worn: September 8, 2010

I totally fell in love with this “black and white- in reverse!” dress (as my friend calls it) the minute I put it on. It was picked out for me by the amazing Sammy of Sammy D Vintage, and it’s truly one of my favorite vintage finds ever. I love that this dress is a bit below the knee and has long sleeves- something that I think makes it perfect for Fall. But it’s also mostly white and brings in some much-needed lightness into my wardrobe during the season. I can’t wait to wear it again with black tights and boots!

Sugar-Coated Shirtdress

It’s a dreary day today and there’s nothing I wanted more than to find a very “happy” dress to fall for. When I saw this Sugar-Coated Shirtdress form Anthropologie, I knew that was it. The “candy” pattern of this dress is absolutely adorable and nothing makes me happier than a truly cute dress. I think this dress is perfect for this time of year because it’s a prime example of autumn colors and can easily be paired with tights and boots. In fact, that’s what I would like to do! Throw on a comfy jacket and you’re good to go.

worn: August 31, 2010

I bought this dress only a few days before I decided to wear it. I absolutely fell in love with it on Lulus.com and knew I had to have it, although at the time I didn’t know what I would wear it to. The dark colors but fun flower print make it a good Summer to Fall transitioning dress and I absolutely love the adorable bow detail in the back. In the end, I wore this dress out on a movie date and it was definitely a big hit. I love that it’s casual but also very pretty.

Rainbow Sequin Wave Dress

I really love a good, happy party dress to wear out on a Friday night with the girls. This adorable Rainbow Sequin Wave Dress from Forever 21 is absolutely perfect for this kind of night. I am a huge fan of sequins and this dress is filled with them. I also love that it’s got plenty of color and plenty of shine. However, because this dress is such a statement onto itself, I would definitely pair this with very simple and plain accessories only. After all, you don’t want them trying to steal the spotlight!

worn: August 24, 2010

One of my favorite things to do in NYC is going to the Barney’s Warehouse Sale. Where else are you going to get amazing discounts while simultaneously being pushed around? But in all seriousness, I’ve been going to the semi-annual sale almost every year for the past 4 or 5 years and I’ve always had great luck there. This absolutely adorable Barney’s dress is no different. I fell in love with the silk material as well as the dark black/brown print that’s lifted up by the gentle lavender flowers. I think it’s a great Summer to Fall transition dress, and I can’t wait to pair it with jackets and leggings when it cools down.

model in window at Ace Hotel

When my friend suggested we check out Fashion’s Night Out this year, I jumped at the chance to tag along.

He had covered the event last year and had a great time. This year would only be the 2nd annual time they would do it and so I thought it would be a great event to experience.

We spent the week beforehand talking about what we wanted to do (our game plan: check out as many venues with free goodies, foods and cocktails as possible). The day of we composed a plan and set a time to meet. I even drew up a little map of the top spots we wanted to visit- you know, in case we got lost.

Marie Antoinette woman at Ace Hotel

Our first stop of the night was Ace Hotel, which promised a Parisian-style pop-up flea market. I was really excited to check this event out, until I saw the line outside.

There was at least 200 people waiting to get in and, although we got there a couple minutes past 7pm, we didn’t actually make it inside until 8:15 at night.

I’ll admit that, at first, we considered leaving. But eventually we decided to stay because it seemed like a great event and we all wanted to check it out. So we settled on this event being our one “big one” and then we could check out other things afterwards.

The event at Ace Hotel was definitely pretty cool. In the windows, while we waited, there were random models doing poses and getting their pictures taken. Inside, there were a ton of little boutique-style shops to check out. My favorite was definitely this woman looking like Marie Antoinette, who was selling some Keds.

stuffed snake at Ace Hotel

My second favorite was definitely this (presumably) formerly alive snake that has been stuffed and mounted inside of a glass case. It was really cool to look at, though unfortunately the rest of the booth wasn’t memorable enough for me to even remember what it was that they were trying to sell. Sorry!

But despite the fun flea market feel, there wasn’t much else to be enjoyed. The atmosphere was decent but not worth the wait. The one fun thing that had come out of it was that two of my friends got some cute vintage-looking photo booth pictures together. But I didn’t want to pay for a drink or spend lots of money on shopping, I just wanted to enjoy myself. And I did- but only because I was with three good friends.

label on a $1600 jacket at Ace Hotel

Not even this absolutely adorable and hysterical “Commi Busters” (a la Ghost Busters) lapel on a jacket could cheer me up or make me think that the one hour wait was worth it.

However, we didn’t give up yet and decided to head down to SoHo to check out some more stores. We first went into Mango, where we were greeted with fun shopping and a unique cocktail which they named the Cointreaupolitan. But they ran out right in front of us after we waited in another 30 minute line (Argh!).

So, we left and headed for rag & bone, only to be swallowed into a huge crowd of screaming fans. When we asked what was happening, someone pointed out that Halle Berry had just exited the store. It was exciting, sure, but not really what I had come there for. Frustrated, we finally left the scene. And as we walked away from SoHo’s main shopping area, we realized- none of this was really all that fun. Plus, we didn’t get any free goodies!

By that time, it was 10:00pm. We were pretty much starving and a little bit angry, so we headed for the taqueria at La Esquina. The streets were still plenty filled with young fashionistas running around, but we were done for the night. After our delicious tacos, we decided the game plan would have to change for next year. I think going to one great event much earlier in the evening is a better bet. Just pick one, go there for a while, and then head out to dinner with friends. That’s my plan, anyway.

worn: August 23, 2010

This is absolutely one of my very favorite dresses. As I was going through my closet, I noticed a few things that I bought earlier this year that I was already kinda sick of. But not this one! This emerald green knit dress from bebe is probably three years old, but it looks as great as ever. I absolutely love the color and I think that the cut and material are very flattering and perfect for Fall. I love wearing this dress to work or for a great casual night out, since it can transition so well with a carefully-selected camisole underneath.

Color-block Knit Dress

Sometimes I feel like color-block dresses are the best kind of dresses to wear for work. Since it’s Monday and the start of my work week, I look around and found this beautiful cream and black Color-block Knit Dress from Boston Proper. I think this dress is very sexy but also very work appropriate. My favorite part about this dress is actually the draping of the skirt, because I think it will make anyone’s bottom half look great whether you are small or large.

worn: August 19, 2010

After wearing this, I joked with my friend that this outfit was sponsored by H&M. You see, this amazing shimmery cream tunic is from there, but so is the necklace and the bracelets I wore. This tunic dress was really perfect for my night out of seeing a band play because it’s very casual but still very nice. I think it could be worn as a casual outfit around the city as well, but I loved wearing it to just go out and hear the music.

Riddle of the Sphinx Dress

I really like the sheer trend that is currently very hot. It doesn’t work in all occasions, of course, but I think it’s perfect on this sexy little Riddle of the Spinx One Shoulder Dress from Lulus. For only the $57.00, you get a gorgeous dress that is gray with black mesh but it’s a very sexy silhouette. I really love that the sleeve is see-through, I think it really makes this dress pop.