TREND ALERT: PASTEL PERFECTION

Good Evening squeezers! I hope you had an eventful, restful, and awesome weekend! I spent mine doing some writing, getting ready for a segment tomorrow, and spending time with my kiddos and husband (which means schlepping from birthday parties and playdates and some unwinding with wine in between). 

It's been a little bit since I've shared a trend alert so I thought it was about time I put one out there in the blogoverse! This go around, we're going to be talking...PASTELS! 

There are so many ways to wear pastels. Pastels aren't colors you just bring out during Easter in the form of a Sunday's best dress. There are plenty of options- from classic suits, co-ord sets, tops, even heels! The best part is you can mix and match with so much! 

I found this pastel lilac vintage tee at Topshop and I thought it was an easy way to try out the pastel trend without going overboard. The print was felt very retro and I was thinking of other ways to wear it other than with denim. I had recently gotten this Alice & Olivia ruffled skirt and thought, "hmm, wouldn't that be a fun pairing?" The skirt is high-waisted and the t-shirt was slightly cropped so for me, it worked out perfectly because it wasn't a full-on crop. 

Next came the accessorizing and I had so much fun doing that! I added a small leopard bag and these great jeweled platform wedges from Zara that dress up any outfit. Of course, can't forget my glasses, which my friends still hate and it only makes me love them even more!

I've gone on to wear my pastel top with high-waisted jean shorts, mom jeans, and even sweatpants (gasp!) I have plans to wear them this week with a pair of white culottes I just picked up at Ann Taylor. I'm looking forward to that look!

Oh! I almost forgot the earrings! I also picked these up at Topshop on sale and I can't stop wearing them! They are so festive and fun and such a vibrant pop of color now for the summer. You'll be seeing a lot more of these babies =)

There was no better place to photograph this outfit than in Wynwood. Don't you think it captures it's funkiness perfectly?! 

How do you wear your pastels! I really want to know! Make sure to DM me or tag me so I can see your style. 

In Style, 

Kat Buccio 

TREND ALERT: FLOWER BOMB

April showers brings May flowers, isn't that right?! And what a a significant way to kick off the first day of May than with a bright floral number that is sure to make you feel peppy, free, and light on your feet! 

This brings me to our next spring trend alert- florals, florals, and more florals. Yes, we see them every season and they're back again for spring. The thing with florals is that you can expect them to be brighter and bolder for spring and summer, and a little moodier in fall and winter. 

One of my favorite color combinations is orange and pink. It's also aqua and red, and here we are with those four colors in one amazing spring dress from Zara and it's a true flower bomb explosion! 

Now here comes the fun part- accessorizing! With a floral canvas like this, we just needed to find the greenery. We found it in the least expected of locations- Wynwood! Have you seen these palm leaves? They're gorgeous and massive and I just want to wrap myself in a palm leaf burrito! I'm obsessed with these stunning red fringe earrings  from TopShop, which are actually now on sale! They really bring out the red hues in the dress. 

Next up, shoes! I've been living in these gold wedge sandals from Zara for the past month and I have no plans to stop. Metallic goes with just about anything, and I love how easy they coordinate with everything from dresses to shorts. Part foam, part espadrille- they're funky, cool, and extremely versatile. 

I've been having a lot of fun lately with my sunglasses! I always have my go-to signature Ray-Bans close by, but I've been switching it up and playing with these different styles, colors, and up to the minute trends. I wanted some new red shades and loved these cat eyes ones I found on Amazon.  They're such a statement piece and easily wow! 

I threw on my de facto straw bag for spring/summer and voila! My floral look is complete and I'm ready to show it off to the world, or on my blog at least! Big shout out to Danielle, who saw this aqua stool lying around and incorporated into our shoot as a prop. Amazing how the simplest of tools can bring a photo and all it's vivid colors to life! 

Have you stocked up on your spring/summer florals? How do you wear yours? As usual, I want to know! DM me! 

In Style, 

Kathy

NY Style Map: I'm In A New York State of Mind

It gets me excited to post and share my NYC adventures with you because it gives me a chance to relive wonderful memories and an amazing NYFW trip. You can always find me in a 'New York State of Mind,' because quite frankly, it's in my blood. If you guys remember, this trip marked my first 'momcation' since the birth of Rocco- away from both kids for the first time. I'll admit, the night before my flight, I had the worst anticipatory anxiety -as expected. The morning of, I cried through getting dressed, brushing my teeth, kissing the kids a gazillion time, and feeling miserable for leaving them. Once I got into my Uber, I cried some more. I'm sure my driver had a few 'wtf' moments as he heard me whimpering into my cellphone with I can only imagine was a very unattractive 'ugly cry' face at five in the morning. 

But once we landed, and I breathed that probably toxic, but invigorating city air, I came alive. I was back in my happy place and as Coco reminded me, "Enjoy your time alone. Enjoy the city, enjoy work, go hang out with our friends, and forget having to feed anyone in the middle of the night." Well put, husband. And that's exactly what I did. Jumping right into work, felt unbelievably good. It constantly reignites a passion of what I love to do. It's a big part of who I am that I constantly have to nurture. It makes me a better woman, a better wife, and a better mom when I take care of myself and those other parts that make me who I am. From red carpets to New York Fashion Week, I got to cover a little bit of everything. Interviewing Tina Fey and hitting the backstage dressing area with designer, Nicole Miller, I got a taste of red carpet celebrity from every angle. 

The best part was having zero agenda. I made no plans ahead of time to see anyone or hang out with anyone. I was going on this trip without any commitments. Everything was done on the fly. And I loved it! I had too much wine with my best friends, ate so much I couldn't move, and walked through every neighborhood I love until I couldn't feel my feet anymore. I tried restaurants I've had on my list forever, watched TV shows I hadn't seen in weeks, and even checked out the new Whitney Museum in the Meatpacking District. Oh, and sleep. I almost forgot what a full eight hours felt like. I had so much time to myself, I was almost overwhelmed with the possibilities of what to do! It was five glorious days of hanging out with myself. I like to think I was in good company =).

I had some time to kill in between shoots so I met up with my Miami-NY transplant shutterbug, Carmen Rodriguez (www.carmenishere.tumblr.com), to snap some some city looks for the blog. We found ourselves in the West Village, without any shortage of vibrant backdrops or interesting cityscapes. I love a good neighborhood shoot- pre-war buildings, conversational stoops, and busy street corners are so quintessential New York. And winter. Freezing winters are very NY as well, but I welcome the change of temperature. Thanks to my mom's vintage furs (as seen here), I rarely complain about the weather anymore. 

I am loving the bright and bold print on this Topshop Shirt Dress. Can you spot the kitties scattered on my frock?! Combined with the eye-popping white florals and the shades of blue, green and black, its a definitely a more fun and upbeat alternative. The youthful colors and playful print instantly caught my eye at the store. It's one of the things I love about shopping at Topshop- though trendy, their pieces offer classic and modern European undertones and cater to different styles. 

The only thing left to do- accessorize! 

I found this great tan colored belt in my friend, Bonita's, closet. It's such a simple and easy way to add some character to a look. I wanted to wear a more athleisure shoe with the dress- add some sporty elements into the mix, and I love these from Steve Madden. The only downside- after ten hours of wearing these slip-ons, I had two massive blisters by the end of the night. The things we do to look good! 

And like I mentioned earlier, my winter wardrobe isn't complete with one of my stylish momma's furs! I always have a fashionable piece of her with me and it just makes me adoringly happy! 

New York- you will always be home and I'm thankful for the opportunity to get away and recharge not only my career batteries, but also my momma batteries! I was ready to come back to Miami and hug my husband and kiddos after five days away. Though the trip was a much needed disconnect, in only served to help in making me bigger and better in every area of my life and New York always seems to be the perfect prescription.

 See you on the next one.

On Me: 

Dress- Topshop 

Shoes- Steve Madden 

Sunnies- Forever 21

Fur- Vintage 

Belt- (borrowed)

In Style, 

Kat

Miami Style Map: Altuzarra Gets The Vintage Treatment

Cool as a cat and feeling very 70's je ne sais quoi in this rich navy and ivory Altuzarra for Target blouse. I'm always impressed with Target's collaborations and this one was no exception. The Parisian-born Altuzarra, and winner of the CFDA/vogue award back in 2011, is known for his modern sophistication but also his chic femininity. There is always something I love from each of these designer collabs and I'm usually successful at snagging at least one piece to add to my wardrobe. Long gone are the days of staying up at all hours just to feed into the machine (yeah, I'm talking to you Limsanity). Granted, I was lucky enough to attend the Altuzarra preview during Fashion Week so I didn't necessarily have to sleep outside Target or barter with anyone in the fitting room. There was plenty of designer love to go around. 

I love the vintage feel of this snapshot captured by the team at Ra-Haus Fotografie. And I love how this photo looks like it was taken at some Hollywood-money Palm Springs backyard. The washed out yellow tint and slightly out of focus filter in the rest of the images adds an interesting storyline to this modernized look. 

I love the combination of navy and grey and I played off the high-contrast prints of the blouse to compliment the muted shades and the print of the pants. I wanted the look to remain clean and simple so I opted for these white patent loafers from Zara. I can't tell you how much I love white shoes but dirt phobia kept me at bay from ever having the courage to buy a pair. Until I saw these and thought, "F#$%k it!" I'll be as careful as possible to keep them pristine. So far so good. 

This is such an easy and comfortable outfit but it still manages to make a statement. I love the cat eye shape of the glasses and it just fits with the mood of the outfit. 

Now, where can I get a pool like this?! I'm a perfect addition to the mid-century backdrop. It was just meant to be. 

On Me:

Blouse- Altuzarra for Target

Pants- TopShop 

Loafers- Zara 

Sunglasses- Pixie Market 

Earrings- Steve Madden 

In Style, 

Kat