My spring uniform

May 28th, 2013 No Comments

As soon as the warm weather sets in, I ditch my jeans for skirts/shorts and don’t bring back full length pants until fall. I have no idea how men deal with heat in denim. From a fashion perspective, pants in the summer is probably one of the only major drawbacks I can see to being a man….

I digress.

My real clothes “uniform” (as opposed to my spandex one shown right) follows a pretty simple template as you can see. I just swap out the bottom and I’m good to go. This year’s combinations include a denim vest to give the outfit some casual character and then top it all off with statement sunnies and cuffs. As much as I love scarves, I can’t handle them in the heat. The ballet flats are often exchanged for wedge sneakers, but both will be replaced with sandals soon (like my new favorite Crocs!)

The wedge sneakers are HUGE in NYC right now. Every other person at SoulCycle has a pair and I see them all over the street. I bought my white Ashes at Intermix to jump on board and give my look a little edge. They go with everything, especially sporty spandex, but I don’t LOVE them. At least when I bought into the Ugg trend way back when the furry boots were comfortable. I am almost willing to go on the record saying my stilettos are more comfortable than the wedges.

Below are my head to toes for these pics. Links are provided in case you want to snatch up one of the pieces. I get at least ten compliments on the Helmut Lang skirt every time I wear it . Yesterday a mother and daughter pulled over on the side of the street to ask who made it!

My Uniform: Swap Out The Skirt Head to Toe

Tom Ford sunglasses (shop more styles on Polyvore)
Twenty white tank from Intermix
Rag & Bone jean vest from Tootsies
Clover Canyon skirt (left) from Tootsies
Helmut Lang skirt (right) from Tootsies – link is to black one. My color you can find in their stores.
Mossimo patent ballet flats
Moe CLICK bag (left), Furla leopard bag (right)

Funking it up

Oliver Peoples sunglasses + Yigal Azrouel scarf
Orange Beyond Yoga tank, Nike Dri Fit tie dye pants from Luke’s Locker, sting ray cuff

Wedges: My Ash BeaWedge Sneaker top left. Others were spotted around NYC.

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Wait. Are those…? She’s wearing CROCS?!

April 23rd, 2013 2 Comments

Yep, and loving every step of it!

I told my friend Julie last night at dinner, and she just shook her head and cringed until I explained the sandal style you see above. Rubber, lightweight, cute, comfortable, waterproof, dirtproof, and most importantly New York proof (and kidproof for that matter).

Now, I didn’t find these on my own. You can imagine I’m not hauling it to the Crocs store in my Guiseppes. I was lead to the brand by Joseph, a former designer for Crocs who so graciously brought me a pair to a recent meeting.

I’ve NEVER been a Crocs fan. Honestly, I can’t fathom why anyone would wear those ugly things. My parents said the same thing about Uggs before they slipped them on and felt how comfy they are, so I’m guessing the same is true for the rubber clogs. I didn’t tell Joseph any of this because I obviously didn’t want to be offensive, nor does it really matter in the grand scheme of things.

So when I accepted the Crocs box, I thought “Oh no,” but when I opened it “Oh wow!”came out of my mouth. Inside was an unbelievably lightweight pair of rubber wedges. Unfortunately they didn’t fit so I took them back to the Crocs retail location on the Upper West Side and discovered a world of cute and ridiculously comfy shoes.

With warm weather around the corner, I honed in on the sandals. After finding t-strap Mossimos flats at Target, buying them in 3 colors, and wearing each until I had to throw them away, I prefer a shoe with an ankle strap over a flip flop. Crocs has tons of both!

Besides being rubber, slim, flexible, waterproof, dirtproof, and lightweight, some have some little ball things on the inside that almost massage your feet as you walk. Overall, it’s like wearing nothing. The price is very right, starting at $30 a pair.

Left to right:

They come in a variety of colors. Be advised, I bought a half to a whole size smaller than I usually wear.

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Everyone wants to know about this jacket

April 13th, 2013 1 Comment

I’ll admit for the price it was quite a find!

It’s BCBG $368 from Saks, although I’m sure they sold it at many department stores. Reader Wilde found it online at Saks if you want it. A friend of mine mistook it for Rick Owens, and every time I wear it someone always says, “that’s a fabulous piece” like I paid a bundle for it.

In comparison to the other $700+ leather jackets around it on the floor, I liked it the most. The reason I believe it’s less expensive is because the shell is strips of leather on top of a spandex blend fabric. I love it because it’s thin and stretchy (great for my big shoulders), not clunky like most leather jackets. The collar has the ability to stand up a little.

What I love about it is that it goes with EVERYTHING AND raises the game of my preppy outfits to have a cool factor they didn’t before. I bought a white bomber jacket that does the same thing. I wear it mostly with my workout clothes to be honest. You know me, always in my spandex!

For more on the leather jacket trend, click here for my post.

As for the rest of my head to toe:

Diesel aviators
Diamond studs
Nicole Miller dress from Tootsies
Gianvito Rossi winged pumps (in forest green) from Barney’s
Gunmetal chain necklaces
Big ass fake ring from Buffalo exchange
Simone lipstick from Jouer

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“Pink is my signature color.”

April 9th, 2013 1 Comment

Love me some Steel Magnolias! “He doesn’t know whether to wind his butt or scratch is watch.” It’s been too long since I’ve watched it…

I really thought red was going to be my color for Spring, but “Whitney,” a new color from Jouer, has pulled me over to the dark side (those of you who remember my Julia days can understand why I have an aversion to the shade).

Whitney is actually more hot pink than it looks in this pic. I tame it with a little mauve lip liner and then pop with my go-to top coat, Revlon “Shine City.”

Whitney Head to Chin

Diesel aviators from LASC in WeHo (yes, it’s “gay” man’s store, but I would shop there for anyone)
Miguel Ases earrings from Tootsies
Whitney Jouer lipstick + Revlon “Shine City”

I’ve been wearing Whit for a week and haven’t switched to another color no matter what the outfit. I just keep my makeup palllet neutral. One of the reasons I like the pink over red is the fact that I can wear a little heavier eye liner with it. Red really demands a simply eye so you don’t look like…well, you know.

Now, anything pink catches my eye and I instantly want to buy. Of course shopping in Bergdorfs the other day that wasn’t a possibility, but you can see why I was intrigued.

I have yet to find a loafer that I like and looks good on me. With my long feet, that’s a hard bill to fit! And now that the weather is getting warm, I think I’ve missed the boat until fall.

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Before you buy those new boots…

October 30th, 2012 No Comments

Consider buying shoes with a little attitude. You’ve collected at least a half dozen pairs of new boots over the last few years. Unless there is snow on the ground for the next 6 months, let’s consider some of your other options. This year, designers are offering you basic, every day styles with a sense of style you will appreciate. Below you’ll find a few examples I found at Barney’s in NYC. Because they’re all made by your favorite designers, you can find the same elements across different high-end and mainstream brands at a variety of price points.

Sculptural Heels (Miu Miu)

Wedged Ballerina Flats (Lanvin)

Blue Suede (Prada)

Winged Pumps (Casadei)

Colored Python (Pierre Hardy)

Embroidery (Miu Miu)

All shoes available at Barneys.com.

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Get on the hunt for fall.

October 23rd, 2012 No Comments

Not that green isn’t fashionable every fall and winter, but it’s making a bigger statement this year. Above are a few ways I’m bringing it into my wardrobe this fall.

Starting top left and going clockwise:

H&M real leather bag
Chanel Les 4 Quadra Eyeshadow in Premier Regard
Claudia Lobao emerald jewelry
Green hairband
Gianvito Rossi Winged Pump

I also love a dark green tailored dress instead of a normal LBD. Hope I run into one sometime soon….

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The fabulous flats of fall

September 4th, 2012 No Comments

You don’t have to wear heels to be stylish. Day or night, you’ll find NYC fashionistas strutting around in various styles of flats. This fall, true trendsetters will opt for smoking shoes, which you’ll see all over the celebs right now. As you’ll see below from my recent trip to Barney’s new show floor in NYC, the shelves are teeming with the loafer.

Thankfully, designers were being playful when re-inventing this “old man’s” shoe. Grandpas like to be comfy and so do we. I say go for it!! Pair the smoking shoe with rolled up jeans or even skirts.

GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI

CHANEL

I tried on these chocolate Chanel with fingers crossed that the 40 would fit. Closed toe Chanel never does for me. This pair was no different. It was a very upsetting moment because I could see myself in these everyday this fall and winter. Poo.

PRADA

YSL

MIU MIU

Not feeling that adventurous yet? You’re in luck because Ballerina flats are still in. Now more skins, stones, metal, plastic, vibrant colors, and textures make them stand out in your outfit.

MANOLO BLAHNIK

MIU MIU

PRADA

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All shoe departments in NYC are not created equal

August 7th, 2012 2 Comments

Therefore, shop them all :)

The latest and greatest on the island is Barney’s new shoe floor (above) to compete with Sak’s offering that bears its own zip code. I wasn’t that impressed, and the lady helping me agreed their selection was a bit boring. Overall, Saks wins in terms of variety for me. Barneys has more unique styles, but you have to want to go out on the edge, which is where I often venture. Bergdof plays in the middle somewhere. Due to how many shoes I’ve bought from Bergdorf, it has a soft place in my heart.

If you know your goal then you only need to hit one or two shoe department. Here’s my list on where to shop for your specific goals:

Saks – When you don’t know what designer or style you’re looking for – winter sale is the best time to shop
Bergorf Goodman – Wben you’re ready to spend $700+ on a fabulous shoe – best designer shoe sale in town in winter
Barneys – When you’re looking for something unique and don’t mind throwing down $$ for it
Loheman’s 8th Ave or UWS – best high-end designer discount
DSW – middle-range to low end designer discounted shoes. Great place for basics or something adventurous.

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