BEACH HOUSE IN BALTIMORE

blazer- MANGO/ blouse- UO/ pants- MANGO/ boots- Steve Madden/ bag- UO

A couple weeks ago I went to see Beach House in concert, as well as Lower Dens & Yo La Tengo (all amazing bands). I've included some snapshots of the concert below so you can see what I'm talking about. Before the concert I decided to get some coffee, I actually got there about an hour early which was great because I got to hang around Baltimore for a bit.

I would definitely describe this concert as being both EPIC & HISTORICAL, mainly because if any of you know, Beach House is one of the best (if not BEST) contemporary bands around, their sound is amazing, full of dreamy melodies that are definitely one of kind (they're my favorite band). I'm describing this concert as being historical because it was held in Baltimore and Beach House is from Baltimore, along with Lower Dens, so you can imagine how huge this show must have been for all of them, also considering the fact that Beach House has been touring non stop this past year, coming back home to play in Maryland must have been great for them. The other reason why I'm referring to this concert as being historical  is because Yo La Tengo also played, and the thing about Yo La Tengo is that they've been around for quite sometime, they actually influenced Beach House as well as other contemporary bands (to some extent, in terms of sound, with the whole shoegaze/dreampop movement that started in the late 80s through early 90s). I of course was delighted to see Beach House for the third time in a row, they are truly phenomenal live. One neat thing about this concert was that Beach House played pretty much 2 full albums, about 25 to 30 songs, one of the full albums played being of course their newest album BLOOM, which is just great (definitely the highlight concert of my life). I LOVED every minute of it, and yes I also loved seeing Victoria Legrand who is the lead singer of Beach House. Victoria wore a sequin blazer towards the end of the show, her style is actually very cool, especially her blazers and neat blouses that she wears to her concerts, I'm quite a fan of hers. The outfit I wore is definitely a good example of an outfit Victoria Legrand would probably wear, which is similar to my style. I did; however, want to comment on my blouse which reminds me of the Chanel pre-fall 2013 collection, a bold & romantic collection, that incorporated alot of tweed & tartan.

TRAVELOG: MONTAUK

pants- Free People/ sweater & blouse- ZARA/ parka jacket- Buffalo Jeans/ boots- Steve Madden/ sunglasses- H&M

This past weekend I visited Montauk located at the very end of Long Island, NY. I had been wanting to go to Montauk for quite sometime. My fascination for Montauk started when I first watched the film called Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, mainly because some of the best shots were filmed there and I remember thinking "wow, I really want to go there". And just as I thought I would, I fell in love with everything about Montauk, the atmosphere was so different than any other place I had ever visited before. It was a beautiful cold sunny day out (windy as well) making the whole visit seem very dreamy and lovely, romantic in essence... it could have (metaphorically speaking) been my dreamland. I stayed for a couple of hours, walked around the beach, sat & watched the ocean for a while, letting time pass by. It was indeed a very relaxing weekend to say the least.

I decided to wear my green parka jacket, I went for earth tones because I knew I'd be surrounded by them all throughout the day... actually that happened subconsciously. Funny thing is I always seem to match with my surroundings in some slight way without even meaning to do it, it just tends to happen... but it isn't until I actually see pictures that make me analyze everything about the day, making me wonder about how everything is truly connected in some way or form. I should also mention that I am wearing my newest pair of H&M sunglasses, adding a slight hint of quirkiness to the outfit, matching in color with my parka as well (ironically enough).

Minimalism & Neutrals

trousers- UO/ blouse- H&M/ boots- Dolce Vita/ bag- Mango/ Trench- UO/ Sunglasses- Bygones 

Minimalism is something I always go for and try to achieve in terms of what I wear on a daily basis. I just love the simple look. It seems as though these days I can't get enough of wearing slouchy trousers & blouses paired together with a trench coat (especially during early spring). I must admit that this is perhaps one of the most minimal looks I've styled on CH.89 inspired by La Garconne as well as the Margaret Howell Spring 2013 collection, both masters at creating effortless simple looks that captivate ones attention right from the start. Designers who have mastered the art of minimalism & simplicity, those are indeed the ones who truly capture my attention. As for black on beige? I like to call it the "understated clean and simple combination" that works perfectly well with minimal looks, that never fails to impress me but then again neutrals never do.

Poetic Likeness

sweater- RD Style/ skirt- UO/ jacket- Buffalo/ tights- R.L./ boots-Lucky Brand/ purse- Lucky Brand

There is nothing I like more then spending my day strolling around the museums in DC, or perhaps just my favorite museums (I do have a couple favorite I always visit and can't get tired of revisiting). In any case, I actually went for a specific exhibition this time, that I really wanted to catch a glimpse of, before it left the National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition was called Poetic Likeness, containing photographs from some of the most famous modern american poets, which I'm quite a fan of. You can imagine my excitement, being surrounded by so many amazing original documents and writing pieces of that time, from poets such as Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton, W.H. Auden and Wallace Stevens, among others. It was indeed lovely (perhaps my favorite exhibition thus far).

In terms of my outfit I went for a casual look, nothing too fancy. I do like a good sweater, nothing beats a good sweater/ cardigan, mainly because you don't have to worry about being cold, and honestly sweaters are just classic, giving off a somewhat quirky chic vibe at times (so why not indulge in wearing them during these last few chilly days before spring officially gets here). For me it has always been about what looks best in a very simple & minimal way while still feeling comfortable, I base most of my looks on that philosophy. Which is why it usually ends up coming back to me wearing basics or combining basics with other key pieces such as my red purse, or the unusual pair of boots.

The Tweed Blazer

tweed blazer- Banana Republic/ pants- Free People/ shoes- ASOS/ blouse- H&M/ sunglasses- H&M

Recently, I've become fascinated with tweed blazers. There's something quite captivating about them, and although I definitely consider them to be a classic piece, I find that tweed in general can be hard to style at times, which is why even though I've always liked tweed blazers I've still always been hesitant to try them out with other patterns. However, as of lately it seems as if I've become tolerant of wearing my tweed blazer with just about anything, I'd say its the most adventurous I've come to in terms of styling this year by mix and matching tweed & stripes together. If I had to choose an item within my wardrobe right now, and call it my "march favorite" I'd surely choose my Banana Republic tweed blazer. I love the structured & tailored look of the tweed blazer, it creates a rather dapper look.

Classic Chic

 

coated leather pants- MANGO (similar)/ grey shirt- ZARA (similar)/ boots- Steve Madden (similar)/ coat- Calvin Klein (similar)/ watch- Orient

One of my favorite pair of pants I own is my coated leather pants from Mango, they're perhaps the most chic pants I have in my wardrobe. They automatically make an outfit stand out, which is mainly why I like to style them with basics. Leather pants can be dressed up or down, I tend to dress them down considering they give off a very strong vibe all by themselves, to dress them up would be something for a dressier occasion but since I've been wearing them during the daytime lately I dress them down. I decided to go for a a more refined semi-casual look by adding a black pea coat rather than a leather jacket which would have otherwise created a rocker chic look (which I'll surely style in due time). Its quite easy to achieve this look, all you need is a good pair of coated leather pants and the rest is rather easy, a plain white/ grey tee with a leather coat (or in this case pea coat) and some ankle boots, that is all. I'll admit that this is definitely one of my favorite looks I've styled on CH.89, I'm all for the classic chic look. 

March Daze

MARCH DAZE by chapter89 featuring knit tops

All I want to wear these days is a skirt with a slouchy sweater and some ankle boots. Honestly, if I could wear this outfit year round, I probably would... but considering its still fairly cold out, I'll have to wait to showcase more of this outfit on CH.89, which in due time I most definitely will. In fact I'll call this my standard "early spring uniform" because it will certainly be brought up more than once, I can assure you this.

I can't wait for spring to come. I've realized that as much as I love winter, early spring is always nice, and perhaps even necessary.