Shiny Little Things

I am so excited for the holidays!  It’s a little distracting.

Everybody loves Marc by Marc Jacobs.  Express loves the clothes so much, they decided to make their very own version for you to buy.

Here is a look from M by MJ’s Fall 08 collection:

And here is a skirt that Express just got in for Fall:

Great minds think alike?  Hmmm…

Fringe is a current obsession of mine.  Judging by recent posts on many of my favorite blogs, I’m aware that I am not alone in my love of all things fringed.  Until recently I’d kind of relegated my fringe to things like a leather bag, or maybe some Minnetonkas.  In the interest of expanding upon my fringed choices, I purchased a black fringed skirt from Express.  I do not typically do much shopping at Express, but I had seen this particular black skirt staring at me from the store window on previous occasions and I’d always thought it was cute.  It wasn’t until I was preparing to go out dancing with a bunch of friends that I realized the full capabilities of a skirt like this.  You see, when you wear a fringed skirt and you dance in it, it’s almost as good as when you were a little girl twirling round and round in your fullest “church dress”.  Their is this great swishy movement that makes dancing all the more fun.

I wore mine with a tank and some killer heels, but I’ve been thinking that this skirt has many more possibilities that I’d originally thought.  I think it would be great to juxtapose the relative fanciness of the skirt with a beat-up T-shirt and some sturdy heels.  The skirt fits like a bandage skirt, so it really is quite versatile.  Above, I’ve illustrated some ways that I think the skirt could be worn.

Express is also carrying a strapless dress version of this piece.  Forever 21 has a dress version too.  Theirs has a sheer mesh top. 

I remember when Vera Wang first introduced her collection for Kohls stores.  It was a pretty big deal.  I suppose I assumed that it would be a short-lived collaboration, but actually, there are new items each season.  I have made semi-regular appearances at Kohls to see the new wares and I’ve found that many of the garments are quite voluminous and probably tend to look best on the very thin.  They’re the types of items that lure you in because they look so cozy and comfortable.  They are generally made from soft, touchable fabrics and they’re full of interesting details.  I have purchase a few items that I mostly wear to work. 

So, this week as I was traipsing through Kohls in the pursuit of the perfect black, low cut bra for the generously endowed - a task that is not only impossible, but odious - I was distracted by the new and beautiful Vera section.  Have you noticed that every time you go in that store, every single thing is on sale?  Why don’t they just lower the prices?  Oh yeah, because they like their jedi mind tricks.  Anyhoo, I spotted this adorable sort of painterly-esque, gray and cream “grafitti print” skirt with a bunch-y/ruched-ish waist band and POCKETS!  I know it doesn’t look that great in this picture, but it is seriously so cute.  I tried it on and it was a great fit. 

I’m wearing it today with a black tank tucked in, it does kind of a higher waist thing and then it has a slight tulip shape.  I wore a black cardigan and magenta patent peep toe heels from DSW.  I think it’s really cute and I wish I had an actual photo to share, but I don’t.  Maybe you can get the idea from this:

Oh, and I didn’t find a bra.  Oops!

Zoe Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, was spotted out and about in NYC this week looking quirky and cute, as usual. 

Her full denim skirt is a great twist on the usual denim mini.  If you’re feeling inspired by Zoe’s look, take heart in the fact that it is a look that’s fairly easy to duplicate.  Here are some ideas:

Everything you see here is available on the Urban Outfitters website.

Photo cred: Just Jared

It seems that every season a sort of uniform is established. I have a theory that the fashion set holds a clandestine meeting in a smoke filled room somewhere and they determine what our uniform should consist of for that particular season. Although each fashionista will add her own special touch, the main elements remain the same.

To demonstrate this season’s uniform, I give you Ashley Olsen:

Blazer (in this case over-sized, but the silhouette may vary slightly), sheer or burnout tee, bandage skirt and gladiator style sandal. It is a good look right? Comfortable, stylish, easy and in keeping with the current mood in fashion.

Let’s see some other examples from some of your favorite bloggers shall we?

Exhibit A: Lulu of Everybody is Ugly. (Btw, check out chictopia.com if you haven’t already. It’s a lot of fun) Lulu switched out the gladiator for a shiny strappy sandal and ankle socks. Cute variation.

Exhibit B: Rumi from Fashiontoast. Rumi trades the over-sized blazer for a little leather jacket in these photos.

Exhibit C: Camille from Childhood Flames. Camille’s red hoodie adds a nice shot of color. She is also rocking the famous Heech sandal by Nine West that has been a big hit this summer.

OMG! These skirts are so cute. Can you believe she made them herself? Camille, from childhood flames, posted about these skirts a couple of weeks ago and she even included a how-to with great photos and instructions. I never learned to sew, but she makes it look pretty easy and I’m thinking I might give it a try. I’m sure some of you are much more crafty than I so, click on the link below to learn about making these skirts. If any of you makes one of these, please send me a photo of your work

childhood flames: the puff skirts: do-it-yourself

Luella’s Spring Summer 08 collection was pretty great and must have been pretty popular considering how many similar items are now in stores.  All the better for those of us who can’t afford the real thing.  Here is an example of how to do the look now.  This skirt is from Topshop and can be ordered online.  If you don’t want to pay shipping, there are similar iterations in the mall shops.  The jacket is just an example of the classic little biker jacket.  The boots and tights would be nice for now, but as the weather gets increasingly warmer, you could go bare-legged. 

I just realized that you can’t really see the skirt so, here is a bigger photo of it.

This is a look that almost anyone could pull off with minimal tweeking and it just looks really rich and sophisticated.  The salmon color looks really great with the gray skirt and the peachy bag would really make a great, versatile neutral.  The brocade ballet flats look like the kind of thing that you could wear practically everyday and never get tired of them.  If you don’t like the shape of the skirt or don’t think it would be very flattering to your particular figure, a gray pencil skirt would look equally stunning and could be found at nearly any mall.

I’ve been noticing these a lot lately.  I suppose they’re often called “bandage skirts” because they fit pretty snugly like a bandage would.  They are great transition items because they work with thick warm tights just as well as they work with bare legs.  I suggest wearing one now with tights and boots and when it gets warmer, wear with bare legs and great gladiator sandals.  I just bought a couple of these super cheap at Forver 21.  American Apparel has some great ones too.  (The pic below is an American Apparel skirt in plum).  The great Rumi from Fashion Toast is pictured as well.  Many of you read her inspiring blog and know that she is the resident expert at incorporating a bandage skirt into an outift.