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.

Ever since...

...I was a little girl, I have been a big fan of hats. I love pretty much all kinds of hats, except for wide-brimmed hats, though I think that some people look fantastic them. Fall (and Winter, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it) is one of the greatest time for head-wear (it's like footwear, but for your head). There is the newsboy cap, which though some of the magazines have declared “over” I have just come to appreciate its grandeur. This is yet another fondness that comes courtesy of Ace. Last winter she bought a newsboy cap on clearance, and I scoffed. When I was helping her clean out her closet this summer and happened upon it, I promptly declared that I would be stealing it when I was home on break from school. She didn't like that so much.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand: newsboy caps. The biggest issue when wearing a hat is deciding what to do with your hair and especially your bangs. Here are my suggestions:

--If you have a bob, or hair that ends before your shoulders, wear your hair down and strait. Bangs should be tucked back under the hat; use a bobby pin to pin them back if they are reluctant to stay. If you have side-swept bangs, sweep and hold them to the side as you put on the hat; they should fall forward just a bit (slightly less than they do without the hat).

--If your hair is longer, and you want it back, pull it into a low messy-bun, with a few strands hanging out around your face/hair. Otherwise from the front, it will look like you have pulled a Britney and are covering up your newly shaved head with a hat.

--If you wish to wear your long hair down, wear it wavy or curly if at all possible. Brush and part your hair as you would if you weren't wearing a hat and then place the hat on your head. Try not to tuck hair behind your ears, though you can put that little section that is right in front of them ear behind your ear. If you need a good visual, you can Google “Jessica Simpson in a newsboy cap” to see several pictures The girl may do a lot of looks wrong, but she sure does this one right.

Good luck in your Newsboy endeavor's. Oh, and while we are on the subject of newsboys, you should really rent the Disney movie “Newsies” sometime. It is fabulous, and features many newsboy caps.

An important fact:

There are exactly 24 days until Thanksgiving. And you know what that means? Just 25 days until day-after Thanksgiving sales.
Get excited!

I am in love...

...with three-quarter sleeve coats. Usually they have Peter-Pan collars and big fabric covered buttons. Sometimes they are what I would call “flouncy”, which means they have an empire waist and then are slightly poofy for the “skirt”. The more flouncy ones are really cute with dresses for nights out.
If they have a straiter/more traditional “coat” shape, they are also adorable with nicer pants (jeans are fine as long as they are not distressed). A long sleeved sweater or shirt sticking out from under the shorter sleeve is not only acceptable, its really cute. If your top is not long sleeved, try elbow-length gloves. Keeps your arms warm, and looks really cute. Choose gloves in a color that will contrast nicely with the coat., or to make the look a little more casual, try striped ones. If the coat (and you!) is/are more dressed up, try embellished gloves: a bow at the wrist, or buttons going up the length of the glove, into the sleeve of the coat.
My dream: light pink coat, with gray and cream striped gloves.

I really hate...

...to do this; please know that it comes from a place of love. But I just have a few questions for the people out there, the people who insist on wearing hid-ee-odor-ous clothing. I'm sure these people think they look fine, they may even think they look great. But the truth is, their outfits could use a little...work. Thats why I am here to help.
I have to ask, what is up with...

--headbands worn around the forehead? I've seen this one on girls and on guys, and I have to say, it is not a good look. Sometimes its one of those little elastic headbands, and sometimes it is a leather thong just tied around someones head. Just because Lindsay Lohan does it doesn't mean its cute. In fact, that should be an indication to you that it's NOT cute.

--white leggings? Really? You want your legs to appear paler? Besides, I am pretty sure leggings are over. Recycle yours into “tights” to wear with boots.

--unnatural hair-colors? I'm not talking bottle-blonde's here. I mean the girls with electric blue and purple “highlights” in their hair. Its not cute, and no matter what you are wearing, you don't good. If you match your outfit to your streaks, you look like you are trying too hard; if you don't match, you clash horribly. Its a lose-lose situation, and hair that is this processed always looks very damaged.

--patterns died into hair? This is along the same lines as Crayola-colored hair. I've seen girls with horizontal stripes died into their hair. NOT a good look.

--colored jeans? It's just too much, especially those neon-bright ones. I don't care that they are all over the fashion magazines right now. I'm not anti-colored-pants; colored cords? So cute. Bright slacks? Adorable and unexpected. But denim? No thank you.

I'll admit it, at one point I considered putting hot-pink streaks in my hair. Thank the good Lord that my Style Guru talked me out of that one. And hopefully, if you have had an inkling towards any of these looks, I'll have saved you from looking back at pictures of yourself years from now and thinking “what in the world am I wearing?”.
If I have saved even one person from that trauma, I'll have done my part my for society.