Wearing: A fanny pack

So this happened last night. This no-one-can-stop-me-I'm-on-fire moment in which I spent five dollars and walked away with this black leather quilted fanny pack. Any thoughts from you on how to style this? Over the jacket? Under the jacket? In the depths of my closet where it will forever go unseen?

Fanny pack: Urban Outfitters (on major clearance at the Urban Surplus)

Wearing: Holiday skirt

I thought about wearing this to Thanksgiving dinner last week but had to re-think my outfit due to two major problems. One, wearing white to a night solely revolving around eating (things like red cranberry sauce) and drinking (things like red wine) is just silly. Hello, stain. Meet my white top. Two, who am I kidding. Black is the most flattering when it's going to be an "I'll take seconds" kind of night.  Long story longer, I ended up choosing a simple black dress, bare legs, and leopard heels.

Top: Forever 21 (similar)

Skirt: Old (LOVE this leather version)

Necklace: Forever 21 (not available, love this one)

Clutch: Forever 21

Boots: Lucky Brand

Wearing: Whitefit

If you've been doing your reading, you'll recall I did a post on white leather jackets in an effort to teach myself how to style one. In researching its behavior, I came to a conclusion that it would get along well with an all white ensemble and a few black accessories. And then there's this red lipstick I'm sort of obsessed with. Well it's not just this one red lipstick. It's all lipsticks.

Jacket: Target (similar)

Skirt: Vintage (love this pleated mini)

Boots: Lucky Brand

Clutch: Zara (similar)

Sunglasses: No Label (similar)

Guest post: Hemingway and Handbags

Did a little blogger-bartering and traded a post for a post with the girls from Hemingway & Handbags. H&H is a pair of uber cool girls with uber cool style so I triple dog dare you to check them out. 

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Hey there Chicago, Taylor has so graciously offered us, Hemingway and Handbags, a spot on her fantastic blog! 

So to switch things up and flip this post, we would like to share with you our most current dilemma.  Don't worry we are not turning this into a self help post, we just wanted to discuss the weather. Original right? But seriously... we live in California, Southern California to be exact, and following Fall Fashion during Santa Ana season ain't easy. With that said, we have figured out a few tricks of our own (or so we like to think) that allow us to participate in most cold weather trends without sweating off our make-up. 

 We have concluded that there are 3 major ways to embrace Fall and simultaneously beat the heat. 

1. Fall colors, obviously. See Monica's green/black and Michaela's navy/black combos. So not ss12.
2. Light clothing: Michaela's pants may be pants, but boy do they let in a breeze thanks to cotton. Meanwhile, Monica ditches trousers all together and rocks bare, but very fall, legs. We are both wearing T-Shirts, thick knitted sweaters are just not possible...yet.
3. Booties: Riding boots cut-in-half. Need we say more?

And there you have it, a California Fall through the eyes of two weather wimps. 

xx

H&H 

Wearing: Bare knees

I know. It's totally not warm out and still my poor knees have to suffer. But hey, it's fashion. And no extremity is safe in the name of fashion. These pants are absolutely not in season, which is probably why they were on sale, but I can't ignore a cool pair of jeans. Plus, I've been seeing this style of ripped denim in a few street style pics (for example this one, this one and this one) and being the slave to style that I am I had to pull a copycat move. With my favorite chunky-but-not-too-chunky sweater and an oatmeal coat, I'm braving the weekend chill. Well, my knees are at least.

Happy Cyber Monday! Anyone shopping?

Jeans: Urban Outfitters

Sweater: Forever 21 (sexy version here)

Coat: Gap (secondhand, love this a lot)

Shoes: Zara

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters

Clutch: Forever 21

White leather jackets

I recently acquired a white leather jacket so I'm experimenting on ways to wear it without looking cheap. I say acquired because I scoured my mom's closet, which can only be described as glorious, and she let me borrow it. "Borrow." Tag was still on it. Meaning she hadn't even worn it. Meaning I might have permanently acquired it. Meaning lucky me.

I love white. White is clean, is crisp, is fresh. Is susceptible to stains. All the more reason to wear it in leather form if you ask me. While gathering some inspiration, I'm seeing that a white leather jacket looks good with black, gray and most importantly: White.

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Wanting: H&M x Maison Martin Margiela

I just have to properly articulate how freakin' cool this collaboration is. So cool. Full throttle cool. Larger than life cool (literally). Oversized pieces, minimalistic color palette, edgy shapes, which consequently leave little shape, and this little nude leotard with a faux bra. Damn.

Wearing: Black suit

This might be the closest I can get to looking like I'm wearing a suit and now that suits are popular again I thought I'd throw a buncha black shit together and call it a day. Or a suit rather. Wearing leather pants to work is a regular move of mine (you can do it too) and the turtle neck is a classic take on, well, turtle necks.

You'll notice I wear a lot of black in the winter, which is good because black does nothing but flatter the slice of pie I had for breakfast. But forget the pie (for the moment, not entirely); what we really need to talk about is the shoes. Holy cap-toe. Aren't these just little slices (since we're on the subject) of neon heaven.

Blazer: Nordstrom (old, similar)

Turtleneck: Forever 21

Leather pants: Forever 21 (similar)

Clutch: Zara (similar)

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: Ann Taylor (love these)

Wearing: Grey skirt

Temperatures are dropping and so are the hemlines. These days I'm into longer, fuller skirts for daytime wearing - they're sophisticated and easy to pull off. This one I found a few weekends ago and I love the wool fabric and button down front. Its fullness is similar to this skirt but a little more subdued, more winterized.

Skirt: Forever 21

White top: Forever 21

Boots: Lucky Brand

Sunglasses: Karen Walker

Wearing: Winter party wear

Well isn't this a coincidence. I posted about the uprise of turtlenecks just this past Tuesday and I already have an outfit dedicated to my latest thrifty find. I strayed from the blacks and whites and went for this one because when one crosses a Marlow burgundy turtle neck one does not pass it up.

Just playing around in my closet for this one but will definitely don it for a holiday party.

Coat: Gap (love this one from Zara)

Turtleneck: Marlow (similar)

Skirt: Forever 21 (similar)

Clutch: Zara (love this - and it's on sale!)

Booties: Lucky Brand

Wearing: A guest post

Hey, check me out! I'm featured on Hemingway and Handbags today, guest posting one of my favorite fall 'fits. Head on over to see the rest of the look. And yes, my new sparkly eagle necklace is involved.

H&H is one of my favorite Cali-based blogs. These girls really know how to rock it out. Add it to your blogroll!

Neck wear

It's back, baby. The basic turtleneck. The neck prison. The uncomfortable, tight noose that is choking you to death. Fine, I'm exaggerating (but not really for all you neck phobics). But just watch ladies. Cowl necks are outta here and turtlenecks are inna here. Even Rihanna thinks so.

I'm sensing a neutral theme here (white, black, gray), which is good because careful - you're one step away from a kitty cat sweatshirt or stupid Christmas sweater with dangling ornaments.

AND TOLD YOU SO. Tucked-in hair is absolutely a thing.

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Cheap turtlenecks here, here and here.