Elliette Designs

First of all, how beautiful are these pieces!? I for one am in love. Each piece is so unique and the quality and intricate detailing on them is stunning.

Now for the backstory: These clothes are all from my friend Lauren’s boyfriend’s older sister’s (say that five times fast) fashion line, Elliette, which just launched last month. Right now the clothes are pre-order only and will be available for standard purchase in the spring, but in the meantime you can add items to your wishlist and you’ll get an email when they’re in stock! Anyway, she sent a few pieces to Lauren to photograph with friends and I was lucky enough to be one of those asked to model them.

After shooting these pieces with Lauren I knew I wanted to do a blog post on them, not only to share the beautiful images Lauren captured, but also to tell you all about this amazing up-and-coming collection. I’ve been racking my brain for how best to describe the collection, but then I came across this line on their website which says:

“Born from a void in our own closets, Elliette began as a way for us to design the pieces that we’re always looking for but can never find. Our mission is to create the gems in your wardrobe that you’re dying to wear everywhere.”

And create gems they did. Each piece is so unique, yet so wearable and again, the quality is just fantastic. If you have a chance definitely check out their website to see the other pieces not featured in this post (spoiler alert: the Leni Dress is die for), and also check out her instagram to see more photos!

xoxo,
anna

 

Photo credits: Lauren Burns (@laurenconstance_)

Fall Plaids

This season I’ve been all about scarves, especially plaid scarves! They’re so easy to style and they instantly cozy up any outfit for fall. I especially love this brown and grey plaid scarf from Nordstrom because it pairs well with a variety of color pallets.

In the first outfit I’ve paired it with a rich green long sleeve shirt from American Eagle and a pair of dark washed jeans. I love how the green in the top plays up the darker hues in the scarf, while the lighter ones help to tie in the lighter brown leather of my booties.

In the second outfit, my friend Lauren has paired the scarf with a simple white tee and some ripped jeans. When styled like this the lighter colors really pop, complementing the light blue jeans, while the darker colors help to tie in her dark brown booties.

Either way, I think this scarf is a great piece to have in your fall wardrobe. I’ve linked some similar scarves below for you to check out, let me know which is your favorite in the comments below.

xoxo,
anna

Olive and Jean

Blog, meet Ali! Ali is one of my good friends–we bonded last year over a mutual love of pinterest and econ p-sets. I think she has a really great classic style so when we were taking photos the other day (post to come) I asked her if I could take some pics for an outfit post. I think this is a perfect outfit for fall because it’s super cozy and filled with different textures.

I absolutely love the combination of Ali’s Olive green pants (Madewell) and her cream sweater (Nordstrom, brand is Carlson). To pull the look together, and keep warm, she added a jean jacket from Madewell and some simple white converse. To add a touch of femininity she she accessorized the look with a gold Kate Spade watch and Kendra Scott necklace.

xoxo,
anna

 

Felt Hats and Fall Leaves

 

Fall is in full swing–both here on my blog and around Evanston! It seems like in just the past week the fall color has exploded and I’ve definitely been drawing inspiration from all of these warm, earthy hues.

For today’s outfit, I started with a simple, olive green tank top and a pair of dark washed jeans. Then I added this cozy, knit cardigan and completed the look this brown felt hat and some of my favorite ankle booties. It’s such a simple look but I love it because it really plays up the earthy tones of this season–especially with the rich brown leather of the booties and cross-body bag.

If you want to see a few more fall outfits, make sure you check out the Fall Lookbook I just uploaded to my YouTube channel! If you check it out, let me know which outfit is your favorite in the comments. Also, I wanted to give a huge shoutout to my friend Lauren (@laurenburns05 in IG) for taking these beautiful photos and for helping me film the video!

xoxo,
anna

 

Early Fall Outfit

Fall is definitely upon us, and with the drop in temperatures it’s time to put away my airy tops and light-weight dresses and once again trade in my summer wardrobe for my fall one. For me, some of this seasons’ outfit essentials are: an army green jacket, a black and white striped sweater, a cozy scarf and a pair of brown booties. Let me know what your fall wardrobe essentials are in the comments below!

Sidenote: Sorry I’ve been completely MIS from YouTube / this blog / social media in general, I’m currently going through job recruiting so I can (hopefully) graduate employed. Can’t wait to have my life back and get some new content up for you guys!

Also, shoutout to my little brother, Chris, for taking these photos when he was visiting last week! It was so fun showing him around NU and getting to explore Chicago.

xoxo, anna

Fall Morning at the Farmer’s Market

Happy 2^nd Day of Fall!

Growing up in California, where fall is marked by a mere five degree drop in temperature and the occasional yellow leaf, I never fully appreciated the beauty of the fall season. However, since moving east I’ve hopped on the #basic bandwagon and now proudly proclaim my love for the crisp air, changing leaves, hot cider and delicious candles this season has to offer.

To celebrate the start of this glorious season me and a few friends took a trip to our local farmer’s market to pick up some freshly harvested fruits and veggies and of course get ourselves a cup of apple cider. We spent our morning wandering through the market’s many stalls–stopping occasionally to sample, chat with shop keepers or, in the case of the succulent stand, engage in a lengthy debate over whether or not to purchase a plant (before ultimately deciding we’d kill them and are better off with fake ones).

For a casual outing like this, I opted for a simple outfit that hits all the fall essentials: dark wash jeans, an army green jacket and brown booties. I love this look because it’s so easy to pull together, but still leaves you feeling super cute and ready for fall–not to mention the zipper detail on these booties is to die for. My friend Amber opted for a slightly edgier fall look, pairing her black jeans and chunky booties with a chambray top and this tasseled leather backpack by Rebecca Minkoff.

Let me know what your favorite fall activities / trends are in the comments below!

xoxo,
anna

End of Summer Style

I can’t believe how quickly this summer went by, but since there are still 5 days left in the season I thought I’d share one last summer outfit before I trade my sunglasses for scarves and my sandals for bean boots.

I love how effortless and chic this look is and I think it really embodies the best trends of the summer. My favorite part of the look is definitely the off the shoulder crop top from the Kendall and Kylie collection at PacSun, which I paired with some high waisted, skinny leg jeans and my favorite sandals from Steve Madden.

This outfit was perfect for a September day in San Francisco (albeit one of those rare warm, wind-free days) because the long pants kept me warm even as the temperatures began to drop as evening approached. My brother and I spent the day wandering the city  doing some back to school shopping and then grabbed a bite to eat down by the Ferry Building before taking these photos. All-in-all a great little day trip before I returned to school and a equally great outfit to complement it.

Let me know what your favorite summer trends were in the comments below!

xoxo,
anna

 

Back to School Fashion

 

With classes starting in just a few weeks I thought I’d put together a lookbook of some of my favorite outfits to wear to class. Hope you enjoy!

xoxo,
anna

Outfit of the Day – Exploring Brooklyn

 

Over the Fourth of July weekend Donny and I spent some time exploring Dumbo, Brooklyn. While we were there he snapped a few photos of my outfit, so today I thought I would do a quick outfit of the day post – sightseeing style. 

When I know I’ll be walking around all day, comfort is pretty much my top priority. But, since this is New York, cute follows as a very close second. In times like this I always reach for a t-shirt dress and sneakers because they give off that coveted “I just threw this on but somehow still look great” look, and because when topped with a pair of sunglasses can definitely be considered an outfit. The dress I’m wearing is from Lulu’s and my shoes are from target (aka best $15 I ever spent). I finished off the look with my favorite pair of sunglasses from J Crew and a brown cross body bag from a local shop back home. 

Hope enjoyed this post, and let me know if you’d like to see more style segments in future.

xoxo, anna

Spring Fashion

TOP: Urban Outfitters // JEANS: American Eagle  // DRESS: Urban Outfitters
// SANDALS: Aldo  // SUNGLASSES: J Crew

Now that it’s starting to warm up I have found myself loving tops with high necks and low backs because they highlight some of my favorite features–my shoulders, my back, and my lob haircut. I actually just picked up this shirt and dress on sale at Urban Outfitters and what I love about these two pieces are that their thin straps and racer back cut are super flattering and subtly sexy. However, when wearing pieces with a high neckline like these it’s important to add shape to the outfit by, for example, tying up the shirt and belting the dress as I’ve done here. I paired the shirt with a simple pair of blue jeans and paired both looks with my favorite pair of sandals.

Let me know what your favorite style for spring is, and make sure to check my channel on Tuesday to see these pieces featured in my upcoming Spring Fashion video!

xoxo,
anna