found this DIY video on Refinery29--and it's less than 2 minutes! Surely even a non-crafty person like me can handle this! Highly recommended.

Here are more photos of flower crowns, because they are beautiful (the photos and the flower crowns!):

All from bridal musings, not that you need to be a bride (or even be musing on bridal things) to enjoy this!

DKNY Resort 2014

How is it that we're already doing resort 2014? Goodness. However surprised I may be, I am also quite excited.

Want to know why?

DKNY Resort 2014 is really stylistically-inspirational, and the styling tips and look of the collection are by no means restricted to resort wear.

Take a look at some of my favorites:

Classic, and perfectly androgynous

Again, super classic--and good for f/w!

I'm rarely a fan of gold, but this is just so cool

Love the outfit on the left. Those pants!

Extra sporty/punky twist on Le Smoking
is well-appreciated.

My favorite pair of looks! Love the pants/shirt/jacket
combo on the left and the tulle/baseball cap combo
on the right. 

I can't wait to get my hands on these!

(photos from Refinery29)

What do you think about these shoes?

Sophia Webster summer '13: pretty crazy stuff. 

Okay, I like this. This is looking good. 

Alright, this could look good with the right outfit. 

A bit ostentatious; not really my style, but still cute.

Um, interesting; maybe little bit too much for me.

If someone styled this the right way, I'm sure it could contribute to an interesting outfit.

Hey, look at this! It seems so wearable 

Okay. It's in pastels and patent leather. Okay. Let's just keep looking

I GIVE UP

Here's the whole collection if you want to take a look. Jokes aside, there are several pairs I like a lot, and I do appreciate the commitment to design (although it can be a little overwhelming seeing them all at once). I can't wait to see them IRL--it will be a special challenge to style them, but I bet there's a big payoff when it's done correctly. 

On Portia's New Haircut

Okay, so I'm a little over halfway through the new season of Arrested Development. I was thinking of something to write about, and, not that this is what I pay attention to while watching One of The Best Shows Ever To Be On Television (no sarcasm), but Lindsay/Portia's haircut... Gorgeous!

This whole outfit looked super chic to me, even as ostrich-farming/"dumpster-diving" wear. Here she is again, looking fabulous. And can we just talk about how adorable she and Ellen are? I think Portia just looks so much happier when she's with Ellen (from the photos I've seen, anyway). And that's great.

Tziporah Salaman

I love this photo. Tziporah Salaman is a New York style icon, frequently photographed by Bill Cunningham and Ari Seth Cohen of Advanced Style. Last year, she modeled for Lanvin.

I think there is a lot to learn from Salaman's story: first, think carefully about what you add to your wardrobe; and second, don't give a damn about what other people think. Clarification on the first tidbit: it by no means is encouraging "practical," conservative dressing. Tziporah dresses like she is "making a painting" with the clothes and her body, and won't buy something unless it passes her criteria: “Each item has to be as good as all the other items, and it has to pass my criteria of ‘Do I want to travel with this item for the rest of my life?’ If the answer is no, I don’t buy it.” Once, she spent seven years coming up with an outfit. And more on the second: growing up, she used to feel a little self-conscious when she was "ornamented' with unusual hats and pieces. Once she completely owned it (after her rabbi said she was like Hod in the Tree of Life), she never looked back. I think there's a lot to admire about this quotation: “The Doyle Auctions are always great because they have great hats and I have no competition. Most of the women at the Doyle Auctions are Park Avenue ladies who love to play it safe. They’d rather get those Chanel earrings to show everyone. You might as well just put dollar signs on your ears. But then I have all the hats to myself.”

I'm going to try and be a little more like Tziporah, I think.