Go Ask Kara

By Kara (@GoAskKara), Buffalo Exchange Georgetown

DC is a truly inspiring place to live! The historic buildings and homes, the detailed mason and iron work, the color combinations of homes that stretch for blocks… all reflect in my personal style choices.

I am an animal lover through and through… especially cats! This awesome retro cat blouse came through our Georgetown store and I just had to have it.

Worn alone it’s a little over the top but paired under a bright GAP sweater with printed Pilcro Serif leggings from Anthropologie  in complimentary colors it’s just the right amount of “crazy cat lady” for me!

While shopping at the Jack Spade store in Georgetown I noticed that they also share my love of retro cat fun, as shown by their cat poster from a cat breed book printed in the 1980s.

My favorite Buffalo Exchange hauls so far this year are pictured next- vintage coach bag, Tory Burch sweater with a wreath and anchor, Madewell sweater, and houndstooth scarf.

Next is a J.Crew Collection sweater, Dolcetta by Dolce Vita for Urban Outfitters teddy patent oxfords, Dooney and Dourke vintage leather bag, GAP tee, and J.Crew dress.

Another inspiration outfit… my pink fuzzy sweater from H&M and envelope necklace, inspired by the coolest house on my block in Columbia Height Washington, DC.

The entire house is pink and white and has lion statues out front! Plus, there is ALWAYS an old Jaguar parked outside of it… SWOON!

As mentioned before, I recently moved to DC from Philadelphia, PA and while I am in love with DC, it can be hard living away from the ones I love. My boyfriend helps me get through the loner times by sending me vintage love letters and postcards.

The colors and the whimsy of the prints really inspire my clothes as shown through my J.Crew heart sweater, Madewell pants, and Steven by Steve Madden rhinestone loafers!

There are a lot of really interesting color combinations of historic homes in DC as well as ones that keep it historic yet modern with simple black and white. I love them all!

The black and white house with the lion statues and randomly painted row homes in my neighborhood completely inspired my outfit this day- GAP striped sweater, Levi’s chambray shirt and flower printed jeans, and Jeffrey Campbell panther head flats.

The historical homes in DC are known for ornate detailed mason and iron work… it’s like they’re wearing jewelry statement pieces! I was never good at accessorizing and never wore jewelry until just recently. Seeing the adornment on buildings and bridges throughout the city has really encouraged me to be more creative and choose a bold statement piece to wear every day.

My favorite door knocker I have ever seen is in Georgetown- it is a woman’s hand wearing a ring and ruffled French cuff.

My own favorite statement piece was a gift from my boyfriend- it is a huge planchette (like you would find on an Ouija Board) hand crafted from sterling silver by a privately owned jewelry company based in Philadelphia called Blood Milk (www.bloodmilkjewels.com) . It is my most special piece of jewelry.

Just before Christmas they city decorated the lion statues on a bridge near my house with wreathes (so cute).

My bow cord pants from J.Crew and panther Jeffery Campbell flats are a good match to this picture!

Lastly, my favorite outfit of the month as inspired by this picture of a home in Dupont Circle Washington, DC.

The color of the sky and my GAP chambray blouse, the lines within the bricks and my skirt, and the black iron work and the black color blocking in my outfit all work really well together- simple but interesting.

You can follow Kara’s Instagram @GoAskKara or check back monthly for Kara’s update