TO THE MAXI//

Truth be told, I am not a huge fan of spring.  I have terrible allergies, people start acting weird and overly excitable in spring, and the fashion is not my favorite - I naturally lean more towards muted colors, prefer boots to sandals, and fabrics like chiffon and silk make me nervous.  However, there is one piece of clothing that I cannot seem to get enough of this season - the maxi skirt. There is something so chic and versatile about these long skirts; I have been pairing them with everything from basic t-shirts, to fur, to over sized blouses. One word of warning: this silhouette can fall into a "bad 90's" category (think body hugging, heavy cotton, elastic waist).  As long as the skirt has movement and is in a light fabric, it is chic and versatile. I think this length is a new wardrobe staple.

 Rag and Bone skirt, Isabel Marant top, Celine bag, Lanvin sandals, Pamela Love bracelet and necklace.

 Rag and Bone skirt, Isabel Marant fur vest, Celine box bag, Anndra Neen and Pamela Love bracelets, Dries Van Noten shoes.

 Helmut Lang skirt, Vince top, Pamela Love and Anndra Neen jewelry, Alexander Wang shoes.

All photos by Teresa Rafidi

CUFFED//

Recently, I am very into rolling all my pants - straight leg, tapered, loose, tight, whatever.  There is something playful and unexpected about a rolled hem. It also helps show off a great shoe which is an added benefit. I especially love a rolled hem with booties and wedges.  There is something chic and sexy about that peek-a-boo of ankle between the pants and shoes.  And I love the lux sneaker with rolled leggings - so wrong it's right!

 from top: Etoile Isabel Marant jeans and Isabel Marant studded booties; Etoile Isabel Marant jeans and Alexander Wang leopard wedges; The Row leggings and Isabel Marant Perkins sneakers

RANDOM SNOW DAY THOUGHTS//

I have been trapped in my house for a while now - on top of the ice and snow that has pummeled Dallas, I have a 9 week old baby at home.  Getting out requires a great deal more preparation these days and being "fashionable" is not as easy as it used to be. I have managed to make some great purchases (unfortunately they are stuck in shipping with this weather so I'll have to show you those later!) and I have found some inspiration to get me back on the fashion wagon.

Thierry Colson is a stylist turned designer and his spring collection is a fresh turn from the austere and minimalist looks of fall.  The looks are casual but romantic and so chic.  I especially like the maxi caftan style dresses and Italian shirting stripes in rich yet wearable colors.

 Brood is a new label by Serkan Sarier that I absolutely love.  It takes high fashion to a functional level combining the finest materials and craftsmanship with a sporty, utilitarian feel.  The beauty of it is in its complicated simplicity.

 I don't talk makeup very often but lately, I have been looking for things to help my overall tired look.  I love Chanel - there is something just plain fun about buying fancy makeup and this eyeshadow palette is a dream.  It is the ombres perlees de Chanel and it has managed to brighten up my tired eyes.  The colors go on soft with a pearly metallic glow.  

 I hate my hair because it has a cotton candy texture and is a tad frizzy. I want silky, thick, easy to manage hair so you can imagine how thrilled I was to read that matte, lived-in textured hair was in.  I have to admit I love these looks - there is nothing quite as modern and chic as hair that looks a bit messy and undone. Maybe there is hope for my unfortunate hair after all.

HO, HO, HOLIDAYS//

Well, it's the holiday season again and the crimes against fashion are rampant.  Every year, it shocks me; seeing people dressed like our friends above.  While it is hard to tell if these two lovebirds are being ironic or not, more often than not, the folks roaming around town dressed in their finest holiday sweaters and matching socks are just exploding with Christmas joy and the rest of us are left traumatized.  Dear clients and readers, please do not fall into this unforgivable trap this season.  Obviously, if you own any clothing Christmas themed that sparkles, burn it now.  Holiday fashion crimes reach beyond the dreaded sweater and sock set.  This time of year, there are a lot of parties and gatherings to attend and there are lots of ways to go wrong.  Wearing red to a holiday party is a little too obvious.  And trying to be shinier than the tree is a competition you will surely lose.  As a rule, mini length dresses that are too form fitting are what Hugh Hefner's bunnies wear at The Mansion, not what chic, sophisticated, modern women wear to celebrate with friends and family.  I think you get my point.
In general, there are two categories of holiday attire - the dress and the pants.  There are many ways to interpret these and some are more appropriate for holiday occasions than others.  I would dress myself and my clients in any of these looks - they are clean, chic, and fun without a hint of irony.  Happy party-going!

Antonio Berardi, Phillip Lim, Antonio Berardi

 The black dress always works.  Choices like this (velvet, lace, and small details) keep the black cocktail dress from being boring.  I love the Phillip Lim look with the white blazer and tan booties.  Mixing shapes and textures is always chic.

Jeremy Laing, Maria Cornejo, Dries Van Noten

 This is the kind of print you should go for as opposed to reindeer and Christmas trees! The colors here are vibrant but wearable.  These are three different looks but each one is chic and fun and perfect for a holiday party.  Because of the prints, these looks require little extra embellishment (have fun with the shoes instead).  I adore the maxi length - it adds a little edge and drama.

Prabal Gurung, Roland Mouret

A metallic cocktail dress is a great choice for many occasions, but for holiday it is especially appropriate.  The draping detail and colors here are gorgeous and chic.  Metallics can often look cheap - the colors must be muted and the material must be quality.  This Roland Mouret dress is perfection - the nude color leaves room for texture and other details the way most colors don't (except black).  Ah, the neckline and belt - greatness.  If you experiment with nudes, look for details like this.

Diane von Furstenburg, Isabel Marant

Depending on how you wear them, pants are always a modern and sophisticated alternative to a dress.  I personally prefer pants because they are more versatile and comfortable.  These looks achieve an effortless ease (note: I would remove the hat on the DVF look) but they are fun and party appropriate.  The embellishments here make the outfits - the jacket and the sequins give these looks life.  Don't knock sequins (especially pants!) until you try them - so hot!

Marc Jacobs, Dries Van Noten

Ok. These two looks make me drool. There is nothing chicer than the muted gray palette of Marc Jacobs with the loose trouser and the fur embellishment.  To pull off a muted palette like this, you must have a textured piece like the jacket and the silhouette of this pant works on everyone.  The way the Dries look mixes patterns is perfection - floral blazer with metallic detailed pant in a slouchy/narrow cut.  The print of the blazer give it femininity and the shine on the pants compliments that without competing.  This is menswear with a feminine edge and is perfect for parties.


photos from style.com

"IT'S A LOOK"//

Everyone has a "look" whether they know it or not.  Your "look" is defined by the personality of your appearance - the tendencies you have in regards to what you wear, how you style yourself, and how "accessories" like hair, makeup, posture, etc. accompany your clothing choices.  I often find, when I am working with my clients to pick out new pieces for their wardrobes, that I use the term "it's a look" when I am trying to get them to think outside their all-too-comfortable box.  Just the other day, I was shopping with a male client and I took him to Billy Reid (http://www.billyreid.com/).  I had introduced this to him previously, and while he thought a lot of it was "cool", it was clearly a departure from his usual shopping experience.  While perusing, I suggested somethings that got a silent, cocked head response.  I wanted to say "Come on, this is fabulous and cool and totally wearable!!" but instead I simply said, "Well, it is a look!" to which he agreed and then conceded that it was really great but maybe not right for him.  I love that moment because it opens up a conversation.  If I am doing my job, at the end of the conversation, I have at least convinced my clients to try something.  Once they feel the fabric, try these pieces on, and get some guidance, a new door opens up and they begin to see their wardrobes and selves from a new and more empowered perspective.  
Building a look takes time and thought, and frankly, can go horribly wrong.  Think Jersey Shore (GTL - "good to laugh" at), Cher (tall and thin and famous or not, it's just never worked), or the "busy mom" (either trying to stay hip and trendy and ending up looking like their teenage daughers or not trying at all and looking 10 years out of date).  The "looks" that have the longest shelf-lives and feel the most authentic and chic are ones that are totally symbiotic with their inhabitants. 
The goal is to find your "look" but not get stuck in it.  I would call my personal "look" slightly tailored, effortless and street conscious, slightly edgy with a high-low sensibility and attention to detail.  Depending on the season, point in my life, etc. I might change up the layers of the look, but the core always stays the same.  I always stay true to myself but remain creative.  That, to me, is the pilar of style. 

from left: from Sartorialist; Anna Dello Russo; Mary Kate Olsen; Karl Lagerfeld

 

from left: Katharine Hepburn; Kate Lanphear; from Sartorialist; Erin Wasson

From actors to stylists to designers to models to everyday people, these people embody a look that is authentic and speaks to the power of embodying your fashion choices.  Each one feels effortless yet thoughtful and each oozes with personality.  By looking at these people, you know something about them without knowing them at all.  It's a beautiful thing when something as simple and seemingly superficial as clothing can communicate one's identity. 

YOU ARE WHAT YOU READ//

One of my favorite things to do is read magazines - specifically magazines about style, fashion, and design. All magazines, however, are not made equal.  Standing in line at the grocery store there are the likes of US Weekly, People, Cosmo, etc. and all of these are complete crap (which is part of their appeal).  But if you are looking at these for fashion tips, look again.  These publications show a variety of celebs in shots ranging from movie premiers to "everyday life" and most of the time, they look like crap.  Demi Moore and the like have stylists (ahem Rachel Zoe) and the Paris Hilton types are rich idiots dressed up like stripper Barbie.  Any way you look at it, the images in these magazines are not ones to aspire to or compare oneself to.  Point and laugh at the plastic surgery, borderline eating disorders, veneers, and overly produced looks and walk away.
Moving up the ladder of sustenance are magazines devoted strictly to fashion - Vogue, Elle, Bazaar.  There are talented folks working at these publications and in order to stay on top of what's new in fashion and style reading these magazines is a must.  Experts such as Sally Singer (Vogue) and Kate Lamphear (Elle) and of course the queen of all things fashion Anna Wintour are behind these publications and they have found a way to bring the guts of the fashion world to the masses.  They are a little celebrity heavy (hey, it sells!) and trying to interpret the looks on the models runways is hard.  But looking at these magazines can help you begin to understand what to fill your closet with and how to style them.  I personally tear pages out that "speak" to me and save them for inspiration.
The most "nutritious" magazines are the ones that incorporate style, fashion, art, and design while keeping the focus off celebs and all the mainstream trends that over saturate popular media.  These magazines focus on people whose everyday lives are stylish, they aren't necessarily famous or drop dead gorgeous but they are far more interesting because they understand that fashion doesn't exist in a vacuum but that it intersects with all elements of our culture: art, music, economics, design, etc.  In this way, fashion becomes more than just clothes and shoes but part of our cultural makeup that everyone participates in (whether they realize it or not).  Whether you shop at TJ Maxx or Bergdorf Goodman or any variation in between, you are participating in "fashion".  Doesn't it make sense to participate in an educated and empowering way??  

From left: French Vogue editor in chief Carine Roitfeld is possibly one of the most stylish and chic women in the world.  While I love American Vogue (all hail Anna and Grace) there is something magical about its French equivalent.  I can't really read any of it but looking at the images is like entering a fantasy world.  I think getting a European perspective on fashion and style is really important (plus the French know style like no one else).  Seeing the differences between the French and American interpretation of trends and style opens up a new avenue for creativity in your own wardrobe. 
Industrie is a magazine published in the UK and they claim to be "The world's first culture of fashion magazine".  With thick, non-glossy paper and oversized images and print, it feels like a cool newspaper and truly touches the culture of fashion in a global way.  The fashion spreads feel like art, not a ploy to sell you something. 
Love is my favorite of the bunch.  It is the brainchild of uber stylist and fashion powerhouse Katie Grand.  This too is published in the UK and only comes out twice a year (thank God I have a great friend in London who sends them to me!).  It is a very photography led magazine (the best and most creative photographers have free reign here) and although it focuses heavily on the "ins" of the fashion industry, it is quite accessible and fun (there is a quite a bit of nudity!) and fashion is integrated into every story and the context of each subject, just as it should be.

 From left: V Magazine is an in-your-face approach to fashion journalism.  You aren't going to find lengthy stories written about trends or people, mostly just larger than life photographs that tell a specific, and sometimes controversial, narrative.  Nudity is splashed here and there and fashion seeps into every angle from art to personality profiles to music.
i-D Magazine is yet another gem printed in the UK and has a unique perspective on all things stylish with it's tongue in cheek attitude and collage-like layout.  There are a lot of great interviews with folks from all walks of style (some you've never heard of but end up being really interesting) and when you are finished perusing this publication, you feel like you have been to a party with people so cool it feels illegal.  
W Magazine is the "who, what, where, when, and why in the world of style".  While this "slogan" is a bit cliche, it is true.  Recently, W got a new editor, Stephano Tonchi and it has a new direction and feel (good and bad).  This is now the kind of magazine you have to be prepared to read, it is very article heavy, but the writing is quite good and and the fashion photography is still some of the best.  Having Kim Kardashian on the November 2010 cover is a bit off-putting but spreads on artists like Barbara Kruger make up for it.  Again, the way Tonchi focuses on style as opposed to fashion is refreshing and makes W a more "intellectual" pursuit than most.

WWW.//

For someone who loves to shop, I hate shopping.  I love hunting for that perfect shoe, piece of jewelry, coat, nail polish, anything really.  When you are passionate about fashion and style, your wardrobe becomes an extension of yourself, something you nurture and care for.  With my work, my goal is to help everyone, fashion crazed like me or not, learn how to nurture their wardrobes and personal style. Nurturing your wardrobe and style means staying true to yourself in a sophisticated, practical, authentic way by choosing new pieces wisely and eliminating things you have literally and figuratively grown out of.  

In order to do this, you must shop.  Love it or hate it, it is just inevitable.  I have spent time on both sides of this equation, as a shopper and a salesperson.  My experience as a boutique owner opened my eyes to the needs of customers and the difficulty good salespeople face.  The sad fact is that good salespeople are few and far between so customers are often left to their own devices.  All stores, even the most high end, have problems with customer service - the fact is that to be guided properly through a shopping experience you must have someone helping you who is first and foremost knowledgeable about the products they are selling and someone who is sensitive to your personality can detect when to help and when to back off.  Here are a few "rules" that my experience has taught me:  if you walk into a clothing or accessories boutique and the people working there do not represent the atmosphere of the space they probably don't know anything about the labels, the fit of the clothes or how to style them appropriately. Just like in education, the smaller the size of the class/place you shop, the greater your odds are of getting proper, well informed help.  Shoppers must be prepared for all kinds of things when they go out into the jungle of consumption.  Your best defense is a good offense - people like me are out there to give you the tools to help yourself so you don't have to listen to the daft salesperson following you around the store trying desperately to make a sale.  If you know what you are looking for, what your wardrobe needs, what fits you best, and how to combine all those elements, you don't need ill-informed, style-challenged salespeople to help you and you can navigate your shopping experience without too much stress.  

OR...
you can shop on this little invention called the internet!!  I say a prayer every night for internet shopping. It is heavenly and if you haven't discovered the benefits of shopping online, you are way behind the times!  Most of the shopping I do for my clients is online.  It doesn't matter if I am looking for something very specific and hard to find or something widely popular; I can find it quickly and painlessly on the internet.  No, you can't feel the fabric or try it on, but don't you want to do that in your own home anyway?  As long as you have a few days to spare, you haven't lost anything by shopping online.  You have saved the headache of traveling, dealing with crowds of people, incompetent salespeople, etc. It's a no-brainer really.  There are hundreds of online boutiques and some are fine-tuned and actually practice better customer service than most bricks and mortar stores. Here are my go-to sites.  Do yourself a favor and give online shopping a try.  It takes a little practice, but it is the way shopping is done these days.  There isn't anything you can't find...

Lagarconne.com is probably my favorite "place" to shop.  It is clean, easy to navigate, carries the best labels, shows them styled, and has great customer service. 

 Net-a-Porter.com is the leader in luxury e-shopping.  You can find pieces here from the highest end to the most wearable basics.  Everything here is seamless - customer service is the best I have seen anywhere.  The photographs are of highest quality and you feel as if you are trying things on while you search the site.  Founder and CEO Natalie Massenet is a genius and has created the model for what online shopping should be.  

 
Most people know Shopbop.com - the selection is huge and the customer service is impeccable.  This site will keep you updated on new trends and show you how to style them.  The buyers for this site have really figured out how to reach the largest audience possible - everyone can shop here with ease.

Revolveclothing.com is another site much like shopbop.com where the selection of labels and prices is huge and makes for a thorough shopping experience.  They have a sister site, forwardforward.com which is great too and focuses on higher end brands.  This site is on the edgier side (which I love) but still has great things for everyone.


Check out the links on my site to lots of other favorite sites as there are too many to feature here!