"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



2.28.2011

The Oscars


picture from trendspics.com


I feel compelled to say something about the dresses last night although, since EVERYONE is talking about it already, I won't drone on for too long.

Gwyneth Paltrow in gold Calvin Klein- hands down, my favorite. She looked perfect.

Jennifer Hudson in tangerine Versace- She looked so good and I appreciated that 1. her boobs are clearly real and 2. that it didn't stop her from showing a little appropriate cleavage.

Anne Hathaway- So many dresses! I didn't love them all. But I did love the tuxedo and the gold fringe dress.

Mila Kunis- hmmmm. I like the dress except for the little lace peekaboo part. It was a little too light and looked like weird pasties sticking out. But she looked comfortable and cool.

Melissa Leo- Not a winner for me. Why the mirrored stuff under the gold lace? It was too much. And I'm all for throwing around the f-bomb once in a while but kind of tacky in your Oscar acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress. I guess Alice would be proud at least.

Natalie Portman- Redeemed herself from Golden Globes.

Michelle Williams- She did, too. I love this white Chanel dress.

Scarlett Johannson- HATED it! What was going on here? The sheer parts were so weird and white looking.

Reese Witherspoon- I guess she looked nice but it was SO Julia Roberts from the year she won, right down to the hair. Boring.

Cate Blanchett- Most interesting dress of the night (Givenchy). I thought it was amazing, beautiful, artistic... I could go on and on.

Amy Adams- in L'Wren Scott. Loved the dress. I didn't like the necklace.

Halle Berry- Always pretty but always, always looks the same.

Hilary Swank- I loved the dress but she needed some jewelry. She was way too bare for my taste.
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2.25.2011

How To Mix Prints

You've probably heard by now that a trend for spring (and even right now, really) is to mix prints. Some of what I see in magazines regarding this cracks me up because it looks awful. Like no one would ever wear that and have someone say, "You look fantastic!" They might say instead (to their friend under their breath as you walk by), "She looks like a crazy bag lady." But I do like mixing prints when done realistically. Here are a couple of guidelines for doing it as well as some pictures so you can see what I mean.

1. Mix a similar print but in different scales, i.e. small floral on top, larger floral on bottom or big stripe on top, little stripe on bottom (see black/pink ethnic stripe top w/ black ethnic stripe skirt)

2. Mix totally different prints that have a common color theme (see orange paisley pant w/ orange flower tank)

3. Mix different prints that somehow share similar pattern (see floral top w/ yellow and black lace skirt)

4. Throw caution to the wind and mix something that on paper sounds weird but looks good in the mirror (see floral top w/ graphic black and white skirt and yellow belt)

I kind of got into the idea of mixing prints when I realized I did it on my daughter's outfits all the time. The warning here is that you have to be careful to make sure you keep your mix sophisticated and not juvenile. Just because a mash up looks good on my 3 year old doesn't mean it's okay for me.

Erdem silk satin blouse
$215 - theoutnet.com

Stella McCartney cotton tank
$175 - mytheresa.com

Paul Joe Sister sheer top
138 GBP - my-wardrobe.com

Sass Bide cotton tee
115 GBP - glassworks-studios.com

Tibi striped skirt
$118 - theoutnet.com

Felder Felder brown skirt
290 GBP - brownsfashion.com

Michael Kors cotton skirt
86 GBP - theoutnet.com

Tory Burch batik pants
$195 - net-a-porter.com

Vanessa Bruno silk belt
104 GBP - theoutnet.com

Buckle belt
$32 - topshop.com

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2.23.2011

J Lo On AI

Check out Jennifer Lopez on American Idol tonight. She's doing the color thing in a really cool way. Green dress, purple nail polish, hot pink lipstick. She looks amazing and she's working the color trend in a really easy way.
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2.22.2011

I Have a New Blog!


www.uvbnshoppd.tumblr.com


Hey everyone.

I've started a second blog-- not because I think people don't hear enough from me but because I thought it would be fun to let people know about my customer service experiences with all the shopping I do.

Check me out at www.uvbnshoppd.tumblr.com. I'll post any day I visit a store. The posts are short and to the point but you might get some good insight as to what you can expect when you shop somewhere. Maybe you'll agree with the praises being sung. Or maybe you'll just want to commiserate with me!
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I think I've finally figured out why so many of the fashion bloggers are so young (in their twenties, to be more specific). As I skim through their blogs each day, often admiring the ensembles they have on, I'm reminded that there is NO F'ING WAY I could dress like that each day! Why? Because I have kids. And responsibilities like grocery shopping, carpooling, laundry, and charity meetings. Even when I dress for a client appointment, I'm mindful of who I'm going to be working with. I mean, if it's the first time I'm meeting them and they work at a conservative law firm or something and I show up in 6 inch heels, vintage fur, and pant legs 3 times as wide as my body, they are going to be concerned about my ability to understand and dress them for their lifestyle. And can you see me showing up at my local Y to discuss programs for disadvantaged youth in $800 shoes? Feels kind of tacky. So, no knock to all those gorgeous young women out their setting the bar HIGH for very cool personal style; I applaud them all. But I'm going to keep plugging away at how to be fashionable in my real-life world of toddlers, sleepless nights, and Washington, DC. Anyway, it snowed last night, just enough to make it wet and slushy, and the day is gray and cold. This outfit seems perfectly reasonable, don't you think?



P.S.- Does this sound like a defensive rant? I hope not. As a show of good will, check out these two blogs by young women who manage to look uber-cool every day.
www.seaofshoes.typepad.com and www.theblondesalad.com
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2.20.2011

My Jacket Makes Me Laugh


If you haven't checked out the fashion blog Man Repeller, you really should. It's a hilarious commentary on the fashion that women love and yet is so repellant to men. You know exactly what she's talking about because we've all had that moment when your man looks at your outfit and says something like, "Seriously? What is this all about?" We wear it anyway because we love it but, lo and behold, not a single guy hits on you at the bar that night. Wait, maybe that's why my husband never gives me a hard time about those kinds of outfits. My clothes are literally keeping other men from finding me attractive!

Anyway, Saturday night I wore one of my most favorite "man repelling" items- a beautiful black silk and wool jacket by Camilla and Marc with huge shoulder pads that actually sit on TOP of the shoulders (instead of being sewn in on the inside.) I think it's cool. My husband said I looked great. And not one single guy at the bar looked at me twice. I guess it's working for all of us!
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Lots and Lots of Color

After suggesting a little dose of color in your wardrobe by adding it in your bag or other accessories, I thought maybe I'd revisit it with some actual examples of outfits. Here are some ideas for early spring that I think translate the trend realistically.

EMERALD
79 GBP - kurtgeiger.com
Formal shoes »

Jeweled Bangle
$38 - yesstyle.com
Bracelets »

Earrings Square Yellow
23 EUR - welikefashion.com
Yellow earrings »

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2.16.2011

The Maxi Skirt Trend For Real

I love the maxi skirt trend and I tried it out myself this winter with a basic black jersey version. I think I blogged about that outfit already which I wore to the ballet. But as this trend continues into spring, it got me thinking about how realistic it is for hot summer days and, even more importantly, for walking my dog, running errands, hanging out at the playground with my kids. I mean, I'll suffer for fashion if I'm wearing something out on the town but what about when I'm just runnin' around town?

I put together a couple of outfits with this in mind. I think the keys to this working are as follows:

1. It can't be too long (like my black version that I could seriously trip in if I didn't have some super high heels on).
2. It needs to be machine washable so if I get dog slobber or kid snot on it (which I will!), it won't cost me an arm and a leg to get clean.
3. It needs to be breathable fabric 'cause it's HOT in DC in the summertime!

And you'll notice the flats with both outfits. I love my heels but not when I'm walking through grass or on brick sidewalks. You may also notice two of the same top in one of the outfits- this is a technical error I seem to be powerless to fix.

And then I've included one more. I just thought this one by Free People was pretty and a good price but, for obvious reasons, not your walking-the-dog kind of skirt.


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