November is here and Thanksgiving is the next holiday on the radar, but a few roommate friends had a HallowAutoVember (Halloween-Autumn-November) party on Friday as a belated Halloween and also just an excuse to have a party (not that they need one). Costumes were optional, but thankfully almost everyone who attended went for it. Running off of a fascination with the movie Spring Breakers, two friends and I opted to go that route. They were the spring breakers, and I was James Franco's character, Alien. You know, the redneck, but also wannabe ghetto rapper from St. Petersburg, Florida. I brought along my SLR and the pictures were too good not to share some of them.

I think this play on a sort of school girl look is so fun, and keeps it light for fall. The sweater is pretty slouchy and has a removable jeweled collar, and the skirt is perforated leather. The shapes are all classic, but the details make this outfit unique and unexpected. This goes well with heels, boots and flats, but I thought that these extra tall heels would give the skirt that extra swing while walking. The sweater collar does a lot in terms of accessorizing already, so two big neutral rings set in gold are all this outfit needs to be complete. Once it gets a little cooler, brown, plum or maroon tights will also work well with this outfit!
-E

I found this black maxi dress at Uniqlo last fall for some ridiculously low price like $20 or something, and was so happy that my maxi dress wearing days weren't limited to warm weather. On fall and more mild winter days, this dress is so easy to throw on and layer, and it stays comfortable all day. For this fall, I wanted to keep the summer memories alive with the denim vest, but with no jacket I can still stay warm with one of my favorite accessories, a thick, knit infinity scarf from Gap, doubled up to create lots of volume (and warmth) at the neck. I always find it a little difficult to choose shoes with maxis that aren't flowy around the ankles, and this one doesn't quite hit the floor, which can make for an awkward situation south of the shin. I decided not to mess with bulky boots and instead finish off the outfit with low tops that bring a fun and sporty vibe to an otherwise classic outfit. Boho-ish jewelry completes the look to give the casual clothing a touch of dressy.

On cooler days, it's nice to be able to "bundle up" fall style, but leave the coat at home. A sweater with jeans and boots are the perfect combination for this temperature. Instead of your typical choices, though, it's fun to mix up the color combos. I love this color blocked sweater I found on sale at Madewell. I think it was supposed to be a summer sweater, but it's actually a pretty heavy knit, and with white skinnies and knee-high riding boots, the look is light but will keep me warm. I love winter whites, but summer and winter shouldn't get all the fun. White jeans are striking in every season, and "rules" no longer apply. This outfit is simple yet each item is bold, so I keep the accessories refined with a little leaf necklace and a ring for each hand, all in a muted gold. This is a simple, easy casual look that's still polished and feminine. It's perfect for strolling around on those ideal fall weekends. 

I saw these pants and instantly wanted to buy them, but I was already buying a cotton fit-and-flare dress in the same pattern, so I held off. I went home in June to find these on sale for $10 (!!!!!) and snatched them up. They are so obnoxious and great, they beg to be worn with bright colors, but black obviously goes just as well. I first wore these on the plane home from that same trip with a simple black racerback tank, denim vest and plain black sandals. I next wore them with a red-orange tank and black sandals later in the summer. 

I was loving that color contrast, so for fall I'm switching to a closed-toe option in my beloved kicks, which I think are so striking against the neutral colors in the loud pattern. Because the shoes are so....neon, all I need to finish off this outfit is a black top, but peplum to keep things interesting and a little dressy. In keeping with the dressy on top, sporty on the bottom theme, I'll throw on some bold black and gold accessories to make sure and maintain some femininity. 
-E

It's pretty obvious that I love outfit making. It's something that I think about almost always, and I'm easily inspired by so many things I see on a daily basis online and in NYC. There's just not enough time for all the outfit possibilities! 

Right now, I don't get to show many people my "creations" because I'm not out and about so much, so I'm putting some of them here. I don't have a photo-savvy boyfriend or artistic photographer friend at my beck and call either, so for now, outfits artfully folded on my bed will have to do. Love you, West Elm bedspread.

Anyway, this is the first installment of "it's fall, but not that cold yet." Fall, for me, is a lot about reworking my summer staples. I don't want to rush winter clothes quite yet (they'll be necessary for quite a while and I'll certainly get tired of them), plus it's not that cold in October, so certain summer leftovers are still possible. For this outfit, I'm daring to go denim on denim. I don't ever want to put away my cutoffs. It took me about three years to track down ones I actually liked, and they've gotten their fair share of wear this summer. I'm squeezing out every day I can because I know I won't be seeing them until around May (tear). It's not quite warm enough for a breezy top and sandals, though, so I tuck in my chambray shirt (and maybe roll up the sleeves) and high tops for a very downtown feel that's just a little Canadian tuxedo. I don't usually like to keep things too casual, though, so a stack of thin bangles, a statement necklace and a polished boyfriend watch contrast the casual in the clothing.
-E

I like to think of my approach to style as non-traditional and a little ironic. Whenever I buy a new item of clothing, I usually try to find ways to wear it for day or night and in any season so that my most of my wardrobe is fair game at any given time. That's one of the main things that attracted me to this Forever 21 dress. It's just a black tank dress with sequin detail, and the first thing I thought when I saw it was that it would be a great not-too-dressy LBD to have on nights where I need to look nice in the time it takes to just throw something on. What made me even more excited to buy it, though, was the fact that the simple silhouette made it easy to layer and make more casual for an interesting daytime look. One of my favorite ways to style an outfit in an unexpected way is to take a sequin item of clothing (which are almost always considered "dressy" or for going out) and dress it down so that I can wear it casually without looking too "nighttime." 

For this outfit, I tied a military-style button down over the dress and paired it with gray tights and brown booties. The gray offsets the black to make it a little more casual while still staying warm in the fall, and the booties are some of my favorites if I want a little heel without looking too dressy. If I wanted to easily dress this up, a black blazer or nice cardigan, black tights and heels or boots does the trick!

Outfit: Forever 21 dress (similar silhouette here, similar look here), Zara shirt, Joe Fresh tights (only available in store), H&M booties (similar here), 
Accessories: Madewell bracelet, Dakota watch, Forever 21 ring (similar here), BCBG ring
-E

Cutouts are a major trend right now, and one of the most accessible ways I've found to wear them are on tops (or dresses) with cutout shoulders. I love this top because it's an interesting update to the plain old t-shirt, and it is edgy but still simple enough to work with a variety of different outfits.

I often use my accessories, makeup and/or nail color to bring added interest and color into an outfit. This is one of my favorite belts because it adds an unexpected pop of serious color to even the dullest of ensembles, as does my bright blue nail polish (one of my go-to shades for summer).  

Outfit: Forever 21 top (similar here), Wilster skirt (similar here), Target shoes
Accessories: Clear sunglasses , Forever 21 belt (similar here), Forever 21 bracelets (similar here), Madewell bracelet
Beauty: H&M nail polish in U Must Have This-S

*All photos by Susan Saltzman

I've been excited to see colored denim popping up everywhere lately, because it's a trend that is easy to follow and can add some immediate interest to your wardrobe. Having the option of substituting something fresher into my usual blue jean rotation gives the illusion that I took an extra second to think about my outfit. 

I love color play in an outfit, so I chose to pair the jeans with a patterned top that doesn't have green in it, but complements the denim nicely. If the contrasting colors go together, a perfect match is not a necessity. I've worn this top before with regular blue jeans, but I like to change up my outfits, so adding a color was the perfect update for one of my go-tos.

Outfit: Gap jacket, h.i.p. top, Blank NYC jeans, Forever 21 shoes
Accessories: H&M ring, Timex watch (similar here), Forever 21 bracelets (similar here), Forever 21 necklace, J.Crew necklace
-E