First Day.

August 28, 2014 Kelly Donohue

August 27, 2014

Santa Monica, CA.

It is an age-old tradition to take a “first day of school” photo. Not only is it the day that marks the beginning of your educational journey, but it also signifies other firsts like eating cafeteria food and carting around an oversized backpack for the first time. While the tradition of taking this photo stems back to a child’s very first day of entering school, it has since been extended beyond that initial year. Nowadays, some people are taking “first day” photos of their kids every year until they reach high school and if you’re like me, you’re still taking them when you’re in college too!

My mum always really loved snapping “first day” photos and I blame her for my college edition shots. It was mandatory in our house and even though I usually looked groggy, half-asleep, and generally unimpressed- still very much in my lazy summer vacation mode- I really love looking back at all of the outfits I’ve worn over the years. I’d spend hours agonizing over the perfect ensemble year after year and looking back at some of the hilarious combinations I came up with, I wonder what I could have been thinking. Regardless, the start of school always brought with it new possibilities and challenges and no matter how many “firsts” it had been for me, I always seemed to have trouble falling asleep that night.

Thus, in honor of most people heading back to school this week, I’ve decided to put together what would be my ideal “first day” look. While it’s bright, colorful, and breezy, it still has an air of fall that gives it that “back to school” look. Midi skirts are great for this time of year and this floral beauty from Anthropologie is quickly becoming a favorite!

Floral Skirt: Anthropologie

White Top: Forever21

Peplum Cardigan: Anthropologie

Oxfords: Dolce Vita via Macy’s

Snap Pea Purse: Kate Spade

Round Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters (similar)

Shop This Look!

Photos By: Art Voskonian

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!