"Um, they're... bright."

One pleasure of mine that my mother has never understood is brightly colored and/or patterned shoes. True, she was an adult from the '70s through the '90s, when shoes were practical, neutral, and matched most things in your closet, and you had about 3 pairs. Same goes for purses. Those were also decades of practical, matchy-matchy fashion in which no one mixed patterns, everyone's belt matched their shoes, and hardware always matched the jewelry.

Terrible, I know.

Perhaps it was the wild shoe-fetish fantasyland of "Sex & the City," or maybe it's the easier access to runway shows and designer fashion because of the internet... but either way, it's safe to say that many of the fashion rules of yesteryear no longer apply. And thank heavens, because a bright bag, punchy heels or big colorful statement necklace dress up an outfit with very little effort. As long as you don't combine all three!

So I am home in Westport this weekend to visit the family, and I came home from shopping with many items my mother loved, but when I pulled out my on-sale, apricot-yellow round-toe flats, and told her how fun and springy I thought they were, I got "Um, they're... bright. What on earth are you gonna wear that matches that??"

So even though I've tried to take dear Mummy on shopping trips and convinced her to just try a multicolored shoe, a polka-dot pump, or a bright red sandal, she's always going to go with her stand-by shoe colors of black, brown, tan and gray. But that doesn't mean there's no hope for the rest of us! Spring is a great time to tell everyone, "Screw this wind and rain business. Spring is here. I can prove it! I'm wearing yellow shoes!"

Here are some of my favorite yellow shoes on the interwebs, all at semi-affordable prices:

Sperry, $74.85



rsvp, $99


Ralph Lauren, $108.95


Pierre Dumas, $49


Mystique, $139


BCBG, $110


Anne Klein, $78.95

My new favorite accessory!

Anyone who's been at school in the northeast, taking brisk walks across the quadrangle wearing wool sweaters and boat shoes, used an extensive makeup routine consisting of lip balm, mascara and natural freckles, and at times felt most comfortable in a polo and white skirt will appreciate the New England-inspired bracelet collection at Kiel James Patrick.

What a J.Crew rep stripe tie does as a belt, these bracelets do for your wrists. All KJP bracelets are made from vintage and recycled materials (old ties and blankets, for instance), and close with an oversize button. There are dozens and dozens of styles, and you have several button color choices with each order. They're made at the time of order in a few different sizes, to let you wear them loose or tight, and are unisex.

I just received my first Kiels, one a navy/yellow stripe with a lavender button, and the other a multicolor plaid madras with a bronze button. They're a bit hard to take off when the material is still, but they look great and are totally comfortable. I'm wearing one while typing right now! They also come wrapped in adorable plaid material and deliver fast.

The latest additions to Kiel James Patrick are sweatshirts and pocket tees, and I'm not sure if I'm going to try them, but I will definitely be ordering more bracelets. At $20 - $35, they're unique (at least for now), and the kind of accessory I'd like to change day to day. My only regret is that they're too informal for work. Unless I wore it in a throwback, ironic way with a tweed blazer and wool pants. But with spring on the way and our economy still in the tank, these accessories are fresh and inexpensive. And for something that makes you smile and costs $25, that's not bad.

Hayley

PS: Thanks to Nautical by Nature for linking the website!

Date Wrap-Up!

Hello everyone!
Thank you so much to everyone who responded with advice for my big first date. Without being, as Carrie would put it, "emotionally slutty," here are some highlights:

- My outfit: red silk deep-V cami, brown cashmere cardigan, super-dark Seven jeans, black leather 4-inch peep-toes, big crystal pendant (prettier than it sounds), pearl studs, and brown/gold trim clutch.

- We went out for dinner at Legal Seafoods, hence the more casual choice in outfit. We planned on going to a movie afterwards, but...

- ...we sat talking at the restaurant for almost four hours!

- The stuffed shrimp was outstanding.

- He has great manners, was a total gentleman and of course, picked up the check.

We had such a great time... I haven't had a night like this in a long time, where a four-hour dinner passes in what feels like 20 minutes. Or when the guy walks me to my car, and I get butterflies wondering if he's going to kiss me.

Great night :-D

I know I've been MIA lately, but with starting a new job at work, things have been a bit hectic. I recently went to Key West as well, and will have to do an update on that. Be back soon!

Cheers,
Hayley

How to Make Your Make-Up Last

The days are getting longer, the sun is getting brighter and the mercury is rising. It's about time! Late April and May are great months for hair and makeup in New England: comfortable 65-80 temperature range and when it's not raining, it's breezy and generally dry. Hence, spring is my favorite season.

But for those humid days, especially when we get into the heat or rainy days, it can be hard to make your makeup stay still. Or sometimes, when you know you're going to party until dawn, you don't want to worry about multiple touch-ups. So here are some of my time-tested, tried-and-true methods to keeping your makeup looking fresh and staying put, come beach, concert, rain or sleepover.

1) Use a mattifying lotion for your face. Controls oil and keeps your powder and blush in tact. Try Neutrogena Oil-Free Shine Control Lotion.



2) Use high-quality mineral powder to set the lotion, like the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder. This is where you get what you pay for. Cheap powder cakes and doesn't last.



3) Follow the powder with a cream blush on the apples of your cheeks. Benefit Sheer Cream Blusher creates a subtle look that lasts. This won't rub off like powder blush can.



4) Cover your eyelid and crease with Clinique's Touch Base for Eyes. It works great as a subtle, tan shadow with a bit of shine - I love using it alone in the summer. But putting this on before any eye shadow will make the shadow last a lot longer and prevent creasing. I prefer Canvas Deep!



5) Liquid liner takes practice, but lasts much longer than kohl or pencils, in my opinion. MAC makes a good liquid liner, but believe it or not, my sister got me a $1 liquid eyeliner at the drugstore that lasted too - so check it out for yourself. Maybe the cheaper liner works fine!



6) If you want shadow, cream is best to avoid creasing and fading. Nars and Clinique make great cream shadows. It also blends really well, and sometimes I just love doing all my makeup with my fingers. Feels like kindergarten!



7) Finish eyes with a serious waterproof mascara, like L'Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara. You'll need to wipe off a LOT of excess from the brush to avoid overapplying, but it's worth it. Only makeup remover will get this stuff off.



8) For lips, no lipstick or gloss is impervious to fading. Two great options are a lip liner, applied to the whole lip, then topped with gloss, or a lip tint like Benefit's Benetint. Both will last through eating, drinking, and kissing! Bonus - the Benetint doubles as a cheek tint! And it's practically idiot-proof!



The important thing to keep in mind is no makeup matters without a good canvas. Keep your skin clean, exfoliate regularly, and moisturize. This will help makeup settle beautifully on your face and last longer. And of course, less is more. The more sparingly you use the products above, the better they work.

Except the liquid eyeliner. If you're going all night, girl, swipe that stuff on and shake your sultry ass all night long :-)

Happy raging,
Hayley

PS: I'm going to UConn's Springfest this weekend, with Flo Rida and Method Man. Not my typical show, but it should definitely be interesting. Update to come. Have a great weekend!

Those dress codes aren't just corporate policy...

No, I am actually not referring to the office. After a long, intense bout of cardio today at my upscale gym of choice, I had to write this post when I got home (after showering, of course). Inappropriate clothing can be ugly, visually annoying, distracting, even downright offensive. But it's rare that a bad outfit can be dangerous.


While on the cross ramp tonight, adjacent to the treadmills, I witnessed what could have been a serious injury, all due to a terrible choice in athletic wear, or lack thereof. A woman and her friend lumbered along on their zero-incline, 2.5mph workouts, wearing the least gym-appropriate wear I've seen in a long time. From bottom to top: Sketchers fashion skeaners, stretchy cargo capris (I never thought those existed either), cropped velour hoodies, iPod in cargo pocket with headphone wire stretched up to their ears, from which dangled heavy, gold-plated, "monogrammed" ghetto-girl earrings like those seen on Eve above. I won't even drone on about the acrylic nails and black lip liner.

Somehow, in a swift reach intended to grab the Vitamin Water out of the cupholder, girlfriend got her hand, watch and nails tangled in her headphone wire, and when the 'phones flew out of her ears, one got stuck on her earring, causing her to holler, drop the water which splashed everywhere, and tumble off the treadmill, landing in a lump of over-dramatic whimpering and clutching of the ear.

Funny? Hell yes. Educational? Unfortunately, not for her. Once she realized she wasn't bleeding, nor had she broken an ankle, she dabbed herself off, put in the headphone and continued on her "workout."

Now, I give chica credit for getting back on the horse, so to speak. But the treadmill wasn't the problem. Had she actually donned athletic clothing to do exercise-like activities, and lost the super-size jewelry, this mortifying event would never have happened. And she would have looked and moved a lot better had she tried some of the active wear below.


Rather than these, which are not made for more than walking the mall...
... get a pair of bona fide athletic sneakers, tailored to your workout, like the Nike Shoxx.


Stretched out, faded polos aren't comfortable, and frankly, just look weird.

Grab a bunch of t-shirts with your college logo, or for current students, a concert or date party tee works fine. Dark colors hide sweat better, and don't get the yellow armpit stains.


Underneath said college tee should not be an ill-fitting, pink laced, sale-rack push-up bra.

... but rather a sturdy, clean sports bra to keep the girls in place.
And while the girls in B'port might think they fly, embellished cargo capris do not make for easy movement on the elliptical.


Grab a few pairs of yoga pants for flexibility and coverage.

And lastly, if you're going to use any sort of accessory, drop the door-knocker earrings...


... and slip on one of these headbands over your ponytail to avoid flyaways.
Bottom line: no street clothes to the gym please.
Hayley

On a Different Kind of Runway...

I know it's a stretch for me to compare a sidewalk to a runway, even in the City (New York City, for those of you not blessed to live close enough to it, and for whom "the city" can mean a place with Wal-Marts and less than 6 highway exits indicating its presence). And let's face it, sometimes you run out the door in a sweater, jeans, shoes and a bag, to go to the liquor store and post office, and it's just everyday minutiae. No high fashion involved.

However, whether you want to accept this or not, whenever you leave the house by foot, horse or boat, you make a statement. We live in a free country, but also a judgmental country, and everything we do in public is subject to scrutiny.

Especially on I95 during morning rush hour.

Sadly, I don't live in a city where I can walk to work and enjoy the people-watching on the way. So during an hour every morning, while tapping my breaks at 20mph, I automatically do some car-watching. Usually totally uninteresting, but this morning I saw a few automobiles that got me to thinking about how our vehicles tell others about us.

Case #1: White Dodge Ram. Diesel engine. Flame-detailed chrome "grill." Racing stripes. South Carolina license plate. 18" NY Yankees decal. Rims that spun. And the finale, which I never thought I would see: a big, tall, white spoiler.

Case #2: A set of these hanging off the back of another pickup truck. Need I say more?

Now ironically, as tacky and attention-hungry as the first truck was, the second one with its sole "ornament" actually stuck in my mind more, due to the obvious placement and low-brow, oversexed, Howard-Stern-esque humor in it.

My point here is that leaving thehouse in any way leaves you open to analysis. And while I'm sure the driver of the very male truck was looking for that effect, in my opinion, it's not a desirable one.

So, inspired by my long and sometimes eventful commute in Connecticut, here's a list of Dos and Don'ts for cars.

DO keep your car washed.

DON'T try to brag if you've been off-roading or hunting.

DO graduate from the college stickers and frame your license plate instead.

DON'T get vanity plates.

DO hang something sentimental from your rear-view mirror.

DON'T do stuffed animals.

DO tag on a couple of simple bumper stickers.

DON'T slap on 30 of them.

DO strive for a neat, classic appearance.

DON'T even approach anything reminiscent of a Vin Diesel movie.

More Style Inspiration to come later.

What kind of statement are you making?

Cheers!

Hayley