Chasing Linen x Madewell Event

I'm absolutely thrilled that Chasing Linen is approaching its 2 year shop anniversary in just a few weeks! To celebrate, Madewell invited me to host a popup event at their store and I could not be more excited! Madewell is easily one of my favorite clothing stores and I am extremely honored to be collaborating with such a beautiful brand. I invited along some of my creative friends Esther Lee and Melissa Sonico to co-host this event with me as well as Juice Box, who will be giving out complementary fresh-pressed juice. The popup will be from 6-8:30pm next Thursday at the Madewell in South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa. It is an open event so feel free to bring your friends and come hang out with us!

In the spirit of this event, I thought it would be really fun to a little outfit shoot! As previously mentioned, Madewell is one of my favorite clothing stores. I love the simple sophistication of the line and how effortless each piece is, especially when paired with one another. I was first introduced to the brand when I received a mini transport cross-body bag as an anniversary gift from my boyfriend and I fell in love with it. I've expanded my Madewell goods since then and can confidently say that I'll be a customer for life! For this outfitting, I chose to style Madewell's Moroccan Tile Maxi Dress with different accessories to create two different moods. It actually ended up working out perfectly because the weather completely changed while switching outfits and set a nice contrast of backgrounds.

Look #1

For this look, I wanted to create a day time outfit and celebrate the maxi for its natural intent. I'm still new to prints but I felt comfortable in this dress because the pattern wasn't overwhelming. To neutralize it even more, I threw on a white cardigan over, which brought out the cream of the dress and brightened the look overall. It was extremely hot and humid that day so I kept my jewelry to the minimal and layered on some dainty necklaces, bracelets and rings. I didn't want the outfit to look too girly so I threw on my Leona Rancher hat from Anthropologie for a masculine detail. For shoes, I kept my feet super comfy with a pair of Avaracas Pons in taupe.

Initial necklace gifted, bronze bar necklace from CDE General Store — Initial necklace gifted, bronze bar necklace from CDE General Store

One great tip for styling a maxi is to pair it with a asymmetrical or cropped cardi so your outfit won't look too heavy. There's a lot of fabric on a maxi dress so wearing a thin outwear balances out the silhouette while keeping you from overheating.

Look #2

Celebrate Individuality tote available in Shop

For my second look, I wanted to challenge myself and created a look that was a bit moody. Coincidentally, it started raining after the outfit change, which was perfect because my jacket was water-resistant. I got this Coated Roadtrip jacket from Madewell last year and have been wearing it on a weekly basis. It's the perfect outwear for California because it's thin enough to wear in the summer while still providing warmth in the evenings. It also has this really cute plaid detailing when you roll up the sleeves and an adjustable waistband if you want it more fitted. It also gives you an option to remove the hood but I usually like to leave mine because of the cute plaid detail. This jacket was definitely my splurge piece of the season but it's completely worth it.

Due to the rain, I decided to keep a hat on but switched it out with a black one from UO. I also switched out the cross-body with my Celebrate Individuality tote, which seriously fits everything. I love that the vegan leather straps is a soft black so it complements outfits with both black and brown details. For shoes, I just traded my Pons for Avaracas' Ankle-Strapped Mediterraneans to add a little bit of height.

Special thanks to the ridiculously talented photographer behind this shoot Alysha Miller! She is such a joy to be around and I'm constantly in awe of her creativity. Be sure to check out her instagram for more photos <3