Weekend in Burlington

This past weekend we headed up to Burlington, Vermont to spend a few days enjoying the lake, getting some sunshine and of course partaking in some local Vermont beers. It has become a tradition among the Farina siblings to attend the Vermont Brewer's Festival every year in Burlington. While we missed last year's event, this summer was still our 5th year attending the Brewfest with all us Farina kids. Not too shabby of a track record.

City Floral

Dress : Emily Farina (for similar see bottom of post) / Sunglasses : Karen Walker / Bag : Coach (similar) / Sandals : Sam Edelman (similar) / Lipstick : MAC

I have been in love with ruffles for a long time. Looking back at all the different collections and pieces I designed throughout my college career as a fashion student you can see just how obsessed I was with flounces, layers and feminine ruffles. Another thing I love is a bright, vibrant floral pattern. This dress combines both of those loves into one. I got this fabric years ago on sale and just loved the bright color & print and decided it would be a perfect simple and airy dress.

Please Wear Now: Rocker Florals

It's summer, so we're used to seeing flowers everywhere, so suggesting a floral dress is a pretty ho hum idea. If you're like me, the thought of a floral sundress conjures memories of tea at grandma's and church on sunday (er, considering I'm at Cornell, not everyone can probably relate to that one). Cue the badass accessories. Rather than looking like a garden party attendee, punk up the look with some hardcore add-ons. Black is your floral dress's bff in this situation. Whether it's a vest, mini leather jacket or enormous shades, the darker colors weigh down the sweet factor and create a interesting contrast. Studded belts work wonders with flowers, and are as close as your neighborhood Target (I have two winners purchased here). Top it off with some dark dominatrix heels, black eyeliner and lots of 'tude.


Pictures: Chictopia, GaranceDore.fr

Resort 2010 Inspiration for Transition dressing.

While it seems spring is far, far away, the Resort/Cruise 2010 collections have long come and gone. It is a little early to think about my spring wardrobe, but never to late to get inspiration for the end of the summer! Although the resort collections aren't coming out for another three months, many of the looks can be translated easily to the current changing seasons, and in this economy we could all use some multitasking in our closets.

Taking a few cues from the recent shows, translating a warm weather look into fall is as easy as adding a jacket. Choose a dark color, leather or the currently omnipresent sequins to weigh down florals and bright color. At Philip Lim, a brown motorcycle jacket, and double-wrap belt bring a white skirt away from the golf course, and a graphic tee adds a rougher touch. Matthew Williamson combined light pants with gold sequins, creating a look ready for drinks on the town. White jeans will blend fabulously into fall with sequins, (might I recommend topshop for sequin overload).

Both Richard Chai and Brian Reyes showed dark footwear with their resort collections, which is a perfect way to autumnize light looks. Booties, dominatrix heels and platforms are all great ways to add weight to an outfit, as well as dark accessories, such as the black belt by Richard Chai, and the dark bra-let seen at Brian Reyes.

Images: Philip Lim, Richard Chai, Matthew Williamson and Brian Reyes; courtesy of Style.com