Kitchen Fashion

Every girl who likes to cook needs a cute apron. How else are you supposed to look cute while you wait for your dinner guests to arrive, yet not ruin your outfit? My mom has a shiny gold apron I wear every time I'm home and baking Christmas cookies or making pierogies. I have been wanting one of my own.

I've had a thing for aprons ever since I studied abroad in Madrid. In almost every souvenier shop, there were flamenco style aprons, with polka dots and frills all over. The senorita I lived with loved to get dressed up while doing things in the kitchen. She did dishes in high heels with music blaring, and cooked all fancied up with a ruffled little apron. It seemed like a whole lot more fun than wearing old sweats just so you don't get batter splatters on your favorite top. I never made it to get one while I was in Spain, but have wanted an adorable apron since.

Then I popped into Ricky's for a new nose ring, and I was confronted with a plethora of adorable aprons, polka dots, cherries, little skulls. There's one for every lady's taste. I couldn't decide which one I liked most, so I decided to hold off purchasing for the day.

A couple weeks later I was in Marshall's, and there was a whole rack of adorable aprons! And they were cheap! I bought the lovely magenta one with the gorgeous scallopped pattern pictured. It's Taaj brand, and it only set me back $12.99. The design even reminds me of something an espanola would wear. Success!

I have already worn it twice, and I have to say it makes me feel lots more fancy making dinner. What do you do/wear to make kitchen chores fun?

Fashion Invention

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There's a little fashion invention that I would like to see on the market by the time spring hits. A cross between leggings and stockings for warmer weather. Legging on the top, gradual fade to stocking starting just above the knee to the ankle. Think the ombre effect, but rather than changing colors, changing thickness and translucency. Start with full coverage, opaque legging from the waist, fade to beautifully sheer stocking starting mid thigh all the way down. That way, if you want to wear a shorty short dress, you're not flashing vahjay, but you're not sweating either because the stocking bottom lets the breeze through. We already have every other possible variation on the legging from jegging to sparkle. We already have every other possible variation on the stocking: fishnet, thigh high, patterned, solid, colored. It's time we brought the two together. Even with this combo if you're feeling daring.

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Can I get a hallelujah? Will someone design these for me please?

I win!

 I knew I would (eventually). Some of you who know me, may know that I have an affinity for trying to win things. I love scratch off tickets, occasionally play the lotto, and enter sweepstakes online, oh, pretty much whenever I have some free time at work.And get this, I actually think I'm going to win the stuff every time I try.


I figure I've got all these great friends, a great family, a pretty sweet apartment, a J-O-B, and I live in the city I love. I'm a pretty lucky gal, why shouldn't I win? Now I have 4 tickets to a NYC fashion show next week to top it all off. Thanks ELLE! I could not be more excited. Attending a fashion week show has been on my list of things to do since I moved to NYC, and now I've got tix, and seats to see one with 3 yet to be determined guests. Yay!

The only unfortunate part to this whole scenario is that now it's just reinforced my belief that yes, I really can win! Kind of like that one time I won $80 on a $1 scratch off. Let's just say that my little trying to win things habit doesn't seem like it will be waning anytime soon...

Kitten Heels clawing their way to the top

Kitten heels are everywhere this season, stomping down runways, clogging up the shoe section, and on the feet of the women in my office. I, for one, am not a fan. Granted, I understand they go with the whole 1940's revival vibe that's going on in fall 2010 collections. Hemlines are dropping, bust lines are rising. There's a real return to old fashioned styles, some of which I support. Cute cardis with full skirts? Yes. The leather Louis Vuitton poodle skirt? Yes please. Rocking a bouffant? If I knew how to tease my hair in a way that didn't look like a rat's nest I would totally do it. However, there are some trends that I am happy to see left in the past.

Take tea length skirts/dresses falling below the knee, but not quite to the ankle. Is that really cute on anyone? I've only seen that style relegated to poor choice in bridesmaid's frocks, and now it's all all over my fall fashion magazine issues. It's not demure, it's just unflattering on most, making you look shorter and stumpier. Ditto for Kitten heels. There's something very old ladyish, and prim and proper about a sensible 2 inch heel. Especially with a pointy toe in slingbacks. And I find them wobbly to walk in after being used to having such a great distance between my heel and the ground. I may have turned my ankle once or twice even trying them on.

Ok, so I'm somewhat of a heel extremest. I'm either wearing flats, or wearing something 4 inches and up. Heels any shorter just don't do much for me. They don't do much for my calves either, and they definitely don't give me the sexy sway in my step that balancing on higher spike will. And they just don't make me feel as good about myself and my look as a daring pair of towering platforms.

Beacon's Closet

I went to Beacon’s Closet for the very first time recently (finally). I’m sure that vintage loving New Yorkers would be cringing everywhere to know that I have managed to pass by visiting this thrift store/NY fashion institution for the nearly 7 years I have lived in this city. Partly this is because I am just too lazy to travel to Brooklyn very often. Yes, I know it is not very far. And no, it is not because I am a Manhattan snob. I lived in the BX for 4 years, I have put in my outer-borough time. Now that I reside on the main island, I just don’t see the point of leaving very often. Manhattan is where I have always wanted to be, and there is not much that Manhattan doesn’t have to offer that pushes me to search other places for entertainment, shopping, or food.

Anyways, I was short on closet space and cash last week, so I decided to undertake the voyage with some clothes, belts, and purses I wanted to get rid of and finally check out this mecca of second hand shopping that everyone loves so much. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. Yes, it was a thrift store on a grand scale. It had rack upon rack of clothing beautifully organized by color, and was set up to look like a real clothing store. Yes, there were some pretty cool shades, belts, and sunglasses. But because I’ve heard so much about it, I expected something special, some extra pizzazz that would wow me, and set it apart from any other thrift store I’ve been to besides the layout. On my trip, I didn’t find any clothes that I wanted, but I’m sure that if I had been more in the mood for a treasure hunt that I could have rustled up at least one dress to take home.

However, it was still just a thrift store. It had that stale smell of used clothing, and no air conditioning. While I appreciated the trip for what it was worth (and the $25 bucks I made from belts and purses I no longer wear-Free money!), I don’t know if I will be returning any time soon. I appreciate that some people love the thrill of finding a bargain among the used clothing of others, and I love the aspect that one woman’s trash is another’s glorious new Saturday night outfit. It is the existence of thrift stores that keeps me from feeling guilty when I go on a major cleaning spree and get rid of a couple garbage bags of clothing.

And yet, I fail to really understand the allure of the second hand apparel (especially shoes). I just prefer my clothing to be brand new when I purchase it, and the prices in Beacon’s closet weren’t really all that cheap for pre-worn if you know what I’m saying. And the idea of wearing some stranger’s old shoes just skeeves me out. I really want to love the thrift store trend, but each time I prepare myself to go searching for buried treasures among the racks of goodwill, beacon’s closet, or the salvation army, I generally end up dropping off my donations, giving things a half hearted glance, and leaving empty handed before I start to smell like mothballs.

American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity

Over the weekend, I went and saw the American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, followed by drinks on the rooftop bar while gazing at this glorious bamboo jungle gym that Doug and Mike Starn had erected over the veranda. It turns out that you can take guided tours of the bamboo jungle at certain times. They take you through a maze of paths that stretch up to 40 feet over the roof of the met. It looks/sounds like such a little kid’s dream! I will be returning to climb the bamboo jungle at a later date.

I had been wanting to see the American Woman exhibit for quite some time; the artwork on the roof was just a bonus. I find it totally fascinating to see the connections between what is going on in the world and the fashions of the time. I find it equally fascinating to see how fashions cycle through time periods. I mean, there’s only so many ways to cut a dress right?

The exhibit covered the 1890’s-1940’s of fashion. It broke the periods down into 6 archetypes of female fashion: the heiress, the Gibson girl, the Bohemian, the Suffragette/Patriot the Flapper, and the Screen Siren (in chronological order).

The heiress was the earliest period, when young women started investing in European couture houses with their families’ money. The dresses were satin and gold. The women were gilded lilies, expected to sit still in their corseted waists and look pretty. The second was the Gibson girl. Women started to express their need for activity in sports like tennis and sailing. Clothes adjusted to allow more freedom of movement. Clothes became less fitted, more conservative, and almost business like. Women became more liberal in their movements, and the clothes reflected a sportier feel. There were long pleated skirts, and sports coats with big puffy shoulders. The third period was the Bohemian. It was a similar movement to the Gibson Girl, but rather than expressing themselves through sporting activity, women began to invest themselves in the arts for a means of conveying their emotions. The dresses we long, mainly shapeless, and flowing (think Olson twins), and incredibly beautiful. Head wraps were in style. Women were more often patrons of the arts rather than creators of the arts at this point, but they were investing themselves in creative pursuits.

Next came the patriot/suffragette. In this section, I learned 3 things: 1. They had video at the beginning of WW1, and it was playing tapes of women enlisting in the armed forces/working in factories. 2. Women’s mass display of patriotism during WWI was directly related to their obtaining the right to vote 3. Women were allowed to wear military uniform in WWI, and they were on display in this exhibit!! It was pretty cool.

After the patriot was the flapper, a period of shapeless shifts designed to showcase a lean androgynous shape, which was popular during the 1920’s. Need I say more? This is probably the most recognizable fashion there. The dresses were sequined and flashy, yet not body-hugging. This must have been the period when the horrid drop-waist was invented. Any fitted portion of the dress fell below the natural hip. I found this very surprising. I never realized how loose the dresses of the flapper era were. Their intricacy of design was still unbelievable, the sheer amount of time spent hand-sewing sequins and beading is remarkable. I would love to see something like that made today.

Last in the collection was the screen siren. This was during the 1940’s, a time of the movie star bombshell. It was the first silhouette designed to flaunt and enhance a woman’s natural curves, namely her bust and hips. It was the era of Rita Hayworth, and Lena Horne. The only word to describe it would be pure glamour. Some of the dresses on display were in such good condition, they looked as if they could, and should be worn today.

The exhibit said that the flapper and the screen siren are the archetypes that have had the most lasting impact on American women’s fashion today, and I can clearly see the reverberations of these styles today. I truly enjoyed the collection. I learned a lot, and I see the echoes of my sisters decades ago in the fashions of today. I highly recommend this retrospective as a look into how American women took part, in their daily clothing and daily dress, in shaping a female national identity at times when women’s rights were no where near what they are today. Definitely go see it. At the very least, it will make you think how lucky you are when you realize how recently it has been that women are allowed to wear pants in public.

The latest twist on a French Manicure

I was flipping through the June issue of Marie Claire, and I noticed a fantastic new nail trend in several of their photos. It's a twist/toughening up of the traditional white tipped nude nail combo that makes up the classic French manicure.

Marie Claire used dark shades for the tips, think hunter green and navy, and extended the curve of color down the side of the nail making a half moon on the end of square nails. I LOVE it.

Though I think it looks more fall-like than the full neon nails that I plan to rick all summer long. As soon as autumn rolls around though, I'll be running to my favorite salon with this picture in hand.

Fashion Alert

OK ladies. If you are buying a skirt with a back slit, here's a little piece of advice. When manufacturers produce clothing, they want it to look the best it possible can on a hanger to lure you in to buy it.

So, they sew the pockets closed so they aren't gaping open. AND, they stich up the bottom of slits with an X so that the skirt maintains its shape on the rack without flapping in the breeze. Yes, it's annoying to have to cut them open, but it just looks better that way. The stiches are typically only done in the lining so that when you cut them out it doesn't effect the garment's final appearance. Back slits are designed to make it easier to walk when wearing a form fitting skirt. The sexy peek of leg is mostly a bonus.

That being said. Make sure you do actually cut them open. I spotted 2 women today on my commute who forgot to open their slit. Because of it, they were taking awkward little steps since their slit couldn't do it's job, and meanwhile, creating an ugly pull of fabric that will surely leave a mark in the skirt once it's removed. Slits sewn closed look better on a manequin, on a hanger, NOT in real life.

Someone needs to fire their stylist.

I enjoy looking at pictures of celebrities parading down red carpets of any fancy event. I mean that’s why we all really watch all those award shows, right? Right.

Most of the time, I don’t really agree with all the don’ts picked out. I mean if a normal person was photographed from 25,000 different angles at the same moment I’m pretty sure we would come out with a few bad pictures no matter how gorgeously tailored or expensive our dress was, and how perfectly we posed.

However, I simply hated the styling of Vera Farmiga first at the Oscars. And more recently, today, when I viewed the pictures of her at the Met’s Costume Institute Gala. I feel a little bad, since she just announced that baby #2 is on the way at the gala. But get real. She is a gorgeous lady (hello?! We’ve all seen the departed, both Leo and Matt fall for her-every woman's dream!) and she is a good actress. But she needs to fire whoever has been picking out those hideous frocks. First the over-the-top magenta flounces that did anything but flatter with an overly wispy hair style and makeup that just looked off.

Now this little Bo Peep disaster?

Are you trying to tell us you’re having a boy?

Spring Coats

Recently, I bought two spring coats. I had been searching for a new spring coat for a while. My wool coat is a little bit too heavy for this time of year, my rain coat is only appropriate when the weather is bad, and my fleece coat is just a little too casual for the office. The search has been on for a while. At first, I was convinced that I needed to have a brightly colored coat (yellow, blue or coral). I was enjoying the brights of spring, but the more and more I ran into people wearing easter egg hues in the subway, the more the colors offended me, and I realized I needed a nice neutral to add to my wardrobe. I mean, a bright yellow coat could be very limiting to my work wardrobe unless I want to run the risk of looking like a bumblebee every time I wear black.

The first one I purchased was from Ann Taylor Loft. Their spring stuff is SO adorable. It was all I could do to walk out of their without maxing out my credit card. Their sandals, accessories, coats, and dresses are totally wearable for work and play, and I left with a list of at least 5 things I want to go back for. It doesn't help that I am slightly brainwashed by What I Wore because she makes everything look so cute, and LOFT is currently sponsoring her. I am happy that LOFT is getting the publicity they deserve this season.

The second is from H&M and is part of their garden collection, which is made with all "green" sustainable materials, and some of them organic. What a better excuse to feel good about shopping than saving the environment? I went back and forth about buying this coat, because a coworker has the same one. But from the moment I saw it, I knew it had to be mine. Finally I gave in and just bought it. I'm not usually a copy cat, but we both have such different styles, it's almost like a different coat. AND it is a gorgeous creamy beige that I am such a sucker for.

The initial plan was to buy them both, compare at home and then return one. But let's be serious, does that ever work? I tried them both on at home, and decided that I loved and had to keep both. And I don't feel bad about it either. The Ann Taylor one was on sale for a mere $75 from and original $128 (half off!!!). And the one from H&M was only around $50 to being with. You can't beat two coats for only about a buck twenty. I've already worn them both about 4 times. They are perfect for the slightly warm, slightly chilly spring weather we've been having lately, and totally worth it.

"Fakes are Never in Fashion" -Harper's Bazaar

I own a few faux designer purses. I'm not proud of it, but a small town girl coming to NYC for the first time can't help but be a little dazzled by the deals on Canal Street and the allure of owning a designer knock off for only $5-20!! Who could resist?

My 19 year old self surely couldn't. However, now that I have learned a little more about the world, I know that nothing that cheap comes without a price. The first thing I noticed was the quality. The handles rip off, they wear down quickly, the lining tears out. The next is the sketchy, illegal way you have to obtain them. This didn't totally become clear to me how illegal it really was until the NYPD cracked down on designer impostors a few years ago when it went from fake Louis Vuitton's on every corner to having to follow a strange Asian woman down narrow streets and into back room cubbies to get the goods. I mean, there's a reason that those guys on the street grab their purses and run when the PoPo shows up, and it's not because they don't have the proper permits to sell them. However, the true dangers and social repercussions of buying fakes were only recently exposed to the public.

Call it ignorance is bliss, but the majority of American street shoppers seem happy to buy their fakes without questioning where they come from, or how they can buy them so cheaply. The answer is child labor in other countries. It's how we in the United States obtain many of our inexpensive luxury items, by taking the sight, fingers, and hard labor of children for nearly free. Children make the fakes, and the money gleaned from the sale of fakes often goes to help drug traffickers and terrorists achieve their goals. Not so fun and carefree now is it?

And it's not just the sale of fake designer purses, it's fake anything from bootleg cd's and dvd's to fragrances. Though sold a bargain price tags, the global social ramifications are hardly worth the cheap cost. In addition to endangering children, and innocents in their making, fakes leech money from the already stumbling U.S. economy. Harper's Bazaar posts these striking numbers:

$600 Billion
Estimated annual sales in counterfeit products worldwide

$512 Billion
Global sales lost to counterfeit goods

$250 Billion
Annual loss to American companies from intellectual property theft

$20 Billion
Estimated loss to American companies from counterfeit products

$1 Billion
Estimated annual loss in New York City tax revenues due to counterfeiting

750,000
Number of jobs lost due to intellectual property theft in the United States

10%
Estimated percentage of fakes among all goods produced worldwide every year

Much like illegal downloading has begun to cripple certain aspects of the music industry, buying fashion fakes has real potential to literally cripple children, and further challenge the United States recovery from recession.

I am happy to join Harper's Bazaar in their crusade against fakes, "so cheap they are criminal." Why not save up for the real thing that will last you a whole lot longer and look a whole lot better than the fake anyways? Check out the facts on FakesAreNeverInFashion.com.

Side Ponies Make a Comeback!

I have a little theory that I'm in the process of testing. I like to call it the Side Pony Principle: How to Use the Power of Hair to Conquer the World. It all started about four days ago when I was running late to meet a friend and sweating excessively in my humid NYC apartment. Encouraged my my 80's loving and fashion forward room mate, I pulled my hair into a scrunched up side pony. I had parted my hair deep on the left to the right side, and balled up my hair into a loose little nest on the right side of my head, just below my ear. It kind of went with my tropical outfit, picture a hibiscus tucked behind the ear. It also kind of reminded me of my days of neon, stretch pants and side ponies that I loved. I was sold.

So, I had to go to work later that day, side pony intact, and the response was magnificent. Every single table tipped me over 20%. It could be that the nice summer weather had them in a good mood, or that they felt bad for me working with such a severe sunburn, OR it could be that the side pony had worked some magic on my customers.

Now, here comes trial day two. I pulled out the side pony for another run at my next shift. The money was just too good to be shunning anything that could have been involved in my turn of good luck. This time, minus the sunburn, and with much nastier weather, the tips continued! I even tried purposely being a little rude to a couple tables to see if it was just my improved mood making my tips rise. No change. Solid over 20% tips all around! A male co-worker even told me my hair looked sexy, when normally all he does is shrug and say what up.

Could it be? Is the world finally ready for the side pony to be revived? A few years ago before the resurgence of 80's trends we've been enjoying, and the anything goes recession fashion mentality, a side pony tail would have been mocked and just a slightly crooked hair do. Now, however, the side pony is praised and rewarded with extra money!

I think that now the time is just right for this old favorite to make it's comeback!! I, for one, am pretty excited about it.

Finally it's acceptable to wear jean on jean!

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not condoning a full on denim tuxedo. You know who you are, it is not cute. But I am pretty darn excited that two of my favorite fashion magazines (InStyle and Glamour) have declared this month that it is finally ok to break the denim on top, jeans on the bottom barrier.

I've been rocking this look for a while, my distressed Rocawear jean jacket with my average Gap and G-Unit jeans. And though my friends gently mocked me throughout college, they agreed that though in concept they considered the look wrong I managed to pull it off. Or at least that's what they told me because I insisted on wearing it anyways.

But now I have two valued sources of fashion wisdom to back me up! This is still a high risk area for those who are not fashion savvy. However, the general rule is to mix up your denim. Don't go same rinse, same cut top to bottom. Mix boyfriend jeans with a cropped jacket, darks with faded. Wear jean on jean to your hearts content. I know I will be!

Who wears Short Shorts?

Essie has long been my favorite kind of nail polish . Not only does their nail polish go on more smoothly and bubble free than other brands, but they have a range of colors to fulfill any girls dreams (and match her wardrobe). They have about 20 different shades of red alone, and cute names for the colors to boot. And they always have the latest shade that you see in magazines before anyone else, like last summer's lemon yellow (Shorty Pants) and Rhianna green.

I came across my latest favorite in Ricky's. It's from neon collection, and its called Short Shorts.