Lulu Linden Test: moto jacket

Sunday, December 6, 2015

A Midi

Me and my midis go way back. Back to the days when I was an avid thrifter, combing through racks of vintage and thrown away clothes. I don't thrift nearly as much as I used to, bit midi skirts still hold a place in my heart.

Whether I dress it up or down is entirely dependent upon my mood, but just knowing that either is an option easily makes this skirt one of my favorites.

Though I have many, this one's rich color and subtle sheen is season appropriate. Topped with a tough moto jacket, though, it isn't too holiday-ish. Whether I dress it up or down is entirely dependent upon my mood, but just knowing that either is an option easily makes this skirt one of my favorites.

Photos by Kaye McCoy

Doughnut Break

Combing through racks and racks of clothes can really tire a girl out, or so I learned this past week. I stopped by the Gwynnie Bee office while I was in New York and got the chance to go through their "forest" of new fall arrivals.

"The fit was so comfortable and it ruched in all the right places – I could've had all the doughnuts and still been good to go."

It was like spending a morning in Cher Horowitz's closet, going through it all. After all that hard work, me and the Gwynnie Bee girls, Kelly and Sarah, needed a coffee break. Well, more of a doughnut break, actually.

I'll be sharing more from my day at Gywnnie Bee, but this dress was my absolute favorite. Funny thing is, seeing it on the hanger, I thought it wouldn't fit me well. Cut to me never wanting to take it off. The fit was so comfortable and it ruched in all the right places – I could've had all the doughnuts and still been good to go.

Neutrals Only

It hurts me to say this, but colors are just not happening for me anytime soon. This delayed spring has me in a neutral mood. Nope, no periwinkle pastels for this broad. Not yet, anyway.

Instead, it's camel cable knit, striped tees and black, black, black. My favorite black jeans and moto jacket pretty much save the day. Well, I'll give the leopard print booties that credit.

photos by Kaye McCoy

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Winter White Jeans

I've been very inspired by the brave souls who wear white in the winter. Not because I believe any of those old notions about white after labor day, but because during winter I just want to wear the darkest colors I own.

To take away from these jeans' blinding whiteness, I did layer on the dark tops -- a chambray tunic, a knotted black tee and my favorite moto jacket. Even if I experiment with winter white, I still need my darks, if only out of respect for summer.

photos by Kaye McCoy

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new year, new me

I think by now I've established that I'm no tough, kickass chick. We all agree on that, right?

So, with 2015 around the corner, I'm making plans to add a little extra sumthin' sumthin' to shake that up. Sumthin' sumthin' in the form of a lot of black.

I'll never be able to go full on "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" tough, though. I mean, this sweater by Wet Seal + is literally called The Soft & Fuzzy Sweater. I'm not fooling anyone. I'll always be soft (and fuzzy) at heart.

photos by Kaye McCoy

The "soft & fuzzy sweater" was c/o of Wet Seal. All opinions are my own and were not influenced by the brand.

hello moto

What is it about a leather (okay, faux leather) moto jacket that makes you feel infinitely cooler? I mean, I feel like Sandy at the end of Grease. Tell me about it, stud.

Aside from the boost of cool, this jacket is a great way to bundle up without the bulk. I don't know for how much longer I'll be wearing it alone, though.

It's getting to be that time where I'll be wearing a tank under a tee under a button up under this jacket. I'm talking layers, y'all.

photos: @cookayemonster

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switching stripes

Take away the moto jacket, and you've got what I've been wearing to the office this past week. Wait, let me say that again: office. Oh my gosh, you guys, I have an office! Okay, just a desk, but still!

As much as I love playing with different outfits, I keep coming back to the same element: stripes. I've worn them three of five days just because, well, what else am I supposed to wear? Seriously. Tell me. What else?

So that I don't get entirely bored with my structured work stripe outfits, on my down time I've been pairing them with edgier things: a faux leather jacket here, distressed denim there.

It makes me feel like a superhero, switching stripes -- by day, a blazered-up journalist and by night a street-chic party girl. Except instead of partying, I'm grabbing dinner and immediately falling asleep because, as it turns out, running around doing interviews all day is tiring. The life of an intern, right?

a year's time

Around this time, just a year ago, I was finally settling into my new position as boutique #girlboss, taking a semester off classes, turning 22 and freaking out in the process. There were a lot of oh god, what is my life moments going on then. Being the super nostalgic person that I am, it's nice to be able to look back and see the times that life ruffled your feathers, now knowing, "hey, I made it out alive. I'm even better for it." There are still oh god, what is life moments going on now, but at least I know that in year's time, I can look back and go "really girl? That's what you called a problem. Bye."

Another thing I like to get nostalgic about is my closet. A year ago, I bought the Anthropologie Linkbloom bracelet as a birthday gift to myself. It was my first "not Forever 21," semi-grown up jewelry purchase. And, in "not Forever 21" fashion, it's stood the test of time. Or at least a year.

As for the rest of this get up, I'm a big fan of mixing hard and soft pieces and, I mean, what could be harder than a super bad ass biker jacket? This maxi could've easily been one of my lazy-day-throw-on dresses (it probably will be eventually), but with this jacket it felt more complete. An outfit worthy of the 23-year-old me.