Holiday Pops

It's a gray, cold day here in Kansas City, despite all the bustle I'm sure abounds out on the streets and in the shops. And, yet, with a few more Christmas parties on my social schedule, I've got my holiday look on my mind.

'Tis certainly the season to sparkle, yes, and neutral minimalism has ruled the runways as well as of late. But for the holidays, I think it's just as appropriate to look forward to spring and celebrate by being, well, both cheery and bright.

Neons and bright solids are a hot trend for spring, both in beauty and apparel and even if you're somewhat color shy, a pop of color can be easily added to your go-to little black dress. Personally, as I'm always erring on the side of preppy, there's nothing I love more than to mix together brights. Here's how:

Coral's one of the hot colors, as seen in the Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2011 show (above). Take a cue from this monochromatic look by adding some coral color to your holiday look with a mix of bangles, and some bright lips. Coral looks brilliant when paired with blue, but would look especially fresh with a winter white. Or try coral on your nails; a good polish to try is Essie's Vermillionaire.

The lips at Diane von Furstenberg's Spring 2011 RTW show were neon pink, as the makeup drew inspiration from Andy Warhol's silkscreens of the designer. Try neon pink with graphic black and/or white, a bare face, and simple hair. This look would especially pop with the bare shoulders of a strapless black dress, and perhaps a simple stud earring (turquoise, diamond, or pearl) and a tiny bangle on the wrist for jewelry.

Feeling braver? Try mixing two or three or four. I myself am quite fond of a watermelon-pink blouse with a skinny neon orange belt, which I balance with a navy mini and navy tights. I've a new pair of turqouise studs that I could add, and still keep things subtle (of sorts).  But if I'm going for a bolder look, I might try for more, as seen on the Gucci Spring 2011 runways, above.

Bonne chance! And may your holidays sparkle and pop!

Shoe-ing in the New Year

It's a Monday. I was up late ghostbusting with a friend. I'm gonna make this short and sweet.

Every holiday event has a different aesthetic, but is always one thing: festive. Therefore, it makes sense to be prepared with both a rockin' heel and a sweet flat for each occasion. Luckily, Payless has been collaborating with some super fierce designers as of late (hello, Mr. Siriano), so you can have your shoes, and still do your Christmas shopping (for others...of course) too.

First up, this peep-toe pump by Christian Soriano for Payless is expectedly edgy and trendy, yet subtle in its form. The python print in warm coppers and reds is right in tune with the season, and the chunky heel is both sky-high and sturdy. C'est parfait.

Christian Siriano for Payless pump: $44.99

Secondly (and lastly), there's this charming ballet flat by Isabel Toledo for Payless. Metallic, therefore festive, witty in its detail, and with a clever grippy sole, this one will carry you all the way through the winter, dressing up jeans, and toning down minis. C'est parfait aussi.

Isabel Toledo for Payless flat: $34.99

Et voila. Now back to your Mondays.

Nanny Goes Shopping - A Holiday Gift Guide

You must forgive me if this turns out to be something of my own personal wish list. Hey - if I didn't love it, I wouldn't suggest it! It's a sign of love that I would recommend you to give something I love to someone you love. Or something.

First up, in the thank-my-frozen-fingertips-they-came-up-with-this category, Echo Design has come out with a line of gloves, for both men and women, with touch pads at the fingertips which allow you to use your touch-screen phone or other device whilst keeping your fingers toasty. Can I get a huzzah?

There are 13 different styles, starting at around $30.

For the literary fashionista, genius Kate Spade has come up with the Book of the Month Clutch, a series of clutches painted with most cleverly re-imagined book jackets of literary classics, such as these:

Clever, no? Each clutch can be purchased for $325 at http://www.katespade.com/, or wherever Kate Spade is sold.

And, another item for the literary fashionista, on a budget is this darling print, in Jane Mount's Ideal Book Series: Robert Verdi:

An 8x10 print of this can be purchased at http://www.20x200.com for $20, or a 14x11 for $50, or, a 20x16 for $200. These prices are uniform across the site, which is full of fabulous artists and prints. I also particularly liked this one, Lauren DiCioccio's interpretation of "Vogue March 2010: pg 230 (List of Contributors)":



Don't despair if you're not buying for a fashionista, either; there's a wide variety of artists and interests to be found on this site.

And while we're on the subject of books, an especially budget-friendly gift for a budget-loving fashionista would be the P.S. I Made This book  - the book inspired by the DIY diva's blog. If you haven't yet discovered her, she's seriously amazing. She takes high fashion looks and breaks down both the trends + easy ways, sources, tips, etc. to guide you in DIY-ing an item yourself. The book features more than twenty-five original looks and ideas based on iconic fashion pieces, such as the statement necklace.



And as I found it on Amazon for only $12.89,  a super-cute gift idea might be to buy one of the main pieces to a project, and pair it with the book.

As I consider baking and cooking something of a DIY habit, this next gift is for the cook and hostess in your life. I gave one of these Vera Bradley aprons to my mother a few years back - monogrammed, of course - for Mother's Day, and while she is of the belief that aprons are not meant to get dirty and this one is too pretty to cook in, it makes a lovely hosting apron, in any case. Especially as they've paired it into a gift set with a matching recipe tin - and at $28, you might even pair it with a favorite cookbook, or a fancy whisk. Lovely. Don't forget the monogram.

Oh, and for an extra-special touch, add a few of your own favorite, tried-and-true recipes into the recipe tin. (I especially recommend this, as I made and "illustrated" a cookbook as a wedding gift for newlywed friends and they have already offered to have me over so they can cook something for me out of the cookbook. Truly, the gift that keeps on giving).

Before we veer into the territory of seriously-long-blog-post (not that I haven't visited there many times before), I'm going to stop myself, because this Gift Guide is merely Part I in a series, where I will take you through my personal shortlist of books to give and read (don't worry, I'm qualified, I was an English major), DIY gifts, some of which I will be trying out this season, some of which I have created myself and made already, recipes, should you prefer your gifts to be edible (and why not?), and of course, more fashionista items. Also, as I'll be shopping for M&N (or creating...), there will be I'm sure a Gift Guide for Children.

Stay tuned for these posts and more - they will amaze the mind, and delight the senses.

Or something to that effect.

Happy Holidays!

Oh and p.s., one more! The World Cup was this summer - have a newly converted football fan, or a long-term rabid fan? This illustrated book of soccer chants is perfect: http://marklongillustration.co.uk/ and so cheap too - about 7 US dollars! Of course, you'd have to pay the shipping from the UK, but we couldn't make it too easy on you, now.

Mastering Pattern Play and Hosiery: Part 1



my own recent adventure with hosiery and pattern mixing

Well, ladies and gents, I've failed. I went shopping this weekend. It's a sad, sad truth.

While I seem to have kicked my Groupon habit for the time being, it was about time for me to start using the things. Beginning with my Groupon to the Gap, which expires this week. The gateway drug, if you will.

No, I made it out of there alive, with but three things: the skirt pictured above, a cream knit sweater, and the biggest, softest scarf I've ever seen or felt, which I just want to be around all the time. I spent more than my Groupon was worth, but I feel these items were all good decisions. 

In a related miracle, I made it out of Forever 21 with naught but two basic stretchy pencil skirts (which I went in for, looking for a black one to pair with a certain Fair Isle sweater of mine) at $6.50 each and five pairs of socks (including the grey polka dot pair pictured above) for about $4. Who says I haven't tamed my ways?

Plus the additions to my wardrobe have given me renewed energy and creativity when it comes to cold weather dressing, two very important things when it's difficult to drag yourself out of the warmth of your bed on a November morning at 6:00 am. Especially when dressing is so often one of my favorite parts of my day.

This is made easier when hosiery is such a huge trend right now. Warm legs + toes and the ability to wear skirts, dresses, and shorts throughout the winter without freezing? Huge bonus. The Fall 2010 RTW runways ran the gambit when it came to hosiery, too, from socks with sandals to legwarmers and thigh highs.

On Friday, I made the (cold, very cold) decision to wear calf-length charcoal gray socks with a pair of sky-high black heeled sandals, with my little black dress for the evening. While that evening cemented with me the fact that it is past the time to wear bare legs, my sartorial choice struck up a conversation amongst friends.

Remember this?



1995, Alicia Silverstone in "Clueless." This is the last time I really remember knee socks being on trend. Shortly after, in middle school and all throughout high school, we suffered through winters with bare legs because hosiery was "just so not cool, mom." On Friday, when my friends and I were standing around talking socks at this event we were at - grown women now with strong holds on personal style - we were remembering when socks with shoes were just so gross. And then all of a sudden, when a year or so ago, I saw them paired together again, it seemed fresh and modern. And it clicked for me, so much so that I couldn't wait to wear it. Fashion is cyclical when it comes to so many trends out of necessity, I think.

And then a few years back, thankfully, opaque tights cycled through again and we all were warm again. And then a few seasons ago, sheer hosiery re-appeared with the "ladylike" trend. Followed by ankle and calf-length socks with shoes, and then finally, the explosion of all things hosiery with Fall 2010. Shall we walk through it?

In a collection that was mostly knitwear, sloutchy socks ground two very girly looks at Dolce & Gabbana:

Alexander Wang takes legwarmers to new heights (and lows), and deconstructs suiting, with thick thigh highs that are actually pulled down over shoes:

With Peter Som on hand as consultant, Tommy Hilfiger turned out polished prep as never before. This of course had to include hosiery:

Over-the-Knee boots are notoriously hard to pull off. Especially duck boots, and they must be done with sass, as reviewer Meenal Mistry notes. And trickery. Note the dark tights and the polished buttoned-up-ness of the rest of the look.

An easy and budget-friendly way to simulate the OTK look would be with knee-high socks or leg-warmers. A key to remember though is to keep the colors on bottom all in the same color family, in order to avoid chopping up the leg. In the photo at the top, the reason I risked white + large print is precisely because they were ankle socks, small, and visually at the bottom of my look. They were also diluted by the shoe.

Previous to my shopping excursion this weekend, I had mostly updated my wardrobe with hosiery, as they're fresh, add variety, extend the life of summer and fall dresses, skirts and shorts, and can be found at any price point. And did I mention, they're fun? 

This is Obsession (Fall Fashion edition)

It is the 8th of November, and the high for the day is expected to be 72 degrees. Fahrenheit. In Kansas City, Missouri.

No, I never expected to write those words. But today, it's the truth, and I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth, no sir. Ever one to rush fall and brisk weather, I'm going to step back and let winter unfold at a slower than normal pace because, well, winter lasts long enough. Snow, you were fun last winter and all, but it's alright if you don't want to make as many visits this year. I'll be alright. My down comforter might miss me, but I'll be just fine if I want to do other things than hide under its warmth all the time. And snow, we'll see each other - a sledding outing perhaps - but if you and the sub-zero temps don't want to see me as often, well, that may be for the best. We could all probably use some space.

Especially if it means a prolonged fall wardrobe. In an effort to make fun from Mondays, I've decided they'll be all fashion and style around here. Enter, my current fall fashion obsessions:

First of all, Ralph Lauren speaks autumnal Americana to me, with a collegiate touch. Tartan's having a serious moment right now (hoooooray!) and I'm obsessing over these sunglasses right now. It would not be liable to print that often I open up my copy of Elle or Vogue to the first few pages of ads just to sneak a look at these beauties. Sometimes, it's the last thing I do before bed. Clean. Classic. American.

Style.com reviewer Nicole Phelps called the Marc Jacobs 2010 Fall RTW show "a nostalgia trip, one so lovely it was quite easy to be seduced." It was "as dreamy and serene as any Jacobs show in recent memory - and how typical of him to intuit that the world is craving serenity right now." It's true, the palette never strayed from softly serene neutrals, in warm beiges, chocolates, greys, and ambers. But I saw too the high drama, albeit nostalgic, and not just for previous Jacobs collections, in silhouettes that echoed screen sirens of the 30's and 40's. High collars and shoulder accents. Leather elbow-length gloves. Fur, feathers, and fur. Here's a selection of my personal favorites from the collection, in color progression. For my own reasons, I see the progression from fall to winter being one from browns to greys and creams. Call it a pre-occupation with tweed and leather in fall, and winter white, if you must. November's warm weather is speaking of a serene winter to me.







I've particularly fallen for this look, I think, perhaps, due to the fact that I own a long grey jersey dress, which I've been planning on wearing to a benefit this coming weekend. Of course, now the plan is to do some Marc Jacobs styling of my own, by adding vintage elbow length gloves in cream (my great-grandmother's) and trying out my feather headband as a belt, for starters. I love the collar and the drape of this dress; there is nothing more comfortable to wear for a big night out than jersey, and the combination of the fabric with the length attains that perfect combination of dressed-up ease.









Jean Harlow, eat your heart out. This look hits the big fabric trends: velvet, fur, leather. Gorgeous drapery. Makes me actually want to wear velvet.



This



C'est fin! Look for some post-Gossip Girl posting tomorrow, along with two fashion videos I'm glamming out (and obsessing) over. Hint: Alber Ebaz.

So just what is the fashion protocol for going out when there are 2' (+) snow drifts?

 

 

So. This past Saturday, I was finally coerced out of my parents' house, where I've spent most of the week staying cozy for the holiday and the 10 inches of snow we got here. It was about time for me to leave, I suppose.  After all, my grandpa had made a break for it  earlier that day, having clearly been antsy where I was merely glued to the fireplace, my dog, and apparently, my pajamas. I'm not exactly a lounge-around-in-sweatpants all the time (at least, not for days at a time) kind of girl, so the transition back to real clothes was a little tough, but it was made tougher by my age old question, what-the-bagpipes-do-I-wear-when-I-go-out-when-the- temperature-is-like, 10. And this was further complicated by the what-the-bagpipes-kind-of-shoes-do-I-wear-with-my-winter-going-out-outfit-when-there-is-lots and-lots-of-snow-on-the-ground?

My obvious instinct was jeans and in winter-time, I often take to wearing leggings under my jeans for warmth. So, check and check. But the top was a little trickier. I'm not sure why, maybe it was my pajamas talking, maybe it was the fact that I get cold, everywhere, but sleeveless arms in the winter seem unnatural to me. Not that I haven't done it, but, well, given the fact that there was nearly a foot of snow on the ground, drifts of several feet, and a sub-zero temperature, it gave me pause Saturday.

I went with my coziest, drapiest, albiet chic and deep V-neck sweater, but the shoes - the shoes! My feet were saying, flannel-lined Wellies. Actually, every part of my body was saying that. But, still doubting myself, I packed a pair of closed-toe pumps in my car and headed out into the cold, cold night.

I ended up wearing the heels. And I'm kind of glad I did. I felt a little less dowdy, not to mention, not as hort. And truth be told, feeling cozy always makes me a little sleepy, so it's always best to make sure I'm not entirely feeling like I'm still in pajamas.

If it hadn't been a Saturday night though, I'm sure I would've worn those boots out. And actually, I might switch up the formula to include those boots for next time (will they go with my tulle ball skirt for NYE?).

But no matter how I feel about the cozy Wellies, here's my biggest wintertime fashion don't: Please, please, please, don't wear a skimpy little cocktail dress and then "forget" to wear a coat.

Seriously! What is that? We walked down to the steps at Tomfooleries Saturday night and as soon as the door opened, out flooded all the girls in their bright cocktail dresses - which normally probably would have been me, had I not been not wanting to get out of cozy mode - and, well, that was it. Some weren't even wearing tights! Yikes! Not a glove, not a scarf, not a jacket in sight!

It's just silly. Yes, it's a hassle to find someplace to put all that outerwear, but, oof! It's a lot worse I think to walk around without a coat. So, lesson learned - lesson one, anyways: Protocol includes a coat. And may I also recommend a hat, gloves, and a scarf?