Staple This.

August 25, 2014 Kelly Donohue

August 25, 2014

Santa Monica, CA

Summer vacation may be coming to a close but that doesn’t mean your wardrobe needs to undergo a drastic shift. In fact, August and September often bring about some of the warmest days of the year. Having spent the majority of this past weekend sprawled out at the beach, sipping cold beverages, I can’t imagine that these temperatures will be going away anytime soon and that means, like it or not, you have to find ways to stretch out your summery attire for a bit longer.

I personally love the breezy, colorful clothing of this season, but I know that around this time of year, there are a lot of people who are antsy to switch over to booties, scarfs, and plaids. For all of you eager beavers out there, I have found that adding a simple staple, like this jean vest from the Gap, helps to quickly refresh your tired summer look. Not to mention, the vest adds a light layer of warmth for chillier days. Providing each outfit with an extra bit of dimension, there are so many ways to integrate a jean vest into your wardrobe.

I raided my closet to come up with three different looks for this vest, but as it is such a versatile piece, the possibilities were really endless. All of the outfits I chose are casual and comfortable and with the help of the vest, they’ve been given a bit of a facelift.

Look #1: Maxi Dress

For this first look, I paired a printed, flowy maxi dress with the fitted denim vest. While this look is hardly a new fashion trend, it’s always great to be reminded of classic pairings that work well together.

Maxi Dress: American Eagle (Similar)

Sandals: Franco Sarto (Similar)

Necklace: c/o Aplaya Jewelry

Rings: TopShop

Look #2: Florals & Stripes

I paired a striped tee with a high-waisted skirt and was able to tie the entire look together with the jean vest. In this case, the denim layer is essential to balance out the rest of the look. I’ve found that a great way to create fresh, new, stylish outfits is to mix prints with other prints, which is what I played around with here. Matching the long sleeve stripes with the bright florally skirt also creates for a great outfit for transitioning from the summer to the fall.

Purse: Kate Spade

Floral Skirt: American Eagle (similar)

Striped Long Sleeve Tee: Joan Vass via Marshalls (similar)

Sandals: Franco Sarto (Similar)

Look #3: Denim on Denim

This fun and simple denim look is improved with the addition of more denim! Once a fashion faux pas, I love playing around with mixing denims. The key is the pair different weight and washes, and keeping accessories simple. I added some stripes to this look as well but I feel it adds a nice balance.

Boyfriend Jean Shorts: Urban Outfitters

Striped Tee- Michael Stars via Marshalls (Similar)

Seacoast Canvas Sneakers: Sperry Topsiders

Get These Looks Here!

Photos Taken By: Art Voskonian

Bold In Blue.

August 22, 2014 Kelly Donohue

August 22, 2014

Los Angeles, CA.

Time got away from me this week- I cannot believe it is already Friday! That being said, today’s post is going to be short and sweet because, well, to be honest, I am running so late that I am brushing my teeth as we speak…but hey there are no rules because it’s Friday!

Today I decided to keep things really simple. I played around with textures, mixing the white capped-sleeve crochet top with a high-waisted ruffle skirt. I also added this adorable Chevron clutch from 9th & Elm. It’s got an adorable vintage feel to it. Again, if you haven’t checked out 9th & Elm yet, I love it because everything is handmade by independent designers, making them one of a kind. Whether it’s a denim or a pastel, a sky or royal, blue is a color we find ourselves weaving in and out of our wardrobes every season. It just so happens that in the summer, the hues are a bit brighter and today, hopefully my bold blues will distract from my tardiness!

TGIF!

Ruffle-Waist Skirt: Forever21

Chevron Clutch: c/o 9th & Elm

Top: Forever21

Whale Bracelet: Pink Pineapple Shop

Nude Wedges: NineWest

Shop This Look:

Photos Taken By: Art Voskonian

Dance It Off

August 20, 2014 Kelly Donohue

August 20, 2014

Downtown Los Angeles, CA.

Taylor Swift really has an affect on me. She released this video “Shake it off” on Monday and last night, I found myself in a dance class for the first time in YEARS. I joined a group of my friends and crashed their regular hip-hop class downtown. Initially embarrassed by my tight leggings and ballet attire, which caused me to stick out amongst the sea of dancers clad in flannels and baggy clothing, I took Taylor’s approach and danced it out my own way. Everyone in the class had the same approach. No one cared about skill level, or getting the combination perfectly. In fact, a girl came to the front and essentially reinvented her own version of twerking halfway through the combination. It was amazing! She totally abandoned the steps, did her own thing, and was applauded by everyone for doing so because after all dance, art, and life is only made interesting by making and choosing to do it your own way.

After dance class, we hit up Taco Tuesday at Casa La Dona, for a well-deserved delicious feast! If you’re looking to find a great Mexican spot, this place is a MUST. It’s not a fancy shmancy place, but it is tasty, the service is amazing, and the food has got just the right amount of spice!

Now, it is a well-known fact that Los Angeles is always sunny and glorious but it is a bit less known that most nights are quite cool. Therefore, I embrace steamy evenings like last night and I dress myself accordingly. I paired high-waisted black shorts with a lightweight cropped sweater tee and some black heels. It was a fun dinner outfit perfect for a warm summer on the town. (Now if only I could l learn to dance in heels!)

Things are lightening up this Fall and one of the latest trends I’ve noticed is sizing down purses. That’s right, we’re trading in oversized purses for mini bags this upcoming season and being the owner of several Mary Poppins-type bags myself, this is one trend I am getting a head start on. I chose this little over the shoulder pink purse for my evening out on the town. It’s just big enough for my essentials and nothing more!