Walk Like a Lady

I'm in a committed relationship with my wool camel trench, but aren't these princess coats so unbelievably feminine? The muted, darker colors of the Alaïa number (on the left) and the Topshop style (on the right) keep the silhouette from looking too precious. Plus, the cinched waist is flattering and makes even a sweater-and-denim combo seem pulled together. What do you think?

Mark the Mini

The thing about pencil skirts is that they're difficult to (speed)walk in. When I'm hustling to work, the last thing I need is a restrictive silhouette to slow me down. Minis can be just appropriate for the office if you play them right (but still allow for a fast, I'm-not-afraid-to-trample-your-Dachshund pace). In a classic grey tweed and (at this length) paired with black tights, they're perfect with a silky blouse or collared shirt. I'm obsessed with this little DSquared2 number on the right. When I say obsessed, I mean that I hope Santa or the Easter Bunny or my fairy godmother is reading this right now. Wink. Wink wink wink.

What do you think? Does it depend on the office environment? Admittedly, mine is the kind of place where you can wear snakeskin pants or a silk jumpsuit. (Both worn by my bosses). (Who are awesome). (Whose ensembles clearly put my jeans-and-tee uniform to shame). (Would you prefer that they write this blog?). (Please don't answer that).


[photo cred here]

Raspberry Red

How genius is the idea to stuff tart raspberries with chocolate chips? You get antioxidants and a fix for your sweet tooth, all for far less calories than inhaling one of the Truffle Pig chocolate bars that I adore. I love you, Truffle Pig, but my little denim shorts do not.

[photo cred, clockwise from left, to 1; 2 and 3 via Cognac and Coffee]

Slender Shoulders

Full disclosure: I have the flattest chest known to mankind, so plunging necklines and whatnot don't usually do the trick when I want to show a little skin. I love the effect of these casually cut-out shoulders — they're subtle and sensual, the skin-revealing equivalent of locking eyes and sharing a small smile from across the room (as opposed to grinding up on a dude and assaulting him in a beer-fueled haze). Maybe I'll sacrifice an old tee for the cause. It seems like it requires a cool factor much greater than anything I could muster, though... what are your thoughts?

[photo cred to Chiara Ferragni via Musings in Femininity]

Belt It

Love the extra detail that a little cinch around the waist adds to any outfit. So elegant and feminine — and what I wouldn't give for that rosy red dress with the black ribbon! If I wasn't trying to do something about my sore throat with mugs and mugs of green tea and thick, soft scarves, I would most definitely find a way to incorporate this into a pretty, romantic ensemble that could help stave off the winter blues. And let's be honest, if I tried walking around in bare legs like that, the Chicago chill would probably lay claim to a few of my limbs.


[photo cred to Stockholm Streetstyle]

Styled: Part I

It was an accident.

Actually, I blame this. Because of it, I found myself half-dressed in a J Crew dressing room, trying to simultaneously be French and figure out where my waist had gone in the skirt I was wearing. One of J Crew's personal stylists, Shellie, halted on her way to a client, looked me up and down, and said, "Hon, can I try a few things on you?", which inevitably led to:

Don't let the harem pants fool you. Their success depends greatly on body type; Shellie spent twenty minutes trying to convince me that I don't have birthing hips (I do) before convincing me to wriggle into them. The thing about harem pants is that they create curves, so if you already have them (I thought I did), they won't be the most flattering pair of pants. Also, styling is of utmost importance here: harem pants look best when they're pushed up on the calf and when paired with an untucked blouse, which hides the top five inches of the pants. I swear they look better in real life. My fellow interns deemed them "sexy," "womanly," and "YOU LOOK LIKE A STICK." Naturally, I don't really care what I'm wearing so long as I can be described as a stick. Shellie then slapped the flannel shirt on me (there was a lot of crying involved with this — I'm allergic to flannel), added the blazer, cuffed the flannel over the sleeves of the blazer, and cinched it with a soft brown belt. After I slipped into the shoes (made in Italy, which is a big thing for me), I looked into the mirror and saw the J Crew model version of myself. I liked it. I liked it enough to buy the harem pants, the shoes, the blazer, and the belt (but not the flannel). Instead, I'll layer a soft, crumpled blue blouse underneath the blazer to get the same effect of the rolled cuffs. It's perfect for work and offers a hint of androgyny, which is probably my favorite thing in the world. Even better, these pieces won't work with only this outfit — Shellie introduced me to a few more options to give me more bang for my buck, which will follow shortly.

Hope your week is going splendidly!

Back It Up

3.1 Philip Lim Juicy Couture Alice + Olivia

I love dresses that showcase the back. In my opinion, the small of the back is one of the most subtly sexy spots of the female body. It's alluring and (for the most part) never strays into skank territory. How to pull this off? Don't let the hem rise too high nor allow the back to dip too low. The end result of this look should be demure and enticing; if you show too much skin, it's the fashion equivalent of telling everyone that Dumbledore dies in the sixth Harry Potter book before they read it. If you go for straps, try to keep it simple (explanation to follow shortly). In the case of the Philip Lim dress, the basic cross-strap and higher backline allow for the shorter length of the dress (but not for those boots, which horrible stumpify what are probably mile-long legs). The Juicy Couture is a sweet choice because it doesn't bare very much skin -- as opposed to a halter design, the shoulders are covered and the back rises safely above her waistline. The Alice + Olivia dress is probably my favorite; the sheer paneling is so unexpected yet it brilliantly updates the little black dress. It's one of the most clever ways to straddle sexy and classy. (All three pieces are available from Shopbop).

Heaven & Earth Asos

Feeling a little shy? These dresses lend a bit of intrigue without committing to it. They are equally seductive with the addition of charming details; the Heaven & Earth dress offers the ever-sexy lace, which serves the ironic purpose of covering up, while the the piece by Asos features discreet draping and soft material. Nevertheless, the sneak peek doesn't decrease the captivating capacity of showing a little back. The cut-outs still amp up the typical dress and add a dose of skin that a dress without them might not have. (Lace cut-out dress by Heaven & Earth, available at Asos, and blue jersey dress by Asos, also featured at Asos).

Alice + Olivia Zimmerman

I actually liked this Alice + Olivia dress at first glance. Then, when I was thinking of a good description of it, all I could come up with was "S&M! S&M!". I think it's the thick black straps that, although they're not pleather, remind me of pleather, which reminds me of anything I've ever watched on Sex & the City concerning S&M. Hence, S&M. Combined with the up-to-whoa hemline, even the most innocent shade of white can't save it.

The Zimmerman dress proves my earlier point about the necessity of simple straps. It's as though she sat on a brocade Louis XV chair, wandered (with it) into a paper shredder, and got tangled in the remains. Exaggeration aside, I still don't understand how I could figure out which hole to put my arm through. Although, could you imagine the sort of Spiderman-esque tan lines you'd acquire with that?

Bandage for a Steal

My mother and sister actually tipped me off to this one. They know how obsessed I am with the BCBG Max Azria bandage skirts, pictured above and obsessed over in this post. I think they're lovely, particularly how they hug in just the right spots while allowing some give in the wrong ones. Plus, I'm a perennial sucker for ombré -- it's like tie-dye for grown-ups. Imagine, then, my glee when I was presented with this very similar, very affordable version from Express.

Sure, the shade of the second strip of color befuddles me a bit (it looks too icy compared to the other hues). Yet this skirt is also a fraction of the cost of the first, while the difference between both is far from obvious. The gradient, the shape, and the practicality are nearly enough to reel me in, but the pretty, pretty price ($59.50) are what makes this impossible to resist.

Monday Morning

I love being the only one in my family who can speak French. Foreign languages are secrets that I always want to learn and which, in my family, I never have to share. My parents used to say that French is a beautiful yet useless language, which quickly changed when my dad broke our Europcar in Normandy and only I could communicate with the mechanic.

I'd like to start this week off with Things I'd Like to Wear But Unfortunately, Cannot. I am quite pear-shaped and my hips are going to make childbirth virtually painless. Nevertheless, I can't help hankering over this:

I love the hints of kimono about it, and the folds + stripes are definitely up my alley (I'm a sucker for fabricwork combined with patterns). The silhouette, though the most beautiful thing about this skirt, is my downfall. This design would only accentuate my hips and ultimately, make me look square on the bottom. If you have a boyish body type and are looking to amp things up, this skirt will create curves and work as a go-to piece for the summer.

As a result, it's on to Things I'd Like to Wear and Can, No Matter How Wide my Hips Are. These consist of A-line skirts with spare detail as far from the hips as humanly possible, and this happens to be the perfect candidate:

This skirt still fulfills my desire for pattern (florals!) and fabric detail - plus, I can't go wrong with the abundance of lace and that dusky blue shade. It will subtly draw the eye away from my hips and balance my proportions quite nicely. I can pair it with a pale blouse and white flats for an easy transition to the office, too (to the office! How old am I? No offense).

Have a gorgeous start to your week, my friends!

[photo cred via This Is Glamorous]