The city is supposed to get what meteorologists are charmingly and sensationally calling an "arctic blast" in the next day or two. For the latter half of the week, lucky us, temperatures are supposed to peak at a mere 17 degrees.
How cold is that? Even the sun feels chilly.
It's the perfect time to give the Carrie Bradshaw "it's too cold" excuse. But if you don't have a Classic Six apartment in which to cozy up to a witty but unattractive older Russian, wearing a nightgown and cashmere robe... and you don't have a job... you're forced to layer on the tights, trousers, boots, hats, coats, scarves, gloves, and lip balm until you can't put your arms down, and get your goosebumped booty to work.
Perhaps I have an extra case of the winter blahs this year, with no outstanding escapes to Mexico or the Caribbean planned. Not even Florida. But hey, who is participating in Resort Season during our fabulously played-out-already Recession-Rama?
In near-zero temperatures, it's natural for us to lust and pine for the days of June, when the sun didn't set until 9:00pm (or 11pm, in Europe), and all the clothing you need is a breezy dress and the warm air on your arms.
While white dresses are classic and beautiful, they're also ubiquitous. The beige dress is an unexpected alternative in summer, especially for evening. Below are some of my favorite mid-summer beige dresses, presented to you this evening in a small effort to curb the frost. Enjoy!
Doesn't it bother you when you read magazine titles like "Fabulous Finds Under $100!" only to find $85 belts, $99 clutches and $70 rings on the list? Don't get me wrong - I love a great accessory. But $100 for something that don't cover you hoo-ha's does not a bargain make.
Another example: Moschino Cheap and Chic. $1,000 dresses and $600 might be cheap for Anna Wintour, but for many stylish young women, those pieces are not only financially impossible but also impossible to justify.
So I'm doing my own Chic and Actually Cheap hot list, in the season of Best-ofs and Top Tens. For each of my regular shopping watering holes, I'll provide a list of great finds under $50. Almost everything is on sale now, and you can trust there will be even greater markdowns after Christmas. But what's really great is that stuff you'll continue to wear for the next three months are on sale: sweaters, jeans, trousers, skirts, dresses, and even outerwear. No need to buy out of season.
Enjoy!
Chic and Actually Cheap: Gap
European Shift Dress, $49.99 Rock the sexy secretary look by pairing this with tall, open-toe Mary Janes and a cardigan, or rock the contrasts with knee-high leather boots and a cropped leather bomber jacket.
Cropped Textured Jacket, $44.99 Wear it to work with a full skirt, wear it to happy hour with jeans, or wear it to the Met with wide-leg trousers and wire-rim glasses.
Striped Sweater Dress, $43.99 This is best worn with knee-high riding boots and teeny accessories. Let the stripes (and your beauteous curves) be the focal point.
Sheer Ruffled Blouse, $42.99 You absolutely must rock a cami under this or a sweater over this to make it work appropriate, but it'll look Paris-inspired when the blousy top is paired with a structured skirt and black tights.
Tie Neck Tank, $18.99 Beautiful and work-safe with winter-white trousers, or play it safe with black. Bare arms in winter mean you can't pull off a skirt with this top, but it's great for your company Christmas party or for the bar afterwards. Ladylike but sexy.
Button-Closure Sweater, $48 Get it done preppy-style by wearing a polo or Oxford underneath, and letting a button or two go at the bottom. I love the idea of this with a wool pencil skirt.
Oprah calls it 'multitasking'." - Mama Smooter, Sweet Home Alabama
Self-pedicures and TV, online shopping and iTunes downloads, driving and drinking coffee, baking and laundry... multitasking is an art perfected by most women I know, including myself. And while it's great to take "me" time to concentrate on the pleasure of just reading a book or eating a meal with no distractions, more often we find that we'd rather get as much done simultaneously as possible, due to a shortage of time.
Well, as the Times and CNN keep reminding me, America is in a recession, and it's being compared to the Depression. So now we're not only short on time, but short on money as well. It would be easy to be miserable in this situation, but here are some great style and beauty multitasking strategies I've found, to keep you looking fabulous through the winter without disrupting your nest egg.
Wellies They keep your feet dry while stomping through puddles on your commute, or walking your puppy through the park. But they can double as snow boots too, when you put thick wool or fleece socks under them. Wellies also look great under skinny jeans, and with the right tights and sweater, a skirt too.
Benetint It's called a cheek stain, and works wonders for brightening up your complexion. But you can also use it on your lips under gloss, for a naturally red look that lasts.
Jersey dresses Sleeveless, floral, lightweight, no matter; your three-season dresses take on a fourth season of style when you layer them under sweaters. A cable cardigan is a safe bet but can still leave a spring vibe. Try one of the new chunky shrugs, a longer, wide-collar winter white cardigan, or a tweed blazer.
Cropped and capri pants As long as they're not seersucker or white jeans, your shortened twill, denim and cotton pants look like skinny jeans or pants under knee-high riding boots. Or, very dark, medium-weight cropped pants with knee-high boots look very now.
Benefit 10 bronzer This boz is half bronzer, half pink highlight. When used on cheeks, it highlights cheekbones and gives great summer color. Lately I'm using it as eyeshadow: the brown hue on lids and the crease, and the highlight for my cheeks as well as brow bones.
But after bemusing myself with the fashion on last night's episode, I thought I'd do a little research on LC's fashion line, which received reviews upon its debut ranging from indifferent to pathetic. Upon seeing some select shots which were too obviously "influenced by Paris," in all black/white with berets and gloves, I had my doubts about this flash in the pan.
But after looking at several of her pieces on seenon.com, I liked what I saw. The girl has personal style that's unique, and that's rare in someone in their early twenties. While I sometimes saw her as a fashion victim on TV, lately she's been dressing herself right, and releasing some pretty dresses that combine LA, hippie chic and spoiled brat in a surprisingly delightful way.
Carrie Bradshaw uttered those words of truth in one of my favorite episodes of S&TC, "The Baby Shower." As a woman in my mid-20s, I am slowly gaining more events on my yearly calendar dedicated to the pairing-up and popping-out of friends and family. Especially in the months between April and October, we young, single women seem to get inundated with hand-engraved invitations from Crane & Co., requesting our presence at the event which is centered around a goal we have not yet attained: a lifelong commitment to a good man, a sparkly ring, champagne flutes with strawberries in them, and maybe even a starter home.
And all the while, we sit, kneel, stand, pray, bow our heads, smile, bring extravagant gifts, get dressed to the nines, and profusely congratulate the happy couple and their parents. We couldn't be happier for them.
But there is something about attending pre-wedding events that makes me ask myself a few questions. Will others be so kind to me when my time comes? Is the gift lacking in thought because it came from the registry? Will I become a tyrannical bride, enforcing the dreaded French mani/pedi and throwing pastel taffeta on "my girls?" Will this friend be pregnant by the time I get married?
There's nothing like a peer getting married to force you to reassess your life. For those of us who aren't yet walking down the aisle, and are in no hurry, there's nothing like a bridal shower and bachelorette party to make you at once both happy and frustrated about being single. And those are two events which I am attending for a college friend tomorrow, in the same day.
So what's a single girl to do? Two things. 1. Do not have a pity party. Embrace your freedom, because the girl holding the ribbon bouquet will be yearning for it in about 7 months. 2. Wear something fabulous to both events.
First outfit to pick: the bridal shower Time: 2:00pm Location: apartment in Brooklyn Bridal showers are a tradition in which females shower the bride with gifts for the home, eat unsatisfying finger sandwiches and, according to this invitation, drink wine. So the outfit I pick will be pretty, comfortable, not too ladies-who-lunch, and involve flats of some sort. Gotta save the heel-feet for later. Here's my choice for the shower:
Gap lavender shirtdress
My brown/camel leather hobo purse from Paris (this is the closest approximation I could find)
My neutral Jack Rogers sandals
Silver cuff, to be worn with pearl studs
Second outfit to pick: the Bachelorette Party Time: 7:00pm for dinner Location: Prohibition, a swanky lounge/restaurant in the city Bachelorette parties are my favorite part of all weddings I attend, because everyone can and should get crazy to encourage the bride. Plus, the bride is usually wearing a goofy checklist tee-shirt and veil, and while some sketchy guys might make a play for her because she's off the market, and they want to give her "one last party," in my experience, the bride's companions fare well too, because they are dolled up, having fun and actually single (some at least).
The B-Party has many more considerations than the bridal shower. Sitting for too long is replaced with lots of dancing and walking, tea and wine is replaced with shots, and there is no official expiration time for the party. And in my experience, if the bar tries to expire your party, there is always someone willing to help you extend it. So what to do?
Well, you first have to be somewhat comfortable, because bra-crawling may happen, and if the bride has too much fun, you might end up babysitting. Second, and most important, you have to dress to show you are happy to be single, have many more wild nights ahead of you, and aren't at all jealous of the girl with the condoms on her head.
Basically, you need to do what T tells Mikey in the greatest film of all time: "There's nothing wrong with letting them know that you're money, and you're ready to party."
Now, if you're unlucky in life and/or have accumulated negative karma, a pushy maid of honor may force everyone into a dress code that is as unbecoming as her ceremony dress. In my case, all that's asked is that we wear an LBD, or cute all-black ensemble. I loves me a black dress, and it gives the ultimate opportunity for accessorizing.
Here is a dress similar to what I'm wearing:
Cotton, comfortable, (mine is actually 3/4 sleeves) and draws attention to my face, collarbone, and the Girls.
I'm wearing my hair straight to the shower, but will put the iron to it at the hotel for Rachel Bilson-esque loose waves for ultimate sex appeal.
Now the shoe debate. The shoe I know I should wear is my brown/tan peep-toe wedge, similar to the D&Gs below, but not quite as high in the platform. They will be more comfortable for walking, and more stable after too many Key Lime martinis.
But the shoes I want to wear are my peep-toe stilettos, in black. They're not quite summery, and definitely less comfortable than the wedges. Given the location which I've never experienced and the opportunities for running around NYC, I will probably play it safe and opt for the shoes above, saving the pumps for my next date.
For a purse, I'll be complementing the browns in my shoes with my bronze snap-top clutch, similar to the slouchy one below. Sorry for the unusually long picture!
As for my jewelry - well, I'll be honest. I'm going to pack half my jewelry box (which is a lot) and end up wearing whatever appeals to me that night. Given the bronze clutch, the jewelry will be of warm metallics, but I'm thinking big earrings, big cocktail ring and no necklace (skin can be a great accessory).
My brunch outfit for the next day? Probably jeans, a polo and flops. I'll be too tired to care.
So the purpose of this post (besides me nailing down what I need to pack, like, now) is this: embrace these celebrations of others' success in love as an opportunity to celebrate your independence and freedom. Much like the 4th of July. It's an opportunity to get down, congratulate your friend on finding The One, and welcome that congratulations as an excuse to get buck-wild with no shame. And if you dress like the sexpot you are, you become it. And the gentlemen will notice.
Next post: what to take out on such a night, and how to fit it into a tiny purse.
I'll admit it: I'm about as ready to leave summer behind as an angsty teenager, about to enter a junior year full of SATs, APs and other uncomfortable, pressure-cooker acronyms. Every summer I relish the days and nights outside, love seeing my skin less pasty, and gobble up as much fresh fruit, margaritas and crab cakes as possible. Then inevitably, Labor Day looms ahead, bringing with it a goodbye to linen pants, and a return of the three-season pressure that weighs much more than its companions of leather, wool and tweed.
But autumn, I'm trying to convince myself, need not be a death or a goodbye. In summer, I always forget how much I love the season, so busy am I mourning the expiration date on 85+ days, flip flops and the sunroof being open. This year, for some reason, my autumn dread is worse than usual. So for you, and for me, I am compiling a list of reasons to look ahead to autumn. Perhaps composing and reading these comforting, fresh thoughts will get us excited to be in closed-toe shoes and uninstall the air conditioners.
And please, call it autumn. It sounds so much lovelier than fall, which is almost always a negative thing: an unexpected drop for which you aren't prepared, with some sort of a thud to come next. Plus, autumn is a longer, more sophisticated version of the word. My geography teacher would say "autumn" is "the two-dollar word for fall," much as "communism" was the two-dollar word for "everyone share."
I'm still not sure about that last one, but what I am sure of is this: just like flirting with a new guy helps you get over a break up, finding the positive in autumn helps you let go of summer's warmth and bright colors, welcoming a brisk breeze while in your new, cute, cropped trench jacket.
Looking Forward to Autumn! Exclamation Point!*
A - apple-picking! Followed by baking and mulling. Mmm. B - boots with jeans and skirts, in black and camel. C - cashmere. Sweaters, coats, scarves, cardigans, gloves, socks. Love. D - designers return to structure and substance, which feels refreshing after flowy and relaxed. E - equinox - the sun setting earlier might be depressing, but makes it easier to sleep early. F - foliage, one of the best things about New England in October. G - government days off (Veterans, Labor, Columbus) = long weekend trips! H - hair is easier to style with less humidity, and it's more comfortable to keep it down. I - inventing a new fall style for you and your home. J - jewelry is silver, gold, and sensible again. Turquoise and costume jewelry optional. K - kids, as in, off the street, off the beach, and out of restaurants. At least during the week. L - lattes are hot again! M - meat and potatoes taste good after three months of salad and Evian. N - nail colors return to dark and sexy. O - ordering ski passes to be used ASAP! P - pumpkins! Carving, baking, painting... endless fun with the best gourd ever. Q - quiet walks on the beach. Wearing a fleece is a welcome trade-off. R - rallies and tailgates for college football! S - Sales! Labor Day, Back-to-School, Summer Clearance... T - tweed jackets and pants, with bright accessories! U - under the bed, as in, where your bathing suit will be for the next nine months! V - viewing much-missed fall TV (Entourage, anyone?) W - weddings - a reason to dress up on the weekend, and cooler temps make them bearable. X - xcessive hair removal no longer necessary! Y - you. September and October, void of major holidays, allow you to spoil yourself for once! Z - zoos. Seriously, the Bronx Zoo is so much more fun in cooler weather, when the leaves change and the monkeys smell less!
So if you're sad about leaving summer behind, listen to a little Bryan Adams, enjoy your Rainbows while you can, and make your own list of things to look forward to beyond August. Your mind and body will thank you!
Cheers, Hayley
* - Can you name the source of this? Leave it in a comment :-)
European Shift Dress, $49.99
