black & cream: yumi kim + steve madden


IN PREPARATION FOR my upcoming trip to LA, I thought I'd wear as much black as possible before being confronted with bright colors, palm trees and sandy beaches. Although confronted does seem like a strong word... it's not as if the colors are attacking me. Right? How about embraced... welcomed. I love colors! I will try not to pack black, but as New Yorkers, is that a feat we can fathom? Update pending.

Love,
JaKenna
Uniqlo Corduroy Jeans

jakenna 2.0: topshop + steve madden

SOMETIMES BEING A secret agent spy affects my wardrobe choices. JaKenna! We need you in Bogota to assassinate the world's most deadliest man. ON IT! Oh wait, can I grab my combat boots? My outfit really isn't the same without them and I don't think I can effectively kick with sling back peep toes... This blog post will self destruct in 10 seconds. 


JaKenna
Lace Bustier: Victoria's Secret

east village romping: pinky otto culottes + steve madden virrtues

LEAPING + BOUNDING! I thought: "This cabbie must think I'm ca-razy! Jumping in the street to get these shots. HA!" And then I realized that a girl jumping in the street is the sanest thing dude has seen all day. #NYC





Culottes (aka women's pants cut like a skirt). All the rage. They say so much (What? Purple snakeskin doesn't do it for you?), so I like to keep the rest of the look simple. I'll also pair with a black tank for a nighttime look and am always just as hippie-pleased with myself.

P.S. Do you spy SKULL hiding in the accessories pic? Sometime she's my inner shy coming through. Belie' dat.


JaKenna
Culottes: Pinky Otto
Tank: TopShop
Belt: Vintage Christian Dior
Sunnies: Stolen Acquired from Coachella

stylish bird: jess

Jess is kickin' off my new Stylish Bird series, featuring the birds in my life and the birds I meet on the streets of NYC... So, without further ado:

JESS.IS.A.BADASS. And, she's a friend who will (at any time of day/night) hop in a cab and meet you for a shot of whiskey, help you move into a new apt, whisk you away to FIT for a Daphne Guinness exhibit and tell you which books you should be reading. In short, she's a keeper. 

Where are the items in your outfit from?
Jacket & Dress, Necessary Clothing
Belt & bracelet, Flea Market
Embellished Ring, Forever 21
Boots, Steve Madden
Scarf, H&M
Bag, Vintage Guy Laroche

What is your favorite part of this outfit?
Well, I love leather and I was searching for a cropped leather jacket. It happened to appear in my face. Literally. I took it as a sign, so I bought it. The dress is lace and has an asymmetrical hemline. It also dances in the wind. Need I say more? 

Please!
It really grabs your attention and the way the dress flows is just supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (holy crap I spelled that correctly without Google-ing). It’s perfect for summer, but I had to break it out on a 60 degree day in January. 

Who is your style icon?
There’s no one I specifically look up to. My style is derived from a mélange of New Yorkers and everything around me. In a sense, NYC is my style icon. Nothing says sexy & stylish like the Chrysler building.

Your current beauty product addiction is...
Buxom Lip Tarnish in “Scandal” - My lips feel tingly and plump.

The last song played on your iPod was…

What is your earliest memory?
I remember the day my newborn baby brother came home from the hospital and I got to hold him for the first time. Le sigh.

The best piece of advice you’ve ever received is… 
My dad always told me to look for the best in people, even when I didn’t like them. It would make me a happier person.

If you spent an entire day with your friends, what would you do?
Eat. Walk. Drink. Shop. Explore. Eat. Drink. Play. 

What is your favorite quality in a man? In a woman?
Humor. You have to be some kind of funny for us to get along.

What makes you a Stylish Bird?
You can’t find real birds in NYC (Note: pigeons don’t count), so when you do you’re pleasantly surprised. I just happen to wear clothes that make people notice me every now and then. I hope you were pleasantly surprised. Tweet

Don't you lover her? Follow Jess on Twitter and Tumblr to lover her even more.

JaKenna

autumn attire: topshop sweater + uniqlo corduroy pants

IT'S SO OFFICIAL. Autumn is here and I've broken out my staples: Scarves. Boots. Blazers.


Monochromatic-ism is fun! I wanted to play up this dope men's scarf, so I went the gray-black route. Also, sometimes I get addicted to things... I don't know if you've noticed (ahem, J Brand red jeans). Currently, it's these combat boots. NON-STOP. They're so perfect for this weather!

What are you wearing this Autumn?
Blazer: Express
Sweater: TopShop
Corduroy Pants: Uniqlo
Combat Boots: Steven Madden
JaKenna

every nerd has her day: star wars/darth vader printed tee + topshop body-con skirt

#NERDALERT. But you love Star Wars and don't pretend like you don't. I know I'm not the only one who bunned my hair like Princess Leia and you've seen Natalie Portman in the new old Episodes! Enough.Said.




It's so hot. I'm melllllting.
This printed-tee was a bday gift, and it feels right to pair Darth Vader with a body-con skirt + combat boots. Why? Because we're BADASSES. I tend to hate printed-tees, but when one comes along that oh-so speaks to my heart, I will do 3 things:

1. Roll up those sleeves
2. Pair with something edgy/studded (because t-shirts are inherently girly/sweet and we all know how I feel about that)
3. Rock that ish.

Big ups to the nerd/geeks/dorks.

Sidebar: @ErikaJanelle deserves a shoutout for being 1. my oldest and bestest friend and 2. for introducing me to Star Wars at the age of 12. #Thanks :-)


JaKenna
Darth Vader Printed Tee: Old Navy
Body-Con Skirt: TopShop
Combat Boots: Steve Madden

pants as skirts these days: zara culottes + topshop top

SAW. PURCHASED. ZARA sale stole my monies.

But the versatility of these culottes is so dope. Romping in the E.Village? Yes. Client meeting in the office? Check. I'm-too-lazy-to-put-jeans-on/its-too-damn-hot-outside-to-put-jeans-on moments? Absolutely.

Zara also has these lovelies to choose from: GREEN! BLACK!

Sidebar: the curls are loving the humidity. I AM NOT. 


JaKenna
Culottes: Zara
Heart Top: TopShop
Boots: Steve Madden