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: Part Deux

Lanvin for H&M Promo Video

The line hits stores November 20, fashion media has been saturated with this video, interviews with Alber Elbaz and his thoughts on the line, the decision to bring luxury to H&M, etc. I particularly love this snippet from an interview with the New York Times' Cut blog (as did they), on the subject of the type of women he wants to wear Lanvin:

"A friend of mine told me that everytime she wears a Lanvin dress, a man falls in love with her, and I thought, 'Wow, that's great.' And then the day after I told her, 'I wish actually the next time you wear a Lanvin dress you fall in love with a man.' And she said, 'What’s the difference?' And I said, 'Active and passive.' So I like those active women, women in charge. So in any case I hope now that we have so many more dresses of Lanvin many more women will be falling in love and many more women will be fallen in love with."

And I myself have been glamming out, trying to figure out how to get my hands on at least one frock. Live in a city with an H&M? Feel like being my personal shopper for a day? It's a matter of Lanvin and Death over here.

Paris will understand the delay in journey financing. C'est Lanvin!

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.

OMFG...GG a Paris

It's that time again, Left and Right Bankers. And yes, soon you too Upper East-siders, but bless their golden hearts, Gossip Girl's ending the summer in Paris. Blair to the Right and the Louvre, Serena to the Left and the Vespa boys. But what's this? As GG herself said, the only beau for Blair is the one in her hair, having ruined her chances with the good Prince Grimaldi.

Never fear, dear, faux-pas-ing Blair, because a girl will always have her first (and some say, only) love, and that's fashion. And with New York Fashion week in full swing, why, it's never been easier to buy some love.

Or, if you're a West Plaza blogger with all her chips in the bank and staying there, it's never been easier to collect inspiration and update last season. Here's a look at what's getting me going this early autumn:

Blair has become Queen B in another capacity as of late, and that's pattern mixing. Serena keeps it in neutrals, another trend I'm loving this fall. Gray, especially, is a pretty and soft, and unexpected, neutral.

Here, she ties it all together with a Royal blue.

But the girls of Gossip Girl aren't the only ones getting my fashionable knickers in a twist for fall. Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors Fall ad campaigns highlight the ladylike, Mad Men moment going on - love, love love - and the 1970's sportswear ease.

Michal Kors really does me right by fall colors.