As the prevailing winds of fashion blow hot for chic seventies-inspired sportswear, the relaunch of the Equipment line of silk button-down shirts seems right on time. The soft blouse was a seventies wardrobe staple. Think the kind of blouse that every girl tucked into her Calvins or that Faye Dunaway wore in Network. Nicholas Ghesquiere of Balanciaga recently touted the value of the cream colored silk 'Bourgeoise' blouse as a necessity in every modern woman's wardrobe. I am with him. Good bye to the frou frou top and bonjour to soft tailoring.
An Ideal transitional piece in ivory or white to wear now with wool and in a month with the lighter weight fabrics of spring. Choose a skim fit so your blouse will look great tucked into slouchy pants and higher waists. Pictures above: Stella McCartney S/S 2010 on style.com.
Below L to R:
Stella McCartney silk blouse $895 on netaporter.com.
Ann Taylor blouse $78 on anntaylor.com.
Equipment shirt $248 on intermixonline.com.
Who doesn't want to look like a fashion clairvoyant? Few things are more satisfying than being ahead of the pack. There may be a scant twenty days (and counting) until spring arrives officially, but there will be plenty of cold days ahead. Here are a few ideas straight from the NY and Milan Fall/Winter 2010 runways that can resuscitate things you may have languishing in your closet. All images below from style.com.
WIDE LEG PANTS
After seasons of mostly skinny, skinny pants - wide-legged Hepburn pants have made a return. We can thank Phoebe Philo and her inspired spring collection for Celine for starting the momentum. Pull out any wide legs you've had packed away and be admired for your fashion prescience. STYLING TIP: Spring's crop of soft blouses are the perfect foil for a slouchy trouser. Left to Right: Carlina Herrera and Richard Chai Love.
TUX-INSPIRED-JACKETS
Dolce and Gabbana closed their show with dozens of girls marching en masse down the runway wearing one impeccably cut jacket after another in single breasted, double breasted, two buttons, three buttons, long and cropped styles. The unmistakable message: tailoring is back. So pull out your jackets. Or If you shop for something new invest in a truly great black tux-inspired jacket in a lightweight seasonless wool. Wear it now and look forward to fall knowing you'll have the perfect wardrobing piece in place. Left to right: Dolce and Gabbana, Vera Wang, Helmut Lang.
LONGER HEMLINES
Because what goes up (and up and up) will inevitably come down, skirt lengths on many runways were longer. For spring, both Marc Jacobs and Dolce and Gabbana started the southward hemline migration. Marc Jacob's fall runway lineup featured several A-line skirts at just-below-the-knee and also in a longer, stricter mid-calf length. The economy-driven message was loud and clear. Less trying too hard. Less bling and more just plain wearable clothing. Those longer and fuller skirts that you've had packed away deserve some daylight. STYLE TIP: a length at or just-below-the-knee flatters most. Unless you are a model, a mid-calf length is tough to wear without looking frumpy. Left to Right: Marc Jacobs, United Bamboo, Marc Jacobs.
MENS SOCKS AND PUMPS
Wooly and textured or ribbed merino dress socks worn with lady shoes is a look that continues. Prada's fall show made a sensational sock and shoe statement. I like the look of a feminine pump worn with ribbed men's knee high dress socks (long enough to go over the knee). They are easy to pick up anywhere. STYLE TIP: Pair with a longer hemline to avoid looking like a wayward (and crazy) school girl or Hannah Storm of ESPN for you sports enthusiasts.
GET CREATIVE WITH SWEATERS
Knitwear is everywhere for fall but have a look at these ideas and tell me you don't have similar sweaters stacked somewhere. For that cabled jewel neck or button front cardy that you haven't known what to do with: belt it ala Prada. A classic cardigan looks like a cropped knit jacket when closed with a brooch or kilt pin. Or try on some layering with a vest over a shirt and reign in the bulk of an oversized, textured cardigan with a belt.
Left to right: Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, Etro.
REMEMBER THE PANTSUIT? No offense to our Secretary of State Hillary Clinton but her wardrobe of pantsuits is what most women currently associate with the style. But think back to the sartorial glory days of the late seventies and the slouchy and elegant lines of Halston's and Calvin's suits, for example. The look is back. Have a pantsuit to resuscitate? Single or double breasted it doesn't matter - belt the waist. Add a current-looking, tough shoe to avoid any intimations of Madame Secretary.
STYLE TIP: If your suit jacket passes muster but the pants look very boot cut and dated - have a tailor restyle them to a stovepipe shape that skims the hip and thigh and continues in a straight line. 
And Finally... SALES RACK ALERT. Keep a look out for ponchos and capes. A few days ago, as I rummaged through a last gasp please get it out of here sales rack I found a fanatastic Elizabeth and James cape for an absolute song. Actually, cheaper than that. More like a 30-second jingle. Put these looks on your radar.
I am always on the look out for the Holy of Holies in underthings; smooth, comfortable and undetectable fit under clothes but pretty and sexy too. But until mesh lace arrived on the scene, most lingerie drawers were divided firmly into two distinct camps. In one corner- utility. Flesh colored and unadorned bras and pants for smooth lines under clothes. And in the other corner, the lacey intrigue of 'date night' bras and panties trimmed with little bows and rosettes ( not so smooth under clothes, but who cared?)
Thanks to lines like Eberjay, who claim the invention of the stretch mesh lace boyshort and who produce stretchy but shaping bras, suddenly we could have it all. So imagine my delight when I happened upon Bluebird by Eberjay- a new capsule collection sold only at anntaylor.com. Bralets, boyshorts and briefs in black or a pale ballerina pink that are well priced, fit well, and are altogether sexy.
A style note: Still wearing a thong? Upgrade and improve the view. There isn't a girl going who does not look better with the molding, shaping support of a boyshort or brief to boost her backside. Wide lace banding at the leg (as seen on the styles above) helps avoid the look of a Sunday roast packed into your J. Brands. And if you have never tried a seamed bralet, perhaps it's time. Wide lace banding below the hooks smooths out any bra roll.
On Prada's Resort runway nearly every model carried the same style handbag- the mid-sized satchel. Aside from the designer's emphatic visual cue about the bag shape and size to come- it's clear that a new order has emerged in Accessoryland.
Smaller bags look right - a good thing for anyone hefting an overstuffed tote bag. I am a repeat offender. The other day I weighed my trusty everday tote-stuffed to its gussetts- on my bathroom scale. My old Goyard weighed in at ten whole pounds of electronics, notebooks (wait-don't I have that notebook thingy in my phone?), Nalgenes, snack bags, emergency flats and a makeup bag. You get the picture. In the age of the I-Phone how much do we really need to drag around in our handbags? Spring is the ideal time to pare down what you carry. Something more compact will improve your style profile and your posture.
The satchel never really goes out of style and is distinctive for its great lines, its lack of tat like buckles, straps, grommets and studs, and a proportion that is easy to carry and to carry off. Choosing tan or saddle leather offers a chic-looking balance for spring's whites, neutrals, and pastels and hot-colored brights alike. And a neutral color is a smart choice when you amortize a pricey but practical bag that will also look great next Fall.
Images from Prada's Resort collection from style.com.
A reader recently sent in this question: "One well-known fashion editor has stated that shoulder-length hair looks good on any woman. Do you agree? What hair do you think looks fresh and appealing these days?" Great question.
Here is what I have learned on fashion shoots from some of the best hairdressers in the business: each and every face and head of hair should be treated as unique. Sure there are generalities about what cuts and layering best flatter certain facial structures. But do you want to craft your look using generic beauty tips? Never. Consulting with the best hair dresser you can possibly afford is always money well spent. Let them get their hands in your hair and feel it's weight and volume. They need to look carefully at your facial structure and symmetry. A good haircut goes a long way to balancing ones features. You need an expert pair of scissors to create an ideal 'architecture' for your face and neck and for your silhoutte head to toe. A bad haircut is like wearing the wrong hat- every single day.
In general, I am not a fan of shoulder length tresses. To my eye the length looks neither here nor there. Should I cut it or grow it? Hmm. As for what looks fresh and modern, I prefer a good line cut at the collarbone. Gwyneth Paltrow has been photographed sporting this length for several months (not that I care a wit about copying celebrities). When she lopped off her Earth Mommy mid-back length hair to her collarbone she instantly transformed her look to blade-sharp sophistication.
What does not look 'fresh and appealing?' Long, long tresses (especially on women over 35).
Barbie hair is identified with Real Housewives ( fill in the city here), Tiger Wood's mistresses, strippers, and women who in a misguided attempt to look younger make themselves look older. Very long hair is as fresh-looking as a velour track suit and a visible thong. The dictum that once a woman hits a certain age she must cut her hair signifcantly shorter is old fashioned but is the long, long hair thing the antidote? If a woman wants to look sexy and vibrant -at any age- she needs to look modern. That means wearing her hair at a length that is ideally flattering for her and not by following the pack. For most of us, any hairdresser worth their $500 scissors will explain that very long hair makes most faces looked dragged out. And that is aging. Here a few examples: Maria Shriver, an accomplished journalist and documentarian, wears her hair well past her shoulders, layered and big. Maybe this a post-feminist statement because she is far too smart to want to look like a Barbie doll. She would look younger and groovier if she cut off about 7 inches. Kathy Lee Gifford has multi-layered, too-long hair that is very Barbie (or bimbo?- I'm just saying). I watched her the other morning and imagined how with a trim of 5 inches or more she would look a good 5 years younger, chicer and all around more plugged-in to anything resembling current style. Notice her co-host Hoda Kotb's simple and modern-looking ( and more youthful) hair style.
So ladies, is it time for a haircut? The number one way to spruce up for spring - before you buy any piece of clothing or even a new lipstick - is to re-think your hair.
Fashion has proclaimed the return of the kitten heel. The mid-height heel has also been ordained as looking new. I'd like to think that so many women have cried out in misery walking in 4" daggers that designers listened to our plaintive wails and responded with lower heel options. Nah. We are simply in a trends cycle that looks good with lower heels.
This is very good news for women who find high heels too excruciating to wear.Here's more good news.The very comortable wedge-in varying heel heights-is everywhere and offers sweet salvation for those who have given up on heels. The low wedge sandal looks au courant and comfortable. The trick with low heels of any style is to find an interesting and flattering heel shape and enough detail or surface interest that your shoe doesn't recede and kill your outfit. And even a one inch heel will lengthen your legs and flatter them more than something pancake flat.
1.Givenchy's military-inspired back zip mid-heel is one of THE sandals of the season.
2. An eighties-inspired kittten heel in bronze is great with spring's pale clothing palette as well as with jeans. Boutique 9 -$120 ninewest.com
3. The eightes pyramid heel is a new spin on the neutral patent leather work pump. Elie Tahari-$282 couturezappos.com.
4. Tribal influences. The caged look. Works either way. Boutique 9 -$79 ninewest.com.
5. A mid-heel spectator with a sturdy and comfortable walking heel, groovy perforated piping. A good buy now wear now (and later) shoe - $285 couturezappos.com.
6. Burberry's patent leather Court shoe with kitten heel $395 couturezappos.com.
1. Sigerson Morrison's sandal looks like a classic 60's style with a tough, tassled edge -$429 couturezappos.com.
2. Strappy and nude. A mono-match of leather and wedge heel make the foot look smaller and legs look longer. Franco Sarto-$99.95 exclusive to nordstrom.com.
3. Perfectly neutral snakeskin printed leather (goes with anything) and a walkable wedge. Jimmy Choo- $ 665 netaporter.com. OUCH huge $ tag but use this as a guide and interpret at your price.
5. Stuart Weitzman's Pop sandal is a little tribal, a little gladiator in faux python. A goes-anywhere look -$225 nordstrom.com.
6. Faux python and nude suede has an expensive look but costs only $79 ninewest.com.
I was skeptical when I first heard about shaping denim that promises to hold in your stomach and lift your bottom. What would THAT feel like? Spanx with a zipper? Perhaps a sausage casing. Never turning down an opportunity for an improved rear view, your denim testing team tried on several brands. The three brands below scored the highest marks for shape-shifting.
1. Old Navy Dreamer Bootcut Jeans in Midnight wash $34.50 oldnavy.com. Body Types A, B, and C liked these. The fit is good. They feel comfortable and the front panel held in our tummies. As for the promise of a lifted bottom- not so much. The rear view was attractive nonetheless. Available in petite, tall and plus sizes.
2. Hello! Skinny Jeans Barely Boot Cut in Black Wash $178. skinnyjeansdenim.com. The Lamborghini of shaping denim has a steep price tag but delivers on the promise of a flatter-looking tummy and a lifted and shapelier bottom. The inseam is sewn slightly forward creating the look of thinner thighs and longer legs. Hello! Body Types A and B liked the Barely Bootcut while Type C's straight hips were flattered by the Couture Cut. We all loved the bulge-free closure at the waist - a sort of toggle instead of a rivet. Available in sizes 0-12.
3. Not Your Daughter's Jeans Tummy Tuck Straight Leg Jeans $118 nordstrom.com. NYDJ have the highest rises we tried ( right below the navel) so if you have a full and round tummy and bottom then these could be your ticket to a perfect fit. The 'criss-cross' front panel pulled in our tummies. Our bottoms looked lifted. Our thighs looked trimmer and our legs looked longer. NYDJ are definately vanity sized so order a size down as well and keep the one that fits. One complaint: the shiny denims. Since shiny anything amplifies one's size this seems lke bad logic for slimming jeans. It looks a bit tacky to boot. Available in petite and plus sizes.
PS : Also investigate CJ by Cookie Johnson Jeans $178 nordstrom.com. They did not arrive in time for each of us to try them. Frankly, we had all collapsed in a heap and were begging for mercy (and chocolate).
Why does premium denim cost so much? A friend who has worked on the development of two very successful jeans lines explained the cost to me like this: the sourcing and development of just the right weight denim, just the right wash and finish, and the endless fittings to refine the fit before the jeans are produced is an expensive process. Should they be this expensive at retail? Probably not -and you are also paying for their ad campaigns. What premium brands do offer is tailoring- a precise and streamlined fit through the legs and bottom that cheaper brands often just don't. The denim is better quality and with that comes the right ratio of lycra to cotton. Too much built-in stretch and the jeans bag out in the seat and at the knees. It's like shoes. Spend as much as you can to have at least one pair that makes a killer impression whenever or however you wear them. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we were after flattering and democratic fit.
And while you consider buying a high priced pair I've also included THE BEST CHEAP JEANS I HAVE FOUND!
1. J Brand 805 MId-Rise Straight Leg in Oyster Wash $174 jbrandjeans.com.The leg opening is 2" wider to the knee and they flattered Body Types A, B and C. Good for curvy girls who want a straight look but with the fuller leg of a traditional bootcut. Very nice rear view.
2.Paige Premium Denim 'Hidden Hills' in McKinley Wash $189 nordstrom.com. Just the right stretch. We all liked the fit. Our legs looked longer and leaner and our bottoms were flattered.
3.Red Engine Slim Fit Bootcut $160 nationaljeanscompany.com. These are billed as low-rise but fit like
a mid-rise. Types B and C liked these for the leg fit.
4.THE BEST DENIM DEAL AROUND! Old Navy The Flirt Mid-Rise Bootcut $34.50 oldnavy.com. Very good fit and flattering for Body Types A, B and C. Reads more straight cut than bootcut with a full leg opening. Nice denim and just a bit of stretch to keep it's shape. Available in petite, tall and plus.
Also good: Old Navy Sweetheart Bootcut for Body Types A, B, and C.
Yves St. Laurent once said "I wish I had invented blue jeans". Me too, Monsieur St. Laurent. A great-fitting pair of jeans is a sartorial magic bullet.
Inspired by the many jeans-related questions recently sent to this site, denim is clearly on your minds as well. So your stylist decided it was time for some reconaissance. I enlisted (dragooned) two of my assistants to accompany me on my denim quest. For readers of Style Evolution and The Pocket Stylist, we three represent Body Types A , B and C. For the uninitiated:
A= small shoulders and a small waist with a full, round bottom and full thighs.
B= shoulders the same width as hips with a defined waist.
C=shoulders the same width or broader than hips with a straight waist.
The criteria: NO low-rise anything. Too dated. And while those super high-rise looks with an above the belly-button waist and a sprayed on fit may look new (in an 80's Pat Benatar Love Is A Battlefield kind of way) they only work on reed-thin PYT's. The rest of us should not kid ourselves. We chose only mid-rise or (modern-looking) high-rise styles with contoured waists for the most democratic and figure-flattering fit in bootcut and straight leg openings. We looked at styles in a range of prices from premium (above $100)
to premium looks ( below $100). And we tried to find the best looks and fit offered in petite, tall, and plus.
Important: No nasty light washes- they always draw the eye to an unflattering location. No obvious whiskering, rips or any faux distress-that will happen with wear. Only dark, clean-as-a-whistle finishes made it into our piles. The ultimate trick is finding the right fit. And with fit there is no free pass. You must slog it out in the dressing room or in my preferred location, my bedroom with a pile of mail pouches and UPS boxes filled with options. The advantage? Seeing your various parts in real light, in a distortion free mirror as you sit, walk, deep-knee bend and plie your way to the right fit. And you can try those jeans with different heel heights, and with the jackets, sweaters and more that you wear most.
Critical: an attractive rear view.
Here are our first four top finds:
1. 7 For All Mankind High Waist Boot Cut in Mercer wash $155. bloomingdales.com. We all liked the fit. They flattered the full hips and thighs of Type A, the curvy hips of Type B and made Type C's straight hips look curvier.
2. J Crew Bootcut Premium Rinse Wash $98 jcrew.com. Good for Type B's and C's alike. The slight bootcut leg has just enough ease for curvy hips and fuller bottoms. Great wash and finish for the price.
J Crew offers tall and petite as well in many styles.
3. Levis Capital E Boyfriend Jeans $99.90 (on sale) levistore.com. A flattering cut that is not too baggy. Best on Types B and C.
Fueled by espresso we tried on several more styles from Levis. Here's what we liked:
Levis Eco mid-rise 553 $69.50. Types A, B, and C liked these. Boot Cut 515 $44. The fuller leg opening was especially flattering for Type A and B. They looked too fully cut for Type C's straight hips. Nice rear view.
Available in petite.
Perfectly Slimming 512 $44. Type A and B liked these. They offer a flattering line for fuller hips and thighs. Available in plus and petite.
4. J Brand Scarlett Curvy Bootcut in ink wash $158 jbrand.com. We all liked the fit of these. With just the right amount of stretch ( 2% lycra) they are very flattering. No pocket hoo-haw and a very nice rear view.
Part 2 tomorrow....
It's not often that the silhouette-improving benefits of tailoring combine with a fabric as soft and comfortable as a favorite sweatshirt. That is until the gray cotton-jersey boyfriend jacket appeared on the scene last fall. Pre- Spring collections are featuring more jersey than ever making this an easy-to-find and ideal Buy Now Wear Now piece.
There is a stylish point/counterpoint at work here. Point: the body definition of menswear tailoring. And honestly, who doesn't look better with some structure on her corpus? Counterpoint: a fabric that makes a look effortless. But don't limit your jacket's potential. While it's true she looks great with dark, simple jeans she is also a star with trousers and pencil skirts in wool now and silk later.
(L -R) 3.1 Philip Lim jersey double breasted jacket with twisted cuffs $425 on lagarconne.com. Club Monaco Alex jersey boyfriend jacket $229. For store info. or personal shopping go to clubmonaco.com. See By Chloe cropped cotton-jersey jacket $240 on netaporter.com.
A NOTE ABOUT CROPPED JACKET FIT: This is a proportion made for the new highwaisted pants and skirts.
Now, below are two good buys with a few style caveats:
Left: At $98 this jacket from Boston Proper could be worth a try. It is described as having a shaped waist and a skimming fit. Promising but few looks transmit Cougartown or Bust like wearing your jacket with a 'so-four-years-ago' girly top and faux distressed jeans. Breast augmentation and collagen lips sold separately. bostonproper.com.
Right: This J Jill jacket is nice in person. Your stylist has handled the merch. as the saying goes.
It's $79 and available in Misses, Petites and Womens sizes.
A NOTE ABOUT FIT: J Jill sizing can be generous so order two sizes and keep the one that fits. Another tip: a little tailoring through the sides and down the sleeves will work wonders. Consider shortening the sleeves to 3/4 length for a bit of new. jjill.com.
categories