The Blushing Cow

Red is smokin’ hot for fall. It’s the color of passion, and whether is it cerise, flame, cardinal, ruby, or cranberry it is an attention getter. So stoke the fire this fall and stand out from the crowd with a red topper! I’ll be wearing a fabulous red leather coat from The Wardrobe Boutique that feels like it soaked in a milk and honey bath for a week. This tomato red will stand out in a sea of urban black biker jackets this fall and look great with everything!

So, my lovelies, pick up a pair of radish red suede flats, a burgundy blazer, or a crimson pencil skirt. Grab some scarlet lip color and dip into some of that Bettie Page glamour.  Bust out of that shy and retiring box and get your plumage on!

Off The Cuff

Tiffany Cuff Bracelet

An alternative to the jingly-jangly charm bracelets and clickety-clackety of beaded bangles is the cuff.  Big. Bold. Bodacious. Legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland was known to wear one on each wrist. Wonder Woman deflected bullets with her cuffs.

Feel like an empress and personalize your look with these statement bracelets. You can find them sculpted, bejeweled, or studded at jewelry retailers everywhere including Ten Thousand Villages, Saks Fifth Avenue, Evesaddiction.com, or Shimmerandstones.com.  You can also find gorgeous tooled leather cuffs that scream hippie chic at Etsy.com.

My favorite is the Tiffany’s “LOVE” cuff that was inspired by one of their 1970s designs (pictured at right).  At $15,000 for the 18K gold piece, it’s absolutely unaffordable for this fashionista but as Debbie Harry once sang, “dreaming is free.”

Don’t Butt In! (Another Summer Style Tip)

Got flashed today.  Not by a creepy old dude in a wrinkled trench coat, but by a middle-aged woman wearing a micro romper and minimal underwear.  She was lowering herself onto a blanket laid out on the grass at an outdoor concert and belly flopped down within a few yards of me with her butt sticking up in the air. The romper didn’t cover her ample bottom so I saw way too much flesh, including those creases that the sun never reaches. It was as if she was sending an invitation.

Here’s another style tip for summer--make sure that your street clothing offers enough rear coverage so that your booty isn’t served up to others. If you want to beat the heat at an outdoor event, nothing beats a lightweight skirt or a pair of cropped cargo pants. Knee length shorts are also hot, paired with a sweet graphic tee or a cool camisole.

Don’t be a bad example; you don’t want someone like me writing about you!

The Atomic Wedgie

Another Wardrobe Boutique find! This shoe added 4” to my height in about 30 seconds.  I always wanted to be tall, and believe that 5’9” would have been my perfect height. My long narrow feet were made to carry a giraffe-like frame, and at 5'5" I’ll take any height enhancement that I can get. 

These delightfully trendy wedges from one of my favorite shoemakers, Franco Sarto, are tricky to walk in but hot, hot, hot! This gorgeous British Tan goes with every single summer item in my closet. I’m cultivating a slow, graceful walk so I won’t go clomping along the city streets, but I have the rest of the summer to get it right. I’m wearing them with flowy longer dresses and occasionally with jeans to work the city girl strut.

Kill the Khakis! (Some Summer Style Tips)

We need some new rules for summer Fridays at the office. Dressing down from Memorial Day to Labor Day has come to mean tossing on a pair of tired frayed khakis and heading out the door. Instead of tossing them on, toss them out! The office fashionista has other options like a cute white denim pencil skirt paired with a cool slim fitting tee or button down. She could also slip into a sleek sleeveless belted sheath dress with a pair of cute flat sandals in a hot color. 

Cropped pants are always appropriate.  Today’s model features a narrower leg than that of a couple of years ago, and they lend a sophisticated, tailored tone to business casual. Wedges, pointy toe flats, espadrilles, or fabulous platform pumps all rock the crops.

Grab a fitted vest and pop it over a longer fitted t-shirt in a contrasting color.  Add a funky beaded necklace. Wear with the pencil skirt, cropped pants, or sleek dark wash jeans.

Speaking of jeans, relegate those faded, torn jeans to clean-the-garage garb. Don’t you dare wear them to work! Invest in a pair of well-fitted (but not skin tight) dark wash jeans.  Skinny or boot cut doesn’t matter, both are current. Pair them with silky, flowy tops tucked into your waistband. And, always wear a belt!  They serve two purposes, to keep your pants up and pull together your look. Just forget about that ancient rule about shoes and belts matching; work the personal style! 

Most important--wear color! We swaddle ourselves in gray and black during the colder months. Summer is the time to bust out in a rainbow of red, yellow, aqua, and green. Choose a lime green bag to wear with your coral dress. Drape an orange scarf over the royal blue tee. Choose a bold print over a dainty one. You'll look gorgeous!

‘Nuff said. There should be enough style tips here to get you through the next eight summer casual Fridays. Call me if you need me!

Dream Come True

Ever dream of being a princess—being swept off your feet by the prince of your choice—Justin Timberlake, Isaiah Mustafa (the Old Spice Guy), or Jon Hamm?  Dancing til’ dawn in Jimmy Choo glass slippers, then being whisked away in a horse-drawn carriage to a storybook castle. Or maybe your dream takes place on the red carpet when you hit your mark for the paparazzi while deftly deflecting Joan and Melissa’s sophomoric snark.

This shimmering taffeta skirt from The Wardrobe Boutique is glamorous, romantic, elegant, and for aspiring princesses everywhere.  It’s lined with a crinoline underskirt for volume. I felt like making an entrance the first time I wore it.  Luckily my carriage did not turn into a pumpkin at midnight.

Sunkist Feet

Who could resist these orange patent leather Unisa sandals?  This is one of my amazing finds at The Wardrobe Boutique. These adorable sandals were brand new and available to the foot-baring public for only $20!  The tropical popsicle-orange is intense but a surprisingly neutral color, and the style rocks cropped pants, maxis, shorts, and casual dresses.  They’re beach ready, whether you’re headed to the Italian Riviera or Wildwood.  I can practically smell the Banana Boat suntan lotion!

Resale Superstar

I love having a hidden stash of treasures that were curated by sorting through piles of donated unusables.  Sensational shoes, beautiful bags, dazzling dresses, and spectacular shirts from The Wardrobe Boutique fill my cramped closets.  I’ve gotten some incredible deals there that are almost too good to be legal.

Casual Friday posts over the next few weeks will feature an amazing item that I scored from the Boutique during the last few months. Enjoy!