Monochrome
On the tail-end of January, few things are more comforting than contemplating the new season’s styles. In lieu of what’s to come down the runways next month for Fall 2013 (see: Céline reincarnations of the furry Birkenstock, rainbow shades of emerald), fans of monochromatic dressing, rejoice. I am looking forward to pulling out versatile black and white timeless staples that are my perennial favorites. Leather jacket? Check. White blazer? Check. Pencil skirts? Yes, please. Fierce bold statement shoes, drrr.
I will always stand by a fantastic oxblood, marigold, or cerulean. But, a mainstay on the spring runways, whether 60′s mod at Prada and Louis Vuitton, stripes at Marc Jacobs, classic takes from Saint Laurent, black and white for spring is wearable now. Eschewing florals and bright colors, I for one love dressing monochromatically. Done up with the perfect orange or red lip, crystal accessories, and a bright bag, these staples will never go out of style.
Dedicated fashionistas whose homepage isn’t bookmarked to Style.com, take note. Optimized links below, FTW.
Collage by Carina Gupta
Top row, the jackets: Rebecca Taylor leather-trimmed jacket, J. Crew white tuxedo jacket, Jil Sander Nostradamous peplum-back leather jacket. BTW, any of the jackets above can be worn with skirts paired below, or even better, worn with ripped jeans.
Middle row, the skirts. Donna Karan white leather pencil skirt, Topshop embroidered full skirt, DVF Mahalia Lace skirt.
Bottom row, the killer shoes. Alice and Olivia laser-cut pumps, Jean-Michel Cazabat sculpted shoes, Elizabeth and James Saucy ankle pumps.
And where the path of success leads to the palace of wisdom, you have Chanel.
So the million dollar question is, was Kanye onto something? Judging from Kim’s black and white wardrobe, Yeezy might have had some high fashion foresight.
What do you think? Did Yeezy teach us well? Tell me your thoughts.
Winter Blues
New Yorkers like to complain. I know because I am one of them. Either it’s too cold, too hot, or never enough cabbies to go around. Yesterday was so frigid, I asked on Twitter why frostbite was not trending. And there it was. Hashtag #fingerswithfrostbite. Those texting gloves really don’t work, do they? It’s winter and it sucks. And unless you’re skiing down the slopes, ”winter wonderland” ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. Why? As if you have to ask. Walking five blocks is difficult without escaping to a hot cocoa joint to warm up your frigid bones. Losing one glove sucks. And standing outside is worse. Nightlife? What’s that. Socializing with friends has become null and void. The lack of sunlight doesn’t help, my skin is suffering, and today is nine degrees. The good news is I am abiding by my New Year’s Resolutions, and although shoe options this time of year are bleak, I am sticking to self-taught layering tactics that lead to a simple fashion uniform.
Bundled up in blue, yet not feeling blue, is the way to go. I have been obsessing over blue lately and its infinite palette options. How about mixing blues and greens together? That pop of green is just the right addition for the doldrums of mid-winter. And the best thing about this outfit? Full disclosure, it’s all on sale.
Jeans are jeans, but style is what you do with them. My particular favorite pair are these stained boyfriend jeans from NSF. Ripped up and slouchy in just the right places, they successfully conceal the body parts that have been in hibernation for way too long. The top is fromTibi and although I am over peplums, this floral one was the canvas for this outfit. The ribbed knit from J W Anderson is the happy piece to the puzzle. Click the pictures below for details on what I am wearing. And, as always, they are available for purchase. Optimized links, et al.
Here’s a particular favorite: the cobalt blue wool fitted coat. Ultimately warm when belted, the Sophie Hulme contrast coat is one-of-a-kind, and boom! on sale for $586.00. I got it at Owen NYC, one of my go-to shops in the city. Alexander Wang beanie on sale for woop! $79.00. Warby Parker sunnies, Portolano cashmere-lined gloves FTW (warmth), Alexander Wang clutch now going for $215.00.
Oh My Gawd, You’re Coming to NY Fashion Week
You know how I get for Fashion Month, don’t you? I look forward with anticipation to view the next season’s collections, see old friends, meet cool hot designers, wear incredibly crazy shoes, and getting my game on. I try to refrain from my daily intake of coffee and exercise, and instead look forward to eating fashion for breakfast by subsisting on Power Bars, Diet Coke, and almonds. And here’s the thing, this could be you.
Brought to you by me, an avid fan of Diet Coke, I am thrilled to kick off Fashion Month with this announcement. As an ambassador for Diet Coke®, I am spreading the word for their The Heart Truth® campaign contest launching right now. In its sixth year, Diet Coke has been a proud supporter of the Foundation for the National Institute of Health by raising awareness and support for women’s heart health programs. And I can get behind anybody that is passionate about health.
For those of you obsessed with fashion, Diet Coke is hosting a contest for five lucky winners to win a free trip, a 2 night hotel stay, and an invitation to the 2013 Red Dress Collection Fashion Show℠ in New York City. What if you already live in the city? The Grand Prize winner gets a $500.00 credit towards a shopping spree accompanied by a stylist. I kid you not. From can to catwalk, I was obviously on it like white on rice. The show will take place on February 6th 2013, and you may or may not be sitting in the audience.
And now for the fun stuff. You enter the contest through Twitter and Instagram, by showing your hearts, literally. From January 22-26, you, my dear readers, who upload a heart inspired picture using #ShowYourHeart on Twitter and Instagram will instantly be entered in the contest. Five lucky winners will be selected – one per day – and one grand prize winner will get the grand shopping spree. Sound too good to be true? It is. Therefore, I encourage full participation and creativity for this contest. #ShowYourHeart and upload a photo.
As far as the official rules, click this URL for all the details: http://www.dietcoke.com/showyourheart/rules.html.
Winners selected daily so stay tuned for more posts in the days to come. And as always, style matters.
Though this post is sponsored by Diet Coke, my thoughts and views are my own. Think out of the box and spread the good word. Good luck!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Upload submission between 1.22.13 and 1.26.13.
Arm Candy
Is anyone else so bored with their winter wardrobe? I bet you are. Spring fashion is still a few weeks away from hitting the stores, but as I reported last week, single sole shoes are in, blinding neon has dug its grave, yellow is king, and I don’t know about you, but my exhausted wardrobe is well, exhausted.
Resort wear, available now, has some stellar pieces in many of the collections, and just like Pre-Fall, its sometimes even that much better than the Spring collections. Today on “if the world wide web was my closet,” let’s salute to the end of winter blahs with a migration to pastel bags to brighten up the cold weather staples in your closet. Sure we can invest in beachy pullovers and single sole shoes now, but the oh so fickle weather might not cooperate with what we want to wear now. It might be fifty degrees today, but tomorrow and the rest of the week looks to be bitterly arctic. Give thanks to the schizophrenic weather person who writes that script.
Because twenty degrees doesn’t have to mean black, grey, and navy, pair these hot new bags shown below with denim and an oversized chunky sweater to kick-start your wardrobe and wear now. If white pumps can be worn year-round, anything can. FYI, all the links below lead you to websites to purchase the looks. You can also shop the post in the new format by clicking the small pics on the bottom! Isn’t that new format cool?
Collage by Carina Gupta
1. Proenza Schouler Small Lunchbag Clutch, $765.00
2. Loeffler Randall The Rider Bag, $495.00
3. Dior bag, Get the Marni Two-tone leather tote here, £869.00
4. Rebecca Minkoff Sienna Tote, $525.00
5. Jason Wu Daphne Crossbody bag, $1,595.00
6. Diane von Furstenberg Tonda raffia clutch, $325.00
Wear now, wear later, why wait?
Pre-Fall Collections
Fashion is in constant perpetual motion and fashion-camp has recommenced by spinning its wheels for hints of what’s to come down the pipeline. I almost dismissed Pre-Fall as just a small-scale production, one that can be ignored, but I thought that would be downright disrespectful. My blog and my brand is a teeny tiny production in our massive universe, and I would hate to be dismissed as just that teeny tiny dismissable unit.
Hear, hear to the pioneer!
That said, Pre-Fall is a highly anticipatory event that most of the time, fails to disappoint. These collections, that hit stores in May, typically present the transitional dressing that we-want-to-wear now combined with threads of desire for the months to come. And we are all “gimme gimme” when this relationship works. Store buyers have been asking for more fashun in preseason collections–they don’t just want a bunch of commercial clothes. Smart thinking. Luring consumers into your store, with the web at your fingertips, can be a challenging proposition.
If we are playing “which designer captures the spirit” game (see Nina Ricci, Chloé, Celine, Acne, Stella McCartney), we’ll realize that they all play up their own whimsical takes on the challenges of the season. Checkmate. The shows that I was in awe of, held in high brow presentations seen on Style.com, are inspiration for what will be landing in Lincoln Center next month. There’s no better time than the present to brush up on the fashion lexicon du jour. Leaden platforms!, 60′s mod!, and cue those hats, hats, hats! for starters.
Starting with Nina Ricci, I find the combination of a heavy knit combined with a floral skirt so new, don’t you?
At Céline, can we talk about these enormous platforms? Or straw hat? The pilgrim brass belt buckles? Céline, oh my Céline.
Photo: The Brunette Salad
At Stella, pushing the envelope with oversized coats and stripes….this is not disposable fashion, kiddos.
Photo: Billy Farrell
My takeaway? Celebrate the season of androgyny, the continuation of flat footwear (see Céline pool sliders), and the single sole that doesn’t need to be justified.
For some of my favorite looks click on the gallery below. That’s all.
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- Chloe
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- Stella
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- Stella
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- Celine
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- Celine
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- Chloe
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- Chloe
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- Chloe
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- Celine
Feet Don’t Fail Me Now
It’s no surprise that the creator and star of “Girls”, Lena Dunham, won two awards at the Golden Globes for both TV series and for her acting. Female wunderkinds of every age seemed to dominate the night, go GIRL power, including Jodie Foster and hosts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. Gracious in victory, Dunham deserved every accolade she received, and then some. Her drop dead Zac Posen gown and Lady Peep Louboutin sandals exuded confidence and beauty that only a red carpet moment could capture. However the combination of nerves, champagne, and the unwieldy skirt combined with those 6-inch Louboutins, she hobbled across the stage looking like she could fall at any moment. Twitter was aflutter with how unstable she was. I feel your pain Lena, as did the rest of the twenty million people tuned into NBC, and frankly, I can’t walk in heels either. Here’s those dastardly shoes in question.
Christian Louboutin Lady Peep, $945.00
If I were her stylist, I might have rethought this choice, (nobody can really see your shoes anyway when your dress is this long), or at least I would have given her the opportunity to try them on and walk a bit beforehand. Combat boots or sneakers would have been a more fly option and more of the “Girls-type” cool-factor that would fit the ingénue to a tee. So, I scrambled together four options from my closet that I would have rather seen on the red carpet, albeit more appropriate footwear, for dear Hannah. Not that I don’t love Louboutins.
Top left: Charlotte Olympia single-sole navy heel. A bit smaller in heel height would be a better option for sure. Tanya Spinelli white ankle-strap pumps, find a similar pair from Alexander Wang here. Bottom left, see gladiator sandals with chunky heels, coming real soon to a store near you. These Laurence Dacade sandals, (I feature the booties), are a hot ticket. Trust me. And finally, Louboutins are what dreams are made of, and this pair of suede ankle platform wedge boots are super comfortable. I walked around New York City all-day long without a hitch. WIth that, I am available for hire.
Shop it here:
On My Face
When attending a dinner party this past Friday, I received a wonderful compliment that threw me off-guard. “Your face looks fantastic! What did you do?” my dear friend asked. I can tell you first-hand that she wasn’t talking anything specific, as she claimed, but rather, my “glowing” skin. “It must be the hat,” I retorted, trying to brush off the compliment. Yup, the large brimmed baby I was wearing, see: Saint Laurent Spring ’13, which framed my face just so. But, then I thought, it had to be the red lipstick, adding the just amount of colorful magic every time. But truth be told, my menstrual cycle stopped in to say hi, just in time to sit down for dinner, which probably enhanced the fake glow that demanded such unbridled attention.
Feeling good during the flow isn’t easy. Soaring hormones, stable headaches and cramps, and pimples on my chin don’t make it any easier. But self-medication in the form of a reliable beauty routine, cue the concealer, definitely helps. If for nothing else, it is analogous to my less clogged facial pores, less indentations/wrinkles, and my face is a lot more vibrant. I give credit to drinking lots of water, exercising regularly, and taking the time to take care of my skin.
Down below is my collage that I put together of twelve bare-boned beauty items for my face that I swear by. For low maintenance girls that demands a high return. The key to a glowing dermis is twelve minutes, one minute per product. Here is my hit list.
Start with the dr. Brandt Vitamin C serum for preventing further damage, followed by Dr. Hauschka eye cream. Drop it on, let it sit and soak in. Then I apply Laura Mercier SPF 20 tinted moisturizer for some deep bronzy color and sun protection even in the winter. Next apply NARS bronzing bronzer with a big fat face brush by Bobbi Brown. Feeling pale? Add this NARS blush in Super Orgasm for that secret color should you not be going through your menstrual cycle. For a cream blush, try this Bobbi Brown cheek tint.
On the eyes, start by curling your lashes with this Trish McEvoy curler. For $20, pinching your lashes up is a win win. Put on nOir eye liner, top and bottom, for a bold smoky look. I always finish the eye with black mascara, and this tubular Trish McEvoy is so easy to use and take off.
And finally on my lips, I use red lipstick like this Chanel satin lip color in Famous. Boom, color! Don’t feeling like putting on any makeup? No problem. Plan B: just put on the lipstick. Or stand on your head for 3 minutes. Either way, blood will have rushed to your face to achieve that glow. At the end of the night, don’t forget to wash it all of with Cetaphil cleanser, for a measly $9.00. (it’s cheaper than a cup of Starbucks mocha cappuccino) Now you’re red-carpet ready. Don’t you feel better? Happy Monday!
Hittin’ the Slopes
Deep into the ski season, I received a cry for help from a client heading to Vail with nothing to wear. I gave her a weather update: there is currently no snow out west, but Israel got hit hard so she should adjust her plans accordingly. These weather extremes are so crazy and with all this unpredictability and chaos, extreme has been the new commonplace. With that said, I started to dig deep into my ski trunk for some ideas and wondered from which era my black Patagonia fleece neck gaitor hailed from and where I could be of service. Every year I intend to bequeath this piece to charity, but the fact is, it wards off frostbite and throbs with utility. My ski uniform was up-to-date, but I can romantically recall the ill-fitting jackets and pants of yore. Just five years ago, you had nylon, fleece, and polyester. And the forbidden proverbial Michelin Man puffy jackets. Durr.
The list of improvements over the past 5 years in ski technology have been tremendous. High-level breathable fabrics really do make a huge difference. Jackets go from the slopes to the street, and you can wear your metallic puffer while cruising down the black diamonds. I created this post, furiously on the hunt for the trends in ski gear for Winter 2013. Cue the blaring music, the all-white mountains ahead of you, and find that sweet spot whilst carving the perfect turn. Here’s my fashion show on what to wear out there.
Collage by Carina Gupta
JET SET Sliver Celina metallic jacket. Now on sale for $565. Get the same one in Blue midnight here. Glamourpuss makes the warmest and most fashionable fuzzies on the planet. Itchy no more, this pom-pom hat is made for those slalom turns or for shopping in the hood. Add the fur funnel and gloves for après ski. Fresh Sugar lip treatment because there is nothing worse than chapped lips. Gucci bad-ass ski goggles. Karen Millen no fuss ski pant. Oysho Fair-Isle patterned knee-socks.
The trend toward sleek and clean lines continues. Less bulk? Spyder has nailed this department and without getting too technical, a simple white jacket may be the ticket. Get it here. I am going to stick with my JET SET Silver Celina metallic jacket and pair it with black stretch pants. I have skied for so long, that just like fashion, it has become my mountain uniform. Underneath it all, I tend to show my true colors. Whether a flannel shirt, base layer pajamas with pandas, or an alpine sweater like this one from Hanna Anderson, bold colors complete the look.
There are no hard and fast rules. You don’t want to have your name scribbled on the ski message board to see the Fashion Police. Whether trekking through the snow or just tweeting in the lodge, no matter what the weather, you’ll be ready to fly.
Happy skiing!
Anonymous
Call me a grouch, but I’m already over the enthusiastic adoration of winter. Evidently, I’m not the only one. Big sweaters, puffy jackets, chapped lips, scarves, dry skin–I’m quite ready for a breath of fresh air. Hoping that Fall Fashion week showing next month will uplift my spirits and bring some much-needed inspiration from the tents, I am now on the hunt in my closet for the daring, the unusual, and anything but the boring, jumper.
The alternative to the mundane is the ‘super sweater’, another thing entirely. Metallic knits, bright colors, and off-kilter shapes are the antithesis of monotony and are just the ticket to combat two more months of winter doldrums. Not comfortable swaddled in padding? Cue the result, a playful knit that is, voila, minus the bulk. Borrowed from the traditional fisherman’s knit, multi-colored textural sweaters, (shown in a cropped version) will spark up your wardrobe.
Keep in mind those abs that you forgot about this past year month. Not ready to show them off? Go for the longer version. One plus about being vertically challenged, is that only 1/2 inch of unabashed torso skin peeks out. Best worn not with jeans, but with something a little more unexpected – a flared skirt, laser-cut boots, an oversized coat, red lipstick, and a feather throw. Inspired by faceless fashion? You would never guess this person that just showed up on your screen.
Photo: Michael Crookster
Vanessa Bruno lurex sweater, Thakoon skirt, Stella McCartney laser-cut boots, Hermés cuff bracelet, Oscar de la Renta stole
Shop the look here:
Soul Cycles
Vogue January 2013
What is it about women and shoes? A psychological obsession, women abide by Fashion Rule #1, “You can never have enough shoes.” Carrie Bradshaw would certainly be proud. The minute a shoe becomes “hot,” on websites, on a runway, celebs, and/or on a fashion blog, massive crowds emerge from behind Instagram filters wanting to purchase said shoe. Fashion has become so commonplace and instantaneous nowadays that the editorial spread is no longer ripped out of a magazine and brought to the local store. You convince yourself that you need it now, and with the click of your mouse and immediate fervor, it appears on your doorstep. Therefore, the cyclical nature of fashion has become less pronounced, which leads me to stick to what I love, and forgo the trends.
That said, in shoe news, today on the Fashion Hunter, we will take a look at the single-sole. After many seasons of wearing le Platform shoes and boots, it seems like we are moving away from the heavy, and climbing down from the Amazonian plateau. Not willing to give them up quite yet, I understand the allure of the skinny calf, the elongated leg, the sex appeal, of the skinny heel. Take a look at Arizona Muse in those Giuseppe Zanotti heels. I can’t imagine her looking as “hot” in platforms.
Vertically challenged and physically active, I find the platforms to be so reliable and easy to wear. I don’t limp from foot pain or resort to changing into ballet flats. Lynn Yaeger in this month’s Vogue declares that the platform is on the way out and the news of the thin-soled shoe will be met with “measured enthusiasm.”
“No! I declare, I enjoy clomping around comfortably on the streets.” It’s the ability to stride gracefully that I have yet to master. And its a matter of habit.
What say you?
Will you learn to walk the walk?
Shop a similar one here:
Giuseppe Zanotti Sandals.