Floral on Floral (And a Note on Standing Out and Calming Down)

Sometimes I really feel like a walking talking contradiction of myself. I don't want this post to get all philosophical and self reflective , nor do I particularly feel like taking a stroll down that confusing line of thought at the moment, instead let's just state the obvious: I'm not afraid of color or pattern. Actually, I'm not just unafraid of those things, I leap at them as though magnetically pulled. If you're thinking "so what?", that's a fair response but here's the thing...most of the time I feel pretty self-conscious about my own styling choices. (Really!) I get really excited about mixing patters, colors, textures and styles but playing with all those options in my apartment is entirely different than taking them for a test drive out in the real world. Sometimes I actually forget what I'm wearing because I've managed to grow accustomed to a particular look or outfit styling; other times, when the style mash-up feels a  little unfamiliar to me or I'm in a slightly different context than usual I am fully aware that I stand out. Hello feelings of awkwardness. At this point a million things might go through my head such as 'Where is a damn invisibility cloak when you actually need one."  

I had this kind of moment at WantedDesign this weekend. Imagine a whole bunch of design-y people who all seem to know each other...they seem to talk the same, walk the same....and dress the same. Black clothes everywhere. Everyone is in black. Head to toe...black. And I'm in....floral....lots and lots of floral. And pastel floral to top it off. Combine this with a few other minor annoyances enroute to the fair and upon entry and you might understand why that at this point I actually thought about fleeing down the road. (Maybe a field of wildflowers to hide out for awhile...I mean I'd blend in there). The whole time the woman left to get change from my ticket purchase all I could think was "What am I doing here? Clearly I don't belong here."  

So what did I do? First I allowed them to tie the neon yellow wristband around my wrist (goes great with pastel florals!) and didn't react when the person doing so commented about the size of my wrists (so glad they make tying the wristband on me easy for you!). I asked directions to the restroom, allowed myself a couple minutes of panic and then made the decision that I was going to enjoy this experience (Hey Jackie, you can breathe now!). The truth is I liked what I had on and I wanted to be at WantedDesign. (The designs were all pretty colorful). Big deal that I "didn't fit in"....in fact, when I thought about it I kind of liked that I didn't fit in.  Which makes me wonder...by not fitting in did I actually fit in? Or does this mean I'm actually okay with standing out? Maybe I just like floral prints. Maybe I should just stop over-thinking everything...or think more? Hhhmmm....

Funny side anecdote: About ready to exit WantedDesign I was pulled over by some invisible rope to the See Concept sunglasses....color! I swear at first I only noticed the pink and yellow pairs and then realized there were also black, tortoise shell and navy blue pairs. The vendor was talking about the color preferences of different buyers and said that New York buyers tended to only like the black or tortoise shell ones. The two store owners from Brooklyn commented "Well, New York is a little afraid of color" and then looked at me as if I was going to back them up. I looked myself up and down and said, "Not everyone in New York is afraid of color."

Moral of the story? I don't know but I'm sure it's in here somewhere.

P.S. WantedDesign was awesome! 

Weekend Wear

My whole weekend was all about seeing art and being outside, which I guess isn't different from any other weekend except for the fact that summer seems to have arrived and there were a lot of art fairs going on. Saturday I checked out Pulse Contemporary Art Fair and discovered an artist whose work immediately made me smile, relax, think and feel refreshed.  Not only did I fall in love with Shantell Martin's work but she was wonderful to speak with.  And because you can never have too much art in your life, I stopped in to see a few exhibitions in Chelsea on the way, including Ken Price's installations at Matthew Marks. Later in the day I popped into work to get a few things done so on top of being a fun Saturday it was a productive one too!

Outfit Details:
Top - BB Dakota
Jeans - J Brand
Tote - Uniqlo MoMA collaboration

Seasonal Shifts and Wardrobe Change-Ups

Image source

Winter hung on a little longer this year but I think it's safe to say that warmer days are ahead of us. In general most of my wardrobe is fairly seasonless, or at least I can make a lot of things work all year long by layering and re-combining. Sometimes all you need is a pair of tights, a cardigan and a blouse to turn a summer dress into a winter creation. But there are some things that you just can't make work all year long, like heavy knit items, thick cords and certain color combinations. Fall and winter stuff can also take up a lot of valuable real estate in your closet and dresser drawers especially if you have a super tiny closet like I do. So early yesterday morning I devoted several hours to changing out my wardrobe, which meant pulling apart my closet, dresser drawers and storage containers. I'm pretty happy with the results, and thrilled (relieved!) to see some of those warmer layers tucked away.

Here are a few tips for making the most out of a small space and for making seasonable wardrobe change-ups a little more organized.

Always insert a sturdy heavy duty closet rod in your closet. Winter coats and warm fabrics are heavy and can pull down those flimsy closet rods typically found in closets when you first move in. Add soft compartment storage within your closet, like over-the-door shoe organizers, shelving that can be hung up inside the closet and other similar products.

A sturdy shelf above the closet rod is also super helpful for keeping bulkier items neatly arranged. Backpacks can be great places for storing sweaters.

I always keep the packaging from bed linens as well as any dress bags. They are perfect for storing clothing so that everything stays in good condition but also allows you to maximize space.

 Smaller zip-up plastic cases work great for keeping wool scarfs, gloves and leg warmers together so they are ready for next winter (but let's not think about that).

For a small space, over-the-door shoe organizers are really useful not just for storing shoes but for keeping belts and jewelry orderly. On the outside of my closet I keep the shoes I wear most often within easy reach. I also like to keep a few extra shoe bags tugged into the pockets of the organizer so I can easily throw a pair of shoes into my work bag. This is also where I keep the belts I wear most often so that I don't have to go searching for them in the morning. Inside the MoMA bag, hung up on a hook, I keep a variety of fold up tote bags which always come in handy.

I think the final result of all my reorganization yesterday turned out well and will definitely make reaching for my favorite summer pieces a lot easier (more efficient!).

Another bonus about taking the time to reorganize your wardrobe? Finding items you forgot about. I bought this vintage Hawaiian print sundress many years ago and I can't wait to wear it again this summer. This might be the perfect dress to wear for #mypolke.  

 Do you reorganize your closet and/or wardrobe with each season? What are your favorite tips?

Happy Saturday! Happy May!

It's Saturday! There's no shortage of amazing art to see! The weather is gorgeous! And May is finally here...which means summer days are coming our way!

Have a great weekend!

Dress: Nanette Lepore 
Tote: SPRZ NY, Uniqlo and MoMA collaboration
Scarf: Textile Museum of Canada
Tank: Le Chateau Junior
Jacket: BB Dakoka
Boots: Steve Madden Girl