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.

Twirl

Blouse (Forever 21, similar here), Skirt (Banana Republic - old, similar here and here), Shoes (Zara - old, similar here), Necklace (Dogeared), Bracelet (Asos - old, similar here)

There is nothing quite like twirling your skirt when you're in a twirly skirt. I don't know about you guys, but I've been twirling for as long as I can remember—probably since I came out of the womb. It is a lower brain kind of thing for me; I find myself wearing something twirlable, and I can't help but shoot my arms out to the sides, and start spinning (I've also been known to twirl in pants...and shorts...and basically everything else). That urge to spin is one reason a twirly skirt can serve as a rather effective mood lifter, especially in the middle of a mid-week slump (or slog, as it were). Not to mention, you just feel instantly more playful and swishy the second you put one on. I say, punctuate your wardrobe every now and then with something that twirls, and then Mary-Tyler-Moore the shit out of that thing, all the live long day. 

Cha-Cha-Cha

Blouse (Zara, similar here and here), Shorts (Zara, similar here), Shoes (Zara - old, similar here), Clutch (Ted Baker - old, similar here), Necklace (Dogeared), Bracelet (Asos - old, similar here)

(You knew it would come to this:) "Hello. My name is Carlee, and I'm a Zaraholic."

It is no secret, that I, like millions of other ladies and misters on this earth, am head over heels in love with—nay, addicted to—Zara. I have sung its praises ad nauseum to many an uninterested listener, and I will continue to do so (mostly, unprompted). Why? Because Zara comes correct. The Spanish-founded, fast fashion juggernaut is a devastating force of democratization within the fashion world, and its ability to radically redefine the notion of what it means to be "fashionable," places the brand squarely at the head of the pack of "Game Changers in Fashion" (I assure you, this pack exists).

Appropriating and building upon runway trends that most of us have little or no access to (beyond a merely voyeuristic relationship) and interpreting those trends through the lens of a ready-to-wear aesthetic for the fashionable masses, is what Zara is all about, and lucky for them (and us), it's what Zara does best. It is a benevolent force of change and empowerment for the everyman/woman with style.

Beyond that, the clothing is just beautiful. Plain and simple. The pieces are always thoughtfully designed, forward-thinking, unique in their aesthetic, and above all, affordable. Most importantly, the brand offers enough diversity, and leaves plenty of room for individual interpretation of their pieces, leaving the agency of the consumer, and the ability for one to define their own style, firmly in the hands of the individual. People wear the brand in their own ways, and no one has to worry about looking like a Zara cookie cutter. In short, for lovers of looking good and spending less, Zara is mecca.

Ok, waxing melodramatic about pants is fun and all, but if I'm ever going to talk about this outfit, now (or maybe 5 minutes ago) is the time. This outfit feels like an easy, breezy, Carmen-Miranda-meets-Alexander-Wang kind of Spring to me. And who wouldn't love that?! Leather shorts in April? Why not. White cha-cha block-heeled sandals? Sure. Blanket-blouse? Done. The amount of aeration taking place here is astonishing, which is the main reason this will be my go-to for warm summer nights (I made that up, these don't happen here in San Francisco) and salsa dancing exploits over the coming months.

Blaze It Up

Hijacking.

The spread.

Blazerrrrrrrrr (Zara - I die for it.), T-Shirt (Work It via Urban Outfitters, similar here), Skirt (Urban Outfitters, similar here), Shoes (Prabal Gurung for Target, also eyeing these), Necklace (Nadri), Bracelets (Misc. from Asos) 

There is nothing, NUH-THING, I turn to more when I am in outfit doubt than a blazer. Too many ladies (and men, too, now that I think about it) overlook and underestimate the power of a great blazer. Carelessly pigeonholed by the masses as the stuff of stodgy, corporate boxiness when it comes to workwear and (shudder) conventionwear for women in the workplace (I can actually FEEL the glass ceiling just thinking about it), the blazer (as it pertains to women) is often misused and mis-designed by people who don't know any better and even more often, never acknowledged for its sexiness (do NOT say "business casual" to me...ever).

Lucky for us fashion-forward ladies, over the years (NO THANKS TO THE 80s) designers have done a marvelous job of re-envisioning and reconstructing the role of the blazer in a modern woman's wardrobe. These days, the blazer is front and center of the designer focus when it comes to statement-making pieces that go beyond the boring box of workwear shame. We have a giddily boundless supply of beautiful and interesting blazers/sport coats/suit jackets from designers high and low available to us (HELLO, I LOVE YOU). For those who do know better, a thoughtfully designed, well-tailored blazer is a staple—dare I say it, the linchpin—of outfit-making greatness.  

So please, put your skirt suits away (forevarrrrr), get thee to the nearest Zara (blazers 'til your face falls off over there), and do as Snoop would do, and BLAZE IT UP.

Photos © Rose Garrett

Potato, Poh-tah-toh: Check Mates

Left: Kate Spade 'Davis' Capri Pants, Right: Topshop 'Bauhaus' Printed Tapered Pants

Checks are IN. Polka dots are OUT [said with a dismissive flourish of the hand]. Ok, polka dots, maybe not...but checks are definitely IN. In any case, the ferocity of my (and seemingly everyone else's) addiction to monochrome checks, stripes, and well, everything, incited by Marc Jacobs last Fall at his S/S '13 show, continues to astonish and delight me each day. Case in point, this blazer I refuse to put in my closet after weeks because I like looking at it too much (IT GOES WITH OUR WALL COLOR, OKAY?!). 

Next stop: checkered pants. These Kate Spaders on the left are, as her aesthetic would have us expect, crisp and clean with a slight aroma of sickly sweet vintage (you can just about picture them on a Gidget-type coquette, sipping on a strawberry milkshake, noisily and unapologetically, as she scans the jukebox for her favorite Franky Valli tune). CUTE, but the Topshop pair has a slightly more classic trouser cut—notice the pleating at the waist—with a print that's not nearly as in-focus. I like both, but the Topshop pair seems a little less obvious to me (that's a good thing), and it comes with a much nicer price tag. 

Either way, I like strawberry milkshakes.

Newspaper

I reeeeally like putting my hands in my pockets, OKAY?

Shirt (Forever 21, similar here), Pants (Vince Camuto, similar here), Shoes (Zara, similar here and here), Watch (Fakety-fake-fake-fake $20 at BP. here)

What's black, and white, and re(a)d all over? Me! (...and newspaper.) GET IT?? It is a tried and true color combination, and one that I always turn to when I'm in doubt. The trio always seems to be at its best when it's taken on a rather graphic, bold, color-block-y kind of form (the Preen A/W '13 collection does a marvelous job of illustrating this notion), and the much-discussed Winter-to-Spring trend of graphic black and white geometric prints and shapery (yup, making that a word) is ripe with opportunity for crimson collaboration. 

And of course, a leopard print shoe sets the whole world right.

Dream the Dream: NYFW Outfit Inspiration

Huzzah! New York Fashion Week, and the month of Fall runway shows and related global fashion happenings that ensue, starts TODAY, and consequently, so does my bout of biannual longing. It's that time of year where I sit idly and frustratingly by, pouring over the latest fashion publications each morning, as I renew my status as an ogler and envious non-participant of this hallowed affair.

While other fashion bloggers are running—RUNNING!—Cannon EOS T3is in hand, gifted Minkoff clutches shoved up their armpits, pounds of clever invites jammed in their totes, to the tents and studio presentations and fabulous parties, I'll be watching back episodes of 30 Rock crying about how much I'm going to miss Liz Lemon, reading a British Vogue mumbling something to myself about Cara Delevigne's legs, and feverishly checking my Instagram for any and all FW tidbits and runway snaps.

But a girl can dream, and that's how I celebrate Fashion Week every twice-a-year—by drinking dreaming. That, and an unhealthy amount of aggro shopping. So here's what I would wear if I were attending NYFW (or any of the Fashion Weeks for that matter), and if I slept on piles of money.

Blazer (Lanvin), T-Shirt (Celine), Skirt (MSGM), Shoes (Tibi) Necklace (DANNIJO), Clutch (Lulu Guiness)

I said it was a "DREEEAM OUTFIT", okayyy??? In the meantime, I'll settle for a cheaper version that's just as chic and much easier on the pocket books: Blazer (similar here), T-Shirt (similar here), Skirt (similar here), Shoes (similar here), Necklace (similar here), and Clutch (similar here). KICK-OFF THE FASHION WEEK PARADE BY BUYING THINGS.

Flomo

Dress (Tinley Road via Piperlime, now on sale!), Blazer (H&M, similar here and here), Shoes (Nine West - I know, what?! - similar here), Necklaces (Dogeared and Dogeared), Bracelet (Urban Outfitters, similar here)

So Camouflage and Floral had a spunky little baby together, and they named it Flomo (obviously this is what Jay-Z and Beyoncé will name their next child), and last Fall we heard tell of this printbaby's coming in all of its conspicuous, statement-making glory. Ever since, Flomo's been making a sartorial splash all over the place, despite the fact that she's still got some baby fat on her. (Ok, I think I've had my fill of that baby metaphor.)

Anyway, this blazer is of course fantastic for Spring with all of its flower-obsessed trends, but the cooler color palette also makes it the perfect piece to perk up your Winter wardrobe. (PERK IT UP, LAYDEEZ.) And anyone who sees me on a regular basis will tell you that the last 6 months have brought to light my weird addiction to leather (and faux leather) EVERYTHINGS, and this dress is just one bangin' example of that. (I have a strangely leather-centric closet—I don't know what that says about me, if anything, other than the fact that I'm probably really ok with wearing dead animals. EEESH, sorry.) Also, these shoes: face is melting.

Photos ©Rose Garrett