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Why Did You Wear That: Post Traumatic Stress, or Lack Thereof

By |December 5th, 2013|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

Kirsten SmithSpeaking of evolution, it’s amazing what a difference a year can make.  Cliché?  Yes.  True?  Also yes.  After having scraped myself from my father’s couch and moving back to New York last year, I was ready to put my shattered life back together piece by painful piece.  I had moved back to my old neighborhood (literally across the street from my old apartment), reconnected with my New York friends who hadn’t fled the city for life in suburban wedded bliss, and put my feelers out for new career opportunities and love interests- though only half heartedly on the latter.

I hadn’t been back to California since leaving that last time.  I mean, it’s a long flight, plus I wasn’t sure how I’d feel  about being back there.  However, my dad was long overdue for a visit and the way the weather was looking on the east coast, I was happy to suffer through a five hour flight for a stint in the sunshine.  Upon landing in LA, I immediately felt a bittersweet nostalgia.  Driving through familiar streets in Silicon Valley, I felt every familiarity and the memories of my past came creeping back. Many experts now recommend me to use these Delta 8 disposable vape pens to keep those thoughts in check.

Kirsten SmithFortunately, I have a friend who is the kind of friend everyone should wish for.  She’s the “ride or die” type and the moment she got my sobbing phone call that I would be moving out of the home I shared with my ex, she was quite literally on a plane to come and help with the heavy lifting and to lift my heavy heart.  Her name is Katie and you may remember her.  Upon arriving at said residence, my ex had been so “kind” as to have already packed all of my belongings (well, everything he didn’t try and pilfer) and arrange them conveniently at the front door.  Talk about adding insult to injury.  But on the brightside, this gave us more time to spend together chatting rather than packing.  Katie having never done so, we hopped in her rental and took a ride down the PCH.  Remembering a must see recommendation from a pal Katie had made on the plane (she’s always making friends), we stopped somewhere along Big Sur at a place called Post Ranch Inn where we dined while taking in the views at Sierra Mar.  The views are quite literally breathtaking and those with acrophobia may want to refrain from venturing out onto the balconies.  I was so happy to be in such beautiful surroundings with my beautiful friend, but halfway through my second glass of prosecco, I broke down into tears.

kirsten smith

kirsten smithI wanted to share this place with people who love me unconditionally and make new memories that were joyful not jaded.  My middle brother, Andy and my dad are two men I know I can always count on besides Smitty and I wanted to take them somewhere I loved.  We hopped in Dick’s tiny sportscar (I generously relinquished shotgun and crammed myself into the backseat) and off we went down the windy PCH on our way back to Post Ranch Inn, stopping intermittently to snap photos at scenic overlooks.  Ironically enough, we were seated at the exact same table where Katie and I sat the year before.  This year, however, I didn’t cry into my garden green salad.  I guess that’s the thing about bad memories, sometimes you just have to face them, make new ones, and move on.

kirsten smith

kirsten smithtop: Free People (similar-and on sale-here), bralette: Victoria’s Secret, pants: 7 for All Mankind, boots: All Saints (similar here), bag: Balenciaga, jacket: Andrew Marc

Don’t worry, I didn’t jump.

xx,

WhyDid

photographs by Andrew Smith (my middle big brother- who you should also follow on Instagram)

Why Did You Wear That: New York Fashion Week, The Hangover

By |September 16th, 2013|Why Did You Wear That?|

lincoln center nyfw mbfwSo, you might’ve deduced from the incessant Instagram posts, Tweets, and humble brags that last week concluded the week long bender that is New York Fashion Week.  I merely dipped my toes into the chaos of NYFW and feel like I need a visit to Passages Malibu and I can only imagine the way some of the real style obsessed overachievers are feeling today.  Oh, right.  Half of them have already landed in London.  God bless, gals.  So, if you aren’t familiar with the goings on of Fashion Week, it’s show after show after show interlaced with parties that you may or may not have to beg, lie, and break into to attend.  The entire thing is fun, fabulous, and utterly infuriating.  It’s much like the city where I live- a love hate relationship that leaves you feeling both fulfilled and rejected.  So, after taking in shows from Deisgual to Daisy Fuentes and partying with A$AP Rocky at Soho House and attending Nas’s 40th birthday (I know!), I’m happy to be laying low and trading in heels for engineer boots for the next several days.  You may feel as if you’ve missed out, but I can’t begin to tell you how tiring waiting around all day to watch shows can be.  Not to mention, your seat at your desk watching the livestream of Proenza Schouler was probably better than my assigned seat.

desigual fashion show

daisy fuentes

nolcha fashion week

nolcha fashion week

camera pit

On to the next one.

xx,

WhyDid

Beauty Buzz: Blonde Ambition… Or Lack Thereof.

By |August 29th, 2013|Beauty Buzz|

kirsten smithOne of the hardest parts about leaving New York for sunny LA other than just about everything was coming to terms with the fact that I was going to have to replace my blonde making magician of a hairstylist.  Before I left, I got my locks artificially kissed by the sun, and kissed Anna (my hairstylist) goodbye.  Living in the land of blondes, I figured it’d be easy to find someone , but having been burned (like, literally.  My hair fell out.) before, I was totally hesitant  to try someone new.

I don’t get many lucky breaks.  No, really, ask my friends and family.  It’s like I’m followed around by a storm cloud, but in this instance, I dumb lucked into the hair trend that took over the land whilst in between haircare masters: ombre.  While most girls went out and had their stylists darken their roots and lighten their ends.  I sat back, relaxed, and watched my hair grow.  Which is kind of the equivalent of watching paint dry, except slightly more exciting because you never really know what color your natural haircolor is after 10+ years of highlighting.

When I started posting selfies on Instagram, my darker locks got some seriously positive feedback and many a blonde pal asked just how I had managed the switch.  So, below I have outlined my rules to achieving the look and wouldn’t you know?  The end of summer is the perfect time to try the continuing trend.

  1. Commit to the challenge.  No one said it was going to be easy.  They just said it would be worth it.  Okay, it’s definitely not that serious, but just brace yourself for a transitional period.  You aren’t going to look the same.  You are going to have to change your makeup.  Different colors are going to look better on you.  Some people even told me my facial structure started to look different.  I think that was because I packed on winter weight, but that’s neither here nor there.
  2. Blend In.  This is just about the only situation in life where I will advise you to do so… unless you happen to be hunting.  In which case, stick with camo.  To make the switch from amber to auburn less abrupt, have your colorist paint in some lowlights and start blending away the blonde.
  3. Keep it trim.  Sure, you won’t need to spend half your paycheck being painted the perfect buttery blonde anymore, but that doesn’t mean you have to skip the salon altogether.  I hate getting haircuts, but letting too much time pass between trims can lead to some hairy situations; much like missing a bikini wax.  Schedule a visit every six to eight weeks depending on your hair length and style.
  4. Be patient.  Similar to growing out your bangs, your roots are going to get to that stage where you just wanna say, “F%ck it!” and get back on the bottle.  But don’t do it.  Stay off the sauce.  Though you may be looking like Courtney Love of the 90’s (not someone I aim to emulate either), you will get through this.  Much like how I got through Advanced Calculus and my last breakup.
  5. Start from the bottom (now you’re here).  Your ends are old.  Some of them have been with you longer than a few of your friends.  Think about it: hair grows about half an inch a month.  So unless you’re sporting a Miley Cyrus pixie cut, you may have strands aging over ten years!  Now, when it comes to sudsing up in the shower, you’re going to want to focus most of the shampooing on your roots and conditioning on your ends.  Same principle applies when putting on product post bathing.

The whole process took about an entire year, but I have hair that’s halfway down my back.  And while that sounds like an excessive amount of time, each phase was kind of like having a new look.  Where the lighter strands are in relation to your face make all the difference.  You may stop the process when your golden strands greet your chin.  Seeing as the sun has been kind to my color, I, too, will be repeating the process this fall.  Unless, of course, I go for that Miley pixie.

xx,

WhyDid

The List Volume Summer Vacation

By |August 9th, 2013|The List|

In case you’re just tuning in (or don’t follow me on Instagram), I have been away for the week.  I was becoming a creature of habit and starting to meld into the concrete jungle I call home.  After two failed attempts at heading north with a man friend, I finally relented and spent five days meandering from Boston to Ogunquit to Gloucester and back to Newport.  Leaving the city with your love interest can be a bit scary and incredibly enlightening.  They say you really get to know someone, for better or worse, while on vacation.  Well, not only did I learn a few things about my travel buddy, I learned a few things about myself and better travel practices while taking in some truly breathtaking scenery. (more…)

Weekend Playlist: Guest DJ, Jenn Seracuse

By |July 13th, 2013|Weekend Playlist|

Jenn Seracuse PilatesPhoto credit: Jay Sullivan 

Not to toot my own horn (but, beep beep), I get asked quite a bit about what my workout routine is.  No, kids, I can’t lie and just say I sit around eating whatever I want.  Past the age of 25, I actually had to become conscience of my body and only wish I’d started sooner.  I run three to four times a week, but my real secret weapon for long, lean, toned arms and legs and a flat stomach is Pilates.  Specifically, Flex Studios.  Very specifically, Jenn Seracuse.

I’d tried out a few different Pilates studios in New York after getting hooked when I lived in LA.  One class with Jenn at Flex and I needn’t look any further.  Jenn’s class is fun and upbeat without being annoyingly cheerleader peppy (I was a cheerleader, chill).  Beginner’s or first timers don’t fret.  Jenn must have eyes in the back of her head because she’s able to keep tabs on everyone in class providing gentle corrections to ensure you’re getting the most out of the session without breaking anything except a sweat.  One of the best parts of Jenn’s classes are her playlists.  As I’m sure anyone who works out can attest, music can make or break whether you struggle or stride through those last ten minutes.  So, this week, Jenn was kind enough to put together a playlist especially for WhyDid.com.  I, for one, can not wait to slip on my sneakers and feel the burn while listening.

To be honest, I was little nervous to share my secret because I may find myself on the waiting list for class more than I’d like, but come sweat with Jenn and me and be sure to follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

xx,

WhyDid