Cozy in Pink for Brunch

I wore this look to brunch last weekend on a gorgeous NYC day with bright sun and a slight chill in the air. As I've mentioned before, blush pink is my favorite fall color, and I've been really embracing it this season. This cozy pink cardigan is a perfect outer layer for the sunny 60º days we've been having a lot of in NYC this fall, but will also be a great piece to cozy up in all winter long with a warm mug of tea and slippers on my feet! To play up the pink theme I wore my favorite lace up flats and cuffed my jeans to really show them off. I stuck to a basic striped tee and simple jewelry, but my fun retro sunglasses and hot pink nail polish added girly touches to this pink-indulgent look. 

Cardigan: Ruche (in beige). Top: H&M. Jeans: H&M. Flats: H&M. Watch: kate spade. Bag: Rebecca Minkoff. Nails: RickyColor.

Look at all those morning glories along the fence!

xoxo, CC

Pink For Fall

When fall arrives and everyone else starts reaching for their burgundy, mustard, forest green, brown and other deep colors, I turn to blush pink. For several years, and again this season, blush pink is my favorite shade for fall since it is still sweet and girly like my style, but somehow is perfectly wonderful among fall leaves and cool layers. 

This outfit is all about shades of pinks and a pretty floral print, all layered up in a fall-appropriate way. I snagged this cute floral skirt from H&M recently since it is not only the perfect combination of my favorite colors, but the deeper burgundy and blue tones on the black background make it wearable year round. I wore it paired with this top and sandals a few weeks ago on a warm day, but I'm bringing it into these slightly cooler early fall days with a jacket and lace up flats now. I love taking black basics and saturating them with layers of blush pinks, like this taupey-pink jacket, shoes, and skirt combo. Something about black and blush is just a perfect fall color combo to me.

And don't mind the fact that this same little black bag is in every one of my looks recently, I just love it so much and it goes with everything!

Top: Zara. Jacket: Jack by BB Dakota (similar in a vest). Skirt: H&M. Bag: Rebecca Minkoff. Shoes: H&M (very similar 1/2). Sunglasses: AJ Morgan. Bracelet: kate spade 1/2.

xoxo, CC

Met Moment

Photos by Ting Chen. 

As you can probably tell, I finally have my computer back up and running! It needed some fixing up at the Apple Store, but we are back to normal now. It felt kind of weird to take such a long break from the blog, but it was actually kind of nice to have a break too and just enjoy some down time. However, I am excited to be back sharing some new looks with you now! 

Last weekend I had a lovely brunch on the Upper East Side with some friends and then we walked over to the Met to see the Manus X Machina exhibit at the Costume Institute. As you may know, this exhibit is all about technology in fashion and the dynamic between hand made versus machine made. Many of the displays featured work done with 3D printing, or machine made flowers painstakingly hand stitched onto a garment. There were even a few remote-controlled pieces which shifted and moved with mechanical elements. I will share a post next week with some of my favorite pieces from the exhibit, so look out for that if you're interested! 

I wore this bright floral Alice and Olivia dress that I got at a warehouse sale last spring. It was a super hot day so a loose fitting dress was required and the back cutout on this one was a perfect detail for keeping cool. A simple bag and gold sandals complete the look for a casual but fun day with my girls!

Dress: Alice and Olivia (options: 1/2) . Bag: H&M (similar). Shoes: Splendid. Earrings:
Gorjana (smaller version). Lipstick: MAC Flamingo.

And of course we finished the day off with cupcakes :)
xoxo, CC

Patchwork

Denim, button-up, patchwork-- so many summer trends thrown into one perfect piece! I was too excited to wait for summer to wear this skirt though, so I styled it with tights and high boots for a sunny spring day. Since the skirt is high waisted I tied up a teeshirt to show a touch of skin, but stuck to black pieces so that the look didn't become too un-seasonal. Whenever I want to shorten or tighten a shirt, I like to tie a knot at the hem--it really gives a tee a different look and expands your options. The multi-wash denim of the skirt and the shiny copper buttons really make this a statement piece that only requires simple accessories. 

Skirt: H&M. Bag: H&M. Boots: Sam Edelman. Sunglasses: AJ Morgan. Necklace: J.Crew. Jacket: Tulle.

p.s. I swear that's not the line of the tights showing, it's just a shadow :)

xoxo CC

The Perfect White Jacket

Ok, this is embarrassing--I look almost as pale white as my jacket! The indoor lighting certainly doesn't help, but I know I am looking a little ghostly after this winter. But while my skin will have to wait a little longer for warm sunny summer days, it is time now to start updating my spring wardrobe. I just added these distressed grey jeans to my arsenal, and I love the way they pair with lighter spring tones like this teal tee. One of my favorite spring pieces though, is this white jacket. The contrast of the faux leather front and chiffon back and sleeves blend into a sweet-meets-edgy feel that I have been loving lately. This jacket looks great worn with jeans as a light layer, and it will also be a cute piece to throw over sundresses later on. Here's to keeping it clean until sundress weather! (lol--anyone else struggle to keep their whites stain-free?)

Jeans: H&M (similar/read about the pair I'm wearing here). Tee: J. Crew. Jacket: Fate. Bag: Deux Lux via DSW (1/2). Shoes: J. Crew (on sale here). Necklace: J. Crew. Bracelet: J. Crew.

xoxo CC

Denim for Days...

After several years of lots of wear and love, three of my favorite pairs of designer jeans gave out this winter. After mourning their demise and a desperate attempt to patch them (which helped until I had to wash them again) it was time for some new jeans. So, I took my tax return money denim shopping last week. 

Since I had a limited budget and needed at least 2-3 new pairs I decided to invest in several pairs of inexpensive jeans instead of splurging on one nice pair. Four for the price of one--plus a pair of shorts and a skirt--can't argue with that!! Especially since even the lower-end brands are starting to catch up with designer denim technology, so I was actually pretty impressed with the jeans they had to offer. Remember my Denim Guide posts? I featured both Gap and H&M jeans as affordable options to try, and now I'm back with updates! 

On the first stop of my shopping excursion I ended up with one pair of the legging jean from Gap Factory in a nice medium-dark wash. They are fairly stretchy and super skinny, but the one thing I didn't love about the Gap jeans was the stitching on the pockets--I would have gotten a dark denim pair too if the stitching didn't stand out so much, but as it was I ended up only getting the medium wash pair. I also got a second pair of  my favorite boyfriend shorts in a light wash with distressing which I am so excited about for the summer. 

After that successful purchase I decided to stop in H&M and see if anything caught my eye, but I really wasn't expecting to be impressed with their denim quality. I have one pair of jeans from H&M that I wear all the time, but I am always wary of the quality and sizing there. I was surprised to find that their jeans were actually fitting me really well, and for the price I couldn't say no. I got two pairs of their Skinny Super Stretch jeans, one in a dark wash and one in grey with rips, each under $30. I always prefer super stretchy jeans since they are easier to move in and incredibly comfortable. So, I also got a pair of super skinny shaping jeans which have a ton of stretch and are really flattering. I rounded out my denim excursion with a patchwork denim skirt which I can't wait to style with crop tops and sandals for summer.  

Which pair am I most impressed with? The H&M shaping jeans from their &Denim line. These cost a bit more than any of the other pairs I bought, and I am always hesitant to spend $50 on any item from H&M since their quality is sometimes not great, but I decided these were worth the price. They are incredibly stretchy, which I love, and fit snug and skinny while still being amazingly comfortable. I got them in a dark wash with a mid rise waist, and I have a feeling these are going to be a new favorite. Let's see how they hold up now :)

Now that I have a revamped denim wardrobe (ok, ok, I might have gone a little overboard with the denim lol) I should be all set of a while! These are all staple pieces that I will wear over the summer with sandals and tanks, and I know for sure will get a ton of use all fall and winter. All of the pairs that I got are mid rise and super skinny and they are all long enough on me too! The super stretch jeans from H&M definitely run the longest, while the other pairs hit just above the ankle bone on me. It is nice to have several pairs to rotate through if you are a jeans-every-day kind of girl. 

A note about shopping these brands: I always go down a size or even two at the Gap, so I ended up getting 28s in both the jeans and shorts. At H&M I always go up a size or two, and ended up with a size 10 and 12 in the super stretch jeans, and a 30/32 in the shaping jeans.

xoxo, CC

Rose Colored Glasses

First of all, happy St. Patrick's Day!! 

Second: hooray, my new pink sunglasses finally arrived!! I am so excited since I have been wanting a pair of pink frames for a while now and they are so girly and fun for summer. 

For their first outing I paired these beauties with a matching pink top and some cool denim layers. I threw on sneakers to keep the look casual, and a denim jacket over the shoulders completes the breezy feeling. I love a pop of light pink to bring a decisively springy vibe to any outfit now that the weather is warm.

This time of year gets me so happy its hard not to see the world through rose colored glasses. Flowers are starting to pop up all over the park, which is so exciting! I love springtime! It was another beautiful sunny day yesterday to walk outdoors in a very spring- feeling outfit. 

Sunglasses: amazon (only $2.79!!). Top: J. Crew (old, very similar, also cute). Jeans: H&M. Jacket: Gap. Bag: kate spade. Sneakers: New Balance. 

xoxo, CC