Fantasy Fashion League

Men have sports fantasy leagues. Why can't we have a fashion league?

I propose a game, ladies. Pick an era, pick event type and off we go, scouring vintage stores for perfect looks.
Think of it as Mission Possible, Sartorial Styles.

Like so:

The Era: 1960s
The Event:: A super fabulous cocktail party
The Mission: Find what to wear!
Rulles: all original vintage, no recent updates. Except for footwear. I'm a little particular about who wore my shoes... you know?

Shall we play?

1) Look 1: Stunning and timeless. This looks is so classy and clean that making it true to its time is all about the acsessories:

Paor with a brooch on one shouler:

A cocktail ring:

And a pair of earrings:

And a head band:

And these shoes:

And a clutch, to round up the look:

2) Look 2, Space age innocence, straight out of Mad Men:

Pair with gold sandals:

Earrings & Bracelet:

3) Look 3:This is just so exotic: 

Pair with same  shoes as above

And these:

And this: 

4) Look 4: Remember Liz Taylor as Cleopatra? Well, you can be one too!

Same Jewlery as above, gold sandals as above, and then put on  this stunner:

5) Look 5:  A Palazzo pant - an invetion of an ex-pat Russian artistocrat Irene Galitizine:

Would go nicely with these: 

And this nice set:

Oh, and a beehive is a must!

6) Look 6: Stunner, but not for the faint of heart:

Pair with  this fantabulous set:

And these:

7) Look 7: This sexy beast:

With this jaunty hat:

And these shoes:

And this set:

8) Look 8: Similar in mood to #6 but with a different color scheme:

9) Look 9 is pure fantasy: a tunic (a very 60s item of clothing) over a long skirt (although could be worn over a mid calf white pencil skirt as well):

an optional skirt:

Pair with these:

And these: 

10) Our last look is likewise out there:

Pair with these:

And these:

And ring:

The Ultimate: Denim Jacket

Insomuch as the denim jacket is a basic staple that lasts  many a fashion season, it could be tagged under 'Dress Your Life.' It is the perfect summery outerlayer. It pairs best with dresses and skirts - it has the fit and length that flatters supremely over a dress. When wearing with a dress you are also less likely to committ the cardinal sin of denim: you will almost never make the mistake of pairing, say, a blue denim bottom with a blue denim jacket.

Repeat after me, ladies: NO to the Canadian Tuxedo! (Not that there is anything wrong with Canada).

Basic rules of the denim jacket:
Say No:
-  say no to oversized and boxy
- say no to embellished, bedazzled, or be-laced
- say no to a different cut, moto, blazer, or trench in denim
- say no to denim vests

Say Yes:
- slim but not too curvy of a fit
- distressed, soft feel
- ends at natural waistline
- perfect blue: not too bright

I like, and own a black denim jacket. That said there is somethign utterly irresistable about the original item, that perfect piece of Americana - the blue denim jacket.

Here's a rundown of offers from various retailers:


DREAM:
1) Mother (nicely distressed quality, just the perfect amount):

**2) Velvet: (the most perfect dark wash,  lust!)

WISH:
1) Jcrew: 

WANT:
1) Gap:

Orange Pumps - Dressing for the Season

Don't look at Nicole Kidman's puffy, shiny face, or her fried, bleached hair. What she did to both is a crime against humanity. Amnesty Intl. should get on it right away. Look instead at her awesome dress and the fantastic way her stylist took an outfit to a whole different place with the choice of shoes.

Orange pumps are a truly creative choice here.

Red would be out of the question (what idiot would match red to red?); pink would be too matchy as well. Black would be too dressy, too heavy, and un-seasonal (see under: Anne Hathaway). The dress by Peter Pilotto from his Fall 2014 is not, in itself, a warm weather look. BUT, by staying within the family of colors but opting for orange, NK's stylist managed to balance out the look, shifting it from fall to spring and creating a fun overall effect.

Major.

Dress Your Life – A Manifesto

I’m not gonna lie, ladies. Dressing for an event is fun, whether it is you who is attending, or whether you are dressing someone else.  N’s TV appearance was an exciting step out of the realities of my life, and therefore a pleasure to style.  Style for everyday, however, is different.

My late grandmother ז"ל dressed up to go out – anywhere. Not in her evening finery, no,  but she was always put together with lipstick applied no matter where she went. As she grew older the destinations diminished but she always kept up appearances. I miss my grandmother terribly… and my birthdays, that once were a day we shared (I was born on the day she turned 50), have a large gaping hole in them...  But I think of her often, especially now that my life consists of many school or supermarket runs and fewer work related appearances.  I always see her in my mind’s eye, painting that dab of  plummy lipstick on her way out of the door.

I don’t think I am alone in this. For many of us, who work less, or work from home, or work AT home, life has changed dramatically and with it how we look.

When your life feels circumscribed it is easy to put on the same ratty gym clothes and wear them, day in and day out. It is easy to tuck away your work wardrobe in a far corner of your closet and forget. It is easy to run out last minute without your lipstick.

But is ‘easy’ better?

In a time when our beings are regulated by medicine, when “The Eternal Sunshine of the Beautiful Mind” is no longer science fiction, we forget that simple, uncomplicated remedies can help. Making an effort when an effort is unnecessary for anyone but your inner self is worth the while, ladies.  My grandmother’s  advice actually, truly, works.

It isn’t just dress the body you have, ladies, rather than the one you once had or wish you could regain. The maxim is also dress the life you have, not the one you once had or wish you could regain.

 Dress your life.

How , ye may ask?

The first step of “Dress Your Life” is re-organizing and purging.

-          Go through your work clothes and pick out the casual items . Put them where you can see them.

-          Throw out old jeans , Tshirts, and sweatpants. Anything that has been worn every day over the past few years deserves the boot.  Anything sagging around the bottom or the boobs. Anything with piling fabric.   Throw them out! These are terrorists, constantly infiltrating past your safeguards.

The next step is to reassess, take stock of what there is, and get a few key items. Doesn’t have to be pricey – any budget can accommodate a thing or two.  Next time I will post on the first key item – the outer layer.

“Dress Your Life” will be a recurring series on the blog.  Please come back and follow them!

Styling Creative Professionals - Victory!

N. aka Nataly Kogan, the superwoman behind Happier, aka 'the client' with a hankering for all things orange  shot her first TV appearance yesterday. A segment for the Doctors, the daytime with hot MDs. And guess what she wore??? Guess what the producers of the show ok-ed her to wear?

One of my orange finds!!!

Here's the outfit in detail, ladies:

An Akris/Punto dress from Saks Fifth (illustrating how different colors are on the computer vs. under the million watts on a TV set):

Sophia Webster shoes, likewise from Saks:

And that's all she wrote. Or pulled, as the case may be.  My first big time, bona fide success, ladies, and I am speechless.

Seasonally Appropriate?

Yesterday Anne Hathaway was on Good Morning America to promote her new film, Rio2.

Yet again, I have no beef whatsoever with the item itself - it is a rather lovely take on that 50s classic Dior "New Look" - demure sleeve, full skirt - but updated for the 21st century:

The dress is by Mary Katrantzou, the current queen of the most fantastic digital prints and as such this dress is rather sedate for her. These are from her breakout 2011 collection, just to give you an idea of her design aesthetic:

Why am I posting this, ye may ask?

Well, again, its all about the styling. First of all this is most definitely NOT a spring look on its own. It is from the designer's 2014 Fall collection, and obviously so - the fabric weight, the color scheme - all scream fall/winter. Secondly, the way this look was put together - with the heavy black opaque tights - further accentuates the wintery qualities inherent in the garment. If she wore it with naked legs, at least, it would not read so terribly out of season. And now, when spring has finally sprung in the Northeast, this outfit was just plain wrong. Finally, given that Hathaway needs to battle a popularity fight with audiences that were fed up with her following her grating Oscar speech and overexposed ubiquity, this was not the look to make audiences feel warmth towards her.

Too bad - fantastic dress, an actress with a great figure, and such a failure of a look.

Styling Creative Professionals II

Or: One More Orange Assignment.

This time I'm on the hunt for orange blouses, tops, Ts.

Add Marni to the list of designers I adore. Consuelo Casitglioni specializes in smart, unusual, and interesting. This is not clothing for the lovers of skin tight and conformist. Something is always just a bit off in her designs. One of the favorite items in my personal 'collection' is an orange skirt by Marni I once got in an amazing Ebay deal, and it bunches interestingly on the side.  Anyway. Here's a Marni item:

1.

2. This I loved for the vibrancy of color, pure and simple:

3. Same goes for its twin, this:

4. As well as this

5. This offers some visual interest at the neckline, always important in interviews:

6. And this:

7. As does this, albeit via different means:

8. And this:

9. Not too shabby:

10. This has something lovely about it:

11. And finally this does have a nice neckline: