look 9: my snow day with ports 1961.

earlier this month, i teamed up with ports 1961 for their #followme campaign, and there's no way i could pass on the chance of sharing some of the shots with you guys. the photos came out really well, largely because of the random blizzard that hit nyc the day i set aside to shoot my look. needless to say, i didn't let a few snowflakes (well... a lot) get in the way. check it out. -j

wearing: ports 1961 personalized #followme teddy jacket, asos man ribbed turtleneck, alexander wang cropped trousers, creative recreation sneakers.

breaking down the look

if you've been following me for a while, you're likely used to seeing me in darker, muted colors. well, i went ahead and switched things up for this one: i chose this bold red colorway for my personalized #followme jacket and it's a beauty. worn with an all-black statement, it completely comes through as the hero of this look, even when it's paired against those big stripes down below. keep this equation in mind throughout the season for an easy fashion win: a head-to-toe black ensemble + a strong pop of color in your choice of outerwear = style success.

oh yeah, @kjohn_lasoul was a part of the campaign, too!

look 7: a little NYE shine. ✨

so... we made it (almost). it's december 31st and 2016 has finally come to its end. it goes without saying that every new year's eve requires a statement-making ensemble to welcome the exciting months ahead, and this time around, i felt like adding a little shine to things. check it out. -j

[watch this super quick video for a few last-minute new year's eve outfit ideas]

wearing: asos super skinny blazer In silver velvet and longline metallic silver t-shirt, reclaimed vintage pinstripe skinny trousers, house of hounds leather jodhpur boots.

breaking down the look

in my opinion, new year's eve style is all about the glitz and the glam—without taking it too far, of course. i doubled up on metallics by layering this silver tee with a matching velvet blazer. it's definitely an eye-catcher, but i think the darker tone and texture of the jacket lighten up the impact of the shirt to make it a cool fashion statement. i've also been obsessed with pinstripes lately, so these trousers were perfect and they slipped over the boots just right.

have a happy (and stylish) new year. 🎉

look 6: spanish shadows.

I thought it'd be a good idea to share a bit of my travel style from my recent trip to europe, so this look's straight from the streets of barcelona. this gold-striped sweater was one of the first things i threw in my suitcase before i left. something about it just screamed spain to me. -j

wearing: asos man sweater, forever xxi joggers, gloss the label frames, and creative recreation sneakers.

breaking down the look

the clashing stripes work together here to create a cool tension that draws major attention to the total look. and while the head-to-toe color palette isn't very loud (which is a good thing in my book), the gold detailing adds some extra wow (and a little bit of luxe) to the mix.

look 5: layered up with uniqlo heattech.

fact: surviving the fall + winter weather requires a strong layer game.

this season, i've been investing in a ton of different layer options, from long-sleeve and crewneck tees to solid turtlenecks and hoodies—all of which i can seamlessly slip under or over the other items in my closet to add some extra warmth to my daily style equations. included in that assortment are a few pieces from #uniqloheattech collection, and so far, they've been coming through like magic.

wearing: uniqlo heattech ultra warm long-sleeve t-shirt and ultra warm tights; h&m longline bomber jacket, alexander wang x h&m neoprene biker jacket, asos man utility vest, ripped denim, and baseball cap, nikelab x riccardo tisci free train force flyknits.

brand spotlight

my favorite thing about the heattech collection is how comfortable the pieces feel on your skin. considering their functionality—keeping you #warmtothecore—it's pretty incredible how light they are. also, the fabric's a smooth cotton weave (not waffle knit), which gives it the casual appearance of a regular tee and allows it to blend into different looks much easier. another important point is that the material on the tights doesn't tug my leg hair like some other brands that i have—two points for uniqlo. shop the full #uniqlolifewear collection here and start stocking up... winter is coming.

fyi: yes, this is a #sponsored post, but (of course), all opinions, photos, and tips are my own. -j

look 4: winter whites.

that whole "no white after labor day" rule is foolish, in case you didn't know. winter whites are definitely a trend worth trying out, and I got the chance to put a quick look together for my recent creative recreation campaign, featuring the new all-white napolis from their holiday '16 collection. check it out. -j

wearing: tigha neo 2 biker jacket, zara hoodie, asos crewneck tee and infinity scarf, adidas originals joggers, creative recreation holiday 2016 napoli sneakers, forever xxi beanie.

breaking down the look

in my opinion, the key to making winter whites work, is not going overboard. a cool statement piece or two (vs. head-to-toe outfits) is the trick. i balanced this look out by matching my outerwear and accessories against an all-black foundation. the yellow pop of color helped add a bit of edge to make everything feel a bit cooler.

look 3: the casual friday approach.

so, every now and then, i like to break out a slightly more dapper option. i had an early morning event on the upper east side, so i needed to look the part—trust me, when you're in that neck of the woods, you don't want to look out of place.

wearing: topman cropped blazer, h&m polo, river island cropped trousers, adidas zx flux sneakers, asos suedette cap, hypergrand maverick watch.

breaking down the look

here, i basically just added a little bit of my personality to the idea of casual friday style. i gave a simple solid polo and trousers combo a sporty twist by throwing in a baseball cap and white sneakers. the cropped blazer added a few more dapper points to the equation for a cool street-ready look that works from your desk to drinks easy.

look 2: caramel cream + pink sprinkles.

in honor of flashback friday, i'm sharing this look from last month. the color palette was so perfect (in my opinion). dusty pink is definitely building itself up to be a power player in my wardrobe this season, and i put this neutral look together to complement it. mixed with the right backdrop and the perfect lighting, the shots came out pretty nicely.

wearing: asos belted leather biker and slim fit chinos,  boohoo MAN ribbed sweater with lace-up front, converse chuck taylor all stars.

breaking down the look

the best thing about neutral dressing is that they almost always play together perfectly. while dusty pink's technically a pastel, it's soft and close enough to the other hues to blend into the color palette seamlessly.

look 1: all black + a pop of color.

now that the temperatures are dropping (and dropping fast), i can finally break out all of my favorite outerwear pieces. this neoprene biker from 2014's wang x hm collection will forever be one of my go-to jackets. i couldn't wait to put it on this morning. 🤘

wearing: alexander wang x hm neoprene biker, oaknyc construction pants, nike flyknit racers.

breaking down the look

this one's for my fellow fans of the all-black ensemble. i went monochrome, pairing my biker with these relaxed construction pants for a comfy fall look. as for my feet, i felt like adding a pop of color to wake things up a bit, and these neon flyknit racers were calling my name. oh, and i didn't feel like doing my hair this morning (we all know the feeling), so this beanie came to my rescue.