"Feeling unique is a habit you shouldn't give up."

- Alberto Fermani



"Anyone can get all dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress in their off days that is the most intriguing."

-Alexander Wang



10.27.2010

Halloween



I love Halloween and I usually LOVE dressing in costume. But this year has just totally escaped me. I haven't even decorated yet. My dreams of being a zombie bride have diluted to some zombie face paint and a regular outfit. That said, there are a lot of people out there who hate dressing up for Halloween. My suggestion is to go as you'll be comfortable. But you can still give a nod to the occasion with the your outfit. Put on some hot (and slimming) black pants, a sexy dark top, and some high heels. Try a bold red lip or a deep plum AND a really smoky eye. It's Halloween so you can't really have on too much. Finally, try a piece of jewelry like the head piece I have pictured below or a great ring in the shape of a spider or bug. There is tons of cheap costume stuff out there that looks cool and is very fun.

Happy Halloween!

10.26.2010

cheap jewelry


I'm a big believer in supporting boutiques. Department/chain stores can literally mean death to the small business owner. But once in a while (like once or twice a year, max (no pun intended!)) I wander in to TJ Maxx. I always wander through their "runway" section where the designer goodies are (I rarely find anything I love although they do have tons of M Missoni pieces which I like), the shoes (which I NEVER find good ones in my very popular size), and the kitchen/house section (sometimes I score good stuff like right now they are full of Le Creuset pieces). But the one department I have a lot of luck in is the jewelry department. They have tons and tons of stuff, all styles, big price range, jumbled together in piles in ugly neon-lit glass cases making it all but impossible to see if there is anything good. But, since you'll be waiting about 10 minutes to get any help at the counter anyway, you might as well browse. So now I've hopefully deterred you from stopping there on any kind of regular basis but, if once in a blue moon, you're in the area, stop in for a peek and maybe you'll find a good deal.

P.S.
Today I found a ring reminiscent of this one. The one I found was black and clear crystals in an of evil eye pattern that was bigger and flatter. Totally cool. Only 80 bucks. This one is $595 (on sale!) and is from ice.com.

10.25.2010

Darkness Comes Early



Now that it's dark by 6:30, I've fallen into my old winter ways. That basically means pajamas as soon as dinner is over (and, yes, I eat dinner at the early-bird special time of about 5:30 pm). In an effort to keep from looking totally pathetic, I should do something like these from Anthropologie. They always have the cutest pjs!

10.19.2010

The 70's- Yeah Baby!






Try this with something modern like a black leather obi belt and some super high heels.



There are certain style factors that have been a part of my wardrobe for a long time now. These are kind of "uniform" pieces for me (white tee shirts, birkenstocks, a great pair of jeans, cargo pants in military olive, turquoise jewelry to name a few). There are people who know me from back in the day that did not consider this uniform to be particularly stylish. Or at least they considered it to be a little too consistent. But the fact that these items and a few more that have been added over the years are somewhat of a uniform is really not a surprise considering I actually wore a uniform to school for the better part of my childhood. It is also the fact that I wore a uniform for the entire decade of the 80's that made me somewhat detached from this decade's defining styles even though, really, this is the decade of clothing that should define me. I consider myself lucky in this. So I've bounced around over the years from decade to decade, enjoying vintage and enjoying it just as much when an "old" style becomes "new" again. A dress from the 50's will forever hold it's place in my heart as my favorite silhouette. A higher waisted trouser from the 40's will always look sophisticated. But the 70's is so much fun! Everything was cool in the 70's. From maxi dresses to mini skirts and swingy wrap disco dresses, from sequins to fur, from high waisted wide legged jeans to midriff baring halters, it all works. Oh! Don't forget the hats! All types of hats. It is such an easy decade to accessorize with. I hope this trend lasts a while!

10.17.2010

Neutral Color

Since I don't have room in my closet for all my clothes, I installed an elfa system from The Container Store on one wall of my bedroom where I now display a large portion of my clothing and my shoes. I think of this as a version of art; my husband may disagree. (Note- he did get a shelf for a nice flat-screen tv when all this was done so he didn't totally lose out!) Sometimes at night, before I fall asleep, I stare at the clothes making new outfits in my head or thinking about what I wish I could add or sometimes just noticing I need to get more organized. The other night, I noticed something new. Although I do not consider myself to be a person who uses a lot of color in my clothing- I prefer to do this in accessories- a subtle, almost neutral color has begun to creep in, making itself a force that threatens the domination of my grays. That color is blush. I think the reason this has happened is because the other go-to neutral, tan, does not look good on me. I'm fair and it washes me out or makes me look kind of yellow. But blush, with it's rosey hue, gives my skin tone some life without screaming, "Look at me! I'm wearing pink!" It's also feminine without being overly girly, another good contrast to my often edgier pieces. Finally, I seem to be drawn to the color most frequently when it appears in delicate, floaty fabrics like silk or cashmere, making it seem even more luxurious. Here is one way I'd wear it for a night out.

10.11.2010

The Denim Shirt 4 Ways

One of the big trends for this fall is the denim shirt. While undoubtedly casual in and of itself, the possibilities for how to wear this shirt are endless. I came up with these four in a matter of minutes. My favorite is probably the black maxi dress/ denim shirt combo. I think this is the epitome of downtown cool. It’s especially perfect for that cocktail party/art gallery opening/dinner at the expensive restaurant at which it took months to get reservations. The sparkles say, “I’m dressy.” The denim shirt says, “I’m cool without trying.” And isn’t that what we all want to be? But, really, open your mind when you look at this shirt and imagine it with sequin skirts, satin pants, color, black, dressy shorts, leather, colors, black, patterns…the list goes on. Just avoid the denim shirt with the khaki twill pant because that may be the one look that is just not cool anymore.