items of the day – basics @ acceptable prices

do you ever find yourself saying “enough is enough”, sartorially speaking??? this is how i have been feeling this week. maybe it was the crazy street style photos from the various fashion weeks. everyone looks like she got dressed in the dark to attend a circus performer casting call. maybe it’s the insane prices the merchandise is reaching – sandals for $1,2000, t shirts for $800. you get it.

whatever the reason may be, i find myself drawn only to basic pieces at acceptable prices. here are some. if you are planning a march vacation to a warm destination, these are for YOU.

[get it @ net a porter]

sweet, cute, totally versatile. what’s not to like??? this top will look classic with jeans, tough/soft with a leather bottom, sweet but not cloying with a mid length skirt.

[get it @ net a porter]

i have wanted a maxi dress for a while. however – and this may seem counterintuitive – a lot of them are quite skimpy [on top that is]. i suppose to balance out the length. but this one seems lovely to me. top it with a leather or army jacket if it gets chilly. also, it’s a good canvas for your statement necklace, although i think a traditional gold necklace will look fabulous with it.

[get it @ net a porter]

that old nugget – basic does not have to be boring – clearly applies here. i love love love this print – so 70’s. will look great with a longer, looser blazer or a long v neck cardigan. if you are not going an vacation, wear it with tights and boots with a stacked heel.

what about you? are you rebelling against the fashion insanity???? how would you style these pieces to make them yours??? xxx t.

item of the day – zara voile shirt

[get it @ zara]

one of my recurring sartorial fantasies involves me packing for a dreamy beach vacation. i end up spending a lot of time and energy refining my fantasy packing list… honestly it’s exhausting.

but when i came across this simple white shirt on the zara website, i knew immediately that i had to make more room in my virtual suitcase. it will look great over a white tank top [or a black one, if you want to pretend you are french] and jeans, and  be a perfect cover up with some funky long necklaces. and if you are bold enough, you can wear it with just a neon bra under it and flowy pants . xxx t.

item of the day – hunter bicolor boot

[get them @ hunter]

basically right now i am disgusted by all my winter outerwear. i am sick to death of my coats, scarves, hats and boots. i need something to entice me to get dressed to go outside. and these hunter boots might be it. imagine them with fuchsia or blue hunter fleece socks, for color blocking that will get you out the door. xxx, t

item of the day – sacai luck lace top

[photo from rcfa.com]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

last year kerry washington – she of amazing poise, grace and sartorial splendor – wore a stunning oscar dress to the naacp image awards. i totally loved the dress the moment i saw it in the pictures. pink and green – so cute, so fresh, so preppy – done in amazing lace. it was so different from all the other gowns floating around. i fantasized about a version of my life in which i could wear the gown.

and then, this morning, while doing my daily duty of checking net a porter, what do i see???? this:

[sacai luck, get it @ net a porter]

pink and green! lace! in an item of clothing i can use in my real life! i am so excited. this top is so so so cute. with wide legged navy blue pants it’s elegant but fresh for spring. with boyfriend jeans it’s sweet and ready for the weekend.

have you ever truly fallen in love with something a celebrity has worn??? xxx, t.

style file – leather jackets, part 1

leather jackets are in the air. at least the air around me. one dear friend who shares my love for fashion asked me to do a post on leather jackets [imagine my delight: a project! about clothes! yay :)] and another is considering buying an insanely sick [that is a compliment] leather jacket to celebrate something nice having happened in her life. I love love love leather jackets. You put one on and feel strong, cool, untouchable. sooooo… which one should you get?

the classic. black, waist length, with zippers of course. saint laurent has reset the standard with this one. but it is on the outer edge of the bell curve, price wise. these two are really beautiful and only a couple of standard deviations from the mean:

[r13, get it @ net a porter]

[barbara bui, get it @ intermix]

in my endless meanderings around the web i managed to find a brand that makes jackets from recycled leather. i don’t know how you feel about that, but if you are okay with it [maybe you are not, but your eco minded daughter is], the price point is certainly great [$321]:

[pelechecoco, get it @ luisa via roma]

the softer everyday option. much as you may love your motorcycle-riding fantasy life, sometimes you need a leather jacket that is softer/thinner, with a little bit less edge, to be used in your subway-riding/cab hailing/parking spot seeking real life. maybe you want to wear the jacket under your winter coat, or on a first date [that will lead to a second date], or maybe  the whole biker thing is just not you and you know it. in this instance, do not pass go but go directly to the vince website. right now you could get one of these:

[vince, get it @ vince]

i love the asymmetrical closure on the one pictured above. and the color combination – navy and cream – on this one below is super super chic.

[vince, get it @ vince]

this proenza version really speaks to me. i love the neckline and the slouchier fit, which lets you wear a sweater underneath without feeling all sausagy:

[proenza, get it @ net a porter]

the jacket jacket. for those of us who love the luxurious feel of leather but are not really “leather jacket kind of girls”. thank goodness for marni. consuelo  understands that women want intelligent clothes. this one is really gorgeous [ignore the ridiculous styling in the picture]. and if you want it in burgundy/brown, moda operandi has it on sale.

[marni, get it @ luisa via roma]

 and finally. if you are in the mood to really think outside the box, there is a super white  minimalist version by j.w. anderson, currently very much on sale. it’s the kind of item that could be seriously frightening or utterly fabulous, depending on the woman. as is the case with all real fashion.

xxx t.

item of the day – phillip lim tank dress

[get it from phillip lim]

so here i was, surfing the phillip lim website, looking for spring inspiration, and i stumbled upon this totally adorable phillip lim dress. love love love the black/white color way, the perfectly wearable length, and the easy silhouette [the dress has really nice movement, you can see that in the video on the saks website]. so perfect for any spring event in march/april. and come summer, wear it with a really bright shoe, like these fuchsia manolo pumps. but since i am a declared flats girl, i personally would pair the dress with these super chic black manolo flats. i think the geometry of the lattice detail in the shoe contrasts nicely with the floral pattern of the dress. xxx t.

[get it from bergdorf]

[get them from bergdorf]

because reading matters…

[get it from barnes & noble]

for me, one of the many challenges in raising a girl is figuring out how best to help her develop a healthy relationship with her body and her sexuality. this book has been recommended to be by a child psychologist i trust, and i am really looking forward to reading it [yes, you do have to get over the ridiculous title]. even if i end up not following all/some of the advice, the acts of reading about the subject, thinking about it and reading first-person accounts of other women’s experiences help me figure out what the right approach is for me as a mother.

which parenting books have influenced your parenting style?

xxx t.

item of the day – statement necklaces for the rest of us

a dear friend of mine [you know who you are, basking in the sun right now !!!!] just bought a lovely gray dress, and i suggested to her that a necklace would stand out nicely against the gray. so, as i was obsessively analyzing casually browsing the matches fashion website yesterday, i came across these three necklaces that i think would work well with a variety of dresses. on the “statement meter” i would rate them a low medium.

[get it from matches]

i love light blue and gray together. and the crystals work really well with the gray. also cute with a white t shirt come summer. the technicolor version is also available, but honestly, i would go with the blue.

[get it from matches]

i think red looks terrific against gray. and somehow it feels appropriate to purchase a necklace named “amore” around valentine’s day. it will also look chic paired with navy blue or black.

[get it from matches]

i love the colors of this one, and i think the price point is really good. i think the fact that it’s not too wide is what makes it wearable.

are you currently embarked on a fashion quest?

xxx t.

item of the day – the matchesfashion.com sale

sometimes when you are internet shopping nothing catches your eye. you scroll through screen after screen of stuff, and it all blends together. you feel slightly bored. dissatisfied. but then, sometimes, you start to look through a site and you get excited. you want this, and this, and this. you click on the available sizes praying yours is still there. you perk up as you create multiple outfits in your head with the merchandise that will soon be yours, all yours. your life will improve the moment the package arrives. you will be happy! you will be at peace! you know.

well i kind of got that feeling scrolling through the sale section of matchesfashion.com this morning. from the “tops” section:

i think dkny is totally underrated. their stuff is great for mixing, and they always offer current trends at a good price point. a gray sweatshirt with leather sleeves will serve you well.

love the vibe of this rebecca taylor blouse with little studs on the sleeves. just a little edge to show you care about the details. so so cute with boyfriend jeans and ballerinas.

my love for the 70’s runs wild… love love love this dvf blouse. the print, the color combination, the v-neck. i must.

a stella jean blouse in a super fun print. this could be the one wild thing in your closet. tone it down with a pencil skirt in navy blue, or put it over a sheath dress when you leave the office and head out to dinner.

a black lace blouse like this one by collette dinnigan can be styled in a myriad of ways. put a tank or t-shirt under it for the day, or wear it over your swimsuit  with cutoffs. put a red bra under it and a black tuxedo jacket over it if you do the overtly-sexy evening thing [i don’t judge, i admire].

it almost made me sad to see this marc jacob blouse lingering on the website. i remember when the collection was shown on the runway, and all the broohaha about pajama dressing. still i think the blouse is lovely, styled regular-way, not as a pajama top. if you are a little more adventurous, there is an erdem floral pajama top as well.

i think this blouse by roksanda ilincic is super super chic. crisp cut, adorable color detail.

it’s alexander mcqueen…how can you say no??? subtle under a jacket, with tailored black pants. just knowing you are wearing something by mcqueen makes your confidence skyrocket. so what it’s a t shirt and not an evening dress???

and finally… for the tween/teenager in your life: this zoe karssen bat tshirt is super popular season after season, and this wildfox pineapple tshirt screams “i’m 15 and it’s summer”.

okay, i’ll stop now. xxx t.

item of the day – theysken’s theory denim dress

[get it from net a porter or shopbop]

i think i am one of the five women in the universe who does not find jeans “the most comfortable thing in my closet”. the other four are probably way past their eightieth birthday. but whatever, i think i am in good company [check out the blog advanced age if you don’t believe me].

actually, i think a dress is the most comfortable item of clothing. it’s one thing, you put it on and you’re done. and depending on the style, you can actually have just about no clothing touch your body the entire day. no pants to pull up. no buttons to loosen or pop by the end of the day. no worries that the pants are not the right length for the shoes you want to wear. no twisting of your neck at bizarre angles in an attempt to determine the size of your butt in said pants. you get the point.

that’s why this dress is perfect. denim without the denim side effects.  i love the idea of a very feminine silhouette – an a line dress – rendered in a super casual, super young fabric – distressed denim. the neckline is so so cool.

and now. turning to the burning question of how to style this dress:

you could add a chunky cuff on one or both arms [do NOT click on this link unless you want to have a heart attack].

as for shoes: ballerinas would play up the ladylike side [saks has a good selection of repettos. or you can get a pair @ topshop for $25 and call it a day] and black chunky sandals [these are from givenchy and come in a couple of heel heights] would be a little punky.

same same on top – a lace cardigan [this one, from clu, has the lace detail in the back, so it does not compete with the neckline] or a leather jacket [shopbop has tons on sale right now, at a range of price points].

come to think of it, this dress would actually be great to pack for a vacation, since you can change its vibe so much depending on how you style it.

xxx t.