Cool Beans & Some Tunes

Diane von Furstenberg top

Rag & Bone jeans
Madewell flats
Dooney Bourke bag
Ray-Ban sunnies

One of the reasons I like leopard print so much is that it really functions as a neutral. Blacks, browns, and virtually any other color in the book look great when paired with leopard-print accessories. Today's look features leopard-print shoes paired with black basics and a bright orange top - how cute is the tie-neck? Everybody needs a good pair of sunnies, and wayfarers are a great, timeless shape to have.

XOXO,
Kate

"God chose you out of all the people of the earth as his cherished personal treasure." - Deuteronomy 14:2

P.S. Recently I've become a fan of several British music artists, one of which is Rebecca Ferguson. She's beautiful, talented (she placed second in X Factor UK the year One Direction were in it), and has amazing personal style. The video for her song "Nothing's Real But Love," below, reminds me of a really pretty perfume ad (in the best possible way). If you like her music, be sure to pick up her debut album here - you won't regret it.

Wild About Leopard Print

TIBI blazer

Uniqlo pants
Uniqlo button down
Mulberry heels
Kate Spade purse

Hey guys, it's Kate here, popping in with a new look. Leopard print is one of my favorite things to wear (when it's done the right way), and this jacket is absolutely beautiful. The rest of the look is simple, crisp and clean - which is what you should aim for when complementing such a bold piece. The shoes are Mulberry and darling and perfect.

Hope you guys all have a lovely week and enjoy the warm weather!
XOXO,
Kate

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." - Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT

Monochromatic...ish

Gap jeans

J.Crew Henley
Topshop flats
J.Crew Edie purse
Target Scarf

When it comes to a casual outfit, I find simplicity can play a large role in looking polished. I mixed blacks and browns (yes, you can do that) using wardrobe staples to create a look I'd feel uber chic in strolling down the avenue on a more low-key day. Scarves are a great accessory and this simple one is cozy but lightweight enough for spring. The leopard print bag has great structure and I really like how the print ties in the tones of the outfit. Have a lovely weekend! Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be looking for an avenue to stroll down.

 XOXO,
Kate
  
"He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed." - 1 Peter 2:24, NLT

Tip Your Cap

Clockwise from left: Target, Kate Spade, Aldo, Topshop, Jessica Simpson, Kelsi Dagger, Cole Haan, Corso Como 

Hi all! Today I decided to post a feature on one of my favorite things to ever grace a shoe: the cap-toe. A cap-toe shoe is great when you want to mix things up a bit. They come in all varieties of styles, from classic and neutral to bright and bold. Whether your shoe style of choice is flats or heels, there's bound to be a cap-toe look for you. Hint: Take note of the shoes capped with metallics -  I've seen them everywhere lately and they're slated to be big in 2012. Also, those mint-green beauties above? Since mint is major and they've got the metallic cap going, with a pair of those on your feet you'd be knocking out two trends at once, in just the right way.

Have a lovely week!
XOXO,
Kate

I'm Back!

Hey dolls, I've been really busy and I apologize for not posting as frequently as I should have been. In any case, I'm back and in this post I'll make up for the absence by showcasing three different looks. Here we go!

See by Chloe long blouse, $185
Fringe moccasin, £25
Chiarugi Handmade Brown Genuine Italian Leather Crossbody Bag, $228

Carven cap sleeve cocktail dress, £220
Dolce&Gabbana platform pumps, €313
Wendy Nichol oversized handbag, $575
Anita Ko rose gold bangle, $4,850

Juicy Couture blue cardigan, €109
Uniqlo chino pants, £30
D G flat, $243
Mikko tote handbag, $88

Hope you all have been having a wonderful week, and just wondering, which is your favorite look? Of course I like them all, but I'm particularly smitten with the last outfit, which features a cardigan very similar to the one from my "In the Winter...In the Summer" post.

Have a lovely day. 
XOXO, 
Kate 

Stardust

James Perse cotton shirt, $115
Velvet coat, £238
Floor length skirt, $210
Kate Spade sparkly shoes, $350
Jimmy Choo genuine leather handbag, £889
Forever21 beading jewelry, $11

This look is totally perfect for a luxe, glam night out. You know the kind: Christmas cocktail parties, galas benefiting a special cause, and mixers where one needs to dress to impress. A maxi skirt was a bit of a departure for me, but working with it, I felt totally in my element. The shocking pink is toned down perfectly with a simple, surprisingly chic white tee (tucked in, of course). The statement necklace accents/blings up the top in just the right way to amp up the outfit and make it dress code appropriate. You could go with a more sedated, neutral shoe if you'd like, but I thought these glittery ones were gorgeous and super fun.

And, in the spirit of all things shiny, here is the music video for Ellie Goulding's song "Starry Eyed":

Have a wonderful Christmas season!
XOXO,
Kate

An Equestrian and a Scholar - Cognac Boots, Three Ways (Part 3)

An Equestrian and a Scholar by prettykeenkate featuring a smythe blazer

Smythe blazer, $384
Nudie Jeans Co. skinny jeans, $199
TopShop leather boots, $280
Rebecca Minkoff leopard print clutch, $350
French Connection semi precious jewelry, $43

To close out my "Cognac Boots, Three Ways" series (you can find parts one and two here and here, respectively), I decided to showcase a very equestrian-inspired outfit. I really like how its simple elements come together to make one chic and stylish look that's both classic and youthful. I worked almost mono-chromatically and accessorized in an understated way (although the leopard-print clutch adds a nice dose of pizazz). This is definitely a look I would like to wear over and over again, and one that would appeal to proper ladies and tomboys alike, proving this: no matter what, simplicity is beautiful.

Have a lovely weekend!
XOXO,
Kate

P.S. I feel as if this look is very Duchess of Cambridge, no?

To Autumn

To Autumn by prettykeenkate featuring a mini skirt

Marc by Marc Jacobs longsleeve shirt, $200
Boutique by Jaeger mini skirt, £60
Qupid leopard flat, $26
Mary Portas Radley cross body handbag, £159
Fallon white pearl necklace, $265 

A femininely prim (but still really fun!) look for fall. One of my favorite things about autumn is the beautiful changing of the leaves, which I think the tones in this outfit represent really well. In case you haven't noticed, leopard shoes have been huge these past few weeks/months, and the ones I feature here are a nice, inexpensive option. Since the outfit is so simple, I think they helped to add interest, along with the statement pearls. A nice, buttery leather bag in cognac is the perfect finishing touch. 

Below, the poem "To Autumn" by John Keats (this post's namesake). Enjoy! 

    

 To Autumn

SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twinèd flowers;
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barrèd clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

                                            

XOXO,
Kate

P.S. I got the text of the poem here. 

Pretty Keen Party

Pretty Keen Party by Pretty Keen featuring a cz bangle

Giambattista Valli zipper dress, 1,720 GBP
Tory Burch ballet flat shoes, $195
Elaine turner handbag, $275
Bex Rox cz bangle, 210 GBP

This outfit is the perfect party look for summertime. The leopard print is extremely glamorous and playful, but the simple shape of the dress prevents it from being overpowering. The gold accessories amp it up a bit and lend a seasonal warmth to the outfit. The straw bag is also very season-appropriate and the orange trim adds a nice zing. Happy mixing! 
XOXO,
Kate