that J Crew look

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All  I wanted to do yesterday was wear these red shoes. Sometimes my wants are so few.

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It took so many tries before I could find the proportions I wanted for this style. The clean triangle toe, the straps of a particular width and placement. Many (many!) failures before coming across these red suede heels from Steve Madden, which love. Ankle straps get some flack for cutting the leg-lengthening effect heels otherwise have but they have the unquestionable virtue of holding the shoe securely to your foot. Not to mention making such minimal silhouettes as this possible. Anyway, I’m not convinced they negate whatever added height,* and who cares anyhow. If you like them. They’re trending now, and I approve.

*A lot of the supposed optical illusions fashion tricks are meant to conjure are suspect to me. I see what they are getting at but often doubt they are truly working. More common than seeing the illusion is seeing the trick, for me. Not that I don’t employ them when it suits me… Let’s get back to the main text.

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I was in the mood for a pencil skirt and that careless, layered J Crew look took over from there.

This look is so genius, in a way, so easy to tap into, with certain elements ultra-polished and tailored and other elements strategically undone, unkempt. The hair can’t be too precise, the layers can’t be too perfectly aligned. Colorful solids with one bold and colorful pattern peeking through somewhere. Natural face with the possible exception of a red lip.

Usually their looks are a bit too fussy looking for me, with only the thinnest veneer of  unfussiness or carelessness superimposed, but I like the color and pattern play and can like them as a starting point (or outright, once in a while).

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I got another cap, because this hair/hat combo had to be reprised.

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I am trying to make a firm reminder for myself that I should do this all the time. Leave hair down! Squash with hat!

UGH. SO GOOD.

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Oh, here’s one thing you can do with black lipstick. Avon lip pencil in deep plum with the NYX Macaron lipstick in Chambord (which is just black) in the center. Basically taking the bordeaux lip to its natural extreme. I like. You like? I like.

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J Crew linen sweater, thrifted plaid shirt, J Crew No. 2 pencil skirt, Steve Madden Abagail heels, Free People vegan leather tote, pearl ring from Pearl Paradise, Solange Azagury-Partridge lips ring, jasper necklace (eBay) as bracelet, Nike FC Barcelona cap.

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the docksiders

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It’s times like this, throwing on a bikini top and a few other scraps of fabric and heading out the door…I know I’m going to miss summer when it’s gone.

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I recently met CPL for drinks and she showed up with a cap on and her hair natural and big, escaping all over. The inspiration was immediate and irresistible. I knew right away that I’d found a new application for my hat.*

*Actually I was pleased with myself for several hours after this inspiration follow-through, and bought another hat. This hat.

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A pretty horrific case of hat hair awaits me later but I’m not thinking about that now. I’m thinking I should wear hats like this all the time

And she wears glasses. The look didn’t seem complete without them.

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I picked up these navy boat shoes in a Timberland sale earlier in the summer and knew I wanted to see them with crisp white shorts. Having realized the vision, it’s hard to want to wear them with anything else. Cut-offs. Straight leg jeans, maybe. Maybe.

Interesting how certain items can become instantly paired with others in the closet and remain together, an exclusive clique, for years at a time. How easily this happens.

An anklet would be good here. Next time.

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 Timberland Classic Unlined boat shoes, Seafolly Neo Tribe bikini top, Paris Blues shorts (ironing would have paid dividends here but I couldn’t muster up the will to do it), thrifted tank, American Apparel braided belt, French market basket.

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This is similar to the recent natural look, a slightly amped up version of  my everyday look, but with the Stila liquid liptick in Beso as the star of the show (as it is also here). Cannot say enough good things about the formula and this color is sumptuous.

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