Spark of Nostalgia

Today, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic as I wear a dress I salvaged from a local thrift store. I find myself wondering about it's previous owner(s) and all the different adventures its had and the many roads it's traveled before making it's way to me. From the material and print I'm guessing it's from the 70's era. I paired it with yet another retro heirloom, an over sized coin purse I rescued from my mother a couple of years ago. It just seemed to tie right into the whole retro vibe I have going on. "Thrifting" as I like to call it is not for everyone and most can't fathom the idea of buying someone else's hand me downs. This is me thumbing my nose at those snooty snobs but to my challenged stylistas just know that "Thrifting" is all about having an eye for style and an active imagination of "what could be" if a piece is rescued and altered to meet the standards of today's fashion or your own personal style. So take another look at the hand me downs of previous generations and behold the beauty of history.
weardrobe details: dress; Vintage Thrift/shoes: Kenneth Cole/handbag; mom

Cool Days and Haute Nights

For an on-the-go mom, wife and working woman like myself sometimes going out after work calls for a little creativity with the weardrobe if I want to avoid the hassle of having to lug a change of clothes. I needed something that would transcend from day to evening quickly and effortlessly while still maintaining my stylish flair.


One thing to remember when contemplating a day to evening look is... KEEP IT SIMPLE. Sometimes just switching out accessories such as a handbag, jewelry or shoes can add a little stylish flair to your existing day wear. My D2E look involved pairing a summer suit with an asymmetrical top and neutral accessories. The transformation was a quick change in accessories, a removal of my jacket and VOILA...I was ready for a little downtown action.
weardrobe details: summer suit; NY&Co./top; Old Navy/Channel chain belt; thrift store/purse;Target.

And then there were 15!

So last night was the premiere of Project Runway and I already have faves of who I believe show the most talent in creativity, innovation and free style. (To be revealed at a later date) Ari was the first to be voted off and even though she is "out there" mentally, I find it quite baffling she made the cut to make the final 16 based on skill alone. What peeked the panelists interest in selecting her? Even after viewing some of her sketches, video bio as well as that hideous space odyssey inspired getup she designed last night (are you kidding me) only confirmed my hypothesis that she doesn't possess the much needed quotient for any designer...STYLE. The guest judge for the featured premiere was Lindsay Lohan and surprisingly enough I found myself agreeing with some of the comments she made as she tried schooling Ari on the importance of client/designer relationships. Can't believe I'm going to say this but YOU TELL HER LINDSAY. Next week's challenge will be designing for a real celebrity...who will it be? Stay tuned.

Air traffic control...we are clear for take off!

It's finally here! The runaway child from Bravo, Project Runway has finally settled into it's new aircraft carrier on the Lifetime network. So buckle your seatbels and make sure all tray tables are in their upright position as we are in for one helluva flight!
I am such a fan of the show and have been for the past 5 seasons. This season seems to have a more diverse group (age/ethnicity) than ever before. Which is great because we'll have a chance to behold the creative minds and talents of people spanning a broader cultural base.
Stay tuned for reviews from the premiere tomorrow.

Simply Vera-mazing

Despite the formatted date listed on each pic...(actually taken 8/09) I wanted to add this to my closet collection of printed weardrobe. The shirt has a bold white print with a smoke grey background. You can't really see but it has this beautiful neckline along the back which flows into a cascading sort of pleating. This loose pleating along the back midsection created a draping of material into what I called "batwings". This shirt is from Vera Wang's "Simply Vera" line at and OMG I got this cutie for a real bargain. Again...substantiating my mantra that fashion and style do not have to coexist at a hefty price. It is certainly attainable if you have an eye for it and can dress it up to look like you spent a fortune.

weardrobe details: white, straight leg pants; Old Navy/grey and white printed blouse, SIMPLY VERA/grey N/E clutch, Target.

HardWEAR

A person's sense of fashion or personal style can be used as a catalyst in communicating or expressing one's state of mind. My state of mind for this Monday was all about making a statement through HardWear (accessories: jewelry, handbag, shoes, etc.) A statement that showcases my theory that classic pieces of one's weardrobe can be instantaneously transformed into chic, svelte modernity with just the simple addition of substantial pieces of hardwear. It doesn't have to be big, over-the-top jewelry like the one pictured but hardwear none the less that would add a little drama to your ensemble.

weardrobe details: Ash grey pants, KENNETH COLE/satin-esque shirt with neckline pleating, SIMPLY VERA, Kohls/patent leather-suede peep-toe pumps, KENNETH COLE/ornate estate-esque jewelry, F21.

My Favorite Mistake

Mornings like this drive me absolutely MAD.... when I don't really have anything in particular to wear. Not in the mood for creativity and no forethought into assembling a READY To WEAR ensemble. I must have tried on several things before settling on this outfit. I was astonished at how well I was able to pull something together just as the minutes began to escape me in the time before I had to be out the door for work. The contrasting colors and modern fit of the top and pants made me feel very couture-esque today. This goes down as one of my favorite mistakes.

weardrobe details: coastal blue, high-waist trouser pants, victoria secret/choc. brown shirt, Banana/peep-toe shoes with contrasting metallic black/tan, Kenneth Cole.

Prints, Prints, EveryWear

My WEARdrobe for today was a testament to keeping with my new found venture of prints.

The print consists of coloring in monochromatic blues and tan shaping the shirt in vertical polka dots. The stark black neutralizes the artful display and grounds it to where it softens the view of shapes and colors. With the intricate detailing consisting of ruching in the bodice and ruffles along the collar and shoulder this is definitely a print to remember.

A Vintage Hue

I used to shy away from color. Just the basics was my motto...blue, black and brown but what fun is that! It's only been in the last couple of years (or maybe with maturity) that color has become my friend and now it's just part of my weardrobe repetoire. More recently, I have decided to be a little more daring and expand my clothes minded"ness" by adding prints to my weardrobe.

Stepping out of this comfort zone has done me some good because if not I wouldn't have been able to appreciate the modern beauty of this retro inspired shirt from NY and Company. I got it at a steal too and that's one thing you will learn about me. When it comes to fashion and style it should not have to come at a price. The 70's circa shapes paired with the tomatoe red-orange color speaks volumes whether dressed up or down for work or play. So ladies, sometimes freeing our inner-style of it's captor and our own self evolved clothes mindedness can be quite liberating.

Vintage Hue ensemble consists of: *70's inspireed shirt, NY and Co. *wide-leg navy pants, NY and Co.

Stripe a pose

Today started off like any other. I did have plans to wear my 70's inspired floral dress I excavated from a thrift store. But as fate would have it those plans were thwarted when I could not find my vintage blue belt that would accent it perfectly. Somehow it got lost amidst the abiss in what is known as my closet. Nevertheless, I think the "plan B" ensemble did quite well.

Stripe a pose ensemble: * mustard yellow scoop neck shirt-JCPenny's *blue-white pinstripe pants- Banana *Sewing needle tote turned chic handbag-yours truly.

daily weardrobe

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