My Oscar's Best Dressed

I have not posted in quite sometime due to a death in the family and then a college reunion but now I am back on my game. After watching the Oscars last night, I have all kinds of inspiration for new posts and hopefully they will not be too boring. Instead of giving you all a list of men and women I thought were dressed well on the red carpet, I have decided to only give first place. This woman was a vision of beauty last night and it seems that no matter what event she attends, she always comes out on top as the picture of elegance. Penelope Cruz wore a pastel purple/grey Armani Privé gown that was to die for. I have never seen a color so beautiful on a person so beautiful. Like many, I think Penelope Cruz is one of the most attractive celebrities of our time. Others like her tend to look for the most shocking or controversial dresses that will get everybody talking for weeks after. Penelope is a class act because she knows that her own beauty is enough to wear in front of the cameras. Instead of going over the top with her fashion, she selects pieces that draw attention to her own natural beauty. This gown was so simple and elegant that we do not lose sight of the woman in the dress for one second. That color was also a perfect choice. Many times we Latin celebrities wearing bright colors that remind us of where they come from. It was refreshing to see Penelope in a pastel instead... Pastels are the new black.

Uncommon Scents

If you are good friends with me, you know I have a particular knack for scents.  Whether you like my personal choices or not is completely up to you but people know I have a nose that knows... (see what I did there?). I am the kind of person who can smell someone walking by and tell what kind of perfume they are wearing seven times out of ten.  When I call them out, however, I fail to mention whether I like what they or wearing or hate it.  So, I would like to list some of my favorites now.  If you have one of these, you have fabulous taste.  If you wear something like Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue everyday... you are failing at life.

My Scents (not ranked):

Happ & Stahns 1842 Rosa Alba:  This beautiful work of art comes from Anthropologie.  I smelled it about two years ago in passing and could not get it out of my head for months.  I finally decided to take the $88 plunge and buy it.  This is the perfect fragrance for every day use.  Light and flowery with the concentrated muskiness of roses.  I have only gotten compliments about this and will continue to wear it until they discontinue the scent.  And I love the tear catcher bottle with pin cushion top.

Gucci Rush:  This is one of my most prized posessions.  It is a little bit on the pricey end at $77 but it is so worth it.  I only wear this at night, especially during the winter.  There are top notes of gardenia, tuberose, freesia, orange flower, honeysuckle and jasmine and base notes of amber, vanilla and patchouli. This is not to be mistaken with Gucci Rush 2. If you like Gucci Rush but thinks its a sensory overload, you might like Gucci Rush 2.  It's a little bit lighter and more flowery.

Marc Jacobs Lola:  At Sephora this sells for $88.  Personally I don't think it is worth that much.  I do like this and its a great every day perfume but after using it day in and day out for a couple months, you get a little bit sick of it.  I have decided to use it only during the summer as it is a summery smell and it tends to wear off quickly (on my skin).  I consider it more of a body spray than anything else because it is so light.  The bottle is very beautiful and it is a nice smell but I don't think I will be buying it again after I run out.

Miss Dior Cherie: I actually do not own this one YET but I am absolutely in love with it.  It is such a distinct smell that after you learn the name, you can pick the scent up on anyone and know exactly what it is. My friend Margalit used to own this and unfortunately the bottle broke in her make up bag.  I knew I had to have it when I found myself sitting in her room sniffing her makeup bag for about ten minutes.  How can I describe this scent... Cute and Classy I think.  It contains notes of Italian Mandarin, Egyptian Jasmine and Patchouli.  This combination creates a scent that is really amazing and perfect for everyday use.  Be advised though, it is very strong and EVERYONE will take notice :)

Michael Kors:  I absolutely love this.  I smelled it the other day and it actually brought back memories of my sister.  I figured out she actually had this exact scent in a leg shine stick (which I also bought the other day).  This perfume is so intoxicating I could literally sit around all day smelling it.  However, I can tell this is one of those scents that not everyone would like.  It is so specific and so distinct that if you don't like one of the many notes in it, you wont be able to handle such a strong smell.  Sephora says it has Dewy Freesia, Tamarind, Chinese Osmanthus, Incense, Fresh Tuberose, White Wings Peony, Blue Orris, Arum Lilies, Cashmere Woods, Musk, and Vetiver Haiti.  Ill be honest, I don't know what a lot of those are, but it works for me.

Ralph Lauren Blue:  This is so nautical.  The name is fitting because in a way, it smells blue... very oceanic... or like hot sailors working in the ocean air. But I digress. I smelled this on my roommate Vanessa during junior year of college and thought it smelled fancy.  I would wear this any day and to job interviews or an event I have to dress up for.  It is a very strong scent... like all of my other choices... but it is also so versatile. I have convinced a few of my friends to buy it and at $72, it's worth it.

So there you have it.  My scents.  Next time you are in Sephora, try them out and tell me what you think. Just don't buy D&G Light Blue or ill have to kill you.

Outfit of the week

Those of you on Pinterest have seen this lovely outfit. Everything about this is absolutely beautiful but nobody has been able to find these individual items. It is as if this picture appeared out of thin air.  So here is my take on this cute little outfit.

Wilfred Augustina Blouse in Drapey Denim = $115  artizia.com

J Brand Denim Black Hewson Maria High Rise Ankle Skinny = $282  my-wardrobe.com

(any black jeans would work)

Button Ribbed Circle Scarf = $35  yesstyle.com

Elizabeth and James Chaps Lace Up Booties = $175  shopbop.com

Johnny Farah "Perth" Tan Crossbody Handbag = $520  shirise.com  

(any brown crossbody bag would work)

IMAN Lipstick - Black Brandy = $10  imancosmetics.com

Givenchy 'Aqua' Glass Pearl Stud Earrings = $26 nordstrom.com

An outfit I need to try

LBD little black dress $30 www.sereneorder.com

Metal Clutch Bag $50 www.oasis-stores.com

Bimba & Lola Bracelet $49 www.yoox.com

Sam Edelman Roza $170 www.zappos.com

Sahani Azibo Black Earrings $340 www.kabiri.co.uk  <--- i wish!

The clutch that got away

We all lay in bed at night sometimes imaging the one thing that would make our lives complete and think coulda, woulda, shoulda.  For me, that missing piece is a clutch. I know I'm probably crazy for having so much regret about a little bag but this bag was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.  The clutch I am referring to is the 2009 Michael Kors Coral Python Envelope Clutch with coral and gold chain (pictured below).  I stumbled across it during one of my many mall trips during a break from school and fell in love.  The store manager told me that the one I was holding was the last one and he could not sell it to me but he would look up others stores and see which ones still had this bag.  I checked out the price in the MK catalogue and it said $1300. Yikes. I was ready to walk out of the store right then when he popped his head up and said a store in CA had it for $300 .... I guess the bag was on sale because it had been out for a few months.  Anyways, for some ridiculous reason I passed and did not buy it.  My one shopping regret is that I was not able to own this fabulous piece of art and to this day I think about how much better my life would be if I owned it.  I know I am getting super emo about a bag but everyone has something that makes their heart flutter.  For some its boys, others its food... for me it's a Michael Kors clutch... and I'm not ashamed lol.

Because of this unfortunate missed opportunity, I implemented the two week rule.  Some of my close friends know what this is but most do not.  If I see something I just NEED to own but it is a bit pricey, I try it on and take a mental picture in my mind but do not buy it. I wait two weeks and if I am still thinking about the product, I finally give it a home in my closet.  It has worked out very well for me thus far but I will always remember the clutch that got away.

OMG that's so pinteresting!

This one is for my Pinterest challenged friends (echem.. Miriam, Men, Mum lol)

Pinterest is so huge right now for those of us who have had a chance to get into it.  For those who have not, I thought I would give a little rundown of the benefits of pinning. First, a guide to getting started.

1. Have a member of pinterest invite you to join.

2. Sign up/email/password

3. Find your friends (it usually prompts you to connect to Facebook friends)

4. Create Boards (folders)

5. Find clothing/recipes/workouts/jokes you like and pin them

Done

This might be Greek to many of you but for that, you have me. A board is like a folder. Let's say I want to organize my favorite outfits into a group, I can create a board called "clothing" or "fave outfits" and every time I find a picture of something I like, I can tell that picture to go into the folder.  It's like Facebook with consumer products and no dumb statuses.

Since Pinterest came around, there has been a huge boost in online shopping as well as overall creativity.  The thing Pinterest does that other social media outlets do not, is that it allows the user to share his or [mostly] her personality with her friends without words.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words and this is just that... a photo journal of each individual user to share with the world.  On top of that, by clicking on the picture you like, you have the ability to go directly to the store's website to buy it. This has turned into online shopping in a very fast way.  Instead of browsing through Urban Outfitters online catalogue or countless boutique websites, you can pinpoint exactly what you want and purchase it in seconds.  Pinterest has given a whole new edge to e-commerce and I think it is here to stay.

P.s. - Because of Pinterest, Birthday/Valentines day shopping has never been easier.

Clothes men hate

This list was formulated based on the opinions of some of my male friends.

Bowler hats

Polka dots on anything

Club outfits with Bows

Shirts/dresses that show cleavage when there none to show

Shirts/dresses that don't properly show off good cleavage

Anything with frilly edges/fringe

Clothes that don't fit well

Bikinis on anyone over 200lbs

Crop tops on any girl above a size 4

It's like trying to find gold in a silver mine...

Jewelry.... Gold v. Silver


Many people think it is ok to mix massive amounts of gold and silver jewelry.  To them I say "Nay".  The only thing I think when I see a wrist dangling with gold AND silver bracelets is damn thats ugly.  The one exception I have to this rule is when one bracelet contains both gold and silver.  In this case I keep it simple.  No need to add anything to an already beautiful piece of jewelry (example: David Yurman bangle).  I will never leave the house with conflicting colors of metal... ever.  There's something to be said about the elegance of both understated and overstated MATCHING jewelry.






On another note, I think we should all be wearing as much gold jewelry as we can while we can.  In a few years we will all have our platinum engagement rings/wedding bands (Harry Winston!!) and that is when we will only be able to wear serious jewelry.   

The Importance of Being Zara

It was until just recently I had always passed over Zara as a store to buy serious wardrobe staples at.  When it came to the mall near my house I went in a few times but after realizing some of the items were a bit over my price limit, I decided I had better use my time on more versatile stores.  

Since moving to New York I discovered it was very hard for me to put casual outfits together that showed my age and professional status properly but on a recent trip to Florida that all changed.  I was browsing the mall in Palm Beach Gardens and decided to kill time and head into Zara.  I was unexpectedly surprised and excited to see huge "Sale" signs all over the store.  Apparently Florida doesn't need a lot of its fall/winter clothes for long due to its amazing climate about 11 months per year.  I quickly got into bargain mode and started sorting thru the racks looking for clothes I could wear to work and out in New York.  Before long I had about 10 blouses, 4 purses, and 2 pairs of shoes in my hands and I headed toward the dressing room.  EVERYTHING I tried on looked amazing so I finished up, went to the register to pay and to my surprise, each shirt was $14 (FOR SILK!).  I walked out of there feeling awesome and now whenever I wear a Zara shirt I feel super cool.  My blue shirt has be come my "lucky shirt" (see above[Krysti's bf really likes my shirt too lol]).  So don't skip over Zara, its definitely worth a shot and my new fave store.

That really grinds my gears

When it comes to shoes and stockings, the absolute worst thing I have ever seen is girls wearing stockings with peep toes.  First of all, I hate peep toe shoes although I know that's my own preference.  Peep toes themselves are fine. BUT HOW CAN YOU PUT ON STOCKINGS AND PEEP TOE SHOES, LOOK DOWN AND GO "YEA THAT'S GOOD"?????  It looks like a mangled hoof.  If any of you are guilty of this (sorority sisters i'm talking to you) stop now. It's embarrassing.  See awkward photo below.

Flannel Do's and Dont's

 <---Please Dont
             Do--->

Miriam called me out on Epic Flannel Faux Pas of 2010. I attended a party wearing a very butch flannel shirt thinking it was cool since flannel was "so in right now!".  There are ways to to wear flannel and ways not to wear flannel.  My way circa January 2010 is a serious don't.  If you're going to attempt to pull off the flannel look, you have to realize that it is already a very masculine piece of clothing. To keep your delightful girlishness, you have to pair flannel with some clutch pieces.  If I was going to wear flannel now, I would do a large plaid print with a plain black tank underneath, my black pixie pants or very dark jeans, simple flats or heals and a fancy purse.  Also, makeup/good hair is a must.  You already have a lesbian shirt, the rest of you has to be feminine... Lesbians please don't be offended. I love you.

Friends with Flair: The Miriam Iken Story

Name: Miriam Elana Iken

Age: 23

Race: Whiter than snow

Occupation: Guidance Counselor/Youth Group/Gangster

Style type: Trendy/Hippy with Israeli influence

Strengths/staples: Scarves/cross body bags

Best trait: Teeth/Eyes

I met Miriam in third grade when I switched temples and started going to Temple Israel Hebrew School in Natick.  Unfortunately she did not comprehend how fantastic I was at the time but soon just like everyone else, she became obsessed with me.  While we all are guilty of making some fashion mishaps in our past, I regret the attention I have given to Miriam's particular "mistakes".  We are at a point in our lives where I can honestly tell her when she looks terrible now and I hope she does the same for me; However, she has grown into her own style and embraced her colors/fits/flattering outfits and frankly has made me a little bit jealous.  Middle eastern style has always been a distant cousin to US fashion but Miriam has been able to incorporate both into her daily clothing choices allowing both east and west to collide.  Israel is a country all about peace and freedom and overall love for one another and love for God.  These ideals are reflected in Israelis day to day styles.  People are constantly wearing comfortable flowy tops and pants with different tribal print accessories that also reflect Israeli culture.  Miriam is able to take these traits and incorporate them into her choices.  For example, she will wear a skinny jean (very US) with a sheer flowery tank and light scarf (very Israel).  She chooses neutral prints and solids as well as colors that compliment her skin tone. 

Overall I give Miriam an A on creativity... i also take some credit for being such an unforgettable influence on her life. lol jk. YOU GO GLEN COCO!

The wedge

As previously mentioned, heels are not my best sport.  As a very top heavy person, it is important for my to wear shoes that will keep me from falling forward lumberjack style.  Wedges seem to fit the bill.  I have only found a few pairs of wedges that I like... most of them are ugly. If you're wondering if yours are, they are. I own three pairs of good wedges although I will only discuss two. Pair number one and I started our love affair in the spring of 2009.  I was looking for shoes I could walk on the awkward Quinnipiac paths with (super weird paving stones) and I figured wedges would be my best bet.  I came across a Tory Burch catalogue because someone I lived with was ordering the logo flats (like the rest of the fucking world).  These baby's caught my eye immediately. I wanted to rent a vacation home and pop out a couple kids with these shoes.  $300 and three years later, we are still happy as can be and I believe they still sell them at select Tory outlets.  Pair number two are from Bakers... not my favorite store as the stuff there is cheaply made but these Boardwalk wedges are uber practical.  Plain black velvet-type material.  I have only had them for a couple weeks and I have already worn them to work, out to bars, and just boppin' around town. Be sure to get them a size smaller though because they are huge.  

<---Tory Burch Bovary Wedge

Bakers Boardwalk Wedge-->

My staple

Jcrew pixie pants.  If you do not know what these are, I am here to educate you. If you do know what these are, you are fantastic. I worked at Jcrew briefly after I graduated college before I got a real person job. Not only do I love everything in that store, but the discount was 50% (sometimes 60% and sometimes 75%)... I know, awesome right? One of my first days on the job, i noticed cute little black stretchy pants that looked like they would NEVER be flattering on me but after work I tried them on anyway. They are a take on riding pants. They have a seam up the back of the legs and a zipper in the back as opposed to the unflattering button in the front. The top is elastic too for those extra fat days. I swear these pants are the perfect clothing item. You can wear them with any shoes and for any occasion. I have worn these pants on interviews, to bars and clubs, to nice dinners with a flowy blouse and just hanging around my apartment. They come in black, charcoal grey and army green. Glorified legging? I THINK NOT! The best thing about them is their material. They suck all your extra blubber in and make your legs look super hot. At $88 they are a bit pricey, but if you happen to know someone who works at either Jcrew or Madewell, they can get them for you for $44. I have 3 pairs myself.. that's how obsessed I am.

My pride and joy

I will start this off with my absolute favorite new purchase.  They def cost me a pretty penny but their beauty makes it absolutely worth it.  These are the Sam Edelman Roza Pump in crushed black velvet and gold spikes.  Since spikes were HUGE this winter, I thought long and hard about whether these shoes were worth it and finally decided to indulge myself.  After searching long and hard for any pair below their retail cost ($225) I found a pair on Ebay (unworn!) for $180.  Worth it! First thing I noticed when they showed up was their weight.  Holy cow I could use these shoes as weights.  After getting past that initial shock, I took them out and did a test lap around my office. Side note: I have never been a good wearer of heals.  I fell twice but started to get the hang of them after a while.  I got compliments from co-workers and I was feeling good.  My first night out in them didn't last very long.  My feet were killing after about an hour of walking around the bar with my friends.  So if you are going to get these shoes, pain is definitely something to consider.  The next time I wear these, I will be standing/sitting pretty still for most of the night.  On the upside, every time I wear them I feel a little like that one hot chick in every movie who makes everyone stare when she walks into the bar. Girls = Jealous and Guys = wondering what they look like with nothing else on/hoping I don't kick them in the nuts. 

Happy shoe shopping!

Welcome fashionistas

I am someone who prides myself on my ability to dress with the times (even if my clothes are not exactly "designer").  Due to Pinterest, it has been very easy lately for me to bookmark my favorite clothes however, it has not been easy for me to write about WHY they are my favorites.  This blog is more of an attempt at a hobby than a guide to dressing well in the city, but if you find it useful then my life has that much more meaning.  ALSO, I may post the occasional anecdote or DIY project.... just think of it as a little bonus! Ohh and don't read my other blog. Its stupid and I don't know how to delete it. 

Spikes Sparkles and Swagger,

 MW