I tend to split my outfits during the week equally between skirts and pants. And when it comes to pants, I usually stick to skinny black jeans to make getting dresses and accessorizing as simple as possible. Though, every once in awhile, I want to add a bright burst of color to my basics and these paid pants are my new favorite wardrobe addition.

I Wore:
Plaid Pants, Tripp NYC (Asos)
Sweater, Sonia Rykiel for H&M
Tank top (underneath), Vera Wang for Kohls
Stud bracelet, H&M
Bow, Forever 21
Boots, Proenza Schouler

Readers: What’s your current favorite wardrobe obsession?

During the last week of December while I was in Phoenix, my brother and I took a mini hike off the side of the road and walked down a rocky trail to a trio of large boulders for some photos. Even though there are a handful of housing developments scattered about, this area (about 40 minutes outside of downtown Phoenix) is still fairly wild and untouched. During our walks, it wasn’t uncommon to see coyotes and road runners. Luckily, we didn’t have any run-ins with wild animals while these photos were being taken. Still, my brother wasn’t fazed by asking me to climb up on massive rocks in 5 inch platform boots. He really didn’t care if I broke my neck as long as he got the shot he was after. That’s what siblings are for!

I Wore:
Lace Dress, Luxirare
Belt, Zana Bayne Leather
Leggings, Forever 21
AI for AI by Matiko Boots, Solestruck

All photos are by Carey Haider. More recent work can be viewed on his Tumblr.

This will be my third Christmas in Wolfgang Manor and I decided that this would be the year that I would decorate for the first time ever in my adulthood. Over the weekend, Joey and I scoured Target for an all-white Christmas tree but came up empty-handed. So we worked with what we could find — this mini silver tree — and decorated it with silver tinsel, mini silver ball ornaments and a tiny silver glitter encrusted tree topper. It’s small, simple and perfect for the center of our dining room table. It’s not much but when it comes to traditions, you’ve got to start somewhere. Next year, we’re planning on stepping it up with a larger tree for the living room and many more decorations. Just like everything in our house, our holiday decor is a work in progress!

We didn’t want to leave Rocky out of the festivities so we also picked him up a Santa suit at Target. It’s already been a big hit with the neighbor ladies!

I’ve been working around the clock on an ad campaign that won’t wind down until right before Christmas so I’m looking forward to sneaking off to my grandparents’ cabin with Joey and Rocky to celebrate Christmas with family in less than two weeks. That’s what matters most this year — family time.

I Wore:
Vintage Wool Dress, Ebay (circa 2003)
Santa Hat, Target
Belt, Forever 21
Tights, H&M
Heels, Divina (circa 2005)

Happy Holidays,

Reading charts is not supposed to be fun…but my new favorite sweater, emblazoned with HAPPY GO LUCKY in the style of an eye chart changes all that.

Okay, and onto the boots. Gala was raving about these during one of our shoots together in New York back in September and with most of my basic black shoes trashed, I’d been on the lookout for something stylish and sturdy. When Solestruck’s crazy 50% off (all sale prices!!) sale hit after Thanksgiving, I picked these babies up for less than 100 bucks. And they’ve turned into my go-to boots for nearly everything since.

I Wore:
Eye Test Sweater, ASOS
Skirt, c/o Zara
Solid Striped Tights, American Apparel
AI for AI by Matiko Boots, Solestruck

Akira Chicago recently sent me the Luna dress and by the time I was ready to take photos, the temperature had dipped quite dramatically. To winterize this very summery dress, I added a cropped heart top and black opaque tights. Layering is a fantastic way to expand your wardrobe through multiple seasons. With a mesh top panel, this dress will be perfect for summer parties and I can’t wait to restyle it for warmer weather.

I Wore:
Luna Dress, c/o Akira Chicago
Tights, H&M
Heart Top, H&M
Shoes, Quelques Shoes De Plus

This Halloween, I figured that there could be nothing more ironic than wearing a potato sack. But, this isn’t any old potato sack because it’s emblazoned with big, bold red and black type!

I hadn’t planned on dressing up this year but that quickly changed as I was wandering through the never-ending maze of booths at an antique show over the weekend with my brother. I spotted this amazing 60s era costume resting on a rack and with a little bartering, I walked away with it for 20 dollars (which might be pricy for a standard-issue potato sack but this one was very, very special!)

In full, the ‘dress’ reads:

Be beautiful in a POTATO SACK
Looks like a sack
Feels like a sack
IS A SACK
Fill with 100 lbs. or more of charm, and save money on new French inspired creations
Guaranteed to loose [sic] shape without ironing
For evening wear, add Mink trimmings

So, there you go. This Halloween, I went all out…wearing a glorious vintage potato sack with DKNY nude fishnets and All Caps Dahlias. I won’t lie…I wanted to belt it and accessorize so badly but I realized that would defeat the purpose! Have a fun and safe Halloween!

I’ve known Bianca since 2003 and in that time, we’ve shared a lot including a penchant for the same sartorial choices. One of my favorite moments with Bianca was the day we became The Wondertwins in 2005. We were running through New York’s Chinatown in some wacky sunglasses we’d just bought when a guy stopped us and asked, “Are you two sisters?” If you know us, we don’t exactly look alike. But, we played it up and responded with, “No, we’re twins!”

Though we might not actually be twins, we do own the same dress. This H&M creation with oddly peaked shoulders is always party-ready. Here, we wanted to demonstrate how we would each wear and style the same article of clothing. Enjoy!

Back-to-school portraits, anyone?!

Bianca is wearing the Back Off by Jeffrey Campbell. All I have to say is FIERCE.

I Wore:

Dress, H&M
Tights, H&M
Wedges, Cheap Monday
Mouse Ears, Disneyland
Belt, Zana Bayne Leather

Wondertwins forever. Much love to Bianca for this shoot idea! You can catch her daily outfits here.

This is the last in a series of three sets of photos I shot with Lydia Hudgens back in September. What I love about these sets is that although they were all shot within three days of one another, they are so incredibly different. There was the punk rock back-to-school look in The Bowery with Amelia Arsenic, the early morning East Village stoop loitering with Gala and now, this.

You’re probably wondering about the mouse ears. Gala and I have been to Disneyland twice together and I’ve been to Disney Wold four times on my own (and I never plan on growing up) so I’ll wear mouse ears any change I get. Sequined ears paired with more sequins? Why not! A group was gathered on the sidewalk for church as we walked by at 9:30 in the morning and literally stopped what they were doing and started singing the Mickey Mouse Club song to us…ears cheer everyone up!

These photos were shot in a very special place; a private garden that Gala & I had our birthday in two years ago. This is a quiet, magical refuge in the middle of the East Village and feels straight out of a fairytale.

I Wore:

Gryphon Sequin Dress, Tokio 7
Ears, Disneyland
Belt, Vintage
Tights, H&M
Wedges, Camilla Skovgaard
Nail Polish, Pop Nail Glam in Yellow

Gala Wore:

White irridescent mouse ears
Vintage turquoise beaded dress
Vintage bed jacket
Rings by Dyrberg/Kern
Betsey Johnson starburst Pollys

With all the sequins, it was only natural to finish up with a Michael Jackson-inspired dance-off.

After this shoot wrapped, I grabbed my bags, said goodbye to Gala, Hank & Dolly and headed towards the subway….back to Wall Street, then JFK, then home. It was a long day but so worth it. Thanks once again to Lydia Hudgens for the wonderful shoot!

On September 16th, my last morning in New York, I woke up bright and early to catch a cab over to Gala’s apartment in the East Village. We had a shoot with Lydia Hudgens booked for 8 a.m. (this meant that the streets were very empty) and when I showed up five minutes early, in true Virgo fashion, they were both ready to roll.

I really wanted to get some photos in my special birthday dress, a vintage Marimekko number that I’d worn to my party a few days earlier. I paired it with a Kate Spade newspaper clutch that I’d spotted in Gala’s office (the print is of a vintage New York paper!) I’d really like to find one of my own and I know that a number of brands have produced these in the past; do you have any suggestions?

My streamlined look was balanced out by Gala’s punch of pink and yes, a petticoat. Needless to say, we were slightly overdressed compared to the locals.

I Wore:

Leather Jacket, Rick Owens
Vintage Marimekko dress, Etsy
Headband, Forever 21
Tights, H&M
Wedges, Camilla Skovgaard
Kate Spade Newspaper clutch, borrowed from Gala
Nail Polish, Pop Nail Glam in Yellow

Gala Wore:

Vintage pink bowler hat

218W Perfecto leather jacket by Schott

Diamond necklace (a wedding gift from my mother — I haven’t taken it off since)

Angora heart sweater from ASOS

Betsey Johnson belt

Vintage pink crinoline (I also wore this under my wedding dress!)

Betsey Johnson over-the-knee socks

Matiko Ai For Ai boots (so comfortable, & I love the suede/patent leather/perforated leather combo!)

It just seemed appropriate to try jumping. In five inch wedges. At 9 AM.

Once the shoot ended, we weren’t quite done. There was one more outfit change still in store…but you’ll have to wait a little longer for that one. Thank you to Lydia Hudgens for shooting the photos! We had such an awesome time!

I’ve always loved Amelia Arsenic’s style but it’s been nearly impossible to meet up in the last two years. She’s based in London, I’m in Portland and though we both travel all the time, we never seem to be in the same place at once! When we found out that we’d both be in New York at the same time in September, I arranged a shoot with photographer Lydia Hudgens.

The real fun was in scouting a location. I asked Bianca for some recommendations and she immediately mentioned the corner of Bowery and Spring. I distinctly remembered the spot from past trips as being a great graffiti mecca and after some googling, I was astounded. Get this: The building previously housed Germania Bank which was built in 1898 and is now the home of a photographer and his wife and daughter. Yes, one family shares this building featuring 72 rooms! He purchased the building for a mere $102,000.00 over 40 years ago (no, that’s not a typo) and has lived there ever since. Amazing! Read more about the building’s history here.

We spent Tuesday afternoon shooting around the edges of Soho and though we hadn’t coordinated what we’d be wearing, I loved the contrast of the green in Amelia’s hair paired with my red accents. What I’ve realized is that sometimes the best shoots aren’t overly planned.

I Wore:

Vintage plaid skirt, Etsy
Sonia Rykiel for H&M Sweater, Ebay
Bow Headband, Forever 21
Tights, H&M
Avant Garde Necklace, Plastique (Etsy)
Patent Wedges, Cheap Monday
Bag, Miu Miu
Nail Polish, Pop Nail Glam in Yellow.

Thank you to Amelia for posing with me and to Lydia for doing such a great job. And FYI, Lydia is now based in New York so if you’d like to shoot with her, get in touch!