Kate Spade

Belated July 4th

Hats off to America! And where better to celebrate its birthday than the nation’s oldest city? Spoiler alert, though– if you want to watch the fireworks in St. Augustine from the Villano Bridge, they don’t actually start until it’s dark! Either way, we had a wonderful time together waiting for the fireworks, with undoubtedly the best spots on the bridge (3 hours early will do it for you). We even got a little appetizer to the display when a ratchet family decided it would be prudent and wise to burn firecrackers beside us. The picture looks more magical than it was. Afterwards we came back and celebrated the Georgia way with some good ol’ peach shortcake. As a brief aside- if your peach does not have fuzz on it, it is not a real peach. Full stop. You are eating a second-rate, castoff plum mutation (steps off soapbox).

How did you celebrate your Fourth?

Outfit Details:
Hat: Vintage
Dress: French Connection
Belt: Gap
Shoes: Bally
Purse: Kate Spade

Ay Jax

Today, I thought I would share two of my favorite places to eat in Jacksonville, Florida with you. I spent all last summer working there, so I’m getting kind of nostalgic, and had to visit my favorites when I went back to St. Augustine last week.

Chamblin’s Uptown

The socialite cousin of Chamblin’s Bookmine, this bookstore-cum-coffee shop-makeshift lunch destination is simultaneously one of the most bustling and calm in the city. Located at 215 N. Laura street right on the city square, smack in the middle of downtown Jacksonville, it’s an oasis of art, literature, and oversize cookies at your fingertips. Best of all, if you forget your book, they have plenty to choose from, and a liberal coffee selection on the cafe side.

2. Bistro Aix

The closest Jacksonville gets to France, Bistro Aix has the smell and warmth of a boulangerie and the wine menu of fine Parisian dining. Complete with a wood fired oven and salmon smoked in-house, pizzas the likes of the one below come topped with caviar at the most affordable price this side of San Marco. Adjoined is Bar X, where you can soak in fashionably low Deco lighting with a Death in the Afternoon even Hemingway would approve of. Afterwards? It’s off to the nearby shops and boutiques lining San Marco’s beautiful neighborhood as the sea’s waves peak at you, just a block away.

Outfit Details:
Blazer: Zara
Pants: Givenchy
Shoes: H&M
Bag: Kate Spade

Do you Believe in Magic?

Greetings from Harry Potter World! In anticipation of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I’ve incorporated a bit of a 1920’s flare. The costumes in the trailer are perfection, don’t you think?

This picture isn’t mine.

After a few roller coasters, I took the Hogwarts Express from Hogsmeade over to Diagon Alley for lunch. Shortly following was a delicious steak pie and too much butterbeer! For those cream soda lovers out there- butterbeer is heaven.

Pro-tip: If you know you are going to spend a certain amount of money in the park, you can go to the Gringott’s Money Exchange for real Gringott’s bank notes (or a money voucher you can use anytime in the park). If you use the note for less than it’s value, you get muggle change. But you have to watch out for this guy:

Outfit Details:
Shirt: Marni
Skirt: New Look
Kimono: Boutique Find
Shoes: Primark
Bag: Kate Spade
Glasses: Isaac Mizrahi

School Day Blues

School has been overwhelming lately, and it’s made me a bit nostalgic to write about something other than law. I’ve had this post on queue for a while — Jack and I actually shot it last year during our first Breakfast at Tiffany’s attempt (failed but fun nonetheless — here was the better result). And he’s been such a dear helping me learn LaTeX, I thought I’d come out of my nest to post it as a sort of thank you for all the work he’s done (and a reminder it shouldn’t go to waste). For the vibe, think sort of Carey Mulligan in An Education…

P.S. I don’t encourage smoking, and — Isn’t he just the cutest?

Boldly Go.

Happy Friday! Here’s a burst of color to make your day pop. I’ve been surprised that Florida is a bit more conservative than originally expected, so I’ll have to share my more ostentatious looks here, rather than stunning the office with my odes-to-Grecian-bygones shirts. I’m often scared to do the pencil skirt look, because I think unless you’re a waif, you always end up looking like you’re carrying your lunch in a front hamper. But I love my new Tabitha Simmons shoes, and they are so hard to match that I have decided to take them as inspiration and step forward boldly today (in the skirt- waif or not!). I hope in every situation you can do the same (and if not, at least look forward to the weekend..).

The culprit

I Descended A Dusty Gravel Ridge…

When I was in High School, I was unabashedly obsessed with the Beat Movement (a fact that will reveal itself in force as the week progresses). With this in mind, there was no way to go to San Francisco without making a veritable pilgrimage to Big Sur. Worthy of an entire love letter- hiking guide- philosophical discussion by Kerouac, the area has continued to inspire in the title track of Death Cab’s latest album (not for much longer!) Narrow Stairs. With all the hubbub, I definitely wanted to check it out, and I was not disappointed. Sun meets the sea meets the mountains and the valley, all in one compendium of sunkissed luxuriance. The weather was perfect, the temperature was perfect, and the sights were stunning. Big Sur is like having everything in one place. Even for someone one as urban-loving as myself, there are a bunch of cute stops for upscale dining in graphically designed perfection you can opt for over more granola choices.

My favorite stop while we were driving through was the Henry Miller Library. Though best known for his salacious novels Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, he also wrote a novel on Big Sur. So nestled in the mountain, a standing homage to his admiration, the library is a peaceful stop on the short path through Big Sur, but certainly one worth making. They have a lot of area-relevant materials, good classic literature, and free coffee (though you might want to make a donation) you can drink on their open wood porch.

As for dressing for Big Sur, that was kind of a challenge. In The Dharma Bums, Kerouac talks about a few days he spent hiking up and down Big Sur, so I wanted to come ready to trek, but on the other hand, I also didn’t know if we’d eat out since it was a day trip. To straddle both, I wore a tunic dress with shorts under it and a cardigan. Sometimes the tunic looked a little too long (learning from mistakes) but on the whole, I think it was good for what I wanted to do, and I managed to avoid sweat stains on the top where it was tucked in (probably something to look out for).

Outfit Details: Tunic/ Dress: Alice + Olivia | Scarf: Oscar de la Renta | Cardigan: H&M | Shoes: Asics Kayanos | Purse: Kate Spade

DON’T FORGET: ECCENTRIC GLAMOUR LINK UP STARTS TOMORROW

Down with Diffusions and the Retreat of the Middle Market

I was saddened to hear last week Marc Jacobs was canceling his Marc by Marc Jacobs line in order to bolster his brand before going public. This comes just a few weeks after Kate Spade called it quits on their Saturday line (though it will apparently be making a belated comeback in Kate Spade stores ?!?!). This is simply too much to take in at once. I know I buy predominantly secondhand items, but I’d like to at least keep my options open.

Instead of wallowing in my own misery, I am led to question where the problem lies in bringing name brand items to a middle market price point or “diffusion lines.” Target seems to do it well. What is going on here? I offer no solid answers, but find it odd considering that we are supposed to be emerging from the recession. One article suggested that Saturday just tried to take on too much at once, but this could hardly be the answer for Marc by Marc Jacobs. In a comment to WWD magazine, Sebastian Suhl (CEO) said “Marc Jacobs would still produce items at the contemporary and luxury price points, while looking to flesh out the middle area—low three-digit pricing—as well.” That sounds like a good plan to me, and remarkably like the Kate Spade approach. While these two brands are in two very different places (with LVMH backing Jacobs as he launches his IPO, while Kate Spade and Company, once known as Liz Claiborne, is an old time contender), they are approaching the middle market in the same way at the same time (and right as Gap is showing a profit!). Does anyone have any insight? If so drop it my way so we can send it along to Isabel Marant and Valentino. If RED or Etoile disappears anytime soon, I will declare myself a groundhog and sleep out this winter.

National Gallery

Remember I told you about visiting the Sandro Sample Sale? While there I couldn’t help but splurge on a (you guessed it) drop waist dress. Navy and black has been so sleek and minimal this Winter, so I thought I’d try it myself. To do so, I wore it to a place equally sleek but certainly not minimalistic- the National Gallery. My school is about two streets away, so I passed by here every morning and payed homage to old Nelson. I think he’d be fine if he could just column–down. Wow… ok on to pictures.

The woman security guard started cracking up when I took this picture, so I feel like I won the National Gallery. If they watch people take stupid selfies all day and you make them laugh with your stupidity, then you must be doing something right…

Outfit Details: Dress: Sandro | Bag: Kate Spade | Shoes: Michael Kors | Earrings: Portabello Road

P.S. A few weeks ago on my instagram I asked what building has a mosaic of the word “Curiosity.” Well, this is the place! It’s up the stairway at the top of the landing when you walk in.

Beachy Cliff: A Romance

The British Romantic poets and writers were profoundly affected by the vision of the Swiss Alps. After the dreary slopes of the English countryside, the towering edifices were the embodiment of mystery, the promise of adventure and peril, and the unspeakably delicious thrill of the unknown. Now, their radical break from the orderly and structure-loving conventions exemplified in the Enlightenment is commonly interpreted to be the stuff of surprise flower deliveries. But rather than humming “your song” (if you’re with someone) or daydreaming about their sense of humor (if you’re not), as we stare into the abyss of uncertainty buzzing around a new year, I have chosen to resurrect the true Romantic meaning.

As we look towards the frightful and awesome unknown that is 2015, instead of approaching it with trepidation or even boredom, I will choose to see it for the huge opportunities (or obstacles) it can bring… even if the wind is an absolute torrent along the way. Make sure to take a moment to reflect on the romantic possibilities that lie ahead!

Eagerly We Fly Away

Christmas at Somerset House is absolutely beautiful! Fortnum and Mason sponsors a huge ice skating rink and puts up a huge tree complete with F&M baskets. The sign up says “SKATE” and that is exactly what we did, but not without some trouble. The rink is packed to capacity- so for those of us trying our ice legs after a few stagnant winters, this isn’t the place to learn (though they do keep a little training area off to the side if you are desperate). You are often tripped or tussled by other uncertain skaters or self-proclaimed experts (you can imagine me wagging my fist at the show-offs). But even if you can’t skate, it’s worth stopping by to see the spectacle. With the giant tree and the rink there, it’s the perfect catalyst for Christmas cheer. Outfit Details: Hat: Joy (in stores now) | Sweater: Helmut Lang | Jacket: Barbour Wax | Jeans: Acne | Socks & Gloves: Primark | Shoes: Tommy Hilfiger | Necklace: old | Bag: Kate Spade