what would krissie wear

Filene's Basement winter clearance!!!

Now is the time to go winter coat and boot and sweater shopping because it’s ALL ON SALE OR CLEARANCE.  Let’s go shopping!!!

9pm

burning it up orange

Burnt orange is my new flave.  When I bought that gorgeous silk ruffly blouse on Friday and wore it Saturday, I started thinking about other things I have in this unusual for me, but surprisingly flattering color: this short-sleeved collared blouse popped into mind and then onto body Monday morning. 

This color orange can be a bit of a challenge.  The silk worked really well with all black/grey tones without making me look like a candy corn parade, but this blouse is just slightly more orangey and so I thought black was out of the question.  In stepped navy.  An interesting and kind of different combo: almost feels a bit army or marinesque in a way (or maybe just girl scouty?)… especially with the khaki in the belt.  Anywho, long story short.  I’m digging this color and I may have a few more burning orange pieces coming your way.

9pm

wwkw weekend edition

Although I wore this pumpkin spice getup to Jay’s Grandpa’s birthday celebration this weekend, I probably could have worn it a number of places: work, after work cocktails, the theater on a Saturday night.  It’s a bit scary that i’m getting into wearing things like GASP! blazers outside of work.  My dad should be proud the day has come.

First, I’d like to disclaim: I paid full price for these pants from J. Crew.  EEK. There, I said it. Flog me, beat me, do whatever you have to do, but they were actually only $80 and totally worth it because now that I already wore them all day Friday and all weekend, I’m likely going to be wearing them ALL THE TIME.

Secondly, you can sigh a bit in relief because I did get a nice discount on the silk blouse, although I did still pay $60 for it.  That being said, I want more high quality ruffles blouses and I’m willing to pay (ok, not an arm and leg, but maybe a pinky or earlobe?) for them.  Any suggestions on where to look?

Thirdly, look at the PUPPIES! Meet Clicquot and Remy, yes as in Veuve Clicquot and Remy Martin.  They sleep with us when we’re at Jay’s mom’s and they’re adorable.

7pm

what's your best color?

This is mine!  It makes my blue/grey eyes look bluer, my hair blonder and my skin glow; you can’t really ask for anything better, right?

Do you know what your best color is?  How did you figure it out?

9pm

how come no one told me?

I just found out today, practically two weeks after-the-fact, that Alexander McQueen has died.  Obviously I’m way behind on news.  Sarah Jessica Parker wrote this short piece/obit for Time. How sad that someone so talented and with so much potential for the future is now gone.

10am

weddings weddings weddings!

If you’re like me, then you may be at that time when a lot of your friends are getting married.  What does this mean for you and me and every other female wedding guest?  The dreaded: “I have nothing to wear!”

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to wear something new to every wedding you go to because if you did and I did, I’d probably be broke.  That’s a lot of dresses, in addition to gifts, plane flights, etc.  Find one or two or a few dresses you love and play around with accessorizing them in different ways for different occasions.  This works especially well with one-colored pieces.  Like the one I’m wearing below. 

Although this is its first wear, I actually bought it at Loehman’s a few years ago for $30!!!  The zipper was broken so I brought it to the tailor who fixed it for $15, so really the dress, still a fantastic deal, cost a total of $45!  But I decided that for this wedding I didn’t want to go so formal as a bunch of gold jewelry or pearls and I needed some color with the blue (and the dress doesn’t hug quite tight enough around the waist and I was too lazy/cheap to go get it taken in).  Solution: scarf around the waist.  It solved my color issue, made a very evening-y cocktail dress a bit more day-to-night AND helped give me the shape I was looking for in the dress. 

Do you like my artistic touches to this photo? :-)

Other ways to change up a dress:

• Think about what shoe/dress color combinations you can make.  If you don’t want to invest in a new pair, borrow from a friend! Check out how different this dress looks with the cork vs. red shoes.
• If you go light on accessories one wear, go heavier and more colorful the next or switch up the focus of your accessories; if you’re wearing a black dress with a statement necklace the first wear, go with a great pair of earrings and chunky bracelet the next time around.
• Tights! Add some classy fishnets or lace tights for an alternative look.
• Makeup: your whole look can change if you decide to go light vs. dark and accessorize accordingly. 
• Style your hair differently with the same dress and it’ll be like half a new you!

Do you have any suggestions of how you wear dresses over and over again? 

P.S. I FINALLY GOT MY HAIR CUT!  And although I didn’t cut much off, it makes a world of difference now that it doesn’t feel like I’m trying to grow out a mullet or something.  Thank you to all for your kind hair comments. 

9pm

Check it out - I’m quoted in Barnard Magazine’s article, Into the Blogosphere!  Spreads 33-35 and 45.  Thanks for talking with me, Sarah!

12pm

wwkw during a blizzard?

As you may have noticed, I’m a bit behind on posting.  Last week during the so-called blizzard (it only snowed a few inches in the city… puhlease), everyone who actually showed up to work wore jeans.  I must’ve missed that memo but no matter, because I was looking for the perfect opportunity to wear the beatiful jacket my mom had bought me for Christmas.  Handmade in the South of France, one-of-a-kind, the blizzard was the perfect day for it.  Isn’t it a gorgeous piece?  My mom has such great taste and knows me so well!

It’s a perfect mix and match item too; it can be worn with long pants or jeans, with a black skirt and purple tights, as a fall coat, open or closed… so versatile and so unique.  Thanks again mom!

These are the types of items that I feel are ok to spend more money on (even though in this case it happened to be a gift): they’re well-made, good quality, different, unique, something that you can probably hold on to for a long time.

This was my “I’m excited for snow” dance. 

9pm

while I haven't been blogging...

I’ve been golfing, yes golfing.  I told a few people at work that I played golf this weekend and you should have seen the looks on their faces.  Well, I’m not really a golfer but Jay loves it and when we went to visit his dad and dad’s wife in Florida this weekend, I manned up and played enough to make me sore for the rest of the week.  Did I look good doing it?  Eh… not so much, but I did figure I’d wear the brightest pants I own… cuz it is Florida.  Unfortunately when we took this photo, it was just starting to rain.  The rest of the weekend was lovely and sunny, although definitely not t-shirt and shorts weather. 

Thanks Dawn and Joe for a fantastic weekend!

9pm

mix and match and go a little craaaaazy

As you all know by now, to create a diverse and ever expanding work wardrobe, it is so important to mix and match.  Here is yet another example: I’ve got the jacket that is part of this suit matched with my hot pink DVF skirt and some brown tights. Originally, I thought this was going to be a black and navy kinda skirt only.  But, I’m liking the brown.

oh right, and did I mention I’m going CRAAAAAZY this week? 

10pm

more ruminations on the one-piece

Following up on last week’s post, the one-piece ski suit is back! based on my observations in Vail and Breckenridge, I can say that it’s also back on the East Coast, at the very least at Stratton, where I was skiing this weekend.

But here’s the thing.  There are two groups of people: those who wear the suit facetiously in wild colors, accessorized with glitter belts and ridiculous faux-fur headbands, and who embrace the grand possibility of the accompanying cameltoe and wedgie OR the people who wear them because they think they’re really coming back in style and they just spent $500 on a new one.

The former:

The later:

Not gonna lie, I’d like to be in group number 1 and totally want a sick one-piecer to rock out on the mountain, preferably in some sort of neon combination and as 80s as possible…  No matter how hard it probably will be to pee in, and how uncomfortable, I’m starting my EBay search today!

10am

leather skirt + leather boots = a lot of leather

This is my second time wearing this leather skirt to work.  I like this look better than the first one; I think it’s sleeker.  Something about the suede boots along with the leather… I thought it would be too much cow for one outfit but I really kinda dig it.  I think that if the boots were shiny leather like the skirt instead of suede, it might not work as well, but the different textures are what make that much leather ok.

Also, I think this skirt requires a longer top and this wraparound works great (I wore it with a shorter sweater last time and heels instead of boots and I think the outfit shortened me, whereas this one seems to elongate).  I added the ruffled shirt underneath for some extra color.

How would you wear this skirt?

leather skirt - thrifted from HousingWorks, originally Banana - $40
purple wrap shirt - Tristan - $60
ruffle blouse - Mandee - $25
suede boots - Nine West, on sale - $85

10am

when working late, comfort is key

This past week was a long one.  I’ve still been trying to kick this cold and I’ve been really busy at work.  So, a few mornings that I knew I was going to have to stay late and didn’t have any important meetings or dealings with upper management, I really tried to plan an outfit that would be comfortable all day, as well as far into the evening.

Tight skirts out, annoying-ish collared shirts no, tights that make me feel like I’m constantly holding my breath forget about it.  Not that I own that many uncomfortable clothes… but I was going for the feel like you’re in your pjs, look like you’re business casual look.  This is one of those outfits: loose, non scratchy knit top with a fitted but comfortable wool skirt, tights and sturdy heels, very few accessories.

knit top - Express, on sale a while ago - $15ish?
wool skirt - Banana, on sale - $40
navy tights - no idea
brown Mary Janes - Aerosoles, on sale - $40
necklace - vintage, on sale - $15

10am

the one-piece ski suit is BACK!

And in sweet shades of neon pink, fluorescent purple and caution-yellow too.  I couldn’t believe my eyes as I skied around Vail and Breckenridge this weekend only to see not one or two but several dozen women AND MEN on the slopes in what I thought was the epitome of 80s skiwear.  I snapped some photos on the sly so you could enjoy just a taste of what I did:

This guy HAS to be European… right?

The double whammy.

I was almost fortunate to get a photo taken WITH this lovely lady as her friends were standing in front of us in line while I not so subtly shot this photo… but alas, they had started skiing down before we made it up on the lift.

What an amazing weekend of fashion… and I thought I was just gonna get in a good ski and some fresh mountain air.  If you’re curious, here are some shots of me… I can’t say I’m the most fashionable skier on the mountain by ANY means (I’m wearing Jay’s old ski pants from a decade ago and a Spyder jacket I got online on sale for like $150) BUT I do stay warm and have a SICK time.  And, I skied down that:

Helmets are in because safety is in.  Nerd out.

8pm

blogger MIA!

I know, I know, it’s been like a week since my last post.  I’m starting fresh next week, I promise.  Things I’ve been doing while not blogging:

• working my ass off… one employee down means a lot more work for this gal
• playing tour guide to my Finnish cousin who has been staying with me for the past week… this was her first trip to NYC!
• being sick: the sniffles, cough, sore throat, whole nine yards
• getting excited for my weekend ski trip to Vail/Breckenridge with Jay to visit his bro

You guys have anything exciting going on?

6pm