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Why Did You Wear That: Black Dress, Jean Shirt

By |August 17th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

lbd day to night how toPerhaps your need to be discreet regarding last night’s outfit is a bit more innocent than the aforementioned instance.  After a beautiful dinner complete with across the table hand holding with your beau, you both awake with a hankering for Eggs Benedict, but seeing as you are not (as of yet) co-habitating, you’ve got to work with what you’ve got.  And isn’t that what life is all about?  A swanky dinner at Claudette called for the perfect little black dress (a favorite LBD of mine worn two ways here and here) and sexy stilettos.  As stunning as you looked last night strolling past tables packed with wealthy Wall Street types and their girlfriends who smacked them for gawking, wearing the same thing this morning to Bubby’s may raise some eyebrows for entirely different reasons.  An incredibly simple way to disguise your enticing ensemble is to simply tie a denim or chambray shirt around you (a flannel variation would work as well) and embrace the uptown/downtown amalgation by also embracing your bed head with a simple rope braid (learn how here).  You’ll look so “devil may care” that the only reason someone’s head may turn this time is to figure out which tabloid star you are.  Order a mimosa for me.denim shirt scotch and soda nyc whydid

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why did blog kirsten smithshirt: Scotch & Soda, dress: similar by Young Fabulous & Broke here, bag: similar by Alexander McQueen here, shoes: Steve Madden, sunglasses: street vendor on Washington Street, similar by Oliver Peoples here

xx,

WhyDid

Photography by Michael Stiegler

Why Did You Drink That: Voli Vodka & The Super Moon

By |August 11th, 2014|Sponsored Post|

super moon nycIn case you missed that giant gleaming beacon of light last night, that was the second super moon of the summer (the third will appear on September 9th in the off chance you slept through the first two).  This one was special not only because it was the largest/brightest, but because it also coincided with the Aquarius new moon (as mentioned here), which meant that freaky things were in the making.  I was especially intrigued by this moon and did my due diligence studying up on it.  Some of my friends were feeling a bit under the weather, while others were energized and ready to rage.  Apparently, this is totally normal and all feelings- negative and positive- are amplified by the full moon up to two days before and after.  Specific to my own situation, I was informed that all sorts of suitors would come crawling out of the woodwork.  I was hoping this meant fresh meat, but instead it was lots of leftovers and crawling out they did come.  I considered hiding out on my couch for the duration of this freak filled phenomenon, but when my Australian mates came calling, I figured I’d join them in toasting this super moon.  While most of the males had no idea there was even a moon in the sky, they were intrigued when I told them it was time to get weird.  We crafted up some cocktails with Voli Vodka and set up shop on the roof to howl at the moon.  Here are a few moments captured by the talented Michael Stiegler at our super moon soiree.

You can continue to “vote” for my photo by “liking” it here.

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xx,

WhyDid

 

Photos by Michael Stiegler

Why Did You Wear That: Washington Park After Dark

By |August 3rd, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

washington park nycOne of the best things about New York, and there are many, is the street traffic.  Not long ago, I loathed being photographed and what made it even more troublesome for me was having to call attention to myself as I strutted and struck poses in plain view of all pedestrians, taxi cabs, and public transportation.  But alas, I eventually came to terms with this necessary form of showboating and started to embrace the glances, glares, cheers, and jeers of passersby.  As we shot this, a woman stopped to offer her own editorial commentary.  She wanted to let me know that I looked like a witch.  Michael laughed and asked if it was the hat, which he had let me know from moment one he hated.  (Which is ironic since this hat is his and had earned him the very same nickname).  She said it was the whole look, but perhaps if I changed my attitude I could be a good witch like Samantha.  She was then on her way and I checked to see if she, herself, had not been riding a broomstick.  I love this city.

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whydid blog kirsten smith nychat: similar by Topshop here, dress: similar by One Teaspoon here, shoes: similar by Alice + Olivia here, bag: Helena de Natalio, similar by Alexander Wang here, bracelet: c/o Style Queen, similar by Berry here, necklaces: vintage, similar by Alainn here, nail/toe polish: Deborah Lippmann “Maniac”, lipstick: Clinique Almost Lipstick in “Black Honey”

xx,

WhyDid

photos by Michael Stiegler

Why Did You Wear That: C’est La Vie (Active)

By |July 27th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

vie activewearI can’t deny that I have a hard time stomaching dropping hundreds of dollars on pricey activewear, especially when it seems as of late, my entire clothing budget has gone basically to sports bras, compression pants, and sneakers.  You should smell my hamper.  However, fitness has become such a thing (um, been on Instagram lately?) that department stores such as Saks and online retailers like Net-A-Porter have dedicated entire categories to designer activewear.  Long gone are the days of just tossing on your boyfriend’s boxers and a ratty t-shirt to rally at the gym.  When I look around my Pilates class, it’s a full fledged fashion show with one toned body looked more chic than the next.  Fitness is having a serious fashion moment.

There is little else that’s worse than catching a glimpse of yourself in the mirror behind you mid burpee to see that your pants are startlingly sheer (recall lululemon-gate?).  There have been times when I could have told half the women in my classes what color their knickers were because they shone through during downward facing fanny.  Really, the only thing I can think of that’s worse is finding out how many calories I’ve consumed in a day.  Along with tracking my runs with Runkeeper, I downloaded a little iPhone app called My Fitness Pal.  Spoiler alert, ladies: there are a lot of calories in wine.

So, perhaps there is something to spending a little extra when it comes to your workout wear.  When Australian activewear brand, Vie Active, contacted me about testing out their wares, I jumped, literally, at the chance.  In an industry without a ton of room for interpretation, Vie Active has kept things fun and functional combining bold prints with high tech fabrics that will ensure you look nothing remotely close to a gym rat.

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dancer pose yog vie activewearvie activewear nike flyknit workoutpants and sports bra c/o Vie Active, shoes: Nike, hair: combination fishtail braid and milkmaid braids

xx,

WhyDid

 

Photos by Michael Stiegler

Why Did You Wear That: Don’t Rain on My Parade

By |July 21st, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

nyc whydid palazzo pantsThis summer’s weather has been just about as unpredictable as my mood.  One moment hot, one moment cold.  The sun is scorching your skin one day.  The next you can’t find an umbrella big enough to protect you from full body saturation.  If you enjoy this unpredictability, maybe we should date– or maybe you should talk to a shrink.  Anyhow, when it came time to shoot last week, the talented Michael Stiegler had only a small window of time to snap before the sun went down.  As it happened, that was the exact same time Mother Nature decided she was going to open up the flood gates and water the flowers.  The upside of my sometimes scattered moods is that I tend to adapt well to what might seem like unsavory obstacles.  Rather than postpone for a day without rain, we grabbed an umbrella, headed to the roof and proceeded to make the best of a soggy situation.  And much like many of our more impromptu photoshoots, we came up with images that were surprisingly good.  Life lesson?  When it rains, dance.

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nyc skyline printed pantstop: Brandy Melville, similar by Miguelina here, pants: Brandy Melville, similar by Free People here, bag: vintage Dooney & Bourke, similar here, shoes: Via Spiga, similar by Pour la Victoire here, umbrella: Dr. Kenet, similar by Marc by Marc Jacobs here, bracelets: Alex + Ani

xx,

WhyDid

Photos by Michael Stiegler