Houndstooth + Tortoiseshell

Fall 2011 Inspiration Board

2011-10-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

While I still maintain that your early 20s are profoundly full of insecurities because you're going through a lot of huge life transitions, they are nothing compared to the teenager years. You're slowly influenced less by other people and focus more on what you actually like. And the more you focus on things that you actually like, the happier you become.

Finally, after years of wearing things that didn't really suit me just because they were trendy, I've kind of accepted my style. It honestly hasn't really changed since I was in middle school, it's just become more refined, I suppose. I'm more confident when I shop because I know what appeals to me, I know what I'll regret buying later on, what I'll get a lot of wear out of, what's worth investing in, etc. I've finally accepted that if you want to not look like crap, you have to stop buying crap. Going for the Forever 21 version of something is usually (thought not always!) going to look like the Forever 21 version. There's a reason nice clothes are more expensive -- they're nicer.

Of course, I don't have a whole lot of cash, so I generally rotate the same items over and over again. I'm constantly seeking creative ways to recycle. So, like usual, I made an inspiration board for the season. Something I can take a quick gander at when I'm in a hurry to get ready and am having a total sartorial brain fart.

Here's a peak:

In case you couldn't tell, all I wear is black pants, solid color dresses, blazers, scarves, stripes, leopard print and army green. Seriously, that's all I wear.

Now I know I'm committing a major blogger sin by not attributing where all the images came from, so for that I apologize. I usualyl just take screen shots when I see something I like and never take notes about where I got them. I can say, however, that these are some of my favorite blogs/stores/places to get ideas, and where many of these images came from:

Net-a-porter: Where all of the white-backgrounded outfit shots are from. Totally out of my budget, but anytime I buy something I love and then don't know how to wear it, I find a similar-looking piece on Net-a-Porter and see how they styled it. Merchandising Gods over there, I tell ya.
Wear it Both Ways: A newer blog that I think is adorable. Features a guy and a girl who pick a theme for their daily outfits, and each wear the trend in their own way.
Atlantic-Pacific: Everyone's gone batshit crazy for this girl. She's totally revolutionized the idea of being fashionably preppy in the blog world, where for the past few years everyone's been a little too obsessed with being overly weird and different. Not really my style.
The Glamourai: Aside from her great style, I die whenever she posts pictures of her apartment. It makes me want to move out of my mom's house (...) asap and start decorating.
Sterling Style: Another fresh-faced prepster that I love.
Gapeteria: I'm not really a Gap person (other than their workout pants and black pants collection) but I love the street style they post on their blog. Always some great ideas in there.

Love letters: Shopbop edition

2011-10-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

My dearest Shopbop,

My adoration for you has grown quietly over the years. Whilst a young, broke thing in college, I would scroll through your lookbooks, searching for ideas for my rather lackluster wardrobe. Whenever I desperately needed some jumper cables for the uninspired portion of my brain, this did just the trick.

I never did order anything from you, at least not until about a year and a half ago. I bought a pair of Cheap Monday sunglasses, and they arrived to my house in lightening speed. Unfortunately, they looked like absolute crap on me. So back they went. (For free, no less! God, why does every store not have free returns at this point? Don't they get that online shopping is the future and should be made as convenient as possible?)

Then a few months ago I went through this anxiety-ridden phase where I realized I had no clothes that were really representative of my age and I was always dressing like I was in my early 40s. So I placed an order for a gazillion different knit dresses when there was an extra 20% off sale promo and again, they arrived quickly. And some of them were even on hangers! Do you know how much that warmed my heart? I am so lazy about hanging up new clothes. That requires going to the basement and finding a spare hanger and that is too much work so I usually leave new purchases on a chair and say that I'm just absorbing their beauty and newness. Right.

Obviously the houndstooth-printed box was a huge turn-on for me.

So anyway, all the pretty new dresses arrived and I spent two hours trying them all on and settled on two. Ironically, I've only worn one of them once. It turns out trying to dress young just isn't my thing. But whenever I buy something I really love (and I really do love both dresses!) I always end up getting loads of wear out of them, even if it takes awhile. So I still have faith.

Now, Shopbop, I turn to you again because I need some jewelry. Specifically, jewelry that doesn't give me hives. More specifically, a gold choker and some dangly, neck-elongating gold earrings. You see, I usually buy my accessories at Forever 21 (like I said, I'm young and broke) but it turns out my skin can't handle nickel, and it turns green and I get rashes on my neck and my earlobes start to ooze. (Sorry, TMI.)
So I'm doing my usual order-a-million-things-then-send-back-what-doesn't-work deal. And I love you for being so cooperative with my crazy, picky shopping habits.

If you want to buy anything for me on my wishlist, feel free. I certainly will comply most happily.

Shopbop, thanks for your patience, quick and free shipping, and houndstooth-lined boxes. Rock on.

Truly yours,
Sam

Where was this three months ago?

2011-08-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

Well this is just rude.

If you buy $100 worth of Brooks gear in the next month, you get to use a special bathroom at the starting line. And let me be honest here: My biggest fear about this race is not whether or not I'll get winded, or have my shoe lace come untied,* or get a leg cramp (knock on wood), it's that I'll have to pee. Apparently there's this weird rule that even if you stop to pee, the clock keeps running. Dumb. So of course I want to pee RIGHTBEFOREISTART but I don't like standing in lines and I'm worried I'll be there waiting and the race will start and I'll be lost and these are the kinds of things that keep me up at night. I know, I have a good life, I never said otherwise.

Anyways, of course I totally want to have my own special VIP bathroom but hello? I bought my $100 Brooks shoes three months ago. Who buys new shoes a month before the race? Dumb. Although it is safe to say that I will end up buying the exact same pair of Brooks Adrenalines that I've been buying since high school some time in the near future. Every time I get fitted at a running store, I end up with the exact same pair of shoes. Not even intentionally. I didn't even realize it until this most recent pair, because I'm not a particularly observant person.

My trusty sole mates. Ha. Oof, that was bad. Sorry 'bout it.

Although if I was really in the mood to spend some dough, I would totally splurge on these. I've been craving a pair of obnoxious-looking sneakers forever but haven't been able to justify the money. Maybe I could justify it now that I know they would also buy me a ticket to a race day bathroom with a short line?

Love.

I can't believe I just ranted about VIP port-a-potties. Ew. This training is getting to me.

*Apparently the clock-doesn't-stop-when-you-pee rule also applies to shoe laces. I ran a local 5k race tonight and my shoe lace came untied right after I finished mile 2. Sweet. I just ignored it and kept going. This woman behind me yelled up, "Hey! Your right shoe lace is kind of dragging!" right as we were getting close to mile 3 and I just yelled back, "I know! Thanks!" I'm trying to not take four hours to finish, ok? And I already talked to the race director and he said if I stop to tie my shoe he refuses to adjust my time. I don't qualify for any special rules. Lame. But thanks!

Whatever. It paid off. I PR'ed. :)

Spice cabinet-curried-mango-lentil salad. Yum.

2011-08-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

My favorite summer lunch lately is this self-invented lentil salad. I'll make a big bowl of it on Sunday and then bring a cup of it for lunch for the next few days. It's soo delicious and really easy to modify depending on what your spice cabinet looks like. If you're new to lentils (I was until a couple weeks ago), I highly recommend trying out Trader Joes's pre-steamed lentil packs. It's over in the refrigerated vegetable section next to the pre-steamed beets (my other favorite thing to pack for lunch.)
I have yet to perfect the art of lentil boiling, so I'm not even going to try to tell you how long to cook the dried ones for. I will, however, insist that you sort through the bag and check for little twigs. They're in there. They won't kill you. Unless, ya know, you eat them and choke. So look out.

While the lentils are boiling, chop up a ripe mango, some cucumber and fresh chives and throw into a bowl. Then open up your spice cabinet and take a look at what's in there. I used a million things. Well, actually just seven: parsley, red chili pepper flakes, curry powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper. I also throw in a little splash of olive oil to get everything to stick together nicely.

These are only suggestions. I like the flavors together, but use what 'ya got.

Why yes, I am incredibly lazy and hate dirtying up a lot of spoons and bowls and just mix everything with a knife. Don't judge.

When the lentils are finished cooking, mix them in the bowl with your produce and start spicing away. I usually have to season a few times. I'll put what I think is a TON of spice in, taste it and then realize there is practically no flavor. Maybe my taste buds are fried, who knows. I usually use a ton of chili powder and cumin because they are my FAVORITE. God, cumin is wonderful. I will eat practically anything if it has cumin, chili powder or cilantro in it. Yum. I'll also eat anything that has peanut butter and chocolate in it, so then these happened:

"Healthy" peanut butter-fudge brownies

My brother and I had a major hankering for baked goods, so I made boxed brownies but subbed the oil, water and egg for 2 cups of canned pumpkin. Then I microwaved a tablespoon of peanut butter and spooned that over the top and used the knife-swirl trick. THEN after the brownies were finished baking (I took them out a few minutes earlier than the recommended time on the box, which is fine since there's no raw egg [aka you can eat the raw batter]) I let them cool a bit before pouring on the frosting that came in the box. Holy crap they are so delicious and fudgy. I don't mind the way "lighter" baking tastes, but if you prefer your brownies cake-y you might not like these. They're really thin and dense and just the way I like them. And since there's very little fat involved, I didn't feel guilty when I ate two. I may or may not feel guilty when I end up eating two more for dinner tonight.

QUESTIONS: Do you have any healthy baking tips? Do you use applesauce or pumpkin in place of oil?
Also, what's your favorite spice? Is anyone else as cumin-obsessed as I am?

Gimme a moment, will ya?

2011-08-05T12:33:00.001-07:00

Thumbs down for crappy race performance.

You know those phases when everything isn't sucking big time and everything feels really exciting and new and you think to yourself "Rah rah rah! Life is so fun!" because you're curled up on a couch at 6am having some monumental conversation with someone and realizing you're not the only batshit crazy person out there? Or you're driving down the turnpike after a huge storm and the sun comes out and makes the road all glisten-y and you're all like "Wow! Life is so beautiful!"
You know those moments? Those moments that are kind of dumb when you analyze them but are really sweet at the time?

I'll just stop now before you vom over how warm and fuzzy this is.

What I actually wanted to say was, I haven't had those kinds of moments lately. I've been feeling kinda crumby. Remember that race I had to do a couple weeks ago? It was mis-er-able. I have never felt so awful while running EVER in my entire life. Not even that time at field hockey try outs in ninth grade when they told us we had to run a 7:30 mile to make the team and my previous best time was lingering around the 8:20 slow-poke region (so I felt like death and "sprinted" my ass off and ran it in 7:30 and made the team. phew. now excuse me while I ralph my diluted gatorade.)

Anyways, it was a million degrees the night of the race, the course was hilly (well, hilly in comparison to all of the 1% incline treadmill running I'd been doing) and not only did I NOT beat my previous 5k time from before I started my half training, I added about an hour and a half to it. (Exaggeration, but might as well be.) Oh oh, and I had stayed home sick from work the two days before because I legit felt like I had lymes disease (I don't) or something -- achy and more exhausted than I've ever been.

So the odds were against me and yadda yadda yadda but I finished and was really freaking bummed that I didn't run better. I pouted for awhile and drank 3 bottles of water and ate some pineapple and grimaced at all the medalers who finished the race in under 16 minutes. (WTF didn't anyone tell you crazy people it's 92 degrees outside with 50% humidity??) I was down. But then I got a sudden wave of relief because I realized that this race didn't really matter and thank God I messed up this one and not the big race. I know my eats were HORRIBLE the days before and I hadn't been training outside at ALL, so I immediately resolved to start working harder. Well actually I had another week of craptastic runs and eating habits and THEN I started being better. And I've made the following adjustments:
-Don't eat lots of crappy foods. They make running completely miserable.
-Go back to rotating my running surface: road/treadmill/trail/track
-Stop getting hung up on pace and run times. It puts me in a bad mood and when I'm in a bad mood I run even worse and then I get angry for running slow and get in an even worse mood and then I run slower and (do you see the vicious cycle?)

And do you know what? Earlier this morning after I finished my four mile easy run, I was walking down the street to my house and the sun was filtering through the leaves and the sky was really blue and I thought to myself, "Wow! Life is so beautiful!"

Thumbs up for a Mr. Rogers-style beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Sunday Confessional

2011-07-17T23:48:00.000-07:00

Another confession: I'm afraid of riding real bikes, unless I'm at the beach. Cars are so aggressive!

1. I didn't go to spin class this week. My real confession? I'm actually all bent out of shape about it. (Literally, I can feel my gut forming as we speak.) I've totally become one of those people who's obsessed with going to spin class. I know. I make myself sick, too.

But in all seriousness, until a couple months ago I was terrified of spinning because it just seemed so INTENSE and people who love spinning, reallly love spinning and I didn't want to be that awkward person huffing and puffing in the corner. But then I got into a fitness rut and decided to drag my friend along just to try it out and you know what? It wasn't awkward or intimidating. The instructor was super nice and explained everything. (And generously pretended not to care when it took me three classes to FINALLY remember my bike settings.)

It took a bit of getting used to and it left me with a rather horrific, uncomfortably placed bruise (this only happens after your first class, I promise!) that made sitting at my desk the next day slightly less than peachy. But I still totally love it. To the point where I get upset when I have to miss class because of work or driving my brother somewhere or whatever.

Moral of the story is: if you've been too afraid to try a class at your gym, just do it. It'll be worth it. Now I need to follow my own advice and start becoming a yogi.

Um, deja vu or just a desperate need to go shopping?

2. I seriously wear the same seven outfits every single week. There is zero diversity in my work wear right now and it's getting totally pathetic. I could actually give you a detailed description of the exact seven outfits, but that would be really embarrassing if anyone reading this actually sees me on those days and would be able to confirm that yes, Jesus, she really does wear the same thing over and over. I hope the girl has access to a laundry machine. (To put your mind at ease: Yes, I do. What, you think I still live at home just for the free cable? ...ok that too.)

I need to go shopping -- bad -- but unfortunately I can't. My mom and I placed a little bet last Friday to see if we could manage to go two full weeks without buying ANYTHING other than groceries and gas. (One exception: if you run out of a vital toiletry, you're allowed to replace it. We're not trying to make each other walk around in 93 degree heat without deodorant.) If either one of us slips up, the loser has to buy the winner a little present.

I haven't been much of a shopper the past few months because, hello, entry-level salary, but I have been dying to buy some new workout gear. (Gym clothes are actually the only reason I even bother to do laundry, and I'm sick of having to actually do laundry every week. I'm domestically lazy, ok?) And really, I need some new daytime duds -- just to give the people around me some visual interest, ya know? Everything I do is for the greater good of those around me, I swear...

Small problem.

2011-07-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

This weather report is a bit of an issue. Wednesday in particular. 91 degrees and humid?

Not ok.

I'm running this 5k on Wednesday night after work, and, you see, I'm kind of a spoiled exerciser. I only run outside if the temperature is juuuussstttt right and there's no traffic and it's not getting too dark and there aren't any threatening-looking men standing near by and there is zero humidity and, well, I'm a diva. I'll admit it.

That's why I have a gym membership. No excuses. It's lit and air conditioned and I pay way too much money to not use it and sometimes there are threatening-looking men standing nearby, but then I can just turn to them and say, "Excuse me, sir? The entire mat is empty, save for this small corner I'm using to do deadlifts and shoulder presses, so do you think you could move more than two feet away from me to stretch your hip flexors? Thank you." (Some guy really did do this to me last week. But I'm scared of confrontation so I didn't say anything. It was really uncomfortable, though.)

So what's a diva like me to do when she's already signed up and paid her 25 bucks to run a race in hellish weather? Suck it up, I guess, and look forward to losing six pounds in sweat. Why hello there, silver lining.

A little bit obsessive.

2011-07-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a compulsive researcher. It takes 10 hours of reading Sephora reviews before I decide what shampoo to buy. When I bought a car last summer? Oh Christ, you don't even want to know. It was repulsive how much I read about cars. My mom was ready to shoot me if I brought up transmissions and gas mileage and automatic windows at the dinner table.

Hobbies are good for the soul. It's good to have something specific to think about that isn't work and finances and the future and all that depressing crap.

So lately all my attention is focused on training for this:

Meaning my mom now wants to shoot me when I talk about pacing and cross training and crying about IT band issues. Meaning I spend nearly all of my free time reading Runner's World and obsessively researching every little ounce of pain I experience to make sure that it isn't a stress fracture. Stress fractures are my biggest fear in life. God, they're terrifying to even think about.

The race is September 18th and I'm already beginning to threaten people's lives if they don't show up to spectate. I mean, I know watching a race isn't exactly thrilling to everyone.
...So bring a flask. Anyone who knows me knows there's nothing I find more fulfilling than being the center of attention. I love a good ego boost. So basically I'm saying I'll probably run ten times faster if there are people I know lining the streets of the course, and you want that for me, riiigghtt?

Sunday Confessional

2011-06-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have four different kinds of cuticle oil.

1. I compulsively apply cuticle oil throughout the day. Maybe it's because I'm always staring down at my nails typing away on the keyboard, so I'm perpetually reminded of how ragged-looking they are and it kind of ruins my self esteem. And since manicures are m.f.ing expensive, I just keep laying on the cuticle oil. Seriously sometimes five times in one day. It's an obsession. Recently I bought the Sally Hansen VitaSurge cuticle gel. It does the job, but it has these little orange bits (like those things that are the best part of using hand sanitizer!) that sort of get stuck in the sides of your nail and are bothersome. So I would maybe just stick with the regular oil next time. Moving on.

2. Until last week, I was terrified of using a foam roller. I always thought that the people at my gym who used them looked like a rare crossbreed of embarrassing and pretentious and I like to just try and look as normal as possible while I'm working out. Unfortunately, I went and effed up my right IT band last week and because I don't particularly love limping around like a grandma with a hip replacement, I looked up some videos and started foam rolling. Of course, just to confirm my worst fears, a guy I have a mild crush on walked by while I was mid-hip roll and now I'm mortified because, seriously? It's just not even possible to NOT look awkward on a foam roller. I've accepted it. But seriously dude, why couldn't you walk by when I was showing off my superior flexibility during post-cardio stretching? Or how about after I've spent 45 minutes in the locker room straightening my hair and putting on makeup? Since when are you even a member here, eh? Nevermind. Moving on.

3. I am completely, 100% baffled by the concept of life balance. It's implausible to me. (Also implausible: marriage before I'm 57 years old. My mom suggested that I could be married in the next few years [read: she wants me to move out as soon as possible] and I laughed in her face for hours. No way, Mamacita. It's you and me and slumber parties and hair braiding and ghost stories until I'm on Medicare and finally making millions!) Anyways, I have no idea how to juggle friends and family and work and other work and staying healthy and sane. How the HELL do working mothers do it? How do they not gain 800 pounds, forget the definition of a hair brush and cry themselves to sleep at night? Oh, most of them do? Ok, well that makes me feel better.

Christmasy things

2010-12-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

Do you know what I haven't done in forever? Given you beautiful people something new to look at. So, I'm here to remedy that situation.
What I have been up to is getting into the holiday spirit via decorating, cooking, and attending Christmas-y parties. Well, actually just one party. You know how I'm not particularly into being social. But I did wear a pretty dress! And bring two of my dearest friends from college along with me!

Photographic evidence of the aforementioned activities:

I've made peppermint bark every year for the holidays since I was in middle school. I'd wrap it up in little bags and give it out to my friends on the last day of class before winter break. It's super easy and people LOVE it. Always a hit, I promise.
To make, you just need:

a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
a bag of white chocolate chips
three candy canes
some wax paper
two bowls
casserole dish or baking sheet
a plastic bag, a towel, and a hammer or heavy knife (for breaking the candy canes)

So it's simple: You melt the semi-sweet chips in the microwave (if you want to be fancy, you could do it in a double boiler. But I'm pretty domestically lazy.) and smooth it out on the wax paper in the dish or baking sheet. Pop it in the fridge for half an hour.
While that's setting, go to work on crushing up the candy canes. It takes some muscle and can kind of be a pain if you don't have the right tools. Just keep at it -- you don't want someone to bite down on a huge piece of candy cane and break a tooth. That would be a liability issue. I usually put the candy canes in a plastic bag and wrap the bag in a towel -- the jagged edges from the candy start ripping the bag so if you don't wrap it in something, you're going to have pieces in your eye. Watch it, ok? I wail at it with a big knife, but use whatever you have. Or employ some able-bodied male to do it for you.
Anyways.
When the chocolate is set, melt the white chips down the same way. Spread them over the semi-sweet ones, being careful not to press down too much and mucking up the first layer. Once that looks all nice, QUICKLY -- before the white chocolate starts to set -- sprinkle the candy cane bits over the top. Definitely don't mix them into the white chocolate before you spread it over the semisweet chocolate because it won't look right. I tried it one year and it turned out terrible. Learn from my mistakes.
Press the candy canes in and then pop it in the fridge until everything's hardened. Give it an hour if you can. Depending on how big your pan was, it might be too thick to break into pieces by hand. So set the whole slab onto a cutting board and start piercing it with a hefty knife. It should start cracking on it's own pretty nicely.
So that's that.

It's become my responsibility over the years to decorate the garland we hang in the den of the house, so I try to do something creative. This year, I went with a game theme and stuck cards and ribbon-wrapped dominoes into the greens. Then I spelled out 'Merry Christmas' with Scrabble letters and hung them from the top. I'll have to get a picture of the finished product for you later.

So then my friends and family got all dressed up and went to a Christmas ball last weekend. I spent forever trying to find an appropriate dress and could find nothing I liked that didn't cost a million dollars, so I ended up getting this one at Jessica McClintock. I know, I know -- how very high school prom of me. But it's actually pretty cute, yeah? And classic enough to be worn again. I simply cannot stand the concept of buying something to wear it only once.

Had a few too many of those lime-filled beverages...

My brother apparently doesn't like my mom and me very much...

One for the Christmas card.

Mourning the conclusion of Halloween.

2010-11-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

I cope by looking at photographs. Over and over and over.
And by planning out my costume for next year. No ideas as of yet, though...

Romper: H&M, headband: DIY, wedges: Very Volatile via Piperlime, army pendents: Portobello Market

Striped shirt: H&M, pencil skirt: American Apparel

Thanks for the shoutout, IFB!

2010-11-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

The Power of Words

Edited by: The Sunday Best
One story dominated my thoughts this week, and I was glad to see an IFB member tackle it in a post. I'm talking about the Marie Claire article. I'm not going to link to it, or even say what it was about, since I assume you dialed in people are familiar with it. [Pulls out soapbox.] The problem with the article, and its apparently apologetic writer, isn't the ignorance it exhibited, or the hate it might engender, or even, I would argue, the sentiment expressed, although it was certainly the worst example of each. The problem was she used the most demeaning language she could think of to describe a group about which she apparently cares. She used this language and neither her nor her editors nor anyone at Marie Claire saw fit to deny it. And Marie Claire's ridiculous mea culpa, where they celebrated the "discussion" they had fostered, was like saying the Titanic sinking was good for discussions about marine safety. Worst of all was the author's own apology: "I never wanted anyone to feel bullied or ashamed after reading this". So you used the most demeaning language you could think of--edgy!--and called people gross--keeping it real!--and were shocked, SHOCKED, to find them taking offense. I would call her a liar but out of deference to liars, she might just be an idiot. Think before you write - words are powerful.

Links à la Mode : November 4th

A la Modest: This is vintage...now.
Beyond Fabric: Portraying the essence of Autumn.
Closet Hound: Do you wear his pants in the relationship?
Dans Mon Boudoir: Tying scarves for Fall.
Daisy Dayz: Menswear trousers the new way to cover up this winter.
Employed Panache: Finding new ways to remix my wardrobe.
Grit and Glamour: Why I'm not on Weardrobe, Chictopia, Lookbook, or Hypeed.
Houndstooth and Tortoiseshell: The retail blues.
Independent Fashion Bloggers: 5 Sites to Strengthen Your Writing Skills
Kitsch by Kat: Better than reality TV!
One More: Taking a risk.
Other Dutch Animals: Champagne sequins: Worn two ways.
Seamstress Stories: Cuteness and female rivalry.
Shopgirls Blog: Jewelry with a story to share.
Sidewalk Chalk: 6 perfect photo locations that are right in front of you.
Style Activist: I love me. And I don't care if you don't.
Stylish Thought: Five lessons Nicki Minaj can teach you about personal style.
The Coveted: Women at work.
The New Professional: The long and short of it all.
The Sunday Best: Caring about what you wear is just caring.
Tickle Me Chic: Everyone deserves to be happy - a response to Marie Claire's "Should 'Fatties' Get a Room".

SPONSOR:
Shopbop Exclusives: Club Monaco, KAIN, Theory, MiH, Madewell, JNBY, VPL, Tucker, Rag & Bone

My idea of the happiest time of year.

2010-10-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

You know the way some people get really depressed after Christmas is over? That's the way I feel about Halloween. I love it. I've been getting extra into the spirit this weekend, putting finishing touches on my costumes and making chocolate covered pretzels in Halloween colors.

There's legitimately drops of deer drool all over the pumpkin in front of our door. Gross.

I got these adorable ghost stickers at Michaels to put on my Mom's Halloween gifts. (Yes, we exchange Halloween presents in our family.)

I made these cute pretzels! And they're super easy to make! Watch!

All you need is a bag of pretzels, a bag of chocolate chips, and maybe some sprinkles. I got mine at Home Goods for a couple of bucks.

Put the chocolate chips in the microwave for a minute. ONE MINUTE -- no longer!

It's going to LOOK like they aren't done, but trust me, they are. DON'T put them back in the microwave -- they'll burn.

Use a pretzel to stir the chips until they finish melting down. Then shake the excess chocolate off and lay the pretzel down on a sheet of wax paper to cool. Repeat. I like to work with small batches of chocolate so I don't have to worry about it firming up. If you're having a hard time getting the chocolate to melt, add some canola oil. DON'T add milk, cream, or butter. They all contain water, and even the smallest drop of water will cause your chocolate to seize, meaning it'll get grainy and weird and definitely not ready for pretzels. (Trust me, I know this from experience. Feel free to check out my garbage can, full of around three cups of chocolate I ruined with half and half...)

Note that it's completely necessary to save all the broken pieces at the bottom of the bag to dip in chocolate for yourself.

Throw the pretzels in a cute bowl...

...set out and enjoy!

My knight in shining armor.

2010-10-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, SERIOUSLY how awesome is this ring that I bought at Thirteen Vintage the other week? Right? I'm obsessed with it. I had been looking for a really great, cheeky ring for awhile now and completely fell in love when I spotted this in the jewelry case.

The jewelry line is called Monserat De Lucca and they make all sorts of equally cool, edgy stuff, like these pieces (also all available at Thirteen Vintage):

Just about everything has moving parts, making it all really fun to play with. There's a ring with a maze in it and a guitar case-shaped locket that opens. The skull and brain come as a set to be worn separately, OR you can open up the top of the skull and put the brain inside.
So clever.
I want every single piece.

The retail blues.

2010-10-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

I know there are a million land-locked, middle-of-nowhere-dwellers that would kill me for saying this, but I despise the King of Prussia mall. It's a mile away from my house, but I've reached a point where I'm near-protesting its existence. Yes, it's a nice place. Yes, it's convenient and has almost every store you could ever ask for (but seriously, could we get a Zara already? My faith would be restored. Just saying.)

If you aren't from this area, allow me to explain. The King of Prussia mall is [allegedly] the stuff that shopping dreams are made of. It boasts over 400 different stores, eight department stores, and none of that amusement park crap like the Mall of America. This is clean and simple retail euphoria. 2,793,200 square feet of it. That's a lot of floor space.

But the selection inside those walls is totally lacking. I head to the mall every couple of weeks, just to browse around and try things on and see what strikes my fancy. But nine times out of 10, I leave empty handed. I'm an infamously picky shopper, but seriously? Shouldn't a place as famed as the biggest mall on the east cost have something more to offer? If I was, say, an insecure 14 year old with no personal style, I'd be in heaven. Dark wash jeggings, ill-fitting miniskirts, and cotton cardigans in boring colors are everywhere. The mediocre picks appeal to the masses, which I understand is a safe bet for retailers. But while the store buyers are convincing middle-Americans to come in droves, they're simultaneously alienating fashion-forward shoppers. Unless, of course, you want to head to Neiman's and drop a cool couple grand on a few trendy pieces. Personally, I don't have that kind of cash.

Listen, all I want is for H&M to start stocking the awesome stuff that they generally reserve for their urban locations. Some strong shouldered jackets and faux fur, you know? I understand that those pieces don't sell as well, making it financially risky to put on the shelves. I get it, H&M, I do.

But as the selection in the mall stays consistently crappy, they're going to lose me as a customer all together. I can't imagine I'm the only one around here to feel this way. In fact, I've overheard other trend-savvy shoppers lament about the options in KOP retailers. To compensate, I've begun to do my shopping in better locations -- Suburban Square, flea markets, and, most recently, downtown Philly.

Last Sunday I took the train into the heart of the city and waltzed around Walnut Street before I had to head back to the suburbs for work. And let me tell you, it was way more fun than a morning at the mall. I'm a strong believer that an ideal autumn afternoon is spent in dark denim and a cozy knit poncho. (Ironically, I picked mine up at the H&M...in the mall.)

Hudson jeans, Jessica Simpson leopard flats, H&M poncho

Wouldn't you rather look at this than the inside of a mall while you're shopping?

Is this really the same chick we used to watch on The Osbournes?

2010-10-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

I know this is kind of terrible to say because the fashion industry is supposed to be all into embracing fuller figures these days and blah blah blah, but damn! Kelly Osbourne looks hot! I'm totally digging her image revamp. Don't get me wrong, I'm Crystal Renn and Christina Hendrick's biggest fan, but I think Kelly looks a million times better now that she's slimmed down and ditched the Hot Topic-teen look.
Observe these pictures I jacked from her Twitter: (How chic is that white dress?)

Sunday Funday

2010-10-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

Fedora: Forever 21, aviators: H&M, scarf: hotel gift shop, necklace: vintage, dress: H&M

Boots: Minnetonka

I think a big part of your twenties is fine-tuning your own recipe for happiness. Through trial and error, you slowly sort of figure out what gets your gears in motion and what just isn't your speed.

I know it's naive to complain that your twenties are overwhelmed with newness all the time (I mean, I don't think anything will be more overwhelming than the age I decide to get married and have children), but it is kind of a struggle to figure out how to balance all the unfamiliar elements of adulthood, you know?

I think now, more than ever, I really pay attention to the things that make me overwhelmingly happy (and do my best to avoid the things that launch me into a grumpy gloom.) When I'm not at work, all I ever want to think about anymore is fashion, photography, cooking, traveling, and my very missed friends that don't live near by.

Yesterday was one of those sublime fall Sundays in which I got to do a lot of things that make me happy. My friend Kevin and I spent the early afternoon at The Golden Nugget flea market, which is absolutely awesome. I highly recommend if you live anywhere near there: go. I got lots of cheap goodies and would have purchased loads more if I hadn't been so overwhelmed by merchandise decisions.

Flea markets are my favorite way to shop. I love bypassing the apathy of mall employees and talking to all the vendors. (My moccasin boots started more than one conversation about what it was like to party in the '60s. The consensus, unsurprisingly, is that it was awesome.)
Here's what I rounded up:

Pearl necklace, ribbon pin, two army pins, old key, cameo pendent, gold bangle -- all $1 each!

Old 3D viewer photos, 3 for $5.

After I got my fill of digging through junk boxes and jewelry cases, I headed over to Kevin's store in New Hope, Thirteen Vintage. They just moved to a spot right along Main Street, so the people watching is absolutely unparalleled. We sat outside on the balcony and ate THE most delicious pumpkin ice cream from the conveniently-placed shop right next door and watched the early evening hustle and bustle. New Hope, PA has the best collection of characters, let me tell you. I wish I had snapped a photo of the two middle-aged men walking around in pink Little-Bo-Peep costumes. Just as hysterical as it sounds.

Go buy pumpkin ice cream here before it's too late!

Then I headed inside and proceeded to spend hours --literally, hours -- going through every single thing in their chock-a-block-full-of-cute-stuff store. Kevin and David have this incredible knack for scooping up trends before they even happen. They cater to a pretty wide range of styles, but if I had to choose a way to describe their stuff, I'd say it's trend conscious with an edge. They carry lots of great vintage stuff, budget-conscious lines like Kensie and B.B. Dakota, seriously awesome heels and boots, and have a jewelry case that could make a grown woman weep. (Or maybe that's just me.)

And just wait until you see what I bought! I'm so excited about it that it's getting a whole post of it's own.

Choosing between my two first loves

2010-10-06T06:19:00.000-07:00

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Blazer: Express, white shirt: Foxcroft, skinny cords: Urban Outfitters, leather boots: Matisse

My dear friend Erika asked me the most ridiculous question the other day.

"Sam, if you had to choose between never wearing nautical things again or never wearing equestrian things again, which would it be?"

Oh, the nerve to even suggest such a malnourished life style! I humored her though, and after much consideration I decided I'd sacrifice nautical before riding gear. But really, that would wipe out half my closet. A peak into my drawers will reveal no less than eight nearly-identical-to-the-untrained-eye striped shirts. What can I say? I know what I like and I like consistency.

When I was in fifth grade, I bought this fantastic outfit from the American Girl catalog (I was an embarrassingly devoted fan of theirs) that consisted of a red and white striped t-shirt and low-rise navy trousers. I thought I was so cool.

However, the first day I wore it to school some girl at the locker next to mine muttered under her breath, "What do you think you are, a sailor?"

I was beyond mortified. I should've ignored her -- she was a real bitch, you know? The type with beady eyes and flat hair. I can't remember her name, but I do remember her saying something snarky about my bohemian attitude towards resisting unnecessary conflict when she tried to do something mean to one of my friends. "What are you, a hippy?" This girl clearly had huge issues with identity.

ANYWAYS.

I put my passionate love for nautical stuff on hold for awhile to let my poor bruised ego get some TLC. Instead, I turned my attention to equestrian-inspired wears and started pulling together a wardrobe made almost entirely out of the J.Crew sale rack and Ralph Lauren factory store. I've had an affinity for blazers and leather riding boots ever since. They are the core of my being. In fact, when people routinely ask me if I ride horses (Erika also told me I looked like I had just come from the barn a little while back) I'm not even insulted -- I'm flattered!

I only forgave my mother for not signing me up for riding lessons as a child when I realized I could still dress the part without the risk of any major brain injuries...

Blazer: Lilly Pulitzer

Belt: vintage, tunic: H&M

In which my world takes a decidely narcissistic turn to the right.

2010-10-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit that I have a rather unhealthy obsession with personal style blogs. I'll get on my laptop to check my email -- really fast! I swear, I'll only be a second! -- only to emerge two hours later from the far depths of some new blog I've accidentally stumbled upon and quickly became infatuated with. I think seeing the way real people put outfits together is far more inspiring than any catalog or magazine. And, apparently, so does everyone in the fashion industry these days. Street style is everything.

However, when it came to posting pictures of my own style on my own blog, I enthusiastically refrained. "Too narcissistic. Too self congratulating. Too...weird," I thought.

But being the attention-seeking hypocrite that I am, along with a gentle push from my ever-supportive friend Katelyn, I've decided to reconsider. Hence, a new venture.

This necklace? You won't even believe me when I tell you that
it was $3.80 at Forever 21. Pearl earrings: Banana Republic

Utility jacket: Gap, gingham button down: J. Crew,
skinny cords: Urban

Go buy this right now. RIGHT NOW.

2010-09-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know how to say this without sounding like I'm overselling it but, holy crap this stuff will change your life. Change your life, I say.
I have this pretty reoccurring issue with my nails. They're always peeling and cracking and nail polish? It doesn't last more than 24 hours. Totally sucks, because I have all these pretty colors I'd like my nails to be. See?

I hate when my cuticles look raged and my nails are super short and I resemble a 12 year old with a nail biting problem.

The situation got especially bad towards the end of the summer. To remedy, I haven't worn nail polish in almost two months and I picked up a bottle of Sally Hansen Nail & Cuticle Oil a couple weeks ago. I keep it on my desk at work and massage it in a couple of times a day and, shiz. My nails are unrecognizable. They have returned to a normal length and are healthy enough that I can start wearing nail polish again.

Which means it's time to find a new color! A big eff you to Chanel for continually convincing me it's a good idea to spend over $25 on one bottle. I want the whole Khaki Collection.

I'm desperately searching for the perfect taupe (maybe this?) or olive and it would be great if it cost less than a small fortune. Please leave recommendations.

Heyya, that's me on that list!

2010-09-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

Woop, woop -- thanks a bunch to Independent Fashion Bloggers for featuring me in their weekly roundup! You guys are the best.

Anyways, I'm fortunate enough to be included in a list of some incredibly talented bloggers, so everyone should check out the others that were featured! Here's the list:

Working the new season with fabulous new discoveries.

Influences, Impressions, and Interpretations of Fashion and what it all means

Edited by: Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista

It is without a doubt that fashion makes the world go round. Just last week, Fashion's Night Out helped revive the economy, fashion weeks' across the world bring together old friends, new friends, and those in between. Technology fused with fashion now offers inside perspectives- once only exclusively shared. Adding to this breath of fashion are those who blog.

This week's roundup offers a retrospect of fashion as New York Fashion Week comes to a close, designers have teased us with what's to come, and the world comes back to life- the fashion blogger's mind only now begins to race with influences, impressions, and interpretations of Fall Fashion and what it all means...

Amanda Brohman: How the nerds(and their style) conquered the fashion world:
Amanda Lee Dot Org: How to Make High Heels Bearable
Denim Debutante: Wearing White AFTER Labor Day
Dirty Hems: Fashion is a Tramp: the cyclical nature of cultural appropriation in fashion, particularly pertaining to the homeless & "hobo-chic"
Dramatis Personae: Fall Fantasy Lookbook- the bits and pieces I'm coveting for Fall '10
Fashioncents: 3 guidelines for wearing or not wearing socks with shoes. It's time we all got on the right foot with this one.
For Those About to Shop: So much invaluable information at the IFB conference. I decided to take Gala's advice and write my first "how to":
Grechen Blogs: how to make your fashion blog more user-friendly
Houndstooth and Tortoiseshell: So, how do you make it in the fashion industry? Real life advice on how to break into the fashion biz from a successful runway producer.
Interrobangs Anonymous: Gender roles in fashion blogging:
Mimosas in Bed: The big apple gets evolved
Pretty Shiny Sparkly: The Thrift Virgin - One girl's deflowering when it comes to thrift shopping fashion.
Previously Owned: Exclusivity vs. availability: New media taking over?
SLSVGG Fashion: The best bits of London's Fashion Night Out
Style Eyes Fashion: Join the evolution for a new fashion democracy - do you get fed up with being told what you 'must have for the season ahead' here's how to end the dictatorship and have your say.
Style Spotting: Fashion's Night Out in LA with celeb stylist Taylor Jacobson and her collaboration with Kasil denim. Loved her hot rocker chic!
The Curvy Fashionista: My Fall 2010 Luxe(wish)list- aka my birthday wishlist
The Lingerie Addict: Should You Buy Your Lingerie Online or In Stores? A brief guide to knowing the best place to buy your most intimate fashions.
The Little Curly Girl: The camel coat is one of the most talked about pieces for Fall 2010. Will you be wearing one this season?
Your Saving Style: A Thought About Real Women

Sponsor:
Now at Shopbop: Ever - LD Tuttle -DL1961 - Tapeet - IRO - MiH - Factory - Sexy Tops

I suppose this is an accurate representation of Fashion Week, anyways.

2010-09-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

An unfortunate side effect of Fashion's Night Out's marketing tactics is that it did, in fact, put people in the mood to shop. And when I say people, I mean my mother. And when I say in the mood to shop, I mean that it inspired my mom to go through the entirety of Neiman Marcus, pull each and every item off the racks and ask me, What do you think of this? Too young? Too tight? Too boxy? Too much fur? Too old?
The whole commotion got so carried away that we completely forgot to pay attention to the time and I ended up being ridiculously late to the fashion show. So late that I didn't get to my seat and missed the first half. Unfortunately, this means that each and every one of my pictures is either blurry, grainy, or severely underexposed. Which, frankly, is a crying shame because there was quite a lot of splendorous things I would've liked to share with you.
So, let's say I pulled a Rachel Zoe at Marc Jacobs -- without the dire consequences and catch phrases -- and call it a day, shall we?
I'll offer up a few of my horrific quality photos for you anyways:

When it rains, it pours.

2010-09-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge rain boot fan. They're heavy and clunky and not particularly flattering to your calf size. In theory, they're adorable and perfectly preppy. But often times in execution, they're quite the pain.

I had a pair of striped wellies in high school that did manage to brighten my spirits on gloomy days -- my English teacher routinely paused class to marvel them whenever I incorporated them into my outfit.

A couple years ago I bought a pair of riding-style Hunter's -- I liked their slimmer fit more than the classic boots. They became incomparably useful this past winter, when Pittsburgh was perpetually buried under foot upon foot of snow. (Apparently no one thinks shoveling sidewalks or plowing major roads is important over there.) I wore them nearly every day and, much to my own disbelief, they minimized my cold-weather-wipeouts to just ONCE the whole season! I usually average out around three a day from December to March. This was a big deal. By the end of the season, though, I dreaded pulling them on and off. If you've ever continually worn the same pair of shoes day-in and day-out, you'll know that it's not the most comfortable situation in terms of blisters.

There is something particularly empowering about being able to stomp around town, completely oblivious as to what you're walking through, though. No dodging icy spots, no leaping over puddles. If you've ever considered investing in a pair of Hunter's, I highly encourage the purchase. They are infinitely better than any cheapo things you can buy at Target and I promise you they'll last as long as you need them. My mom has a tremendous olive green pair that she's had forever.

As I recently realized that I can now wear heels whenever I'd like due to my recent suburban re-location, it's also dawned on me that I don't have a huge need for rain boots anymore. Nowadays if the weather is unfortunate, I can find indoor entertainment alternatives. Recently, my time has been focused on re-vamping my bedroom. And when I say re-vamping, I really just mean cleaning it out so all my crap from college fits inside. I'm making slow but steady progress -- last weekend alone provided three bags of trash, two bags for Plato's Closet, and six bags for Goodwill. Not to mention three boxes and some furniture that I put into storage. It's ridiculous how much stuff one can accumulate over the years...

In which I shamelessly ask you to win me $500.

2010-09-10T22:19:00.000-07:00

While checking on my Piperlime order status, (I spent waay too much on waay too many pairs of shoes. Here's hoping none of them fit and I can send them all back.) I noticed that they're doing a little styling contest. You can pick out pieces from the site, put them on a model, and choose a background. So I whipped together an entry, loosely based on the outfit I'm wearing. If you're feeling generous, click on this link and vote for my look! If I win, I get a $500 gift card and I can keep all my shoes, plus buy a few more. Thanks a mill, kiddos!

Cher's main thrill in life is a makeover.

2010-09-10T22:13:00.000-07:00

Houndstooth + Tortoiseshell got a face lift, just in time for fall!

Can't remember what it looked like before? Abysmally outdated, let me tell you. In fact, I'll remind you:

Much better now, no? Any ideas on how to further improve, puhleaseee feel free to share!

Fashion's Night Out: King of Prussia Edition

2010-09-08T20:28:00.001-07:00

I'm here for you people. 100%. So, I feel it's my duty to let you know -- just in case you weren't aware -- that we've been in a bit of a recession the past couple years.

The economical mess was a bad time for pretty much everyone, but Anna Wintour, fashion savior that she is, didn't want the industry to suffer just because no one had the spare cash to dish out for full priced fur coats and leather boots and tailored suits. So along with her team of Voguettes, she invented Fashion's Night Out as her very own stimulus package. Marketed as a way to remind people that shopping is fun (though, I'm not particularly convinced that anyone forgot this fact so much as de-prioritized it...) the evening revolves around a slew of events in every retail establishment the glossy could convince to get involved. And because it's Vogue, that list of establishments includes, you know, everyone.

The event caught on so well that it took place in every corner of the globe, including -- low and behold! -- the King of Prussia Mall! I couldn't be prouder that my neck of the woods jumped onto the Vogue-endorsed bandwagon, so obviously I'm going to insist that you all head over to the mall on Friday and take a look at what they have to offer.

There are all kinds of sweet goodies to score (free wine, anyone?), store sales and fun events all weekend long. For a full list of details (and trust me, there's a lot), check out the KOP FNO website. Personally, I'm heading over on Friday at 6 to get 10% off at American Apparel -- I desperately want one of their turtleneck dresses for fall-- grab some hors d'eouvres, and settle in to watch the runway show at 7.

In case I didn't manage to convince you to go on Friday, I'll let Anna Wintour speak for herself. That always does the trick. Watch this.

So, how do you make it in the fashion industry?

2010-09-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Ever been curious about how, exactly, you become a runway show producer or stylist? Start taking notes -- you're in luck. In honor of King of Prussia Fashion's Night Out, the evening's runway show producer, Kathie Young, was generous enough to take the time to answer a couple of questions for me.

Kathie has worked for Vogue, W, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks, among about a million others. So if anyone knows how to break into the fashion world, she does.
She teamed up with the Reinhard Modeling Agency, stylist Artur Kirsh, and (of course) the marketing team over at KOP to put together the runway show. If you're in town, the show starts at 7 p.m. in the Bloomingdale's court. See ya there!

And now, onto career talk with Kathie:

How did you first get into fashion on a professional scale?

As a child fighting with my mother about what I would wear to kindergarten, there was never a question in my mind that I would either be a designer or a model. I always knew I would go into fashion in some format. I started sewing in third grade and started "designing" my own outfits in the fifth grade.
Somewhere in the middle of a theatre major in college I realized I'd rather pursue modeling than design. Not tall enough for fashion, I ended up having a successful career as a "parts" model and part time fashion show commentator and coordinator. At that time, shows were seasonal -- two months in spring and fall. All shows were commentated, and you pulled your own show. Being a theatre major, I was a good public speaker, and knew fashion lingo.
One thing lead to another: many contacts later and with the creation of "Seventh on Sixth" Bryant Park fashion week, I segued from part time show stylist/producer to full time.

Do you have any advice for young women who want to pursue a similar career path?

Try it out first. I always warn people that the job is not what you think it is... it's 90 percent schlep and 10 percent glamour. It's a physically hard and demanding job and the time line is more that of live theatre, as opposed to a photo shoot or video. As you know, "the show must go on" whether you are ready or not.
I love my job and wouldn't do anything else, but it takes a specific type of personality. I always recommend a trial run first. Get involved, volunteer to work on many fashion shows, and put in as many hours as you can to see if it's for you. If you can handle the schlep and the hours, you are home free.

What is your favorite part of your job? Least favorite?
I love the creative outlet it offers me, creating a visual image from scratch, working with existing materials.
Least favorite is the budgeting process and the logistical elements -- booking trucks/deliveries/catering, etc.

30% off! And it's for a good cause!

2010-08-26T15:19:00.001-07:00

Willing to brave the back-to-school crowds at the mall? Then you deserve a gift.
Actually, you deserve 30% off. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Gap Give & Get is back in action. If you go here and print out this coupon, you can get 30% off at not only Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy, but all of their outlets! Plus, 5% of all your purchases goes to charity. Does it get any better? No, no it does not, my friends.
Personally, I'm heading straight over to the Gap to test out their new black pant collection because I'm in desperate need of a fresh work-week staple. See ya there.

Reinvention

2010-08-26T04:46:00.001-07:00

Do you know what's really strange?
I'm not going back to school at the end of the month.
It's weird as hell, you know? Not being a student anymore. My whole life, I've identified myself as a student. I'm an "adult" now. I'm a "working professional" now. Dude. It's just so weird.
I swear in the past month I've become an entirely different person. Well, not so much different as just a more mature version of my former self. I've been through some rough stuff and some really great stuff but through it all, I've had the pleasure of being surrounded my wonderfully giving people. I consider myself unfathomably lucky to have the friends that I do, each of whom are unfailingly generous with their reminders of how much they support me. If you don't have friends like this, find some. Stat. You're missing out.
In addition to attempting to become a more positive-thinking, generous person (I've spent way to much of my life prioritizing myself. Thank God that mentality is coming to a close.) I've been spending a decent chunk of my free time strategizing how to revamp my wardrobe.
I think my last semester of college was about the lowest I'll ever go in terms of physical appearance standards -- I rarely left the house in anything that wasn't leggings, a belted, over-sized button-down, and greasy hair. But now, much to the relief of all people who have to look at me on a daily basis, I'm starting to feel like myself again.
I've entered the corporate battle field armed with a troupe of pencil skirts and slim-fitting button downs. I adore dressing up.
I'm giving myself a few more weeks to save up money and allow the King of Prussia mall to empty of back-to-school-shoppers before I head out to purchase my fall wardrobe. But because I graduated from a large research university, there's not a single thing I do without doing heavy-duty investigating first. So naturally, I've been spending hours pulling from magazines and blogs and retail sites. I have a large stack of tear-sheets on my desk, which I will eventually get around to gluing into my inspiration book. In the mean time, I'll share my digital mood board with you (click to see it full size):

At the beginning of every season, I have the same realization: Preppy-with-an-edge never fails to appeal to me. My style has upgraded a lot over the years, but essentially it's still the same. The retail choices this season are hitting the nail right on the head for me -- classic items, nothing too trendy, very fit-conscious.
My shopping list as as follows:
-Utility jacket
-Fur collar
-Leopard print handbag
-White blazer
-Navy suit
-Grey jeans
-Turtleneck dress
-Leather jacket
-Black straight cut pants
-Boxy tweed jacket
-Wedge utility boots
-Motorcycle boots

Mad about Mad Men

2010-08-14T12:56:00.001-07:00

My mom sent me an email this morning recommending that I check out MyHomeIdeas -- she knows how fanatical I am about interior decorating -- and she was right. The website is really sweet. I've already watched this video twice. Mad Men star Bryan Batt (you know, the adorable closet case) shows how to throw a 60's-inspired cocktail party and gives a tour of his house.
His New Orleans home is AWESOME, which is no surprise once you learn that he also owns a store. Love a man with taste.

Anyways, now I'm all inspired to re-decorate and throw a party. Anyone who knows how to shake a martini is welcome to come.

Made for walking

2010-08-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

I recently relocated to suburban Philadelphia for a job in publishing. While there's nothing I love more than the Mainline in late summer (easy access to the beach! sales at the King of Prussia mall! outdoor seating at restaurants without melting in the heat!) the laziness of the 'burbs is freaking me out.
When I lived in Pittsburgh, I'd think nothing of walking a few miles to avoid paying for the bus. Now? I think nothing of moving my car from one side of a shopping center's parking lot to the other. It's awful. I need to end this behavior immediately before it becomes customary. However, now that I'm no longer in college and my body doesn't have to metabolize gallons of bottom shelf liquor every weekend, I've found that as long as I manage to, I don't know- get out of bed everyday, it's pretty easy to stay fit.
The one major advantage to living in the burbs? I can wear heels. I'd sworn against them when I was walking everywhere in the city, but now that my farthest pedestrian commute is from the parking lot to my cubicle, I'm ready to make some footwear investments.

Confidence Builders

2010-07-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

“Just wait until you’re in your 20s,” my mother told me when I was in high school, sobbing on the couch because, I don’t know, I ran out of cell phone minutes. “Life is great when you’re older – you’re more comfortable with who you are.” It doesn’t take much to be more confident now than I was at age 16 – for one thing, my hair is no longer a mousy, dirty blonde and I’ve since invested in a teasing comb and hairspray – but I’m not yet convinced this is the age when I reach the pinnacle of self-esteem.

While I’m certainly having plenty of fun in my 20s (God bless an age where it’s acceptable to go to sleep – not wake up – at 6 a.m.) I’d argue that it’s quite possibly one of the most insecure times of my life. I’m forever in the midst of a vicious cycle of uncertainty. Just when I think I’m pretty great, I question what my strengths and weaknesses are and wonder What the hell am I supposed to be doing with my life? Trying to find a job is kind of like waiting for some guy to call. Except when an employer doesn’t call, it’s worse. Because, you know, there’s money involved. And I kind of have this BCBG skirt that I need to be able to afford some time in the near future because it’s really bangin’.

Anyways, despite my plaguing insecurity, there are a few things I can wear no matter what and feel infinitely more confident. They are as follows:

-American Apparel pencil skirts: Instantly slimming, super comfortable, wearable in a million different ways. I literally wear one of these almost every single day. Paired with a racerback tank top, just about the only thing I wear at night in the summer.

-Aviator sunglasses: I stick with oversized, men’s iterations of the classic shades and love the way they add a splash of gleam to any otherwise-matte-daytime ensemble.

-Blazers: Probably my favorite article of clothing of all time, I collect them in all cuts and colors. It’s nice that they’re trendy right now so I can stock up for pretty reasonable prices.

-Chain necklaces: I never feel comfortable in anything too overtly feminine, so I throw them on over everything for a dose of edge.

Hello, dream fall purse

2010-06-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

I've never been much of a fan of Target's collaboration lines, but the accessories collections are usually pretty decent -- probably because you don't have to worry about whether or not a bracelet is going to be cheaply cut and unflattering. I always loved all the Subversive jewelry and I picked up a Hayden - Harnett purse last year that I still get loads of compliments on.

Now, according to The Cut, Target is teaming up with Mulberry for a fall collection that releases in October. The way some people our obsessive over Coach bags or save pennies their whole life for a Louis Vuitton purse, I am crazy for Mulberry. I've forever wanted one of their leather bags but without a steady source of income, it's going to be awhile before I'm slinging one of those over my shoulder.

In the mean time, I'm crossing my fingers that Mulberry creates some stellar stuff for Target because that I can afford.

Lady Gaga and I are back in the game.

2010-06-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

1. After an extensive post-college graduation hiatus, I've decided to shake off the dust and return to the blogosphere. Apologies to my legions of fans (that means you, Mom) for keeping you waiting.

2. Did you know that Lady Gaga was on an episode of MTV's Boiling Points back in the day? She was a brunette and, unsurprisingly, had a bit of a temper. See for yourself.

3. Alejandro is out. Check out those boys' high waisted boxer briefs. So in right now.

Parting sartorial advice, and no sweatpants ever

2010-04-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

When my mother dropped me off for my freshman year of college, she gave me a hug on Bigelow Boulevard and whispered in my ear, “If you become one of those kids who wears sweatpants all the time, I won’t let you come home.”

The four years since my mother’s stern advice have flown by faster than Heidi Montag’s disastrous plastic surgery transformation, but I can confidently say I’ve learned a lot during my stay at Pitt. So I present to you, for my final column, a list of lessons. Some of these things I’ve said before — others I’ve just realized recently. They are all of equal importance. (Except, perhaps, the bit about skirt lengths. That you can feel free to ignore.)

Generally speaking, when people offer advice, I assume they’re not talking to me. The bits and pieces I do absorb, I struggle to keep at the forefront of my mental repertoire and only consider from time to time.

So I offer you this advice, knowing quite well that you might not listen to it all. “Sam is talking to someone else,” you’re thinking. And that’s OK. Head for the Sudoku. If you’re willing to put off studying for finals a little longer, though, here is what I’ve learned and what I’d advise:

1. Always thank the people who matter. To my roommates who have patiently waited for me to pick out an outfit all these years, thank you. To the professors who didn’t say anything when I slipped in to class late because I couldn’t decide on said outfit, thank you. To H&M, which has provided me with an endless stream of closet additions, I thank you most of all.

2. College is a time of consumption. You eat when you’re bored, spend money when you’re stressed, drink when you’re celebrating (even if you’re just celebrating the fact that you made it to Thursday). I’m not going to tell you to stop drinking — I’m no hypocrite — but I will tell you to watch your spending. Buy what you can’t live without. It’s possible to have a closet of things that are absolutely extraordinary if you don’t waste money on things that are positively dreadful.

3. Don’t overwork yourself. Sometimes it’s better to let yourself relax before you dive into an important assignment. Fact: Facebook stalking is a perfectly acceptable form of procrastination when it is used to look through the pictures of friends who dress well. There’s a whole world of outfit ideas to absorb by clicking though recently added photos.

4. I should say that my biggest accomplishment of college was learning the appropriate usage of the em-dash and to differentiate between its and it’s. In actuality, my biggest accomplishment was learning to apply eyeliner on the inside of my eyelids. It’ll make your Friday nights so much better, I swear.

5. Laugh at your own mistakes, but really, try to look your best at all times — you never know when you’ll be on camera. There was this time I accidentally thought it would be a good idea to film a Dating on Demand profile (curse you, persuasive Comcast recruiters!) on a night I hadn’t washed my hair. Embarrassing doesn’t even begin to describe.

6. When buying a new dress, always double check the length. I have had some near-disasters with night wear that could have easily been avoided if I had bothered to walk out of the dressing room and look in a three-way mirror. On the other hand, if any of you ladies enjoy walking down Oakland Avenue as the object of loose-moral mishaps, then don’t double check at all. The shorter, the better.

7. I recently borrowed (OK, basically stole from the trunk of my friend Alex’s car) a collection of New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell’s essays. In the preface, he says the best people to interview for a story are the ones who don’t have a reputation to protect. “Self-consciousness,” he says, “is the enemy of ‘interestingness.’” It is true — both in story telling and fashion. Think about it: The people who have the most compelling style are the ones who aren’t worried about protecting their image or conforming to a certain socially acceptable “look.”

I spent a whole lot of my undergraduate career being self-conscious — worrying that I wasn’t smart enough, talented enough, well-dressed enough — and you know what? It all really doesn’t matter. The second you stop worrying, good things start happening. I promise, you’re interesting just the way you are.

I think I’ve enjoyed college more than should be legally allowed, so it’s terrifying that it all will end in less than a week.

I’ve met some remarkably talented people who I’m privileged to call my friends, and I became, roughly, the person I always wanted to be.

The next wave of my life is still up in the air but there is one thing I know for sure: It is very possible to get ahead by working hard, but it is so much easier when you’re dressed the part.

To my fellow breed of anti-pajamas-in-public types, I raise a pumped fist and say, “Solidarity.” To the rest of you, remember: Sweatpants are never the answer.

I get you.

2010-04-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Before I begin, please don’t laugh at me.

I’ve harbored this weird obsession with fake glasses for the past year. I know they go against my anti-hipster bent, but what can I say? I want in on the cult.

It all began in London. While studying abroad, I spent nearly every Friday morning perusing Portobello Market — a huge outdoor cluster of street vendors in Notting Hill. At the market, there was a sunglass stand owned by this hilarious vendor who always wore giant plastic clown glasses. He’d help everyone figure out exactly which pair they should buy — throwing frames around the tent and giving customers a thumbs up or a thumbs down.

Once, I put on a pair of square fake glasses and peered into one of the stand’s tiny mirrors. I loved them, and I waved down the owner for a second opinion.

“No, no,” he said. “You look too serious in those. You look like my doctor.”

“Oh,” I said. Reluctantly, I put them down, bought a pair of huge tortoiseshell sunglasses and tried to forget about my craving for fake specs.

I had all but given up on my dream of looking like a bookish young coed until a few weeks ago, when I borrowed my friend Justin’s pair of plastic glasses for a day.

Immediately, I became re-infatuated and went out to buy a pair for myself. But thus far, they’ve been sitting on top of my dresser with the price tag still attached ($6 at Forever 21, if anyone’s interested). I’m chickening out — I’m too afraid of people making fun of me when I wear them.

Fashion, after all, is the most basic form of nonverbal communication — without a word, your dress can convey your personality. So what would fake glasses say about me? Either that I’m an extroverted attention craver or quiet and reclusive. You take your pick.

And it’s not just glasses. A few weeks ago, New York Magazine’s fashion blog, The Cut, posted an entry about the slowly evolving sweatpants trend.

But before any of you late sleepers get too excited, these aren’t the kind of sweatpants with “PITT” screen-printed down the leg. These are made of cashmere or high quality jersey and cut to look like much trendier pants.

The Cut’s article detailed how the trend started (with designers Alexander Wang and Isabel Marant) before explaining its paradox: To the untrained eye, they look sloppy and ridiculous, but to those in the fashion know, they look ahead of the curve. For all we know, everyone will be wearing harem sweatpants two years from now.

Despite my constant outcries against dressing like a slob, I actually kind of like the new iteration of sweatpants. But here’s the thing: Even if I did muster the courage to buy a pair, I’d be worried about how other people would perceive them — always fearing someone would cast me one glance and say, “Oh look, you’re a slob too.”

That’s the thing about fashion: For every person who praises your bravery to rock something different, there’s going to be someone who laughs hysterically at you the second you walk by. It’s up to you to decide who’s worth listening to.

As for me, I’m still trying to put on my brave face and wear my fake glasses in public. If and when I do muster enough confidence to head outdoors, please, I beg of you, be kind.

I'll take Isaac for $1000.

2010-04-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

Without fail, whenever I visited my grandparents when I was little, we watched Jeopardy at 7pm. I rarely new the answers to any of the questions, unless it was college week and the categories were a little easier.

I haven't watched the show much since middle school (my grandparents switched to watching Lou Dobbs instead) but I am definitely tuning in for the show's Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational special.

Isaac Mizrahi is competing.

Isaac is hands down one of the most hysterical people in fashion, so this is bound to be great.

Tune in May 3-5 for the semifinals.

Shopping always a gamble

2010-04-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

I’m standing in the three-way mirror of Banana Republic, and it is not my finest hour. My dressing room is a veritable graveyard of black-suiting separates. This room, my friends, is where pencil skirts and slim-cut trousers came to die.

“I have my first real job interview on Thursday, so I’m, like, stressing, you know?” I whimper to the sales associate. “Everything has to be perfect.”

I have her cut pocket threads and bring me different blazers as I rotate in front of the mirror, smoothing seams and deciding which one makes me look the most employable.

I try on the same suit at least three times before I ask to put it on hold so I can look in other stores. I avoid glimpsing at anything that isn’t black wool, despite the fact that spring florals are far more fun to shop for.

“Your interview is on Thursday? Kind of late notice,” the lady at J. Crew mumbles to me. Note to everyone: Don’t wait until the week of your first important interview to find the ideal suit.

An hour later, I’ve found nothing better. I return to Banana Republic, pick up the suit I left on hold and wince as I swipe my check card. Fashion Catch-22: Suits are expensive. You need a job to pay for these suits. You need these suits to get a job. Someone should start a revolution where tunics and leggings are appropriate business attire.

As I walk back out to Walnut Street, I keep thinking about what that J. Crew associate said to me. “Your interview is on Thursday? Kind of late notice” rings over and over in my head. Was I wrong to wait until I actually needed a suit to bother buying one? Suddenly, I find my sartorial carpe diem — “Don’t buy what you don’t absolutely love or need” — severely challenged.

In recent years, I have been openly self-congratulating about my will power for saving my dollars for the clothes I really want. I do not have drawer upon drawer of things I don’t wear. My wardrobe might not have substantial variety, but I’m also not calling my mother once a month to ask for more money because I couldn’t resist scooping up H&M’s sale rack every weekend.

My mother, also a fashion lover, grilled the “buy what you can’t live without, leave the rest” mentality into my malleable brain at a young age. She taught me to choose quality over quantity.

There were a few years, admittedly, that I ignored her advice. Upon getting my first job (I worked at a sporting goods store. I know. The irony that I once knew how to fit people for shin guards is not lost on me.) and subsequently my first income, I spent an unreasonable amount of money on crap at the King of Prussia Mall. Once I realized what a pain it was to dig through piles of ugly retail mistakes, I vowed to keep my pennies until I decided what they were worth spending on.

Another lesson that my mother has continually tried to teach me — which I am just now realizing I should follow — is that it is always worth spending money on the perfect classics when you find them.

Many people insist, my mother included, that it is worth buying things like evening gowns when the deal — rather than the occasion – strikes. The likelihood of stumbling upon the perfect dress when a black tie event pops up out of nowhere is slim to none. Plan ahead and peruse the racks every now and then until you find something you love and you’ll likely be the best-dressed attendee.

But where do you draw the line between purchasing something “because it’s a steal and you’ll need it in the future” and buying something “because it’s a steal and you only think you’ll need it in the future?” “I’ll wear this all the time” is the mantra of the over-indulgent.

That isn’t to say there aren’t some occasions that are worth shopping for in advance — job interviews obviously being one of them. I also would have appreciated buying some summer clothes before the weather suddenly became unbearably hot a few weeks ago. I was completely unprepared to switch out my winter staples.

Shopping is, essentially, a gamble. The only advice I can offer is buckle down, calculate your odds and be as honest as possible with yourself when you ask, “Will I really wear this?”

Hate the girl, love the clothes.

2010-04-07T18:56:00.001-07:00

OK, it's no big secret that Olivia Palermo isn't the most likable person. I mean she's, like, uptown and the rest of the world is like, downtown. She can't help that she was born into wealth.

But God does the girl know how to dress. I am instantly smitten with any magazine or blog feature focusing on her style, so naturally I was outrageously excited when I saw that she was British Vogue's April style icon. Each day of the month, she'll do a post of what she's wearing. It's pretty great.

Fashion more than dressing the part

2010-04-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

When people ask me what my major is, I’m perfectly OK with saying, “Writing. I study writing.” It might not be the most lucrative program, but I’m proud of that identity. Do you finance majors get to sulk around in dimly lit coffee shops and contemplate the meaning of existence — for a grade? I don’t think so.

When people ask me what I like to write about, however, I hesitate. I’m reluctant to respond, “Fashion,” partly because whenever people ask, I always seem to be dressed like a complete slob. Can’t anyone ask when I’m wearing a cute blazer and not an oversized t-shirt with flat hair?

But I’m also reluctant because there’s a certain stereotype associated with people who center their thoughts on fashion — that they’re ditzy.

Now, I’m certainly not declaring myself a great intellectual mind. On the contrary, my mental capacity is fairly limited. I don’t understand the intricacies of the stock market, and bioengineering is a complete mystery to me. However, I am confident enough that my intellectual capabilities are at least greater than, say, Stephanie Pratt’s.

Back when I used to watch “The Hills” in the hopes of gaining some kind of insight as to how the fashion industry worked (I didn’t), I remember being astounded that this bimbo could maneuver her way into a fashion PR job. The real issue I had, though, was the message she was sending to avid “Hills”-watching girls everywhere: You can be a complete and total idiot and make it in the fashion world.

The perceived connection between unimpressive mental abilities and fashion is nothing new. I theorize that this stance is derived from a pre-feminist attitude that women should look pretty and nothing else. Ever since, fashion has retained a bad rep as an interest for those who have the time to bother with it.

But what qualifies something as an “academic” interest anyway? Art enthusiasts are certainly never questioned intellectually, and isn’t fashion, essentially, art? There’s so much brain power going into the industry that it requires creative and business-minded individuals alike. If the fashion world were actually run by a bunch of idiots, we’d all be running around in paper sacks.

And so I declare that if you are a blog-reading, magazine-studying, fashion-obsessed being like myself, it’s OK. I believe that it’s possible to be smart and still into fashion. So the next time someone asks what I write about (so long as I’m not wearing a sweatshirt and Vans) I’ll proudly say, “Fashion.”

A win-win situation

2010-04-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

If you watched the NCAA championship game last night, you either are feeling really bad for Matt Howard right now, or are totally sick of CBS playing his missed, title-losing half-court shot over and over.

If you're not remotely into basketball, but still wish you could have gotten your own piece of bracketology, then I hope you checked out the Fug Girl's Fug Madness, in which they created a bracket of the most heinous celebrity fashion crimes. Miss Amber Rose took the Fugly title this year and their accompanying article, all in the voice of Kanye West, is the most hilarious thing I've read in awhile. Go check it out.

Richardson scandal raises fashion industry issues

2010-03-31T07:06:00.000-07:00

I guess the fashion world thought it wasn’t fair for ESPN to hog all the sex-scandal media. Good news, Tiger Woods — you have someone here to steal your spotlight.

Famed fashion photographer Terry Richardson was recently accused of sexual misconduct. After he published a photo of Danish model Rie Rasmussen in his book “TerryWorld” without her permission, she told Page Six that Richardson “takes girls who are young, manipulates them to take their clothes off and takes pictures of them they will be ashamed of. They are too afraid to say no because their agency booked them on the job and are too young to stand up for themselves.” Richardson has since denied the allegations.

Since then, an article in the Huffington Post reported that a number of other models have come forward to complain about Richardson’s alleged creepy behavior.

Though Richardson’s reps haven’t commented on any of the models’ allegations, Richardson took to his blog to defend himself on Tuesday, saying the allegations are “hurtful” and “false.”

The important issue here isn’t whether the allegations are true or not — it’s what the scandal has brought into the public eye as far as the modeling industry goes.

Now, Richardson is well known for his sexually provocative work. This is a guy who doesn’t shy away from nudity or explicit images. If you’re not familiar with his work, know that his photo style is probably the inspiration for American Apparel’s ads. That should give you a visual.

Here’s the thing — Richardson is a big deal. He’s shot ad campaigns for everyone from Gucci to Miu Miu and features for every fashion publication that matters. Celebrities and models just starting out in the business jump at the chance to have him take their picture. They know if Richardson shoots them, they’ve hit gold.

So is it his industry power that makes his sexually suggestive photo shoots acceptable?

Two weeks ago, every major fashion news outlet was running a near-daily update about Richardson. This week, the coverage is already winding down. Maybe “Terrygate 2010” is indicative of the fashion industry itself. Scandals, like trends, rotate quickly. What’s big news one day is long forgotten and abandoned to the discount dump the next.

But isn’t the media hoopla surrounding these young models worth a little more attention than a short-lived trend? Many people are concerned about the well-being of the minors Richardson has shot. Some suggest that a parent or agent should be present during shoots. But what about the over-18 models? Just because you’re in your early 20s doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easier to get yourself out of a bad situation.

The scandal seems to have split the fashion world. Model and actress Noot Seear, who has worked with Richardson, told New York Magazine that “Terry’s a really cool guy. It’s not like he pressures you into doing anything you’re not comfortable with.”

Marc Jacobs has also come out to defend him. Jacobs told The Wall Street Journal, “I’ve worked with Terry, and Terry has asked me to do some crazy things. I know that those pictures will exist if I do them. But I’m a big boy, and I can say no.”

But sometimes saying no is easier in theory than in practice.

I’m hesitant to take a position on the issue. On one hand, allegations of sexual misconduct should always be taken seriously. Making anyone uncomfortable, regardless of age, is never OK. These models shouldn’t be put (or put themselves) in explicit situations in the first place if they might present situations that could be perceived as inappropriate. If this scandal results in nothing more, it will at least make more models aware of what they’re getting into with Richardson as far as the nature of his work.

On the other hand, I can acknowledge and understand why many fashion insiders don’t bother worrying about the provocative atmosphere of Richardson’s shoots. Fashion is an art. It’s a place were the weird and avant-garde is celebrated. From an outsider’s perspective, Richardson’s tactics seem stranger than the polygamist family demographics on “Big Love” would to a devout Catholic. To those on the inside, however, it’s popular culture — and as such, it’s a known concept that sex sells.

Richardson is a brilliant photographer, hands down. He’s worked his way to the top and has become one of the most trusted photographers in the industry. So I have to wonder, does this guy even realize he’s a creep? Or has the fashion world’s continuous tolerance of the sensual and erotic incorrectly reinforced his attitude and allowed him to toe the line of what’s appropriate and inappropriate?

Words of Wisdom

2010-03-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

" I’ve always been opportunistic. I say that with a straight face because New York is the only place in the world where the word “opportunistic” doesn’t have such a negative connotation. When you’re young and trying to get noticed, you have to hustle. Put your best foot forward and always be ready for whatever opportunities may come. If you don’t, you’re wasting your time overpaying your landlord, and you might as well move to southern California and get a nice tan."

-Photographer Dan Martensen to Fashionista for their spectacularly helpful post on how to make it in the fashion industry.

I reallyreallyreallyreally need these.

2010-03-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

My desperate desire for fake glasses has reached an all time high. This pair is positively perfect. I need to get to UO right now.

Thrifting a soothing experience for stressed sartorial souls

2010-03-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Like legions of other graduating seniors, I consistently vacillate between a job search-induced state of panic and an eerily uncharacteristic come-what-may attitude. Worrying about how I’ll support myself after graduation has become a gruesome daily task.

Incidentally, my lack of income creates a Catch-22: There’s nothing that could calm my trajectory-related freakouts quite like a substantial update to my wardrobe. Yet nothing launches me into a bigger frenzy than realizing I haven’t a dime to spend on said wardrobe updates.

As a result, I am left scrounging for the cheapest way to add new clothes to my closet. Enter thrift shopping. Contrary to popular belief, thrifting is good for more than Halloween costumes and embodying the homeless. However, if either of those are your objectives, thrift stores are quite the treasure trove.

To a certain breed of germaphobic, polyester blend-fearing types, thrift shopping might be the equivalent of water torture.

A hobby best reserved for those those with the patience of a boyfriend willing to sit through the midnight screening of “Sex and the City 2,” thrifting is not for the faint of heart. You have to deal with bad lighting and a diverse mix of fellow shoppers. Once, my friend and I witnessed someone vomiting in the dressing room of our local charity shop. No one said getting cheap clothes was easy.

The feeling of finding something perfect for under $8, however, triggers a special kind of joy that only thrifting can fulfull. If you’re willing to take on the challenge, I have some advice to make your consignment-combing a little more tolerable.

Ever since Urban Outfitters popularized sloppy chic, thrift stores have become a veritable jackpot of steals. I recommend going to Urban first to get ideas, then heading over to Goodwill to scoop everything up for an eighth of the price.

Speaking of steals, ignore the price tags. They’ll encourage you to buy things you don’t need. Looking at the racks with a creative eye is crucial to finding one-of-a-kind pieces — but don’t get carried away. Rhinestones, overzealous use of pleats and printed corduroy should all be avoided. However, I probably would’ve said the same thing about acid wash a few years ago, and now I’m in love with the look. I admire all of you who have a sixth sense for future trends — you’re biologically wired to shop in thrift stores.

Going in a good mood is paramount. For example, I made the mistake of going to Goodwill the other day cranky and uncaffeinated. I passed up a $7 navy Oscar de la Renta blazer because the thought of going to the tailor to have it taken in overwhelmed me.

Learn from my blunder — don’t pass something up just because it doesn’t fit perfectly. However, if the necessary tailoring or dry cleaning is going to end up costing more than buying the item new, don’t bother.

Girls, don’t feel limited to the women’s side of the store. Some of my favorite thrifting finds came from the men’s racks. Button down shirts and sweaters can double as tunics or dresses (depending on how tall you are) and their sequin-free belt selection is far less tacky.

If you’re looking to make money rather than spend it, I also have some recommendations for selling your tuckered-out clothes at consignment stores.

First things first: Accept the fact that you are going to be ripped off. A friend of mine once sold a pair of barely-worn Ugg boots to Plato’s Closet and only got $20. This isn’t a get-rich quick scheme, people. If you want a bucket of money fast, I suggest you track down someone who advised Martha Stewart during her insider trading debacle without getting caught.

Secondly, don’t expect Avalon Exchange to take your hole-filled gym T-shirts and flared jeans you haven’t worn since the seventh grade. Cleaning out your closet is great, but be realistic about what should be taken to the trash and what should simply be donated.

Once you put together a pile that is worth selling, make sure everything is in decent condition. If a button is hanging by a thread or there’s a small hole in the sleeve, fix it. Repair pilling fabric by skimming over rough spots with an old razor. It’s worth taking the extra five minutes to spruce up your merchandise — it vastly raises the likelihood of scoring some cash.

Like most things in life, buying and selling used clothes requires patience, determination and a high tolerance for the smell of mothballs. Happy thrifting, my friends. Search hard enough, and I promise your hard work will pay off.

PR mogul's self-help debut an honest wake up call

2010-03-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

It’s not often that I’ll admit to liking anyone who’s had anything to do with “The Hills.” Nor is it a frequent occurrence that I reference a former meth addict as a role model. But I’ll make an exception for all of the above for fashion PR maven Kelly Cutrone.

After all, this is someone who once said of Lauren Conrad, “She didn’t really have the sense of how to do things. She wanted stuff to fall on top of her and into her lap. I don’t know how she’ll do [in the fashion industry.]”

Well, thank God someone who counts said it out loud.

Kelly Cutrone is the founder of People’s Revolution, a PR firm responsible for landing clients like Vivienne Westwood and Longchamp on the pages of Vogue. To fashion insiders, Cutrone has been a legend for a long time. She came to mass fame, however, when she appeared on “The Hills” as Whitney Port and Lauren Conrad’s cutthroat boss. These days, she has a reality show of her very own — a Bravo series titled “Kell on Earth” — and a new book. I figured this was something I needed to read.

So I took a trip to Borders when I was home for spring break. I scanned the “New Hardbacks” section but couldn’t seem to find what I was looking for. I went to the customer service desk. “Excuse me,” I said, “Could you help me find Kelly Cutrone’s new book?” I spelled out her name and tried to recall the exact wording of the title.

“Ah yes,” the Borders employee said, “‘If You Have to Cry Go Outside.’ Well, that’s an interesting title. Yes, yes we have it. It’s in self-help.”

“Are you serious? I thought it was a memoir,” I muttered half under my breath and half loud enough for the guy to hear so he didn’t think I’m the kind of girl who reads self-help books. Mortified, my eyes nervously darted around the store making sure no one I knew in high school was watching me get assistance locating a self-help book. I stifled the urge to pull a Charlotte York in that episode of “Sex and the City” on which she tried to find a copy of “Starting Over Yet Again.”

She chickened out when she saw the collection of weeping basket cases in the self-help aisle and instead said aloud, “Travel? Is this the travel section?” and ran home to order the book on Amazon.

No, I am not a middle-aged, teary-eyed recent divorcee, but I am a 22-year-old, soon-to-be-graduated senior in need of some life guidance. I read Cutrone’s “If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You,” (named after her token advice for employees) cover-to-cover in nearly one sitting. And you know what? It turns out I am the kind of girl who likes self-help books. Cutrone details her life of partying, divorce, spiritual rebirth, addiction and pregnancy out of wedlock. This woman has done and seen it all.

In an age when fashion has been glorified as an industry full of free samples and celebrity shoulder rubs, Kelly Cutrone has swooped in to show that fashion is not a cakewalk. Not even a carb-free cakewalk. It’s gritty, mean and takes a whole lot of hard work.

“Fashion,” the way most people see it, is different from the way industry insiders see it. Listing “Fashion” as an interest on Facebook — particularly when listed before or after “working out,” “hanging with my besties” or “Living. Laughing. Loving.” — does not mean you’re going to be Vogue’s next contributing editor. Being able to turn heads with a denim mini skirt and tube socks (think Holly Madison) does not mean you’re going to be Nylon magazine’s next “It Girl.”

While the fashion industry is a less penetrable social circle than “The Plastics,” their standards are a little different than Regina and the gals’. Gretchen Wieners might demand pink on Wednesdays, but the fashion world demands originality and ruthless determination. The industry is competitive, and not many people are willing to offer tips about how to break in. So it’s refreshing to watch and read Cutrone’s words of wisdom.

At first glance, girls who are looking for a step-by-step guide for how to make it to their magazine dream job may be disappointed that there aren’t explicit instructions in Cutrone’s book. What she does offer is a suggestion for some soul searching and tough love. “I believe that the universe constantly rearranges itself to support your idea of reality. If you’re always thinking, ‘Life sucks, and I suck,’ you’re definitely going to see a lot of dismal sh*t out there,” she says in the book.

As for the people who just want to know how to get a job at People’s Revolution, Cutrone says this: “Your pitch letter should be something more than, ‘I love fashion, please help me manifest my dream.’ Do not use rhyming words on your resumé, as in, ‘My passion is for fashion.’ This works only if you’re applying to work for the estate of Dr. Seuss, Nickelodeon or the Scholastic Company.” And that is why Kelly Cutrone is my favorite b*tch in fashion.

Because your credit card is itching for action

2010-03-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

It's finally warm out, folks, which means its time to start pumping cash into your spring wardrobe. If you're looking to hop on board with the season's khaki trend, look no further than basics-mecca The Gap, where you can score 30% off this weekend if you print out this coupon.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is teaming up again with The Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic (and all the outlets! bonus!) to raise money for one of the best charities around. Shop at any of the stores from Thursday to Sunday and you'll save 30% off everything and 5% of your purchase will benefit the LLS. It's a no-lose situation, my friends. Get shopping.

2010-03-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

I don't think I've ever read a poorer written article than this crock of chaos that Popjustice posted, but ignore the words and watch the video. Yeasayer's O.N.E. vid is half creepy and half precisely what I'd want my graduation party [that I'm not actually having] to be like. If, you know, I was into weird underground raves and stuff.

I'm whole heartedly in love with two things here:

1. Guitarist and singer Anand Wilder (though I hope he doesn't grow his hair long again...)

2. All the crazy Day-Glo stuff going on. I think I'm finally ready to cut the umbilical cord on my head-to-toe black habit. All I want to buy this season is color color color and some pale neutrals.

Gingerbread

2010-03-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this picture of Shaun White. Totally makes me kind of have a crush on him. The styling is great, the composition is great, the lighting is great. Great, great, great.

In case the Olympics didn't satiate your hunger for media coverage of the snowboarding legend, New York Magazine did a nice little article about him in which he admits to being mistaken for a woman in a bathroom. God bless him.

2010-03-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

I just really like them. Together, apart, etc. etc.

That is all I have to say about that.

Academy Awards, Best Dressed vote

2010-03-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

Sandra Bullock made me teary, Sean Penn made me confused and Miley Cyrus made me thankful that I'm no longer a teenager. As for my favorite dress of Oscars night? Without a doubt was Vera Farmiga's Marchesa gown. Dramatic, but still flattering. On trend, but not overkill. Absolutely loved every last pleat.

Oscar Fashion

2010-03-04T06:34:00.000-08:00

Ah, award season — that wonderful time of year when anyone possessing a loud mouth, Twitter or the ability to update her Facebook status can fancy herself a fashion critic. “So-and-so looks like a bloated sausage dressed in duck feathers,” the remote-wielding Tweeters will likely type.

“Anyone can get all dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress in their off days that are the most intriguing,” designer Alexander Wang’s website reads. From the looks of the red carpet, I’d argue that it’s a little more complicated than that. Judging from the legions of fashion disasters that parade their way down the paparazzi trail, even “somebodies” can barely get dressed up and look glamorous.

Celebs with mega-budgets for gowns and stylists seem to have mega-troubles pulling themselves together. Christina Hendricks, I’m looking at you. The “Mad Men” star’s curvaceous figure is the kind of challenge a “Project Runway” contestant would throw a hissy fit over. For the Golden Globes, Christian Siriano stuffed her into a nude, ruffled, asymmetrical number that landed her at the top of the worst-dressed list. Hendricks, why not try something in a darker color without all the extra volume this time around?

At the Golden Globes and Grammys, warm-toned ruffles were all the rage. You couldn’t swing a trophy without hitting a cascade of frills. In moderation, the look is great. But when applied with a heavy hand, the ruffles look like a cake ready to trigger a sugar overload.

Max Azria’s Hervé Léger bandage dresses are still turning up on the carpet, and while I appreciate the slimming effects as much as anyone, I think it’s time for something original.

I understand it’s a challenge for stylists to find something that’s equally flattering and fashion-forward without being so avant-garde that the celeb looks crazy. Evening gowns generally limit opportunities for styling creativity. This year, however, I think celebrities should stick to simple dresses and focus on interesting accessories. After all, due to the economy, that’s what every woman in America is doing these days.

Like Alexander Wang, I’m far more interested in seeing how celebrities dress on their way to the airport than on their way to their seat at the Academy Awards. But I can’t help but wonder who will seal their identity as a fashion industry darling and who will end up in a photomontage of the most bizarre gown choices of all time come Oscar night? Only Sunday and the E! fashion police will tell.

oh HELLS, no...

2010-03-03T18:13:00.000-08:00

OK. I could accept Interview's photo shoot of Pauly D and the boys because it could be, you know, ironic. But this is just too much.

Bazaar is featuring the Jersey Shore girls in an upcoming issue. Bazaar is not an ironic magazine. This is not ok. Bazaar, WHAT are you doing? First that weird feature with Jonah Hill over the summer, then the Miley Cyrus shiz, now this? I could let the Tavi thing slide because, I mean, it's relevant. But seriously? The JERSEY SHORE GIRLS?

I pray to God that you find a way to make this credible, because Bazaar -- you are slipping way too far. I miss the old you.

When bargain meets luxury

2010-03-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

When people say they’re “really into fashion,” they mean one of three things: 1. They’re into the industry — people who go into magazine editing, styling and PR. 2. They’re into clothes, meaning they care about dressing well. 3. They’re into labels, meaning their taste level is probably questionable, but they think that if they carry something expensive, it will compensate.

Here’s the thing. Being label-obsessed does not equate a respectable interest in the fashion industry. There is devotion to quality, and there is devotion to the label lifestyle. They are entirely separate entities.

Here’s another thing. Designers, the poor things, don’t make a whole lot of money. Like any creative field, reaching success takes a heaping tablespoon of talent and a whole lot of luck.

So fast-fashion retailers like H&M, Target and Topshop believe they found a way to please everyone: luxury designer collaborations. Each store has a constant rotation of guest stars who design one-time capsule collections. Relentless shoppers go crazy for the opportunity to buy up the designer duds. Case in point: H&M’s autumn team-up with Jimmy Choo sold out within hours.

On the surface, this luxury/discount relationship seems like the ideal scenario. The industry insiders finally get a chance to afford the designers they spend their time researching and promoting. The people who like to dress well get an opportunity to buy something that’s potentially more interesting than the average lot on the racks. The people who like labels get to stock up on things they can wear and proudly say, “It’s Anna Sui.” The designers get to make some extra cash.

In actuality, I think everyone loses. I have never once — really, not once — been blown away by a fast fashion/luxury designer collaboration. Sure, the stuff looks great when it’s in the marketing campaigns. However, when you actually get to Target, you’re touching inexpensive fabrics. It just doesn’t seem worth buying simply for an extra name on the tag, no matter how previously devoted to the designer you were.

Really, you can’t blame the designers. They can’t help that they’re used to creating beautiful things on a large-scale budget. They are forced to sacrifice their creative integrity in order to fit the expectations of whomever they’re designing for. Which is why I enthusiastically applauded Hedi Slimane when I heard he wasn’t interested in doing a collaboration line anytime soon.

The one-time Dior Homme designer had a heavy hand in the boys-in-skinny-pants phenomenon, but then he gave up designing to turn to photography. He told Style.com that he didn’t “like the ‘capsule’ collection trick. ... There is something terribly cheap about it. This validation is somehow dodgy, since fast fashion, with few exceptions, is quietly ripping off all it can, including brands that are too small to defend themselves.” Rock on, Mr. Slimane. I couldn’t agree more.

Luxury, in the truest sense of the word, is meant to represent quality. Top-of-the-line fabrics, perfect fit, comfort, long-lasting pieces. When a luxury designer makes something for a budget retailer, however, all of that is lost. It would be like if Mercedes created a $2 toy car. Sure, the label is there — but its not going to get you to where you want to go.

Yes, collaborations are an opportunity to get a designer’s name out to a new demographic. I’m sure the average Target shopper doesn’t know a whole lot about Rodarte. But are these shoppers really going to start buying the designer’s full-priced line once the collaboration collection sells out? I highly doubt it. What exactly are these discount lines achieving? A bunch of girls running around in poorly made clothes that are a disgrace to the designer’s name?

I say cut it out with these collaborations. I’m sure there are plenty of fashion school graduates who could create something budget-friendly and well-made for Target. Give those people a job.

When someone asks who designed my outfit, I’m completely OK with saying, “I have absolutely no idea.”

Going to the chapel

2010-03-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

So, we've all heard that model extraordinaire Coco Rocha (my favorite, other than Stam) is engaged. While I'd personally argue that 21-years-old is a little young for marriage, I couldn't be happier for her. Her fiance is James Conran, an interior designer who's eight years her senior.

What I really want to know is, how awesome do you have to be to bag Coco?

And also, where does a couple this great register?

Just imagine how well dressed the bridesmaids and how perfectly decorated the reception will be...

I know what boys like.

2010-02-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

Kick off your heels, girls. It turns out the blisters and sore arches aren’t worth it after all – guys aren’t going to like you any better if you’re standing at a bar three inches taller than usual.

Curious to know what guys actually want to see girls wear, I sat down with my friend Sean and grilled him for his token male perspective. I would like to take this opportunity to defend that Sean is not an asshole. He’s just, you know, a guy and I asked him to be candid.

Also, before anyone gets into a girl power, we-don’t-dress-for-male-attention tizzy, allow me to preface with this: I know I am blithely ignoring the homosexual demographic as well as those rare males that do, in fact, understand fashion and respect a girl who can pull off drop waists and fur coats.

Let’s not go on and on about how there’s more to people than just looks and it’s all dependent on personal taste and yada yada yada. All that stuff is for another day. For right now, I’m strictly talking stereotypical heterosexual lust.

Anyways, back to that thing about ditching high heels. Sean reports that guys “can’t tell the difference and it’s annoying to hear you complain about your feet hurting. It’s not worth it. Ever.” So there you have it. Scoop up some flats.

“Things that take attention away from your face are bad, but maybe that’s because I’m easily distracted. Dressing like you’re clearly trying to impress someone, like you want everyone to think you have money is no good,” he says.

So constantly shopping for the latest trends and spending hours putting together the perfect outfit isn’t doing anything to help find a boyfriend? According to my friend, not really

“Girls really feel like we care about their clothes but as long as they don’t look like Pippi Longstocking or they’re showing off their lady lumps, we don’t notice.” Oh. Ok, then.

As for beauty and hygiene, there aren’t a whole lot of surprises. “I don’t want to know that there’s a lot of makeup and you look a fake color,” Sean says. “Pounds of caked on makeup isn’t pretty. Shower before class, I know when your hair is greasy.”

If you’re headed out to an evening soiree, it turns out wearing the tightest, shortest dress you can find doesn’t mean you’re going home with someone. By night, Sean recommends that girls should “Look approachable. Wear something fitted but not so tight you can see everything. I don’t want to see it all before I’m ready to see it. I mean I don’t walk around with my underwear hanging out. It’s better to be more conservative than too loosy goosy.”

While trends are completely lost on the average male specimen, their carnal desires pay the most attention to how things look on a girl’s bod. “Don’t try to fit into things that clearly don’t fit – know what works on your body,” he says.

By day, Sean says to wear something casual but not loose and baggy. “You still want to look feminine, not like a dude.”

Well, sorry to break this to you Sean, but New York Magazine’s fashion blog, The Cut, reported this week in a post titled, “Go Ahead and Get Fat Next Fall,” that baby doll tent dresses are going to be all the rage next season. So at least you won’t have to worry about seeing anything you’re not ready for.

There's a dichotomy between the fashion industry and sex. No one wearing a pair of harem pants or shoulder pads is trying to get catcalled by construction workers anytime soon. But why is that? Why are the trends considered most fashion-forward also completely repulsive to the average heterosexual male?

Is it a class thing? Is blatant sexuality something of the lower class? God forbid a high-end designer creates something that looks like it could be marketed to a hooker. Or is it because half of the industry elites were weird and awkward while they were growing up and never felt comfortable with sexuality?

Sure, sex sells. But when it comes to fashion, androgyny is a goal. After all, we’re talking about an industry that routinely sends boyish, reproductive-organ-deprived models down the runway, usually wearing something that no guy would ever want their girlfriend to wear.

So I guess a girl has to decide which is more important – dressing to attract or dressing for self-satisfaction.

As for my own theory on what to wear to draw attention? Well, I have a firm psychological belief that people are hard wired to like those that care about their own happiness first. Wear what makes you feel like a hot piece –whether that’s a slut-tastic mini dress or an oversized sweatshirt. No guy is going to enjoy perpetually answering, “You look fine,” if you repeatedly try to impress him and ask if something makes you look fat.

So listen to Sean, don’t listen to Sean. If it sounds like you’re wearing exactly what he likes though, let me know – I’ll give you his number.

Bundle Up

2010-02-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

If I was a guy, I think this is how I would dress for the snowpocalypse. Furry hat, plaid, rugged bag and Hunter boots. Perfect. Thanks to The Sartorialist for snapping this man.

Also, it's still snowing in Pittsburgh. This is getting ridiculous. The sidewalks still aren't cleared from a week and a half ago. I just want to be able to wear regular shoes again!

Top 10 of Fashion Week 2010

2010-02-17T05:16:00.000-08:00

It’s New York Fashion Week, ladies and gentleman — which means the fashion world’s glitterati (redundant?) have congregated in New York for eight crazy days and nights to celebrate and preview the completion of the Fall/Winter 2010 lines. Tomorrow the festivities will end, and legions of editors will jump on a plane and head over to England for London Fashion Week. It’s a rough life, keeping up with all this fashion, but somebody’s got to do it.

Attempting to summarize everything that’s happened thus far at New York Fashion Week in this modest corner of The Pitt News is essentially an impossible task, but sometimes a girl has to put on her lipstick and try, right? So here we go, my top 10 of Fashion Week 2010.

1. Alexander McQueen, R.I.P.: In one of the most tragic starts to NYFW possibly ever, Alexander McQueen, maker of all the things elegantly edgy, was found dead in his home last Thursday. Reports say it was suicide. Why is it that the most brilliant minds are also the most tortured? McQueen, you are a legend and will be forever missed.

2. Relocation, relocation, relocation: Sadly, this will be the last year the Fashion Week tents will be pitched in Bryant Park. Starting in December, the shows will venture over to Lincoln Center. Guess the designers on “Project Runway” can’t repeat, “I just want to make it to Bryant Park” anymore. “I just want to make it to Lincoln Center” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

3. Who invited you?: Generally, Fashion Week is for the editorial elite and die-hard fans of fashion. This year, however, a new demographic attempted to slip its way past the velvet ropes. Everyone’s favorite pop cultural phenomenon (but really, aren’t they a little two months ago?), the cast of the Jersey Shore, was rumored to have requested fashion show tickets. Newsflash, my Seaside Heights darlings, unless Carolina Herrera decides that Bumpits are the next vision of elegance, you aren’t getting in anywhere that matters.

4. Beyond the clothes: Anyone who’s managed to catch an episode of “Kell on Earth,” Bravo’s brilliant new series about fashion public relations mogul Kelly Cutrone, knows that it takes a whole lot more than clothes to make a fashion show work. The presentations have to create an atmosphere — the lights, the runway, the goodie bags — all have to be on-point. One of the week’s big production winners for me was Erin Wasson x RVCA, who showed in a carpet and furniture store. The models were serenaded by a live performance from Yeasayer, whose quirky international-tinged sounds were the perfect pairing for Wasson’s hip beret-topped T-shirt and legging looks. If you haven’t listened to Yeasayer, and you’re looking for something new, I highly recommend checking out their new album appropriately titled Odd Blood.

5. Velvet Revolver: Fashionista blogger Britt Aboutaleb wrote “A Rant on the Proliferation of Velvet” yesterday and I couldn’t agree more. Velvet, unfortunately, has become one of the runaway trends of Fall 2010. Now, I haven’t worn the stuff since my days of Tuesday night cotillion back in middle school, and I hadn’t really planned on purchasing any swathes of the unflattering fabric anytime soon. Aboutaleb says the fabric “looks cheap — and I don’t mean inexpensive,” and I’m right there with her. While I frequently have a softening toward trends I hate in the beginning, I’m not sure if my opinion will budge on this one.

6. Fashionably early: Perhaps the most shocking move of NYFW was Marc Jacobs’ show starting five minutes early. Known for sending his models down the runway up to two hours late, Marc pulled it together and got things going in record time. There was a slew of fur-trimmed coats, a penchant for cutouts and a shimmery cardigan that I absolutely must have.

7. Alexander Wang: If you’ve ever worn an oversized grey T-shirt, torn jeans and a black beanie, you have Alexander Wang to thank. The designer revolutionized casual-hipster-cool, but this season he did something a little different. To largely mixed reviews, Wang debuted a line of uncharacteristically buttoned-up suit fabrics. He made some peculiar proportion choices, showing cropped blazers over corsets and velvet boots. While the risk factor is admirable, his best strides were when he stuck to monochromatic knits and leather pieces.

8. Haiti Relief: Because the fashion world never turns down an opportunity to do something charitable on a big scale, Naomi Campbell hosted “Fashion for Relief Haiti,” a show that benefited the earthquake relief efforts. Model Agyness Deyn got a little too excited about the endeavor because she fell not once but twice during her stroll down the runway. Oops.

9. High buns, matte nails and nude faces: Good news girls. If you don’t plan on having time to put top coat on your nails or wash your hair next semester, don’t worry about it! Hit those snooze buttons because low-maintenance beauty is here to stay. Rag & Bone and BCBG models walked with clean faces. Ruffian, Behnaz Sarafpour and Catherine Malandrino pulled hair into super-high knots, and matte nails were all over the place. Rest up, ladies.

10. Alice Ritter: After clicking through more shows than I’d like to admit (God bless Style.com and its commitment to posting every show faster than you can click your Louboutin heels), I’ve settled on French-born Alice Ritter as one of my favorites. Her blend of plaid, stripes and tweeds are exactly what I want to turn to every fall.

To all the magazine editors teetering around New York’s icy sidewalks, I commend you. Nina Garcia, I hear you wiped out on the way to a show. Don’t worry about it, girlfriend. I haven’t been a vision of grace in the midst of Snowpocalype 2010, either. I’d much rather be trying to crash Charlotte Ronson’s fashion show than pulling on my decidedly unglamorous snow boots and trudging to class. I guess we can’t have everything.

RIP Alexander McQueen

2010-02-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

Back when I was on London over the summer, my mom and I popped into Harvey Nichols for a bit of retail lusting. Perhaps the most treacherous moment of this unaffordable experience was bumping into (literally, they were on a stand that was four feet tall and I'm clumsy) Alexander McQueen's skull booties. I don't think I've ever wanted a pair of shoes more. Unfortunately, I was about £1000 short.

Alexander McQueen, your life was too short. RIP my friend, knowing that you made a lot of beautiful things that made a lot of people happy.

2010-02-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

OK, so is anyone else obsessed with this commercial?

Adore it.
Anyways, I was out taking pictures yesterday and my bestie realized her purse (Urban Outfitters. So cute, no?) would have been perfect:

Woop, woop: H+T featured in IFB's weekly roundup!

2010-02-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

The Love/Hate Relationship With Fashion

Edited by Debutante Clothing

I’m always complaining about going out to fashion events by myself – I just don’t have many friends that are into fashion. While some people think fashion is frivolous and contributes nothing to the world, others are curating museum exhibits featuring 20th century clothing. This week’s links made me think about the love/hate camps in fashion. Starting with Grit and Glamour’s post on bloggers getting backlash from fashion insiders, Houndstooth + Tortoiseshell’s refreshingly funny admission of Tavi envy, or Fab Lab’s hate of people who hate. But there is some love in sight – British Style Bloggers reminds us to look in the mirror and love ourselves. Enjoy!

Note from Editor : Please be sure to check out the IFB Conference at NYFW : Evolving Influence

Links à la Mode: February 4th

A Dress & A Bike – Why breaking the love of one particular brand has been good for my personal style
British Style Bloggers – Some gems to remember
Debutante Clothing – Going to a Vintage Show? Insider Tips & Interview
dirty hems – lacroix by lacroix
Fab Blab – Why I Hate People Who Ostracize Fashion
fête à fête – Review of Guerlain’s Spring 2010 Cherry Blossom makeup & the new Rouge G Le Brillant lipstick
Friend in Fashion – Luxe Vintage
grit and glamour – Fashion’s Knickers are in a Twist
hello beauty! – Benefit Stay Don’t Stray: An innovative new primer to lock down shadows AND concealer
Houndstooth + Tortoiseshell – Young fashion blogger incites curiousity, envy
Independent Fashion Bloggers – Get Out There : How To Cover Events Without Feeling Like an Idiot
Lillys Roses – How to DIY your own Chanel Jade nail polish
Mariel's Castle – Haute Couture 101
Model Max – MAT GORDON: The ModelWatch Interview
Oranges and Apples – Top websites for ethical shopping
Retro Chick – Ethical Design Spotlight – Junky Styling
Styletastic – To fur or not to fur?
Stylist Diva – : Are Fashion Bloggers taking over the world?
Tatiana Supports the Arts – Etsy Window Shopping: Queen Elizabeth I Roundup
the brooklyn posh blog – He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, red hot
THE COVETED – Pretty Dresses at the VioletvilleVintage.com launch
White Rabbit – The inspiration behind my Merlixa Designs millinery collection
[the3st] – Interview with Amy Smilovic of Tibi

Shopping is best when done as a solitary experience

2010-02-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

I can’t watch movies with other people. At least movies that aren’t “The Hangover” or “Miss Congeniality.” Any movie that’s even the slightest bit more highbrow I have to watch alone. If other people are around, I can’t focus on what I’m watching. I get obsessively preoccupied with other people’s reactions and worry about their reactions to my reactions.

For example, if my fellow viewer laughs at a mediocre line, then I feel like I have to laugh so he or she won’t feel stupid. I wish I could say that this tendency is some grand personality component that has to do with validating other people’s emotions, but it’s probably just insecurity.

I much prefer watching movies on my own. I can laugh when I feel like it and get teary without feeling awkward about it. I can get fully absorbed into the mise-en-scènes or whatever mumbo-jumbo film professors like to go on and on about.
Similar to my movie-watching tendencies are my habits as a consumer. I can only go shopping by myself.

Moseying around stores with friends is fun and all — especially if you just want to drive sales associates crazy and browse your way through an entire rack of sunglasses without any intention of buying a pair — but when it comes to hardcore shopping, I have to be alone.

Trust me, you wouldn’t want to be around when I have my sights set on a wardrobe overhaul. It’s not something you want to witness.

This is how my shopping experience goes: Step one is caffeination. The most integral part of the shopping experience, a strong cup of coffee is what separates the shop-till-you-find-it from the check-one-store-and-leave.

So I get to the mall, my caffeine buzz at full-throttle and head to the stores I can’t afford. Looking at $500 cardigans that don’t have missing buttons and loose threads refines my taste and makes it less likely that I’ll buy a lot of crap later on.

Once I’ve successfully ended my cravings for polyester blends, I head to the budget retailers. This is where it gets ugly.

I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to all sales associates who have ever had to work in the fitting room on a day that I’ve entered their store. I know, I’m a huge pain in the ass. I’ve worked in retail and I am, in fact, my own worst nightmare.

I head in and slowly comb my way through the racks. I only pick up what I’m instantly drawn to and make commentary for everything I see. “Are people really still wearing t-shirts that proclaim they love their boyfriend? Who would buy anything that looks this cheap? This dress would make Kate Moss look obese.” I get annoyed with the obnoxiously giggly teenagers and people who block the mirror while I’m trying to decide if I can pull off hats.

By the time I reach the back of the store, I realize that I’m holding four black t-shirt dresses and scold myself for not thinking outside the box. So I return to the front of the store and start over. This time, I convince myself to look more closely at everything and pick up stuff I don’t already own in three versions.

I head to the dressing room where the poor girl who’s working back there explains that, “Sorry, you can only take in six pieces at a time, but I’ll hold these extra 12 things out here for you.” So I head in, invariably hate everything and make my way through the massive pile of stuff that I mistook for necessities.

Sometimes I won’t like anything, but I feel so guilty about trying so much on that I’ll keep a few things, tell the sales girl I love them and then hang them back up myself.

I then circle through the store again and make sure there is nothing left to try on (there isn’t) and start digging through the accessories. At this point, if someone has braved accompanying me on my shopping trip, she grumpily taps her foot by the door and repeatedly checks the time on her cell phone.

Shopping alone is simply better. I can focus, and other people don’t convince me to buy things I don’t need.

I tried to research my theory that shopping alone affects how much money you spend and what you buy, but I didn’t have any luck. So if any grad school out there would like to give me a full scholarship to study shopping behaviors, consider this my personal statement.

Young fashion blogger incites curiousity, envy

2010-01-27T06:20:00.000-08:00

My envious tendencies have reached an all-time low. I’m jealous of a 13-year-old.

There’s a tween lurking somewhere around the Chicago suburbs who is being invited to fashion shows left and right. What gives, people? Where are all my Fashion Week invites?

Tavi Gevinson started her fashion blog Style Rookie at the age of 11. She posts pictures of her quirky outfits and sounds off on the season’s trends and pop culture. Since then, she’s managed to pick up all sorts of fame. Fashion editors and designers are digging her enough to give her a column in this month’s issue of Bazaar.

Do you realize the kind of rampant insecurity a 13-year-old fashion columnist triggers in a 22-year-old fashion columnist? Let me tell you, it’s not pretty. The girl is cute and all, but quite frankly she drives me crazy — mostly because when I was that age the closest I was getting to the fashion industry was shopping for Abercrombie jeans at the King of Prussia Mall and feeling really cool about it.

Sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the designers behind Rodarte, had Tavi create a video of their recent collaboration line for Target. I barely even know how to turn a video camera on.

Reactions to Tavi’s exponentially rising recognition are mixed. On the one hand, we have all these designers and magazines who are scrambling to get a piece of her. On the other hand, there’s a whole lot of scandal about whether she is actually writing all these blog entries herself. Elle fashion director Anne Slowey told New York Magazine that she was a little skeptical.

“You look at her [Rodarte] video, and the writing doesn’t sync up with the way she talks about fashion,” Slowey said. “When I watched that video it smacked of this ethereal vagueness ... I’m not trying to take anything away from her — her love of fashion, her love of style. She’s either a tween savant or she’s got a Tavi team.”

Thanks for that, Slowey. It’s a relief to know that not everyone is so enthralled with this little girl that I would have to give up my dreams of working in fashion just because I’m already in my 20s.

Honestly, I don’t think the question, “Is this all really being done by a 13-year-old?” is even the point. It doesn’t make that much of a difference to me whether this is her writing or her great-grandmother’s or her neighbor’s. Though for the record, I actually do think she’s the author. Who the hell would give up the opportunity for that level of popularity for a tween? I’m not convinced it would be her mother, either, because I don’t think she would really be that into talking about dying her daughter’s hair blue.

Don’t you remember being 13? We all had a near-obsessive wish for everyone to realize that 13-year-olds knew a lot more about life than everybody thought. Why is it that the second we get older, we automatically assume that anyone younger is some kind of naïve being, completely incapable of understanding anything about the world?

At the end of the day, Tavi does still sound like she’s 13. I don’t think the skill level is really what’s admirable here — it’s the confidence that she’s actually willing to broadcast all this. I don’t know about you, but anything I wrote when I was in middle school is still locked away in a trunk somewhere. Not to mention that I was terrified to wear anything nearly as daring as a leather trench coat like Tavi does.

A lot of folks are worried about this chick being exposed to the horrors of the fashion industry at such an early age, but let’s face it people, there’s nothing more horrific than the halls of middle school. Sitting in the front row at Paris Couture Fashion Week sounds like a walk in the park compared to surviving teendom in the suburbs. In actuality, I think the fashion industry is the safest place for her. They are far more likely to be accepting of her creativity than cut-throat middle schoolers looking for attention.

In the past few years, the fashion blog world has become a roaring presence. Bloggers have become credible news outlets and sources of inspiration. American Apparel regularly hires personal style bloggers as models. Lucky Magazine invites bloggers to be guest writers on their website. It makes sense, really, that blogs have become so reliable. The industry is based on two things: creative personal preferences and fast-paced revolutions. There is no better way to keep up with the speed and quirks of fashion than with blogs.

I can’t decide whether Tavi is a trend — independent fashion blogs tend to have a pretty short shelf life — or if this tween is actually the next Anna Wintour. Surely this must be what editors-in-chief were like at that age, no? If Tavi isn’t capable of taking the Vogue throne, who is?

Now I know I’m not as endearing as a teenager, but Marc Jacobs, if you ever decide to make a line for Target (really, please do) and you need someone to make a video for you, I’d be happy to put aside my homework and help you out. Call me!

This is completely great.

2010-01-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

I read about Brooklyn-based jewelry designer Casey Perez in this month's issue of Nylon, and now I'm completely obsessed with her stuff. These rings are totally fantastic and I want both. Nothing speaks to me more than witty jewelry, and Casey hit one out of the park with these rings.

Must have.

Across the pond, style comes naturally

2010-01-20T06:04:00.000-08:00

I spent most of last summer studying abroad in London. While plans to move back seem to be growing more difficult by the day, (thank you, economic downturn, feel free to end anytime now), I flip through my pictures on a weekly basis and dream of having unlimited access to Topshop and Portobello Market.

Though it’s been months since I arrived back, I am left contemplating the differences between American and European fashion sense. I’m not going to turn this into some big anti-American rant because really, we’re not that bad, but you have to hand it to those kids overseas — they sure know how to pull themselves together in the morning.

Aside from possessing the ability to eat normal portions of food, Europeans have a knack for throwing on outfits in a way that simultaneously screams effortless and spot-on trend.

When I was in London, I felt decently comfortable with my style. Brits are pretty quirky, so it was OK to look somewhat intentionally mismatched — which is a great thing when one suitcase of clothes needs to last a month and a half.

In Paris, however, I constantly felt intimidated by the people surrounding me. Practicality is thrown out the window. The sight of a woman zooming around on a moped in 5-inch heels never failed to flabbergast me. I mean, my God — I refuse to even wear heels to walk from my apartment on Dawson Street up to Hemingway’s!

Sure, not everyone in Europe is running around in some straight-off-the-runway couture gown, but for the most part everyone is at least dressed. You don’t see people — not even the teenagers — loafing around in sweats. They’re in clothes that are well-made and tailored to perfection.

Here in America, it’s no secret that we’re a little late in the game when it comes to fashion trends. We scramble to get into trends four years after they make a European debut. We’ll buy whichever iteration we can get the cheapest, sacrificing fit and quality in a desperate attempt to appear “in-the-know.”

In America, we feel guilty about everything — possibly a lasting complex over that whole stomping-in-and-taking-the-Native-Americans’-land thing. We feel guilty about getting what we want. We feel like if something brings us pleasure, we shouldn’t have it. We feel guilty about free time, as if having a few hours to ourselves each day is something to be embarrassed about, like it must mean we don’t work hard enough.

We feel guilty about wearing the same outfit three times in the same month. The French, on the other hand, will buy one solid outfit a season and wear it to shreds. The quality is impeccable, of course. Sometimes I think it would be nice to feel satisfied by buying one designer outfit a season, rather than spending money left and right to always feel “updated”.

Perfection, too, seems to be an American preoccupation. After all, does the poster child of Europe have enough plastic surgery to make Joan Rivers jealous? No, not at all. Los Angeles, a land of nose jobs and breast implants, has no foreign counterpart.

Instead, the beauty regimens of Europeans focus far more on natural beauty. They eat and drink to take care of their skin. They can run out to the farmer’s market to pick up their evening’s produce without a hint of makeup on and their hair in a lopsided knot. Yet you can bet they’ll look way better than shellacked Americans making their way to the grocery store to buy over-processed food in overpriced outfits.

While I think we could all benefit from a hefty dose of European nonchalance, I’m still a big fan of America. I have a tremendous deal of pride in a country that gave birth to Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs. I would, however, like to take this opportunity to give a big shout out to Sweden. To the masterminded country behind H & M: If it weren’t for you, my closet would probably be empty.

My obsession with Breton stripes is getting a little out of control.

2010-01-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

At this rate, by the time spring finally rolls around I'll be completely sick of the nautical trend. In the mean time, I'm embracing it full force. I like it best when paired with a silk scarf knotted around the neck and a stack of thick bronze bangles.

Clockwise from top center: long sleeve shirt from H & M, dress with pocket from H & M, long sleeve tunic Rodarte for Target, tunic sweater from H & M

R.I.P.

2010-01-18T11:12:00.000-08:00

My fur stole was stoled.

Well, actually I just left it somewhere. But I'm really upset about it despite it only being $8 at H & M.

Luckily, I found this vintage replacement on eBay and am anxiously awaiting its arrival.

Dreaming of sunshine and warm weather

2010-01-16T23:04:00.000-08:00

It's been mysteriously temperate here in Pittsburgh this weekend. Though I know the harsh, blustery cold will inevitably return far too soon, I can't help but want this super cute pair of Fendi aviators. Preferably the tortoiseshell ones, of course. I love the subtle reference to their signature B buckle.

Let's call it wishful thinking -- maybe if I get them it won't snow or go below 30 degrees anymore!

Never let style become routine

2010-01-13T05:06:00.000-08:00

This is how my day starts:

8 a.m. — Alarm goes off.

8:15 a.m. — Second alarm goes off.

8:30 a.m. — Third alarm goes off. If it’s a bad day, I’ll turn it off, roll back over and not wake up until 10 a.m. If it’s a good day, this is the point at which I angrily make my way upstairs to make breakfast and get ready.

8:35 to 8:50 a.m. — Curl lashes, apply eye shadow, eyeliner, other eye shadow, mascara, primer, foundation, bronzer. Curse being pale.

9 a.m. — Stare blankly into closet and reaffirm my suspicion that I have absolutely nothing to wear.

9:15 a.m. — Still staring blankly. Check weather on two different websites. Believe the one that is most detrimental to my hair and footwear. This often leads to walking around in rain boots and carrying an oversized umbrella on perfectly sunny days.

9:30 a.m. — Now in a rush,I throw on some variation of what I wore the day before: tunic, leggings, cardigan, belt, boots, scarf, coat, bangles. Done.

9:45 a.m. — Make my way out the door. Fumble with lock.

10 a.m. — If it’s Monday or Tuesday, I roll into Caribou, get a small coffee with room for cream and find a table near an outlet.

10:05 a.m. — I work on this very column or whatever other writing assignment needs finishing. My writer’s mind expires around noon — by then it’s too busy thinking about other things, like my next source of caffeine and whether I’ll have time to finish reading that book for Lit.

10:30 a.m. — Distracted by Facebook, Twitter, Gchat and hilariously titled New York Magazine articles.

10:50 a.m. — Resume writing.

Noon — Finish assignments, pack up and head out for the rest of my day.
On the surface, this is all fine and good. I live a happy life with a minimal amount of struggle. But as I’ve said before, I grow bored very easily.

Sure, now that it’s the beginning of a fresh semester, this little routine seems great. Getting up at 8 a.m.? Charming! The lackadaisical luxury of winter break was getting to me anyways. Sleeping ’til noon? What a waste!

After just a few weeks or months of monotony, however, I’ll hit a brick wall and approach my day-to-day routine with the same level of irritability as an overextended toddler in need of a juice box and a nap. By the time I get used to writing “2010” at the top of my papers rather than “2009,” I’ll be ready to make some changes.

It’s at times like these — the life and wardrobe ruts — that I need to focus on the finer things, like friends and running and changing the background on my computer screen. And shopping.

Every season I make a long list — too long a list — of everything I want to buy. I’ll only buy things that are on the list (no need to waste money on items I’m not dying for) and shop around until I determine the cheapest place I can get it.

This year some of the things on my list include: a denim shirt, vintage slips, thigh-high socks, a long tweed or white blazer, new grey jeans and a tie-dye scarf. I pick up one of the items whenever I need to spruce up my wardrobe.

We all have our routines that make us feel comfortable. We go to the same places, talk to the same people and wear the same things. But at what point does a routine become a rut? I suppose it’s when those aforementioned habits lose their novelty and fail to bring us the same pleasure they did originally.

Currently I’m trying to pull myself out of my morbidly black monotonic tendencies. I used to think my head-to-toe black ensembles made me look like a chic New Yorker, but now I’m thinking they just make me look lazy. I’ve also recently phased vests out of my wardrobe. I used to wear them at least once a week, but now they don’t seem to add as much to my outfits as they once did.

But here’s the thing — routines are addictive. They’re hard to break. Twenty dollars says if you spot me on campus today, I’ll be wearing all black and a vest.

Facehunter does paper

2010-01-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

The next book to add to my ever-expanding stack of art/fashion/photography tomes? The Facehunter.

That's right, my friends-- street style blogger Yvan Rodic is coming out with a book on January 23rd! The best part? It's not super humongous like most art books, so you can even read it in bed.

Go pre-order yourself a copy, asap.