Babydoll for Night

How do you take a baby-doll dress from daytime shopping to dinner out in 5 minutes?

Add a clutch, summer heels, and a sparkly blazer!

A mere change in shoes can transform any outfit instantaneously. I swapped out cutaway flats for cutaway heels and a fringed, boho bag for a structured purse. I also changed from a denim jacket to evening black.

Dress: Sumner, Heels: ShoeMint, Clutch: Paul and Joe Sister, Blazer: TopShop

With Love,

Noa B

Tunic Time, Retro Style

Want to add a little flair to your jeans? Sick of a grey/white/black, little tee? How about a vintage tunic top?

The cool thing about this cut? It's fitted, not billowy, so there's still a fitted tee "vibe", but with a 60's touch.

 3/4 sleeves always keep the look modern.

 Some bad-ass sandals, destroyed denim, and the top is instantly made contemporary.

Top: Vintage 1960's, Jeans: Vigoss, Sandals: Jeffery Campbell Ibiza, Sunnies: Milan, Earrings: Gifted

Simple touches always bump up that basic, weekday denim. In this case, a little vintage trim did the trick.

With Love,

Noa B

Vintage Nipon, the Easiest, Dinner Dress

Some days are just dreamy escapes. On those days your choice of clothing can transport you to another era.

In this afternoon's case, my vintage, Albert Nipon dress. 

Other than throwing still-drying hair in a bun and adding a lengthy necklace, I needed virtually nothing to style this vintage gem. An evening clutch, possibly some bracelets a little later, and I'm ready for dinner tonight.

Dress: Vintage Albert Nipon here, Heels: Sacha London, Necklace: Gift

Some days you wear the dress and some days, the dress wears you...

With Love,

Noa B

Repurposing the Retro

I've always loved the 70's, (particularly the early part of the decade that was still drawing inspiration from the print and design of the late 60's). As a youngster I bought a lot of clothing that was "inspired" by the 70's. As an adult I've learned how to hunt for the real deal. It's no surprise that some of my favorite lines, (Winter Kate, Haute Hippie, Free People) are all 60's/70's influenced.

But when you buy the real thing, it's such a delight to wear a garment that is actually "of" the period of design you love, not just inspired by it. Repro is great, originals are even better!

For me the key to wearing vintage without appearing costume-y has always been to augment with contemporary accessories. Bag, shoes, hat, jewelry. Old mixed with new will make your vintage dress appear very fresh and contemporary.

Dress: Vintage, Bag: Elliot Lucca, Heels: ShoeMint, Earrings: Tres Jolie, Hat: Mossimo

This dress is one of my favorite, new scores and I just found two more I'm saving for a perfect, summer outing. Here are a few amazing places to grab similar pieces!

Playclothes: Specializing in vintage from the 1930's-1980's for men and women.

It's a Wrap: A store that filters clothing and accessories from TV shows and costume houses.

Out of the Closet: My favorite thrift haunt with multiple locations across the United States.

With Love,

Noa B

Leather Shorts for Summer

I'm in a major moment of re-use these days. The main reason for this is that my closet in Los Angeles is pitiably small, and there's simply NO ROOM for extra clothes. I could store them in my house in Santa Barbara, but I've honestly been finding that it's better and more efficient to whittle down the wardrobe to one, coat sized closet full of easy pieces.  It's remarkable how despite/because of the constant changes in fashion, we figure out quickly what is timeless and what we can sprinkle carefully and sparingly into the mix.

Three things that I always love and come back to, (even in an updated shape) are a black, sheer blouse, leather shorts or a mini, and nude heels. Call them the basics, but they do stand up to trend.

Anyway we all know the drill. Dress up your shorts with heels. Boho your heels with a floppy hat, etc, etc...

 Grab a bag, tuck your blouse in or leave it out. It's all good.

Shorts: Tart, Heels: ShoeMint, Top: Zara, Purse: Paul & Joe Sister, Hat: H&M

Happy Friday!

With Love,

Noa B

Maxing the Closet

I was feeling a little sporty when I threw on this hooded vest yesterday. My goal was to help a dear friend with a deep, closet clean-out, and I wanted to be comfortable and ready to dive in and wade through the mountain of clothing we would be sifting through.

I was all about planning and timeliness, which meant no hair time first thing in the morning. But the great thing about this hoodie is its got a built in "bad hair day" fix!

Following on my unintentional theme of black and white, I added grey to my choice of clothing this week.

Hooded Cardi: Romeo and Juliet Couture, Heels: ShoeMint, Jeans andTank: LF Store, Purse: Paul &Joe Sister

I can't recommend enough doing a bi-annual overhaul of your wardrobe. Most of us don't know/remember half of what we own. Try to be really honest about what you wear and you'll find that most of your key items only account for about 25% of your closet. The rest is composed of specialty items, impulse buys, and stuff you just don't use.When you knock out those pieces and re-sell them, you're free to invest in the items that stay the test of time.

With Love,

Noa B

Romancing in Eyelet

Summer is the best time to fall in love with your boho/vintage self. After all, what better time to experiment with billowing fabrics, maxi dresses, and flowing hemlines?

While I love bright prints and retro fabrics that announce themselves, there's something so pure about white cotton. the 1960's/70's worshiper in me loves the loud design, but the minimalist in me loves white and black.

A little turquoise necklace and matching, green eyeliner are all the color I require.

Dress:Vintage, (available at my Etsy store here), Necklace: Boutique, Hat: H&M, Sandals: Sam Edelman

With Love,

Noa B

Leather, Metal, and Lace

Going for last minute drinks at sunset? A little utility works when you know it's about to cool down for the evening. My staple is often jeans with heels and a flattering t-shirt. To switch it up, try coated denim, waxed jeans, or pleather. Even in the summer it can get pretty cool if you're near the water at night. Swap the white tee for white lace and sandals for moto-boots.

 A fedora, a statement necklace, and heels with hardware add a little edge.

Top: LF Store, Boots: ShoeMint, Necklace: JewelMint, Pants: VeroModa

I'm headed to a concert tonight and I think I'll delve into my moto wardrobe once again. I do love my summer dresses, but every now and then biker-chic can still rock in the summertime.

With Love,

Noa B