In Spades

Style... in abundance

Spring Vacation Wardrobe: My Must-Have Pieces

Joie Spring 2019Joie Spring 2019Joie Spring 2019Joie Spring 2019Joie Spring 2019 Joie Spring 2019 Joie Spring 2019Top // Shorts // Sneakers // Sandals // Earrings (similar here) // Sunglasses // Ring

A couple weeks ago I had the rare opportunity to go shopping sans baby.  Mamas out there, do you remember those days?  I have a bunch of spring and summer events coming up and wanted to refresh my closet.  Between a 6-hour road trip, a wedding to attend, wine tasting excursions and a Maui trip, comfortable, feminine pieces were my goals.

Joie is a go-to vacation brand for me because their pieces are effortless and feminine.  You can easily mix and match their separates to go from daytime activities to nighttime events.  The fact that everything they make is super comfortable and chic means it’s the perfect brand for traveling.

I spent a ton of time in the dressing room at their Fashion Valley store picking out my ideal vacation wardrobe.  Oh, how I miss being able to do this on the regular – hah!  If you want to see what I tried on, check out my Instagram Stories highlight of the excursion.  They have so many great pieces if you’re in need of a spring wardrobe refresh!

Paper bag waist shorts are everywhere right now and I believe this is a trend worth investing in because it’s so flattering on every body type.  If you are pear shaped, they accentuate your waist while minimizing your hips.  Apple shaped ladies get some definition between top and bottom from the tied waistline, and athletic bodies benefit from insta-curves thanks to the cinched belt.

These shorts come in black, green, and white, run TTS and are made of the fabric of spring/summer – linen.  Breathable and easily packable, they’ll be great for hot Maui days.  Linen is such an elegant fabric – you can truly dress it up or down –  so I paired it with this peasant top.  A Joie signature, the billowing sleeves and delicate embroidery give it a 70s vibe that is still very contemporary.

Footwear is probably the most important part of a successful vacation wardrobe and Joie has tons of comfortable options.  I’m so happy platforms are back, because these espadrille sneakers give me added height without sacrificing comfort.  Even though they’re leather, they give off more of a casual vibe and I wanted something a little dressier for nighttime.

Just because a sandal doesn’t have a heel, doesn’t mean it’s not dressy.  The leather on these slides are like butter, and the gold hardware on the sole give them something a little extra.  I swapped out my earrings and threw on my favorite diva sunglasses to transform my look into a dressier option for evening.

What comprises your ideal spring/summer wardrobe?  What styling questions do you have?  Hit me up in the comments with any questions!

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3 Flattering Bathing Suit Trends Worth Investing In

Best Bathing Suits 2019

For someone who lives at the beach, I rarely make my way onto the sand.  I’m more of a ‘throw denim cutoffs and a tee over a bathing suit and ride my bike on the boardwalk’ person.  Despite my limited time in the water, I’ve managed to amass quite the random collection of swimwear.

The situation usually plays out like this.

  1. I have some event in which I’ll need a bathing suit (honeymoon, Vegas trip, family vacation).
  2. I embark on a massive shopping spree and come home with an egregious amount of swimwear.
  3. I return most of it but still end up with a large number of bathing suits only representing one season’s worth of trends.

Sound familiar?

Does anyone remember the tankini trend?  Those bikinis that had hardware on the hips and necklines and just ended up digging into your skin?  Or what about those scuba material bikinis?

Case and point: I never wear any of those suits anymore and find myself looking at my collection and thinking “I have nothing to wear”.

To help you prepare for summer, I’ve rounded up a list of swimwear worth investing in.  These are suits that will truly last you years – no buyers remorse or “I have nothing to wear” blues.  And just for fun, I’m including a list of this season’s trends (hello, belts and ruffles), but in silhouettes that are comfortable and flattering, thus lasting more than just one summer.

Read on for fit suggestions and key details to look out for.

Classic Swimwear
Ruffled Swimwear
Belted Swimwear

13 Spring Wardrobe Staples to Buy in the Shopbop Sale

The Shopbop Event of the Season sale is here!

Save between 20-25% off depending on how much you spend with code EVENT19.

The sale ends April 12, so be sure to jump on this quickly!

Now is the time to stock up on spring wardrobe essentials. I’m sharing 13 pieces that can be interchanged within your wardrobe to create multiple looks.  If you’ve been curious about a capsule wardrobe, all of these pieces are a must.

Read below for my captions on why these pieces are essential to your spring line-up.

The Best Initial Necklaces

Helen Ficalora Initial NecklaceHelen Ficalora Initial Necklace Helen Ficalora Initial NecklaceHelen Ficalora Initial Necklace Helen Ficalora Initial Necklace Helen Ficalora Initial NecklaceHelen Ficalora Initial Necklace

Helen Ficalora initial necklace // Madewell tee // Acne Studios sweater // Re/Done jeans
Givenchy shoes (similar here) // Mansur Gavriel bag // Celine sunglasses

I’ve always been a fan of personalized jewelry.  Whether it’s my astrological sign or initials, anything that includes a personal touch is a must in my style book.  With the birth of my daughter, this sentiment only intensified.  Anything I could get my hands on needed to bear her moniker and likeness.  I engraved pieces, cast her footprint into a necklace and even custom designed a ring with her birthstone.  While the custom stuff is amazing and super special, it’s definitely on another level in terms of price and how often you wear it (I still break out my stunner pieces every day, but know that’s not for everyone).

Dainty initial jewelry has been trending for years and rightly so.  Having a personal touch that you can wear every day is like a signature scent – a style calling card if you will.

There are so many awesome jewelry makers that specialize in initial pieces, but one of the originals is Helen Ficalora.  I first remember seeing her pendant initial necklace on Katie Holmes – she rocked an “S” after the birth of Suri Cruise.

I’m rocking my own Helen Ficalora initial necklace today – an “E” for my daughter – and will definitely be adding more pieces to my collection.  The brand carries everything from initials to charms (I definitely need this evil eye).  There are hundreds of options and I love that you can layer charms together for a truly personalized look.

If you’ve been wanting to get your hands on your own initial necklace, here are my favorites.

Helen Ficalora

Classic, interchangeable charms in a myriad of options (jeweled or engraved).

Maya Brenner

I love the short chain and how the initials are displayed on the side instead of at the bottom of each necklace (hint: if you buy from this retailer you can earn up to a $500 gift card right now).

Celine

This pendant is in-your-face and gorgeous.  The jumbo size makes such a statement.  While my version is no longer available, this dupe for under $15 is a no-brainer.

ZOË CHICCO

There are so many options in their lineup, but I love this uber tiny pendant.  With adjustable lengths and 3 finishes to choose from, this is a never-take-it-off find.

Maje

With an almost disco-era feel thanks to the engraved lines and added jewel, this is my favorite funky yet chic option.

Parpala Jewelry

With up to 8 letters to customize, you can go with one initial or your entire moniker.  I love how the letters hang from the dainty chain.

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Alternative to Jeans and a Tee

Anine Bing houndstooth pantsAnine Bing houndstooth pants Anine Bing houndstooth pants Anine Bing houndstooth pants Anine Bing houndstooth pants Anine Bing houndstooth pants

Nasa t-shirt // Anine Bing pants (similar here) // Janessa Leone hat // Calvin Klein boots (under $100 here)

Jeans and a t-shirt.  A winning combination.  While this is likely the world’s most trusted ensemble, sometimes it’s nice to change it up.

If anyone is a denim hoarder, it’s me.  I’ve talked many times before about my denim addiction – at one point I had upwards of 60 pairs (eeek!). As I was staring into my closet last weekend trying to choose from a plethora of denim options, I finally threw up my hands and said “forget it”.  I needed something different.  Kind of the same.  But different.

Enter these houndstooth pants.  They sat in my closet for way too long awaiting a trip to the tailor, but once they finally got hemmed they became a great alternative to jeans.  While I love dresses, I’m just not a dress girl.  I reserve them for cocktail parties and more special occasions.  Day-to-day, I’m wearing pants.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m wearing more 100% cotton denim these days, but having a comfy, stylish alternative to jeans seems more important than ever.  I recently gave these pants a try, and have been loving how comfortable and unexpected they are.

To style this look similar to my trusty uniform (gotta keep it practical for everyday) I opted for a long sleeve graphic tee.  It’s perfect for those chilly spring mornings that warm up by the afternoon.  To throw in a bit of edge, I added steel toed boots (check here for an under $100 version) and a black fedora.  I love that the finished product is like version 2.0 of my classic ensemble.

And of course, you can’t forget the iced oat milk latte.

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