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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

west village nyc denim shirt shopping how to wear denim shirt why did blog

kirsten smith why did blog

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 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: Rain, Rain

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

kirsten smith whydidSpring in New York tends to be more fickle than the beautiful women who inhabit it.  One minute it’s all sunshine and soft breeze.  The next it’s dark storm clouds and running for cover.  One must always stow a small umbrella in her bag and never become too attached to her blowout. When Figleaves was kind enough to send me some stellar swimwear, I could not wait to suit up.  Problem is, it’s hardly warm enough for exposed limbs and there’s definitely not enough sunshine for SPF.  So, when the second to last day of April gave us just one last monsoon to remind us who’s boss, we had to get creative.  If rooftop poolparties aren’t in Mother Nature’s forecast for me, I’ll just have to make due with my own watering hole.

Don’t despair over your summer plans, folks. You can still wear a luxury swimwear this season if you can safely access a beach, have a backyard you can lay out in, or if you just decide to dress up in one around your house. Do you! We all have to take some precautions and make changes to our travel plans with a pandemic still happening, but sometimes a little shopping can help take your mind off things, even just for a bit. Miami Swim Week happened last year, but the runways work ahead of schedule, and these are the 10 trends we saw for 2020.

 

 

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bubble bath

rubber ducky

 

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kirsten smith whydid

 

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kirsten smithshirt:Lucca Couture, hat: Big Buddha, bathing suit: Huit c/o Figleaves, shorts: Joe’s Jeans, shoes: Steve Madden, sunglasses: Pucci, bag: Diane von Furstenberg, towel: Cynthia Rowley, bracelets: Alex and Ani

xx,

WhyDid

photos by Brian Schutza

Why Did or Why Don’t: Giving ‘Em the Slip

By |March 17th, 2014|Why Did or Why Don't?, Why Did You Wear That?|

slip on sneakersNow that we’ve basically kicked that whole wedge sneaker trend, celebrities, who have always been big fans of comfortable footwear, are gravitating towards a shoe that seems to be a hybrid between the classic flat and a comfortable sneaker.  The slip on is essentially what it would look like if a ballet flat had one too many martinis and woke up next to a tennis shoe… nine months later.  A style of shoe made most popular by skateboarders sporting Vans all over Southern California in the 1970’s, the casual shoe has been reinvented by designer brands like Saint LaurentGivenchy and Prada.  While the feel is definitely a bit more downtown, I get the feeling even uptown girls will be heading to Barney’s to shop the look.

slip ons

1. Sam Edelman Becker Slip On, 2. Steve Madden Ecentric Pony Hair Flat, 3. Rachel Zoe Barney Slip On Sneakers, 4. United Nude Elastic Slip On Sneaker, 5. Dolce Vita Zoren Haircalf Slip On Sneakers, 6. Via Spiga Galant Sneaker, 7. Rivieras Lord Acid Woven Faux Leather Slip Ons, 8. Joie Kidmore Slip On Sneakers, 9. Vince Preston Slip On Sneaker, 10. Vans He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not Slip On Sneaker, 11. Rag & Bone Kent Suede Slip On Sneakers

So, while they are definitely an upgrade to the normal commuter sneaker, will you be buying into this trend?

 

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: One Dress, Three Way (Rated PG)

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

kirsten smithTo show a little more skin in this dress from For Love & Lemons, I scratched the catsuit and slipped into a silk slip.  As soon as there was more skin showing, the level of drama was amped up.  Mo’ skin, mo’ drama?  Since it is still arctic, I added a fur jacket, gold chains, and a big bag to stow my scarf and gloves in between transit.

kirsten smith

kirsten smith whydid

kirsten smithdress: For Love & Lemons, slip: Skin, booties: Steve Madden (similar here), bag: Alexander Wang, jacket: vintage, necklaces: vintage (similar here),

xx,

WhyDid