A DAY WITH SARA IN THE CITY OF ANGELS

A day of light, beauty, and inspiration

Sara wakes up with the light sliding through the curtains. Her place feels warm and lived-in — books on the table, a print leaning against the wall, a plant just ready for water. Nothing too perfect, just right.

Breakfast is slow, almost a ritual. Fresh fruit, strong coffee, maybe something from the farmers’ market. She takes a moment to breathe and let the sound of the city roll in.

Her mornings are for creating. Blog notes on the table, a few drafts for Instagram, yesterday’s photos waiting to be picked through. The spots she loves — a corner café, a sunny street, a quiet alley — are never just scenery. They set the tone, almost like characters in her story.

By the afternoon, she’s out looking for inspiration. A gallery opening, a design pop-up, a talk where she runs into friends. Some days it’s a quick drive out of the city, a house she’s been wanting to see, or a trail that clears her mind. These moments refill her eye and her energy.

Nights are wide open. Sometimes it’s dinner with friends in a place where the lighting feels just right. Other times it’s staying in, curling up with a book and a record spinning low. In those quiet hours she chooses what to share — not to keep up, but to stay true.

Sara’s posts are always intentional. Light, texture, and color matter as much as what she’s wearing. On the blog she writes about homes, architecture, art, travel. Fashion is there too, but it’s part of a bigger search: meaning, beauty, connection.

She wants her work to make people pause. A feed that inspires, not just decorates. And an audience that sees the care behind every choice.

Of course, it isn’t effortless. There’s the constant push to post, to keep up. Holding on to her style while answering to the market — and to her own life — is a balancing act. Making time for herself, for road trips, for slow mornings, is how she stays whole.

At 35, Los Angeles feels like a canvas already drenched in light, waiting for her to add to it. Through her blog, her photos, her choices, she’s building something that feels entirely hers. She doesn’t chase trends — she bends them until they sound like her own voice. Each post feels like another brushstroke on that growing picture.

Sara…

 

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Discover more of Sara’s world:

 

Sara Dal Monte

Sara Dal Monte
Digital Journalist | Photographer | Art Director
Los Angeles • Sure-com America

saradalmontestyle.com

Instagram Instagram Facebook Profile 1 Facebook Profile 2 Facebook Page

 

 

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THE FOULARD SUMMER ACCESSORY

 

There is a hair accessory that Pinterest loves in a particular way: the scarf. And you will immediately have eyes in your heart, because for the warm season it seems the complement of which your locks need. It gives you a chic but casual air, you can manage it as you prefer, turning it into a hair band, a bandana or a bow for your ponytail. Or if you love braids, it will be the “lock” to fit between the others.

The scarf is versatile, and, depending on your imagination, you can combine it with any style. There is only one small problem, but with our advice you can easily get around it. The fabric of which it is made, like silk, often tends to slip easily, especially if you have long, thin hair. If this is your problem, apply styling products that thicken and create more friction to keep your accessory in place.

To give you further push, know that since 2018 the designers have re-fallen in love and on the catwalks, from Dolce & Gabbana to Armani, have brought him back into fashion, creating an afro, hippy look inspired by the ’50s mood. And for the stars too, it has been a must-have ever-present beauty. What are you waiting for to experience it too? Here are some ideas to understand how to bring it and adapt it to your spring summer style.

 

 

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HAUTE COUTURE 2018 BEST THE HIGH FASHION FROM PARIS

 

 

Princess dresses, extraordinary volumes and precious embroideries: those seen in Paris are dreamy looks. Which we will see wearing the stars in the next red carpet.

The week of Haute Couture in Paris closes, like any self-respecting Fashion Week, dictates the trends of the next season: those of luxury squared, and that, surely, we will see worn by the stars on the next Oscar night. The Haute Couture Spring Summer 2018 fashion shows have made us dream with princess dresses, extraordinary volumes and waterfalls of rhinestones. But there are several common thread that the choices of the couturier have in common.

Starting from the feathers, an inevitable detail in any collection. Totalizing by Elie Saab who uses them from head to toe, they are spectacular on Valentino’s impalpable hats. Maxi and colored, they make the effect of gaudy clouds that follow the models step by step.

Even the frills conquer the designers and from Giambattista Valli is a real triumph of rouches. Pastel tulle, layered endlessly, cover drafts, bodices and puffed sleeves to catapult us into a real fairy tale.

Maxi volumes by Alexandre Vauthier, Alexis Mabille and Stephane Rolland, whose satin cloaks resemble those of the Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino paintings.

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FUR FUR FUR

Furs never miss the appeal of fashion shows, so I’m not an absolute novelty to see on the catwalk for the fall winter 2017 2018. The talk of a true return to fashion seems almost controversy as they rule sovereigns among the trends of cold season after year. Once again Fendi is an absolute champion, capable of decimating fur in a thousand variants. But beside him there is also Gareth Pugh who plays Gothic, for Gucci is total white. Whether ecological or natural fur (see mink fur), the imperative is to represent it with the innate class of those who want to bring forth primitive female instinctuality. A gentle, soft instinct, warm as a hug.


 

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MAXI DRESSES

If mini dresses aren’t your thing, get your hands on maxi dresses and take your style to new lengths. An all year round style staple for any girls wardrobe, it’s the perfect choice for chic everyday style and going out glamour. Go for an open-back, body-hugging style for your next night out look, or work it in a maxi dress, cut-out and metallic details perfect for those party season vibes. Let your legs do the talking with a sexy front split, or go for the cover-up and let your attitude to the talking. Add some heels and jewels to your basic block colours, or dress it down with some ankle boots and a killer coat for those casual feels. Whatever the weather, go maxi.

 


 

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WEARING YOUR HAT BASEBALL

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Archived beanie, abandoned Basque, hat you’ll want to wear this spring will (only) the baseball cap. He is the new hairstyle chosen by influencers and fashion editor to the latest fashion weeks in New York, London and Milan. Much more comfortable than a styling and much more cool of a new short haircut, the hat with a visor this Spring Summer 2017 PURE trend. But how to wear it in the routine of day-by-day avoiding the effect bad girl in high school? Try to match it to be business woman coats with shoulders 80s style Miroslava Duma, or look at the last trench + hoodie

MIAMI

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Shining sun,  Art Deco houses and skies in ice cream pastel colours , palm tress and the beach, I am just returning from a 9 day journey to Miami and to a well needed winter break. I was there for work, but shooting under the sun didn’t feel as much like it. I hadn’t been before, it’s always a pleasure to discover a place for the first time, especially when having seen so much already. Miami was super exciting and fun and it feels like there is a lot more I could discover on my next visit.

Here you go with some impressions from South beach and the Standard Miami Spa hotel where I stayed for two nights after the job. I didn’t take fully advantage of the Spa offerings, I’m more of a pool girl, but the deco alone was so worth hanging out there.

FASHION TREND REPORT: PALM PRINTS

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Designers took a cue from nature this season by incorporating breezy palm-tree prints into their collections.

If you’re feeling a little pained watching the summer fly by from your office window, might we suggest a little sartorial salve by way of cheerful palm-tree prints from the Spring 2014 runway shows? More Designers sent models walking down the runway decked out in this tropical motif.

We love palm-tree prints because they transport us to the summer sands and warm breezes of vacations past. Plus, they make dressing fun and playful. Palm-tree prints are also the perfect alternative for women who find traditional florals to be too feminine.
These tropical prints have also hit our favorite stores. Check out a few of the pieces on our wish lists below and scoop up one or two for yourself.

BLACK SHOES

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I’m not done covering Sydney fashion at least for this week (no worries, Milan Men’s and Couture Paris coming up soon).

With all the monochromatic looks one detail I noticed this time again, the shoes !  I haven’t seen that many black heels at once, especially the most simple version, an elegant heeled sandal with a simple strap that Gianvito Rossi and Givenchy seem to do best.

I love this type of simple heel, it will go with everything. The problem at least for me, my feet don’t look great in them, I’m yet to find the right strap placement for my toes, does this make sense ?

Here we go with many many shoes from Sydney’s fashion week, all in black, heels and flats.

THE BEST BOOTIES FOR FALL 2016

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Footwear designers may or may not have been thinking of Destiny’s Child singing “Bootylicious” when creating their fall lineups. But they certainly had booties on the brain. The collections were awash with ankle-high or lower calf-hitting creations, and their incarnations were many. Balmain did a regal, black and gold military style that featured a nine-strap closure over a gilded inset. Roger Vivier’s purple suede version sported cheerful pink, green and blue laces.Francesco Russo showed more detail than normal with a sexy open-toe and open-braided black number that had a hint of dominatrix.

 

ON AIR SNEAKERS

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I have an obsession: shoes. But I must confess: I have pretty little feet and often I buy, only sneakers, in the kids’ department! My size? EU 35/35.5/36, it all depends upon how the shoes fit!
However, spring is coming and with the good weather, on Sundays I like to go for a long walk . Must be honest: heels hurt so badly. The solution? I opt for sneakers and flats!
These are some of my fave pairs for the next seasons, all under €150,00!
As you can see my favorite brands of sneakers are Nike and Adidas. At the moment I’m really into Huarache and Cortez (Nike-girl of the season?/next purchases?) but I can’t abandon my beloved Superstar and Stan Smith!

 

 

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Photography & Art

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Before Pinterest, there was Tumblr. And while many people use Tumblr as a blogging platform, I use{d} it as an inspiration board of sorts… and to upload images that were too risque or just didn’t make sense to post here at the time.

Though now it mainly collects dust with my Instagram shots – – because of Pinterest. But I scrolled through it last night and found so many gorgeous inspirational photos just lost in the oblivion of the internet that I needed to separate out a few of my favorites from the beginning in 2009.

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PARTY PLANNING MADE EASY… MRS. PEASY RENTS TABLEWARES IN A BOX

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Former Fashion Blogger and Independent Fashion Bloggers (IFB) founder Jennine Jacob has left the world of blogging to start Mrs. Peasy… the party in a box service that makes hosting beautiful parties easy peasy.

Planning a picture-perfect party has never been easier with Mrs. Peasy, which removes the hassle of having to figure out which plates coordinate with which napkins and includes matching silverware and glassware to boot. You can choose from a curated collection of design focused tablewares and your party in a box will be delivered right to your door in time for your party.

Seriously, how GENIUS!!!

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Inspired by trying to solve the problem of using disposable items for entertaining and events, Jacob sought to create a business that helped people get over the fear of hosting beautiful parties and events by packaging everything they need to impress even their most discerning guests in a ready-to-use box set.

With an easy to use booking and payment system, Mrs. Peasy makes event rentals easy. Choose plateware from artisan pottery from Heath Ceramics, iconic British Falcon Enamelware and Japanese inspired handmade ceramics from WRF labs. The Mrs Peasy collection is peppered with flea market finds and treasures sourced from vintage dealers. Jacob also adds some of her own designs and creations into the mix. Prices start at $25 and range up to $600.

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Mrs. Peasy focuses on design, eco-consciousness and quality to provide clients with an easy to use, luxurious experience all the while providing them with a great value. Jacob hopes to offer a range of additional services like furniture rentals, and ecommerce rent or buy services and resources like floral/centerpiece delivery, catering and venue suggestions/booking to take a client’s event to a whole new level.

At the moment, Mrs. Peasy party rentals are only available in the San Francisco area but I can’t WAIT until they branch out to more cities, because I’m guessing Los Angeles would be in the near future!

Sara Dal Monte

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#SELFIE

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If “self-photographic portrait” is an old-fashioned term, “selfie” has become the word of the moment and the selfie-mania is amazingly overflowing.

Young and old, Hollywood stars and mere mortals, everybody is tempted by selfies, sharing them with friends and relatives.

How can we forget about the selfie taken during the 86th edition of the Academy Awards by Ellen DeGeneres? It was a group selfie with the most famous Hollywood celebrities: Jared Leto, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Lupita Nyong’o and Peter Nyong’o. Funny faces and smiles that were retwitted two million times in less than two hours: an authentic Selfie Awards!

Coming back in the world of normal people, the situation doesn’t even change: every day millions of selfies are posted, capturing several different poses with different backgrounds that give life to real subcategories.

This is the reason why the “Bathroom Selfie” and the “Bed Selfie”, not to mention the “Duckface Selfie” that seems to be the most famous one, are astonishingly popular.

Who was the first person to start this new trend taking the first selfie?

The first selfie of the history dates back to 1914, when the Russian grand duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna took a photo in front of a mirror. Then, she sent it to a friend of her along with a letter where the following words were written: “Taking this picture was so complicated, because my hands were trembling”. Not only was the first selfie to be taken, but also the first attempt of social sharing of what I like to call a “Vintage Selfie”.

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BEAUTY RESOLUTIONS

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There’s something magical about January 1 that makes you want to better yourself. We always think of it as a fresh start — a chance to be a new, improved you. And, here are eight things that are guaranteed to help you look and feel better. Want to know the best part? No gym membership required.

Master DIY Nail Art
News flash: The nail art trend isn’t going anywhere. So if you have yet to experiment with patterned polish, now’s the time to give it a go. The key: Start slow. Become a wiz at basic two-tone designs, and by the time spring rolls around, you’ll be ready to rock a more elaborate creation like swirls or itty-bitty blooms. Check out this video for some easy ideas for nail art novices.
Test-Drive a New Hair Color
Nothing says makeover like a freshly colored coif. And because summer is often a time to lighten up with highlights and ombre, winter seems the ideal season to spice up your strands with bold, allover color. Our favorite hues range from classics like rich auburn red to the more risqué violet.
Practice Safe Skin Care
If you only do one thing for your beauty routine this year, this is the biggie: Invest in a lotion that boasts UVA/UVB SPF. It’s a double win because you will get the benefit of smoother, more luminous skin while preventing future skin damage like hyperpigmentation, wrinkles and skin cancer. Use this chillier time to make daily application a habit. It should be easier because you’ve got a lot less ground to cover (hooray for sweater weather!).
Learn How to Properly Define Your Brows
This resolution takes a bit more dedication and practice, but once you’ve mastered the art of the arch, you’ll thank us. If you’ve ever overplucked (ahem, guilty), shading and shaping with a brow liner will help make your brows symmetrical and help bring out your best features. The secret is all in the tool. A 3-in-1 pencil makes application a cinch, even for those of us who have never been able to color between the lines (guilty again).
Purr-fect the Cat-Eye Liner
Another #beautydare that requires a bit of finesse: the ultimate winged liner. Find your favorite formula and practice. Lots. Our go-to: L’Oréal’s Infallible The Super Slim. It has a superfine felt tip, which makes it easy to be precise, and it stays on basically forever (OK, about 12 hours).
Work on Being Slick
That’s our cool way of saying use hair oil! We know it seems a bit counterintuitive, as we’ve dedicated our hair routine to avoiding slick strands. But, the benefits — oils help to heal the hair cuticle, sealing and softening your strands — are proven. And the potential pitfalls — like greasy, weighed-down hair — are more of a myth.
Rock a Bold Lip
There’s something very empowering about swiping on a rich shade, and it’s worth trying at least once. But it can be a bit daunting if you’re not used to such a strong pout. Start by narrowing down your options virtually with the Makeup Genius app (which lets you try on makeup using face-tracking technology — seriously you can blow kisses or bat your eyelashes, and your virtual makeup will, too!).