Leather = Better

In an age where vegan products abound and the term 'cruelty-free' is more popular than Kim Kardashians impending nuptials on Google search (okay, probably not), leather, fur and other animal sourced materials seem to be a luxury reserved for the morally depraved. Now my opinion on the matter shall remain null and void, but there are definitely some benefits to donning leather. 

The first, and most important, is that leather equals cool. It always has and always will, no matter how hard Stella McCartney campaigns. So long as there are still pictures of James Dean smoking a cigarette in a black moto jacket, leather will be cool. In a more modern context, let us consult Kate Moss in a second-skin leather pant. Go ahead and try finding something wrong with that image. This is why I decided to invest in a clean, ivory I.R.O. Paris leather vest. It transitions beautifully into all seasons and adds just a dash of enigmatic attitude.

I decided to pair it with a breezy pair of silk Mason by Michelle Mason trousers and my favorite Schutz sandals. And obviously only an industrial backdrop would have been correct for my leather topper obsession. 

Sporty

As a wise man once said- "Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants."

Well good ol' Karl may have a point, but he definitely wasn't talking about these buttery leather Vince track pants. These are so comfortable and chic at the same time. Definitely one of my favorite items in my closet.

Especially when paired with these pointed toe color block Lims, which for some reason I feel like also have a bit of a sporty vibe.

Jacket: Helmut Lang / Sweater: A.L.C. / Bra: For Love & Lemons /

Pants: Vince / Shoes: 3.1 Phillip Lim / Sunglasses: Ray Ban

In The Dirt

           As my summer in Cali came to a close, I wanted to put together a few western-  inspired looks with some recently acquired pieces before I headed back east. I was immediately drawn to the tiny pleat detailing and billowy shape of the Twenty8Twelve blouse when I saw it. I love it's versatility, and ability to be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. I stuck to a purely black and white color palette, pairing the top with leather paneled pants, wide-brimmed leather hat, and my go-to strappy sandals for a little bit of unexpected juxtaposition. I also paired the same look with some flat Franco Sarto western ankle boots for a more casual version in some of the photographs.

I threw in a few shots of my Blu Moon long-sleeved romper and my new Alexander Wang velcro bootie things that I've also been obsessed with since I bought them. The shoes have yet to fail me, they are so comfortable and go with so many different outfits- definitely one of my favorite purchases of the summer. 

With the final look, hemlines were raised and necklines lowered for a bit of a dressier vibe. I wore my leather mini skirt I found at H&M in New York right before I came home, and my simple silk tank I have literally been living in since I purchased it at J.Crew a few weeks ago. It is such a perfect staple piece, as the silk makes it look nice enough to be worn on its own, and it looks equally good layered under a sweater or blazer. I threw on my calf hair, leopard-print belt, (also from J.Crew), and a handful of rings and snake hand wrap to accessorize the look. 

                       

xx, Rach // East Coast

First Look: Top: Twenty8Twelve by Sienna Miller / Hat: Minnetonka (from Free People) / Belt: J.Crew / Pants: Tory Burch / Shoes: Prabal Gurung for Target // Boots: Franco Sarto

Second Look: Romper: Blu Moon (from Planet Blue) / Sunglasses: Vintage  (from American apparel) / Shoes: Alexander Wang

Third Look: Silk Top: J.Crew / Leather Skirt: H&M / Rings: J.Crew, Vintage Native American rings, and a brooklyn jeweler / Hand Wrap: Alkemie Jewelry (from Wasteland)

skateboards, denim, and mandals.

Liz and I shot this little editorial type thing last week, and we wanted it to be a grungey, California summer looking theme. Naturally, I went for my favorite OneTeaspoon cutoffs and denim/ white leather contrast jacket. Not to be left out of course, the "east coast" makes a little appearance in the form of my "New York City" tee by Chaser Brand, and topped off the look with a leather baseball cap for added sportiness. 

Leather Hat: Winner (from Owen NYC) / Jacket: BCBG /  T-Shirt: Chaser /
 Shorts: OneTeaspoon / Sandals: Dr. Martins / Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Black&White

As one of the few places in Manhattan that you can go to get a taste of nature, we planned to have a picnic on the Highline as soon as our iPhones showed us that little sunshine we hope for every time we open the weather app. Equipped with our bags of Duane Reade snacks, we sprawled out by the grass on the railroad-turned-long-skinny-park in hopes of getting rid of our pasty winter paleness. Shorts are one of my favorite things to wear, so I was super excited to break out this little leather, athletic-style pair by the brand Monday to Sunday, along with my short sleeved men's button down and sandals!

Shirt: Gap / Shorts: Monday to Sunday / Sandals: Zara / Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs /

 Sunglasses: Ray Ban / Bracelets: Madewell / Ring: Verameat

Owen NYC Shopping Event

This past Saturday, Owen, a designer boutique in the Meatpacking district hosted a shopping event with blogger Danielle Bernstein of www.weworewhat.com, and photographed by Guest of a Guest. The idea was to use the store as your closet and put together an outfit, upload it to Instagram, and Danielle and Owen would choose their favorite outfit and award them with a $250 credit to the store! My super stylish friend Mark Eric and I headed over and after carefully scouring the racks filled with pieces from A.L.C., Wayne, Suno, and Genetic Denim, just to name a few, we came up with these outfits for our "#springselfie" submission. 

I went for an all-white look for spring, with the coolest pair of perforated leather Wayne shorts, paired with a short-sleeved silk blouse by A.L.C., and a beautiful nude Sophie Hulme clutch. I topped it off with a black leather hat, (I used part of my gift card to buy a similar suede one before we left), and was ready for selfie time!

                                                 
                         

Danielle in her Owen duds, and me in my winning outfit!

(Photos by Guest of a Guest)

http://owennyc.com/

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