Happy colors:

Some style thoughts after my visit…. yellow and lavender are popping up all over for spring.

Yellow can be a hard color to wear, but if you can manage to mix it in with your wardrobe, it’s a complete mood-booster. When I wore these shades of yellow, I found it really lifted my spirits. Lavender is such a flattering shade of purple, and this year it’s become my new favorite! There’s a happiness + warmth to lavender, and in this tough time, it made me smile. In my outfits, as always, expect the unexpected for mixes of tie-dye under plaid, purple and blue gingham, and heels with a sweatshirt. It’s all about adding that little bit of flair to pieces that otherwise could be styled more traditionally. Puffed sleeves and shoulders are trends that you’ll see now and through fall— for sure. There are many great dresses out there, but I enjoyed styling the ruched skirts in fun and unusual ways. Summer hats, sunglasses and open-toe shoes made their way into these looks (despite my self administered pedicure). Adding a new graphic tee and maybe a skirt this season with a pop of yellow or lavender can really refresh your wardrobe and make you feel spring has sprung!

Why WEST…

I have been bicoastal between LA and NY/CT for most of my adult life. From this, I adopted a west coast style and passion for a more laid back look layered with a little edge from my NY roots. When I would return east from a trip to LA, I noticed that people would often ask me about pieces I purchased there and mixed into my wardrobe. A little over 4 years ago I was itching to try something new and go back to work but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I decided to embark on some soul-searching and mental exercises guided by a life coach, and from that process, it became very clear to me that I wanted to pair my love of fashion with my love for the west coast. As the world was moving to technology platforms for fashion and businesses, I was craving a creative career that was more hands-on and social. I decided to open a curated boutique in Westport, CT that focused on west coast style and introduce Westport to a host of California designers. Some of my favorite, inspirational LA stores include: Elyse Walker, Ron Herman, Fred Segal and The Heist. I made a target list of designers I wanted to carry in my store, which in keeping with my vision, I called WEST (@west2westport). I went to LA for market week (twist my arm) to do my first round of buying, found a few additional local LA designers I really loved (like Katharine Kidd) that had a cali-cool vibe, mixed in just a few east coast designers I had to have and VOILA. Nothing made me more excited when a customer would stroll into WEST and say - “you know what your store reminds me of?” … “California!” My vision was a reality. Last year, while living full time in Los Angeles, I sold WEST to Kitt Shapiro, who is the perfect person take on the WEST legacy. As she’s a west-coaster turned east-coaster, she understood the customer experience,Westport residents, and how to maintain WEST as an important part of the fabric of the community. Kitt also has her own line, Simply Eartha, to honor her mother Eartha Kitt with special pieces of jewelry and accessories that incorporate her mother’s incredible spirit. I strongly believe in the shopping experience (made extra fabulous by a staff who largely have been at WEST since the beginning) and will definitely choose SAFE, in-person experiences over shopping online whenever possible. I’m so proud of my connection to the store and that regardless of which coast I may be on, the legacy of WEST and the vision I had dreamt up lives on. I hope that when people are comfortable they will return to local stores and support small business in their community, albeit wearing a mask, sanitizing, and following the guidelines for safety.