October 2009
24 posts
2 tags
feeling a bit andrognynous
My colleague described my outfit as a colonial woman in drag…. probably because the other one said he thought my pants looked like knickers (yes, I even humored them and tucked my pants into my boots just to see how silly it would look).
My roommate put it a lot more elegantly when I got home and said I had a bit of the 1920’s flapper androgyny thing going on, with the straightness of...
1 tag
WSJ article: the rise of power jeans →
My boyfriend emailed me this morning with: “There’s an article on “Power Jeans” in the WSJ today. Mostly about men but still a good read. Maybe you can do something with the blog.” So naturally, I went to the style section of WSJ.com and started reading. He’s right; it’s a good read but what struck me most was the “mostly about men” part. Author Christina Binkley highlights jean-clad world...
1 tag
going designer
The last few days have been a real whirlwind so I’m sorry for neglecting the old blogger. My parents came to town on Friday to celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday, which was yesterday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!). Brunches, dinners, long strolls around the city, museums, shows… we did it all.
But on Saturday, Jay and I received a sad phone call from his family telling us of his...
4 tags
my fraulein vintage skirt
This feels a bit German countryside to me, no? I bought this vintage 60s Ann Taylor skirt from HalaVintage a few weeks ago 50% off for $40. It’s such a great pattern, color and fit and overall great find!
This is my first time wearing navy tights in a really long time. Not sure why… I just wasn’t into the whole navy thing for a while. I’m back with it now. And, of...
4 tags
rocking the bandaged look
And rocking it with style…
If my office were ever warm enough, I might be able to take the cardigan off:
I know I’ve been talking a lot about working with the jewelry you have, mixing and matching, etc.; here’s a really good example of where I’ve put four necklaces together to create one look. Two pearl necklaces mixed with the gold chain and pearl necklace and my...
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NYT article on Ann Taylor: critical shopper - at... →
Sometimes I wonder if fashion journalists live in the same world as I do. In their world, a single mid-to-late-20s girl can afford, and in fact, construct her entire wardrobe of (oh God, yawn, how boring - their perspective, not mine) Ann Taylor, J. Crew or Banana Republic, the so-called “affordable” businesswear labels for women. Seriously? If I bought even two full priced suits at...
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how to wear purple tights to work
As you can see, I’m really liking the funky tights at the office. I have to preface this post with, no this is not what I’m wearing to work today; it’s what I wore yesterday. In fact, today I’m slouching around in leggings and an oversized sweater playing hooky. Ok, that’s only half true. I’m actually wearing what I said I’m wearing but it’s not...
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a popped collar or a pop of color or both?
I got the idea of wearing a popped collar peeking out of a turtleneck from one of the ladies I work with. She did it a bit more conservatively than me with a white collar and beautiful grey (cashmere?) turtleneck, full navy suit and triple-decker pearls knotted at the side. It looked really classy.
So, I went with my version, which of course involved a lot more color. First, I liked the orange...
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time article: the state of the american woman →
I think it’s really important to evaluate how far women have come to see how far we still have to go. This article provides a lot of great statistics and even compares to a Time 1972 article of a similar nature.
Some of my favorite stats: The number of female Supreme Court Justices, Cabine members, Avon executives, governors, FBI agents and Ivy League presidents in 1971: ZERO 2009:...
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it is more than just hair.
Last night, I attended JUST HAIR? Women, Politics, Passion and Fashion at Barnard, a panel discussion with Ayana Byrd ‘95, Anne Kreamer, and Atoosa Rubenstein ‘93, moderated by Janet Jakobsen.
Although I came away having a greater understanding about the political, sociological and even economic significances of hair during various times (think short hair as a symbol of independence for women...
4 tags
how to wear lace tights to the office
Compared to some of my color-crazy outfits, I would say this is pretty subdued. In fact the only color is in my green and gold bauble necklace, which was from my grandmother’s jewelry collection years ago.
This sweater is several years old and it’s one of those pieces that is both sophisticated and funky at the same time, which is why I love it. You can’t tell from the photos...
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JUST HAIR? Women, Politics, Passion and Fashion
A Barnard event, of course. And I’ll be attending tonight if anyone is interested in joining me! Love my alma mater…
A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH AYANA BYRD ‘95, ANNE KREAMER, AND ATOOSA RUBENSTEIN ‘93, MODERATED BY JANET JAKOBSEN
Thursday, 10/15 6:30 PM The James Room 4th Floor Barnard Hall
Long, short, sleek, bold, kinky, natural, covered or shaved—no matter how...
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VS supermodel makeup tips →
Easy tricks of the trade that anyone and everyone can use in their everyday makeup application.
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from the blogbag
Now that fall is upon us, so are tights. The problem: they make my shoes slip off! Any tips?
Thanks, Tania
Tans,
Awesome question! And I have a solution: Dr. Scholl’s heel liners. I’ve stuck them in practically every pair of heels and flats I own and you can get them at most pharmacies for about $7. Make sure to get the gel kind pictured below; the other kind don’t work as...
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DIY: with a little work and a dollop of...
A few weeks ago, I found this amazing Grecian-style vintage dress at Hala Vintage in Jersey City. It was on the $10 rack because the previous owner had done some sleeve shredding and it was going to take some time to get those babies into wearable shape. I debated: was I, Queen of the half-finished project, actually going to find the time to fix the sleeves or was this gorgeous mint green dream...
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how to wear a shirt of many colors
I got a lot of comments on this blouse today, like “whoa it’s colorful” and the like. Didn’t help that it was cold as the inside of a snowball in my office and I had a purple throw on as well for even more color!
They key to wearing a boldly colored blouse or shirt (this one happens to be a rendition of a Toulouse Lautrec painting) is to keep the rest of the outfit...
1 tag
NYT article: Why We Love the Shoes That Hurt Us →
7 personalities, from a fashion historian to a podiatrist, soap opera star to a fashion blogger, attempt to answer this challenging question.
My answer: I don’t love shoes that hurt me and rarely wear them, or only wear them until they start hurting and then switch to something more comfy. But the bigger question is, why are some form of these ridiculously uncomfortable,...
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Liz Claiborne to be sold only at J.C. Penny →
Wow. This is a big departure for Liz Claiborne and a change that probably needs to occur for the company to start making money again. But still, wow.
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revitalize: how to keep your shoes and boots...
Shoes are expensive; a good pair of boots, just ridiculous. So instead of buying a new pair, get yourself to a shoe guy. Everyone has a shoe guy – the guy with the little store by your office or home that shines and repairs shoes and boots, purses and belts, leather goods, pretty much anything if you ask him to; if you don’t have a shoe guy, find one because here are the amazing things they can...
2 tags
school uniform or flight attendant?
Somewhere in between or none of the above?
I bought this skirt for $4.50 at HousingWorks a week ago. It’s a bit ridiculous and matching red, white and blue without looking like the American flag can be quite challenging… but it was cheap and good quality so I went for it.
This outfit is all about mixing fabrics and patterns, while staying in the red, white and blue color scheme,...
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October is the time to:
Cleanse your closet of unworn clothing; hold a clothing swap party!
Make the summer-to-winter clothing switch. For people with closets, like mine, that can’t hold both…
Spray-protect your boots and shoes for winter with something like this. (Now! Not when it’s already snowing!!!)
Get your fall and winter coats dry cleaned, if you failed to do so in the spring like me.
Check all those coat...
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pattern mixing: paisley, plaids and lots of...
First day back at work after several days of non stop running around was definitely a challenge: so many emails to get through and things to do!
I pushed through the jetlag but wanted something non-fuss to wear. So of course I went with layered double ruffles and mixed patterns. The blouse in and of itself has several layers of multi-colored ruffling. The plaid jacket is subtly plaid so I felt...
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copenhagen roundup two: an amazing experience and...
So as you all know by now, Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting for the 2016 Olympic bid… and Rio won. As they announced the first round of votes, I was standing at the top of the stairs photographing all the Chicago supporters staring up at the screen. The crowd’s simultaneous sharp intake of breath and subsequent silence as they announced Chicago hadn’t made it...
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Copenhagen roundup one: so much to tell!
I arrived yesterday morning at 7AM and it’s been nonstop go go go go go ever since. But it’s been awesome and I have amazing stories and photos to share.
After a canal tour and other activities in the morning, the main event yesterday was the dinner for the 2016 Olympics supporters, committee members, friends of Chicago, etc. This is the one Michelle Obama and Oprah were supposed...