Crop Star

When it comes to fashion, there are some trends I bypass entirely (ie. culottes), and some I latch on to right away (ie. crop tops). This little white top from last summer made a return appearance for our trip to Cuba, this time paired with one of my favourite skirts ever, a midi/maxi (mixi?) I picked up in a post-Christmas Anthro sale. I love long skirts but I often find it tricky to decide what to wear them with -- so often, a tucked-in t-shirt can look kind of awkward when it bunches up around the waist, I find. So thank God for crop tops! And I love that this plain white one is the perfect backdrop for a big, statement necklace.

Crop top - H&M

Necklace - Aldo

Skirt - Anthropologie

Bag - Kate Spade

Sandals - J. Crew

Sunglasses - Forever 21

Lipstick - Posh Pink (Lancôme)

Little White Pleated Dress

As anyone who follows me on Pinterest knows, I'm a big fan of white dresses (I have a board solely dedicated to images of perfect LWDs). The ubiquitous little black dress, while a classic for obvious reason, can easily veer into funereal/frumpy/lacklustre territory, in my opinion, but the little white dress, in all its iterations, always seems so fresh. 

This pleated J. Crew dress, a sales-score from last summer, is incredibly versatile -- I love changing up the vibe of it by pairing it with different accessories and jackets. If I want to enhance its preppy vibe, I'll wear it with a blazer, while tossing on my leather jacket instantly edges it up. 

Which are you more a fan of -- the LBD or the LWD? 

Dress - J. Crew

Necklace - Forever 21
Sunglasses - Forever 21
Shoes - Forever 21
Bag - Kate Spade
Lipstick - All Fired Up by MAC

Neon Peach

I scored this vibrant little number in the post-Christmas sales last year, and it's easily become my favourite coat to wear once Christmas is over and the new year has begun. It's even more highlighter-esque in real life, if you can believe it, and I find it to be the perfect transitional item for this dreary time of year: warm enough to keep the chill at bay but bright enough to feel fresh and springlike. Some people are convinced it's a pinkish colour, but I consider it a part of the orange family -- a neon peach if you will. To tone it down, I wear it with basic pieces in neutral shades...but I can't resist the addition of a punchy orange lip. 

Wool coat - J. Crew

Sweater - Dynamite

Jeans - Dittos via The Bay

Shoes - Forever 21

Sunglasses - Ray-Ban

Lipstick - So Chaud by MAC

Blinded by the Bright

This dress doesn't elicit many compliments (actually, it's the opposite: anyone who comments on it says something to the effect that it's blinding them), but to be honest, I'm willing to overlook the retinal damage of passersby for the sheer fun of wearing it. I'd had my eye on this little neon number since it first hit stores a few months ago, and snatched one up when it went on sale not too long afterwards (I've noticed that new stuff at J. Crew ends up in the sale section pretty swiftly, and at really substantial mark-downs, too). It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but lace is my thing (seriously, like 80% of my wardrobe has some kind of lace touch), and I love fluorescents, so it was a no-brainer. 

Dress - J. Crew

Shoes - Steve Madden

Clip-on earrings - Aldo

Lipstick - Schiap, NARS

Floral Farewell

Well, first of all, let me apologize for the bad quality of these photos -- I guess having a photo shoot at night wasn't the greatest idea. The darkness just seems to creep up so quickly these evenings! I always have slightly mixed feelings this time of year (and I say slightly because fall is my favourite season), but there's something about summer coming to a close that's bittersweet. And for me, it always ensues a slight panic as I try to cram in as many wears of my bright, summer-only clothes -- like this skirt -- before packing them away for 6 months.

Shirt - Forever 21

Skirt - Banana Republic

Bag - Kate Spade

Ring - Aldo

Tights - DIM

Shoes - J. Crew

Lipstick - Schiap, NARS

Embellishment

I've gotta say, I'm a big fan of the whole embellished-sweater trend that's going on right now. While I'm attracted to shiny, glitzy things, I'm actually pretty lazy about wearing jewellery (I'm not one for multiple necklaces and stacked-on bangles), so a top with built-in bling is right up my alley. Also, this post has just made me realise that I totally have a uniform for this time of year, as evidenced here. I guess a black top + grey skirt + berry lip is my comfort zone! Breaking out of this grey and black rut is definitely going to be one of my New Year's resolutions...

Floral beaded pullover - Banana Republic

Grey tweed skirt - Banana Republic

Rose-patterned tights - XOXO via Winners

Black patent flats - J. Crew

Lipstick - "Rebel" by MAC