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Why Did You Wear That: When the Lights Go Down

By |August 9th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

sunset cutoff denim shortsMy love of sunsets is no secret to friends and loved ones.  My father often snaps his West Coast stunners for me so that I get to experience not one, but two beautiful skies a night.  That’s love -and one reason I’d totally be down for a long distance relationship.  Cloud coverage, humidity, and time of day can all affect the palette used to create each night’s masterpiece making it nearly impossible for it to ever grow old.  Each night, I’m undoubtedly awed.  The only catch to my sherbert sunsets is that why, yes, that is the W Hoboken.  That’s the irony in all of this.  Joke’s on you, Manhattan.  You pay thousands of dollars a month in rent to gaze appreciatively at New Jersey.  At least Brooklyn gets to take in our beautiful skyline.  Even though we laugh at the fact that all of these glorious sky paintings are hung in the gallery that is New Jersey, I still show up for the show.

Tomorrow marks the second super moon (not to mention the Aquarius new moon), the largest of three super moons this summer. Shit is literally going to get weird and you can bet I will be perched atop my roof to take in the lunar glow sparkling against the Hudson (and New Jersey).  I’ve been known on more than one occasion to wear nightgowns as evening gowns– a trait I earned honestly from my mother.  Which is why some of my favorite clothing items came directly from my mom’s lingerie drawer.  Vintage lace tops worn with this summer’s favored outerwear, the kimono, is perfect for staring at the moon.

But I sure do miss the stars.

whydid blog kirsten smith sunset nyckimono nyc denim cutoff shorts brandy melville

kirsten smith why did blog

lace top kimono nyc sunset

kirsten smith whydid blogwhydid blog kirsten smithkimono: similar by Ecote here, top: vintage Mom’s, shorts: similar by MINKPINK here, shoes: French Connection, bag: Louis Vuitton, necklace: Nina Nguyen, ring: Erica Annenberg, bracelets: Alex + Ani

xx,

WhyDid

Photos by Michael Stiegler

Why Did You Wear That: Sand Skating?

By |January 11th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

kirsten smithSpeaking of skating… I’ve skated right through two of the east coast’s coldest months by hiding out in California.  While there have been more than a couple of bikini clad Instagram photos, to be fair the temperature does dip below 70 when the sun goes down, but those sherbert sunsets never get old.  I’ve made it my duty to watch them nightly because not one is ever the same and not one can ever be done justice by an iPhone photo- though Lord knows I’ve tried.

Speaking of aesthetic strife, no one can ever say I’m not resourceful. Yet again I’ve survived with a mere carry-on suitcase’s worth of clothing for the last eight weeks.  (California must have that effect on me).   Luckily, black and grey go with everything and I inherited some thread barren t-shirts that my dad was just about to relegate to cleaning rags.  To say my dad is stable would be an understatement.  If you need someone to put on your “in case of emergency” contacts, he’s the one.  For instance, there’s a pair of sneakers I bought while visiting him maybe my sophomore year of college that have made it through five or so moves and always manage to reappear in “my room” whenever I visit.  The deal with these shoes is that I made the rookie mistake of buying them half a size too small because they didn’t have my actual size of 7 1/2 and I just HAD to have them.  I continue to make the rookie mistake of thinking that maybe they fit now… as if my feet have shrunk with age.  All’s good and well for a few, but about 15 minutes into wearing them, I feel as though I’m partaking in the ancient ritual of feet binding.

Full circle?  There’s a trail near my dad’s house where my mini sneakers abide and where I relish in the pastel skies on a nearly nightly basis.  As I’ve  traversed this trail, I’ve been mesmerized by these things that I incorrectly call sand dunes.  Since I can’t really describe them (let alone identify them), I figured it was the perfect place to pose.  So, Smitty, my own personal mountain goat (one of the memes my brother introduced me to) and I trotted up the trail in my tiny toe crushing shoes for this post.  (Told you a skater skirt would look stellar with a crop top).

kirsten smith

kirsten smith

kirsten smith

over the knee socks

kirsten smithjacket: (similar here), top: Splendid (similar here), skirt: H&M (similar here), socks: StockinGirl (similar here), shoes: Converse (similar here – good job, Dick… these are apparently rare), bag: Balenciaga, necklace: no clue (similar here), dog: Smitty

I soaked my feet for an hour afterwards.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did or Why Don’t: Fuzzy Was He?

By |January 8th, 2014|Why Did or Why Don't?, Why Did You Wear That?|

muppets most wantedI’m not actually sure if I remember, but know I definitely did not participate in this trend the first go round.  I, for sure, had a few angora sweaters (cropped and otherwise) back in the day, but as for this especially fuzzy sweater trend, I have no recollection.  That might lead one to believe that it’s “new” but for one we all know that nothing is truly “new” and the fact that many of these styles have been labeled as “retro” I’m led to believe that perhaps I passed into a temporary coma for the fifteen minutes in the 90’s that these sweaters stole the stage.  Having seen more than a few late teen/early twenty year olds sport the trend leads me to believe we are going to have to decide whether to love it or leave it like the Muppets left Manhattan.

fuzzy sweaters1. Stella McCartney Bryce Mohair Blend Faux Fur Coat, 2. Glamorous Fuzzy Open Front Cardigan, 3. Y.A.S. Sally Cardigan, 4. Forever 21 Retro Shag Sweater, 5. Pins and Needles Fuzzy Open Front Cardigan, 6. H&M Fluffy Cardigan, 7. Karl Donoghue Shearling Coat, 8. Sparkle & Fade Fuzzy Leopard Cardigan, 9. Forever 21 Retro Sweet Sweater, 10. Faith Connexion Kaglan Sleeveless Sweater

xx,

WhyDid

 

WhyDid or WhyDon’t: Granola Bears Need to Birkenstop

By |November 26th, 2013|Why Did or Why Don't?|

birenstocks-socksSeeing as I’ve finally made my way across the country and up the coast to what is known as Northern California, I figured this might be the appropriate time to address the footwear trend trying to make a comeback.  The hippies’ Havaianas, the tree huggers’ Tevas, the Birkenstock.  Now, I realize I’m really pigeon holing the fine folks north of San Luis Obispo, but let’s not forget that I spent a sufficient amount of time surrounded by more North Face and Patagonia than my eyes and closet could handle.  Dare I remind you of a birthday spent at Palo Alto’s Il Fornaio where I was stared at like a freak for wearing something other than polar fleece?

birkenstockBirkenstock Gizeh Birko-Flor Thong

Popular since the 1980’s these practical over fashionable sandals really had their hey day back in the early 90’s.  But just like all that is old, they have become new again.  Isabel Marant made a designer version and we all know what Isabel Marant did for the wedge sneaker (not to mention the mayhem that ensued for the H&M capsule collection).  Even Phoebe Philo of Celine sent them down the runway

birkenstock isabel marantDoc Martens have already made a comeback (as seen in the Wrecking Ball video) as well as Timberland boots (they’ve even got a collaboration with throwback brand Stussy), but are all of the 90’s footwear fads ready for a resurgence?  And will you be hugging trees in your Birks?

xx,

WhyDid

 

image via

Why Did You Wear That: Spot On

By |November 16th, 2013|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

kirsten smithI’ve always felt a little conflicted about wearing leather and fur. When I was ten, I begged and pleaded (to no avail) with my parents for a cute little spotted potbelly pig. One morning over breakfast, it was revealed to me that bacon, in fact, comes from pigs. For the next year, I refused to eat meat thinking about that poor little pig in the pet shop. (I also begged and pleaded for a chinchilla around that same time). After finding it far too difficult to gain sustenance without any meat in my diet, I gave up vegetarianism the next year, but the feelings of guilt about fur, stuck with me. While home visiting my mom in Wheeling between semesters in college, we ventured into an antique store in Centre Market. Amongst the delicate tea sets and tiny trinkets, there was a rack of vintage clothing and hanging in the midst of these dated duds, was the most amazing leopard coat. I am my mother’s daughter and she insisted that I would be thankful that I’d bought this coat one day. While it was first worn to a “pimp n’ hoe” party in college, I’ve held onto it throughout the years and am happy to bring it back into rotation this fall. When worn with a simple tee, vegan leather pants, pumps, and topped off with a knit beanie, the look is definitely not outdated and to me, it says more “hollaback girl” than call girl.

Kirsten Smith

leopard coat

kirsten smith

kirsten smithbeanie: H&M, coat: vintage (similar here), top: Express, pants: Black Orchid (similar here), shoes: Yves Saint Laurent, bag: Celine, sunglasses: RayBan

xx,

WhyDid

 

photos by Catherine Sampietro