Love This Site — Kissmiss

Kissmiss Greta 3

When I think about what to wear in the evening, I think of a dress. But finding the right wow-factor dress always seems to be harder than you think. Unless you’re getting your dress custom-made (which I feel like only celebrities do), you’re going to have to select a dress that was made for the ideal type of a given size. You know, the person that is, say, size large on top, size large in the middle, and size large on the bottom. Most people aren’t like that – everyone’s body has its own quirky idiosyncrasies. Personally, I have very narrow hips, so I need a smaller size for bottoms than I do for tops. What ends up happening when I buy dresses is that they look big around the hips and thighs, especially after repeated wear. And then I started noticing Nicki Minaj’s style and saw that a matching top and skirt has the same overall look as a dress. Especially when so many club dresses have cutouts anyway! 

 

 

Alice + Olivia, Alice + Olivia, Calvin Klein

 

Jeremy Scott, Jeremy Scott, Tom Ford

 

Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Brandon Maxwell

Plus I love matching. I love coordination. I love themes. I like a bold color and especially a bold print. The “effortless style” ethos never appealed to me. I believe that effort is a virtue. Let’s face it, outfits that are well-planned tend to look more visually striking, on average, than honestly effortless outfits. The way I see it, if you’re going to do a certain look, really do it. Don’t hold back. What’s better than cute? Cutecute ♥♥

 

 

Nicki Minaj, Kim Kardashian

 

Kim Kardashian, Cara Delevingne, Rihanna

 

Gigi Hadid, Katy Perry

 

Katy Perry, Gwen Stefani, Chanel Iman

I’m in good company, both on the Spring 2018 runway and with celebrities. The look of a matching top and skirt — the monochrome effect — is a tried-and-true strategy to fall back on. No matter the year or the season, designers and celebrities turn to it again and again. Our current fashion landscape is no exception.

Kissmiss Cocktail Kissmiss Striped  Kissmiss Neon Sign 3 Cropped

Kissmiss Jumpsuit Kissmiss Lace Detail Cropped Kissmiss Three Girls

Kissmiss Off Shoulder Kissmiss Crescent Moon

Kissmiss Kabukicho Kissmiss Beaded 2 Kissmiss Beaded

Kissmiss Lace Up Kissmiss White Studded Kissmiss Stilettos Colorful 2

Kissmiss Girls Night Out  Kissmiss Night Sky

That’s why I like Kissmiss. A site dedicated to sultry clubwear, they make sure to have a special place for bandage 2 piece  top and skirt sets, of all colors and shapes, decadent to minimalist.

 

 

My favorite look from them is the Greta Wraparound Bodycon Dress Set. It’s $49, which would be quite affordable for a dress for going out…but remember, it’s actually even better than that. It’s two pieces for $24.50 each! That you can later pair with other things! That’s a pretty good deal.

 

This post is sponsored by Kissmiss Dress.

Spring Wishlist — Pastels

Spring has sprung, and I couldn’t be happier. There’s something so carefree about being outside without a jacket, walking because it’s sunny and not because you have a scheduled obligation to hurry to, and seeing all the flowers come out of hiding. Spring is also a beautiful time for fashion, a chance to put away the coat and boots you’ve had to wear practically every day and warm up to complete style freedom. For me, this means light, cheerful pastel colors, soft flourishes, and nature-inspired motifs. Pantone’s designated Colors of the Year are Rose Quartz and Serenity, and there’s no better season to wear them!

Some people think pastel colors are okay in small doses, but they could never wear an outfit composed entirely of pastels. Yet I think head-to-toe pastel ensembles are the most fun, and it’s completely possible to dress this way without looking like the Easter Bunny. The trick is to balance your pinks with blues and to let your palest blush pieces segue into nudes and creams. Drawing from 400 boutiques around the world, Farfetch is my go-to place to find pieces that are sophisticated and stand out — the best combination for a tricky trend.

 

 

Outfit 1 Take 2                                         Outfit 2 Take 2

 

Look 1 — Spring Sophisticate       Look 2 — Pastel’s Wild Side

Dorothee Schumacher blouse; Marni macramé skirt;  Sophia Webster ballet flats;  Edie Parker Flavia clutch

Rochas top; Balmain skirt; N°21 sandals; Edie Parker Jean clutch

Outfit 3 Take 2              Outfit 4 Take 2

Look 3 — Super Sweet                             Look 4 — Mixed Prints

Ryan Lo top; P.A.R.O.S.H. skirt; Saint Laurent  Candy 80 sandals; Olympia Le-Tan My Melody clutch

Simone Rocha top; Carven skirt; Red Valentino slingbacks; Olympia Le- Tan birds book clutch

Outfit 5   Outfit 6

Look 5 — Rich Texture                        Look 6 — Lines that Pop

N 21 tank; J.W. Anderson jacket;  Twin-Set trousers; Salvatore Ferragamo  pumps;  Maison Michel Bibi Yoko hat; Burberry Nova Check bucket bag

Vivetta Mara shirt; Dorothee Schumacher trousers;  Chloe Gosselin Lobelia booties; Salvatore  Ferragamo Vara clutch

Outfit 7 Outfit 8 Take 3

Look 7 — Laid-Back Pretty               Look 8 — The Dark Side

Cédric Charlier camisole; Erika Cavallini Hana jacket; Ermanno Scervino shorts;  Dolce & Gabbana booties; Night Market necklace;  Olympia Le-Tan Alice Notebook clutch

Ermanno Scervino coat; Roberto Cavalli booties; Chanel vintage clip-on earrings; 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli satchel

Outfit 9  Outfit 10 Take 2

Look 9 — Chic Ballerina                Look 10 — Dramatic Shape

Rochas ballerina print dress; Brunello Cucinelli cardigan; Dolce & Gabbana Vally slippers;  Céline vintage faux pearl bracelet; Tory Burch watercolor print clutch

Simone Rocha scuba dress; Giamba butterfly print stilettos; Marc by Marc Jacobs cabochon ring; Erika Cavallini brooch; Serpui clutch

Dorm Decor — How to Make a College Dorm Feel Like Home

Maybe it’s because the place is called a “dorm” and not an “apartment”. Maybe it’s because “dorm” is short for “dormitory”, a word that makes me think of Hogwarts and other boarding schools for people between the ages of 11 and 18. Maybe it’s because the dwelling is used in conjunction with a specific institution (a university), as opposed to being a dwelling amongst the dwellings of people whose activities and occupations have nothing to do with yours. But for whatever reason, outsiders to the college experience, or even those people who graduated more than a decade ago, tend not to think of a college dorm as a home.

Home is where the heart is

Yet besides being where the heart is, a home is a place where you live on a longterm basis. It is the place where you wake up in the morning, keep your possessions, entertain guests, watch TV and update your social media, spend quality time with a loved one, and curl up under the covers after a long day. For me, the place where I do all of these things is an NYU dorm in the East Village. At New York University (NYU) I live 3,000 miles away from all of my family members in California. And because Manhattan is the second most expensive region for housing in the United States, my plan was always to live in a dorm for four years. Now I am on Year Three, and my plan has been going well. Along the way, I learned the three most important ways to make your dorm feel homey:

1) Move as many of your possessions as possible to your dorm

2) Invest in interior design hardware that is compatible with dorm regulations

3) Use empty space in unconventional ways 

I moved 90 percent of my California clothing items to New York and have purchased many wonderful things during my college years, and I keep all of it in one dorm room. I got the stuff out here by packing multiple 70-pound suitcases and shipping large boxes, but fitting everything in has been the greatest challenge by far. What changed everything was investing in command hooks and a portable clothing rack.

command hookscommand hookscommand hookscommand hooks

Besides being easier to use than a heavy hammer that could crush your fingers if you drop it, command hooks are great for college dorms in particular because they can be mounted and removed without leaving a mark on the wall (no paying for damages when you move out!). I have 50 command hooks in my dorm, and they can be used for every clothing item imaginable.

BELTS

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Lineup inspired by Christian Grey’s playroom

Command hooks work for all types of buckles:

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Small rectangle (Desa)   Large horseshoe (my mother’s)   Sash (Forever 21)

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Large square (Apt. 9)          Small horseshoe (vintage)  Large circle (Forever 21)

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 Snaps (Forever 21)    Hole punch (vintage)

SCARVES

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Scarves of all lengths and shapes can fit on a command hook:

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Infinity (Apt.9)                     Short  (Ben Berger)            Small square (Vintage)

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Large square (Grand Bazaar in Istanbul)  Silk (vintage Georgiou)  Pussy bow (Payless)

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Long and thick knit (Gap)

HANDBAGS

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H&M, vintage Kathy van Zeeland, vintage, Candies’s; Forever 21, vintage, Apt.9, Chateau, Sears

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Vintage Pylones; Loungefly Loves Hello KittyI came across this Hello Kitty command hook for $7 at Target.

NECKLACES

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One standard size command hook can hold at least 13 necklaces

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PORTABLE CLOTHING RACK

My dorm came with one closet, which is enough space for my jackets and coats. What about everything else? I found a two-rod,wheeled clothing rack for $27 at Kmart, and it is large enough to hold my dresses, jumpsuits, tops, skirts, jeans, leggings, and pants; in other words, everything that won’t fit in the standard closet!

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Dress by City Studio; skirt by Forever 21

MAKE USE OF EMPTY SPACE — THE TOP OF THE DRESSER

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While I am not allowed to remove this dresser, I can use it to display my jewelry.

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 Sunglasses by Foster Grant, Girlprops, Target, and St. Mark’s Place

Bow from American Apparel; Blue watch made by my mother, gold watch, vintage; Dried rose given to me by a boyfriend in 2012; Box of rings hand-decorated by my sister; Purse by Magid (from my grandmother in Istanbul)

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Left to right: Claire’s, my mother’s, vintage, vintage Ethel & Myrtle, Forever 21, vintage, Forever 21

Vintage, vintage Ethel & Myrtle, Forever 21, Forever 21, Barbie Girls, Forever 21, gift a friend brought back from Iran

Forever 21, vintage, my mother’s, my mother’s, my mother’s, Claire’s, Forever 21, H&M 

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Watch, vintage Narmi; Bracelets: gift a friend brought back from India, Forever 21, my grandmother’s, Macy’s, my mother’s, Macy’s, gift a friend brought back from India

Earrings, street vendor in Berkeley, CA; Brooches: vintage, vintage, vintage, vintage, gift from my grandmother in Istanbul, vintage 

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Sophie, gift from a friend, vintage Betty Boop, vintage Le Baron, Xhilaration, vintage Adrienne

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All of my rings are kept in my ring box; a small purse can store bracelets when it is not being worn

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  The top of a dresser can also store shoes. 

 Lamp, gift from a boyfriend in 2013; Heels: Forever 21, Style & Co., vintage Colin Stuart, vintage Caressa, Nina 

DESK SHELVES

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We line up our shoes on closet shelves, so why not desk shelves? 

 Fioni, vintage BCBG, vintage Nine West, Divided by H&M, vintage Style & Co

Nine West, vintage Linea Paolo, Rue21 etc!, Sbicca, Xhilaration

YOUR WORK SPACE

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     As you can see from the books, computer, and printer, this desk/shelving unit is primarily a space for me to do my work. Yet there are actually many ways to make your work space aesthetically pleasing, and even ways to store accessories!

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My “fun books” (non school-related)

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A vase of fake flowers is a romantic and permanent way to decorate a home. I found my four roses at PANY in Chelsea, a shop stocked entirely with fake flowers in hundreds of varieties. I found two matching vases for the flowers at Pier One. A vase without water also comes in handy for headband storage and display. Speaking of niche boutiques, Anna Belen in the Upper East Side is a cute shop that specializes in affordable headbands and other hair accessories. 

Headbands: Topshop, Anna Belen, Anna Belen, Anna Belen, Forever 21

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Shoes as bookends: Divided by H&M, Albano (from Istanbul); An Aldo clutch rests on the desk; fashion magazines

THE HEATER

The top of a long heater can be used as a shelf for shoes, provided that the vents are not on the top (mine are on the  front side).

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If your heater takes up this much space, you might as well make use of it! 

Forever 21, Aldo, Elle for Kohl’s, Forever 21, Shiekh, Alba

NAVIGATION

I have lived in New York for three years, and I still do not have all of the subway routes memorized! A large subway map on the wall acts as a display piece and helps me plan my routes in advance (so I never have to ask for directions).

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PETS

I can’t speak for every college, but NYU does not allow pets in a dorm, unless they are fish. So I bought a Grumpy Cat with an NYU scarf to keep me company!

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Grumpy Cat hates this picture. 

Once you are finished with all of your housecleaning, you can sit and relax!

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On me: Vintage A. Byer top, H&M tiered skirt, my mother’s pearl earrings, Forever 21 “Happy” necklace

On wall: MG Collection, vintage, vintage, gift from a friend, heart purse designed and sewn by me, Magid (from my grandmother in Istanbul), Mary Frances taxi purse

I moved into this particular room at the beginning of the last Fall semester, and am staying here for the Summer term. By the time the Summer term is over, I will have lived in this dorm room for a full calendar year. Seems like as good a reason as any to make a request that I stay in this room as a senior!

No matter what school you go to, how many roommates you have, or how long you plan to stay in a dorm, there is always a way to make your space reflect your taste, and to make your dorm feel like home.

Flats to Heels

It is common knowledge that walking long distances in heels is bad for your feet…but, perhaps even more unfortunately, it is bad for your shoes. Though they may very well catch the eye of passersby on the city streets, beautiful stilettos were not designed to take as many steps as their heelless counterparts. I learned this the hard way, and have spent a lot of money getting heel nails replaced over the years. The best solution, in my opinion, is to carry a large handbag, walk the long distance in chic flats (no need for sneakers!), and change into your more delicate shoes at a discreet location nearby.

Here are some pairings of flats and heels that would work well together to compliment the same outfit…

Bloch   Dolce & Gabbana (2)

Bloch, $183 + Dolce & Gabbana, $695

Charlotte Russe (2)   Kate Spade 5 (2)

Charlotte Russe, $20 + Kate Spade, $328

DVF   Kurt Geiger

DVF, $169 + Kurt Geiger, $300

Francesco Milano   L.K. Bennett

Francesco Milano, $120 + L.K. Bennett, $375

Kate Spade 6 (2)   Christian Louboutin (2)

Kate Spade, $45 + Christian Louboutin, $325

Charlotte Olympia 6   Kate Spade 7 (2)

Charlotte Olympia, $303 + Kate Spade, $350

Franco Sarto   Kate Spade 8 (2)

Franco Sarto, $38 + Kate Spade, $199

SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker 

SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker, $285 + Manolo Blahnik, $725

8 Ballet  Casadei

8, $131 + Casadei, $695

French Sole   Dune

French Sole, $104 + Dune, $135

Jimmy Choo  Jimmy Choo 2

Jimmy Choo, $675 + Jimmy Choo, $900

Tom Ford Yes   Tom Ford 2

Tom Ford, $716 + Tom Ford, $900

Stand Out — But Stay Warm!

Now that we are in the dead of winter, it makes sense to see most every person outside wearing a coat. What does not make sense is walking through a sea of drabby black coats. Here are a few pieces guaranteed to give the wearer a street style advantage!

Nº21 overisze coat; MSGM digital print coat; Au Jour Le Jour lips print duchesse coat

Derek Lam bonded leather trenchcoat; Liska brushstroke print coat;  Marc Jacobs, silk jacquard coat

Etro cotton coat;  Dolce & Gabbana embroidered cape coat; Opening Ceremony jacquard coat