Northern California Style

Northern California Style

#signaturestyle

Signature Style – The Seasonless Skirt

By 18 Comments

Welcome to August’s Signature Style post ! This month we are talking skirts. I think this is a timely post as they are the ultimate transition piece bridging the gap between seasons. We could all use some good skirts in our closets and I’ll show you a few ways to style the ones you might already have- and a few you might want to add to your closet!

I’ve been wanting to add a few longer midi or maxi skirts to my closet for a while, so this post was a great time to do it. The skirts I found I can wear for an upcoming anniversary getaway with the hubs, but also for fall and winter.

First up is a fun gingham tiered skirt. This can be dressy for a party or dinner paired it with a floaty tank, long pearls and and some skinny strapped flats.

This skirt is from TopShop and is no longer available, but I found similar gingham versions here at Bloomingdales, this cute version with pockets. The shell tank is from a past season, but a very close version in white or black here. Isn’t the gingham kind of fun?

The modern sandal was from Everlane years ago, but an nearly identical (maybe even better version) here at TKEES. I’m thinking of getting the tan too. I love that their sandals come in skin colors of all shades, so pretty.

When fall is here I’ll pair it with my camel color J Crew jacket, black sneakers and my Burberry bag.. If I’m out I’ll add my black fedora . I like the idea of keeping the outfit all tan, black and white. The idea is to take a ‘dressier’ type skirt like this and make it work for daytime with sportier accessories. Why not use it, if it’s a cute skirt instead of letting it gather dust in the off seasons?

The second skirt I bought is pleated black classic skirt. A black long black skirt is a hugely versatile piece for your wardrobe. Ive had a black skirt on my radar for a while and I found this Max Studio pleated version at The Nordstrom Rack. It’s a pull-on with a built in slip. Pleated skirts are very popular now and there’s a Tahari version too.

I will wear it on vacation with my favorite Cinq a Sept silky black tank, Tory Burch black sandals and a black bag. To make it more casual add some chunky sandals and a cotton t-shirt or even a sweatshirt.

When the weather turns chilly, I can pair this with a chunky sweater, a moto jacket, sneakers or some combat boots. I just bought the Zadig & Voltaire sweater for fall on pre-sale here at Bloomies. My sneakers are super comfy and on sale here.

My third skirt is a super soft pull floral skirt. I had to buy this because it felt so good on and I knew I would want to wear it a lot. These pull on bias cut types remind me of the skirts I wore so much as a working gal in the 90’s.. Bias skirts flatter most everyone and though look tight, don’t feel like it at all. This one falls around the calf and for that reason is more casual.

I paired it with a white tank and a white linen blazer (similar here), leather flip-flops and a cross-body (here in natural and in black.) This could work for a sightseeing day of travel in a city or a dinner out. I also love floral skirts with khaki and paired it with an older bomber jacket and the same sneakers. This is a great early fall look!

And just for fun, I added a graphic t-shirt. I love the look of a skirt paired with a fun t-shirt and sneakers. Just as easy as jeans and a t, but a lot more stylish and cute. Similar fun pull-on printed skirts here at Bloomies, and this one at Anthropologie, and this at J Crew.

Considering what to add to the closet and use throughout the year, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of a floral or cute print skirt and a classic black one. I really love the midi and longer lengths now and they look modern!

Here’s a few more standouts in the skirt category to consider..

I absolutely love this Madewell pull on daisy skirt made of upcycled polyester. I’d wear it with slides and a white button up and in fall just as they show with sneakers and a sweater..

I also think this pull on drawstring skirt would be easy and flattering for so many. It’s got one shirt side slit and because of the drawstring, it’s easy to adjust the fit. This is a very versatile and cute print! I love how they show it with the modern sandals.

Similar modern sandals as above- here ,here and with a stripe and with a contrasting sole.

For now, and into fall how sweet is this Madewell button-front tiered skirt? The color and pattern are so pretty.

This pull on leopard skirt from the J Crew factory is an easy go-to! Love it with the denim jacket.

Lastly, this wrap skirt from J. Crew is just adorable. I’d wear this with clogs and a sweater in autumn! I may have worn a similar outfit in third grade..

I hope you enjoyed my dive into skirts. I’d love to hear do you love them or not? Which skirts are your favorite? They are such an easy and feel-good piece to wear more often. Don’t forget about them! I’ll addd more skirts to this post when good ones pop up.

Our Signature Style is a collaborative event please visit Cindy Hattersley and Sarah London and see what fab skirt ideas they are sharing.

Thanks for being here!

Kim

Some links may generate a small commission. Thank you for supporting the blog.

Signature Style-Five Hats to Love

By 18 Comments

Today I’m joining up with my Signature Style compadres Cindy Hattersley and Sarah London for some chat about hats! Summer is here and this is the opportunity to add a hat to two to the repertoire and why not? Hats not only are an excellent way to save your skin, they give you instant style cred and let you stand out in a good way..

You may be one of those people who aren’t hat people. My own mother wasn’t a hat fan. She said she didn’t have a good face for hats. I don’t believe that is possible. The truth was she felt a little shy in them I think. There’s a hat for everyone and you just have to find what feels good on you. If you get used to popping one on as you leave the house, after a while you won’t even give it a second thought. I love having them by the front door- and they make cute decor too.

Hats have always held bit of romance for me. Even as a very young girl I’ve been in love with them. One of the first memories I have of someone with a hat style I wanted to emulate was Jane March in the film, The Lover. It’s a semi-autobiographical story by Marguerite Dumas about a young French expat in 1920’s in Colonial Vietnam. I recently rewatched it and honestly had forgotten how racy it was. (Well the title, no duh.) I just remember obsessing on the style of the young woman and how she wore a man’s hat as her signature at a time when women did not do that.

Jane March left in The Lover and a photo of myself around the same era trying to emulate the Jane March look, but backpacking..I was almost not going to share this, as I’m clearly pretty goofy and nothing like Jane..

Something about wearing a man’s hat is great too. They are often more roomy, made tougher and cost less, so don’t bypass them. Even better, see if you can borrow one from the men in your household, if you are so lucky to have a hat wearer in proximity.

Five Hats For Your Wardrobe

A wool felt hat will last forever and can be worn all year. My all-time favorite hat is a men’s felt hat that was bought in a hardware store in Wengen, Switzerland. I have worn this hat all over the world. A felt hat is great all year long and I wear mine in both summer and winter. Just last night, I wore it on the beach to watch fireworks.. It’s my camping hat and farmer’s market hat and for days I am exposed to more sun than usual or cold. I’ve worn it with a sundress as well as hiking gear. I particularly like it when walking in the woods to keep inadvertent things, (okay bugs) from dropping onto my hair. I keep it in my car most of the time so it’s always available. I think this hat looks cute on my husband too.

This hat by Brixton is a wool like mine, packable and comes in a pretty tan and a black. The tan looks very luxe and the black is chic and versatile..

And Madewell has this cute felt rancher hat ..

During summer I naturally gravitate to straw and woven hats and natural materials and it’s wonderful many more are online and in shops.

My latest is this straw hat I bought with my friends in Soquel. Below, Cindy Hattersley and I did a little hat shopping after lunch with friends Heidi and Mary Ann. I was trying on a Tula Garderner’s Hat from Wisteria Antiques and Garden Shop in Soquel, and Cindy has a lovely one too. Which is why you have to pop on over to her blog after this.

I’ve been wearing this ‘rancher’ hat in Tahoe this summer for biking and on the beach. I just think it’s a staple hat everyone could use. It has a little straighter feel and rises on the sides. Oh and someone called it the Bo Derek hat, so that sealed it for me. Could I just put the hat and magically be Bo?

Similar to my hat above is this Jesse Woven Rancher.

Anthropologie has this Braided Fedora

Also cute..this Lack of Color brand hat.. Love the shape, color and the leather cord. (You need this for biking and windy days.)

And then there is the Sage Hat by California company Wyeth, made with an adjustable interior sweatband so you can customize the fit and a cord. Did you know they are called stampede straps? I kind of love that and somehow it gives me visions of being like Jesse in Toy Story.

I also have worn a unisex Panama Hat by the lovely Montecristi Panama Hat Company in Napa for years. I have had three of these and adore them. If you can get to Napa, it is worth the trip to go to the fun shop and meet the lovely family that runs it. They are wonderful people who will help you fall in love with a hat that suits you. They are a very humble family, but they have big stars and celebs that always make a stop at their shop when in the Napa Valley.

If you can’t get to their shop Cuyana has one hand crafted in Ecuador for a good price.

These hats have gone all over with me, but they aren’t crushable so you need to do carry-on with them – aka wear on the plane!

I also love this man’s hat by Wallaroo and of course great price and so cool. I noticed a few women posted pics of themselves wearing it, so others are doing this too.

Can you just see this for with a sundress and sandals or even a white blazer and a skirt? Very Ralph Lauren to me!

Another great option is a woven Fedora Hat and it’s the other hat I bought this year. My black Banana Republic Fedora has been great and IS crushable. On the way to Hawaii recently it got loose on the TSA and was terribly smashed between two trays! My heart sank when it emerged from the X-ray machine, but came out unscathed. A great little hat! Also comes in a natural and 40% off currently, so about $34!

Lastly, a cool new hat that has come on my radar and intrigued me is a rollable hat from Anthropologie like these Woven Visor Hats. They look like a regular hat on, but are easy to throw on like visor, can accommodate a ballerina bun, as one reviewer said, and as they roll, super transportable. Your head does get some sun, but sometimes you want the air ventilation. I guess it depends on the hair and person. This comes in a black and a soft mauve too. Great idea to have rolled up in your purse and ready to go when you are unexpectedly caught out having lunch or anything in direct sun. I tried one at our local Anthropologie and they feel great and do look quite cute!

There are so many fun and chic hats out there. Don’t be afraid to start trying them and find what you like. They are wonderful for keeping your complexion less spotty here in California where we get so much more sun than we realize every day.

I’d love to hear what your thoughts are on hats. Are you a hat person or not?

Cindy Hattersley and Sarah London , my Signature Style pals both wear hats brilliantly and have so much style.. Please pop over to their blogs and see what their take on hats is. I’m sure you’ll be inspired by these ladies!

Thanks for stopping by!

Kim

P.S. If you haven’t subscribed please do through my link here. Those who were getting the blog through Bloglovin, they seem to have stopped picking up the posts. If you subscribe, you’ll get a post about once a week in your inbox! Thanks so much!

Links on this post may sometimes generate a small commission. Thank you for supporting the blog!

Signature Style- Resort Wear and What to Pack for Hawaii

By 20 Comments

Hello it’s that fun time where I get to join up with the stylish Cindy Hattersley and Sarah London for a Signature Style Post. This month we are talking resort wear.. and just in time as we in the states are finally beginning to safely venture out a bit for summer vacations. As I write this, we just came back from our first holiday in a year and a half with the family in Hawaii. I have a lot to share, but hope you’ll find some of it helpful!

In Hawaii, resort wear is extremely casual, and even in the nicest resorts, I’ve never worn a heeled sandal. The best part about a Hawaiian vacation is the ease. I spend most days in a swimsuit, with air-dried hair, and rarely put on makeup except a little lipgloss and mascara to go to dinner. I find I always pack too much for Hawaii. When I’m there I never want to fuss with jewelry, heels and blowdryers.

Enjoying a mango ice tea on my first day in Hawaii.

To avoid overpacking I remember a little tip from my mother. She would always say buy a few new things before you leave and you won’t mind repeating them on the trip. You should bring things that can do double duty like a dress as a coverup and silky shorts that you can dress up or wear with a tank for daytime. Pack shoes that work for more than one outfit and wear your heavy ones, like sneakers on the plane. I know there are those people flying in long dresses and flip-flops, but they just look dumb when the plane temp goes arctic. I wear layers and strip some off when I land.

Most importantly-you need a swimsuit that fits and feels good on. If you are struggling with this as most of us, read my recent post on bathing suits and body image for some inspiration and good choices. I noticed on this trip, a lot of women choosing the new one-shoulder look and it’s flattering for so many body types. It looks good on the curvy gals as well as those with leaner proportions. J. Crew is hands down my favorite retailer for quality, choice and fit. This is the suit I wore the whole Hawaii trip..

They also have these other pretty one shoulder options. Summersalt also has a popular one that comes in more sizes and color variations.

Another look that is chic and I saw all over Hawaii, is the long sleeve top with a bikini bottom. This is usually a rash guard own top, often with UPF built in. This look is appealing and for someone like me who can find a good bikini bottom, but not a supportive bikini top I like, you can wear comfy sport bra under the rash guard for more support. This look is stylish and is smart as we get so much sun damage on areas like the back and shoulders.

Everything But Water has this cute look in white and black..

There are also choice by Cover, below, in the scalloped top or a bit longer top in regular – also in black and white. They sell the hipster bikini bottoms too. Everything by this great line, including skirts, full suits and leggings have UPF 50 here. Also more on their own website. All Cover items are made in California! I love that. Do you know a recent study showed that 50% of all UVA exposure occurs in the shade, so your the beach umbrella isn’t enough.

I love the look paired with a hat. I just bought this straw hat from Banana and they have a similar one now..

My favorite coverups are always the white ones and I always find new ones while traveling. A few pictures of me in coverups last week.. one with my oldest Jackson.. I think I have too many, but I love them and use them as tops if they are short and dresses if they are longer.

Other white coverups are this cutie by Tommy Bahama. It can also double as an out to dinner dress.

This Melissa Odabash coverup is in many colors and so feminine.

I also really like this gauze offering at Anthropologie in a few colors..

So what else to pack? Well, this year it’s all about the new longer and more feminine shorts! I needed some so bought a few new ones for this vacation. They seem to be a fresh look and I loved the dressy versions out now. I like that packing them meant I could have options for daytime treks and also evenings too. I added three pairs this year to my closet.

Banana Republic has a new look and I found two beautiful made pairs there- this linen blend short in a fresh yellow.. Sorry for the wrinkles on my flat lay, but they are linen, and even the store display shows them like that. If you love linen you have to get past the wrinkles. (People in Europe don’t even iron their linen, just smooth it and flat dry. It’s bad for the fibers to iron and starch.)

The black ruffled top is a new versatile tank I love from Cinq a Sept. It is so popular and such a flattering staple, they carry it year round at Neiman’s. It was a bit of a splurge, but my friend Jeanne wears hers all the time and it’s even lovelier in person with a side stripe of grosgrain. It’s beautifully made, light and doesn’t wrinkle. I also wore it on the plane on the way over. The scalloped sweatshirt is by Frame and my Perry Bombe cross-body bag by Tory Burch I take on all my trips. The ribbon espadrille slides (above) are Tory Burch. Black sandals are a few seasons past, but something similar here.

I also bought these Banana Republic Flyweight shorts (above and below),made of recycled materials. They are travel perfect as they don’t wrinkle, are temperature regulating and have UPF 50! I wore them on a hot day out to do some sightseeing and also dressed them up with the tank at night with some pretty necklaces and sandals. ( love the necklaces from Ippolita)

While in Hawaii this Twin Palms raw edge linen jacket caught my eye at Tommy Bahama. I have needed a light jacket and I wore it with the some my new higher waist shorts and a soft linen tank I’m in love with on the plane ride back. The Leaf Jacquard Scarf was a find at Tommy B’s when I was buying the jacket and it was great for a wrap in the evening as well as warmth on the plane. (Can you tell I hate being cold?) I loved the Hawaiian vibe of the scarf too.

Paige jean shorts and Tory comfy Miller Cloud sandals.

During this trip I discovered Tommy Bahama. It’s not usually on my radar, as we don’t have one near me. They have some very cute summer dresses in linen if you want a resort ready dress. Don’t forget about them as a great vacation resource. We went to their fun restaurant on the Big Island and the shop is right below it.

This darling ruffled linen Tommy Bahama dress comes in 7 colors and is the softest linen. I also loved the look and feel of this linen blend dress in 11 colors which can go off the shoulders or not.

Their Raffia tote can go from the beach to evenings out.

A resort look that was new for me was a pair of fun track pants from Anthro and a strapless top. This is a modern evening look and I will use the pants so much with white t’s etc. ( They also come in a cute tan and navy.) The strapless tube top was a little out of my normal comfort zone, but I thought why not? The top warranted a pant or something longer for evening dinner out to me. They were long for me, but they were cuffed when I bought them and I left them like that. This tube top matched the bees on the pants perfectly. I added longer earrings and a woven clutch I’ve owned forever. The tube top comes in a lot of fun colors and can be a great look under a white blazer.

Not the best pic, but the guys weren’t into waiting for photos on vacation.

Another fun and flattering look on most everyone for the vacation bound is a one shoulder top. I have this Isabelle Marant I wore on this trip and always take it on holidays.

It’s no longer available, but Rails has a darling white version with a puff sleeve I want and the cutest paper bag shorts. I love this look! I think a one shouldered top is made for resort wear- daytime or nights out. A lot of people wonder if you need a strapless bra with these one shoulder tops. So far I’ve just worn a regular bra and tucked the strap for the other in the bra band.. It works.

I wore slides most of the time in Hawaii and packed my favorite leather sneakers for the plane. I just love these trainers from Banana that are light and comfy and sporty cute.

Other sandals that are resort worthy.. Can you tell I love the new modern look of these comfy slides? I couldn’t choose so I just put them all on here.

These Seychelles Puffy Woven Slides in a zillion colors, Seychelles Low Key Slides, Kaanas Patterned Slides, Vince Sueded Buckle Espadrille, Silent D Woven Slide (in black and khaki), Beek Pigeon Slides, The Day Crossover Sandal from Everlane, The Dayna Lugsole Slide Sandal from Madewell, Pacific Leather Thong ( 3 colors) from J.Crew, Frances Valentine Gardenia Sandal, Tory Burch Miller Cloud in Spark, Tory Rope Slides.

I hope there is a vacation or a holiday you are planning in your future. I’ll share some more of my Big Island getaway soon.

Now please stop over to Cindy Hattersley and Sarah London’s wonderful blogs to see what they have for you in resort wear ideas for your vacation plans!

Happy Summer!

Kim

Some links may sometimes generate a small commission. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Copyright © 2023 · Northern California Style· Blog Design by Little Blue Deer