Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle. – Page 173 – As told by Jessica Steele. Based in NYC.

September 16, 2014March 7, 2015

playing in plaid

The Steele Maiden: Paige Denim Plaid Shirt and French Connection Cutout Heels

After the madness of Fashion Week (this and this turned out to be my favorite looks), this past weekend was all about taking it slowww. On Sunday, Adam and I spent most of the day outside in that perfect early Fall weather and ended up sitting on these steps in Central Park which overlook the boathouse and lake, people watching and laughing until the sun went down. And while I was for once, happy to trade pretty skirts for my most relaxed denim and this favorite flannel plaid, and statement necklaces for just a tiny stack of dainty chains – true to form I couldn’t resist wearing these strappy cutout suede heels. Because Fashion Week may be over, it is after all still New York.

Paige Denim Flannel Shirt c/o – similar via Nordstrom // Lulu Frost CODE Moon Necklace – similar steal option // 9th and Elm ‘A’ Necklace c/o // Loren Hope Cuff c/o // Gap Jeans // Miche Bag c/o // French Connection Heels

September 15, 2014March 7, 2015

collegiate style

The Steele Maiden: Fall layers in Asos denim mini skirt and Restricted lace up booties

Every time the seasons start to shift towards Fall, I find myself wanting to channel Ali McGraw circa Love Story (if you don’t know the reference, the 70s era movie is available on Netflix and the girl knows how to rock a turtleneck around campus). The air had that true crispness to it this weekend and I immediately stowed away my sandals and pulled my sweaters out of their storage spaces. This denim mini was a favorite throughout the Summer but its easily making the transition into cooler temperatures with a few layers on top. And I mean, you all know I love a good pair of knee socks. I paired them with these perfect tan suede booties from Restricted – that just feel like ‘back to school’ in the best possible way. Fitting, since on Sunday we roamed around one of my favorite streets in the city – this private alley home to NYU offices and housing. I may not be enrolling in any classes, but I don’t mind looking the part.

Floppy Hat – old, similar via Urban Outfitters // Sweater – old, similar via Old Navy // J.Crew Gingham Shirt // Loren Hope Cuff c/o // Sole Society Bag c/o // ASOS skirt c/o // Restricted Booties c/o // Essie Polish in Stylenomics

September 12, 2014March 7, 2015

nyfw spring/summer 2015 trends

I promised you all a NYFW trend recap yesterday, but I figured I’d wait to let all the runway shows close out so I could be sure I didn’t miss any major trends (Marc Jacobs closed and he’s been known to throw some curveballs). All in all I’d call the Spring/Summer 2015 shows presented over the past week inventive yet wearable. And I think that’s about as good as Fashion gets, right? I love to see a new silhouette and color combination, but I also love to see things that I will be able to translate into my real life wardrobe. Below, some of the top trends I spotted plus a few ideas on how to snag the look for Fall (because hey, why not be ahead of the game?). There’s something so exciting about living in New York, working in Fashion and attending NYFW – partially because those are things I’ve always wanted to do, but also because it’s such a surge of creativity and energy. While it was an undeniably busy week, I was thrilled to be a small part of it and share it with you all.

all images via Style.Com

Not so basic Black and White (as seen at Derek Lam, DVF, and Public School):

The New Color-Blocking (as seen at Karen Walker, Derek Lam and Proenza Schouler):

Playing it Cool (as seen at Derek Lam, Jason Wu and Peter Som):

Feminine Ease (as seen at Creatures of Comfort, Rebecca Minkoff, and Mara Hoffman):

September 10, 2014March 7, 2015

nyfw day 6

And that’s a wrap on New York Fashion Week! If you followed along (and if so, thank you), then you may have noticed that Day 5 got away from me. In between running uptown to Lincoln Center (wide leg pants, more crop tops, and a gold lame trench coat of my dreams came down the runway at Georgine) and working a full day, I missed taking pictures. But 5 out of 6 isn’t bad right? Day 6 was a pretty quiet one as I wrapped up with a few quick meetings and, more importanly, took these floral heels for their first spin. On cobblestone in the Meatpacking District no less. I’ve mentioned it before but I’m really loving florals for Fall, and doing it as a small touch matched with a mix of bold jewel tones like this may just be my favorite way to wear them. I’ll be recapping the Spring trends I spotted on the Runways and more of my thoughts on my first full Fashion Week experience tomorrow so be sure to check back.

Sunglass Warehouse Sunglasses c/o // F21 Top // Asos Skirt // Sole Society Bag c/o // Kendra Scott Bracelet c/o // Asos Heels

September 8, 2014March 7, 2015

nyfw day 4

The Steele Maiden: NYFW black and white minimal Sole Society heels

Yesterday was a calm one as far as my Fashion Week schedule was concerned, and I took the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful New York weather, catch up with blogger babe Kat of Love & Ace, and wander into a quick emerging designer group presentation in Chelsea (spoiler alert: vests are going to be a staple wardrobe piece come Spring). While my look usually has a pop of color or a hint of print – I like to go streamlined once in awhile and since this slightly 90s look is still going strong for Fall I thought I’d try a minimal vibe for the day. To keep basic black from feeling boring I mixed textures like this leather top, matte sunglasses, metallic earrings, and snakeskin heels (maybe one of the coolest pairs I own). A messy ponytail and cross body bag made for a no fuss Sunday (Fashion Week) Funday.

Sunglass Warehouse Sunglasses c/o // Urban Outfitters Top – similar via Nordstrom // Lulu Frost Earrings – borrowed – steal version via Baublebar // Urban Outfitters Shorts – similar // Rebecca Minkoff Bag via Nordstrom Rack // Sole Society Heels – on major sale!