CapableCashmere

Cashmere Cardigan: J.Crew; Dress: Forever 21; Sandals: Steve Madden; Photos: Kristine Constantino www.linkedin.com/in/kristineconstantino

Who says you can't wear cashmere in the summer? SUCKERS. That's who, and what do they know anyway? Reminiscent of those Sucker MC's that Run D.M.C. is always referencing, they hop into a Cadillac with a chauffeur and never come back. If we are getting technical about it, cashmere is an autumnal/winterish fabric, but that's not the point. Why quarantine certain articles of clothing only to have them emerge for specific seasons? Nobody ever liked being trapped in the closet, just ask R.Kelly. Especially if you live anywhere in c-a-l-i-f-o-r-n-i-a.

Looking pretentious doesn't necessarily mean acting the part, defy stereotypes!

I understand that my "wearing," of cashmere looks very similar to simply tying it around my neck and perhaps strutting around like my name is on a building or a yacht somewhere in the north east. #jk #gotyou I am all west coast baby (thanks Lana!) Due to the progressiveness of my geographical region I wear my cashmere in the summer, while instagramming and sipping rose. I also channel 90s grunge, allblackattacks, high top converse and wide brimmed hats. Be young, be dope be proud.

**stairway to heaven in my 911**

With that I conclude that cashmere is indeed a very capable fabric, and most reading this post are capable individuals so please, do not restrict your fabrics to Roman calendar seasons. I know, I know, the sun once never set on the Roman empire and therefore eager humans look to them as all knowing. My advice on this one: just don't, leave the Romans out of it. #GetYourCashmereCreepOn

Stripes not fights

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Necklace: J.Crew

Tank: Forever 21 (Jessica Harvey's closet: www.linkedin.com/pub/jessica-harvey/22/58b/bb9;

Belt: J.Crew;

Pants: Mossimo;

Topsiders: Sperry

All photos by my good friend and colleague, Kristine Constantino: www.linkedin.com/in/kristineconstantino

Let's get one thing straight: stripes for as long as I can remember have represented one thing in life I have simultaneously respected and disdained; uniforms.  Going to a private high school a polo paired with a striped skirt was part of the everyday uniform, to boot with tube socks; I hated that thing. Every time I wore those stripes I swear without fail I would get into some sort of altercation. Be it with my parents, the dean at my high school, or some poor unsuspecting teacher that was just trying to do their job. Soon enough I was associating stripes with a recusant connotation. In fact, just yesterday I fell off a bike (badly might I add) while wearing stripes. Cool, everyone cares, anyways..

*disclaimer: Hi all! I deeply apologize for all of my actions as a teenager. Thank you for not killing me*

Anyway, back to me. As someone who prides herself on having fierce individuality while constantly and consistently doing her own thing I found the whole uniform thing entirely constricting, tauten, even suffocating. I wanted to do my own thing and this institution was hell bent on all of us looking the same, the antithesis of my beliefs, no thanks.

At the same time stripes have been the moniker of a sport I have followed ever since my Dad took me to my first Giant's game when I was 10 (PacBell Park just opened and it was shiny & new!): baseball. Uniforms make sense in that entity; sports, teams, representing unity or that you are only as strong as your weakest player, something along those lines? I would also like to point out that many athletes fall victim to rage while in stripes, much like the teenage Kelly. Just something to think about.. Nonetheless outside of those 9+ innings I had maja issues gettin' behind the whole uniform thing.

Clearly times have changed. I realized that stripes also represented a pretty rad country (I deeply apologize for the imperialism/nationalistic attitude I am about to express, but really I'm not all that apologetic): AMERRRICCAAA. The very definition of freedom. Other than that, Louie Vuitton, Prada, Moschino, WunderKind, and Balenciaga totally capitalized on stripes in the Spring of 2011 and my life has not been the same since *embellishing for dramatic effect* Thus my love affair with stripes began, and if yours hasn't already -- it should. XOXO

DVF ---> HYFR

DVF, three letters, one acronym, with a meaning of epic proportions. For those less familiar you are probably reading this post thinking, DVF, WTF? Let's begin at the beginning (what a concept!) with a small European country that has blessed the world with it's existence in a multitude of ways. I have always been a fan of Belgium and all the pleasures it has brought me in life: Chimay, Brussels, just to name a few. However,  Belgium born fashion icon/designer Diane Von Furstenberg is at the top of the list.  DVF's most notable accomplishment would hands down be the invention of: The Wrap Dress. The wrap dress elicits much of it's grandeur from being flattering on any female figure. Since the weather is starting to smile at us more each day, a DVF dress-icle is a must have essential for a summertime sans sadness (sorry Lana!)

Aviators: Forever 21, Dress: Diane Von Furstenberg, Sandals: Steve Madden

All photos taken by my good friend and colleague: Kristine Constantino: www.linkedin.com/in/kristineconstantino

““I never knew what I wanted to do, but I always knew the woman I wanted to be.””

— Diane Von Furstenberg

Perfect dress for the girl always on the go (or run!)

Shake it! Because if you're not movin' and groovin' you're boozin' and losin'..

Guide to being a girl rule #256: Do not forget to look back at it!