After a few grueling months of lots of work and little play, Rich and I decided to take a quick trip down to Carmel last weekend for some much-needed R&R. As previously discussed here, St. John Knits pieces are always on my packing list regardless of the destination, so they were definitely the first pieces that made it into my suitcase when packing for this jaunt. Since we were very casual during the day (beach walks and art gallery hopping) and more formal for dinner at night, these beautiful black and white pieces offered the necessary versatility without forcing me to overpack. This double-breasted white jacket with black piping was an especially perfect topper because I was able to wear it with a pencil skirt for work meetings in San Francisco on Friday morning and then throw on these leather leggings and over-the-knee boots for the afternoon when we jetted out of town. I’m a huge fan of the urban mix of classic and edgy pieces. I wore this floral coat and dress set together for our more formal dinner Friday evening, but both pieces would work great (worn together or separately) in a formal professional setting as well. I look forward to mixing and matching the coat with other monochromatic pieces in my wardrobe, and I think it will also even be an amazing statement piece over jeans, heels and a sweater. If you’re a fan of this black and white floral print, check out the maxi skirt version as well. It’s a real swoon factory.

     Look 1: JACKET: c/o St. John Knits  |  FAUX LEATHER LEGGINGS: Blank Denim  |  CAMISOLE: Heather Thomson  |  OTK BOOTS: Stuart Weitzman  |  SUNGLASSES: Mui Mui  |  CHOKER: old, similar here

Look 2: DRESS: c/o St. John Knits  |  COAT: c/o St. John Knits  |  SHOES: Steven  | BAG: 3.1 Phillip Lim  |  RING: c/o St. John Knits  |  BRACELET: Monica Vinader  |  SUNGLASSES: Mui Mui

Produced in collaboration with St. John Knits.