Bungalow, Home of Scout's Blog

BEHIND THE SCENES: to blend in with the crowd, keep your outfit neutral up top… an American in London should honor a contemporary British label she can find in the states, like Rag & Bone; their spring collection includes colorful RTW but also neutral-hued sportswear, both of which maintain the brand’s continuos style inspiration, British menswear; Scout’s Instant Messenger Bag in Brittany’s Stripe will be the perfect cross-body bag for storing your camera and film; the Hunter Wellies below, in a lush fire-engine red, are clearly the ‘pop’ in this outfit (yet it won’t distract onlookers from the day’s amazement, the royal wedding!)

IN THE CROWD: as a spectator-turned-paparazzi, your job is to blend in with the awe-inspired crowd, so keep it ‘London loud’ with more Union Jack! ToyWatch makes a fantastic, utterly chic watch with a Union Jack face, set against a clean, crisp white wrist; Paul Smith, another British designer with contemporary encouragement, makes a fabulous 35mm camera in his signature multicolored stripe; Union Jack sunglasses and a Union Jack baseball cap are both ‘no-brainers’ for this disguise! 

OUTFIT OPTIONS: keep the Union Jack kickin’ in a pair of Dr. Martens’ boots, and while you should definitely wear it on top (we are loving the ‘Royal Wedding’ shirt by Wildfox!), rep your home country with a pair of TopShop’s American flag-printed jeans! Two jacket styles leave room for choice, so decide, do you go after the full-blown red white & blue look, or maintain some subtlety with a navy trench?

 THE TOURIST SHTICK: living in the Nation’s Capital, we know a thing or two about the tourist “essentials”, what to pack and what to bring home… pack Scout’s Stow n’ Go so you can unfold and open it up at a moment’s notice; when travelling, but particularly when travelling to the UK, store a compact umbrella in your bag for those rain showers that would otherwise seem ‘unexpected’ to visitors; always take a camera with you! and bring a stylish memento home, like Butler & Wilson’s London style charm bracelet. 

DRESSES: for your very own “Kate moment” that is, the wedding to a prince of the UK you’ve been dreaming about all these years, opt for eye-catching styles with intricate designs in lush fabrics… as you enter Westminster Abbey, jaws will drop at the sight of your hand-picked creation!

ACCESSORIES: with all that white, fun accesories are a must, and no color shouts ‘UK’ louder than the Union Jack motif or its colors red, white, and blue… we love a bright red shoe peeking out from under your dress, and the classic elegance in the clutch at left, versus its Union Jack counterpart at right offer 2 types of clutch for the reception; Scout’s Goodie Bag in Brittany’s Stripe ill serve as the ultimate ‘odds & ends’ tote, perfect for stowing the vail!

INSPIRATION #1, ELLEN: when we take turns into menswear in our day-to-day life, whether for professional style or playtime style, we owe much of this inspiration to a present-day menswear advocate, Ellen Degeneres… thankfully, by 2011 enough designers have responded to Degeneres’ sleek suit styles that they in turn have been creating more contemporary takes on menswear staples, and we are loving this idea for an Easter Sunday outfit! For this look, keep at least one piece tailored, while the rest can be slightly less structured and (somewhat) more feminine. With menswear-inspired looks, there is almost an ’equilibrium’ from where ‘male’ encourages & ‘female’ carries out.  

INSPIRATION #2, MICHELLE: suits not (yet) your thing? We attribute much of our green envy to First Lady Michelle Obama’s brightly-colored style choices, and we adored her in the below Barbara Tfanka silk-brocade floral dress! another ‘Michelle motif’ is the cardigan, and her loyalty lies with J. Crew, which has a number of cardigans and knits for this spring; we like the white piece below, with the unexpected detail of extra pockets; the statement-making green pieces below, Dries van Noten silk-floral heels at left, and the Lotusgrace taffeta party dress at right further bolster your ‘Easter Sunday spirit’. 

GOODIES & BAG PICKS: if you haven’t yet snatched up any of the goodies that we’ve  suggested this week on Yo Deb, don’t worry: candy powerhouse Economy Candy has a sweet fix, they’re pre-made Easter basket! we reccommend stowing this big candy mountain in Scout’s Bagette Bag, which, with its two options for handles (hand-held & shoulder-slung) is the perfect tote for this Sunday display!

INSPIRATION: take casual cues from Reese Witherspoon for Easter if you’re not going to a fancy church or brunch; that said, stripes still feature totally elegant elements, as featured below, particularly with decisive stripes; hint hint, black & white is just as eye-catching as navy & white, which we’ve tucked into the line-up of dresses below… can you spot the navy & white vs. the black & white styles?

SHOES: if you’re going after casual, try on a pair of slightly dressier shoes, and not necessarily a pump! …flats and kitten heels give just the right amount of ladlike ‘pop’ that you might want out of your Easter ensemble… if it’s a sunny Sunday, toss a hat in your bag or on your head to wear during church and on the way to brunch!

GOODIES: today’s goodies are brought to you by Dylan Lauren of Dylan’s Candy Bar… she’s certainly a reigning ‘queen of candy’ amongst other likeminded NYC candy outposts (our other fave, Economy Candy!); Scout’s Gift Bag in Brittany’s Stripe is quite possibly the perfect accessory for toting Dylan’s Easter treats… a colorful bag outside with colorful goodies inside!

INSPIRATION, JACKIE O: …and O. so much pink! the former First Lady of the U.S. set trends that spanned the globe, from her clothing to her accessories, so today we’re honoring her style with several Jackie-inspired pink pieces, each one perfectly appropriate for Easter! Switching it up a bit, we decided to offer two comparable dress styles and two comparable coat styles so you can choose… do you prefer the demure dress styles at left, or perhaps the statement-making elegant coat options at right?

ACCESSORIES: please note, the vintage-style pillbox hat is for the full Jackie effect, so you don’t absolutely have to own one yourself, we’re simply featuring it as a spot-on accessory pick in honor of the above style muse; nothing complements ‘demure’ in a look as the addition of a delicate pair of gloves, and we love the blush option below; arguably one of the finest shoe designers of our time, Roger Vivier and his signature Pilgrim buckle offer sophisticated takes on various ‘classic’ heel styles that tread lightly beneath an overall ‘ladylike’ look; Scout’s Uptown Girl in Pink Lady can either be a fun Easter basket choice or a sleek shape for toting your things to and from church & brunch. 

GOODIES: nothing says spring like pink lemonade, and no one does lemonade mix better than the pantry staple, County Time, so toss one in each kid’s basket for future afternoon snack time; Eleni’s offers cookies & cupcakes in a wide variety of holiday, color, or people/place/thing themes, and we love the ‘Spring Flurry’ Easter-themed gift box for it’s pink & yellow color story; Century Novelty’s web site is a great go-to for all things Easter and all things bulk, so stock up before Sunday with plenty of reusable pink plastic eggs!

INSPIRATION, PURPLE GOODS & A GOODIE BAG: with Scout’s Gift Bag in Petallica Remix as either your church & brunch bag, or as your Easter basket, pick up on more purple in your dress and jacket choices… a dress with a tea-length a-line skirt flatters every feminine figure, while a more fitted style complements and, in some cases, creates curves; the jacket is an easy piece to throw on if it’s cold or if you like to ‘cover stuff up’ for a church service…

POPS OF PURPLE: here are two fun shoes and two fun accessories to pair with your purple (or to pair with a simple white dress, if you’re not into purple-overload)… details such as the roses at left, a rounded toe below, and the decorative headband at right amp up the ‘femme fashion’ for Easter Sunday!

PURPLE GOODIES: when you’re home from church, brunch, and finally in some purple loungewear, start on your BIG Hershey’s Kiss, or put a dent in your Grape Crush Jelly Belly collection… or, if you’re into the more decorative elements of these purple pieces, toss them in a clear glass bowl for guests at your home in the coming week!

This week we’re featuring ‘Easter’ looks inspired by some of Hollywood’s leading ladies, those whose fashion ‘characters’ encourage some of our own stylistic tweeks and edits made in our day-to-day and day-to-night dressing.  

BETTY DRAPER-YELLOWS: nothing indicates ‘spring’ more than the sunny burst of yellow on women’s clothing, in particular, on Easter Sunday. For a church and brunch-appropriate look, try your dress, heels, gloves, and pill box hat in this color, a la Betty Draper in her eyelet dress, a classic structure and a texture that ‘dresses up’ yellow…

YOUR BASKET & EXTRAS: for the Easter basket in this scenario, we love the idea of accenting your yellow with Scout’s ‘French Twist Gold’ print, especially since the Goodie Bag fits the bill for carrying your Peeps, your Jordan Almonds, and any other Easter treats your kids pick up along their post-church hunt!