Recessionista, Part IV

Continuing our theme of “revivification” (thank you Lucky!) lets look at diaphanous tops. These flowy and often sheer tops are very popular in the spring and summer, and chances are there is one hanging in the back of your closet (or shoved into a box with your other out of season clothes).  They can turn basics into a really cute and unexpected winter outfit. Layer your spring blouse under a fine-ribbed turtleneck sweater or a long sleeved t-shirt. Whether you go with the turtleneck or the t-shirt, it is important that it is very fitted—whenever layering, it is important to be careful about not adding bulk. If the top is extremely flowy, feel free to belt it with a skinny belt at the thinnest part of your torso. You can also add in a blazer instead of or in addition to the sweater under the blouse. A velvet or corduroy one will especially chic.

Recessionista, Part III

If you are anything like Ace, you become slightly obsessed with a particular item during the course of the season. Maybe one season it’s pointy-toed pumps, or wide-leg jeans. You buy in multiples, until one day someone says, “You always wear the cutest  ________!” Spring 2008, Ace was all about short or three-quarter sleeved jackets. She loved them, wore them practically daily, and bought one almost weekly. But now it is cold—too cold for semi-bear arms. But wait, it is completely possible and even adorable to wear them now. All you need is a long-sleeved t-shirt and a scarf.  If your jacket is particularly bold, wear a neutral colored long-sleeved shirt. If your jacket itself is neutral, you can pair it with a patterned long-sleeved t-shirt, just make sure the print is small and not overly spring-like. You can also try a waffle-knit shirt for a warmer look. If it is too cold for just a long-sleeved t-shirt, pair your jacket with a slim fitting turtleneck. This is an excellent way to bring your favorite jackets from spring into the colder months of fall and winter.

Recessionista, Part II

Maxi dresses were all over the place the past two summers, and Spring 2008 they were also pretty prevalent. How, you ask, are you going to transition these breezy, possibly trailing dresses into something that works for fall and winter? Easily. All you need is a pair of chunky-heeled boots or heels in some shade of brown. Bonus points if the heel is wooden or stacked, and it will look especially fantastic if they are slightly beat-up. If the dress is a halter, layer a cami underneath and add a cardigan on top; a wrap sweater cinched with a wide leather belt would also look good (remember, we’re working with pieces you already own). If your legs are cold, feel free to add a pair of tights or leggings. I suggest going with leggings if you’re wearing heels; tights tend to feet slip right out of high-heels. A maxi-skirt can be transitioned into the colder months in the same way. No matter what you pair on top, be sure that it is slim and fitted to balance all the volume down below. Keep accessories fairly simple—thin gold hoops and a solid bangle or cuff, but nothing very ornate.

Recessionista, Part I

As is evidenced in many previous posts, I love tights. They can turn a simple dress into an adorable “look”. Here is a great thing for all of you “recessionista’s” (cringe): you can get a pair of tights for about $10, and they are the perfect way to transform your summer dresses into something appropriate for the colder weather.  Neutral, solid dresses look great with brightly colored tights—my favorite is magenta, but any color will work. If your dress is white, I suggest wearing black tights that are a little thicker knit. (Check to make sure you can’t see your tights through your dress!) Patterned dresses look super cute with either A) black tights (think Zooey Deschanel) or B) colored tights. If the dress is a pretty busy/intense pattern, black is probably the way to go. If you choose to go with colored tights, look for a pair that draws out one of the less prominent colors on the dress. You can wear heels or flats with any of these looks; heels look best if the dress is any longer than just-below the knee. Layer a long sleeved t-shirt or slim turtleneck under your dress, or a cardigan on top (or do both if it’s really cold!). You’re all set! 

A Special Note...

With the economy gone to pot as it has, it seems that everyone is reconsidering their spending habits, and rightfully so. Clothing and accessories that are not absolute necessities are one of the things most people are cutting back on. There is a phrase being used, and while it makes me want to smash something, there really isn’t a good alternative: recessionista. I know, awful right? But for now, it will have to work. It’s the girl that wants to look good, but has to do so on a budget. She is a fashionista in the throes of a recession (or near-recession). In light of this, Sparkle’s next few posts will be dedicated to reworking things you already have, with a few small purchases.  

And if you know of an alternative to “recessionista”, please let me know. 

Nearly every time...

Ace and I exchange presents, we inevitably give one another clothes. She usually gives me something black (and if it’s not black, it’s a different neutral). I give her something colored, and we both say the same thing: “You just need a little more black/color in your closet”.  I think, then, that Ace will be proud to learn that the other day as I looked through my closet, I realized that the items that I have begun reaching for the most are some sort of neutral.  While Ace’s “colors” of choice may be black and white, mine are brown and camel. In the past, when I would go shopping, if I found a piece that I liked, I would look for it in a bright color, like hot pink or bright red. Now, I look for it in brown or even black. My point is this: try branching out, even if that means toning it down as opposed to turning it up.  It never hurts to try a new look. And Ace may just be right: you can never have too much black in your closet. 

I am so...

excited to actually be able to rock collegiate style this fall/winter. Due to the fact that I now go to school in Oregon, I can actually wear some classic looks that just were not right in SoCal. I love argyle, blazers, cords, scarves, sweater vests, cable-knit, ribbed turtleneck sweaters and anything else that is a part of the classic college look. It’s a little retro—college girls in the mid-to-late seventies define this look. The colors are very muted, classic autumn colors: burgundy, olive, mustard, and shades of brown. If you too decide to go for the college co-ed look, my suggestion is to play it subtle. You don’t want to look like you think its 1975. Just go with one or two items, like a cardigan with cords.  Don’t try to do argyle and plaid; it just won’t work. Personally, I think argyle goes on sweaters and plaid on skirts. Leather chunky-heeled knee-high boots complete the look.

I want a beret.

I just think that they are very pretty, very glamorous.  A beret is not your typical hat, meaning that it’s not the type of hat you can throw on to cover a bad hair day.  I love both the classic beret and the floppy beret, but there are different rules for each.

My tips for if you decide to try a classic beret: if your hair is short, I think your best bet is going strait.  I’m thinking (cliché alert!) Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde. Long hair? Try a little bit of a wave. You can also go strait and where it pulled back in a loose ponytail.  Place the hat on a slight angle, but don’t obsess. Own it, and it will look fantastic.

As for floppy berets, think Rachel Bilson. Slight wave, no matter your hair-length. Embrace the boho quality, and go with a darker colored beret, maybe park purple.  Again, wear at a slight angle letting the flop fall where it may, it knows what is best. Your clothes should be more classic, with maybe a printed scarf. 

One of my absolute...

favorite things to do is to get a manicure. As Ace can attest, it usually takes me about nine hours to select a color. This gets a little annoying, so I’ve decided to at least narrow it down a little. I am a big fan of the dark, moody nails that were all over the place last fall, and am happy to report that they are back for the upcoming season. This time around, however, they are a little less goth-chic and a little more…beautiful. I’m thinking dark burgundy, merlot, deep plum and my current favorite, chocolate brown. You can go a little sparkly with any of these colors, but nothing too glittery. Just a little bit of shimmer built into the polish is perfect.

My Wish List for Fall:

-A short-sleeved pea coat

-Grandpa-cardigans

-A suede-fringed bag in that slouchy, casual messenger style

-Corduroy minis to wear with tights

-A zebra-print anything. Purse? Shoes? Scarf? Pants? (Just kidding about that last one.)

-A sweater dress to wear with (you guessed it) tights

-A purple-leather bag

What’s on your wish list?

There are times...

in every stylist’s life when she realizes that some trend that she dismissed is in fact adorable. And it is here that I find myself today. A few months back, I eschewed the whole “colored jeans” look.  However, I have seen the error of my ways, and so help me, the next pair of jeans I buy will be magenta. Or bleached and then died that way.

Go forth and wear your bright jeans with a neutral top. I suggest lighter ones, like white and light gray; black tops with neon jeans screams 80’s, and unless that’s the look your going for, steer clear!

The rain that..

has recently been pounding the PacNorWest has been getting me excited for fall. Right now I am craving a pair of flat boots. I wanted some so badly last year too, but unfortunately couldn’t find a pair for less then $300. This year however, I think I’ve hit pay dirt. I saw a pair in a magazine that is near perfect, and the fact that they’re only $99 pushes them over the edge into perfection. Grey suede and knee-high, they’ll look fantastic with jeans. Additionally, I can rock them with my favorite fall look, short-ish skirts and tights.

I recently...

bought a “Bedazzler”, and it is quite possibly the single greatest thing I have ever purchased. So far, I have bedazzled two t-shirts and a tote bag. I have discovered that it is best when you bedazzle something that is already printed. The tote for example, was black with a silhouette of an old-school Barbie printed in silver. It was cute, but now that it is bedazzled, it is fabulous, if I do say so myself.

The summer-weight...

scarf trend is definitely one that can easily go awry. (I’m looking at you, Heidi). However, when done correctly, it’s adorable. It turns a basic jeans and t-shirt into an “outfit”. It is also a cute alternative to a cardigan in an aggressively air-conditioned office, movie-theater or mall. I would wear one every-day if it was socially-permissible to repeat a statement piece daily. One tip: it looks best when worn with short-sleeves (or longer. No cami’s or tank’s here please).Do yourself a favor and go buy one. Or twelve. You will LOVE.

My obsession...

for summer (with lasting cute-ness for SoCal’s version of fall) has become somewhat elusive. The Maxi-Dress, which was big last summer and is back with additional momentum this year, has proved difficult to find for my body type. Being rather short yet curvy, it has been hard to find a dress that is not, as Ace puts it, “pregnancy” (meaning it makes one look pregnant). Am I destined to not be able to wear this look? Of all the cruel fates in the world, please God, let this not be mine.

First, I must...

...give credit where credit is due: Ace has recently made it her mission to bring back the word “fancy” into popular vernacular. And I have “stolen” it from her…

Things I have recently dubbed “Fancy”:

• Marabou plastic heels worn by a three year-old
• A beaded bracelet made by a kindergartener
• A “Barbie” glasses-case proudly shown off by a first grader
• Pretty much anything I have seen that had glitter on it (including but not limited to: a headband, shoes, a purse, and many, many pieces of art)
• A chenille scarf thrown over the shoulders by a six year-old
• My new Coach wallet

I guess that last one qualifies, but as for the others: I think working with kids is really beginning to affect my fashion sense.

I have discovered...

...a new calling on my life: “baby stylist”, a la Rachel’s sister Amy on “Friends”. With the new addition of baby girl Munchkin into the family, a whole new world of fashion has opened up to me. Stores I would normally breeze past in the mall have become fascinating to me: Gymboree, Baby Gap, Janie and Jack. Between Ace and me, she is sure to be quite the clothes horse. She even has a few items of clothing which I covet, including a pair of jeans with embroidery on the back pockets. I’ve even bought her a string of pearls (something every girl needs). She is quite the miniature fashionista.