Bar Hopping Survival Kit

It's new year's eve and with a stomach full of pizza and champagne I'm geared up to hit the town. I haven't always been so prepared, in fact I'm infamous for taking eight million years to get ready to go out. Now, it's not because I'm a diva, it's because I need at least 3 hours to walk around the house with a befuddled look, accidentally running my extremities in to door frames. It's taken years of practice and several evenings of my boyfriend freaking out for my evening routine to become so streamlined. So babies, in the spirit of the fresh new year, I've compiled a list of bar hopping must haves to make your partying that much easier!

1) Flats: No one wants to forgo heels altogether; they're the linchpin of a perfect evening get up. But these days everybody from Tory Burch to Dr. Scholl is making little fold-up flats that fit right in your purse! Switch to these little dudes at the third bar and you won't be walking like a sea-sick cowboy by the end of the night.
Option B) Get so drunk you don't care about your foot pain. (Not recommended. Includes knee bruises and Lady Ga Ga impressions.)

2) Lipgloss: Unless you plan on staying pretty damn sober, don't bring lipstick to the bar. Sure, flapper-esque crimson lips look great with your dress, but by martini four your application skills will greatly decline. Stick to something sheer with a tiny hint of color that will keep you looking put together. That way, when you don't quite color in the lines it's not a big deal.

3) Hair-tie: If someone starts puking, you're to the rescue with a quick ponytail. If you decide to hit a club, you can do a quick chignon to keep your hair from getting sweaty. The uses are endless.

4) Eyeliner: I don't know about you, but I use bar hopping as an excuse to perfect my copious-amounts-of-eye-makeup application skills. One of my best girlfriends, Katie, has this insane ability to perfectly line her eyes. She can do it in the dark, she can do it in the park...you get the picture. This girl always has gorgeous smoky eyes with a perfectly geometric eyeliner application. After seven years of trying, I can't figure out what her secret is, but I do know that she always re-applies. So take a tip from Katie, and keep a stick in your bag, just in case.

Well, kiddies, I truly hope this list helps you get your shit together. Now I've got to grab my friends & survival kit and hit the bars. Good luck, and I'll see you on the mean streets of party town!

xoxo

Text Hannah Morris

Studs (and there is nothing masculine about them!)

Whether you are a wild child or need to add some pizazz to an outfit, studded accessories are a great way to express your inner tough girl. Metallic details such as studs pair well with colors and neutrals, and chances are these accessories would get a lot of use so don't be afraid to splurge on an investment piece.

Studded shoes such as the Tory Burch stud ballet flats are a great example of fashion and function in unison. L.A. designer Dafne Balatsos has a line of gothic studded and spiked purses which are a tad pricy at around $800 each, but they are truly works of art. My favorite studded accessory is the Givency by Riccardo Tisci leather and metal studded headband. It definitely requires a lot of confidence and hair full of body to pull it off, and is a unique piece for an accessory lover.

If accessories with studs aren't for you, how about a studded leather jacket thrown over a cute dress or your favorite pair of jeans? Topshop's stud biker jacket is a very reasonable $115!

-Erin O'Hara

The Beauty of a Draped Rose

Bags with floral applique are really in these days. I know most of you have probably already picked out your fall bag but I would suggest adding another into your mix.

I recently bought a black bag with a gorgeous draped rose taking over the front of the bag and I receive compliments on it all the time.

A draped rose bag, like the one featured above by Valentino, makes any outfit more feminine and sophisticated. This purse can be worn with any outfit. This bag resembles something from a different era. It looks like it was plucked right out of the 1920's but it still fits perfectly in today's society. It is a gracefully styled purse and is a piece that is timeless, twenty years from now this purse will still be in style.

If you're still shopping around for the perfect fall bag, do yourself a favour and seek out a draped rose purse, you will be the envy of all your friends.

-Erin Jones

Slither Into Fall

I don't know about everyone else but I am starting to notice that snakeskin is becoming the must have pattern for fall.

Now I'm not too sure how I feel about an all snakeskin dress or pants but I am definitely being drawn toward the shoes and bags.

Snakeskin is very classic. It has a great sleek look to it and it's a piece that never goes out of style. Snakeskin gives off a vibe of elegance and chicness. You are always safe with a snakeskin in black, gray or navy.

If you want to be a little more daring then you can always try a snakeskin print in hot pink or yellow. But if your going to do that make the print the focus of your outfit. I would suggest sticking with a shoe or a purse in a wild color.

-Erin Jones