dress for the fest.

every once in a while i'm lucky enough that my day job and this little ol' hobby of mine get to collide. yesterday was one of those "once in a whiles," thanks to cityplace and sunfest.

that's because cityplace launched a "dress for the fest" contest, asking fans to share their sunfest style on facebook in honor of our own east coast music festival in downtown west palm beach. the winner scores a free pair of tickets and $250 worth of gift cards to cityplace to get all the fashion and beauty essentials. pretty good deal, if you ask me.

i'd enter on behalf if i could, but something tells me i'm a little too close to the source to win. for that reason, i'm asking that you, my readers, please enter on my behalf. if you choose to submit, please feel free to post your photos to the prêt-à-porter palm beach facebook page too so we can get a peek!

flavor of the week: green tea.

after the seemingly endless photos of fashion and ferris wheels across the @pretaporterpb instagram feed last weekend, there's a part of me that is wishing i was in cali right now rather than jupiter, fla. the other part of me is looking forward to the yoga-filled midtown peace, love & wellness music festival with my sister today, and the palm beaches' own version of coachella in a couple weeks...sunfest.

to get a head-start on both events, i filled up on green tea and a fresh, homemade juice of energy-boosting fruits and veggies this morning, while putting together another board inspired by the famous steve madden troopa boots and the current flavor of the week. 

flavor of the week: green tea. by pretaporterpb

hollister co. crop top / bcbgmaxazria harness belt / forever 21 high-low skirt / steve madden troopa boots / vanessa mooney wrist-to-ring bracelet, urban outfitters / leather wrap bracelets, urban outfitters / bcbgmaxazria aviator-wayfarer sunglasses / essie nail polish

in my opinion the best part of this outfit (besides the boots, of course), is the leather harness belt from bcbg. i think it's time i add one of these to my closet...in time for sunfest, of course. 

the next best is the bike. did you know that sunfest has a bike valet? it's sponsored by the west palm beach downtown development authority, and while i may be a bit biased, i think it's a pretty cool program that gets you close to the entrance, while avoiding gas, traffic and parking fees. plus you'll get even more of that florida sunshine on your way downtown. now i just need a pretty green beach cruiser like this...because my purple road bike and red-trimmed tri bike don't really match my outfit.

songs for style: sunfest edition.

music can be so influential and defining in our lives in general...for example, i think there were at least three references to guns n roses during my wedding ceremony, thanks to my husband...but it is also a good representation of a person's overall style. 

so this is a new "songs for style" section i'm launching here, based off the old list of songs we had running down the side of the website years ago. every few posts i'll try to make a recommendation on a new song to listen to that is representative of my style for that day.

on today's list? "tonight, tonight" by smashing pumpkins. 

why, you ask? well first, duh, because i cannot wait to see them - or billy corgan and friends, anyway - at sunfest, which was just announced yesterday. second, it's got a super artistic music video inspired by the silent film, a trip to the moon, by georges méliès, and people just don't make creative music videos like that anymore. and last, because i had a fun night out with some of my girl friends and coworkers "tonight, tonight" at city cellar, followed by pizza with my man at my all-time favorite, mellow mushroom at cityplace.

have your own great night by downloading the song through itunes here.

sunfest lineup 2013.

hey sunfest, the 90s called and they want their music back...

but they aren't getting it.

the 2013 sunfest lineup was announced yesterday, and although there's some pluses (the bands where the middle school nostalgia will be running high) and minuses (let me put it this way...i really hate the sound of trains of all types) for my personal taste, overall i'd say it's gonna be a good year. my husband is already talking about buying the five-day pass this year, which he's never said before.

while i can't wait to see smashing pumpkins, the black crowes and even reel big fish, i'm most excited for the festival fashions to come back (it's the best i can do until i get to coachella one day!). we'll circle back at the beginning of may, but until then, take a look at some of the sunfest street style we spotted last year. 

and if you're over the music fests or just want a good laugh like me, click here to see this hilarious lineup.

p.s. sunfest, with more than 2,000 shares on facebook alone this year, not to mention blogs like us sharing your awesome news, don't forget to brand your lineup artwork next year, pretty please!

 

sunfest street art.

having sunfest withdrawls already? not to worry. there are a few festival pieces you can still visit without having to wait until may 2013, that is, if you were a fan of the art.

there were a few art dealers with a fashion focus that both my husband and i stopped to check out, starting with these mistura timepieces, which were probably the coolest watches i've ever seen.

 

we chatted with the owner for a minute, a colombia native and really nice guy who took the time to tell us all about them. the watches came in so many cool colors, straps of different widths, and faces made with exotic wood from south america...all one-of-a-kind and eco-friendly, so you know i was hooked. i couldn't decide on just one for myself, but if alex had his way he would have taken home the white cracked leather band shown on the upper right. the pieces range from about $165 to $200, with some a little more, some a little less.

our next long stop was at the booth for andremi designs, and with so many interesting and innovative items "for the bohemian and the princess," i didn't know where to look. the bison leather "pocket belts" (much cooler twist on the fanny pack) and some leather belt/skirt thing (some things just don't need an official name) were what brought me in, but the leather and stone rings, cuffs and intricate macrame necklaces kept me around. 

the owner of this booth was from colombia also - a land that apparently breeds hot design - and explained some of the products to us. the pieces are pricey, but the materials and craftsmanship seem to make it worth the cost. unfortunately he wouldn't let me take a photo of the product though, even for the blog, so you'll have to settle for his sign here and then go check out the website.

moving away from accessories and onto outfitting the home, we were on our way to see joan jett when we were captivated by the whimsical little mixed-media illustrations from pbs artstudio. artist patti ballard and her husband were great to tell us the stories behind all her work, and we couldn't keep our eyes off all the mermaids, angels, fairies, animals and other storybook characters she created. they're the perfect mix of pretty and edgy, just enough to get the the attention of not only me, but alex too. if we had a little girl, it'd be safe to say her room would be covered in these.

we couldn't leave without adding at least to our home; the difficult part was choosing which to purchase. we picked up these two prints for the sunfest deal of $50 total, titled "so happy together," and "in my own little world." want your own? check out her etsy shop.

the last booth that caught my attention was the garnier fructis salon, even though i didn't take advantage of it. they gave away samples to festival-goers within the space, but it was the large mirror at the self-style station that came in handy for the girls with wind-blown, sweat and sun-soaked hair. damn good marketing, if you ask me.

what were your favorite parts of sunfest - the music, art, fashion or food? share with us in the comments, especially if we can check out some of the artists now that the event is over.

festival fashions.

yesterday was a whirlwind of sun, sounds and street style at sunfest in downtown west palm beach, and the prêt-à-porter palm beacher caught a lot of it on camera. 

while the music, art, food (um...crawfish? yes please!) and on-tap margaritas were awesome, the majority of the fashions didn't seem to be quite up to par with coachella. that being said, it is a bit different demographically as a family-friendly event for all ages, and we were able to spot a few cute girls - and guys - rocking trends mentioned in friday's post.

here are some looks we picked out of the crowd:  

fashionable foursome: boaters' hats, fringed tanks + ankle boots

 leila and dara in neon + sheer lace maxi skirt; a head wrap + crocheted top

 kady with a hot pink lip + combat-style boots; brittany with a side braid + tribal top

cassady in a very palm beach-esque, watercolor-inspired dress

my little sis, ashley, in a tiered lace top, converse + cross-body bag. her
"skanking" gear for the mighty mighty bosstones, apparently. 

(what's "skanking," you ask? i did too. strange dancing down
in the pit, similar to moshing but much friendlier!)

 

even the dudes were aware of their apparel. pete and jarrett both sported surfer tanks
and board shorts, much like most of the 20-something men in attendance.
pete took it a step further adding in the neon trend and these shoes...

pete wore some dirty pink sperrys, minus the laces, and i have to say i liked the look.
my husband, alex, wore his classic chucks, this time in pinstripe.

it's evident that cross-body bags, baggy tanks, cuffed denim shorts, sandals and sneakers were popular, but it was the bright colors, lace and boots that stole the show. the festival fashions seemed to be the best early in the day, especially jamming around the michael franti & spearhead concert...which by the way, moved directly behind us during a part of the day, shown below. and let me tell you - michael franti certainly has stage style with those good looks, tattoos and dreadlocks.

and what did i wear? i wasn't much of a wild child myself because of the heat, donning a black maxi skirt, taupe crop top and fringed handbag from brandy melville, beaded sandals from nine west, a belt from h&m cat-eye sunglasses from urban outfitters and a few of my favorite chained necklaces. a body chain, purple hair chalk and a bold lip were almost part of the outfit, but with temperatures in the upper 80s...there's no way i could make them work!

i can't make it to sunfest today, but want to see more. so if you're there, send me your street style pics at pretaporterpb@gmail.com or tweet them to me at @pretaporterpb so we can keep up with it all here!

sunfest street style.

i was bummed that i couldn't attend coachella this past month, and my husband and i weren't able to make tickets to outside lands music festival work either. the worst part about it? i'm missing out on all that bohemian style.

think crop tops, colored denim, lots of lace, high-waisted shorts, neon belts, vintage tees, braided hair, head wraps, fringed purses and military boots. mini skirts, high-low skirts, sheer skirts. hippie chic mixed with 10 percent 80s wear and 10 percent 90s.

 
luckily, here in downtown west palm beach we have sunfest. the intracoastal-lined arts and music festival spans five days and has really proven itself over the years with top national acts...now let's see if it can hold up to the fashion.

i've got my outfit planned for the joan jett concert and all the 90s bands i'll be seeing tomorrow...what are you wearing? i'll be snapping a few pics to capture some of the best street style, but want you to send me shots of your looks too at pretaporterpb@gmail.com.

here's one of my friend lilia from last year in cute but casual palm beach county fashion. she was on the ombre and maxi dress trends ahead of the game - before they blew up everywhere this year.

need more inspiration? check out the lookbook.nu post with bcbgeneration, urban outfitters' "behind the scenes" pinterest board, or a few of my top festival fashion picks here:

only thing to remember? it's florida. it's going to get to around 84 degrees tomorrow...you're going to want to lose that leather.