what would krissie wear

schoonering anyone?

Color in summer is yummy. This jacket is different because it actually has belt loops, enabling all sorts of fun and interesting looks.  Yesterday I opted for a silk scarf-as-a-belt look, which picked up the navies of the jacket and complemented the teal of the silk blouse with a lime and orange.  So yes, I may look like I’m headed schoonering like my office mates call it, but it’s better than a navy suit, that’s for sure!

jacket - Tristan on sale - $75ish
silk blouse - Old Navy - $12
silk scarf - thrifted - $15ish?
skirt - Target - $15
pumps - Bandolino, on sale - $30
pearl bracelet - actually a necklace - gift from Jay

6pm

everyone should own a white button down

Why? Because they are so versatile!

• wear em tucked into a skirt
• wear em tucked out and belted
• wear em with the collar popped
• wear em with jeans and a blazer
• wear em layered under a sleeveless or wrap dress
• wear em tied up in a knot with shorts
• wear em with a ballgown skirt to a black tie event (hello Sharon Stone!)

Get my point?  Get yourself a crisp white button down and wear away.  And take good care of those armpits to prevent yellowing.  I’ve heard a spritz of vinegar/water mixture can help.

white button down - J. Crew outlet, on sale - $25
floral skirt - Express, on sale - $15
patent leather belt - thrifted - $5
patent leather heels - Nine West, on sale - $40

10pm

HOT

I’ve been melting for the last two weeks (with a few days reprieve in Charleston, where surprisingly, it was LESS HOT and LESS HUMID than New York).  Anyone else melting with me?

I’ve been wearing a lot of skirts and a lot of layers - tank tops on the train which I top with jackets and cardis at the office.  And I of course love summer because of all the bright colors!  Like lime green…

black and white cardigan - BJs - $12
green tee - Banana, on sale - $15ish
black “magic pant” - J. Crew - $85
gold belt - LOFT, on sale - $10
pumps - Nine West, on sale - $40 (still lasting me!)

7pm

Lida Orzeck of Hanky Panky speaks with BBPW

Last night I attended Barnard Business and Professional Women’s (BBPW) final event of the season, a discussion with Hanky Panky founder and CEO and class of ‘68 grad, Lida Orzeck.  Led by ‘04 grad Shira Silberg who worked at Hanky Panky for several years after graduating, the discussion touched on everything from the company name, to how Lida and partner Gail Epstein developed the “world’s most comfortable thong,” to the challenges of growing explosively post-front-page-WSJ-article. 

What I took away from it was that Lida and her partner created something they believed in and continue to believe in more than 30 years later. They have a partnership that works, that thrives and that makes money and haven’t strayed from where they started (high quality, USA-made, “green” undergarments).  I applaud them!

A few key business points Lida touched on:

• Hanky Panky grew organically, through word of mouth.  If you have a good product, in essence, it will sell itself.
• Many women-owned businesses don’t tend to take on the amounts of debt or look for equity partners the way male-owned businesses do (a generalization, yes, but it’s been documented).  Hanky Panky fits this bill but Lida commented that she wouldn’t have had it any other way; they have the autonomy to run the company the company how they want.
• “Social media is the new advertising.” Hanky Panky have staff who tweet and facebook all day long, something that Lida said it took a while for her and Gail to be comfortable with, but that she knew needed to happen.

For some interesting discussion on Hanky Panky’s arrival at the Barnard Store, read this Columbia Spectator article and comments (including Lida’s final weigh-in).  Yes, I bought a Barnard-dazzled thong at my reunion a few weekends ago.  Yes, I love it.

9am

NYT article re: convertible clothing... would you pay more to be able to wear something multiple ways?

JNBY sells clothes than can be worn this way, that way, a third way, upside down way.  Would you pay a few hundo for something so versatile?  I might… depending on how good it looked each and every way.  Check out the article or their SOHO store (or I guess they have a bunch of others all over the country): 75 Greene Street (near Spring Street); (212) 219-2529.  I think I might! 

5pm

a belt makes all the difference

This is a relatively non-exciting outfit; twill pants with a hint of pinstripe, white ruffly shirt and a nicely structured navy jacket.  Summery, work-appropriate, exceedingly simple.  But, add an interesting belt with a pop of color and the outfit steps up to a whole new level.

navy blazer - Zac posen, bought from a friend - $65 I think?
white ruffled blouse - LOFT, on sale - $25ish? (I’m forgetting prices!)
pants - Banana Republic, on sale - $40
belt - gift from mom! (I have it in lilac too)

5pm

a little thrift, a little new; a little black, a little blue

Someone (a vendor I work with actually) emailed me the other day and said: “Random question…but how big is your closet??????  I can’t help but wonder how you never duplicate outfits…”

I get this question at work sometimes too, but really the key to looking like you’re wearing something new every day is having a lot of separates and mixing and matching them in as many ways and possible with as many accessories as possible and always coming up with new pairings.  Because really, my closet isn’t THAT big… (and I still own some things from like my first year in college!)

Prime example is this outfit - skirt bought 4 years ago new, jacket bought last summer new, silk blouse bought this winter (in preparation for summer) thrifted, belt also thrifted at same time, shoes staples that go with just about ANYTHING.

I’ve worn all these things many times before (well, the silk blouse maybe only once or twice), but this was the first time pulling it all together. I like that the gold studs in the belt mirror the polka dots in the blouse and that the belt and shoes are a bit edgier while the white skirt and blouse if worn just by themselves would be really preppy.  Mix and match, ladies; mix and match!

white skirt - NY&Co., on sale - can’t remember
polka dotted silk blouse - thrifted, originally J. Crew - $30
navy jacket - Tristan, on sale - $50
belt - thrifted - $3
shoes - Nine West, on sale - $40

7pm

WSJ article re: the growth of small designers "Crafts, Clothes and Clout - Small Designers Reach Larger Audience With Growth of Web and TV Showcases"

From the Wall Street Journal:

“On IndieShop, Etsy meets Home Shopping Network. Consumers can watch independent fashion designers discuss their work in a talk-show format while a host coos over the styles. If viewers like what they see, they can text an order by cellphone or go to Indieshop.com.

In recent years, technology and the Internet have given what was once a local endeavor—a seamstress, a jewelry maker, a cobbler working at home—a broader reach than ever. Etsy sold $180 million of merchandise last year and recently opened a European outpost in Berlin. Sites selling indie designs, like Starsandinfinitedarkness.com, SmashingDarling.com and Senseofashion.com, pop up with increasing regularity.”

7pm

sorry for being MIA; life got in the way…

I want to say I haven’t been blogging solely because work has been sucking away at my life, but that wouldn’t be completely honest.  I’ve just been worn out.  Giving myself a few days “break” turned into a week and then a second week and a third and now I can’t even believe it’s been over a month since my last post.  Anywho, I’m back with it, excited, focused and hoping that many of my readers who may have gone away will come back (please come back?)  Thanks for reading and supporting!  You guys are the greatest!  

6pm

fun with patent leather and fishnets (or a lesson in de-preppifying)

I bought this light blue knit top at the Banana Republic outlet in Atlantic City over Easter and I haven’t worn it until now because I wanted a way to de-preppify it.  So… I added some fishets and patent leather (both via the belt and shoes) and voila!  No longer preppy!

blue knit top - Banana outlet - $20ish
pleated skirt - handed down from a friend
fishnets - can’t remember!
patent leather belt - (now I have 2 bc one came with my suit from the other day) this one was $2 or $3 thrifted from HousingWorks
pumps - Bandolino, on sale - $30

10am

a new suit with a great cut can make you feel like a million bucks!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’m looking for a new black pantsuit.  Well, in my search for the perfectly taloired black pantsuit, I came across the most amazing Jackie O.-inspired black Tahari skirt suit… on sale… with an additional 25% off during Macy’s friends and family event.  A $340 suit for $140?  Come on, how could I resist? Besides, it fits like a glove and is the ideal work-to-party (as in cocktail party) suit.  In fact, I got to wear it this week at our Chairman’s Birthday party!  I kind of didn’t want to take it off.  It made me feel FABULOUS.  And, I think the pieces will work as separates as well, which is always a plus!

Tahari suit - belt included, on sale at Macy’s - $140
patent leather bag - Lancome gift set bag, gift from mom!
pearl bracelet - actually a pearl necklace used as a bracelet - gift from bf
patent leather pumps - Nine West, on sale years ago now - $40

4pm

picnic? work? come April/May, it’s all the same thing really, right?

This outfit is just so versatile: work-appropriate, picnic appropriate, yacht club appropriate… I can think of so many places where this works.  The funny thing is I totally bought this skirt thinking “winter winter winter” and yet when paired with a crispy white blouse it works really well for spring and summer.  It’s fantastic.  (Vintage) Anne Klein, you’re so great!

Also, I’ve been really getting into the tailored white button down lately.  A bit of popped collar action with a good fit shirt can look pretty nice with a statement necklace.  J. Crew’s shirts fit great and they feel even better when you pay outlet prices.

white button down - J. Crew outlet - $25ish
vintage skirt - Anne Taylor from Halavintage - $40
nude flats - Nine West, on sale - $30
pearl necklaces - add-a-pearl gift from my aunt and pearls with turquoise gift from my dad from St. Martin

9pm

I’m looking for…

A new black (power) suit.

And I have a butt, which makes all the pants crinkle in weird ways right in my crotchal area. NOT flattering for work (or anywhere really).  I’m thinking about buying pants a few sizes too big in the waist and then having them altered.  Have any of you had good/bad experiences with that?

Or… do you know a brand that makes AMAZING suits that have pants suited to various body types?  (So far I’ve tried: Ann Taylor, Anne Klein, Calvin Klein, Tahari, Theory, J. Crew, Club Monaco and they all seem to do the same thing.) Holla back.

More posts to come.  Just when I got psyched up to post something real tonight, photoshop wouldn’t open. ugh.

10pm

what do you do if someone wears almost the same thing as you to work?

You laugh and take a picture because you both obviously look gooooooood :-)

Yes, below is a photo of my friend Sarah and me at work today looking like mirror images of each other… fun house mirror images.  With her in the sweater and me in the skirt, of course people kept remarking what would happen if we combined the two for one super-flower powered ensemble.  Bad taste, that’s what would happen. 

Anyways, while I of course do not mind looking like my good friend Sarah, the thing with shopping at such popular stores as J. Crew and Banana and Ann Taylor LOFT, etc. is that you will often look like someone else because so many young working people get their stuff there.  But, if you like the print or the shirt or the item, and know how to mix and match with other things, accessorize, belt, etc. who really cares?  You’ll probably find a funhouse twin very rarely.  Oh and PS, after eyeing the skirt in J. Crew’s window every day on my walk to work, I toats got it on sale! 

Modified to include where I got everything:
skirt - J. Crew, on sale - $70
jacket - Calvin Klein from Filene’s Basement - $50
cami - Banana, on sale recently (has some fun silky detail on the neck) - $15
shoes - Nine West, on sale - $40
pearl necklaces  - one real - gift from bf, one fake - store on 14th between 5th and 6th called “All Jewelry $2” I kid you not.

6pm

black tie on a Thursday night

My mom was in town, so what did we do?  When to a black tie gala, naturally…  This time, I wore the beautiful tunic she bought me in India cinched with a black ribbon and black satin skirt underneath.  How gorgeous is the tunic?  How amazing is my mom’s style?  I just can’t get enough.  Oh, and have you met my boyfriend, Jay Bond?  hehe. I know some people who are going to give him a lot of crap for that. More fun for me!

I didn’t get a chance to take any close-ups of the detailing of this tunic, but I will try to do that in the next few days because the beauty of it is really in the detail.

The Metropolitan Club is so elegant:

Spinning in tunics that do this is awesome!

weeeeeeee!

Bond… Jay Bond. I crack myself up SO much.

6pm