TREND ALERT: BRING OUT THE TROPICAL PRINTS

Buenos Dias Squeezers! The happiest of Sundays to you all! The Buccios are cruise bound on Celebrity Cruises with the familia and we are SO excited for family time, piña coladas, and explorations on land and sea. Honestly, I'm just really excited to read the three books I downloaded on my kindle (I'll share those with you soon) because I'm jonesing for a good literary distraction. 

I didn't want to leave on our trip without posting the next of our trend forecast series: Tropical Prints! It goes without saying that the first sign of spring and summer starts at the first sight of tropical prints for us fashionistas! I don't know about you, but I get super excited the moment I see a palm print or some hibiscus print staring at me from the rack. It means spring and summer are a-comin! 

This dress is extra special because it was an unexpected gift from my friend, Becky, from South Carolina. She actually wore this dress to our friend, Maureen's, rehearsal dinner, and it looked fabulous on her and I wanted it so badly! Little did I know, it would be mine a few months later. 

The dress is from ASOS and I love the material. It is a little neoprene, and a little stretch in all the right places. I love the way it gathers at the front and it becomes this one shoulder stunner with just the right amount of peek-a-boo skin showing at the midriff. I can't forget to mention the full skirt that just comes to life because of those bold green palm leaves all over the dress. They just pop! 

This is what I love about tropical prints because they instantly change your mood. They're the happy pills of fashion. Ha! Whether in a dress, a handbag, or a top, bring out the prints! Another way to sport your love of tropical print/palm print? Swimwear! There are LOTS of great options for both one pieces and two pieces. Whether it's Target or Ralph Lauren, you can find some gorgeous tropical print suits at every price point. I know that if you look through my bathing suit drawer, you'll find at least five suits with a vibrant and colorful tropical print on them! I just can't get enough. 

As I type of this post, I'm currently wearing tropical print pants with an off the shoulder white top (you'll see it on my stories today), and you better believe there are more tropical prints in my suitcase that I'll be wearing on the cruise. I have everything from a tropical print blouse to my favorite banana leaf pants ready to go! What I love about these prints is that you can mix and match with so many pieces. Don't feel like they're one time use pieces- that's a misconception. Pair them with solid tee, floral prints, even stripes. If you're feeling daring, go head to toe in tropical print. Yes, this is a thing! 

Next up- accessories! Don't be afraid to accessorize. It's a great way (and an easy way) to express yourself and to show a little more of your personality. Lately I've been into sunglasses, like these exaggerated white shades from Zero UV. They're over the top and I love that. I also added a straw fedora- a staple for the season. I brought out my pineapple bag, which I know you guys loved, and added a fab pair of Chiffino nude platform wedges to complete the look. Here's a bonus about this dress (or tropical prints in general)- you can wear it with some cute sandals, wedges, or heels. Your options are limitless! 

I teamed up with my gal, Lauren (@laurelcreative), and we headed to the MiMo district, an architecturally iconic neighborhood in Miami, to snap this dress in it's natural element! The architecture is so unique, that any spot could have been the perfect backdrop. We chose a few of the motels along Biscayne Blvd because they just went so well with the dress! Wouldn't you agree? 

What's your favorite way to wear tropical print? 

In Style, 

Kat 

Miami Style Map: White After Labor day and Celebrating 'Citiversaries'

Squeezers! Are you happy to see me?! 

I'm back with my first fashion post after baby! And we're still talking maternity style, though this dress is perfect whether you're pregnant or not! When Miami based, Venezuelan- American designer, Lisu Vega (a fellow momma-to-be as well), reached out in hopes of collaborating, I was excited (www.lisuvega.com). Her designs are unique, contemporary, and what I like to call, 'achievable avant-garde.' When she delivered this white shift dress to my apartment, I was in love. I'm a big fan of shift dresses and this one was stunning- from the textured fabric to the peek-a-boo details on the sleeves. It was literally a blank canvas and open to so much styling potential! 

This dress was a departure from my usual urban-bohemian wardrobe and I'm always up for a style challenge and for tapping into new looks that still speak to me, especially when it comes to white. My go-to color has always been black, so to get to add some white in my closet is a sweet perk! Plus, I don't follow that 'no white after labor day' rule. Hello, I live in Miami! Even if I didn't, though, white is a color for all seasons. In New York, I used to take my white maxi dresses and lace dresses from season to season with the help of tights, booties, and leather jackets. There is no need for them to be stored away until that first summer breeze. White injects freshness and vibrancy to a look, no matter the weather du jour! 

This Lisu Vega dress was simply glorious to wear while pregnant! It took 'maternity chic' to a whole new level. Besides winning some extra points in the comfort department, I love that it's effortless and it stands out. I kept everything else- from the hair to the accessories- simple, because I wanted the the dress to be the focal point. In addition, photographing the dress in the iconic aqua and white New Yorker Hotel in MiMo (www.hotelnewyorker.com) with Chris from the Ra-Haus team (www.ra-haus.com), really made it pop in this real-life postcard setting. I love how the modern aqua hues of the building blend so ceremoniously with the outfit. That's the thing with MiMo's architecture and pastel-hues- you don't mean them to be storytelling elements in your fashion story, but they definitely become part of the conversation! 

I styled my hair in a sleek low ponytail and added a vivid shade of bright coral on my lips to compliment the dress. The rose-gold platform wedges only emphasized the prominent 'streamlined contemporary' style of the look, and the coral envelope clutch was a bonus pop of color. How fantastic is this clear plastic snake-like statement necklace from H&M?! It's definitely an out-of-the-box piece! 

It's appropriate that the backdrop of our shoot is at the Hotel New Yorker, since I want to chat a little about openly celebrating my two-year Miami 'citiversary.' I hesitated to make mention of my two years back in the MIA, because it didn't compare to the level of excitement and pride I used to experience when I would post about my NY 'citiversaries' for almost 13 years. September 3rd quietly marked the second anniversary of being back in Miami, a move that came with lots of resistance and tears on my end (I thought marrying a born and bred NYer would keep me happily grounded in the city). Instead of shying away from acknowledging these two life-enhancing years, I've decided to be proud of them (maybe not with the same level of excitement), because two years in the Magic City have been defined by a momentous amount of growth and resilience as an individual, wife, and mother. It has come with a new set of wonderful opportunities and life goals (for myself and my family). It has made our family unit stronger and happier and most importantly, it has allowed us to cultivate new and old friendships alike. We never expected to come across such a unifying support system in Miami, and our hearts have been full of gratitude for those special people who welcomed us with open arms. 

I'm a big believer in the 'everything happens for a reason' philosophy- and our 'refueling pit stop' in Miami, as we like to call it, has slowly been revealing itself. Rediscovering and reconnecting with my hometown, and getting to share so many childhood memories with Maya, Rocco, and Coco, without losing our core happiness has been cathartic and refreshing. We've learned to love the city in a whole new way, through a different set of eyes, maturity, and appreciation. Will New York ever leave my mind and my heart? Never. Will we ever move back? Possibly. That city is a big part of who I was and who I became.  As my best friend (also a Miami transplant living in the city) says, 'I was born and raised in Miami, but I was made in NY.'  

But Miami, despite its highs and lows and absurdly hot weather, has been good to us; a life's refresher that was more needed than wanted. New York will always be my home and my family's home too; but, so will Miami. We've taken advantage of what she has to offer and we've found a new kind of happiness and ease that has allowed us to enjoy each other in another capacity. For me, it has been further proof that no matter the unexpected, I will work hard to find the beauty and the positive and use it to push myself to another level of success and perseverance. And for that, I thank you and love you, Miami. 

So for whatever time we decide to stay in this tropical paradise (enjoying its beautiful beaches and vibrant neighborhoods) before jetting off to our next adventure, we are excited and hopeful of what life in Miami has in store for the Buccios!  

On Me: 

Dress- Lisu Vega

Necklace- H&M

Shoes- Steve Madden

Clutch- Love Shopping Miami

Sunnies- Forever 21 

In Style, 

Kat 

Miami Style Map: This Sh#$%t is BANANAS!

I'm literally going bananas over this banana print matchy set from Pixie Market. Not only because I love bananas (duh), but it's such a great conversation piece. I actually ended up wearing this during Mercedes Benz Swim Week over the weekend and got tons of compliments and a few snapshots from photographers on the scene. Plain and simple, this outfit is FUN, meant to wear with a big happy grin and an 'I don't care, look at me' attitude! 

I wanted to photograph this look at one of my favorite landmarks- The Hotel New Yorker in Miami's MiMo district. Not because I frequent motels along this strip, but because it's such an iconic property and one that I remember so vividly when I used to live nearby as a young teen (before this area got cool). And really because anything that makes any reference to the city I consider home is my Achilles heel. 

I love the architecture you find in many of the buildings in the MiMo district, not to mention the hidden shopping gems and delicious restaurants that are popping up in this jewel of a neighborhood. 'MiMo' is short for 'Miami Modern' and characterized by a style of architecture that is native to Miami and birthed during the 1950s and 1960s. It spans from 50th street to 77th street along Biscayne Boulevard and is considered historic. It's mid-century, fun, and retro all in one and a drive down busy BiBo (Biscayne Boulevard, yo), will you have you feeling like you're in a time machine to vintage Florida. 

That's why I love the idea of this bright and fun outfit against the white and aqua details of the New Yorker. Watch me whip my hair back and forth and attempt some daredevil jumps that took a lot of energy and sweat on my part. (Disclaimer: No photographer, ahem Elizabeth, was hurt during the course of this photo shoot).

I paired the set with my Steve Madden leopard slip-ons and they just add to the playfulness of the whole look! Why keep the shoes serious when you could just keep having fun?!

I know I am! 

On Me: 

Banana set- Pixie Market
Slip-ons- Steve Madden 

In Style, 

Kat