Leopard tunic

What goes around, comes back around in the consignment store two to three years later. The J.Crew wildcat blouse was I piece I'd wanted years ago, but never got. Of course when I spied it at Village Vogue I knew it was coming home with me.

I frequently keep an eye out for pieces on my 'lust list' filed away in the back of my mind when I shop secondhand, and have been strangely successful in finding many of them, especially those from J.Crew.

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The Rundown
Leopard Tunic J.Crew via Village Vogue similar
Grey Jeans c/o Max Jeans
Pumps "Gennie" Coach thrifted similar
Bag "Alexa" Danielle Nicole c/o Linger Rose
Hexagon Earrings c/o Metrix Jewelry
Arrow Bracelet Furbish Studio similar
Gold Bracelets The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Naomi Druzy Ring c/o Kendra Scott
Sunglasses "Emma" Ray-Ban
Nail Color "Big Spender" Essie


Leather and leopard

I've just finished writing all of my posts for this week, and if it were to have an accidental theme, it would be leopard and neutrals. I suppose it's simply a sign of the changing seasons, permission to start wearing black has been granted, and outerwear is being brought forth from the depths of the closet.

With September nearly behind us and along with it my first month of attempting the French Wardrobe Challenge, I'm staring to think more about what direction I want to take my style in this season. In my perfect world, it would be 'What I would wear if I were on vacation in Paris.' However, not everyday is filled with restaurant openings, blogger events, and day trips to new places. The real challenge lies in finding a style that works for grocery shopping and still lets me feel fabulous.

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The Rundown
New York Tee Old Navy similar
Black Pencil Skirt NY&Co. thrifted similar
Leopard Pumps "Okala" Sam Edelman similar $
Black Leather Moto Jacket Express similar
Bag "Alexa" Danielle Nicole c/o Linger Rose
Earrings c/o Lucky Fabb
Necklace Kohl's similar
Mini Punk Princess Bracelet CC Skye c/o Linger Rose
Chain Link Bracelet Thrifted similar
Spike Bracelet "Baby B" c/o Marrin Costello
Snake Ring Brilliant Imports
Chevron Ring Etsy via Silver Canyon Jewelry
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx



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Transitioning into fall

Last Friday's outfit was decidedly summer, while this week it could not be more clear that Fall has arrived. I need to enjoy the grace of the good Fall weather as much as possible, because all too soon it will be getting cold.

In an effort to get my cost per wear down on these $90 leopard Edelman heels, you will be seeing a lot of them, and likely a lot more of the utility jacket and plaid shirt as well. If it has to be Fall, I might as well get out all my favorites, and wear them together.


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The Rundown
Plaid Shirt J.Crew similar
Jeans Max Studio via TJMaxx similar
Utility Jacket Old Navy similar, similar
Leopard Pumps "Okala" Sam Edelman similar $
Bag Coach thrifted similar
Chain Link Bracelet Thrifted similar
Spike Bracelet "Baby B" c/o Marrin Costello
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Sweet Olive Jewelry
iPhone Case Rifle Paper Co.
Nail Color "Big Spender" Essie


White lace skirt

I picked up this lace skirt at Coco's on the Green in June when they were having their annual half off sale. That was the weekend I got my fabulous Ferragamo slides, and while I also tried this Miguelina skirt on, I put it back, deciding to just get the shoes. I left feeling good that I'd resisted.

The following weekend I got an email saying the sale had been extended. The next day I walked straight in, bought the skirt, did not look at anything else, and left. It was only $15, new with $200 tags, I could have done worse, right?

As for why it took me nearly three months to finally wear it, that I can not say.


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The Rundown
Gingham Shirt J.Crew similar
White Lace Skirt Miguelina via Coco's similar
Cherry Pumps Oh...Deer!
White Mini Satchel Tignanello via TJMaxx similar
Earrings c/o Lucky Fabb
Pearl Cluster Necklace thrifted
Knot Bracelet Banana Republic
Gold Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Gold Framed Monogram Ring c/o Onecklace
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Sweet Olive Jewelry
Sunglasses Ralph c/o Sunglasses Shop similar
Nail Color "No Place Like Chrome" Essie




Broken in

These are my old Converse sneakers, the pair that came to Italy with me and walked along the marble streets of Rome and along the canals of Venice.

They feature distressed pink plaid patchwork, which I loved at the time, but currently would prefer a simple, classic pair.

Of course I can't ever toss this pair, and breaking in a new pair is definitely not one of my favorite activities, so I will just have to embrace their uniqueness and wear them a bit longer.

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The Rundown
Chambray Shirt Tommy Hilfiger via TJMaxx similar
Striped Skirt NY&Co. similar
Willis Bag Vintage Coach thrifted
Shoes "Patchwork Ox" Converse similar
Necklace c/o A Jewelry Crush
Watch c/o Caravelle by Bulova via Lucky Fabb
Spike Bracelet "Baby B" c/o Marrin Costello
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Sweet Olive Jewelry
Sunglasses "Cat Eye Combination" Cole Haan via TJMaxx
Nail Color "Big Spender" Essie


Boutikey

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Boutikey, a mobile app created by Tiana Haraguchi launched in February this year, as a new way to build a community between small local boutiques and their customers.

Boutiques create accounts and use the app to post photos of new arrivals in their stores, advertise sales, and gain exposure. For shoppers, the app utilizes location services to help people discover shops in their area, be it their hometown, or some place they are traveling to.

Users follow their favorite boutiques and get an Instagram like image feed to see what's trending locally and receive a notification the moment a shop announces a sale.

In a nation where 61% of the population has a smartphone, Tiana's intentions are that Boutikey will serve as a catalyst to get shoppers excited about visiting their local boutiques during a time when 8 out of 10 small businesses fail within the first 18 months.

In addition to the app, which encourages shopping local, a new Boutikey e-commerce site, has just launched this month, giving local boutiques national exposure.

Boutikey allows local shops to share their new products and advertise sales, while the users can see what is going on nearby in real time and collect rewards from their purchases. Are there any new features you are planning on adding to the app?

The new app will give users the ability to also shop items from our e-commerce platform, and search for items in their area. They will now be able to see tags on images with the name of the designers. I should also note that we will be removing the loyalty program, as we are transitioning to be more of a discovery and shopping app. However, users will still be able to search for exclusive offers and events!

The Boutikey app currently features only stores in the Boston area; when can the rest of us expect to see our local boutiques start showing up? 

Very soon! We are planning to expand to new cities beginning in October once the new app is available, and any kinks of our e-commerce platform have been worked out. We'll be starting with major cities in California, New York, CT, New Jersey, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta and Miami.

What has been your biggest challenge in making Boutikey a reality?

Finding enough hours in the day to get everything done, and learning how to wear many different hats. Before Boutikey, I worked in corporate finance. Now I have many roles, including head of finance, marketing, management, social media, sales, accounting, customer service, IT and so forth!

Proudest career moment?

Definitely the day our app launched in February. After a year of research, planning, late night overseas development conversations and hustle of signing on boutiques, it was very gratifying to see the product go live and that all of our hard work paid off. Launching our e-commerce site brought me a similar feeling as well!

Boutikey’s e-commerce site has just launched featuring items from five of your favorite Boston shops, what is your one must have item on the site?

That's a tough one, I love so many items! If I had to choose, I would probably say the Rochester Vest from Ku De Ta. It's the perfect transitional summer into fall item, and will look amazing with a pair of dark shorts and lace up booties.

If you are excited to check out Boutikey, you can use coupon code CHIC15 for 15% off your purchase through October 22nd, 2014.


Getting the look

How do you feel about knockoffs? Some are subtle while others more blatant, but they are undeniably everywhere. Some I've bought without even realizing it was, other times I've known exactly what I was doing. This is one of those times.

I first saw the Valentino Rock Stud pumps on Sam at Lucky Fabb two years ago, and since then have been wishing I could some how find a $1000 surplus in my budget to make them my own. To say that I've been tempted by these OASAP knockoffs for a while would be an understatement, and I finally caved.

On their maiden voyage I took them to New Haven for an afternoon with Sean. We strolled around Yale, then around J.Crew, took a coffee break, outfit photos, and two hours later the walk back to the car was so slow and painful that Sean instructed me to sit on a bench and wait for him to retrieve the car and my flats.

I'm no stranger to uncomfortable footwear, and I know enough to stand by my choices and refrain from complaint as much as possible, but I can't help but to wonder, are the $1000 Valentino pumps comfortable? Is that what warrants the price? Could I wear them all day and be in footwear bliss?*

I could also save $900, get a pair of Birkenstocks, make Sean the happiest man alive, and be in footwear bliss, but I'm still not sure how I feel about that trend. You can't just replace a studded heel with a flat sandal and get the same results, even if it is a metallic one.

*To be fair, I have $20 heels higher than these, that I can wear comfortably to a wedding, and have had flats that were so uncomfortable one day I got home and just threw them straight into the trash. It's not just how well the shoe is made, but how the shoe fits your own two, probably slightly different sized feet.




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The Rundown
Cobalt Dress Old Navy similar
Striped Blazer Loft similar
Studded Pumps c/o OASAP
Grayson Bar Bag Linea Pelle
Hexagon Earrings c/o Metrix Jewelry
Spike Bracelet "Baby B" c/o Marrin Costello
Naomi Druzy Ring c/o Kendra Scott
Chevron Ring Etsy via Silver Canyon Jewelry
Nail Color "Big Spender" Essie




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