In Spades

This past weekend my husband and I enjoyed a great walk on the beach only to realize his wallet fell out somewhere along our path. After two hours of retracing our steps with no luck, we returned home to find his wallet fully intact behind our screen door. The level of appreciation we have toward the Good Samaritan who did this is monumental, and today’s OOTD is equally rich with good karma.

The Daniele Michetti shoes I’m wearing were given to me by a lovely reader and friend of a friend. When she reached out to tell me that she wanted them to go to a good home where they would get more use, I was ecstatic and in awe of her generosity. Daniele Michetti is a luxury shoe line based in Italy and can be found at Saks Fifth Avenue, Net-a-Porter and Neiman Marcus. It’s not everyday someone passes on a gift this generous (and fun!). I like to imagine the joy and excitement she must have felt after purchasing them, walking through the streets of NYC, treasure in hand.  That legacy, and this good karma, is something I’ll definitely continue. Thank you JS!

When you write a fashion blog and are generally obsessed with all things sartorial, it can be difficult to refrain from constantly buying new pieces. With the ease of online shopping, the lure of fantastic summer sales and the fact that I’m always looking at fashion one way or another, it’s incredibly important for people like me to hit pause on the consume button. Afterall, no one needs 20 pair of jeans.

This weekend I had planned on shooting an entirely different outfit, but when I stepped out for brunch wearing the above, it hit me. This was the outfit I wanted to photograph. With the exception of one necklace, every single piece in today’s OOTD has been featured on In Spades before. I thought it was a great opportunity to show you how I style the pieces in my wardrobe differently. It’s also a great opportunity to tell you that many of the items I feature on In Spades are not brand new. They are pieces I’ve been collecting over many years. Rather than focus on single wear fast fashion, I like to build a collection of items I know will last and that I’ll continually wear in years to come.  For me, clothing has never solely been about necessity; it’s my art.  And like any good collector, it’s important to invest in quality, timeless pieces that fill a void forever, not just temporarily.

How do you remix your pieces?

As summer inches closer, I’m all about easy pieces. This outfit is the very definition of ease, while still looking chic. I love this military style jacket for baseball games, windy beach days or late night campfires. It’s lightweight, so you can layer a million things underneath it, and the long length and hood give me added warmth. While a lot of people are protesting the return of Birkenstocks for being too trendy, the 90’s nostalgia hit me hard. Birks remind me of high school – driving around with my best friend listening to the same mix tape over and over. They’re so darn comfortable and go just as well with casual outfits as they do dressier ones. What’s not to love again?

When I find something good, I stick with it. I’ve never been a basics girl. I’ve always preferred to seek out pieces. So it’s only fitting that I would add another piece from The Design Studio to my collection. This mother/daughter duo out of the UK create and model the most amazing faux fur bombers, and my first one was a doozy. This soft pink and grey number is a little more understated and can be styled a million different ways. I almost shot it with high-waisted distressed skinnies and metallic Vans, but I love the polished look of menswear inspired boots and a collared neckline underneath. This version is lined (my first one is not) which gives it a bit more weight and added volume to play with. You know you want one.