Trends to Watch: The Little Black Suit

Is a black suit the new LBD? Naomi Watts, Lauren Hutton and Carine Roitfeld all showed up at Dolce & Gabbana's Extreme Beauty in Vogue party in Milan decked out in sophisticated black suits. I can't remember the last time I wore a suit but these looks are making me reconsider. A sleek black suit is easy to accessorize in your own style, and like an LBD, there's a cut for every body type. Every woman owns one. If you don't, invest in a suit that's well-tailored and flatters your body type. This is one wardrobe staple you can (and should) splurge on; you can wear it to important meetings and to the hottest parties.

Btw, who makes those amazing shoes Naomi Watts is wearing? Somebody tell me please!



Photos courtesy of Style.com.

Hunting For Handmade: Norwegian Wood

Handmade in her studio/apt. in Montreal, Angie Johnson's Norwegian Wood collection is a creative delight. An assortment of leggings, log pillows, harnesses, and cage skirts can be found in her Etsy store, iheartnorwegianwood. I especially love her fringe necklaces, which add drama to any basic tee.

Built By Wendy Sample Sale

Some sample sales are like "this top may be $200 but it's 70% off." But the Built By Wendy sale has a boatload of goodies starting at $10.

Thanks Buss Buss for the tip!

Hunting For Handmade:Hopeless

Handmade silk lingerie is a true luxury and Hopeless from Melbourne, Australia is no exception. The sister duo, Gabrielle and Dominique Adamidis, design and handmake beautiful, feminine, and retro inspired bras, panties, garters, and more using fine silks and other natural fibers with a beautiful yet simple color palette. To purchase visit their Etsy store.

Save The Date: Bust Craftacular Brooklyn

I am so thrilled to find out that there will be a spring craftacular hosted by Bust Magazine! Grace and I went to the December Craftacular and had a blast. I am definitely marking my calendar for the Spring Fling!

Oh Yeah, Anna Wintour on 60 Minutes

Getting my facts straight: Morley Safer is not the new face of sartorial advice for 60 Minutes (as I had hoped) but shooting an upcoming 60 Minutes profile on Anna Wintour. Safer must be quite the charmer, the usually dour Ms. Wintour is actually smiling.

Thanks Gawker for the 411.

P.S. I love the Viagra ads all over the 60 Minutes homepage. They sure know their target market. Isn't Flomax another sponsor?

Is 60 Minutes Getting Stylish?

HA HA! Had to share this awesome photo of Anna Wintour, Morley Safer and Blake Lively at the Ralph Lauren show. Mr. Safer does look pretty stylish in that pink shirt and pocket square. (thanks Daily Intel!)

If I Had To Pick One...

If I had to pick one and only one dress from last night's Oscars, I would pick this stunning Versace gown worn by Marisa Tomei. The pleating and the fit of this dress is absolutely gorgeous and my favorite of the night.

Trends To Watch: Gothic Accessories

The Doo.Ri Fall 2009 Ready to Wear collection was absolutely beautiful. Her draped jersey dresses and ruffled tops were accessorized with haunting gothic touches. As shown above the models walked down the runway with crystal encrusted lace stockings, grey violet lipstick, and hairy handbags. The handbag should have had it's own comb like the one I found at last December's BUST Craftacular (shown below). That would have completed the look.

(Doo.Ri photo courtesy of nymag.com)

Fashion Makes Me Happy

I love a menswear inspired aesthetic but it is very hard to pull off well. This woman seen at Preen, looks so chic in baggy trousers, motorcycle boots, vest, fitted hooded jacket. If anyone knows who makes the pants, please email or post a reply! (Sartorialist for Style.com)




This outfit makes me so happy. The colorblock dress has great details like the clamshell sleeves and cute square neck. The cloth bag is the perfect accessory for the outfit and her pixie haircut is adorable. (Thanks, Copenhagen Street Style!)

DIY: Shredded Tee

I love the lived-in look of worn, baggy, boyfriend tees. They're super comfy and layerable, with a distinctively downtown via LA vibe. I love even more the pre-destroyed tees that many designers are doing. You can't beat the way they hang on the body. However, it's hard to justify paying a lot for what is, at the end of the day, just a t-shirt.

True, it takes awhile to wear a t-shirt in to that perfect silky softness. And it's usually by accident when you get just the right amount of stretched-outedness in the neck. And it's hard to find a good white tee at the thrift store without pit stains. But great t-shirts at dept. stores cost $75 on average for a plain one and in the hundreds for the cool ripped and destroyed ones in boutiques.

What's a girl to do? One way is to make your own. This do-it-yourself shredded tee by Camille of the blog Childhood Flames can be designed to your liking--a few strategically placed shreds or a completely shredsville top to layer over something else. This is a perfect project for when you're watching TV. And best of all, your creation is a one-of-a-kind piece!

What You’ll Need:
-a t-shirt/tank top/etc. (Camille used a regular Hanes tee, the ones that come in a pack)
-scissors
-a seam ripper (optional, you could use a mechanical pencil or your fingers instead)
-lots of time



Cut the hem off your shirt and stretch the raw edge a bit to loosen the threads.




Using your seamripper (pencil or fingers), begin to pull at the threads running horizontal to the hem of the garment. (Note: Don't tear the threads, just pull them loose. You will see them unravel as you pull.) The first couple threads may break, but keep going until you have several threads loose. This is where you determine how wide your shredded section is going to be, so pull a long section of thread out if you want a wider panel of shredded fabric. Remember, you can always make more panels later on.


Once you have several threads pulled out you can ditch the seam ripper and just use your fingers to pull on the thread and more should rip out. Don’t worry if some threads break along the way, just keep pulling.


Continue ripping until you reach the top of the garment or the height you desire. If you notice that your shredded panel of fabric tapers in as you go higher, backtrack and find where you didn’t pull the thread all the way across and pick and pull at the spot until it comes undone and continue to the top.

Repeat and make multiple panels of shredded fabric until satisfied.



All photos and instructions from Childhood Flames. Camille also has video instructions on her blog.

Hunting For Handmade: Astridland

The multi-talented Astrid Brucker of Astridland has got your wardrobe needs covered. Gorgeous comfortable clothing, leather handbags, and intricate chain necklaces are just some of the items she designs. All are made by hand and available in her Etsy store.

Read her blog, www.astridland.blogspot.com for updates and inspiration.

Style Tips: Contemplating the Cougar

Let's contemplate the cougar. I've given this a lot of thought lately b/c I'm slightly more, ahem, mature now. How old do you have to be to be considered a cougar? What is the age difference between said cougar and her youthful prey? Can you be a cougar without an appetite for adolescent arm candy? Are you a cougar solely based on age, or is there a certain look that characterizes cougardom?

The unfortunate vision which comes to mind is a woman with too much surgery, too little clothing/too much cleavage, and an age-inappropriateness about them--something passed off as confidence but all too often comes off as desperation. It's my own personal stereotype and I want to dislodge the negative image, if only from my own mind. So here's my offering to women who, like me, have spent time contemplating the impending forces of nature and what to do about it.

Exhibit A
(Writer's note: I realize it's not fair to compare the silicone milf to Helena; she is probably a good deal older and not a supermodel. But this piece is not about age, it's about wearing your age gracefully.)

DON'T show too much skin. You can (and do) look sexy and beautiful without letting everything hang out. Instead, DO invest in a well-tailored wardrobe that accentuates your assets.

Exhibit B
DON'T make a scene when you go out. It's only slightly okay when 22-year olds do it, because they're immature and inexperienced. You don't look cute or sexy when you're dancing on the bar and making out with your girlfriend. Instead DO practice the subtle art of seduction.

Feel free to add your own Cougar Dos and Don'ts.


Photos from bravotv.com starring Real Housewives of OC, and the new spread in Harper's Bazaar starring Helena Christiansen and Ed Westwick.

In The Spotlight: Derek Loves Shopping

The website http://www.dereklovesshopping.com/ has launched today. It's an incredibly fun site with videos and diary posts on how to "look like a celebrity, live like a socialite, and dress like a fashionista, but without having to pay the same price!" all told by celeb/socialite stylist, fashionista, and fur endorsor, Derek Warburton. He interviews store owners, makeup artists, designers, and much more in the best shopping cities to help you find the best deals and become "Derek Fabulous"! On a personal note, I have to say that Derek is one of my oldest and dearest friends and some of my BEST purchases have been on my shopping trips with him. He truly knows what he's talking about!

Hunting For Handmade: Coquelicot Salon

I'm really into fingerless gloves right now. They also seem very appropriate during this transition into spring. Coquelicot Salon has some beautiful hand crochet versions that I absolutely adore! The added bows, buttons, and shirring give them an adorable twist. I especially love the two tone versions.

From top to bottom:

Black Fingerless Mittens with Vintage Button and Bow- $35

Teal and Cream Fingerless Mitten with Brown Button- $32

Red Fingerless Mitten with Button and Confetti Bow- $35