Trench: Tibi (wearing an XS) | Tee: Vince | Denim: Frame | Skinny Tote: Coach ℅ (on sale!) | Sandals: Club Monaco 'Valencia' (on sale!) | Sunglasses: Celine | Belt: Club Monaco  | Ring: Gabriel & Co | Pinky Ring: Eddie Borgo | Lipgloss: Bobbi Brown 'Bare Sparkle'

A pair of white jeans is a big wardrobe staple for me and while I wear them year round, they get even more love during the summer months. Needless to say, after I gave birth and found that I didn't fit into last years pair, I finally gave in and ordered a new pair. I tried on several brands and styles, but it was this cropped Frame pair that fit me the best.

I paired them with a white trench, my favorite new Coach Tote and leather strappy sandals for another one of my favorite color combos, white and tan!

Photography by Christina Emilie

The post Fresh {White & Tan} appeared first on Brooklyn Blonde.

PANTS  ||  TEE  ||  SIMILAR HAT HERE + HERE  ||  SIMILAR SANDALS  ||  SIMILAR BAG

During the summer when it's blazing hot (and when you have no air conditioner), shorts are pretty much an essential. But I know so many women who don't like to wear shorts for one reason or another, but it's just too hot for jeans. So joggers and cropped pants are the happy medium! They're everywhere this summer, so there are lots of good choices. I love this white linen pair, and this pair is full length pants, but they're so lightweight that they'd still be nice and cool (and hello, legs for days).

This olive green pair is lightweight and comfy, and even though they're green, they're neutral so they go with everything. I paired mine with a plain white tee (another summer essential -- and this one is so soft and comfortable and only $20!), some simple sandals, and a baseball cap. A cool summer outfit without wearing shorts!

Shop a few of my favorites right here: 

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thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post  ||  photos by rad and happy

SWIMSUIT  ||  SHORTS  ||  HAT  ||  BAG  ||  SUNGLASSES 

School is finally out for us, and that means it's time for summer vacations! We have a bunch of little trips planned this summer and I cannot wait to get out of town and relax. But before I leave, there's always the stress of packing -- it can be the worst part of traveling! It's so easy to overpack, it's hard to come up with pieces that will make a lot of different outfit options, and I'd much rather be on a vacation than prepping for one. 

If you guys are in the same boat, I've teamed up with Zappos today to put together a no-fail packing list below for those summer beach vacations so packing is made easy! 

FOUR TOPS: 

• 1 CHAMBRAY SHIRT. (it doesn't have to be chambray, but you'll want a button up. Knot it at the waist over a dress, wear it with your shorts or skirt, or tie it around your waist with any top or bottom!
• 1 NICE TOP. Choose a nicer one that can go with your skirt, or with a pair of shorts and dress them up a bit. I love this lace insert one -- it's casual enough for the beach, but dressy enough for a nice dinner!
• 1 T-SHIRT. Choose one that's nice but not fancy. You can wear it at the beach with your shorts, during the day with your shorts, but also to dinner knotted over one of your dresses, or with your skirt and heels. This striped one is perfect and adds a little pop of pattern to your basics. 
• 1 LIGHTWEIGHT JACKET. Choose denim, leather, anorak. Something you can wear for casual or dressy. You'll be glad to have something warm for those cool evenings down by the beach! This one is perfect.

THREE BOTTOMS:

• 1 SKIRT. Choose a skirt that's lightweight and easy to dress up or down. Wear it with sandals and your tee during the day, and heels and a blouse in the evening. I like this denim one, but I also like this A-line one. 
• 1 PAIR OF SHORTS. Choose a pair that can double for daytime and beach time! These ones are cute and super comfortable. 
• 1 PAIR OF PANTS. Choose a lightweight pair that works for day and night. I love a simple pair of joggers that you can pair with a tee or dress up with a blouse and heels. These are perfect.

TWO DRESSES: 

• 1 MAXI DRESS. These make great coverups, but it's also easy to upgrade them for evening with a jacket or knotted chambray. I love this orange one, but it also comes in navy!
• 1 DRESS. Choose something you can wear during the day, but easy to dress up at night. I like this midi dress, but this option is cute too! And for something a little nicer, this eyelet dress is gorgeous, as is this linen one.

THREE SHOES:

• HEELED SANDALS. For the evenings when you go out, you'll want a nicer pair of shoes. I bring a pair that works well with dresses, skirts, and jeans -- so, not too fancy. I own this pair and not only are they perfect for any outfit, they're also super comfortable and they're currently on sale!
• SNEAKERS/FLATS. You'll want these for walking and traveling days. I like an easy pair of slip-ons that I can take on and off in the car or in the airport, but I also need something with a little support. These ones are darling and come in a few different colors (but blush is my fave!). If you're not a sneaker wearer, try a pair of flats like these. 
• FLAT SANDALS. You can wear these on the beach, during the day while you're walking around, or to a casual dinner. I typically bring a pretty neutral pair like these that can go with anything, but if your clothes are fairly neutral, try a fun pair like these embellished ones.

TWO SWIMSUITS: 

• 2 SWIMMING SUITS. If you're bringing a two piece bathing suit, make the tops and bottoms intermixable so you can create 4 suits! I'm a one-piece lover, so I snagged myself this super flattering black and white one for summer, but I'm also loving this colorful one and this bandeau suit that comes in three beautiful colors. 

TWO BAGS:

• Large bag.  It works as a beach bag, a traveling bag, and a big day bag. I love this straw one -- it's super big so it can fit a bunch of things, but it's also sturdy and so cute. 
• Small crossbody bag.  You can wear to dinner or during the day as you walk. This is great for other activities you do in addition to the beach, like an amusement park or sight seeing, so you can carry a few things but it's easy to tote around. A neutral one is always a good choice, and something light colored is so fresh and clean for summer. This one is so perfect and under $70!

THREE ACCESSORIES: 

• 1 HAT. Bring either a straw hat or baseball cap -- whichever is your preference. Both are versatile and easy to wear during the day and at the beach or the pool. I love this straw hat in "honey" (it runs a little big, FYI so size down!), but I also love this ball cap. 
• SUNGLASSES. I only bring one pair usually because multiples are hard to keep track of. I just choose a neutral pair like this oversized tortoise pair and then it goes with everything.
• ACCESSORIES. I don't usually wear a ton of jewelry during my vacations because I'm nervous about losing it and it can get in the way. I bring one watch and one nice bracelet. 

Zappos has been one of my go-to spots for clothing over the past few years. Shopping online is pretty much the only way I can shop with three little kids, but it can be hard to buy things without trying them on. I love Zappos because they have so many of the brands I love and a huge selection of items, but also because they show the clothing on models and tell the model's measurements. That's so helpful when online shopping for me.

Also, they have free shipping and free returns so it's easy to try a few things and then easily exchange items that don't fit. When you're packing for your summer vacations, Zappos will be your best friend in helping you find the pieces you want for all those summer trips! 

Thank you to Zappos for sponsoring this post.  ||  photos by rad and happy

 

Dress: Club Monaco (also here) | Shoes: Aquazzura | Bag: Celine

Saturday night, Keith and I got dressed up and headed to the High Line for the Chandon Summer Soiree. We caught up with some friends, put back a few glasses of sparkling wine and finished the night off with a stop at Joe's pizza before heading back home. There's something so special about warm summer nights in the city!

The morning of the event, I took this dress to the dry cleaners and begged them to shorten it to make it slightly less boxy. While that move may not work for everyone, it made it so much more flattering on my body type. I paired it with my red Aquazzura Wild Things, but think it would work equally as well with a pair of red fringe flats.

photos by Keith Hodne

The post Striped Off the Shoulder appeared first on Brooklyn Blonde.

Gingham is my favorite summer print, and I'm so in love with the flutter sleeve trend, so I combined the two for this week's DIY Friday project.

This is an easy little top you can whip up in an afternoon and is so perfect for summer!

Click READ MORE below to find the step by step instructions!

READ MORE

TEE  ||  SIMILAR CHAMBRAY SKIRT HERE, HERE and HERE  ||  FLATS  (under $30, and come in black and nude too!)

I never cared much about the Fourth of July until we moved to California. But man, this place does it right with a giant parade, lots of fun events, and fireworks on the beach. Everyone gets so into it with decorated bikes and wagons, dressing up, and everyone outside BBQing, walking to the parade, and throwing parties. It's basically everyone's favorite day of the year around here. 

Just don't try to park within a mile and a half of the beach, because it is bumper to bumper cars parked everywhere. People even rent out their driveways for the day cause people are willing to pay $40 just for somewhere to park. 

With all that excitement, I can't help but love it now. Even better, my sister and her family have made it their yearly tradition to come visit us over the Fourth. This year will be their third year and it's always the best to have cousin and sister time! 

But even though I like to dress in red, white and blue for the Fourth, I pick pieces that are versatile enough to wear the rest of the year. I just recently picked up these flats and will wear them all summer long, but they're also the perfect festive piece for the holiday (they also come in black and nude though!)

This skirt is also a fun choice you could pair with a white top, or you could do white denim with a navy and white striped top and these sneakers. I also love a white and red striped top (it feels so summery!) or a navy gingham blouse, both of which would look great with blue or white denim. Or gosh, I just love this red gingham!

Shop all my festive favorites for the Fourth in the widget below! 

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photos by rad and happy

Blazer: J Crew | Denim: Levis + also here | Loafers: J Crew (old)

Psssss… Shopbop is having one of their biggest yearly sales. 25% off sale styles with code 25Extra.

I'm eyeing: this shirt, these leather pants (to put away for fall) and this striped dress.

The post From the Boys appeared first on Brooklyn Blonde.

This week we've had a heatwave in California, so I've had my summer wardrobe on the brain.   

There are ten essentials everyone should have in their closet during the summer, and if you have at least one of each of these, your summer wardrobe should be pretty complete. They're all pieces that are versatile and are easy to mix and match.

I'm sharing the top ten below, and then sharing a few options in each category below that, so make sure you scroll to the bottom! 

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The collage above is clickable -- click to shop!

And here are a few more shopping options in those ten categories:

1. Dresses. 

STRIPED TEE DRESS  ||  DENIM SHIRT DRESS  ||  WHITE MIDI DRESS

They're an essential for those warm days, but also for church and weddings and lunch with your girlfriends. You'll want at least one casual and one dressy one!

2. Sandals. 

LACE UP SANDALS  ||  STUDDED ANKLE SANDALS  ||  SLIDE SANDALS

These are the shoes you'll wear pretty much every day. Get a neutral-ish pair so they go with a lot of different things. I'm in love with these ones.

3. Shorts. 

WHITE SHORTS  ||  DISTRESSED SHORTS  ||   DARK DENIM SHORTS

Even in perfect-weather Southern California, it sometimes gets too hot for pants. So shorts are an essential.  Try these linen pants or a knit pencil skirt if you're not a shorts wearer!

4. T-Shirts

GREY TEE  ||  LACE UP NECKLINE TEE  ||  STRIPED TEE 

You definitely need some t-shirts for summer. I love a good basic one, but I found this lace up neckline one that is a fun variation. 

5. Tops. 

SCALLOPED TOP  ||  LACE TOP  ||  RUFFLE SLEEVE TOP

Choose versatile ones that work with shorts during the day, but also can easily be dressed up with jeans and heels for evening. This lace one would look so cute during the day with boyfriend jeans and simple sandals!

6. Sneakers.

NEW BALANCE SNEAKERS  ||  ADIDAS SNEAKERS  ||  PERFORATED SLIP ONS

Even though sneakers can be a little hotter than sandals, I like having some easy sneakers for summer on days where we're running around and I want comfortable shoes. I just ordered this pair and I'm obsessed with them. Also I own these ones, and they're so easy to slip on and off -- plus they're comfortable and the perforation makes them a little cooler for those hot days.

7. Swimsuit.
RUCHED BANDEAU SUIT (comes in 4 other colors!) ||  BLACK AND STRIPED SWIMSUIT  ||  LATTICE NECKLINE SUIT

Of course you need a swimsuit for summer! There are so many gorgeous ones out there (I did a whole post right here), but these three are my current favorites.

8. Accessories.
HAT  ||  BASEBALL CAP  ||  SUNGLASSES
Don't forget those accessories! A good hat and pair of sunglasses are essential during the summer months. I usually choose a baseball cap, but I'm loving all the straw hats out there right now. And I have these sunglasses in a few colors and they're the best.

9. Heels.

CRISSCROSS HEELS  ||  LASER CUT LACE UP BLOCK HEELS  ||  WEDGES

You need at least one pair of nice heels or wedges since the rest of the shoes in this list are very casual.


10. Bags. 

KATE SPADE CROSSBODY  ||  FAUX LEATHER TOTE  ||  TASSEL CROSSBODY

And don't forget a bag! I personally usually choose a medium crossbody bag since they're not huge, but big enough to carry the essentials, but I also love a good tote bag!

Now go get working on that summer wardrobe!