Look of the Day: Floral Prints Gone Rock ‘n’ Roll

I’m rarely ever spotted wearing anything other than heels, but even a platform-loving, the-taller-the-better, stiletto hoarder like myself can be defeated by the summertime heat. On Friday afternoon, as temperatures neared three digits, I headed downtown with my 9-year-old son so we could watch Despicable Me 2 in 3D. And, as I was getting dressed, I came to the unavoidable conclusion that walking through the congested streets of Times Square while clasping my boy’s hand and dodging hordes of picture-snapping tourists would be a much less frustrating feat if I were wearing — gasp! — flats. So, caving in to a rare bout of practicality, I chose to don a simple pair of black sandals with my outfit. Admittedly, if I hadn’t been on an adventure with my son, I probably would’ve reverted back to my original plan (which involved a slick pair of Pour La Victoire heels), but I still think the outfit worked nicely even with flat sandals in lieu of sky-high slingbacks.

For a while, I’ been wanting to take this dress for a spin on the fashion dance floor. It’s a snug-fitting floral print dress from Rachel Rachel Roy that has an almost watercolor-esque quality to it, so that you can’t quite tell whether it’s a splatter motif or a psychedelic floral pattern when standing one to two feet away. The dress fits right below-the-knee, which I think elongates the silhouette ever so slightly, while the delicate ruching along the sides modernizes the piece and also has a flattering, slimming effect. I also love that the upper third of the bodice is a see-through black mesh material that infuses the piece with a rock ‘n’ roll vibe, making the arguably dainty flower motif appear tough and urban.

The dress is killer, so I wanted to play up its rocker vibe while still retaining a certain femininity. To that end, I accessorized with a chunky, two-strand, chain link necklace from Dannijo that my boyfriend gave me as a Christmas gift about two years ago (he’d secretly gone to one of their sample sales after I’d mentioned, in passing, that I wouldn’t be able to make it and I was crushed that I’d miss out on the chance to cop some of their pieces). The long necklace incorporates two metallic blue chains: one featuring chunkier links and coated in a metallic aqua paint and the other featuring smaller chain links painted a cobalt blue hue. I then wore a pair of silver hoop earrings — the Dannijo  Jess earrings — which I purchased from Gilt.com for $36 about three years ago and which I’ve worn hundreds of times. The hoops are rather small for Dannijo (and for me, for that matter!), but they have this oxidized look to them that makes them appear tough and slightly rebellious.

Since I had two jewelry pieces with a rocker spin, I strove to soften the look a bit with the Amrita Singh Amila bangle set, which features a stack of six silver-toned bracelets and which I purchased for $28 on Hautelook.com during an Amrita Singh blowout sale.  I finished with one last piece of jewelry: a domed, faceted, chunky silver ring from Alexis Bittar gifted to me by a former co-worker at GIANT magazine (thanks, Kenyatta!).

Once I’d accessorized with all the various pieces of jewelry, my choice of handbags was a no-brainer. I was practically on auto pilot when I reached for the studded black handbag pictured above, a limited-edition piece Rebecca Minkoff designed for mark last year (long-time readers might remember the giveaway we had last year). Like most of Minkoff’s designs, the bag captures the boldness and effortless cool of New York City via edgy details like hefty pyramid studs and a chunky buckle accent.

I managed to pack all the necessities into the bag — wallet, phone, sunglasses, lipstick, blotting papers, book, keys, and lip balm — and even squeezed a bottle of water in there before taking off and having a mini adventure with my little guy. And it’s a good thing I went with the flats since we decided to make a run to Empanada Mama and ended up having to power walk to make it to the movie in time! Guess sometimes practicality does pay off!