The Back to School Backpack

Simple

Left - Mum & Co, Top Right - Julie Brown, Bottom Right - Kimchi Blue

Statement

Left - Mum & Co, Right - American Apparel 

It's that time of the year again - the either dreaded or eagerly awaited start of the school year. Here are some of the backpacks I'm loving for back to school season.

Post by Naima Drecker-Waxman

24 Hours in Sonoma

Summer is finally winding down... Students are headed back to college, hipsters are heading to Burning Man, and I'm getting in my last opportunities to bask in the sun. Last weekend my friend invited me to stay with her in Sonoma. For once I actually packed perfectly (thanks Naima), but packing well for a short weekend around the pool basically meant lounging in my swimsuit all day. So, this video is less about the clothes than the scenery.

Tallulah: Swimsuit - Zara

Hope you are enjoying your last moments of summer wherever that may be!

Post by Tallulah Axinn

The Abbey: Move-In Dinner

 

It's that time of the year - the yard is full of first years and their equally confused and excited parents, the good old "what did you do this summer?" conversation (read: competition) is happening at every chance run-in, and you're mentally preparing yourself for a semester of HUDS by forcing your parents to take you out to that one last really good dinner. And if you're in my situation and that last dinner is in Cambridge instead of at home, I have the place for you.

The Abbey is located on mass ave and is just a short walk from the quad. Despite being a bit of a hike compared to the classic Russ House, the Abbey is worth it for the cozy setting, huge windows (providing the perfect natural lighting for your insta), and, of course, delicious food. The hike can also be an advantage during move-in when reservations have your favorite locations in the square booked up.

The theme is new american with a menu boasting your classics all done up (think: you're not ordering just french fries and ketchup, you're ordering truffle fries with roasted garlic mayo). Pro tip for vegetarians: order the menu tapas style and pick out your favorite apps and sides with friends. My personal favorite was the wild mushroom pate on grilled ciabatta. 

Of course if your last really good meal with the parental unit was at home, the Abbey makes an equally wonderful spot to catch up with friends. Or, alternatively. the perfect place to take your potential love interest of the new school year if you're looking to impress them with your excellent taste in locales. 

Post and Photos by Naima Drecker-Waxman

The Socially Acceptable Version of Sweats & a Sweatshirt

Getting dressed in the morning is one of my favorite things. I love spending time trying on different outfits and choosing different accessories, but sometimes nothing feels right and I just feel like staying in my pajamas. As someone who is adamantly against leaving the house in sweatpants, I never actually let myself just stay in my pajamas. This is where The Socially Acceptable Version of Sweats & a Sweatshirt comes in very handy. 

Joggers aka Sweats

Joggers: Zara, Shirt: LF, Jacket: Dreamers, Shoes: Dr Martens

Joggers are basically more tailored, aesthetically pleasing sweatpants, allowing you the comfort without the outward appearance of laziness.

Wrap/Sweater/Shawl/Blanket with Sleeves aka Sweatshirt

Yes I still look like a fool but at least I feel nice.

This is my second version of this type of jacket and I couldn't recommend it enough. This is literally the coziest jacket I've ever warn; you feel so nice without looking like a slob. Bonus points: wrap it completely around yourself for the full blanket/burrito effect. It may seem silly, but I have actually gotten a ton of compliments wearing it this way. 

Hopefully this will help you find your own ways to disguise sweats and sweatshirts into more fashionably acceptable outfits...

Post by Tallulah Axinn

Not So Sports Luxe

Shirt - American Apparel, Skirt - Topshop, Shoes - Adidas, Earrings - Gift

No longer outlandish and confusing, sports luxe has hit hard with continued popularity over the seasons and its own trend spinoffs like health goth. (wait I'm sorry - is health goth a lifestyle?). I'm not fully on the sports luxe bandwagon but I am inspired by it. That inspiration got me to my just short of sports luxe look (but, unfortunately, not to the gym).

The sports? A pair of white adidas that have been my favorite summer shoe. The not-so? Instead of pairing these sneaks with an elevated sports look (think mesh inserts and $500 track pants) I went for a scalloped skirt and gray tank. The feel is still sports luxe to me, though not in the most typical sense, because a nice skirt elevates a sportier tank and sneakers look. 

I wore this look for a day of research and lunch trip to hi-rise on mass ave. 10 out of 10 would recommend the faro an feta salad. 

Not pictured: the ridiculous number of caramels I followed up my lunch with (because hello I had a salad! I'm healthy!). 

Post by Naima Drecker-Waxman.

Photos by Priyanka Narayan.

How to Style Difficult Clothing Items

Do you ever find clothes that you loooove, but just can't figure out how to wear? My latest purchase, a high slit dress? a shirt with a long tail in the front and back? feels too long to be a shirt, but definitely too short to be a dress (although I have been known to mistake obvious shirts for dresses). I'm going to style this item for three different occasions that will hopefully inspire you to see different ways to style tricky items in your closet.

Look 1: Casual

Dress/Shirt: Topshop, Joggers: Zara, Shoes: Spinns (Japan)

Look 2: Brunch

Subtly revealed the skirt at the sides.

Skirt: Topshop, Shoes: Seychelles

Look 3: Going Out

Leather Jacket: McGinn, Jeans: Frame Denim,  Shoes: Dr Marten

After compiling these different outfits I've decided that this was definitely made to be worn as a shirt, but nevertheless the ambiguity of the item opens up a lot of fun options!

What items in your closet do you have trouble styling?

Post by Tallulah Axinn

Photos by Zahra Axinn

All American Girl

Cardigan - Brandy Melville, Shirt - French Connection, Jeans - Zara, Shoes - Adidas 

With the combination of my official return to Cambridge and the date hitting double digits yesterday it's starting to feel like the end of the summer. And, while I'm fantasizing about lining my mantle with pumpkins and watching the New England foliage turn into my favorite shades of orange and red, I'm also sad to lose the feeling of carefree fun that accompanies this season.

Cap - borrowed from a friend, Necklace - Bauble Bar

Of course it's not gone yet and I was definitely feeling relaxed summer vibes in a blue jean-white shirt combo I wore to the High Line before I left home. The combination of sneakers, ripped jeans, and a cap made me feel very all-american in a way that I didn't expect to love so much. I was also surprised at how much I liked these jeans on me. I've been into boyfriend jeans from a distance for a long time but only decided I could pull them off when I tried on this distressed pair at Zara a few months ago. So far I've been loving the look of a nicer white top with these pants but still need to play with what else pairs nicely. I'm excited to keep you posted on how I style them in the fall.

The High Line

Okay remember at the beginning when I said I can't wait for the leaves to change? Well reinterpret that sentiment as a little bittersweet because looking back at the greenery on the High Line I am sad to think of it disappearing. Here's my public commitment to more time in the outdoors before that happens!

Post by Naima Drecker-Waxman.

Goodbye Japan, Goodbye Hair

It has almost been a week since I got back from Japan and I'm finally back to my California lifestyle which means drastic style choices, Mexican food and music festivals!

You know that feeling when you realize you need a haircut and then can't stop thinking about it? That happened to me right when I got to Japan but I wasn't willing to risk having someone cut my hair anywhere else but my trusted hair salon, so I had to wait until I got back. And I'm so glad I did!

I did not think I was going to cut my hair so short but I'm so happy with it! Thank you Isabel!

Dress and Sweater: Zara

Another item on my list for when I got home was obviously Mexican food!

Here's a little outdoor patio at Nopalito. Photo: @nopalitosf

I can never get enough fish! Pictured from front to back: Tostada de Trucha al Crudo, Ceviche, Tacos de Pescado al Pastor

Nothing like a homemade popsicle to cool you off in the SF heat/post-mexican food spiciness. Photo: @nopalitosf

Tomorrow marks the first day of Outsidelands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park, defintely my favorite thing to do in SF in August! The lineup (music and food) looks amazing and I can't wait to go for the 5th time in a row!

Post by Tallulah Axinn