5 Must-Have Fall Jackets

November 4, 2019

If there’s one item of clothing one needs for the fall season, it’s a jacket. They come in all shapes and sizes, and since jackets/coats are somewhat of an obsession in my closet, I’m sharing five unique but trendy must-have fall jackets in today’s post. Ranging from floral to plaid to minimal style and even cozy, fuzzy ones, they’re here to stay! Continue reading to see which jackets I picked to keep you warm and stylish for the rest of the fall season.

FLORAL VELVET

This single-breasted long velvet coat with green floral pattern is a dream. When I first discovered this coat, it immediately reminded me of Monet. Literally looks like one of his paintings. And how can one resist velvet during the colder season?! Random fact: My all-time favorite material when it came to my figure skating dresses back in the day was velvet!

CHECKERED PLUM

A traditional checked print and a wide turn-down shawl collar makes this the perfect statement coat this season. I love the cut and color of this coat, especially the plum accents and tie-waist style which make it a very flattering jacket. It would look great in Aspen or in downtown NYC - so you know this coat is versatile!

FUZZY WUZZY WUZ A SHEARLING

What’s not to love about shearling? The material is fuzzy, soft and warm. All the good feels for fall. I love the fact that this piece of outerwear is not at all bulky and perfect for layering. This white shearling jacket works well with a fitted blazer or vest. A great casual but chic layering piece.

OVERSIZED AND CAMEL

Two staple features in my closet, and when combined, packs a strong statement. It doesn’t take much to be fashionable, as minimal chic as one coat can get, this is definitely one of my favorites for fall. This oversized camel coat works well with pretty much anything and I can definitely confirm this coat will be worn often for the remainder of the season.

FLANNEL CAMPFIRE STORIES

In honor of the tales told around the campfire under the great southern sky, the Campfire Stories Jacket with Topstitched Detail is truly effortless. This long jacket features an eye-catching notched collar, practical patch pockets, alluring side splits, and is fully lined. I wore this during NYFW and got many compliments on it. It is lightweight yet with beautiful details.

Which jacket was your favorite? Please leave your comments/thoughts in the comment section at the end of this post! Wishing you a great rest of your week, everyone! :)

LOVE & XX’S,

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NYFW AW19 Outfits

February 13, 2019

Wrapping up on Day 6 of New York Fashion Week this season, I’m starting off with a week of outfits! I wanted to share a range of my personal style for you guys! Staying true to my maximalist rebellious tendencies, I played print on print, bold vibrant color and different era contrasts, for example: The 40s with a modern vibe. And lots of different fabrics, such as sequin, tweed, velvet, cashmere and more. So stop for a few - take a peek and let me know what what your favorite look from the past week! Stay tuned for more fashion week content, my regular roundup of the shows I attended and this year I’ll be sharing a beauty trend report from what I saw backstage! Keep your eyes peeled, it’s all going down in the next couple of days before I head off to London Fashion Week! xx

WEARING: FLORAL PRINT DRESS | HOUNDSTOOTH JACKET | WESTERN BOOTS | TRI-COLOR BAG | MARBLE HOOP EARRINGS

LOVE & XX’S,

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Houndstooth & Charles Bukowski

October 16, 2017

WEARING: VINTAGE MACKINTOSH OVERSIZED HOUNDSTOOTH JACKET |
FOREVER 21 OVERSIZED CUTOUT SHIRT | LEVI'S 711 ALTERED SKINNY JEANS |
EGO NASH BACKLESS ANKLE BOOTS | CHARLES BUKOWSKI WOMEN

I WAS SENTIMENTAL ABOUT MANY THINGS: A WOMAN'S SHOES UNDER THE BED; ONE HAIRPIN LEFT BEHIND ON THE DRESSER; THE WAY THEY SAID, "I'M GOING TO PEE. . ."; HAIR RIBBONS, WALKING DOWN THE BOULEVARD WITH THEM AT 1:30 IN THE AFTERNOON, JUST TWO PEOPLE WALKING TOGETHER; THE LONG NIGHTS OF DRINKING AND SMOKING, TALKING; THE ARGUMENTS; THINKING OF SUICIDE; EATING TOGETHER AND FEELING GOOD; THE JOKES; THE LAUGHTER OUT OF NOWHERE; FEELING MIRACLES IN THE AIR; BEING IN A PARKED CAR TOGETHER; COMPARING PAST LOVERS AT 3AM; BEING TOLD YOU SNORE, HEARING HER SNORE; MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS, SONS, CATS, DOGS; SOMETIMES DEATH AND SOMETIMES DIVORCE, BUT ALWAYS CARRYING ON, ALWAYS SEEING IT THROUGH; READING A NEWSPAPER ALONE IN A SANDWICH JOINT AND FEELING NAUSEA BECAUSE SHE'S NOW MARRIED TO A DENTIST WITH AN I.Q. OF 95; RACETRACKS, PARKS, PARK PICNICS; EVEN JAILS; HER DULL FRIENDS, YOUR DULL FRIENDS; YOUR DRINKING, HER DANCING; YOUR FLIRTING, HER FLIRTING; HER PILLS, YOUR FUCKING ON THE SIDE, AND HER DOING THE SAME; SLEEPING TOGETHER. . . .

One of the many passages from writer Charles Bukowski's novel, Women, I always found comfort in his writing. His style flairs in the rawest form of honesty, something that most writers today do not have. The older I become the more I realize how important it is to pull away from the idea of what perfection is supposed to be - straight to its core in every aspect. Bukowski wasn't exactly the nicest of people; a total misogynist, narcissist and straight up alcoholic. Many disliked him, but many like myself saw him as an influence not just in the realm of writing. So in today's post I'm sharing with you five things I've learned from one of my favorite American writers.

HONESTY

Writers have so many things they can’t write about: family, spouses, exes, children, jobs, bosses, colleagues, friends. That’s why they make stuff up. Fiction is their best friend. But Bukowski didn’t let himself get hampered by that so we see real brutal honesty, a real anthropological survey of being down and out for 60+ years without anything being held back. No other writer before or since has done that. For a particular example, see his novel, Women which detailed every sexual nuance of every woman who dared to sleep with him after he achieved some success. Most of these women were horrified after the book came out. It's actually one of my favorite books written by Bukowski and the beginning excerpt of this post is from Women. Sure he talks badly about most of the experiences he has had with women, but what I really love about it is the cold hard dose of reality that comes with any relationship: disappointment, pain, heartache... love... and the way he is so candor about some of the more intimate parts of life. Think about it, would you find it easy or rather difficult talking about your personal relationships through the written word?

DISCIPLINE

Imagine coming home from an awful day at work and arguing with a woman/man that was living with you, finishing off a six-pack of beer and then... writing. He did it every day. Most people want to write that novel, or finish that painting, or start that business, but have zero discipline to actually sit down and do it. I'm actually amazed he had any sort of discipline at all. With that kind of work ethic, it just goes to show that if you truly love what you're doing, it will supersede the rest. (Even through the potent powers of alcohol!) In order to be a writer, you must really love to write and you must write every single day. Easy to say, but so tough to do. I, myself, also write every day, but I'm not going to lie, there are some pretty bad days where I just want to throw my typewriter out the window. But you keep at it, because it's all you know, it's all you have and without the written word, you feel like you could die. That's how Bukowski felt too.

SHAMELESSNESS

Bukowski didn't give a rat's ass what people thought about him. And I praise him for that. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder and am always second-guessing myself. I sometimes wish I could throw caution to the wind and really have that mentality of 'no f*cks given' at all times. But when feeling extra down, my insecurities tend to get the best of me. Learning the art of not caring what people think takes time and experience, I think. But I've always admired those who really didn't worry about the opinions of others - because it's not as easy as it looks. It can be cleverly hidden in so many different ways.

POETRY

Bukowski was quite the poet. And it's all non-fiction, which to me, is the best part. It's not the puzzle-kind of poetry where you have to intellectually decode it to understand it. His work was straight to the point. Poetry was something that let writers to master making each word in a sentence effective and powerful. It was this training that allowed them to destroy the competition when they sat down to write their longer pieces. That's how I also got started in writing. In fact, the first two pieces I ever had published were actually poems I wrote as a young teenager. It was only after these publications that I really started to consider becoming a writer.

PERSISTENCE

The man wrote his first novel at age 49. And it took him over 25 years to become a successful writer. Everyone (mostly everyone) nowadays wants instant gratification. Less and less are understanding what it takes to become one of the greats. I find that when most figure out how long or how much dedication/work will be required to reach whatever goal you may have, most tend to give up before even reaching that halfway mark. And Bukowski was far from perfect and yet still managed to become what he wanted to become. So if he could stay persistent despite all the misfortunes and misgivings life can bring, he still kept plugging away and never gave up. And to me, that's what makes the heart of any champion...

LOVE & XX'S,

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Super Size Me

March 26, 2017

WEARING: NARCISS IZA COAT | VIPME KNITTING TOP |
VAGABOND HONEY JAKARTA DENIM PANTS | MAD-STYLE ROCK N ROLL CROSSBODY BAG | 
MAUMERO HANNAH ANKLE BOOTS | MAD-STYLE CLARITY HINGE BRACELET

HAIR DONE BY: JILLIAN LEDONNE AT MARIE-LOU & D SALON

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY VIPME, MAD-STYLE & DREAMS ON AIR NYC.

Hi, guys! Happy Sunday! Hope you're all having a great weekend. Sorry for I've been missing in action since Wednesday. With events, meetings and my birthday being on Friday, it's been rather hectic. I'm happy to report I had such a great birthday! I'm not big on celebrating, but I had a great 'Italian-filled' day, which included a brand-spanking new Gucci belt (can't stop wearing it HA HA HA) and a lovely dinner at Cipriani downtown. My favorites at this restaurant include their AMAZING bellinis, cucumber salad, and gnocchi. But for my birthday I had lobster armoricaine, which was out of this world! So delicious... now I really want to cook lobster at home, but I fear I may be like Julie from Julie & Julia, who panics while killing the poor little creatures... ! I think I may have to conquer this fear in the kitchen... lol!

I also wanted to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday! All the texts, phone calls, and messages through social media made my day. It's so good to hear from you and from all parts of the world. Sending you nothing but my love & positive energy, you're all so wonderful! I hope to see each and every one of you soon.

In today's post, I'm showing you how to style an oversized coat for the Spring season. This NARCISS coat is perfect for Spring weather when you want to ditch your winter coat for something more light and airy. I wore this cute VIPme knitting black top to not only stay warm (the last few days have been pretty temperamental in terms of temps) but also to not overwhelm the statement piece, which in this look is the NARCISS coat. To also balance out the rock n roll vibe of this insanely gorgeous linen coat (with leather appliqué), I accessorized it with a cool pair of Maumero ankle boots and this rocker chic crossbody bag from Mad-Style. What makes this bag unique is the guitar strap that reminded me of my father (it's his birthday today and would have been 63), as he was a true artist and played the guitar most of his life. In all honesty, I think I get my rock n roll 'edge' from him. My mother was also a rockstar, but I really inherited my dad's soul. The guitar strap will definitely be trending in the next coming seasons, as it should! It's so sturdy as a crossbody strap and will certainly bring an edge to any outfit.

Also from Mad-Style is the minimal and chic clarity hinge bracelet. I love simple jewelry and this piece is definitely my style. Simple tip when wearing an oversized coat: Don't supersize everything on top of the coat. You'll look like you're swimming in your garments! Keep the bottom half more tailored. In this case, I wore my new favorite boyfriend jeans (also styled here) from the Vagabond Honey boutique. I have a couple of discount codes you guys can use! First one is for VIPme, you can use my code, 'Suzanne542' to get $5 OFF your purchase of any order over $50! And the second one is for Mad-Style.com, use my code, 'maqandsuz' to get 20% OFF your purchase. Enjoy, my loves! Alright, I'm off to do some major spring cleaning (the apartment looks like a warzone) and more shopping & shooting this Sunday! Catch ya again soon. :)