Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle. – Page 185 – As told by Jessica Steele. Based in NYC.

June 26, 2014March 7, 2015

wedding (re)wear

The Steele Maiden: How to re-wear wedding guest attire

A bridal shower, bachelorette party, 2 rehearsal dinners and 3 wedding laters and I’ve officially made it through the season of nuptials this year. But now the question remains.. what to do with all of those dresses? While even the most stylish may not be able to find a way to re-wear those bridesmaids dresses – there are plenty that I’ve sported as a guest that deserve more than a couple of hours on the dance floor. This particular number (last seen all dolled up here) was a contender for my sister’s rehearsal dinner, but now that the event has passed it’s just been lingering in my closet. So I decided to defiantly take it to the streets. By buttoning up my denim jacket, the dress can practically pass for a bright and playful pencil skirt – and paired with more casual cognac leather accessories and vintage inspired stud earrings the whole thing felt more coffee break than cutting the cake.

AE Denim Jacket – similar via Gap // Lulu Frost Earrings – similar budget friendly option via Sole Society // Darling Dress c/o // Vintage Bag // Kenneth Cole Sandals from Marshalls – similar via Forever 21

June 25, 2014March 7, 2015

left bank

The Steele Maiden: pleated midi skirt and statement necklace

Among a sea of crop tops and kimonos this Summer (which don’t get me wrong.. I love as much as the next girl), there’s something to be said about taking a less trend-centric approach to seasonal style. This black pleated midi skirt and striped t-shirt have been seen around the blog before – and paired with mostly minimal accessories (save for one statement making piece) they’ve got a certain Parisian air of ‘I’m not going to try very hard but I’m still going to look chic’ that I always find myself aspiring to. I especially like these neutral color-blocked sandals that sort of pull everything together and balance out this over the top necklace I picked up at the Lulu Frost sample sale last week. A top knot and natural make-up finished things off without any fuss. Lulu Frost Necklace – now on sale via Gilt plus a steal option via Bauble Bar // Forever 21 Striped T-shirt // Ruche Midi Skirt – similar via Boohoo // Sole Society Bag c/o // Restricted Heels c/o // Armour Lip Gloss in Nina c/o

June 24, 2014March 7, 2015

chambray summer

The Steele Maiden: Chambray dress and Asos sandals

You all know my ~~unhealthy~~ well-documented obsession with my chambray shirt by this point (last seen here plus 6 ways to wear it here), but now that it’s really getting warmer (and officially Summer – woohoo!) I decided to try a different version. This dress has been in my closet for awhile now, and it’s the perfect throw on and go answer to looking polished but still feeling comfortable. And since I spent the past 3 days on a bachelorette party/bridesmaid-duty/out of town wedding whirlwind, an easy take on my security blanket of a chambray shirt was seriously all I could muster. Anyone else still in the trenches of wedding season? I’ve made it out alive – after 3 weddings in 6 weeks – and am really looking forward to just taking it easy for the rest of the Summer!

Sunglass Warehouse Aviators c/o // Tulle Dress – very similar via Ruche // J.Crew Factory Belt // Ever & Mi Crush clutch c/o // Timex Watch c/o // Loren Hope Cuff c/o // Asos Sandals c/o

June 20, 2014March 7, 2015

spotted: summer style

The Steele Maiden: Summer style with printed Topshop midi skirt

Ever since I took the turban plunge (and New York hit 90 degrees), I’ve been craving this sort of Dolce & Gabbana meets Lana Del Ray sort of Summer style. There’s a kind of womanly sultriness that comes with the confidence of wearing little more than a white blouse and your hair tied up in a scarf – one that feels somehow way cooler than the girlish tank dresses I probably used to run around in. The thing I love most about this sort of look is that its at once both totally comfortable while also being a little bit over the top impractical (think walkable stacked heel sandals paired with standout statement earrings in the middle of the afternoon). La Dolce Vita by way of the East Village.

Topshop Midi Skirt // ASOS Headscarf // Ruche Top // Bauble Bar Earrings (20% off with code SAVE20) // J.Crew Factory Clutch (30% off with code BIGSALE) // ASOS Sandals

June 18, 2014March 7, 2015

citron splash

Yesterday was officially the hottest day of 2014 – like mandatory after dinner ice cream truck runs kinda hot. You know the city has really heated up when everyone is wearing some version of the same exact outfit. It usually goes something like: lighter than air top, as short as work-appropriate allows shorts, and sandals. My spin on the look involved this new drop waist top in bright citron from French Connection (on major sale right now!) that conveniently happens to have a split back so I can catch a bit of a breeze on my walks to and from work. Now about installing some A/C in my apartment..

Lulu Frost Necklace (at sample sale prices through 6/22!) // French Connection Top c/o (extra 50% off sale price with code S14FIFTY) // Zara Clutch // Urban Outfitters Shorts – // Asos Sandals – similar from Forever 21