DUDLEY STEPHENS X THE GIRL GUIDE

dudley stephens

---

---

SHOP THE LOOK

So many people ask me why I love styling. First and foremost it has always been the people. Over the last 8 years I have met so many amazing clients and friends and had the chance to work with so many inspiring brands. The second part of my answer is the challenge. I love the idea of walking into a new project with no plan - collaborating and creating - and walking away with something beautiful. 

Have you guys heard of Dudley Stephens!? I was so excited when Lauren (Dudley) Stephens asked me to style their line of fleeces for Fall. Lauren started DS with her mom and sister and together they have transformed the way we view this classic fabric. Who knew a fleece tunic could look so good?! What attracted me to DS at first was the wearability with kids. When I first had Luke I was living in a land of spit up and drool and either ruining my cashmere sweaters or opting for old t-shirts. Then I bought my first DS top. It was a combination of a sweater and a sweatshirt, but had a pretty silhouette and neckline so I felt dressed. Not to mention the color was perfect (you know how I love blush). Well, as they say....the rest was history! Now DS is a part of my weekly wardrobe and I'm so happy to share this shoot with all of you!

XX

S

SHOP THE LOOK

If you're looking for the perfect pair of vegan leggings, CLICK HERE!! They're so comfortable and really look and feel like the real thing. Also, kid friendly:)

CASUAL FALL

SHOP THE POST

Happy Tuesday friends! Hope you're having a good week so far. It finally feels like Fall has arrived in Connecticut and I love it! Now if I could only find the time to switch my closet over! I get a ton of styling requests from women looking to create a casual chic "home" look. Outfits that you can wear at home, running errands, picking the kids up, lunch with friends, and still feel dressed for everything in between. Two of my closet staples for all my clients are 1. Cardigan and 2. Silk Camisole. I live in this look and what I like most is it can take me day to night if I have a casual dinner to go to during the week. Want to turn it up a notch? Pair this silk with a darker or black jean, booties, and a statement earring! Shop this look below with some of my top pics:)

XX

S

SHOP THE LOOK

SCARF BLOUSE

SHOP THE POST

OVER THE KNEE

SHOP THE POST

Hey friends! Hope you're having a great weekend:) We took the boys to Stone Barns yesterday for their annual Harvest Fest and it was HOT!!!! I can't remember a time when it was over 80 degrees in October. Makes it a little tough to apple pick in a pretty wool fisherman sweater and riding boots! So unfortunately I wasn't wearing this pretty tonal look and hat but I'm hoping to live in it very soon! What are your thoughts on over-the-knee boots? I think they've become less of a trend and more of a staple and they make an outfit look more dressed. Whats great is almost ever designer is making that style now so they're available at all price points. The ones I'm wearing are Stuart Weitzman (color is no longer available) and although they're a splurge I have to say if you wear them as much as I do they're worth the price tag. Below I included a mini OTK style vs. splurge for you! 

• My sweater is only $65! Love it casual but I will probably also dress it up with darker denim or leather leggings and a pretty earring, I also love this one which is the same price
• This dress would also look great with OTK boots. Throw it on with a leather jacket and its the perfect Fall look 
• I just ordered this sweater! Comes in 4 colors - can you guess which on I ordered?

XX

S

STEAL VS. SPLURGE

BOW BLOUSE

SHOP THE POST

Today feels like Friday! Its been a long week already and I'm heading home right now after three days in Philadelphia with Theory. Lots of exciting things happening this year! SOO happy to see my boys tonight! Its amazing what a couple days away can do:)

I'm a sucker for a flowy style blouse. I think its no secret that I love this brand and their pretty, ethereal style and design. I don't wear a ton of blue (actually I have almost no blue in my closet) but when I saw  this shade and pattern I was sold on its 70's vibe. Note: I've received a few questions about my jeans...they're old but I tagged a very similar pair! 

XX

S

THE UN-LEATHER JACKET

SHOP THE POST

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Frank and I went to a very pretty farm wedding in Suffield, CT and had so much fun! It was our first 24hrs away (alone) since Harrison was born and we definitely enjoyed ourselves! BUT I have to say I was so happy to come home to my sweet boys yesterday:) 

Last Fall I was pregnant and in search of a leather jacket that could go with me everywhere - day to night, maternity to non-maternity and I needed a neutral color. When I found this one I was so excited! Not only was it the best silhouette, it was vegan which meant it was basically kid-proof. Over the last year I've worn it over jeans, with dresses, and even took it to a wedding. Ummm did I mention its $95!!

If you're looking for something that's leather the same brand makes this one which is still very reasonable as far as leather jackets go. Also I should note, the jeans, t-shirt, and shoes are all old in this post but I tried linking very similar pieces. My pumps are almost identical!

XX
S

A HERO SWEATER

SHOP THE POST

I LOVE short weeks...I can't believe its Wednesday already! I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend (I ended up working for most of it - so many exciting things on the horizon for TGG). I know its not technically Fall yet but we've already had some days in CT that sure feel like it. Is it bad that I'm already dying to whip out all my sweaters and darker denim?

Ever heard of a "Hero" item? Think season must-have thats also a wardrobe staple. I'm loving the sweater trends for Fall. Chunky aran knits with details ranging from fringe, to pom poms, to colored intarsia prints. This sweater has it all! 

XX

S

WEDDING GUEST DRESSES

SHOP THE POST

One of the top requests I receive from clients is help shopping for wedding guest dresses. Although the rule "you can't wear white to a wedding" is dated, it still stands true for most brides. Sidenote: we went to a wedding once where all the guests were in ivory and black and it looked AMAZING!!! I'm not opposed to a black dress for a wedding as long as there is texture. Also, lace and sheer accents are key!

So you can't wear black or ivory...what do you do? Personally I don't wear bright, solid colors and I always gravitate towards floral: one - it photographs well, and two - if you choose the right pattern they usually won't go out of style. I instantly fell in love with this one's soft ruffles and ethereal vibe. It can be worn both on and off the shoulder which is also a plus! Looking for personalized help finding the perfect outfit? Click here! OR scroll down to shop my picks for this Fall's wedding season at every price! 

XX,

S

MY BEAUTY ROUTINE

Hi there! Welcome to my first beauty post! Since starting The Girl Guide I've received so many questions about my skincare routine. I'm a big fan of the "less is more" approach and I have to admit, it's pretty basic. BUT the key has always been natural ingredients.  I've been using Tata Harper skincare for almost 8 years! She is sort of a pioneer in the organic skincare space. When I met her I was instantly inspired by her story - her step dad was diagnosed with Cancer and when she started to help him "detox" the products he was using, she realized there was nothing 100% natural/organic on the market. I love everything about her line especially the scents of her products, so natural and clean. 

About two years ago a discovered JuiceBeauty at Whole Foods. I was looking for an affordable moisturizer to switch things up a bit and I fell in love! You can't beat the prices (my antioxidant moisturizer is $39) and I find it to be really effective during the dry winter months. SO when I heard that one of my favorite websites/brands GOOP was teaming up with Juice Beauty I was super psyched. I bought this discovery set and I'm only about three weeks in but I LOVE it! Especially the face oil! 

• I first tried this face wash when I purchased a Theory x Lola box for International Women's day. It was filled with goodies and one of my favorites was this product. I use it every night (in the morning's I just splash water on my face and re-apply moisturizer). The smell is very clean!
• I have a thing for face oils....I used to think it was weird - how does applying oil to your face not make you break out? Now that I've been using them for years I'm addicted. I highly recommend this one and this one is my new favorite. 
• The first skincare product I ever switched from mainstream to holistic was my deodorant. I once read an article linking aluminum containing antiperspirants to breast cancer and I immediately switched to an all natural deodorant. Disclaimer: The natural ones are NEVER going to work as well as the chemical ridden ones, BUT thats a trade I'm willing to make! This is my current favorite. 

Check out this article, Clean Beauty - And Why It's Important and you'll be hooked just like I am!

XX

S

SKINCARE

FACE OIL

FACE WASH

FACE MASKS

DEODORANT

OFF THE BEACH

SHOP THE POST

FLORAL MAXI

SHOP POST

Greetings from Sag Harbor! Having major technical difficulties here so this post is going to be short and sweet! I wore this dress to a recent event I hosted at Lord & Taylor and I love it! I hesitated at first because it was black but adding the floral makes it so versatile. We have a wedding in early September that I think it will be perfect for. I love wearing maxi dresses - especially flowy ones. There is a common misconception that if you're not supermodel height you can't pull one off but thats not true. The key is good tailoring and ensuring the length is right for you. These shoes are so comfortable (I SWEAR) and the only thing that made this dress possible for me:) I rounded up a few of my top maxi picks right now. Some of them are under $150!

XX

S

LINEN STRIPES + FAVORITE TOP ROUNDUP

SHOP THE POST

Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone is having a great week so far:) I'm pumping out this post while simoultaneously entertaining Luke and Harrison with a Baby Einstein video. If you have kids and don't know about these you need to order ASAP! They're educational and the images play along with the prettiest classical music so I can actually concentrate while they're on! I thought Luke would grown out of them but he still loves them! 

What do you guys think of this top? I can tell you I love wearing it...the linen is so soft and its really comfortable. I always talk about wearing pieces from day to night and tucked into white jeans and a pair of gold hoops you're good to go! I can see myself wearing it into early Fall too. There are so many great (and affordable) blouses out right now. Check up my roundup below:) 

XX

S

GARDEN PARTY ANYONE?

SHOP THE POST

AT HOME with THE GIRL GUIDE

I've thought a lot about how I wanted to start this post. After working in fashion for almost 9 years it felt so natural to start a life and style blog. What I didn't expect is how hard the "life" part would turn out to be. Styling is a passion of mine and that part comes so naturally. As each photoshoot passes it gets easier and easier to share my outfit pics with you guys, but what about the other 98% of my life? How much do I show? I never wanted The Girl Guide to be a "mom blog". Not because there is ANYTHING wrong with that (I love and follow so many), but because it doesn't represent my passion which is styling all women (and men), not just moms. 

So here's a first real glimpse into my life. If you follow my InstaStories you know that my oldest son Luke is 2 and a half and Harrison (Beau) will be 2 months old next week. Right now things are a little chaotic but I am so thankful for the time I've been able to spend with Luke on my maternity leave. I shot these photos with the SUPER talented Brooke from Brooke Allison Photography. I was really nervous about shooting with Luke, toddlers don't love being told what to do:), but after she snapped a few photos I felt like she wasn't even in the room. The result is a handful of photographs that I will cherish forever. 

One of the reasons I love being a stylist and a blogger is that I get to meet the most amazing and creative people. Brooke is no different. Check out her new Instagram handle @storiesofsentiment and follow along as she captures real life through her gorgeous photographs. On another note I want to thank YOU for your support as I find the right "balance". I'm so happy to take you on this journey with me!

XX

S

SHOP THE POST

WHITE LACE

SHOP THE POST

Happy HUMP day! This shoot was one of the most fun ones I've done so far! Brooke and I found this fabulous "secret garden" while driving around looking for locations and I am so excited to share these pics with you. What is better than a little white dress for summer? Add lace and I'm sold! I was shocked when I saw the price of this one. My only tip when ordering is to SIZE DOWN. This style runs very big but I love the skirt part of this dress. Hides everything and is so fun to wear casually or dressed up. Check out some of my favorite LWDs of the season below!

XX

S

TASSELS AND STRIPES

Hey friends! I hope your weekend was as lovely as mine! It finally stopped raining and we took advantage of every minute of sunshine! I shot the pics for this post with Luke, the baby, and my hubby Frank just a few feet away. Luke was yelling for me pretty much the whole time wondering why mommy was in the middle of the street. Its definitely a little crazy these days being a mom of two and working on the blog but at the end of the day all the chaos is worth it because I get so much out of both jobs. 

I love the earrings in this outfit and the price is so amazing at under $60!!!). I don't really wear a ton of jewelry but if I do, its almost always a fun pair of earrings. The trend has blown up this year and I love that there are so many fabulous options at every price point. Shop the post and check out all my top picks below:)

SHOP THE POST

EYELET TOP + Nordstrom SALE

SHOP THE POST

THE PERFECT OTS TOP

SHOP THE POST

SHOP off the shoulder PICKS

KIMONO DRESS

SHOP THE POST

dress // bag // shoes (old Ralph Lauren, similar here) // earrings

STONE BARNS

BLUE HILL FARM

SO its been killing me that I haven't been able to shoot any fun Spring outfits for you guys! My last official day of work was yesterday and now its time to rest up and prepare for baby number 2! Although I really have no idea what to expect, I hope I'll be able to get right back to blogging and shooting because it miss I so much right now! 

Anyone who followed me on Instagram last summer knows that one of my favorite places to go on a sunny day is "the farm". I grew up only 10 minutes from the Rockefeller preserve in Westechester, NY and walking the trails became a tradition for me and my family. In the last 10 years it has transformed into a working farm, world renowned restaurant, and market. Recently Blue Hill (the restaurant) was rated number 11 in the world! Its a true culinary experience and perfect for celebrating a special occasion! BUT if you're just looking for a fun place to take the kids on a Saturday like we are, visit the grounds and be transported to the English countryside.  They have lots of activities scheduled during the weekends and we always make our way to the grain bar for lunch or a coffee (make sure you try the chocolate chip spelt cookies!). 

XX

S