Rate My Look- Monochromatic from Head to Toe

I noticed the other day that I tend to preach a lot about wearing an all-red monochromatic look and how it's so fabulous and then I realized I had never done that myself. At that moment, I resolved to wear a red monochromatic outfit to work before the week was out. I took inspiration from some of the polyvore sets I'd created over the last few weeks. The one about bright tights included an all-red outfit and so did the post from a few weeks ago about monochromatic outfits for women. My point is simply that I should practice what I preach, so I spent a few extra minutes in my closet one morning and this is what I came up with:

There are so many shades of red going on in this outfit, plus a whole assortment of textures and that's why it works. The matte tights against the patent finish of the shoes are a nice contrast, as are the smooth silk blouse and the rough, textured boucle of the skirt. And who doesn't love a great little flower at the waist like that? 

It is not an outfit that I'm likely to bring out again soon- I just don't wear red tights very often. This particular pair is from American Apparel. Perhaps one of the more amusing things about wearing red tights is cracking jokes about the tights you are wearing. When I got to work the day I wore this, I had a conversation that went like this: 

Co-worker: Nice outfit!

ME: Thanks, but I have a run in my tights. 

Co-worker: Bummer.

ME: Yeah, but I couldn't change because I don't have a lot of red tights. In fact, these are my only pair.

Co-worker: (sarcastically) Really? You mean you don't have a bunch of red tights just lying around?

ME: No, at least not since I left my job as a clown. I mean, back then I had a bunch, but not so much these days.

I cracked myself up with that one. In fact, I thought it was so clever, I repeated the joke a couple more times throughout the day. (Always with a different audience, of course.) Finally, towards the end of the night as I was talking to an alterations customer, she complimented my all-red outfit. I cracked the clown joke one last time, but I switched it up a little and changed the line to, "Well not since clown college- I mean, back then I had a bunch, but not so much these days." Her response? "Oh, really? Where did you go to clown school?" I am always amazed when people don't know I'm joking and this lady clearly thought I had actually gone to clown college. So I have to ask myself, was my outfit THAT ridiculous? Or am I just that convincing as a jokester that it's hard to tell I'm joking? Hmm... food for thought.  

Accessories Anonymous: Tights

If you're anything like me, you're dying for spring- not only for the sunshine and warm weather, but also for the different fashion choices that will be available. I'm dying for the days when I can wear sandals, sun dresses, even rompers. Unfortunately, the weather isn't exactly cooperating. It's still literally freezing weather around here, and likely will be until the end of March, so I have to find other ways to warm up my days.

One way to do it is to incorporate tights into my daily wardrobe- not basic black or dark brown or charcoal grey- but bright, colorful tights. I'm a fan of these color combinations:

Bright Tights by Rtboo featuring suede platform pumps

From left to right:

- Pink tights with shades of grey- the feminine grey lace complements the girl-y ballet pink, but even a more business-like pencil skirt in literally any shade of grey will look just as pretty.
- Dark purple tights with black- Any shade of purple will do, actually- from the deep amethyst pictured above to burgundy or deep wine- they'll all look great with a simple LBD.
- Yellow with army green- It doesn't get much more sunshine-y bright than yellow, so tone it down with a muted army green.
- Red with... red- You all know how I feel about monochromatic, but to be honest, the best way to pull of red tights is with red everything else. No joke.
- Teal with brown- This is actually one of my favorite color combinations, but it also lends itself to a look with bright tights. The rest of the outfit is muted browns and just like with the yellow/green combination, the bright color pops against the earthy tones of everything else.

You can apply these color combinations to the entire outfit or you can keep it confined to just the lower half, namely the tights and shoes only. Either way, the tights will keep you warm and the bright colors will help you think spring. Need a great source for brightly colored tights? Try American Apparel and We Love Colors- both have a rainbow of options.

Top 5 Must-Haves for Fall

If you've been following my blog recently, you know I've been focusing on fall trends. And then this weeks episode of Project Runway did the exact same thing- the entire challenge was based around fall trends in both fashion and hair style. So, to break up my (very) long-winded posts about specific trends, I though I'd give you a couple of short lists to get your fall fashion wardrobe kick-started- My Top Five Must-Haves for Fall (mens and womens editions).

First up, ladies:

1.) Suede shoes: Pick your favorite style- booties, pumps, flats, tall boots- but find a pair in a luscious suede or faux-suede finish.

Suede Wedge Booties, Gap, $79.50

Chinese Laundry Women's Nixon, Shoes.com, $59

Bamboo by Journey Women's Platform Rosette Pumps,Overstock, $34.99

2.) A trench-inspired piece: Whether it's a skirt, a dress, or even a traditional jacket, the trench is hot this season. It's a part of the oh-so-popular military trend right now, so get on board!

Trench Dress, Ann Taylor Loft, $98

High Waist Belted Dress, YesStyle, $43.40

Christian Michaels Button Pencil Skirt, 6pm, $79.35

3.) A leather bag in olive: I am dying for bags in this color right now.

Rebecca Minkoff "Devote" Shoulder Bag, Bluefly, $254.99

MiMo "Anita" Handbag, eBags, $120

Fashion Express Distressed Bag, Buckle, $43.20

4.) Quirky tights: whether a fun pattern or a bold color, adorn your legs in fun and funky tights this fall.

Chevron Patterned Tights, Old Navy, $9.50

Diamond Pattern Tights, Jockey, $10

Super Sheer Spiral Tight, American Apparel, $14

5.) RED! Shoes, tops, pants, dresses, jackets- it's all hot if it's a bold red this fall.

Steve Madden Caryssa Pump, Nordstrom, $129.95

Worn Red Turtleneck Dress, Target, $24.99

Lennon Coat by O'Neill, Lulu, $83

And now for the gentlemen:

1.) A great 3-piece suit: Great on its own or broken up and used in a more casual way, the 3-piece suit is not just this seasons trend. It's also a great classic investment piece.

Tessori Milan Pinstripe 3-piece Suit, ShopNBC, $142.99

Jones New York Black Suit, Mens Wearhouse, $499

2.) Corduroy: Nothing says "fall" quite like corduroy. Go for classic, clean shapes like straight or boot-cut pants.

Straight-leg Pants, Old Navy, $29.50

Straight-fit Cords, Banana Republic, $55

Corduroy Blazer, Gap, $88

3.) Lace-up boots: "A dressy version of a hiking boot" is the best description I can come up with.

Aldo Umphrey Boots, Zappos, $150

Fitzwell Carson Leather Boot, Zappos, $92.12

4.) Plaid: Whether flannel or lined in fur, plaid is the "it" print this fall. (That's actually true for both men and women.)

No Retreat Men's Plaid Woven Shirt, Overstock, $13.99

Treemont Plaid Shirt, REI, $49.50

5.) Leather outerwear: An amazing leather jacket is never out of style, but this season, keep an eye out for sleek blazers and motorcycle styles.

French Connection Washed Leather Jacket, 6pm, $280.80

Pentagon Blazer, Undergear, $220

There you have it- my top five must-haves for fall for both men and women. Let me know what you think!

Mommy Style

My friend Shannon is adorable and incredibly stylish. She also happens to be pregnant. She's the kind of girl who really puts together a fun and funky outfit. Well, here facebook status recently lamented the fact that there aren't enough hip maternity styles out there in the stores. She's a try-before-you-buy kind of girl- not so into the internet shopping. Anyway, this is my attempt to help her out a little (although as I mentioned she is pretty stylin', so she doesn't need much help from me). I believe she is due in June or July so these pieces are geared more towards the warmer weather. 

Liz Lange for Target Fuchsia Strapless Dress, Target, $39.99 (Also available in ivory)

Crochet-trim top, Old Navy, $18.50

Low-rise Super flare jeans, Old Navy, $25 (also available in light wash and white)

Knot-front top, Old Navy, $16.50 (Available in 3 other bright colors)

Oh Baby by Motherhood Floral Georgette Henley, Kohls, $17.99

Seersucker Real-Waist shorts, Old Navy, $22.50

Heidi Klum 3/4 Sleeve Drop-Waist Tunic, Motherhood, $24.99 (Also available in cobalt blue)

In my experience perusing the materinty options, I've found that most pieces are very basic- the colors are basic, the styles are basic. Basic, basic, basic. Which to me really translates to: boring, boring, boring. That's why I've picked mostly bright colors for the pieces above. I completely understand Shannon's frustration and I'm sure she's not the first pregnant woman to come to the realization that while she may want to dress in a hip and stylish fashion throughout her pregnancy, the options just aren't out there. But fear not, lovely pregnant women, I have a solution for you!

First, pick up these maternity basics- pieces that will fit your ever-expanding belly and use them as your base. Then, layer on other non-maternity items you may already own along with funky accessories and you'll feel more stylin' than you ever thought possible. Shannon is the kind of girl who loves bright colors and bling, so I'm gearing these selections towards her. However, the basic principle remains the same whether you like bright and bling-y or something more subdued. The following pieces are non-maternity, but would work perfectly at nearly any stage on pregnancy:

Sequin shrug, Arden B, $19.99 (Also available in gold)

70's Green and White Checkered Cropped Jacket, Etsy, $22 (I know you can't buy it in person as per Shannon's requirements, but isn't it adorable?)

Cotton Spandex Jersey Leggings, American Apparel, $26 (Available in 25 color choices- yes TWENTY-FIVE- as well as white w/black polka-dots)

Stud Adorned Top, Forever 21, $17.80

Two-Tone Bib Tunic, Forever 21, $24.80

Sleeveless Layer Over Knit Cardigan, Forever 21, $17.80

The final touch for any outfit- maternity or otherwise is the accessories. For this section I wil ignore Shannon's buy-it-in-person rule simple because fit isn't as much of an issue when purchasing accessories. We all like to be able to physically handle the pieces we are buying, but sometimes you find something so fabulous online that you let go of that rule! Accessories are our way to make outfits unique and to bring our own personality to them. This should be no different when dressing in maternity clothes, so break out the accessories that make you feel the most stylin' you there is.

A note on "maternity" jewelry: Keep necklaces to bust-length or shorter. This will help draw the eye upward to your face. Long necklaces will basically act like a big light-up arrow pointing to your pregnant belly. I'm not saying you don't want to draw attention to your belly, but the thing about it is that it sort of draws attention to itself just by nature. So wear necklines and jewelry that bring the focus up to your glowing countenance whenever possible.

Pink Purple Amethyst Chandelier Earrings, Etsy, $39.95

Vintage Button Bracelet, Etsy, $56

Converse One Star Washed Scarf, Target, $14.99

Silver Turquoise and Faux Coral Ring, Overstock, $19.99

I hope this post has been helpful for all you lovely pregnant ladies out there. However, never having been pregnant myself I understand if you feel I've missed the mark. If you've been pregnant and have found amazing maternity clothes somewhere, please leave a comment telling all about it. After all, pregnant women have as much right to style as the rest!

Shopping Booty- Part 2

I hope you loved my shoes as much as I do, but if not that's ok! There were plenty of other fun purchases and acquisitions made in the city this weekend that I want to share with you. It's easy to give advice about how to dress for your body type or how to incorporate trends or basically anything else about dressing with style, but the truth is that style is an incredibly personal thing. So I guess that's why I'm excited to talk about my purchases. Maybe it's a little self-indulgent, but I like to share what I like with other people even if they don't like or understand it as well. So, that being said, here are the rest of my "accessories" acquired over the weekend. I say "acquired" because I didn't buy it all- one item was a gift from my BFF Beth. Here's the accessories booty of the weekend:

You've already seen the shoes in my last post- the rest is pretty basic. I got three new headbands, a pair of bright red tights and the handbag from Beth. I blogged about this particular bag a while ago. Click here to be taken to that post. We laugh about this bag now, but at the time she bought it, we absolutely loved it. It's kind of an inconvenient and impractical bag to carry because the pockets are small in general, but even smaller at the top. Despite this challenge, I fully intend to put an outfit together featuring this particular handbag and I promise to post it on the blog. In addition to the shoes and the bag, I got some pretty unique headbands. Well, at least one of them is really unique to me- it's brown satin and it blends in with my haircolor really well. Several people have seen me wearing it and actually thought I'd somehow managed to style my hair into the shape on the headband- it's taken them a minute to figure out that it's actually a headband.

I got for $8 it at a boutique called Goldy & Mac in Brooklyn. I've already worn it three times since purchasing it, so I know it was a good choice. One more time wearing it and the cost-per-wear will be only $2. Pretty decent if you ask me!

The other two headbands are from Old Navy and are a little less elegant, but still a lot of fun. Each one cost $6. One is covered in a cream and brown printed fabric:

The other is covered in a baby pink chiffon with lots of pretty chiffon "petals." It's very whimsical and girly.

Between these three headbands, the one Beth gave me for Christmas, and the others I had previously, I'm going to need to come up with a better headband storage method. I don't want the pretty embellishments to get ruined because I've just tossed them all into a basket together, you know? I'll keep you posted on what I come up with!

My final accessory purchase barely counts, in my opinion- it's just a pair of bright red tights purchased for $14. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it on the blog before, but I've been looking for a pair of bright red, opaque tights for a couple of months now. I made a dress for myself with some fabric I'd purchased at Mood several months ago and even though the fabric is a distinctly summer fabric, I wanted to wear the dress sooner! I thought if I could find the right tights, I could make it happen. Unfortunately, I couldn't find them locally. I knew that American Apparel has several shades of red tights, but I didn't want to risk it buying them online, so as soon as I got to New York, I popped into the first American Apparel I encountered (they're everywhere in the city) and grabbed the right shade- Tango Red. Hopefully I'll be able to wear this somewhat outlandish outfit for the blog soon. It's my Pushing Daisies inspired dress and I can't wait to wear it!

Well, that's the conclusion of my accessories purchases for the weekend. I hope you've enjoyed seeing them. Check back again to see the rest! And in the meantime, leave me a comment or two- you know I love them!

Sock it to me

Ok, guys, I haven't devoted a post to you in a while, and I'm sorry for being neglectful. So, this one's for you. I've been thinking a lot about socks. Men wear boring socks, don't you think? And that needs to change. Even if you just start with neutral colors in stripes and argyle prints, and then work your way to fun solid colors- trust me, it's a good thing. Bloomingdales has these Ralph Lauren argyle socks available for $13.50:The great thing about these is that they're available in neutrals AND a bold red! How fun is that? Just don't wear them with a pair of knickers out on the golf course. In case you're not brave enough to go for such bold contrast in the argyle, these socks are available at Macy's for a little more. At $21.00, it's a little more than I'd like to spend on socks:

Even more pricey are these Paul Smith striped socks from Saks at $30:

They're available in 2 more fabulous color combinations. They're subtle, but bold at the same time. I like them! If you want something a little more bold, visit American Apparel- they have the most fabulous socks ever at great prices. Like these striped socks:

They're available in all sorts of great color combinations and at $8.00 are the best price I've seen for such a trendy item. Also available at American Apparel are these for $18 for a package of 3.
Once again, there are all sorts of color combinations. I think they're fun! Now, for the bravest among you, I offer the brightly colored solid sock. Once again, American Apparel comes through for us at $8.oo per pair:

I know you're wondering how on earth to pull of a bright color sock. It's really simple, but you have to make it a clear choice. Start with a suit- 2 or 3 piece is fine- in a navy or charcoal grey. Add a colorful shirt & tie- for example, yellow or robins egg blue. Finish the look with a matching pocket silk and the socks. Done! Or, wear a suit with white shirt & dark tie and just add the socks for a splash of color. It's all about what you feel best in. Menswear tends to be kind of limiting and I think that a fun pair of socks is a great way to spice things up. Have fun, guys!