The last couple of looks have been about the pants, so today I’m trying to see how many ways I can rework a black skirt on the road.
Summer 2010 Trip: Look 3 The skirt is a 2009 Prada crinkly skirt that I think will look cute with the heels I featured in Look 1 or any regular pair of black flip flops, depending on the occasion. Here I have it with a Tory Burch tank (she makes the BEST tanks to me) and Mossimo flip flops…
but if I have to run to a nice meeting or dinner, I can throw on the Chanel cardigan and heels instead:
Now, those tanks can also work with the pants I featured in yesterday’s Look 2–the second one is a black Libertine for Target skull tank…
and of course today’s skirt will be just as cute with an embellished JCrew tshirt:
I like embellished tops for the road because then I don’t have to wear jewelry, which I seem to have a horrible habit of misplacing. Then you remember how it goes in my head, right? I start to suspect the hotel staff, some random kid, mail carrier, FedEx guy….
Forgive me for a whole week of silence at my blog. It’s a matter of weeks before a long trip so I’ve been a bit tied up with preparations. But even when I’m not writing I’m thinking about how to keep things fun here for you until I’m on the road and photographing the world again. Speaking of the road, a Little Black Dress (LBD) that I’m FITMSOing today is always on my packing list wherever I go. You know it’s the one item that will get you the most mileage out of your closet. Let’s see what I can do with this particular one.
Test Item: Christian Dior black nubby cotton knit A-line dress with spaghetti straps.
Look 1: When you find the dream LBD that both fits you perfectly and is comfortable to wear, you should buy 3 of them. JK. This dress has a very basic cut that will not go out of style. Granted, the knit can be a bit unforgiving if I go off on an M&Ms binge, but it’s black so I’m relatively safe. I don’t really like to fuss too much with an LBD so the most I’ll do is pair it with a pair of fun shoes, like my dark bronze Prada python platform slingbacks.
But if let’s say I’m at the Hollywood Bowl for a summer concert, I like to add a bit of color with a fuchsia silk scarf from JCrew. I may not be able to pull off wearing shocking pink all the time, but I’m all about the bright accessories (but I’d wear black shoes if I have a loud color on top):
Look 2: Now about fuchsia, I actually took a chance against type by buying this lightweight tweed jacket with detachable camellia pins last summer. I know the color is somewhat trendy but when paired with a classic cut, I think I can wear this jacket now and ten years from now. A subtle LBD that I can wear in Look 1 to a cocktail party makes the perfect silent partner to my office look in Look 2. This is why I usually invest in LBDs that are uncomplicated. The simpler, the better. Black peep-toe pumps are what I’d wear here.
Look 3: Lest you think a classic LBD can only work with “ladylike” looks, how about I take you downtown by throwing a shearling bomber jacket over and a pair of Juicy Couture tall motorcycle boots under it for the cooler days?
I think this Fall I should invest in a pair of tall boots with heels. And preferably a peep-toe. If you run across a pair that fits this description, please drop me a line 
.
Tags: Chanel, Christian Dior, FIMTSO, J Crew, Juicy Couture, LBD, Prada
In southern Cal there’s a weather pattern called June gloom. It refers to a marine layer resulting in chilly, overcast mornings that warm into sunny afternoons, followed by cool evenings. I suspect this weather condition is a big reason why I am such a cardigan fanatic. The cardigan is a true fashion best friend…it helps you layer your way through climate transitions, it helps you hide certain body parts for days you feel particularly bloated, and heck, it turned Mr. Rogers into a sweater-wearing icon!
If experience –or Coco Chanel–has taugh me anything, it is that next to the little black dress (LBD), every woman should have a black cardigan in her closet. I find it to be a true go-to item year-round. Over time, I’ve learned to invest in well-made cardis of various weights to accommodate all occasions. So whereas choosing a LBD is like planning for a first date, selecting a good black cardigan is more like…estate planning– it’s all about finding the right tools for now, and later.
Test Item: Chanel 10P black cotton cardigan with gold-chain-embedded-in-tweed trims. This FIMTSO would have been a lot easier had I featured one of my plain black cardigans instead, but what fun is that? In fact, let’s raise the stake a little. For this cardi with the extra wattage, let’s see how I would work it if I had to use it in 3 looks for 48 consecutive hours, from Friday through Saturday.
Day: For the office on Friday morning I would pair it with a black Prada skirt and light tan Theory cotton shirt. These Chanel peep-toe hidden platform pumps are my shoe version of the mullet….business in the pump, party in the peep-toe.
Night: Let’s say after work I head for drinks and dinner at a benefit function. I’d do something silkier on top–in this case a Chanel silk/lace camisole from the 05P collection–and lacy on the bottom, a vintage YSL slim skirt. And just for giggles, I’m wearing dark gold Prada croc slingbacks with this outfit. Did I already say that black is awfully hard to photograph?
Weekend: So by now we are into Saturday, which means I’m wearing this cardi over a pair of jeans and JCrew white V-neck t-shirt. The snakeskin sandals are from the Tom Ford era. I could probably discuss the shoes from this one season, or Tom Ford for that matter, for 3 hours nonstop if you let me…so don’t. I’ll show some close-up pics instead!
OK, so selecting a black cardigan is A LOT more fun than estate planning .
Tags: cardigan, Coco Chanel, FIMTSO, Gucci, JCrew, Mr. Rogers, Prada, Tom Ford, YSL
When it rains here, we Angelenos (1) call in sick (cough, cough), (2) videotape it for posterity, and/or (3) whine that it’s raining even though the meteorologist tells us we need the rain. I was born in the tropics and grew up in Texas so I’m no stranger to rain, but all these years of dry LA living has brainwashed me and I always find myself unprepared for anything but sunny skies these days. So when a reader suggested a challenge for a rain wear, specifically to run errands in, I was wondering how to even FIMTSO such looks without a single umbrella in any of the pics…I think all of my umbrellas are either somewhere in the car collecting dust or in my carry-on waiting for a trip to a wet destination!
For today’s episode, I’m going to do something a little different. Instead of featuring one key item in all the looks, I’m going to make the rain be the common denominator for the various looks.
Test Item: Rainwear
Look 1: Rain usually happens during the “winter” months here in LA, and that’s when I can break out one of my favorite Chanel pieces: it’s my navy tweed trench from the 08C season worn over the 08A navy/gray striped turtleneck. Skinny jeans and navy leather converse complete my outfit. I know I’m in LA and we love to show off our pedicures here, but if it’s raining, you’ve gotta cover your toes!
Look 2: The weird thing about winter here is that it actually makes sense to wear puffer vests. It’s not quite cold enough to wear a puffer jacket, so if you remove the sleeves it’s just the right amount of coverage–ha! I love this hooded black vest from the GAP over white long-sleeved ts and cropped corduroys to show off my rain boots. Chanel always gets black/white right!
But if for some reason the vest is too thick or I’m not in the mood to look like a Michelin gal, I would wear a black leather jacket over a long-sleeved hoodie tshirt with the above outfit instead:
Look 3: The truth of the matter is that when it rains and you are schlepping around running errands, you just want to be comfortable. No fuss, no muss. So if it’s Sunday and raining, you will find me in jeans, lace-free sneakers, and a fun t-shirt (I love Harajuku Lovers tees). Then I throw on the lightweight Prada hooded windbreaker/quasi-rain jacket just to keep the rain from hitting my arms and torso. I find a bold print in the jacket makes everything more fun to wear!
Look 4: If it’s raining and not super cold, I might venture into girly-girl territory and wear this dark rinse short denim sundress with navy sneakers. The Marni rain jacket keeps me from the rain and baring my shoulders too much in this strapless number. I know what you’re thinking…who in their right mind would wear a light colored rain jacket? Well…this is la-la land after all.
But look closer, at least the jacket is utilitarian. Do you see how the hoodie has a bill, like with a baseball cap?! And the Mossimo dress has tuxedo ruffles in the front!
So this FIMTSO begs the question: just what is the right bag for rainy weather? I’ve yet to solve that dilemma…
Tags: Chanel, Converse, FIMTSO, Gap, Harajuku Lovers, Marni, Mossimo, Prada
Thanks everyone for your concerned emails about my health. This week I am running at 98%, and in a few days I expect to be back in overdrive mode…just in time for sale season. The days of pre-sell leading up to the actual public sales have already kicked in, so this past weekend was a whir of viewing and trying things reserved for me…grrr, so many shoes and only two feet!
The shoe departments are full of floor-to-ceiling mirrors and soft lighting to goad you into a shoe frenzy, and if you didn’t have a shoe fetish before, you usually do by the time they finish bringing out the tenth pair. And if you were wired for shoes the day you were born, like yours truly, then…well, it’s hopeless. But I behaved. Designer shoes have gotten so expensive virtually overnight that I think these are the only two pairs I want for now–the Marni peep-toe bootie…
and the gray Louboutin wedges that will match a gray bag I’m considering (it’s always like this, isn’t it…do we buy shoes to match bags or bags to match shoes?)…
OK. I lied. I’ve not behaved all that much. Because these just followed me home from the Prada and Converse outlets. Umm, do I get a pass for outlet shopping?
PS: the first pic is of two Chanel buttons (they are lipsticks positioned to spell out COCO if you have 4 of them) my buddy sent me from KL. You see? The Chanel addiction is not entirely my fault. I have enablers from around the world!
