Forever 21 shorts, Rebecca Minkoff bag, Miu Miu sunglasses, Sole Society heels
I seem to have an ongoing issue where I spend a max of 24 hours in one city. It’s not my favorite way to travel, but I do get to see my fair share of cities. I was in Manhattan Friday/Saturday for a few meetings, and got to play catchup with a few old friends AND get work done. Now, that’s the best kind of 24 hour trip. A few months ago, Forever 21 sent me a gift card and asked if I’d stop into their new Downtown Crossing store for some summer shopping. I gleefully accepted, since I frequently shop at Forever 21 even without a gift card. The new Boston store is pretty, beautifully lit, and massive, which gave me a perfect excuse to skip a day at my office and spend the day at “work” in Forever 21.
I paired the cutoffs with a simple white tee, in true Kate Upton style. Girls: we’ve all got legs, and the best way to flaunt them is by putting on some sexy cutoffs or a summer dress with a pair of heels. I’m a huge fan of this black pair from Simons. Not crazy stilettos, but a simple wedge or kitten heels takes any outfit from a 0-100 real quick.
Xo,
Miss Fashionista
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When you work in fashion, you’re constantly surrounded by new brands popping up everyday. It’s a hard industry to be successful in, especially if you’re working on a startup fashion line. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t start a line: just make sure your vision is clear, your team is on point, and you’ve got something that’s totally different and special.
I recently came across SemSem, which is a luxury brand that recently popped up in the fashion space.
The line reflects the life experiences of its founder and creative director, Abeer Al Otaiba. She is focused on attention to detail, quality and functionality. Her Mediterranean upbringing, mixed with a French aesthetic, is the perfect contrast between a classic French women and effortless Greek goddess.
Take a look through the slideshow above to get an idea of what the collection is all about. If you’re looking to splurge on a gift for the lucky girl in your life, or simply treat yourself, SemSem won’t disappoint.
Xo,
Miss Fashionista
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Tangoella dress via Silkstaq
Stuart Weitzman flats + Glamorous dress
When I was in Italy, I was determined to pick up a new dress. I didn’t care whether it was the ugliest dress in the world or the most expensive; I just wanted a dress that was going to remain in my closet until I could show my kids one day. I ended up finding a reasonably priced dress via the European brand, Glamorous, in a super cute boutique on San Marco island. They had one left in the store, and immediately upon trying it on, I knew it was THE dress!
Last week, I was in Boston to shoot with Silkstaq and Tangoella, two Boston-based brands, for a blogger photo shoot. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t too great, so we ended up shooting outside for a few minutes before sprinting inside to take cover. I borrowed my moms flats for the occasion, and she called me freaking out when she saw the raining coming down and knew I was in her shoes. Oh, the joys of “borrowing” from your fam’s wardrobe. But, I managed to get a few pics in my new dress and borrowed dress from Tangoella. Surprisingly, a grey sky makes for the best photography lighting.
Following the shoot, I went to Connecticut to have a girls night with my best friends in Manchester. We ended up at Bonefish Grill for unreal seafood, and if you’ve never been to one of these restaurants before, it’s totally time you spend a Friday night at one. We feasted on fresh mussels, fish, bruschetta…my mouth is watering thinking about it. A model has got to eat, right!?
I’m in Boston for the rest of the week and then NYC for the night on Friday: life never slows down!
Xo,
Miss Fashionista
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Maison Scotch shirt, Forever 21 shorts, Express sandals, Rebecca Minkoff sandals, Dior shades
Top, bag and jacket below via Le Tote
I’m kind of obsessed with brands like Birchbox where you get so many different products in one go. And for a set price, you’re not missing out on splurging on one expensive brand when you can get a bunch of samples for less.
When I came across Le Tote, I was as excited to find a clothing brand with a similar philosophy. Basically, you pay a set cost every month for 4-5 pieces that you pick from their extensive online closet, and they show up to your door a few days later. I usually hate shopping, but after finding Le Tote, I get excited to pick out my “new” closet every month. After you’re done wearing your items, you send them back, or, you can purchase them on the website and keep whatever you like. They don’t just have clothing, either. With bags and jewelry as options, you get a legit full new outfit every single month!
I wore this Maison Scotch shirt last week in NYC and yesterday in Boston. Today, I wore my new bomber jacket with my hella old ripped Zara jeans for a coffee date with my friend Kate. Every day is a new outfit with Le Tote in my life. *insert praying hand emoji*
P.S. Have you seen my new YouTube video? I made magic bars with my best friends! Check it out!
Xo,
Miss Fashionista
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Joie dress, Express sandals, Le Tote accessories, Rebecca Minkoff bag
You know those brands that you *basically* wait your entire life to be able to wear? Whether it comes down to price, or style, you’ve been window shopping the brand since the beginning. That’s how I think about Joie, a brand I’ve been window shopping and dying to wear since the beginning. I got this beautiful piece on Monday from their showroom, along with a few other looks, and I’m actually glad I’ve waited half of my life to wear the line. Everything is absolutely beautiful, and worth every penny.
A group of my girls and I ended up in Brooklyn on Monday night for dinner, and I decided to put on this adorable frock along with new Le Tote jewels (always dress to impress) which was a fantastic idea. Summer in NYC is hella hot, and you don’t want to be sweating in your clothing while walking around. I always try and wear breezy and light clothing while in Boston or NYC, at least until the end of September, so that you’re both comfortable and fashionable. Everything from the summer Joie line is just that: easy, breezy, and beautiful.
I shared my recipe for paleo magic bars with Hannah Bronfman today, get the recipe here.
Xo,
Miss Fashionista
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When you live in NYC, you realize how important it is to break free of the constant rush and find time for yourself. Since I no longer live in Manhattan, I travel enough from the country to the city enough that I’m not frequently too overwhelmed. But when I was living full-time in NYC, I was constantly craving the quiet of Connecticut: being around people all of the time and noise can be really overwhelming! That’s when I started staying at different hotels in NYC at every chance I got.
The Archer Hotel in Manhattan invited me to stay over last night, and it was the perfect beginning to my week in the city. I invited one of my friends, Hannah, to sleepover, and we ended up ordering room service and staying in all night. She lives in NY, and loves the idea of a weekend staycation. You feel like you’re on vacation, yet you’re still in the city, you know?
I’ve never stayed at the The Archer Hotel before, but I was pleasantly surprised with how intimate and chic the property is. The rooms are definitely tiny, but they come equipped with insanely comfortable slippers, bath robes, and bed sheets. Plus, for their evening turn down service, you can expect Dylan’s Candy Bar treats, tasty caramels, and bottled water. Head up to their super cool rooftop bar for a view of the Empire State Building, or cozy up (like Hans and I did) in your bathrobe and view the skyline from the comfort of your own room.
We ate Sweetgreen for dinner in Bryant Park (the hotel is literally steps from the best location in NYC) and filmed a sweet video for the rest of the evening.
Stay tuned for a video of me and my story/adventure in NYC coming soon to the blog/YouTube!
Xo,
Miss Fashionista
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Vakko dress, Valentino heels, Dior via Shade Station sunglasses
I want to start this post off by saying thank you so so much for the insane love and support after the NY Post article came out yesterday. For something I was so so scared and ashamed of for most of my childhood, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I want to give back to the world with my experiences and my stories, and if sharing them can help one or two people going through something rough, some of the pain was worth it.
Anywho! I’ve had these pics from Venice on my phone for a while, and I ended up wearing this look on my last night out in Italy. I had a truly fantastic time stealing half of my sisters wardrobe in Istanbul, and I totally managed to sneak away with a good amount of pieces in my suitcase. If you ever have someone offer you Valentino flats, you never, ever, say no. If you’re looking for trendy shoes other than Valentino, GuiltySoles has a huge selection of shoes for $9.95 per month. I’d probably never treat myself to shoes over $500 unless I really wanted to splurge, and sites like GS have a selection that’s basically as stylish as any designer (and for half the cost!)
I’m Connecticut bound before Manhattan this weekend, and I’ve got one of my favorite songs, Electric Appeal, on repeat. If you’ve never heard this song by MGMT, it’s one of my favs. I totally had to make it the title of this post!
Xo,
Miss Fashionista
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PinkYotto clothing, hair by Blo Blow Dry Bar
When you’re in the public eye, your life immediately becomes exposed. Anyone I’m dating, anything I’m eating, anything I’m writing…it’s frequently chronicled online. You guys know everything about my eating issues when I was modeling, and about my experiences when I was severely bullied in public school. There’s one thing you guys probably don’t know: when I was 7, my father was wrongfully convicted of a terrible crime and imprisoned for many years of my childhood.
It’s taken me 18 years to finally feel confident enough to expose this part of my life, mainly because there’s so so much pain and trauma that come with what occurred to my family and me.
I’m not exposing this because I want people to feel bad for me. What happened should never ever happen, yet everyday, people are wrongly convicted of crimes. It just happened to happen to my incredible dad.
Ultimately, I’d like to create a charity or foundation for kids whose parents have been incarcerated, innocent or not, because when it happened to me, I had no one to turn to.
Now, it’s my time to give back. And more importantly, I want to bring attention to wrongful convictions and show you guys that people CAN become successful regardless of what they’ve overcome in their life. We all have a story…
Read the article here. See my YouTube video with more information here.
AND, read more about the Innocent Project here: http://www.innocenceproject.org/
Hudson Jeans shorts, Gap top, The Fifth Watches watch
If I could move place right now, ignoring the fact that I primarily work from America, I’d go to Amsterdam. Between the super chill people, beautiful canals, beautiful boys…boys. Did I mention how beautiful the boys are?
Besides boys (!!) my girlfriends and I had the time of our lives in Amsterdam for three days. We stayed at the Kamer 01, which is an incredible bed and breakfast located in the heart of the city. We also stayed at the Qbic Amsterdam, which is an artsy hostel-type hotel with free breakfast and comfortable as heck rooms. If you’re planning on staying in Amsterdam, I highly suggest choosing a place situated right in the city, so that you can be around the excitement 24/7!
When I travel, I like to seriously indulge in the culture. During my time in Europe, I found myself following Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP guide in just about every city. Two of my best friends are in college, and they’re on a college budget, which GP is most definitely not. So on the occasion I wanted to drink overpriced green juice and wander into a boutique where shoes are the cost of my rent, my friends would tag along and window shop. The coffee shop I’m pictured in above was super cute and trendy, and actually quite affordable. It’s called Bakers & Roasters. We all got to eat here- woo! I wonder what life would be like if we all had the unlimited budget of GP.
I’m on set in Boston today for a photo shoot…more details to come. I seriously never thought following your dreams could pay off to the level it has. Remember that whenever you have an excuse to not do what you love.
I’ll be in Boston + NYC this weekend too, staying at the Dream Downtown and the Archer Hotel. Follow along on Instagram for more!
Xo,
Miss Fashionista
Twitter || Instagram
J.Crew dress, Express jacket, Zara shoes + bag, Dior sunglasses via Shade Station
Being back in America after a full month away is taking some getting used to. For one, the rules here are much, much stricter…in terms of socializing, you can legally drink and go out to clubs/bars at 18 in Europe! In America, you’ve got to be 21 to step foot in anywhere that’s semi-fun. America, why aren’t you following in Europe’s footsteps yet? It’s definitely hotter here, too. And I’m so unprepared for summer weather. I just realized I gave all of my summer shorts last year to a thrift store, which means I’m wearing sundresses and sandals around all day.
I spent the first two weeks in Europe with three of my best girl friends from NYC and Florida, and I flew my other best friend, Gabe, out for my sisters wedding and trip to Venice. I don’t know where I’d be without Gabe. He saved me from every breakdown while my sister was getting married (being the sister of a bride who is getting married to a Turkish guy is very stressful), stopped my mom and I from almost killing each other in Venice, and most importantly, gave me advice on every piece of clothing I wanted to buy. If Gabe could travel everywhere with me in my pocket, I’d totally, totally be okay with it.
Venice wasn’t too hot, so I managed to get away with wearing a light coat everywhere I went. On this particular day, we decided to take a gondola ride through the Venice canals and then eat gelato for lunch and dinner. Every canal and street in Venice is beyond quaint: whether it’s colored buildings or simply brick, there’s nowhere that’s one bit ugly. What else would I wear on a gondola trip in Italy besides insanely uncomfortable heels and Dior shades?
Xo,
Miss Fashionista
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