one shirt, one love: american apparel chiffon button-up

AFTER "TAKING THE month of April off from blogging" (read: working like a crazy person/kicking serious a-town at my new job), I'm back! Staying up to write blog posts is wayyyyy better than sleeping. I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm. So. Scared. Thanks for that Jesse Spano. 

Moving along...

My upcoming posts will feature this simple, American Apparel chiffon button-up worn in a variety of ways. Why? Because I often look at my overflowing closet and like many of you, scream: UUGGGHHHH I HAVE NOTHING TO WEARRRR! But I do. We all do. We just need a little creativity to help us through the hard times.

Quick accessories breakdown!
Ring: Gifted from my secret neighborhood store. Sssshhhh :)
Shoes: Marni. I LOVE THEM. And now you do, too. The peep of purple sets my heart ablaze.
Sparkly Tie: C'mon. You know why.

♥
JaKenna
Chiffon Oversized Button-Up: American Apparel
Lace Skirt: Urban Outfitters
Knee High Socks: Zara
Platforms: Marni
Ring: Gifted from my secret neighborhood store :)

laces: zara knee high socks + urban outfitters skirt

MGMT'S ELECTRIC FEEL came on while shooting this outfit and my body... it started a'twitchin and a'movin and I jumped back to 2008-just-graduated-Duke-and-drove-with-windows-down-in-the-jeep-BLASTING-that-ish-JaKenna. #Memories.

I've been wearing this Urban Outfitters skirt at least twice/week since I bought the damn thing 2 years ago (see! see!). It's the bestie and I heart pairing lace + lace for a play on textures. Nice depth.

Top: Forever 21 (syke it's a dress!)
Skirt: Urban Outfitters
Knee High Socks: Zara
Velvet Wedges: TopShop
♥
JaKenna

the navy series: zara striped blouse + knee high socks

IT TOOK ME a sec to figure out the best way to wear this Navy Zara striped blouse, but shaazzaaaaa I did it! And now I want to wear this outfit overandoverandover again. #DONTJUDGEME. Let's welcome this outfit to The Navy Series.

Special SHOUT to the one and only RenaReborn, where I never fail to find one-of-a-kind jewels. Like you don't love this piece. Psh.

Red Pea Coat: Forever 21
Striped Blouse + Knee High Socks: Zara
Lace Skirt: Urban Outfitters
Necklace: RenaReborn
Belt: TopShop
♥
JaKenna

brights: forever 21 red pea coat + topshop white jeans

IT'S LATER AND I must reiterate: how beautiful and awesome is this coat? I scavenged it from a deep, hidden coat rack in Forever 21 and the color makes me happy. Sublimely happy.

White pants in Autumn? When paired with pops of color & grounded with neutrals, tis acceptable. Give me a navy striped shirt and I'll show you a girl who... how does that saying go?
And we all know how much I love these Michael Kors boots...

Red Pea Coat: Forever 21
White Jeans: TopShop
Navy Striped Shirt: Zara
Boots: Michael Kors
♥
JaKenna

animal animal: zara animal print tunic + topshop velvet wedges

FIGURING OUT YOUR digs? The best part. When your room resembles a hurricane-tornado-earthquake ripping through your closet and somehow you put together a perfect outfit.

And by perfect, I mean totally inappropriate to be wearing around the East Village on a rando Saturday-day. But this is for SATURDAY-NIGHT!
Let it be noted that this was my first full-scale animal print purchase. Zara. Nice. Also, knee high socks are the perfect solution to the throwing-out-all-of-your-ripped-leggings-and-forgetting-to-buy-more problem. 

Also, you've seen the Topshop velvet wedges from FNO. 

Also, also, meet OWL. She'll be around. 
Dress: Zara
Velvet Wedges: Topshop
Owl Ring: RenaReborn
♥
JaKenna

my fashion's night out: drinks at ben sherman, chats w/coco rocha and the man repeller and my favorite jumpsuit

I'M GOING TO just come out and say this: MY FNO WAS THE BEST. It wasn't glamorous, it wasn't crazypartyscene, but it was the best. I peeked in Ben Sherman first (do you like what I bought?) and weaved my way through the crazySOHOcrowds to stop in TopShop.

And then I died. Literally. Actually figuratively. But I 'EEKED' so loud when COCO ROCHA walked in, I thought my heart was going to explode. I was so nervous! I ran up and blurted, "Coco! Can you take a pic with me!?" And OhMyG, she said yes! Sigh. Beautiful and an inspiring voice in the fashion industry, she's truly an icon.
Off to REALM Boutique to catch a glimpse of one of my favorite style bloggers, Leandra of The Man Repeller. And she was so sweet! And she's hilarious. So, read her blog. DO IT! It makes me smile thiiiiiis big:
Meeting two of my personal fashion icons has lit a fire under this girl's cutie tushie. I want big things for myself, BIG THINGS. More on that later...

Anywayyyy, do you like my jumpsuit!? It's the jumpsuit, the myth, the legend from my ABOUT section. Yep, the one I stalked for 3 days and finally found in West Yorkshire, UK. These pics are darkish so I imagine I'll shoot this number again as I don't feel they do THE JUMPSUIT justice. But for now, isn't it the bestestbestest?
And I don't have to tell you how mfing incredible these shoes are. YOU KNOW.

♥
JaKenna
Jumpsuit: Shakuhachi
Purse: Zara
Velvet Platforms: TopShop

we're on a boat, yes we are: stripes + sperry

I THINK MY Sperrys look like cute, little, platinum mouses. I haven't named them yet, but I'm leaning towards Karl & Blake. Or Hedi & Seal. #decisionsdecisions

Contrary to popular belief, you DO NOT have to be on a boat/wear croakies or nantucket red shorts/summer in the vinyard to wear boat shoes. You should; however, have incredible fashion taste and ironically pair them with nautical stripes :-)


So to expand their market, Sperry expanded their color and style choices this season. Which greatly appealed to muah because I needed something different in my shoe collection. Something classic.

And it was the metallic that initiated the attraction. Which quickly spread to the whisker-like, white knots and threaded laces. And continues with the the sheer comfort of wear-ability. 

My Vote: ALL. ABOARD.

Check out Sperry Top-Sider and Sebago for more mouses!

♥
JaKenna
Striped Top: TopShop
Jorts: DIY, cut from Abercrombie & Fitch jeans
Montauk Slip-Ons in Platinum: Sperry Top-Sider 
Purse: Zara

summer bights: zara sweeties in primary

Happy Tuesday! IMO, the productivity of your week heavily relies on the brightening up of Tuesdays—because really, they're just the day after Monday and still a looooong ways away from the weekend—for example, I like to shop on Tuesdays :-)

I'm currently deciding which of these Zara Sweeties should be my new crossbody bag. I like the bold, fresh, primary colors of each, and even though the fall campaigns are out in full force, I'm not ready to switch over yet. It's JULY! That means it's still SUMMER. And that means, I still get to play with bright, BRIGHTS.


I'm leaning towards the simplicity of the blue, but the soft triangle buckle on the red is very alluring. And the yellow reminds me of dandelions in summer. And that reminds me of home. #midwest

Help! Any tips? Have you found other beauties you'd like to share?


♥
JaKenna
Zara Crossbody Bags:

she could be a basketball player in those clothes: white zara tank + harem pants

DID EVERYONE GET the above Clueless reference? If not, that's cool too. SMH...

These, ladies and gentleman, are my very first pair of harem pants. #Finally!
The combo of white tank + all-American blue baggy pants reminded me of basketball, which semi-embarrassingly made me feel cooler. Like, I'd get mad respect yo. On the court, or whatever.

It also reminded me of this Sartorialist Post linking men's fashion on the bball court to men's fashion on the runway. *You mean the jocks and the gays can be friends!? HOORAH!

More harems here and here and gee golly, here!

Sidebar: Did you know harem pants originated in India and are traditionally worn with a pleated skirt covering the top portion. Me neither! And we learned something today :-)

♥
JaKenna
Harem Pants: Pixie Market
White Tank + Purse: Zara
Shoes: TopShop
Necklaces: Aldo

*No one from the LGBT community was offended during the authoring of this post. Seriously, I love you gays, errr guys.

flirty perty little skirty: topshop pleated skirt

 
IF ONLY I could live in this skirt…  



There's a slight pucker near the zipper and at first, the imperfection made me regret choosing this particular skirt. I mean, what are the odds I'd choose the one damaged skirt on the rack? Damnit! Don't you hate that?

But, I've grown to love this little pucker. It's my littler pucker!

Zara has these 2 gorgeous accordion pleat skirts. And they're on sale! #dangerous 

♥
JaKenna
Skirt + Shoes: TopShop
Bodycon Dress: American Apparel
Sunnies: stolen borrowed from a friend
Purse: Vintage!

sheer focus: american apprel + lilly pulitzer espadrilles

I USUALLY RESERVE the pink+green color combination for the lovely ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha⎯who rejected my application sophomore year of college, but whatevs, no hard feelings :-)⎯but the soft pink of the pants and the vivid green of the purse really drew me in. Maybe I was channeling Lilly Pulitzer through these shoes...


OH! I have to note that these espadrilles are so damn comfortable! I wore them alllll day and my feet didn't hurt one bit. But don't look too closely... my feet are screaming for a pedi :-( Gah, who has the time!?

And hey there trend alert → colorful pants! Tough choice on which color because American Apparel has a wide selection, but I also considered Truffle and Electric Blue. Speaking of, don't I have an AA Groupon somewhere...

♥
JaKenna
Sheer Top + Summer Peach Pants: American Apparel
Should Bag: Zara
Espadrilles: Lilly Pulitzer 

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