Freud would approve

Outfit:

Floral Tunic - Urban Outfitters

Tights - Forever21

Cardigan - Express

Boots - ModCloth.com

Necklace - Mandee

When I started my blog, my main motivation was to someday, hopefully, turn it into a career. Writing and fashion are two huge influences in my life and the idea that people visit my blog and read my words is inspiring.

So what about other fashion bloggers? Everyone has their own reasons for vogueing in the (sometimes) cold and taking pics of themselves. Career, entrepreneurship, attention, a need for approval... The motivation is different. I started to think about how readers view bloggers, and it made me question:

"Are fashion bloggers narcissists?"

Yes and no. There is a slight narcissistic element in taking photos of yourself because you think you look good, or want to show off your style. And I'm cool with that. Besides, that's not necessarily a bad thing. There's such a thing as healthy narcissism, and having self confidence, which is where I feel many fashion bloggers fall. However, to each is own and the answer varies among bloggers.

I can only speak for myself when I say I don't think I'm the bomb, and I'm certainly not breaking any barriers by wearing floral printed skirts with striped lurex tights. But in my eyes, and the eyes of others around me, I've always been one who was really into fashion and my own view of what's cool and what I'd wear as opposed to someone else has been slightly more adventurous. My view may be bias, but by healthy narcissism standards, I'm getting a rush out of doing something I have confidence in and feel I'm good at. Don't believe me? Blame Freud... Afterall, he did say that narcissism was a phase of development, where people turn their love for themselves toward another object. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_narcissism)

In this case, it's having good bangs and the ability to pair skinny jeans with killer shoes.

So, if that classifies fashion bloggers as people with self confidence, then we're just fashionably dressed, practicing narcissists.

Friday 5

1.

These aren't my shoes, but I love the image. Something about a pair of creepers that makes me think about punk music. Photo via http://enriquezygomaticus.tumblr.com/post/3119409963

2.
Chloe Sevigny Interviews Proenza Schouler in Interview

Photo via www.InterviewMagazine.com

I do not hide my love for Proenza Schouler... and Chloe Sevigny. Someone in the fashion heavens must be looking down on me, or, there's a uber smart person over at Interview who came up with the idea of having Sevigny interview the Proenza men. Journalistic bliss. Read the article here.

3.

Cake, playing NYC on April 19 & 21. This is a no-brainer, people.

4.

Cable Knit Sweaters

Outfit:

All from Forever21 except Wedge Boots, from http://www.myspringshoes.com/

I used to think cable knit cardigans were only for people who were fans of Ben Gay and other ill-smelling products. However, my affliction for the nerdy, yet cozy, sweater started this year when I had no choice but to buckle under the 20 degree weather and buy one. So cable knit sweater, I apologize for my unbiased hatred. I now see the light.

5.

Fierce fashion bloggers

Check out some of the ladies who I think know have blogs with substance and style:

- http://www.gritandglamour.com/ - A big thanks to V for featuring my comment on her "Surviving IFB Con: Tips for Next Season" post

- http://www.livluxmag.com/ - Doni of LivLuxMag.com was my partner in crime during IFB - check out her site!

- http://www.marleysimoneblog.com/ - A fellow New Jersey fashion blogger. Represent!

Family jewels

I wear a lot of rings... at least 6 or sometimes 7 at a time. I double-up some of 'em on one finger, or sometimes save one as the headliner on one hand. My metal of choice is silver or white gold. I tend to wear a lot of black and I think it's easier to match silver with more looks.

I have to thank my grandmother who instilled in me a love for costume jewelry. She was always decked out in jewels regardless of the event. Sunday dinner, shopping at the mall, holidays - didn't matter where she was going, she was always dripping in gemstones and giant cocktail rings. To me, she looked like a queen - royalty. They shined, just like her personality. And I'm guessing as a child, that's what I took from her presence and kept in my memory: Jewelry made you look and feel like a queen.

Some of my favorite rings were bought on vacations, a way to remember the places I've been, things that I've seen. Some were gifts from family, some were just cool finds I came across. Much is spoken about a woman and her jewels... I guess when you look at mine, it says that I'm someone who can appreciate the inordinate, loves to celebrate times in her life by having a piece of memory to wear and has a flair for the kooky.

Old school nameplate ring, circa 1989, gift from my parents for graduating sixth grade; Baby Vamp Ring, circa 2010 @ www.bittersweetsny.com; Plain silver band, flea market find, circa 1991.

Love two-finger ring, bought in England, circa 2010, www.topshop.com; Antique gold and cubic zirconia ring, my mother's, circa 1984; Purple gemstone ring, circa 1997.

Plain silver band, flea market find, circa 1991; Stamped "Harley" ring, circa 2009, TinyTokensDesigns @ Etsy.com, http://www.etsy.com/listing/53099812/ringletsone-hand-stamped-sterling-silver; Mickey Mouse Ring, brought back from Disney by my parents, circa 2004; Black onyx ring, purchased during a trip to Cape May, circa 2007.

At back: Yellow topaz ring, bought in Montclair, NJ, circa 2004; Heart shaped ring, circa 2007 SproutOnline @ Etsy.com http://www.etsy.com/shop/sproutonline?ref=pr_shop; At front: Bow two-finger ring, circa 2010, www.urbanoutfitters.com.

Check out some of my favorite jewelry sites and designers:

http://wendybrandes.com/ - Jewelry that makes a punctual statement! Love her Emotion Heart Ring!

http://www.jewelrywhore.com/

http://www.seeunearthen.com/

http://www.leviticusjewelry.com/shop.html

Every dog has its day

Outfit

Satin animal print top - Macy's

Skinny jeans - Forever 21

Shoes - Forever 21

Leather bag with brass studs - Primark

Geek glasses - www.80sPurple.com

Winter is having an identity crisis. When I snapped these photos, it was around 60 degrees... non-jacket weather. New Jersey has been hit with a crazy amount of snow this year... and just when it started to melt, and the idea of taking photos outside again in comfortable weather was looming, it snowed again today.

I know many fashion bloggers rely on dresses and skirts to pull off fashionable looks (and I'm all for looking girly), I think denim is the bastard child of street-style and fashion blogging. As big as my proclivity towards skirts and dresses is, taking photos in the cold when it's 24 degrees, there's snow on the ground, and my limbs are freezing doesn't always appeal to me.

Skinny jeans make the rounds 4 out of the 7 days a week with me. While it is a staple in pretty much every gal's closet, it's probably the most versatile garment on the block. You get your money's worth out of it, can pair them with pretty much any sweater, top, vest, button-front and is probably the easiest piece to accessorize. Sometimes accessories clash with a busy skirt. With jeans, they enhance not distract.

Denim is the underdog of fashion blogging, so if I can give it a spotlight more often than not, I'm all for it. 

Friday 5

Regardless of any time I post my five Friday favorites, let it be known that any Friday is a favorite of mine... So I guess that makes it six unofficially. Hmph. Oh well, let's stick with five.

1.

Gnome Enterprises Bunnies Tee - Who doesn't love horny, but cute, bunnies?

And talk about super soft t-shirts!? Love this v-neck like whoa.

2.

Photo by Jerad Knutson, courtesy of http://www.ampmagazine.com/

Ah, the band that helped put emo on the map. According to an article in Amp Magazine, Emery will be releasing a new album and touring in March, but is one man down, minus Devin Shelton, half of the singing duo a la Toby Morell. Yet, I have confidence their new album will be stellar.

3. 

Photo via http://www.style.com/

Proenza Schouler's Fall 2011 collection - ESPECIALLY, the look above. Not many things make me gasp out loud... but when I saw these trousers I said, "Holy s#@! Is that chevron stripes and velvet!?" as I watched the livestream last night. If anyone knows what exactly this fabric is, please, fill me in.

4. 

H&M opening their shopping to Internet fashion creepers... at some point.

http://thestir.cafemom.com/beauty_style/116214/h_m_shop_online_in

5.

Glitter In The Air - Photo via www.lippmanncollection.com

Bad Romance - Photo via www.lippmancollection.com

Deborah Lippmann, nail vixen to the stars. Although I'm not a fan of Lady Gaga's music, I can appreciate a gal who knows a snazzy bottle of polish when she sees it. The color she wore during her Grammy performance is called Yellow Brick Road, and will be available in April. Scope it out here.

Being blunt

It's no surprise that I think my bangs are my best attribute. They never separate, they're blunt (just like me) and I'm good at having them. You may be thinking, "Jen, out of everything about yourself, you take pride in your bangs?" In a way, yes. They're a huge part of my personal style, and I have my mom to thank for it.

Me, circa 1985

I departed from having "fringe" when I was around 10, and after years of trying out different styles, I found my way back to bangs about a year ago, and what you see today is probably the best description of me in a style sensibility.

However, my ultimate bang icon is Zooey Deschanel. <le sigh>

But I digress... I'm a huge fan of bangs in the overall realm of hairstyles, so when I saw Doo.Ri's Fall 2011 models sporting a heavy fringe, I was thrilled (not to mention the new collection looks amazing!).

All photos by Style.com

And while Doo.Ri is up there with one of my favorite collections, the designer who tugs at my drawstrings is Betsey Johnson. Ms. Johnson's collections speak to me the most - rocker chick with a super feminine flair. Dark mistress meets Pretty In Pink. She revealed her newest collection on Valentine's Day and it contained three things I absolutely adore - plaids, florals and animal prints! As women, we're expected to be all frilly and fem - which is great. But there's some gals out there who love the darker, tomboyish side to fashion, and I think Betsey strikes the perfect balance between the two.

All photos via Style.com

And Betsey's girl's had bangs, too. Hmm... maybe bangs will take over as the new mullet - business in the front, party in the back.

Inamorata

Although it is a highly commercialized holiday, I have a soft spot for Valentine's Day.
And this little dude....

I also dig the idea of giving someone cheesy gifts to show your love. Plus, it's an excuse to buy another outfit.

And while yes, those activities can be done any day, I think there's something to be said of holding the tradition of spending quality, facetime with your main squeeze - and I'm not referring to the app. With all the social media around us, I'm all about being with the one you love... or lust (depending on your situation).

Here's my three things about VD that don't sting:

1. Free dinner or not having to cook. If you're a lady, score. Dudes get a raw deal with having to pay for dinner. But then again, women burned their bras in liberation... However, on this day, the ladies get to rely on their femininity for a practically guaranteed meal. So yes, I'll have the lobster, please.

2. Buying embarrassing love paraphernalia at Spencer's with your friends and laughing your asses off. When else are you going to have an excuse for buying penis spaghetti...

3. If you're single, go out and use bad pick-up lines on people... and hopefully get away with it. Try that ish on any other day and see what happens.

No pick up lines for me... just a pair of obligatory heart tights (my most recent favorite purchase) to celebrate the day cupid became a commercialized pimp. Play on, playa.

Outfit:

Top - H&M

Belt - recycled throughout the years

Ruffled Skirt - Forever 21

Heart Embroidered Tights - H&M

Oxfords - Forever 21

Jacket - The Gap

Heart locket - Gift from my mother

I came, I saw, I blogged

I died and went to blogger heaven... and everyone was taking pictures of themselves.

As you've probably noticed, everything this week has been leading up to the the IFB Evolving Influence Conference that took place yesterday at Milk Studios in NYC. It all kicked off when the wind ruined my bangs on Wednesday night, but meeting contest winners and bloggers Krista from ProFreshStyle and Nubia from Nubia's Nonsense made up for it. I also met Jennine, founder of IFB and The Coveted, who is without a doubt one of the most bubbly, friendly and just all around down-to-earth ladies in the blogging business.

As part of winning the contest, I won a camera and the chance to participate in a produced video, which meant I interviewed fellow bloggers in uncomfortable shoes throughout the day on their thoughts on the future of fashion blogging. Plus, fellow contest winner, and my new favorite person from Michigan, Doni from LivLuxMag was my partner in crime.

Heavy stuff, right?

Among the many stylish bloggers I chatted with, and the panels, here'a a couple of highlights:
1. Boston loves blogging!

During the panels, I scoured the room for potential interviewees for my assignment. I happened to bump into Amy of StylishYear.com (at far right), who donned an adorable skirt from H&M... I knew I'd get a long with her immediately after sharing that my ensemble was also from the same store. She introduced me to Mara Does Makeup (ww.beso.com) and Nina of TheStyleGlossary.com (pictured at left).

2. Bloggers ain't playin' with their footwear. The Jeffrey Campbells were out in full effect... and I'm not complaining. The wedge was also a favorite.

3. The panels were amazing! There is an abunance of info that I didn't know was so accessable... and obtainable! Plus, I was somewhat surprised that the blogging community are a bunch of cool, down-to-earth women (assumingly) who are uber friendly and (obviously) blatently fashionable or epic fail clothing donners.

4. London has beautiful grassy landscapes... North Jersey has farms with dirty sheep.

Here's some other gems from the day:



Jennine and I from IFB & The Coveted



Proenze Schouler, the keynote speakers

Sarah of Effortless Cool (http://www.effortlesscool.wordpress.com/)



My Outfit

\

Striped Tunic - H&M

Faux leather vest - Mandee

Ponte leggings - Forever21

Patent leather wedge boots - Modcloth.com

Oh, and check out some of the blogs I'm diggin' from the pleathora of cards I exchanged:

- Fashables Thanx Ryan for the blog love! And read about his IFB experience here

- http://fromme-toyou.tumblr.com/

- Tastesandstyle.blogspot.com

Luck be a lady

I can't believe I won a ticket! I am beyond thrilled and excited to be attending the IFB Evolving Influence Conference... to meeting so many other bloggers, to learning how to take my obsession with fashion to the next level, and to hear panels from some of the most esteemed bloggers in the fashion realm such as Keiko Lynn and Gala Darling!

But now comes the hard part - what am I going to wear!?!??

The weather in NYC currently is windy, and just last night, I saw snow flurries. I feel like I can't dress the way I'd like to when I go into New York - due to the fact that if you wear shoes that look good, your feet probably won't feel good after all the walking. I'm avoiding this Thursday and getting a cab.

But for the outfit... I'm at a crossroads between a beige and black striped tunic dress recently aquired from H&M, with black leggings, patent leather boots and a blazer.... Or go the black ruffled skirt route with black and red heart tights and some type of striped top.... Or a dress I got from Miss Selfridge in the UK during December. Who am I kidding? Stripes and probably black will be involved in some capacity.

If anyone is going, please let me know! I'd love to meet you, shake hands and say hello!

Dress - Forever 21

Woven leggings - Mandee

Shoes - Nine West

Blazer - Mandee

Be prepared!

At a certain point during the colder months, I get tired of buying winter clothes. I have a tendency to dislike much of what I've purchased from the year before, which results in purging a lot of my older clothes and replacing them with new lovies to don this year. But it's February, and I'm over the snow, sleet and miserable weather that's been hitting NJ.

Many of my most recent purchases have been shoes - platforms, flats and mary janes, oh my! My main stem wear inspiration comes from Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony.

I've always been a fan of her style, and in her collection, I think the Platform Mary Jane really make sense because they go with pretty much everything... and they are just all around uber amazing. Need, and want, these shoes!

Photo via OpeningCeremony.com

The outfit possibilities are limitless with these platforms!

Currently, two pairs of shoes, both from Forever21 are sitting in my closet, and are on deck for Spring! The leather mary janes have an ultra lightweight heel, and the floral slingbacks add a splash of color and go well with black and denim.

Plus, I'll be reviving my patent leather peep toe platform wedges from last season...

With my new shoes waiting to be worn, I'll just have to come up with some winter ways to sport these beauties... Spring - get here soon!

IFB Pick Me!

I had been planning on attending the Independent Fashion Blogger's Evolving Influence Conference.... until the tickets sold out. Immediately, a wave of disappointment washed over me as the thought of missing Proenza Schouler's key note speech and not being in the mix at a gaggle of panels with fellow bloggers and fashion lovers.

Now, IFB is giving reader's the chance to make a video and possibly, win a ticket! Here's my video - hope you (yes, you, IFB) like it!