left my heart in san francisco {an ode to california + taylor stitch}

First outfit: Dress: Eva dress available for preorder from Taylor Stitch; Jean jacket: Old Navy; Boots: Isabel Marant; Sunglasses: Ray-Ban; Bag: Asos (love this style here); Watch: Daniel Wellington; Necklace: Jennifer Zeuner

Second outfit: Camel coat: Zara (old, similar style here); Boots: Celine; Bag: Proenza Schouler; Necklace: Jennifer Zeuner; Lips: Marc Jacobs "Oh Miley"

When I made my big NYC move announcement a few weeks back, I realized I never really clarified what exactly I'd be doing for work out there. I'm beyond happy to report I'll be staying at Google, working on my same team (marketing for Google Express), but simply transferring offices, from Mountain View to our Chelsea Market location. My new apartment (in the West Village!) is about a 10 minute walk from the office, meaning I'll be getting back about 4 hours of my day, which I currently spend commuting between San Francisco and Silicon Valley. To say I'm ecstatic about this shift in work/life balance, would be an understatement and I'm looking forward to putting that new found time to work -- both here on the blog and, oh I dunno, working out a bit more often. ;)

But it should be said, most of my team is still based on the West Coast, meaning I'll be back pretty often (read: about once a month) for work off sites and brainstorm sessions. While it may sound a bit exhausting, I'm actually really excited to try out this whole bicoastal thing -- especially when it comes down to visiting friends and a certain special guy out here in San Francisco. It also means, I don't have to say goodbye to California, just yet. And trust me -- I don't want to say goodbye to her! There's so much she and I have left to do together. Yosemite! Joshua Tree! Big Sur! And so many more road trips up and down Highway 1! 

It's with that in mind that I've been playing around with the idea of creating an ongoing series here on the blog about my visits over the coming months -- a diary of sorts about our reunions -- an ode to the wild child, free-spirited, fiercely untamed nature that is California. 

Enter Taylor Stitch (another reason I will definitely miss the West Coast). If there's a brand that truly embodies the California spirit, it's these guys. I was first introduced to the brand a few years back when my good friend, Kim, a designer at Banana Republic, mentioned a pop-up collaboration they were doing with these three dudes, all East Coast transplants, who were onto something, making high quality, classic, yet rugged staples that are meant to be lived in. Fast forward a few years, and they've got quite the cult following here in San Francisco, with one shop on Valencia, and another on Chestnut -- and a lot of loyal California men (and women) sporting their staples all over the city. 

Personally, I love how each of their pieces carries a certain sensibility to it -- you can tell it was intentionally made with it's wearer in mind. Comfortable and yet tailored -- I can easily wear their pieces from morning walks with Elvis, to drinks in the evening, which let's face it, that's what we're all about in California. 

So you can imagine my delight when they reached out to do a little shoot together around their Eva dress (which I'm wearing above, available for pre-order here). We roamed around my neighborhood, including Alta Plaza Park (a frequent stomping ground for Elvis and I) and up and down Fillmore Street (my favorite block for window shopping). I love how these pictures capture exactly how I'll remember my San Francisco afternoons -- carefree and meant for exploring. And I have a feeling, for future California adventures, I'll be reaching for more of their staples. 

Thanks Taylor Stitch for a great afternoon!

Photos by Mike Armenta