The Summer Shoe

My BFF and I were in Saks and she tried on Chanel leather espadrilles.  Drool.  That combo of sophisticated leather with the casual jute sole really appeals to me.  If that doesn't say summer to you in an elegant way, what would?  They're heaven and will hit your credit card to the tune of $600.  Ouch.

 

 

Last summer you could not swing a dead cat without hitting a blogger wearing Chanel espadrilles, in either in the linen version or the leather version.

How about these classic leather espadrilles from the website with the catchy name?  They come in different leathers and tons of colors. A traditional style with ultra soft tops, they would be like wearing bedroom slippers.

 

 

 

Craving a bit more style?  These Kurt Geiger snake embossed espadrilles kick the basic up a notch.

 

 



 

 



My personal favorite and voted most likely to end up in my closet are these two tone numbers from Madison.  The online boutique has a variety of espadrilles in canvas, mesh and leather. Prices for all are a reasonable $135. Take 25%  off with MADISONPSW25 until February 7. 

 

 

 

 

Don't see your perfect pair here?  Check out shopstyle.com and search leather espadrilles. You will find them at every price point.  





Dry Clean Only? Really? Are you sure?

We've covered the topic of care tags here.  Some of them are clear and easy to follow. Others, not so much.  One area that seems to create confusion is dry cleaning.  Prevailing wisdom is that "dry clean" on a tag means you can wash it or dry clean it, whereas "dry clean only" means you must dry clean.

I have some clothes that I send to the dry cleaner.  This is mostly because I know I can't press them properly or make them look decent after cleaning.  Things like suit jackets.  I regularly wash and iron silk shirts with no ill effect.  I wash cashmere, I wash merino wool, I wash linen. 

Still, I'm a little hesistant when I have a garment whose fabric content isn't quite as familiar as 100% silk or 100% wool.  Who knows how blends or fabrics like modal will respond to be tossed about in the washing machine?  I've normally followed that prevailing wisdom and sent anything with the dry clean only tag to the cleaners.  Being the rebel that I am, I decided to try home laundering just to see the result.  The experiment involved this dress:

 

I've had this Tibi dress for about a year and a half. I love it.  It's a viscose/poly/spandex blend with a care tag that clearly states DRY CLEAN ONLY.  Yes, it's in capital letters.  Scary.  Let's face it, it's a white dress and even though I take care when I wear it and don't spill my lunch in my lap, I can only wear it a few times before it needs to be cleaned. 

 

Throwing caution to the wind, I tossed it into my washer on the delicate cycle in cold, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.  The machine stopped. I opened the door and peered into the darkness.  Perhaps my beautiful white dress was ruined. Maybe it was 1/2 the size or maybe it was discolored.  Surely there was some reason for the frightening care tag.  Ah, no. It was fine.  It looked perfectly normal.  No ill effect whatsoever.  I laid it flat to dry and it didn't even need to be pressed. 

 

Obviously this success has gone straight to my head and I'll soon be stuffing everything I own into the washing machine.  

 

Style Resolutions for 2014 - part three

The last part of the process, after determining what you want to do with your wardrobe and purging what doesn't work, is deciding what you need.  There may be holes that need filling, basics that have worn out or extras and accessories that will add personality. 

I've decided on a few things, some of which will get wear mainly in the spring and summer, and some that will span seasons.

First, a pair of cognac sandals. I have black sandals in a mid heel and a flat, as well as a dressy light grey sandal. These Via Spiga Fola2 sandals come in black and natural, the latter being the color I'm interested in.  They have gladiator details, a walkable heel and will work well with skirts, shorts and cropped pants.

Next on my list is a white pencil skirt.  The caveat is that it must be washable.  The perfect one is this Jonathan Simkhai knit pencil skirt, which unfortunately has sold out on Shopbop. I keep stalking hoping for a pop back. 

 

It's actually a cream and white blend, as you can see in the close up below.  Washable!  I must have it.

 

 

My wardrobe has a lot of black, grey, white, camel and navy.  Both the above items would work very well with what I already have.  Which is the whole point of building a wardrobe, no?

 

I've been thinking about a patterened jacket. Something to slip over all those neutrals that would work in the office and on weekends. I haven't quite found what I'm looking for yet.  Maybe something like this.

 

 

 

Last on my list (at least for now until I come up with something else to want!!) is a red handbag. I have a camel bag I use for day, a black bag that works well for weekend and errands, and a few good travel handbags that can tolerate being shoved under the airplane seat.  Red would punctuate all the neutrals I wear.  It also happens to be my favorite color, although I wear it very little.

 

What style?  A bucket bag?  A satchel?  I'm open at the moment.  Maybe something like this amazing vintage bag will find it's way to my closet.

 

 

 

What is on your list to add to your wardrobe in 2014?



Style Resolutions for 2014 part two

This is the resolution that might be hardest for more of us to implement - purge what doesn't work in our wardrobes, no matter how much we paid for it and how wonderful it is or was when we bought it.  I decided on a few simple criteria that each and every item has to meet in order for it to continue to live in my closet.

1.  Is it a neutral or does it play well with neutrals?
2.  Can it be worn for different occasions and in different ways?
3.  Is it in perfect condition and does it fit me perfectly?
4.  Do I love it?

Applying these rules made it fairly easy for me to part with a great many things.  For example, this beautiful silk Madewell blouse.  It meets criteria 1, 2 and 4, but alas the fit is off.  I've tried denying that for several years and worn it anyway.  I realize that it doesn't flatter me. 

 

Several J. Crew wool skirts were cut.  The ivory double serge wool pencil skirt, and the sapphire tweed wool pencil skirt are both in the consign bag.  Again, fit is the issue.  I've worn both skirts numerous times and finally came to the realization that all I do is fuss with them when I have them on. I'm never comfortable, and both have been tailored in attempt to obtain better fit.  Other J. Crew skirts survived, such as the mixed media, the interoffice and the pony skirt.

 

 

 

Price paid was not a factor in this decision making process.  A number of Diane Von Furstenberg dresses are out, including the red cotton Meeson dress and the black Phyllis suiting dress.  Once again, these are garments that I do not feel entirely comfortable in.  I am pulling on them or adjusting them all day long.

 

Shoes are harder for me to cull since I long ago got rid of anything that pinches, rubs or hurts in any way.  Every pair I own now fits, and each meet criteria 1, 2 and 3.  A few pairs that did not inspire love have found the bottom of the donate bag.  An example is the Via Spiga pumps pictured below. There is nothing wrong with them, they fit well, they're comfortable and they coordinate with many items in my wardrobe.  I simply do not reach for them. I don't love them.

 

 

 

After a long afternoon, the final tally of items purged is:

 

     5 dresses

     5 skirts

     4 pairs of pants

     3 jackets

     8 tops/shirts

     17 belts

     6 pairs of shoes

     9 piece of assorted jewelry

 

There may be more. 

 

Are you purging too?

 

 

 







Style Resolutions for 2014 part one

First resolution:  dress like a French woman. One wonders if they're all put together perfection when they step out their doors. The ones who get photographed certainly are.  What is the magic? Why do they always look exactly right?

To help us decode the method, let's take a look at a few of the oft-mentioned French style icons.

Ines de la Fressange is a former Chanel muse. She is rarely seen wearing dresses or skirts, is almost always in flats, and her outfits typically contain a mix of neutrals.

The darling of Paris street style, Garance Dore, doesn't stray too far from this formula. While occasionally pictured in skirts or heels, she stays true to neutrals and relaxed silhouettes.

 

 

My personal favorite Carine Roitfeld, might seem at first glance to be a very different animal.  She's quite a bit more fashion forward and is the most "dressed up" of the bunch. Look a bit more closely though, you'll see the same devotion to neutrals, the same attention to details.  While she is almost always in skirts and heels, as opposed to trousers and flats, she has that nonchalance that makes it seem she threw something on and went about her day.

 

 

Last but not least, the woman who might be considered the queen bee of French style, Emmanuelle Alt. She is the editor of French Vogue after all.  She has developed a uniform that seldom differs even from season to season.  She favors pants, skinny ones, heels that vary from kitten to sky high, unfussy tees and shirts, and jackets to finish the look.

 

 



What else do you notice about all these women?  Minimal make up, unfussy hair and few well chosen accessories. 

Is this a style we can emulate?  We're not fashion editors, after all.  Pick out the parts that appeal to you and apply them to your wardrobe. In my case that means sticking with lots of neutral basics that can be punctuated with color if I like, and a focus on accessories such as belts and scarves.  How much easier is it to get dressed in the morning when everything in your closet goes with everything else?  Perhaps French women have discovered that they can spend their time on other things when deciding what to wear for the day is a snap.

Style resolutions part two will be editing the closet. We can't dress like French women until we get the wardrobe monster under control! 

There's an app for that

I love scarves. I have a big plastic container full of them.  I try hard to wear them and I manage to pull one out two or three times a month.  I hate to think of them languishing in the closet, as beautiful as many of them are. I have an excuse for the neglect. I am woefully inept when it comes to using them creatively.  I think I know one method of tying.  One.  Scarves can be outfit makers, tame unruly hair and even be worn as garments.  That is, if you know what to do with them. 

Google "scarf tying" and you'll find oodles of You Tube videos instructing you on every kind of tying for any size scarf you could possibly have.  Many of them are professional level and look like they had the backing of a full film crew.  Others are grainy and wobbly, and not in the charming 8mm way.  Sometimes a girl wants some one-stop shopping, without having to search.  Enter the iPad and iPhone version of the Hermes how-to app, Silk Knots. 

 

A collection of pictures and videos demonstrating various methods for using all those scarves gathering dust in your bureau drawer, not just those from the venerable house of Hermes.

 

 

The app is free in the App Store.  

 





My entire fall wardrobe in one place - terrific Tibi

Let's start off with a disclaimer. I'm not supposed to be shopping. I'm not supposed to be surfing the web.  I shouldn't look at the many retailer emails that hit my in box.  I don't need clothes and God knows I don't need shoes.  I had a list for fall and winter, sadly a short pair of seasons in the desert, and I ticked all the boxes on the list.  And then some.  Shopping, done. 

Initially it wasn't that hard to resist when the unappealing email from Tibi landed in my inbox. A bunch of clothes, laid flat against a white background. You'd have to have the imagination of Leonardo da Vinci to see potential.  The mistake I made was clicking through to the website where the clothes are pictured from all angles on actual models.  I don't think my fall and winter wardrobe will be complete without all of these. 

The amazing tropical wool split front pant is high on the wish list.  Slim pants, nicely fitted and gorgeous worn with a heel thanks to that front slit. 

 

Next on the list of kicked up basics, the Anson asymmetrical skirt.  Sure, I have black pencil skirts but none with such an interesting detail as the front panel on this skirt.  It is the perfect combination of ladylike and edgy. 

 

 

 

The last thing in my pretend shopping cart is the silk 3/4 sleeve V-neck top.  It comes in black in addition to the perfect ivory below.  This top, with the two classic with a twist bottoms, would coordinate with a bunch of jackets, shoes and accessories in my wardrobe. 

 

 

 

A grand total of $820.00 for three items, even three as versatile as these, is not in the budget at the moment.  The sale watch begins. 

 

How is your fall shopping going?  Are you finished like me or still on the hunt for things?

 

What's under there?

Let's talk about it.  What kind of underwear do you wear?  It's a serious topic.  After all, what is underneath can often make or break an outfit.  There are different undergarments for different needs.  There's no all purpose panty.  If there is, I haven't found it. 

Let's say you're wearing boyfriend jeans or some chinos. You don't have to worry about VPL.  You can go for comfort.  Something like these Barely There boy shorts.  No seams, no tags, perfect under denim.

Office attire requires something a little more, shall we say, slimming.  Something that looks good under pants or skirts.  The best choice disappears under clothes.  You want to be held in without having to work up a sweat stuffing yourself into a pair of undies labeled superhold. Behold the Skinny Britches.

Every so often a girl gets a chance to get all dressed up and go out. Cocktail dresses and evening outfits are often revealing and formfitting.  Here you have two options.  Go minimal, like a thong, or smooth yourself out top to bottom.  The big sister of the Skinny Britches, the High Waisted Short, removes every flaw.  The tummy disappears, and they don't make going to the bathroom difficult like the super duper slimmers.

 



To keep all these pretties looking good, wash them in cold and lay or hang to dry.   

Washing leather garments

Is there anything more luxurious than a leather garment? Leather used to be less common, the province of motorcyclists and cowboys.  Now there is leather for everyone.  Dresses, tops, tees, skirts, pants, and of course, jackets.  Since designers latched onto it a few years ago, there are also numerous pieces that are trimmed in leather. 

A leather item can be worn a number of times before it needs to be cleaned, particularly if you wear something under it.  Eventually there will come a time when it needs to be cleaned and that can get expensive.  Very expensive, as in over $70 for a simple sleeveless leather tank.  Since the cows stand out in the rain without shrinking or stretching, it got me thinking about the possibility of washing leather.

It turns out I'm not the first person to think of this.  There are actually leather washes available, including this one by Leather Therapy. 

Another getting good reviews is this Moss leather cleaner.

 

 

The question is, am I willing to experiment on my leather clothes?  Well, no, but I would give it a try on a thrift store find.  It could be a worthwhile experiment.    



Evolution

What do you wear now that you didn't wear 3 years ago? Are there things you used to wear frequently that are no longer in your closet?  For many of us, style evolves over time.  Is there an ultimate goal, a point at which you have a defined individual style that doesn't change?

Of all the things to experiment with in life, fashion is the most fun. Nothing is forever, even a bad outfit.  In the 20s and 30s, trying new things, taking risks and enjoying trends is normal.  Even beneficial.  As you move into your 40s and beyond, the lessons learned earlier help you avoid mistakes.

Even those who didn't embrace the joy of fashion when they were young can end up stylish in later life.  People with no sense of style can be taught, rehabilitated if you will.  It is possible to learn from fashion faux pas.

Designer Rick Owens said, "fashion is a playground up until a certain age, but then you have to find your own signature and your own style."

After many years of trying things, discarding what didn't feel authentic and refining what did, I think I've finally got it.  Simple shapes, neutral colors, excellent tailoring. This is the type of look I favor.

 

 

More of my style inspiration here.

  

Fashion Solutions: What do you do about deodorant marks?

We've all been there.  We put on a top, or we take one off, and there are the marks from our deodorant, all over the side. What's a girl to do?  Wash or dry clean the item every time its worn?  Unless you've run a marathon, or run after a few children, you probably didn't work up enough of a sweat to warrant that.

 
There are solutions.  There's actually a deodorant removing sponge, here.  I haven't tried it myself but judging from the reviews it does a great job.  There are much more cost efficient ways of getting it done, it turns out.  Nylons - commonly called pantyhose around these parts - work perfectly.  The slightly abrasive texture takes the mark right off.  Likewise the mesh bags used for washing delicates, another item you probably have in the house.  You can use a mesh dish scrubber, as long as it hasn't already been pressed into service to clean the lasagna pan.  Ditto a mesh body scrubber. 

Save the bag your oranges came in, it works too.