A Few of My Favorite Things

Since there's already plenty of buzz about Holiday Party style, what to wear on New Year's Eve and keeping cozy this Winter, I'd like to share a few of my all-time favorite trends of 2012 instead of letting you know what to wear for your parties this coming week.... (Sequins and leather, duh!).

So in no particular order, here are a Few of My Favorite Things:

-Denim on Denim!!! I love this trend and it works all year round! It's easy, it's sharp and it's fresh. My rule is always lighter denim (chambray) on top, paired with darker denim on the bottom.  You can do so much with this smart duo; throw a chunky cardigan sweater over and a pair of suede wedge booties.  Or, use a leopard print skinny belt and a pair of colored pumps for a splash of bold with an otherwise neutral palette.  Oh and don't forget the key to this look- A bright red lip!!!!!

Images from Jcrew.com




-The Leather (Faux Leather) Legging: I'm absolutely loving substituting a leather legging (faux or otherwise) for your typical skinny jeans or black cotton leggings.  You can utilize this extremely versatile piece to dress up or dress down, but always look chick.   My rule of thumb when you wear a leather top or bottom: No leather immediately next to your 'showcase' piece.  So for example, if you wear a leather legging, wear a suede bootie or patent pump, but don't go with a leather boot or leather jacket.  I love a loosely fitting, billowy dolman-sleeve blouse over a black leather legging and suede booties.  To dress up these sassy pants, pair a beaded top and fitted blazer over a pair and a colored or patent pump.  Here's a couple of my favorite ways:

Image from: designmedailyblog.com



-Mixing Prints and Patterns! I know this seems like the most daunting of recent trends to achieve from within your own closet, but I can share a few tricks of the trade to make it somewhat easier: First, the clear combination of black, red and leopard is like Mixing 101! A key insight into pulling off this trend is to pair very opposing patterns- so instead of a plaid shirt and plaid pants, try polka dots and stripes or floral and stripes. Finally, adding a finishing touch like a necklace, scarf, belt or jacket in a color that ties the two differing pieces together perfects this trend and will have you looking like a true fashionista!

Image from: stuffetconline.wordpress.com

Hope you enjoyed A Few of My Favorite Things, happy holidays and happy dressing!!!! xoxo, WEWS

West End Wardrobe and Styling

Sequins of Events

It's that time of year again when your sequined skirts, tanks and dresses have made their way to the forefront of your closets and are being considered each time you get ready for or think about your next festive party.  Well, I'm here to challenge the concept that sequins are only for your big New Year's Eve party or that holiday event where you can dress a little funkier.  Sequins are all the rage and I'm loving the idea of incorporating a piece here and there to add a little sparkle and interest to your daytime outfits! Here's a few of my faves:

First, a JCrew sweater with sequins- this can be worn so many ways- with a pencil skirt, tights and boots or for a more casual look I'm obsessed with layering it over a chambray and skinnie jeans or cords, as shown below:


Next, a sequined skirt, but not your run-of-the-mill black sequined mini; this one can totally be worn for day time with a silk cami and blazer, tights and boots and an oversized sweater! Pick this one up at Express for $60!!!

Lastly, a small pop of sparkle and cheer that you can wear every day this winter! We all love giving to those in need and what's better than philanthropy AND fashion?! The Tom's Sequins Slip-on achieves just that! Wear these with dark denim skinnies and a black crewneck sweater:




Images from JCrew, Express, Nordstrom.com

So, now's the time to have more fun during the holidays this year and add a little dazzle and shine to your everyday outfits! xoxoxoxox, WEWS

West End Wardrobe & Styling




Pens and Pencils

Now that school is back in session, I've been thinking about pencils...skirts, that is!  Pencil skirts are the new black and I have seen so many fabulous ways to wear them.  I don't know if it was the Mad Men influence (I just finally started watching and am obsessed) or that the 50's is just the next decade in the recycled trend rotation, but whatever the reason, this timeless piece gets a big vote of confidence from me!

The great thing about a pencil skirt is that it's a very flattering item that anyone can wear. Below are a few ways that I've seen it work:
1. The leather pencil skirt: Leather is ALSO the new black this season, shown on everything! The great thing about adding tights and a mary jane platform is you can wear this look to work or out for the night.  A printed blouse and blazer make it perfect for the office and a dark, drapey top with a dolman sleeve and a pair of ankle boots dress it up for a night out!



2. The multi-colored, wool pencil skirt: Definitely a nod to Mad Men- wearing this kind of skirt can make a plain, black outfit come to life. Try it with a merino wool turtleneck and opaque tights.


3. The textured mini pencil: This skirt is youthful but is really versatile.  To make it work during the day, throw an oversized sweater and slouchy boots.  For evening, try a beaded, boxy top and sassy pumps!

All images from Nordstrom.com

Now that you've dotted your I's and crossed your T's, go out and find yourself the perfect pencil!
xoxo, WEWS

West End Wardrobe and Styling

Loafin' Around

I can very happily report that making the switch from a Corporate Road Warrior to Fabulous, on-the-go and on-my-feet Personal Stylist has an been easy transition on my psyche and my schedule... The two areas that it's been the most difficult? My left foot and my right foot!  I've quickly learned that I'm just not a 'Carrie Bradshaw' who can stand in heels all day long.  But never fear, I've taken full advantage of my new career at Nordstrom and its employee discount to invest in my new fave item- the Loafer!

I just recently went through and cleaned out my shoes and discovered two pairs of soooooo not-cute, brown and black "work shoes" that I bought in '84 (ok, I'm slightly exaggerating) but that were so horribly unfashionable, I can't even articulate their design.  This is not the type of loafer that I'm discussing here.  The type of loafer I'm talking about is the new "work shoe" loafer, showing up everywhere for Fall!  They come in Fur, in Brights, with Studs and Spikes (it rhymes!) in Prints, in Skins, with heels thick or thin.  It's the PERFECT solution to wanting a comfortable shoe that adds a pop of something chic to an ordinary outfit.  See below for my personal bests:


First, I'm LOVING the animal print thing... If you prefer to wear black with black, please for the love of god, consider this instead of a black shoe!!! Leopard print like this goes with denim, red, grey, black, any solid color and looks good with those new, colored skinny jeans!  For those of you fur-conscious, most of the ones I've seen and own are faux! :)



The cool thing about this Sam Edelman loafer is that it totally succeeds at mixing soft with edgy.  The blush leather is very feminine and goes great with black, but also with earth-tones and greys, while the metal toe adds some spunk and some sass to announce your stylish arrival with that first step through the door!


All images and shoes from Nordstrom.com

Finally, this carmel colored leather loafer with tassles is the perfect upgrade from your old brown flat.  This color really goes with so much: navy, browns, black, and true, Fall colors.  The hardware at the toe gives it just a little bit more hipness!

You and your feet will thank me for this one! xoxo, WEWS

West End Wardrobe and Styling

My Fashion Family Photo Album

Over the years, as my fashion and styling endeavors have grown, I have been fortunate to cross paths (and become friends) with many, many talented artists, designers and small business owners.  Tonight, I thought I'd showcase a few of my fave women and their creations.  Let me provide a disclaimer: Lily, my trusty (and stylish) sidekick, loves to be included in my ego-blog pics, so you may see her from time to time in these.

The first member of my fashion family is Whitney, owner of Lingeshoes.com.  Her unique concept of adding a twist to the traditional ballet slipper by offering them in a wide selection of on-trend, bright colors was an immediate must have for me! Below are two of my favorite ways to wear these delicate yet totally cool flats:

The perfect way to joojsh up a casual, mono-chromatic outfit! Love my red ones!

Perfect with a boyfriend jean, white tee and blazer, adding a touch of femininity!

Next, I must talk about my fashion family member, Katie May, who's exquisitely designed clothing can be found on her website by the same name, katiemay.net.

See below for some fun ways to wear one of my favorite pieces, the Betty Blouse.  The pictures don't do it justice, but you'll get the idea!

Here, I'm wearing this beautiful soft grey silk blouse with a pin-tuck neckline with high-waisted cords and a nubby, drapey sweater vest- great for work or a daytime excursion!

And here, I'm ready for a night out on the town, wearing my brand new crocheted, *going out shorts* and patent leather heels.

Finally, I must include the designer, artist and owner of Talon NYC, www.talonnyc.com and one of my best friends, Emily.  Emily creates unique, delicate and wonderfully wearable jewelry, including her signature amulette necklace; a small, hand-made vile filled with a beautiful customed-blended scent that can be dabbed on the body, using the amulette's own cork stopper... Visit Emily's beautiful website and check out the simply-stated yet wonderfully interesting pieces pictured below.
 
Images from talonnyc.com

Happy "photo-shopping", XOXO WEWS

West End Wardrobe and Styling

It's Not So Scary!

As most of you know, I've saturated my blog posts with praise for brightly-colored fashion and much of my Spring/Summer obsessions revolve around wearing neon, pairing brights together or accessorizing with a pop of color.  Well today I thought I'd write about one of my other favorite things in fashion for a change: Skulls!!!!  Who knew this little lady was so edgy, you ask? Oh yes, I have quite the rock and roller side and a more than vague idea of when and where I fell in love with skulls- about the same time I fell in love with a very tattooed, skull-loving ex-boyfriend! Well, it's the truth, what can I say.

However in direct contrast to me, many women with even an ounce of femininity to their name, veered far away from anything with a skull on it, (including *warning, warning- the tattooed, skull-loving men*) not to mention paying for something with such a sinister symbol.  Well fear no more, my delicate flowers, because skulls are IN and they come in a variety of wearable and feminine styles!!

Behold below, my favorite new version of the skull necklace.  This one is by Dogeared, can be found at Nordys for $52, or in gold, for $62.  Notice the eyes are hearts!!! Who could be scared of that?



Next we have one of my other favorite ways to make skulls non-threatening and totally wearable- the scarf!
Who doesn't love a black and white print scarf to throw over a drab t-shirt and jeans? This is a very cute- with a slight edge- skull-loving statement piece.  This one below can also be found at nordstrom.com for only $36!



Now for a real treat.... a beautifully designed and detailed suede pump, by the late, ever-so-talented Alexander McQueen.  This last example is more to highlight the successful juxtaposition of soft- with the lines and suede- and edgy- with a jeweled skull embellishment.  This particular pair of powerful pumps will cost you a pretty (and edgy) penny; but never fear, this trend is major so be on the lookout for ballet flats, purse closures, belt buckles and the like, all with this type of embellishment. 


All Images from Nordstrom.com

Now go find yourself a pretty little skull and get trendy!!!!!!! XOXO, WEWS

West End Wardrobe and Styling

The Short List

It's that time of year when we pull out our Rubbermaid bins from under our beds or from the depths of our closets to retreive our small but carefully chosen collection of shorts.  The slouchy jean short- hip with a sexy silk tank and grecian style sandals, a linen pair for work or a summery luncheon, and a smattering of colorful and varying length canvas shorts from a go-to cotton vendor, like J. Crew or Banana. Particularly love the chambray shirt paired with a colorful walking short!

Image from JCrew.com

But for Spring/Summer 2012 a new style of shorts is all over the fashion mags and in the stores: The Go-Out Short! I for one, am loving it! Last weekend on a quick trip to New York City to visit my brother, I saw a couple different options that I think can translate very well to a dinner and drinks look and even a dressier option.  See below for my inspiration:

This is the perfect way to wear a silk, go-out short: with a great pair of heels, a simple silk cami and fitted blazer.  Embellishing the look with great earrings is all you need to change up a typical Saturday night's dinner outfit. 

Here's another way to wear a go-out short.  Here, the sequins really dress up the look, you can wear hose, patent leather pumps and a fancy top to stand out in a crowd!

Don't get your shorts in bunch! xoxo, WEWS

I Do's & I Don'ts...

This coming weekend, I will once again walk down the aisle.....as a bridesmaid!  This is definitely not my first nuptial rodeo (nupdeo?) and while I could film the sequel to "27 Dresses" from my own closet or write a best-selling 'How To' book on 'Managing Your Bridezilla', I'm undoubtedly eager and excited to celebrate my two friends' commitment as they express their eternal love to each other this Saturday.

But enough mushiness, let's get down to business- the business of fashion.  Since I never miss an opportunity to discreetly size up the style of guests that attend celebratory events- a wedding being no exception- I have begun to amass a list of Fashion Do's and Don't's for these vary occasions.

The number 1 rule to abide by, as a woman, who is attending a wedding but not as either the bride, or the groom, in some cases, is to NOT wear white.  Let's be honest, the marriage is about the couple, the wedding is about the beautiful bride!  Frankly most of today's brides shouldn't technically be wearing white either, but throw them a bone- it's their day!!!


While Pippa was only doing her maid of honor's duty and wearing what the bride requested, it would have been more appropriate if her dress was a blush, champagne or mauve.  Let's not forget what was most remembered from the Royal Wedding-  Pippa's tush as she walked up the aisle herself!

The next fashion don't is to NOT wear an inappropriately short dress if you are above the age of 45.  If you think back to the last wedding or fancy bar mitzvah you attended, wasn't there at least one crazy, party-animal of a 60+ year old woman, dancing so violently you could see her spanks.... I mean the top of them??!!  No one wants or needs to see that at a wedding or a bar mitzvah for that matter! We're celebrating young love and entrance into adulthood, not silver puma slut night! Jeez.

Finally, the best fashion DO that you can do at the "I Do's" is to wear something classy, something fun that reaches to at least the knee.  You'll look appropriate, stylish and be comfortable enough to do some serious dancing!


Image from: Instyle.com

Happy Wedding Season, xoxoxo, WEWS

West End Wardrobe and Styling

To Buy or Not To Buy

This tale begins with a new, bigger and better Nordstrom Rack that recently opened in downtown Seattle.  Obviously, for field research sake, I had to make a maiden pilgrimage to the new location during the week of its' grand opening.  As expected, it was a mob scene- which is not my bag when it comes to shopping- but I quickly skimmed the designer racks and found that this new location had by far the largest selection of discounted bridge and designer lines in all the land.  This 40' x 40' basement balagan (cluster f**k in hebrew) instantly became my new mecca.

On one of my most recent shopping missions, I came upon some particularly sacred designer finds.  While they were nestled safely among the rubble that is the heavily discounted retail nightmare, they were still designer pieces, marked down from ungodly high prices.  This begs the question: to buy or not to buy.

I fortuitously recorded these holy discoveries to showcase to my readers and fellow Clothing Connoisseurs and Collectors the conundrum that we have when we come across something so special and marked down, but still very expensive.

Item #1: An Herve Leger bandage cocktail dress in a beautiful sapphire blue:

 So, the specs on this dress are that it was priced at $1350 at Nordstrom, marked down a few times at the mainline store, before being banished to the Rack, where it was further marked down to $429, taking it to 32% of it's original price.  To buy or not to buy? Oh I bought! My reasoning is that it fits me perfectly, it's a stunning color, it's extremely flattering and it can be worn with a blazer, with a leather jacket or makes quite the statement on its own.

Next item: A Dolce & Gabbana (not D&G, the maker's less expensive line) sheath dress in a beautiful floral print:

 The rundown on this little diamond in the rough is that it was originally priced at $1845- yes, there's a one in front of that eight- again passed over by the naive, Nordstrom minions, making its' way to the Rack where it was also marked down by 68% to $589.  To Buy or Not To Buy?  I haaaaaaaad to, it was so cute on!!! Whoops.  The truth is that it reminded me of something that a real housewife of Dallas would wear but with an ironic edge to it.  Like the Herve, was my exact size, I have nothing like it and its perfect for a luncheon, a shower of some kind, a garden party or worn with a sexy heel for evening.  The truth is I may end up returning it (that's why we love Nordstrom) but I just feel the need to channel my GCB for a week or so, in front of my bedroom mirror!

We've come to the last of the sacred findings- a real, live Valentino silk and cashmere dress in one of my favorite colors of the year, blush.

This gift from the gods was hanging on an end cap of a random rack, out of place, but looking just angelic as it called to me.  I took one look at it and felt the tan hands of Mr. Valentino himself, coaxing me try it on.  It was one of those moments when I didn't even look at the tag to see the size or the price, but rather felt that it was such a unique piece, unscathed by the war-torn environment its no doubt suffered in, just to show up as a not-so-humble offering to this devout believer.  I saved it for last, trying it on with both excitement and intrepidation and Lo! it fit like a glove.  The details, the fabric, the color were perfection.  The price tag surfaced and it seemed to be glowing.  The first thing I saw was that it was marked down by 80% of its' original price...Hallelujah.  The next thing I saw was that the original price was $3400...god dangit.  Ironically, the fact that it was so expensive to begin with almost made me feel like I had to have it even more! So then I took this picture of it and noticed that the seam around the middle, where the silk skirt met the cashmere sweater was pulling, causing what looked like a broken seam.  Alas, at $700, I couldn't justify the purchase.  I can only pray that down the road, I may stumble upon something else as lovely as this Valentino dress.

The moral of this tale is when you are bargain hunting stick to a few fundamentals: 1) The item should always be YOUR size. Don't settle on something a little too big, just because it's a great find...unless its a ridiculously amazing find that you could easily tailor to fit. :)  Also, you should always have in mind where you would wear the piece and if it's really expensive, figure out multiple events or occasions that you could wear it.  Finally, take it home, play around with styling it and sleep on it- not in it!  You can always return it if it's from ye ol' Nordys.  Amen.

xoxo, WEWS

Nailing Neon

Even if you've only seen a few of my blogs, you've likely read about my undying support of bright, Spring colors and even the iconic 80's trend of Neon.  Well, today is no different!.  As a slight departure however, I want to share my newest, neon beauty obsession: Neon nail polish!

This is the perfect solution if you are color-shy but want to just experiment, just a little bit!  I went a little cray-cray last weekend when I went in for my mani/pedi and came out 50 minutes later with shocking pink toes AND neon orange nails! For the past few days, I've been able to wear simple clothes; black leggings, my fave white tee and a chambray shirt, but have gotten tons of compliments on my 20 electric digits.  For one thing, it makes my skin look super tan and when I look down and catch the shock of the color, for a split second I'm transported to a beach vacation and I smile just a little longer.

Had to share my tootsies:


Here are a few other images that I think do it right:

Image from celebritystylefashions.blogspot.com

Really, any electric color works for this Spring and Summer.  Because this beauty statement is so edgy, you can really pair your shocking manicure with any outfit.  Work, play, daytime or evening- it all works!

Image from beautylish.com

In contrast to the celebs in the first pic, in the above image the woman is dressed relatively simply with what looks like a black and white print dress, khaki trench and some mixed bangles (love).  She added her edgy flare with neon pink polish.  Go Girl!

Girls Night Out at Road Runner Sports

Normally I blog about style, fashion tips and the hottest trends.  Tonight I thought I'd let you know about an upcoming event (one in Bellevue and one in Seattle) this week.

Road Runner Sports is doing a Girls Night Out event on Wednesday the 28th, in the Bellevue location and the next evening at the Greenlake location, in Seattle! Come check out the store and all the vendors participating.  There will be raffles- including an hour with my in your closet- bra fittings, Stella and Dot and more!

http://events.seattlepi.com/seattle_wa/events/show/246007405-fit-fabulous-girls-night-out-seattle

Your Right to Shoes!

A few months ago I wrote about how I had found new liberation in wearing high heels, after breaking up with a vertically challenged jackwad.  Well once I opened this pandora's shoebox, I have become increasing infatuated with all things heels; platforms, wedges, suede, leather and of course, color!  Fortunately for me (unfortunately for my bank account) now is the perfect time to indulge in fantastic footwear.  A few of my favorites are as follows:

 
Images from Aldoshoes.com

The Printed Pump!! I'm loving the floral prints we're seeing as a huge Spring trend and so why not rock a pair of brightly patterned pumps?  I say wear these with floral printed dressed or silk blouses, or make it the punctuation to a simple, sleek black and white outfit.


The color-blocked sandal!! I love that this shoe will go with almost anything because it's primarily a nude color, but the fun little burst of color adds something exciting.  This type of shoe should be worn with maxi dresses, a chambray shirt and tailored shorts and nautical pieces.

One of my personal favorites and newly purchased pair, the suede wedge!! You may be blinded looking directly at this picture, but when paired with a soft and flowy silk dress or great black cocktail dress, this bright blue pop of color on the feet add that zing that says, "Oh yah, I'm real good." 

Happy shoe hunting, friends!!! xoxo, WEWS

Get Glammed for Work!

One of my best friends, Erin, works for a well-known, Seattle-based coffee company, in marketing.  The reason that I'm writing about her today is that I truly admire her ambitious morning routine.  She wakes up at the crack of dawn to work out, then comes home to change into not just any professional black slacks and a twin set outfit for work, but an actual fashion-y, put together look.  She still manages to get to her office by 8:30am! Corporate Rock Star!

Here's an example of one of her very stylish outfits that she'll wear on any given weekday:

She has a way of making her very stylish look seem effortless.  She's not gone to great lengths to try to get it just right, she just does! Love the red pants and the leopard print belt accent!

With much more time on my hands, I have been known to go the extra mile to glam up a conventional work outfit, with some color, nifty shoes or great accessories.  Here's a recent cobalt skinnies, silk blouse and blazer look with a dash of fun, using a green leather belt instead of just black!

The moral of this story is, take a few extra minutes in the morning, and "joojsh" up your office look to still reflect some of the style you incorporate into your personal style, when you're not on the clock!

xoxo, WEWS

Turning Oscar Style into Reality

It's always amazed me how designers like Allen Schwartz (ABS) turn around knock-off Oscar dresses the day after the show! I LOVE watching how celebs and their stylists interpret fashion, form and accessorizing. Here's a look at a few of the winning dresses and my humble opinion on how to replicate the glamour.

While I don't love the way the top of this dress fits Sandra, the jeweled belt and black skirt can be workable. Find a short-sleeved silk blouse and a separate satin or velvet maxi skirt and then go down to the scarf department and find a jeweled silk scarf that you can wrap and tie to the side, mimicking this look.


The gown may not be my first choice, but what struck me is the blazer that goes with the dress. I think you can really get mileage out of wearing a black, satin, well-fitted blazer over most any dress, especially a gold, silver, red or royal blue color. H & M, Forever 21 and perhaps Banana Republic's evening line, Monogram, may sell black satin blazers that should have a little flare like Glenn Close's does below.  Look for double breasted or shawl collar and maybe a rhinestone buttons on the sleeve.



I feel very strongly that any woman with any figure can wear a swirly, sparkly, sequins pattern to an evening event. My thought on how to make this look "wearable" is to find  something with a bold, sequined pattern but with less fabric! I would tell Jen the same thing- making this into a strapless dress or hemming it to just below the knee would make this a beautiful, glamorous look for a special event.

All images from MSN Wonderwall

xoxo, WEWS

My Interview w/ Molly Mesnick!

I was lucky enough to get a few minutes with Molly Mesnick (contestant and now wife of The Bachelor's, Jason Mesnick) to find out how this do-it-all gal manages to always be stylish but sticks to what's true for her. Find out more about her fashion inspiration, personal style and more!

SF: How would you describe your own personal style?

MM: I would say that I dress “in the now”. I’ve never been the trend setter; rather I follow what is “hot right now”. I try to stay up to speed on what is relevant in the fashion community and bring new pieces into my wardrobe accordingly!

SF: Where do you find inspiration for your fashion preferences:

 MM: I am scouring the internet all day long! I love looking at fashion blogs, shopping sites, and even Pinterest for new fashion ideas. Then I’ll hop on my favorite shopping sites to re-create the look…at a more affordable price ;)

SF: What Spring trends are you looking forward to trying out?

MM: Brights!!!! I love bringing color into my wardrobe to offset all of the black and white, and this spring’s neon trend is my favorite!! I just got bright coral manicure this week…which I guess is my way of hoping the spring weather is coming soon! Here’s to hoping!

SF: How have you found fashion in Seattle vs. when you are/were working/living/filming in LA?

MM: Seattle“Fashion” is quite different from anywhere I’ve ever been. From what I’ve experienced, it’s a very casual city. I remember one of the first times I went out with friends here. I wore, what I considered, a cute & casual sundress. I was the most over-dressed person in the place by a long shot, but I’ll never let that stop me from dressing up.

SF: Where can we find more fashion insight from you? (your time to plug!!!) :)

MM: I have my own lifestyle blog, Reality Through My Eyes, where I feature my favorite “looks” as well as my favorite websites to pick up the latest trends! www.mollymesnick.com

Dedicated to Duds

Some of you may have seen the post I recently put on my facebook page about 95 year old Fashionista and Socialite, Zelda Kaplan, dying in the front row of a fashion show.  I think all of us, upon hearing about her death, sighed, but celebrated the inspiring irony that she was so dedicated to fashion, she literally was there until the very end.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46413570

While I am just as much of a fashion enthusiast as the next gal, I don't know that I'd have it in me to make it the front row just minutes before the lights went out for good.... or maybe I would...

Regardless of my continual devotion to the quest to always be stylish, I decided to consider those moments when I just can't make the effort to look fabulous.  Now that I've started a personal styling business, I admit that I feel more pressure to look great even when I'm just making a quick trip to the store. Sometimes I just don't have the energy to put make up on, or wear shoes with a heel, or accessorize from head-to-toe.  So I've put together a little list of short-cuts for those times I just can't muster fabulousness:

1) No matter how you feel, don't wear your 'grubby sweats' to do errands. If you really feel that crummy, don't go out! Instead put on your Juicy's and a scarf, or my go-to, leggings, Uggs and an oversized sweater:


2) Even if you can't bear to put on make-up to go out in public, slap on some lipstick while you're driving to your first errand!  I use bright red or pink, to maybe over-state the fact I have nothing else on my face, it's kind of like a big SO WHAT to our vain society!

3) Headwear: A beanie, a fedora or- in a real pinch- a baseball cap gives you some anonymity, while also keeping up with current trends.

These are my tips for keeping it together even when you don't feel like it! Here's to fashion, in all its shapes and forms and here's to Zelda Kaplan, who lived life to its fullest and left us as classily as she dressed.
XOXO, WEWS

Stud Finder

I hadn't really been out all week, so I was looking foward to making a splash with my Friday-night- dinner-and-drinks outfit last night.  I decided on a relatively simple, monochromatic look: high waisted skinnies, black blazer with sculpted shoulders and my go-to grey scarf.  I decided that since I was down playing colors, I would sass up my outfit with a bold accessory.  Taking a cue from New York Fashion Week's native-american inspired jewelry collections, I chose a pair of large hoop earrings with beaded fringe. PS they were $4.80 from F21. Oh yah. This was however, a slight departure for me, since I typically wear my diamond studs everywhere, with everything.  But as you can see below, I was feelin' it!

Not three minutes into my drive downtown, I noticed a strange pulling feeling at my ears, then a slight throbbing sensation began to emerge.  As I focused more and more on the isolated annoyance coming from both ear lobes, the more uncomfortable it became.  With a swift flicking motion, both earrings were off and tossed angrily onto the passenger side seat, seeing the light of day for but a brief twelve minutes.  It was a bittersweet moment as the annoying throbbing feeling immediately went away but the realization of my fashion faux-pas set in: I had NO earrings to complete my outfit, no punch of color or texture which characteristically marks my style.  I was effectively stylishly boring....gasp!

The moral of this story isn't to avoid taking fashion risks for the sake of being fashionably idle, but it DOES point to the importance of picking your accessorizing statements carefully!  Choose wisely when investing in unfamiliar fashion territory.  Ask yourself, will you be physically comfortable wearing this? Is there a better option that achieves the same look?  And finally- a lesson that I could certainly benefit from- just because it's $4.80, doesn't necessarily mean it's worth buying.

For this post, I've chosen to showcase some fashionable and functional jewelry:

First, these adorably quirky Turtle studs, $38 from JCrew

Also from JCrew, these Sparrow studs, $25, which give a little pop of color, without weighing down your ear lobes:

Finally, a necklace which uses ribbon or rope instead of a metal chain and flowers and adornments made from yarn or pieces of leather, like Marni has done so well for years:

Happy and healthy stud finding,

XOXO, WEWS