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Why Did You Wear That: If At First You Don’t Succeed…

By |June 5th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

kirsten smith whydidA few weeks ago, the day came that I declared I was finally ready, willing, and able to dip my toes back into the dating pool.  So, I did.  It was funny that once I let it be known I was going back on the market, an interested buyer presented himself.  I had met him before, but because he kept complimenting my hair, I figured he was either gay or a hairdresser, possibly both.  When I ran into him again at a theme party one fateful Friday evening, he let our mutual friend know that he would be holding me captive and we spent the rest of the night attached at the hip… or maybe his hand/my butt… logistical technicalities.  In any case,  we’d spent a fun PG night together and deemed ourselves a perfect fit.  And just like I mentioned, once I started to get exactly what I wanted, I freaked the eff out.  He wanted to hang out that Sunday, but I was busy filming How To Tuesday and being fed hot toddies downstairs at Bakehouse in an attempt to fend off the oncoming and imminent flu.  As expected, I woke up the next morning feeling as though I had swallowed an entire carton of used Bic razors.  After a trip to the doctor (who complimented my dedication to still looking presentable when I felt less than human), I was diagnosed with a case of acute pharyngitis, aka, physical hell.  That benched me for the next week with ten days worth of antibiotics.  I let interested parties (okay, party) know my verdict and though disappointed, I promised I’d be well enough to see him the next Friday.  Like any good nurse, he checked in on his patient every day until then and made me feel slightly less miserable.  When Friday finally rolled around, the anticipation was at an all time high, but most importantly, what would I wear? kirsten smith why did kirsten smith whydid kirsten smith nyc3

kirsten smith nyc7dress: Wilfred Free, jacket: Andrew Marc, similar here, bag: Alexander Wang, boots: Frye, scarf: similar here, ear cuff: similar here, necklace: similar here

To be continued… xx, WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Love + Grace… and Smitty

By |May 30th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

kirsten smith love grace3Contrary to popular belief, my Instagram feed, and my checking account, one of my favorite things to do is stay home and be alone… with Smitty.  Every once in a while I need some “me” time to refocus and reflect, to do all the work and mundane tasks- like bill paying and closet reorganizing that I’ve neglected and all but forgotten while out on the town with my fabulous friends.  Now and again I need a detox— from myself.  Even when I’m alone, I take pride in my appearance.  I mean, there are more than several mirrors strewn about my humble abode.  Even my antique dresser is reflective.  The only person I’m hurting by looking like a hot homeless mess when home alone is myself.  You see, I’m the type of gal who dabs on her favorite perfume before bed and let’s be clear, the only man sharing my bed is very hairy.  I like to feel good for myself, so when Love+Grace was kind enough to send over some PJ’s in the prettiest shade of pale pink, I could hardly wait to schedule a date with myself.  And that I did.  Made from the softest cotton that drapes and clings in all the right places, these pajamas are both comfortable and cute.  As I passed my full length mirror, prosecco in hand, I thought to myself, “Damn, it’s too bad I’m home all alone.”

kirsten smith smitty

kirsten smith love grace2

kirsten smith love grace6

kirsten smith smitty

kirsten smith love grace

kirsten smith love grace4pajamas: c/o Love+Grace, dog: Smitty, dog pajamas: custom (seriously)

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Daisy Duke

By |May 13th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

whydid kirsten smith April showers brought May flowers… and more showers.  So, when there were a couple of consecutive days of actual sunshine last week, I was certain to take advantage of them.  When the weather warms up, habitually angry city dwellers suddenly become jovial, relaxed, and if you look very closely, you may even see some of them smiling.  The West Village is prime for people watching.  Restaurants expand their dining rooms out onto the sidewalks and seats outdoors become prime real estate.  Spring in New York reminds us all why we suffer through bitter cold, slushy streets, and near hypothermia.  It gives us just enough to fall back in love before cursing it again during sweltering summer months.

whydid kirsten smith

whydid kirsten smith

kirsten smith whydid

kirsten smith whydid blogkirsten smith daisy dukehat: (similar here), bodysuit: Forever 21, shorts: Brandy Melville (similar here), bracelets: Alex and Ani, bag: vintage (similar here), shoes: Steve Madden (similar here)

xx,

WhyDid

Photographs by Brian Schutza

 

 

Why Did You Wear That: Distressed Done Up

By |April 24th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

whydid kirsten smithWhen one thinks of shredded jeans, I  assume that most file destroyed denim under completely casual.  To be honest, I treat some of my destroyed denim like my own version of sweatpants.  A particular pair that reign as queen bee of my cluttered closet and are often the first thing I pull out for morning dog walking duty also happen to be the very same pair I pull out to wear with a tiny top and high heels for an evening out.  So, you see, distressed denim truly can go from day to night.  I’ve never worked at a job where I had to wear a “suit” (that’s the beauty of the fashion industry, kids), but when I worked in a sad grey cube at Henri Bendel, we were supposed to follow a few simple guidelines like, I don’t know: don’t look like an asshole or wear flip flops.  One of the clauses when distressed denim became one of our biggest sellers in store was that we could wear it… so long as it was one of our vendors… and most certainly not with flip flops- not even Havaianas.  So, full circle: destroyed denim can be both very downtown as well as totally dressed up.

whydid kirsten smith

whydid kirsten smith

kirsten smith whydid

kirsten destroyed denim whydid

whydid kirsten smithblazer: Dian von Furstenberg, blouse: Philosophy, jeans: DIY (learn how here), bag: Rafe, shoes: Carlos by Carlos Santana, sunglasses: Ray-Ban, bracelets: alex and ani, necklace: Maya Brenner

xx,

WhyDid

photos by Brian Schutza

Why Did You Wear That: No-chella

By |April 10th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

kirsten smith coachellaIf you live in New York you are in one of two camps: the ones who boarded Palm Springs bound planes for a wild weekend at Coachella or the rest of us who plan to stay put and enjoy the little bit of sunshine that’s finally been bestowed upon us.  I fall into the second camp and am pretty okay with that.  As mentioned, as much as I love a live show, being part of a commercialized and overcrowded concert series gives me the heebie jeebies.  I do, however, love the opportunity to tap into my inner flower child from time to time and fortunately, my mom was smart enough to hold onto a few of her favorite pieces and pass them along to me.  Smart and pretty.

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kirsten smith coachella

 

kirsten smith

kirsten smith coachellasunglasses: Stella McCartney, sweater: Staring at Stars, top: vintage (thanks, mom!), jeans: Odyn, shoes: Charles David, bracelets: Kenneth Jay Lane, bag: vintage Dooney & Bourke

xx,

WhyDid

 

photos by Kate Alex