Hanging out in Soho after a delicious, avocado-filled lunch at Jack's Wife Freda (a favorite of Man Repeller's founder Leandra Medine). Make a trench coat fit for a gray summer day by pairing with a classic Breton striped shirt and summery white jeans, inspired by an article on summer trenches on Man Repeller.

trench coat: Burberry
striped tee: Saint James
jeans: Frame Denim
shoes: Bensimon
purse: Fendi
bikes: found on Lafayette Street (unfortunately I couldn't steal that adorable baby blue one)

Sunglasses: Comptoir des Cotonniers
Shirt: Matta
Jeans: J Brand
Sandals: Revolve Clothing

Breezy Summer Style

Sunglasses and sandals: Comptoir des Cotonniers
Shirt: Saint James
Shorts: J Brand

Dress: Vanessa Bruno

Blazer: Vanessa Bruno

Sneakers: Comme des Garçons for Converse, found at Barneys

Pantry coin purse: Blue Tree 

Ring: Kisan 

Yesterday, I took part in a drawing and sculpture workshop at the Brooklyn Navy Yard hosted by SITU Studio and The Drawing Center. First, we traced images projects onto large boards. The images would only remain for a minute and then change, resulting in various overlapping drawings. Next, these large, thick boards went through a machine that cut them into squares that bent and fit into each other like puzzle pieces. The boards were drawn on again and then fit together on top of a 50-foot long wooden frame.

Critique of the Charles James exhibit at the Met

This spring, the Metropolitan Museum of Art presents an exhibit on renowned courier Charles James, on view until August 10. The exhibit boasts his extravagant gowns as well as many of his gorgeous, feminine coats. Well the actual pieces are astounding, sadly the exhibit fails to do James justice. For starters, it is set up in two different spaces which are at opposite ends of the museum. It took me ten minutes to get from one part of the exhibit to the other. The portion of the exhibit in the Egyptian wing is hidden and cramped, and both rooms are far too dark to properly see the detail of James's work. The exhibit also includes high-tech cameras that revolve around the pieces and enable viewers to see on a screen what the inner structure of each dress looks like. However, this technology only serves to distract from the beauty of his dresses and coats. Yet despite the poor set up of the exhibit, it is still worth visiting. James's carefully structured ball gown skirts, delicate seams, and luxurious fabrics are truly inspiring. While viewing the gowns, I could see elegant customers wearing them at stylish parties during the 1950s. http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2014/charles-james-beyond-fashion

I highly recommend visiting the Kara Walker exhibit at the old Domino Sugar Factory (http://creativetime.org/projects/karawalker/). While I would not call the exhibit beautiful, it is successful because of its wit, massive size, the artful curves of the sculpture, and the social remarks it makes. Incredibly large, it is a statue of a woman with emphasized feminine features who lies in a sphinx position. The entire statue is cleverly coated in 80 tons of sugar donated by Domino and it lies on a bed of white sugar. The sugar and large feminine body parts speak to African American woman working in the sugar cane fields. While we traditionally think of Sphinxes as ancient Egyptian half lion- half man sculptures, the Greek sphinx had the head of a woman. The exhibit also includes several smaller statues of young children covered with brown sugar who are carrying large baskets filled with more sugar. With its history, high windows, and location by the water, the building itself also contributes to the exhibit.

Trick of the Trend

An article on the street style star and fashion editor-turned-florist, Taylor Tomasi Hill, was recently publishing in Elle magazine.  In the photograph of her in her Chelsea apartment kitchen, Hill wears a styling printed skit with a silk blouse layered under a wool sweater, and on her feet are red Birkenstocks. It seems that these shoes have taken over the world.

I see them in every magazine I open, on every person I pass while walking around in Soho, and displayed like the heroes of footwear in store windows. Why has the fashion world gone mad for this orthopedic-looking footwear previously reserved for elder ladies?

In the photograph in Elle, Hill makes those thick soles and big buckles on wide red leather straps look stylish. Yet, when I walk down the street of Manhattan and see these shoes, I can only shake my head in despair and confusion. Somehow on my fellow typical, non-famous, New Yorkers, they are once again old and frumpy.

I am forced to ask, "When is trendy too trendy?" At what point do you stop coveting the neon satchel (remember those?) and back away from what is supposedly "the latest" and "the coolest"?

There were delicate socks with heels, clear plastic handbags, fruit print dresses, and heeled knee high Hunter boots. These trends hit the fashion world with such severity they were everywhere you turned, but now they are no where to be found.

However, some trends do stick, like the mirror sunglasses we see returning this year. There is a talent in having the ability to weed out the bad trends from the good ones, the ones that will come back as not a trend, but a staple.

While I enjoy investigating in the trends each season, I typically do not opt to indulge in them. Instead, I choose to purchase key items that never go out of style, like my classic Burberry trench. I did buy several pairs of sneaker wedges (great ones at Golden Goose, Ludivine, Ash, Shutz, and Philippe Model), but the sneaker trend is not new; in fact, it is recurring and I know these shoes will last me for several more years.

So where do the Birkenstocks stand? I predict that not to far in the future they will be tossed into the pile labeled 'discard' and never be seen again (except of course on those elder ladies I mentioned earlier.)

When I pass the display of Birkenstocks in the Soho Bloomingdales, I make my confused frown, and then move on to search for leather t-strap sandals that I can wear for many seasons to come.

Loving Lulu

Last night, my sister had the lucky opportunity of heading down to Lulu Frost's study for a private jewelry making party. There were sparkles, macarons, and of course the most exquisite charms, jewels, and chains. My sister chose these vintage 1920s charms from a selection founder Liza Salzer hand-picked for the girls. Order your own bracelet at Lulu Frost! 

Sour cheesecake with kumquats and blood orange sorbet at The Mercer Kitchen in Soho. 

The Refined Sundae

When I think of a sundae the following image comes to mind: a sloppy 8-year old child at a diner digging into a messy bowl filled with bad ice cream, too many toppings, and drenched in a heavy Hersheys chocolate sauce. That is not my idea of an appetizing dessert. The perfect Sunday lies in Jean- Georges' kitchen at his restaurant in ABC Carpet & Home . Like all dishes at abc kitchen, this sundae is paired down to only the necessary components, which are executed to the point of culinary perfection.

Salted caramel ice cream topped with a spoonful of whipped cream atop caramelized popcorn and peanuts with a light chocolate sauce

Ever feel like you were born in the wrong era? Enter the exhibit on French photographer Charles Marville on view at the Met and you step into a time machine. As an admirer of old Paris, I was enthralled by his late 19^th century photographs of Paris during its remodeling under Haussman. His photographs capture the transition the city underwent and its newfound beauty which it is known for today. A must see.

A bouquet of dried lavender from the Green Market at Union Square. Put in a clear vase for display or put the dried buds in a sachet to keep on your pillow for sweeter dreams.

The David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, covered in black and white art of ballerinas by JR, was the perfect backdrop for a last winter outfit.

Coat: Italian cashmere

Black jeans

Shoes: Golden Goose

Clutch: Comptoir des Cotonniers