Stella, Oh Stella

New York City, the capital of bipolar fashion, is having a breakdown and I’m its number contributor. Yesterday morning, I ran out the door with a pair of skinny jeans, a turtleneck, mens loafers, in head-to-toe black only to be told that I wasn’t dressing playful enough. and looked like a bag lady. Le sigh. Later that evening, I changed into a bomber jacket, a choker, and  red lips, all smile-ready for the cameras at an evening event. Today, its back to a mini skirt, cropped sweater, and a pair of wedge boots. I am contributing to fast fashion as we know it, sitting on the proverbial couch for some retail therapy. It’s really hard to change, but I’m working on finding a uniform that defines me and my style. I think I discovered my look organically, plucking trends as a gateway to the core classics. And I’m OK with owning all of it.

photo: Who Wore What

These rules don’t apply when it comes to the designer Stella McCartney, one of the few artists that makes clothes for every hour of every day. Playful, and charming, I had the pleasure of meeting her this week as she dressed her muses in Spring looks such as metallic jumpers, yellow oversized coats, and white skinny jeans at an intimate breakfast in Soho. Watching her work her magic with a silk shirt and a pair of jeans, she makes everything she does look so easy, and that carefree attitude carries through to her clothes. As she was playing stylist with me she exclaimed, ” I cannot understand how can any blonde American girl not own more than one long wool camel-hair coat!?” She was shockingly honest and when I threw on the classic camel flat lapel coat, I knew exactly what she meant.

Stella prefers flats, simple dresses, pantsuits and easy-to-throw-on clothing that I can totally get behind. She has such a free-spirit, and is a beautiful person inside and out. Of course, she was in full fun mode when I met her, and I just fell in love. She has developed a witty, down-to-earth approach to dressing women like her: well-to-do, yes, but working women with lives of responsibility and complexity, women who have more use for a well-cut pantsuit for work or a roomy knit jumpsuit for hanging out with girlfriends than they do for a floor-length gown.

Check out the Pre-Fall collection down below — a mix of oversized houndstooth, big blanket sized coats, and menswear loafers. Cool is the operative word.  Sign me up.