Another day in New York City and though I am here to find fashion for a friend and client.. I can’t help but splurge on a few things myself! Enter, shopping in Soho, where finding treasures becomes addicting and spending becomes the norm.

The weather has been amazingly warm and has made walking the streets oh-so-pleasant – but today it turned cold and blistery. It was the perfect chance to wear my Quiksilver Women’s Vagabond jeans and pair them with lace up boots, a denim shirt and tweed blazer. Since it is New York.. I added a little more drama with a workman’s hat, printed neck scarf and fingerless gloves.

A few more places to hit up, and then jetting back to sunny California…

So.. I am in New York City! As a personal stylist, I get to take some of the women I dress to the shopping capital of the world and gallivant around the city in search of statement pieces and must-haves for the new season. Not something I complain about – I love this city.

Based on the client, I tailor the trip toward her needs and wants and we hit up every possible place – from Soho to the East Village to Brooklyn – we do it all. Making the most of our time is essential, so taking a red eye flight was the best way to get from the City of Angels to the Big Apple.

The key to a red eye flight? Looking fab.. but feeling comfortable. For me, this meant wearing my Quiksilver Women’s Day Tripper dress layered over comfy leggings and paired with slip on oxfords, a knit beanie and glasses (since I am a contacts girl.. and those suckers dry out on an airplane).

Now on to shops galore..

Accessories show off your unique style similar to the­­­­ clothing you have piled in your closets.  So here’s an idea…why not display them in an equally unique way?  Showcase your beautiful accessories by decorating your living space in statement pieces.  Take some old frames, paint them all the same color, and hang them up on a wall in either your bathroom or bedroom.  Then grab some small hooks to hang the jewelry up inside the framing!  Your favorite pieces just became your favorite artwork…now enjoy your beautiful creation.­­­

A part of what I do when I am styling my clients is to help them look outside themselves and the little world that they live in, and spot inspiration in different forms that will help them define their own iconic style. We can’t develop and grow without getting outside our comfort zone and current reality, and a great place to look is the movies. Movies allow a character to prance around for a few hours wearing great costumes from a different era, a different world or a different closet.

So with this in mind if you have a bit of the rock-n-roller in your blood, you must look to the movie “The Runaways” for a dive into the 70’s rebel vibe. You soon may be cutting your tresses into a cool flyaway fancy, tying on a scarf at the neck, mixing in western-gets-punk, or adopting a tomboy devil-may-care attitude.

Get outside yourself and dress it up, and the Quiksilver Women’s Spring Collection has a ton to offer for this look.

Check it out and see what you can do to make a difference. (Shopping counts too… 3% of sales from Quiksilver graphic tees and tanks goes directly toward the completion of the wells.)

Shop the Looks: Sound Check Shirt, Daytripper Dress, Wonderwall Tank

Browsing around one of our favorite local fashionista/Indie hotspots, The Lab in Costa Mesa, CA, we were able to snap a few paparazzi style photos of our favorite Oxford looks; we especially love the all grey patent leather style. 

Which look suits your style best??

Having wrapped up the Quiksilver Women’s Launch at Bloomingdale’s, I felt it would be fun to share with everyone who wasn’t able to attend the event, the in’s and out’s of the Personal Style Guide! So here is a peek inside, which should get you excited to start dressing up your spring looks.

Signature style is what sets apart that one woman in the room and makes her impossible to ignore.  She is not just wearing the latest fashion, but is wearing something that is “so her”.  She has a defined, unique sense of style that transcends time and trends.  She is inspired by art, music and travel, and she pulls it all together with a laid-back, beach-born attitude.  She is an “it girl”; an icon-in-the-making.

The Quiksilver Women’s brand celebrates that spirit of creative, sexy and effortless style. Here we explore three signature styles that make the Quiksilver Woman.

Are you a Coastal Wanderer, the Downtown Rocker or the Pretty-Tough M.O.D?

Coastal Wanderer

Coastal Wanderer style is about carefree exploration, mix-n-match, beautiful imperfections, beach-in-your-blood and the perfect mix of earthy and luxurious.

Downtown Rocker

Downtown Rocker style is all about D.I.Y. and devil-may-care: skinny stripes, over-sized tanks, studded jeans, wearing your favorite threadbare tee, stealing your boyfriend’s shirt, piling on the accessories and throwing on some black boots.

M.O.D. (Model off Duty)

Models off duty just have that certain innate sense of style..it is all about nonchalant chic, equal parts independent cool and feminine pretty, effortless and sexy with a tough creative edge.

Featuring: Harbor Lane Dress

Don’t forget tomorrow is the Femme De Le Closet exclusive opening ceremony.  Stop in to check out our very own Kristi McKnight’s artwork.  Her paintings will be on display at The Closet in Costa Mesa, CA from February 25-March 14th.  10% of the proceeds goes to the Quiksilver Foundation benefiting Haiti.  Here’s some of Kristi’s older paintings just a little sneak peak for what’s in store for you!

Inside the artistic mind of Kristi McKnight!

“I’ve been making art since I could pick up a crayon! Now, being an artist doesn’t mean having a paintbrush in my hand 24/7…  Working at Quiksilver these last few years has honed my desire to be creative in every aspect of my life. Painting is one of my favorite things to do amongst many, and I hope to inspire and influence others through my work.”

The Spring Personal Style Guide

Sprinkles! Need I say more..

Anna wearing the Knockout Denim, Songstress Tank and the Dover Street Cardigan

Me wearing the Vagabond Boyfriend Jeans

The New Wave Collection is launched and it looks fabulous sitting among the racks at Bloomingdale’s! I had the pleasure of being the stylist-on-site and was able to meet many Quiksilver Women who love the direction the brand has taken.

The Personal Style Guide was a huge hit as girls were given the chance to take home their own little book of ways dress up three signature styles: the Coastal Wanderer, the Downtown Rocker and the M.O.D (Model off Duty).

Sprinkles Cupcakes provided the Quiksilver goodies, a DJ kept me dancing all day long and women walked away with the spring collection to add to their closets. All in all a perfect day spent in Bloomingdale’s!

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