Effortless Essentials: The Navy Blazer

For the next installment in my "Effortless Essentials" series, I want to wax poetic about the classic navy blazer. Eternally chic and always appropriate, the navy blazer is the epitome of understated elegance, and is one of the most versatile items you can own. When cut from a light-weight, structured wool and adorned with gold buttons this blazer can be worn with nearly everything year-round. In fact, this staple is so flexible that I wear mine at least once a week. Below, I have broken out how I style mine during each season in the hopes that I can help you decide if the navy blazer is right for you. 

Winter

Throughout the winter I pair my navy blazer with all of my cold weather wardrobe essentials. While it pairs perfectly with nearly every color under the sun, my favorite way to wear it is over a cream or blue button-down top and coordinating cashmere or cotton sweater and jeans for the perfect extra layer to keep out the cold. If I need a little extra warmth, I will throw my blazer on over a chunky turtleneck, super soft button-down and slim pants before slipping into a great pair of riding boots or snow boots. 

Spring

When the snow starts to thaw and the first spring buds appear, I love to wear my navy blazer with skirts, light sweaters (with or without a polo or oxford underneath) and ballet flats or loafers. I also love wearing the blazer over polos and t-shirts worn without sweaters, and with jeans or light pants for a fresh take on my winter rotation.  

Summer

During the summer, the navy blazer is the perfect topper for striped t's, shorts and sandals. When also worn with a colorful silk scarf tied loosely around the neck, this look is the epitome of summer-time chic and can take you from work to dinner to the boat house effortlessly. I also love to throw my navy blazer over lightweight dresses and skirts for the perfect polish to an otherwise relaxed look. 

Fall

Undeniably, fall is synonymous with back-to-school, and to me nothing screams cool collegiate more than a wool plaid skirt, cableknit sweater, crisp button-down and riding boots. For this very reason, my navy blazer gets the most use during this all too brief season. Whether I'm wearing a chunky sweater and skirt, oxford and jeans or woolen dress, the navy blazer is perfect for topping off any look when it's still warm enough to forgo a heavy jacket. To complete any of these looks I will add either riding boots, ballet flats or loafers and I am good to go. 

Countless retailers offer navy blazers but my favorite is from Brooks Brothers, so if a high-quality, classic is what you're after then look no further.

Until next time!

Effortless Essentials: Button Down Shirts

The next installment in my "Effortless Essentials" series is dedicated to button down shirts. These versatile tops are crucial cornerstones to my wardrobe, and I wear them multiple times a week. In addition to being perfect for layering or wearing alone, they can be worn across all four seasons with jeans, pants, skirts and shorts. Below, I have outlined my top picks that I hope will help you pick the styles that work for you. 

Silk Button Downs

Far Left: Black silk shirt under a camel blazer / Middle: White silk shirt under a classic sweater / Far Right: White silk shirt under a leather jacket

Silk button downs hit the perfect intersection of formal and casual. They can be worn under jackets, sweaters and blazers alike without adding extra bulk. While you can find these tops anywhere from Theory to Joe Fresh, my favorites are from Everlane. I have both the round collar style in white and the point collar style in black and I think the quality is incredible for the price. 

Cotton Button Downs

Far Left: White Brooks Brothers shirt under a vest / Middle: White Ralph Lauren shirt under a sweater / Far Right: Brooks Brothers striped shirt

If you're looking for your first button down shirt, I highly recommend starting with a white wrinkle resistant cotton one. Like silk shirts, these can be layered effortlessly but also have enough substance to be worn alone without much thought. More structured than their silk counterparts, these tops can be worn completely buttoned up for a formal look or dressed down by rolling the sleeves and unbuttoning the top button or two. To ensure I have endless outfit possibilities, I have two white versions, 1 from Ralph Lauren and 1 from Brooks Brothers (the BEST wrinkle resistant shirts on the market), 1 blue and white striped one from Ralph Lauren, and 1 green and white one from Brooks Brothers. 

Plaid, Flannel and Chambray Button Downs

Far Left: Ralph Lauren option under a black blazer / Middle: Ralph Lauren plaid shirt under a festive shawl / Far Right: J Crew chambray option under a Ralph Lauren turtleneck

While my plaid, chambray and flannel shirts are all cotton, I categorize them separately than the others because they are trickier to style. In my wardrobe I have a classic chambray shirt from J. Crew, 2 basic plaid Ralph Lauren options and 1 flannel style from Ralph Lauren. I like to pair my chambray shirt with white jeans, skirts and shorts in the spring and summer and with skirts and sweaters in the fall and winter. The plaid options only come out in the fall and winter but I wear them so frequently during the cooler months (with skirts, jeans and leggings) that they are undeniable essentials. 

Until next time! 

Effortless Essentials: Sweaters

As you know, I strive to cultivate a wardrobe of classic, versatile, well-made pieces that stand the test of time. These essentials are carefully chosen to ensure they can be mixed and matched for endless outfit possibilities across all four seasons. In doing so, I am able to ensure that I never have nothing to wear. Instead, dressing is simple, fun and effortless. 

With that ethos in mind, I am starting a new series called "Effortless Essentials" in which I will share my top core items along with a brief overview of why I think they are essential. First up is sweaters. I love sweaters and even before I moved up to New York from Florida, I couldn't help myself from collecting them. Since moving up north, I have reworked my closet to suit the cooler temperatures and narrowed in on 4 types of sweaters that can take me from brunch to the park, to the office and beyond. I have outlined these knitted necessities below and hope they help you narrow down your own collection to a set of basics that you truly love. 

Left to right: 1 , 2, 3, 4

Classic Crew Neck

A classic crew neck sweater is easily one of the most versatile styles you can own. I choose to have both cashmere and cotton options in a simplistic cable knit to suit all four seasons. As far as color goes, I find that navy and cream/white work best for my wardrobe. Virtually every brand under the sun offers crew neck sweaters but my favorites are from J. Crew, LL Bean and Ralph Lauren. 

Versatile V-Neck

A v-neck is one of the most flattering styles one can own. The open neckline elongates the frame and can be easily layered over shirts and accessorized with scarves and necklaces. As with my crew neck sweaters, I favor navy because it goes with everything in my closet and you can find them practically anywhere. For the material, I love cashmere but cotton is also an excellent material to choose that will last for ages when cared for properly. 

Classic Cardigan

I love cardigans! I love that I can throw them on over silk shirts, oxford shirts, dresses, silk tanks, polos and t-shirts. Cardigans are like the t-shirts of the sweater world in the sense that you can wear them across all seasons and I think they are best in black, navy and white or cream. My favorite cardigans are from the J. Crew cashmere line, but you can also find similar styles and quality at Uniqlo, Ralph Lauren and even T.J. Maxx from time to time. Also, I never hesitate to check eBay. If you spend the time to search, you can score brand new cashmere numbers for a fraction of the retail price.  

Timeless Turtleneck

Turtlenecks have really made a come-back this season. Seemingly overnight, everyone wears them again and you can find them at every top chain. When it comes to turtlenecks I prefer cotton because for me the neck can feel a little suffocating in wool and cashmere. My turtleneck is a really old cream Ralph Lauren option that is no longer available so the sweater linked above is a wool blend but it has a great design. I also adore cable knit for turtlenecks because of the collegiate feel it gives to any outfit.  

Until next time!