Chic, Affordable Basics for Men & Women

Basics are the core of a wardrobe. You can have plenty of trendy clothes or designer pieces to stylize your outfits, but there should always be those items that can follow you through the seasons that will never go out of fashion (at least for the next 10 years). Recently, my brother moved to Chicago and he wanted to start a new look, mostly with basics because of the minimalistic style worn by tycoons such as Mark Zuckerberg, with his t-shirts, jeans and sneakers uniform. I also wear mostly basics, styling my outfits up with bags and shoes. For my brother, he just wants to feel comfortable, look good, and look like he has a clean style for his wardrobe makeover. I looked into different websites and thought that BooHoo has the best, stylish basics for really affordable prices (perfect for buying in bulk and makeovers) They still have an extra 50% OFF discount with code “YAY50”.

WOMEN BASICS:

(Click Images to View on Website) Get the look for less!

$44

$24

$24

 

MEN STYLISH BASICS:

(Click Images to View on Website)

 

$20

$35

$52

$24

 

$10

 

Oh the Beautiful Zurich, Switzerland!

I’m back, and looking forward to sharing my amazing travel experiences since taking a one way ticket to Europe and deciding to move from NYC! Yes, I am definitely a thrill seeker and taking such a big chance did not come easy, but I am so glad I did. I was not satisfied with my life anymore and wanted to explore more of what life has to offer. Since I left NYC I have seen many things and I have been so busy traveling that I did not know where to start off again. So let’s start off with when I arrived in Zurich Switzerland after Iceland.

I had no idea how beautiful Switzerland was. I mean, it’s not every day where people say “My dream is to go to Zurich, Switzerland!” Usually people would insert Paris, London or some other romantic place like Venice. But I can assure you that if you come in the summer time and walk along the water, you will fall in love with this beautiful paradise. The first two photos are from the water and then where I went and got some wine while soaking in the amazing experience. Right next to us was a wedding going on and I completely understand why they chose that location, it was breathtaking. I spent a couple days in Zurich, walking around and shopping a little but also seeing the fancy hotels and nightlife. I must say that everything is extremely expensive, possibly more expensive than NYC!

The other photos of the waterfall are taken at the Switzerland Schaffhausen Rhenfall, somewhere between Zurich and the Germany border. I was amazed at this place as well. I casually had a glass of wine watching the waterfall and looking at a Castle, no big deal. I was wearing my Free People off-white pants, some crochet shoes and a Banana Republic denim vest which I think makes many outfits come together. I think it was a great outfit for a wonderful afternoon of sightseeing and relaxing. If you want to take a sneak peak at some of my other travels you can visit my instagram which shows many more pictures http://www.instagram.com/catherinewanders

Cheers! Till the next experience

A Wedding in Hawaii

 

I have been anticipating my cousin’s wedding for quite some time, especially since it was in Kauai, Hawaii! It is such a beautiful island, just like my beautiful cousin Seiko! The reception was on a gorgeous piece of land that had the beach in the background and the party on the trim grass overlooking the paradise. There was definitely some difficulty in understanding exactly what someone wears to a wedding in a tropical place, especially if you are not sure if it is in the sand or not! Luckily, heels was an okay decision and so I wore my seasonal favorite from Via Spiga purchased at Bloomingdales, and then I somehow found this dress while shopping in SoHo right before leaving for my trip. I love it because I knew I could not wear white or black, but I definitely was not in the mood for a print, so nude all the way! The delicate sequins in the front also wrapped around the straps to the back, a nice detail that had me say “Yes to the Dress!”

Nude and Neutrals for Summer

I have been loving neutral tones, and this BCBG Maxazria top seems to be just the right combination of texture and color to match these suede-like H&M drawstring shorts. One of my favorite companies is BCBG Maxazria because I believe they have amazing taste and continuously have beautiful selections with the seasons, which always keeps me excited for more. Here I am in my room with my painting I made of a more psychadelic female in contrast to the white door and nude walls and simple makeup. I love this as a summer look!

Colored in Coral

I decided to dress in color and it was funny because everyone on the Upper East Side seemed to be wearing the gray-scale and completely casual. Sometimes it is not so bad to stand out, and wearing this ModCloth.com dress was a bold move of mine. If you are going to wear color you better be prepared to wear it with confidence. That I did as I sipped my delightful champagne and ate at the outdoor seating of a french restaurant.

Visiting Georgetown, Washington, DC.

Visiting my mother last weekend was not all green grass and trees, but in fact some really adorable cultural places as well as new restaurants, buildings and more. One of my favorite areas near where my mother just moved is Georgetown, Washington, DC. These photos do not exactly capture the adorable little streets but I was certainly happy to be walking around in my new Zara cow heide cheetah heels (I am obsessed with cheetah print!) and my Carol J navy leather handbag and my Forever21 dress which shrunk in the wash, haha oops!

Restaurant “Orsay” is Lovely I must Say

About an avenue or so near central park somewhere in the upper east 70’s streets is this delightful french restaurant Orsay. I happened to be wandering around buying time until a meeting a couple hours later, so I got my nails done and headed into this place. It was a sunny day out and I was wearing the perfect amount of covering for my arms and of course a playful short length in my dress. I love how the colors go from light to dark, making it an easy dress to match other pieces to, such as my MIA snakeskin shoes and my 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Medium Satchel which I got while I was in the Hamptons last summer. Cheers to this beautiful weather and trying out new places!

When In Vegas

So it was my first time ever in Vegas, and I was told by my friends to bring a summery wardrobe with me, so that I did. Here you see me in a tight Wow Couture dress, a line of dresses which primarily focuses on bandage style, and of course my Christian Louboutin “Miss Benin 160” Knotted toe Pump to spice up the outfit even more. I admit, I was certainly trying to push the boundaries and I certainly got myself a handful of stairs walking through one of the casinos. I figured I would just play the part of the fun-loving party girl during my trip.

Maybe Love Fades like Clothing

There is an adorably beautiful home right next to my apartment building on the Upper East Side, and I just had to take a picture in front of it on my way to Vella, a wine bar that I love. I’m a firm believer in moving on from any dating situation if you are not happy anymore, so this top seemed to mean something a little more to me when I put it on and hence my title of this post. I liked mixing these pieces together that I would normally not do, layering the long sleeve faded denim top under my Vince blazer and my Via Spiga Snakeskin mules to lighten the bottom of the outfit. Let things fade but keep moving on to wherever you’re going in life!

The Cat’s Eyes Were Green With Envy

Here I was passing through the Diamond District in Midtown Manhattan. There are so many people trying to gather your attention to reel you into their stores to buy diamonds or for you to sell. It is extremely overwhelming normally, but I found a time in the mid-afternoon to stop and take a pose. Here I am wearing perfect patent leather shoes from Bianca Di, and I found them online here at Keito, an online shop that also has a boutique in SoHo. My bag was a gift from an ex-boyfriend for my college graduation, it was very nice of him and he likes to call me Cat, so a cat-purse was needed. I actually sadly do not remember the place where he got it but he said he was shopping on Newbury St. when he went to visit his mother in Boston. My sequins top is from Zara, and I fell in love with it instantly at an end of season sale. The top had originally been about $200 since it was a special designer collection but I think I purchased it for $40. My mock suit is from Ann Taylor. I loved mixing the unexpected together and making a fun, yet polished outfit.