Spring Has Sprung

 

 

 

 

 



“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” --Rainer Maria Rilke 

Spring is such a wonderful time of year for so many reasons.  Daffodils planted in drifts spring to life, robins looking for food, more pleasant weather, and a rebirth of your wardrobe.  The Spring Cleaning requires a change over of your closet as well as a thorough cleanse of your living space.  I have looked more forward to this Spring more than I have any that I can think of in the past.  This is my second one living in the SoMa neighborhood of Little Rock and I am very much looking forward to the first farmer's market in April.  Warmer weather means riding the River Trail instead of using the treadmill.  And I can wear a new wardrobe.  Ok well it's not as much a new wardrobe as it is something new and fresh from the winter attire.  Pink button down super soft shirt from JCrew, white jeans from Banana Republic, and spring green suede wingtips from Giorgio Brutini?  Yes please. 

 

This Spring is going to be about color and classic looks with a twist.  I am not one to get into the new color for Spring situation as I think it gets trendy and is a ploy by designers and retailers to get you to go out and buy more clothes, rejecting your favorite classics.  Recently over brunch our table had the conversation about being trendy and how trends come and go but classic style stays.  A cautionary story about parachute pants was an example about following trends!  That was a good laugh for all of us. 

White pants are a classic that never get old and there is a huge variety from jeans to chinos to linen to a more dressy white pant you'd pair with a great jacket and wear to a more formal occasion.  Not just for Spring and Summer, they seem to really come into their own with the warmer weather. 

Here are two looks with only the jackets being changed and the key element being white jeans from Banana Republic.  I like them both, but the second image with the Boglioli cotton jacket and pocket square from JCrew are what I walked out the door with.

With warmer weather also comes shorter sleeves like polos and classic t's.  Here in Arkansas we have some days in Spring that are quite warm and you can get a jump on getting some sun on your legs and wear shorts.  Warm colors in both pants and shirts welcome the change in season.  During this time of year I don't like to wear much that is the fashion equivalent of anything less somber than the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"!  But I do agree that browns and neutrals can make a home and play nice with their more colorful cousins on the color wheel, but not an outfit of neutrals. 

I stopped in recently to check out the Spring offerings at The Independent and to talk with my friends Jon Stone and Flynn Smith about what they are offering customers in the store.  Color.  Great fabric options in both the bespoke suit and shirt categories as well as off the rack items from Isaia, Eton, PT01, Mastai Ferretti, and their own in house pieces. 

 

 

Another nice benefit from the change in season is that it seems that food gets lighter and more punctuated with flavors that are very fresh.  Corn chowder and chili are replaced with gazpacho or a chilled pea soup.  And these meals can be eaten outside with patio entertaining coming back as an option.  I know that outdoor entertaining isn't a Southern invention or that we even corner the market on it, but at least we get first shot at it compared to our more northern friends.  Get your seersucker ready guys! 

Nice weather, pops of color in your wardrobe and garden, Derby Day, outdoor entertaining, and healthier eating are why Spring in Arkansas is a damn good thing.  For those of you that Spring comes a bit later, it just gives you more time to plan!

For more style info please check out and like Brian's Style Guide on Facebook.  You can also follow me on Instagram under Briansstyleguide.

 

  All of these images are courtesy of Brian Kelley/Imagine Photography/Brian's Style Guide and are protected by copyright law. None of these images may be used, edited, reproduced, transferred, published or distributed in any form or by any means whatsoever without prior written permission.

Moving Into a New Space

Last April I moved to downtown Little Rock in what is called SoMa, or South Main area.  I was fortunate to find a great old building that had been converted to loft apartments in 2001.  The building was constructed in 1904 and was Little Rock High School until Central High was built in 1927.  It was known as Eastside Junior High until 1966 and then was used by the school district for various purposes after that, but was largely empty until 2001. 

I moved into a 4th floor one bedroom loft and was quickly at home.  The history of the building and the area was what I enjoyed the most about it, but the hardwood floors, huge windows, and high ceilings gave it great style.  The SoMa neighborhood has been in the process of a fantastic re-birth with new businesses opening, people moving in, and the crime that so plagued the area moving out.  It is close to 630, a main traffic artery in Little Rock, so it is easy to get around but yet SoMa retains the feel of small town Main Street that people love it for. 

Here some images of that one bedroom that started my new chapter in SoMa.  I have chosen to show images of it empty so it is easier to compare it to the new space...blank canvass to blank canvass.

So everything is perfect but my space seemed to get smaller as my life became more vibrant.  The one closet I had was no longer enough space and the kitchen shrunk.  Also as I began to do more photography projects I realized I lacked space for that too.  One day recently I happened to run into my landlords Mark Brown and Jill Judy at The Root Café having breakfast and they shared with me as they always did that there was a new space coming open soon on the first floor since I was always a huge promoter of my building.  A huge two bedroom?  Wouldn't hurt to go check it out since I always enjoyed looking at the lofts as they were remodeled.  What I was struck by was that it was so large and open in the living/kitchen/dinning space, it had a great foyer and hallway, two bedrooms with doors, plenty of cabinets and closets, and one full bath and one half bath.  But did I really want to move?  How could I not?  The entire process of telling them I wanted it, packing, and moving took about 10 days.  Whew!

I am moved in but still unpacking and finding homes for things, as well as trying to decide on what the space wants, and where the art should go.  I like to get out of boxes as soon as I can but it seems like the decorating takes a bit longer because you have to feel the space out.  It was of course a logical topic for this post and I look forward to sharing images and updates as things progress.  Over the next two weeks I want to share pieces that I moved and ones that I have gotten especially for the new space.  Once they all find their logical place I will shoot the space and post those images.  So this will be an ongoing piece about finding a new place, moving, sourcing pieces, decorating, and living in that place.  Happy to take you on the journey with me!

For now I want to share, and hope you enjoy, some before images of the new two bedroom so you can get an idea of it in its blank canvass mode.

The living area with open kitchen.  Instead of hardwood it has original tile floors with patches of stained concrete where old repairs had been made.

This bedroom will be the office and workspace.  It also has the half bath attached.

The alcove is going to be a great spot for a desk and storage

Instead of a tub this one has a walk-in shower and I love the floors

The smaller bedroom is going to be my bedroom.  I like the cozy size and it is across the hall from the full bath.

The foyer is a mix of plaster walls, block, and sheetrock.

The foyer/hallway is going to be a great area for art and it makes the space feel more like a condo or house rather than a loft.  Call me crazy but I like more definite spaces.

For more style info please check out and like Brian's Style Guide on Facebook.  You can also follow me on Instagram under Briansstyleguide.

 

  All of these images are courtesy of Brian Kelley/Imagine Photography/Brian's Style Guide and are protected by copyright law. None of these images may be used, edited, reproduced, transferred, published or distributed in any form or by any means whatsoever without prior written permission.