Chiquita Banana

Toro! Toro! Toro!

I die.

Dress (Unknown SF brand via Anthropologie - old, similar here, here, and here), Tuxedo Jacket (Mango, similar here), SHOES! (Zara - face is melting, similar here), Necklace (Dogeared) 

Remember THIS SITUATION? 

Well I bought those Zara mothers. I bought the shit out of them. 

And after only two wears, they've already paid for themselves in gaspy, excited compliments courtesy of passersby. They are indeed a bold statement, but one that must be made. 

And with this dress? Forget about it. With pieces that are this Carmen-Miranda-y, separately and together, the tux jacket plays an important role here. Not only does it highlight the black and the white in the shoes, and tie it all together top-to-bottom, but it also serves as a crisp, calming force that balances out the look and keeps things in check. Also, I just plain love a good tuxedo jacket. 

There isn't really much more to say because the shoes say it all, and then some. All that can really be said is that it's wearing this pair of shoes when I feel most like myself. 

Photos © Rose Garrett

Pinafore

Disney princess band-aid serving as leg swag here. 

Diaper butt.

UNIONBAY, ladies.

Overall Dress (Vintage UNIONBAY from Urban Outfitters, similar here), Blouse (Topshop - old, similar here), Shoes (Zara, similar here and here), Watch (Marc by Marc Jacobs), Necklace (Dogeared), Bracelets (Madewell and Asos - old, similar here and here) 

With the resurgence in the popularity of overalls this Spring has also come a resurgence in the popularity of all things that even remotely resemble a pair of overalls i.e. overall dresses, pinafores, rompers, jumpsuits, and the like.

That's where shrewd and ready-to-pounce retailers like Urban Outfitters (I've got nothing but love for you guys, I promise) come in to prey on our nostalgic propensities (in particular our intense and often flighty love of brands we used to wear when we were kids; for me this is UNIONBAY. See also: Lee, Doc Martens, Hush Puppies, ESPRIT...) and our tendency to call shit from 15 years ago "Vintage" so that they may rummage through the trillions of tons of Goodwill reject denim to bring us something like this little number at probably 5 times the price of what it would and should cost. (Urban, I told you! Nothing but love.)

Oh and best believe that shit worked on me like a charm. A refitted and resewn pair of "vintage" UNIONBAY overalls, hastily stitched as a dress and remarketed to me as a hip collector's piece for 50 bucks? SOLD. I most likely bought back the exact pair I owned in 2nd Grade, the pair I so vehemently discarded and banished to the Goodwill gods a few years later because HELLO, I WAS STARTING 6TH GRADE and UNIONBAY is obviously for babies, only now there's 3 feet less fabric along with no crotch, and my mom didn't buy these for me...and I'm totally fine with it.

But we're not talking about overalls, here. We're talking about pinafores. An entirely different beast. Suffice it to say that the last time I wore an actual pinafore I was most likely in OshKosh and finger painting. Because who wears pinafores in their adult life anyway? A lot of people actually. And that's because our moms knew what they were doing when they were buying our kinder-wear—those mofos are CUTE. Kyoot.

I've come a long way since my OshKosh-B'gosh-wearing-days, but I think Kindergarten Me would have appreciated this look (and my Disney princess band-aid).

Photos © Rose Garrett

Ziggy Stardust Goes to a Garden Party

Jacket (Zara, similar here), Dress (Moulinette Soeurs via Anthropologie - old, similar here and here), Shoes (Trouve, similar here and here), Necklace (Dogeared)

In addition to prints and martinis, next on the list of things I like to mix is well, stuff that typically isn't mixed. No, that doesn't mean pickles and peanut butter (although I might try that); it means mixing things like a silver leather biker jacket and a flouncy, floral tea dress.

This is not groundbreaking of course. Countless numbers of fabulous, ballsy women have been making these kinds of stylistic choices for eons - Iris Apfel, Debbie Harry, and Leandra Medine (Man Repeller) just to name a few in no particular order.

I don't presume to place myself anywhere in or near the same ranks as the likes of these ladies, however, that spirit of experimentation and the penchant for provacation are things that we share. 

You don't need a lot of working parts in an outfit like this (contrary to what I might otherwise argue) because the pieces each say so much on their own that some of the impact might be lost if you got carried away and started piling more and more on; all of the signals would get crossed and you'd end up with a jumbly, confused mess and the statement-making loudness would just turn into muffled jibberish. That's why the whole of this outfit is greater than the sum of its parts. That is, taken together, these pieces make an outfit that does all the talking for you without being overwhelming. The statement may be a little loud, sure—I'd argue NOT—but it's clear, and more importantly, it's interesting. And that is above all, what style (no matter what your style) should be, should it not?

When in doubt, just ask yourself: "What would Bowie wear?...(to a garden party)."

Photos © Rose Garrett

Sneaks

Dress (Forever 21 - old, similar here), Shirt (J.Crew - old, similar here), Vest (Old Navy, similar here), Sneakers (Gola - these shoes light up my life!, similar here), Necklace (Dogeared), Bracelet (Asos - old, similar here)

These sneaks, man, these SNEAKS. They are Springtime in sneaker form, and yes, they are as fun to wear as they look. You can't really be in a bad mood if these bad boys are on your feet (trust me, I tried). 

A happy trend that's been steadfastly developing over the past few years, and has really kicked in (pun intended?) this Spring, is that classic sneaker brands like Gola, Superga, Keds, and Onitsuka Tiger (Asics) that have been doing their things for decades now, are seeing a resurgence in popularity, and oddly and delightfully enough, have become staples of most fashion-forward wardrobes. And they're coming out with some really freaking fantastic shoes. Shoes that are statement-making, playful, interesting, and totally trend-setting—these are sneakers we're talking about!—worthy of being stocked by the likes of major department stores like Barney's and Saks, high-end online fashion e-tailers like Net-a-Porter, and pricey boutiques far and wide. The face and place of sneakers today truly has changed.

Keds in particular has been doing some epic collabos with everyone from Happy Socks, to Madewell, to Kate Spade, to Opening Ceremony(!!), to (weirdly and regrettably) Taylor Swift.

Best part is, these sneak brands are still staying true to their roots, and that includes keeping the price points totally reasonable. For someone who's used to paying (and willing to pay!) quite a bit more than 50 bucks for a pair of shoes, leaving the store with a shoe party like these Golas for under $100 is a skipping-down-the-street-worthy treat.

(Note: Be advised these shoes will make you skip—ACTUALLY SKIP—so get ready for that.)

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

Blouse (Urban Outfitters - old, similar here), Trousers (Zara - OBSESSED with them because of course I am, similar here), Shoes (Boutique 9, similar here), Blazer (Bebe - this mofo is from high school, similar here), Necklace (Dogeared), Watch (Marc by Marc Jacobs - upgrade courtesy of the man!) 

BIG SURPRISE: I am wearing black and white. Followed by the even bigger surprise that I am once again stripe-ehd. But the long and short of it is, the classic combination of black and white is always chic, and (as trite as it sounds, it's true) always in style. The key is finding new ways to wear it on-trend, while still remaining true to the combo's minimalist roots. 

Striped trousers (along with striped everything elses) blew up this Spring, and of all the pairs out there—and I've probably tried at least 37 of them on—the Zara pair is by far my favorite (I know, I am full of surprises today). High-waisted, classic trouser cut, cuffs just before the break, POCKETS (can't get enough of pockets), breathable, and of course totally doable at around 80 bucks...And they love hanging out with my red patent leather pumps.

The moral of the story is that when I am in outfit doubt (or rather, when I have to catch my train in two minutes and I am standing butt naked, staring idiotically at my closet), the two solutions I know I can always count on to make me look put-together and effortlessly chic (when I am in fact neither of those things) are black and white, and stripes—sometimes together, sometimes separately. So wear black and white! Wear stripes! And never look back.