Birkenstocks...

I have never owned a pair of Birkenstocks in my life. As a '90s kid, I am pretty sure they were required, but I was never one to follow the trends and hand-me-downs were my middle name. So this summer, in anticipation of hot weather and upping my style game (well, maybe trying to just post more), I decided to invest in a pair of sandals that are long-lasting, well-made, had arch support, and looked cute. I was on the hunt for black sandals, and after failed trips to the mall of finding super flat and non-supportive shoes, or, very supportive grandma-esque shoes, I decided to finally buy a pair of Birkenstocks. I splurged for these sandals online and they have been my go-to pair ever since. The only thing I would say about Birkenstocks is that you should be prepared to work your way into the shoe. They are solidly molded for good support, but if you are not used to this, it may take a day or two to get used to. 

So that is my very quick post of just one new addition to my wardrobe this summer. As you can tell, I am still rocking the skinny jeans, even when it hits the 80s since my super pale sunburn prone legs dislike any sunshine. 

P.S. If you want to know the toe nail color, it is Essie's Wicked. 

~ Kelly

Essential Shoes

Essential Shoes by labelmechic featuring black leather shoes

It has been a long time since I have posted anything! But don't worry, more is yet to come. I decided to start my postings for the summer with some essentials that I believe everyone should have in their closet. The capsule wardrobe has become a very big phenomena, especially on Pinterest, and as someone who likes order and simplicity, the capsule wardrobe just makes sense. Though I am not inclined to own 37 items of clothing, building a closet based on basics and layerable pieces is right down my alley! So here are some of my essentials for shoes...

1. Nude or Tan Ankle Boots: 

      

     I have become obsessed with ankle boots ever since I bought a pair of black Sam    
     Edelman leather boots last fall. Ankle boots are an essential for fall and spring and look 
     mazing with skinny jeans, and since I tend to wear skinny jeans year round, they are 
     perfect for my wardrobe. I recommend getting nude or light tan boots, either leather or 
     suede (make sure you spray on some protectant!) which you can wear in the spring 
     time to start your winter to summer transition. 

2. Black Ankle Boots:

     

     As I mentioned in no. 1, I love ankle boots, but I also love the color black in fashion. I  
     tend to buy lots of black tees and shoes, as well as any other accessory I can find--  
     scarves, socks, hats, you name it-- so obviously I need black ankle boots. I wore my  
     Sam Edelman ankle boots September to March this year because they looked amazing 
     and were very comfortable. Again, I recommend ankle boots because I think they are 
     much more stylish than taller boots (my old staple) and the whole looking awesome with 
     skinny jeans. Brand wise, I recommend Sam Edelman because they 

     are very well made and will last you awhile. 

3. Oxfords:

     While many people may wear flats daily, I wear oxfords. I have several pairs, including 
     the pair I bought for studying abroad two years ago, as well as some others. You can 
     find oxfords at any store and at varying prices, but I recommend buying a more 
     expensive pair, like at Clarks or a department store, because they will last much longer   
     than cheaper pairs and will also be more supportive for your feet. You may think that 
     oxfords are for men or for the office, but they can be also worn daily with a pair of jeans. 
     So if you are looking for something better looking than a pair of sneakers or whatever 
     you just throw on at the door, oxfords can instantly add a bit more class to your outfits. 

4. Sandals:

     Its finally summer! And while I love wearing my ankle boots and oxfords (if you haven't 
     noticed), you also need a lighter pair of shoes for the heat. To continue my whole 
     supportive shoe rant, I  tend to get sandals that have a thicker sole and even some with 
     arch supports in them. I would recommend getting a pair like the Madewell ones 
     pictured above since they are both casual and versatile. 

5. Keds:

     Sneakers are a necessary, no matter what. You need them to work out, to run errands, 
     to play sports, et cetera et cetera. While Keds aren't the ideal pair of sneakers for 
     working out or sports. they are great for running errands and going to class, which is 
     what I use mine for. They are definitely more stylish than your work out sneakers too. I 
     really like wearing Keds on days where putting more effort into my outfits is not in the 
     cards. 

So there you have it, my essential shoes that I wear every day. As long as you have these shoes in your closet arsenal, your wardrobe will always be on point!  

Fall Wardrobe

Fall Wardrobe by labelmechic featuring a quilted jacket

Back to school shopping

Clinique CC Cream, Bare Minerals Hydrating Mineral Veil, Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Bikini Tini, and Clinique Airbrush Concealer in Fair

These are some of my favorite makeup buys that I always re-purchase. Instead of heavy foundations I use Clinique's CC Cream in Light, it is good for balancing out your skin tone as well as hydrating your skin too. I wear it alone with a dust of Bare Minerals loose powder foundation to "set" the CC cream, though it is more like a tinted moisturizer and really does not need to be set unless you want some more coverage. I love the airbrush concealer by Clinique too, it is a light formula and really brightens up the eye area. If you like to use liquid formulas for contouring and highlighting, this would be good. After purchasing Benefits' Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit, I love how long lasting and pigmented this shadow is! I really wanted a pinky nude color to put on quickly in the mornings before class. Lastly, I picked up the hydrating mineral veil since I need to add extra moisture to my face beyond my moisturizer and CC cream with the anti-acne products I use. Normally I am prone to oily skin, but after getting different topical creams for my acne, my skin has become more dry.  

Lord & Taylor Button Down

Not too big of a shopping day, but I did pick some things up online too. I was able to purchase this button down, which is super soft, as well as two scarves that I couldn't find online. Nevertheless, I ordered two pairs of jeans at Zara and the much coveted Kate Spade backpack I have wanted for awhile, and I got it on sale, which helped a little with the price, but I will definitely be using it for many years to come. 

Grey

Now that you have seen multiple posts about this sweater here it is! Though I didn't get a picture of the sweater as a whole, and my outfit, it looks as it does on the website and is super comfy. I also wore my Gap legging jeans, though I forgot to wash them first and my legs turned blue from being outside in the rain... but they look good at least. I paired the sweater and jeans with my J. Crew flats and the Kate Spade idiom necklace. I love this sweater and will make some more purchases for comfy and drapey sweaters. 

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites by labelmechic featuring long length sweaters

Here are some of my favorite things this Friday! First, my new Gap sweater which I wore last week and it was super comfy. I really want this is more colors, but I wish the colors weren't all pastels. Next is a pair of Naot oxfords that I bought for Rome last year. I recently went to Niagra Falls, and these are amazing for walking around (in style). They are expensive, but very comfortable and lasted for four months on cobblestone streets and I am still using them over a year later! Next, is the idiom Kate Spade necklace I bought in London this summer. Though I couldn't find the picture of the one I own, which says "find the silver lining," so adorable. This is a perfect necklace for layering since you can adjust the length to the extreme. Next are my current mani pedi which insists of Essie colors in Master Plan and Be Strong. Stay tune for more Friday Favorites and some more posts about Italy!

New Favorites

After spending time abroad and living out of a suitcase for ten weeks in two different climates I realized that I really don't need a closet full of unwanted, too small, and too old clothes, I went on a wardrobe purge. When I clean out my closet I try to make split second decisions to decide if I like an article of clothing or not; or if easier, would I buy it if I saw it in a store right now. After this, I normally begin to get rid of a bunch of articles of clothing that I haven't worn in over a year or not at all. Face it, if you didn't wear it when you first bought it and several months (or years) after, you won't wear it now. At this point, I go through what I have left and what I need to buy to give my closet an upgrade. Here are some recent purchases I have made to help elevate my closet this year, and hopefully many more to come. 

                                                

Textual Raglan Sweater at Gap

Short Sleeve V-neck  at Gap

 

Tissue Scarf at J. Crew Factory 

As you see from a lot of my posts, I love basics, they can be layered and worn through every season and stay classic for many years. I am very inspired by Pinterest on how to layer and style clothing, and by making a list on my phone of what I need and trying to avoid impulse buying, which often leads to over buying and ultimately getting rid of clothing several months later. I definitely will start doing some outfit posts, and even showing you what is in my closet! But first, I need to start getting organizing better since I keep putting off writing on the blog! I will be posting soon!!

Friday Favorites

 

Despite my absence from my blog I have been doing relatively nothing while being back in America. I have caught up with some friends and family, and managed to watch some Netflix and clean out my room (phew), but updating my blog about my amazing time in Italy hasn't happened, yet. I promise next week will be the week for Italy updates and "what to do where" articles. For now, I want to let you know about some of the things I recently purchased.

I took full advantage of two sales in the last week, first the Ulta coupon that gave me 10% high end makeup brands (thank God!) and the Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale. While I don't have a Nordstrom near me, I did need to pick up a couple things. First, I went on a mini shopping spree at Ulta and found this Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in the shade 'Birthday Suit.' I absolutely love the shade and the product. It is super creamy, build-able, blendable, and highly pigmented. I will definitely purchase this in a couple more shades. Next I picked up some more much needed Essie nail polishes in the shades 'Going Incognito' 'Wicked' and 'Ballet Slippers.' All beautiful shades that will be great to carry into the upcoming fall and winter seasons! The next big sale was Nordstrom's, where I picked up my new Kate Spade cheetah print phone case and a pair of BP boots. These are my fourth pair of black leather boots in the last four years, thanks to walking on a hilly campus, each pair gets ruined. I am hoping that these may last a little longer, since they came with a heftier price tag.

Next week, in addition to telling you all about my travel experience, I plan to get back into the swing of things by writing about style, beauty, books, and other things that interest me (well this is a style blog after all...). I hope you have a great weekend and stay tuned for some Italy talk!

 

 

Back home in London, for now

 

Today I decided to visit some museums in London, before heading out again on Monday and Tuesday for several impact assessments. I ended up going to the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum. Both are really good museums, though the Natural History Museum's exhibits are more geared towards children. Either way, I really liked visiting both of these (free) museums. The V&A has so many great exhibits and is filled with beautiful art pieces, you could easily get lost and spend hours in the museum, and still not see it all. I would highly recommend visiting the V&A, especially if you like art, and not just portrait paintings or landscapes. These museums are close to Hyde Park too, so on a beautiful day you can go relax in the sun after visiting these museums. Here are some pictures from these two awesome museums!

 

The V&A also has a huge collection of dresses, jewelry, shoes and handbags from all time periods.

 



 

 

He looks so happy.

 

Another great day exploring what London has to offer. There is still so much left to do! I cannot wait to see more of the city, but first, I am off to Newport, Hereford, Telford and West Bromwich to do some impact assessments for the National Churches Trust. I still have a long list of things to see in London, including the interior of Westminster Abbey. Hopefully I will get to see it all (or at least most).

 

 

 

 

Bath

 

 

On Thursday I walked around the city, saw some sites and shadowed at an architecture firm that focuses on conservation, overall an amazing day! Before my shadowing from 10-5pm, I went to the Roman Baths and then the Bath Abbey. The baths are a huge tourist site, with a museum attached and throughout, but it is still a great site to see. The included audio guide is also really helpful to explain some of the hundreds of artifacts found on the site. You can also walk around the actual baths, see the roman engineering, and drink the water from the spring (not the green algae infested baths). Afterword, I went into the Abbey, it was also so beautiful. The interior and exterior of the Abbey is simply amazing, and my favorite aspect, I can take pictures. Later, I walked around the city, took a huge amount of pictures (581 to be exact), and ate an amazing dinner and nutella crepe. Another fun and exciting day, but sadly only one day left to enjoy Bath before going back home to London.

 

 

The spring that you can catch a drink from. It is very warm, and taste a little off, but it was an experience.

 

An American flag in the Abbey.

 

 

 

And of course, I needed to give an update about my outfits, since I have been neglecting to do so. This is a new dress I purchased at Topshop in London this week. (I already got some sort of stain on it while eating my delicious dinner... typical).  I paired it with the faux leather sleeve drapey jacket that I purchased in Rome last year-- mixing my two abroad experiences! The color reminds me of Wendy from Peter Pan, so of course I had to buy it. I normally don't wear dresses, but after purchasing this, I think I may start wearing them more.

 

 

Awesome dinner at a pub, my favorite chicken and potatoes!

 

Today, as my last day in Bath, I have several meetings to attend, and then I plan to visit the No. 1 Royal Crescent museum and the Victoria Art Gallery before heading back to London later tonight. I am super excited to see more of Bath, and sad to have to leave so soon.