Outfits Not Just Clothes

sweater- Rag & Bone via Nordstrom (similar here ), shirt-Gap(similar here ), trousers-Loft(similar here ), loafers-Zara(similar here ), necklace-Macy's(similar here ), sunnies- Target   Buffalo Plaid is one of my all-time favorite prints. It makes for a great holiday outfit that works all winter long. I like to bust out my buffalo around Thanksgiving to get as much use out of it as I can. For this OOTD I paired a buffalo plaid button-down with polka dot trousers and a shawl-collared menswear cardigan. Argyle socks add in another pattern for good measure, and black loafers play into the androgynous vibe. I'm also loving the bit of red berry branches in the background of these pics, Christmas is coming!!!! 

In 2013 I began of Year of No Shopping , which proved difficult as shopping is one of my favorite hobbies AND part of my job as a personal shopper/stylist. However, the experience was definitely enlightening as I came back to shopping in August 2014 with a more refined eye with a new focus on quality and long term investment pieces. Check out my wrap-up post here . Since then I think I've done fairly well picking out quality garments over the past six months, see some here . Now that lent is upon us I'm doing 40 Days of No Shopping. Regardless of one's religious affinity I think this time of Mid-Winter to Early Spring is a great chance for reflection and personal work. As the season shifts from dormancy to renewal it's an ideal time to look inward and take on healthier practices. So, during my shopping fast I'm going to research the up and coming trends for Spring and make a thoughtful must-haves list when I'm back on the shopping bandwagon come Easter.  I...

Last week I had a brief glimpse at the New York Fashion Week collections and made some predictions here .  I've had a few more ganders and here are some looks/designers/trends I'm feeling.  Alexandre Herchcovitch I enjoy everything about this look, especially the kooky glasses, but mostly this sleeveless coat-like dress.  It's a statement piece in a neutral shade that can be worn alone or layered over standard basics.  Alice & Olivia Completely opposite from the minimalist look above, but does echo menswear inspiration. Two things spring to mind: 1)Hello "Party" Suit!  2)The pattern of the blazer and trouser obviously matches, but also contrasts... very clever!   Belstaff Throwing you for a loop here, Belstaff is actually apart of London's Fashion week happening right now. I loved EVERY look of this collection. Talk about coat porn. Here's another one for you! Belstaff I predicted androgyny would be a theme/trend for Fal...

London Fashion Week is in full swing right now, but I've been taking a look through the collections show last week in NYC.  And here are some thoughts....   Pops of Orange   Altuzarra   Creatures of the Wind   Rag & Bone I love the idea of having a pop of orange (or any bright color) at the collar bringing attention up to the face and giving these somewhat severe looks a bit of whimsy.  This could also work the opposite way, give a flirty outfit some edge. Full Skirts Alexandre Herchovitch Band of Outsiders I think the full skirt/nipped waist will be big this fall.  Raf Simmons revitalized Dior's New Look in such a big way I think we'll start to see the trickle down effect in other collections. Leather 3.1 Phillip Lim Altuzzarra     I've been noticing for awhile now the way designers are reinventing uses for leather, last seen here . The Phillip Lim look is not out-of-the-box in...

Sunday December 1st Target + Neiman Marcus unveiled their joint designer collaboration! Shop here: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/category.jsp?itemId=cat44320738&parentId=cat000672&masterId=cat000000&navid=footer_holiday24 .  Now some of the designers went a bit outside the box, as in designing things that aren't clothes... I'm looking at you Alice & Olivia who designed a bicycle ...?  Anyway, there are 50 items overall to choose from, some of them are kind of lame while some are pretty decent.  Here are my top two picks:   Brian Atwood Leather Studded Gloves Rag & Bone Men's Cardigan I really love this cardie and just because it comes in Men's and Boy's sizing doesn't mean a fashionable lady like myself can't work it into an outfit, am I right? I'm thinking this sweater and the gloves could have quite the mid-winter-androgynous-fierce moment with my black pencil skirt and some roughed up ankle boo...

As NY Fashion Week progresses like a runaway boulder down a steep hill I've continued to peruse the collections online and wanted to share some thoughts. Extreme Layering: Miguel Adrover put everything including a life-saver in his collection.  This is his first show in almost a decade and I'm wondering if he was just a bit too enthusiastic.  However, I've been seeing some intense layering in other collections as well. Rag & Bone Now, while I am intrigued by the idea of a skirt over skirt as seen at TSE , I don't think I can get on board with pants over skirt.  It veers toward clunky as opposed to warm elegance.  Jcrew also showed this past week and averaged at least three layers with many of the looks.  Layers upon layers may seem like a new idea, but Marc Jacobs did it back in 2006: I think multiple layers comes around every time people start feeling a bit uncertain, (like in election years) and the need to wrap up and feel safe, whic...