Got The Blues?

Meet the new staples in my shoe closet! I was strolling the aisles of DSW looking for a killer pair of black pumps to add to the “office” collection. I struck out on the black shoes, but found a fabulous pair of inkwell-blue patent leather pumps by Nine West to kick up my heels in. It’s an amazing color that will work with anything that would call for a black shoe.

They basic, but not basic black. They’re bold and beautiful. This fall when I’m feeling the blues, it won’t be a sad thing!

Just An Old Fashioned Handbag

What's special about vintage?  History, of course.

I played “grown-up” as a child with a similar handbag--it felt like the epitome of womanhood!  This smidgen of old fashioned glamour recalls the era of embroidered linen hankies, sparkling white cotton gloves, and Revlon's "Love That Red" lipstick.
     

If this gorgeous bag could tell its story, what would it be?  Maybe something like this...

Cassie stuffed her car keys into the handbag before clasping it shut.  Although Joe was driving the family to the funeral, she was concerned about how much he might drink at the repast.  It was his favorite uncle who died, after all.  Well, actually, he was killed.  Razor.  Angry husband.

Joe's Uncle Chuck was a loose man.  Loose morals, loose lips, loose zipper.  The zipper got him in trouble.  Chuck had an unfortunate affair with a screechy bombshell who was married to a paranoid muscle-bound thug who kept a razor in his shoe and brass knuckles in his pocket.  Angry Thug Husband found out about the affair.  Chuck was quickly filleted.

Chuck's wife went to the morgue to identify the remains and said, "Yup, that's him.  The attempts at plastic surgery are a nice touch, though."

Gimme A Head With Hair

I wanted something different after sixteen years of a TWA (teeny weeny afro)--different but low maintenance. I wanted to let my hair grow out a little, but dreaded the über ugly growing-out period. Every woman has experienced those hair-raising weeks during which you make comparisons of yourself to Buckwheat, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, or Phil Spector in any of his jacked-up wigs.

So, I talked to my fabulously cool barber about a growing-out plan that would prevent frump and horror. Here’s the result--my first fro-hawk! This is the coolest haircut ever. It works with my style and speaks to my inner rock chick.

Oh Dem Golden Slippers

Elvis has returned to the building

Cherry red slingbacks. Sunset orange Chuck Taylors. Silver Hush Puppies. Asparagus green sandals. None of these kicks can top my new Midas-gold wingtips. I found this fabulous pair of Sam Edelmans at Marshalls for $28. Yeah, it really does feel like I raided Fort Knox.

I dubbed them my Elvis shoes. Why? There is a 1959 Elvis album titled, “50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong,” and on the cover he’s rocking a gold lamé suit and matching shoes.

The shoes made their debut with a pair of indigo J. Crew Toothpick jeans that were plucked brand new from the racks of Buffalo Exchange for $20, a charcoal J. Crew tee listing the days of the week in Italian, and a Boston Proper jacket with gold-tone studs at the cuffs. I padded around the workplace wearing them with black high waist pants and a snug black cap sleeve turtleneck.

My friend Amy says that I have to do the Mummer’s Strut when I wear them. I just might do that as I navigate the cube farm at my job.

Down to the Nightclub

Lotsa folks consider the 1980s a fashion wasteland. They cite acid washed jeans, Miami Vice looks, parachute pants, neon, big hair and heavy makeup as reasons to hate. But there was a lot of fun stuff and super cool influences like Michael Jackson, Madonna and punk music. I loved wearing miniskirts, high top sneakers, overdyed denim, shoulder pads, colored tights, and touches of androgyny. My favorite pieces were slouchy suede boots with men’s overcoats and baggy shaker pullover sweaters.

If you’re a fan of 1980s style, check out these pieces from the “Club to Catwalk” exhibit which was at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London last summer. It’s a fabulous reminder of the imagination that busted out of our closets and the energy that emanated from storefronts and dance floors. I bet you were rocking some of these looks while you grooved to The Human League, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, or Bowie’s ubiquitous “Let’s Dance.” 

Shoes Abloom!

Here’s a shoe that redefines “spring in your step.” This was a delightfully unexpected find at the Gap. There is so much to love about this shoe -- it’s flat, comfortable, versatile, and affordable (under $60). It’ll make its debut when the polar vortex vacates and our souls thaw after this nasty winter.

The flowery pattern will transport me to an English garden, whether I’m on the concrete searching for treasures at a favorite resale shop, or trotting off to the gym for my favorite indoor cycling class. I’m excited about wearing them with everything including midi skirts, cropped pants, and boyfriend jeans.

The Shirt on Your Back

Tired of wearing puffy coats and heavy snow boots? Dreaming of days when your lovely locks don’t turn into a matted pelt under hats and hoods? Yeah, me too.

Believe it or not spring will return and when it does, my dear butterfly, you’ll want to bust out of your multi-layered cocoon. Here’s a classic item for spring -- the shirt dress.

Forget those demure staples of 1950s TV sitcoms--the 2014 version is unlikely to be accessorized with an apron. Instead you’ll find denim minis, silks splashed with mad graphics, or funky renditions with elaborate front ties that will turn you into a gift.

The flattering shape is great for every body. No matter your height, size, or body type you’ll look fabulous in this style. Fabulous prints and retro-inspired styles can be found on ModCloth.com, Mango.com, Newlook.com, Peopletree.co.uk, and Kohls.com.

So, turn off The Weather Channel, throw another log onto the fire, and browse cyberspace for your next favorite thing!

Not Trending

The end of season sales. A time when you trawl racks and racks of ugh-inducing items. Sometimes you’re seduced by thrice-slashed prices even though the color washes you out, the fabric gives you hives, and the print makes you look like Aunt Rhoda’s armchair.

Stop throwing your hard earned coins at those racks--here’s a better plan! Invest in trendproof classics and you’ll look and feel spectacular every time you got dressed. These items aren’t on the clearance racks, but if you buy the best quality you can afford you’ll wear them forever. You’ll also be less inclined to shriek, “I don’t have anything to wear,” when you’re invited to the opera.

Here are some items to look for the next time you shop.

Trench coat - Effortlessly stylish. You’ll feel as mysterious and glamorous as Ingrid Bergman did opposite Bogie. You can also pop it on over your birthday suit to greet your sweetie at the front door.

Black cashmere sweater - The only reason to look forward to cooler weather. You’ll never feel as elegant, cozy, or warm as when you slip a cashmere sweater over your head. Makes you feel rich and sexy.

Knee length pencil or A-line skirt - An indispensable, stylish staple that can be dressed up or down. Great for travel. It’s a wonderful wardrobe extender--unlike the rust-colored mini-skirt that’s been on clearance at Macy’s for the past two years.

Wrap dress - The perfect dress for any occasion. Got a date? Wear it. Going to work? Wear it. Weddings, graduations, cocktail parties? Wear it here, there and everywhere.

Ballet flats - Cute and comfy shoes for tired feet. Makes visiting museums and standing in line at the DMV a bit easier. Polyvore.com has an amazing selection!

Style Goals 2014

Welcome to 2014--another year of sartorial splendor! I’ve set fitness, artistic, and professional goals, and style goals are no less important. I took a hard look at my closet and re-evaluated my favorite looks to reach these goals:
 

No more body hugging pants. So long, skinny jeans, hello boyfriend fit. Slim-fit dress slacks don’t work for me, either--I’ve got muscular thighs and a bit of booty. The slim-fit always ends up bunching and pulling; I always end up feeling self-conscious. So, I’m choosing a more tailored trouser, and racking up the retro with vintage high-waist pants. Body hugging wear is for the gym.

Continue to plan ahead for the work week and have outfits ready to haul my sleepy self into every morning. I spend about an hour each Sunday playing stylist to myself. I put together five fresh outfits (and yes, that does include footwear, accessories, and denims for Casual Friday). This is a major stress reliever for someone who never jumps out of bed ready to greet the day.

Wear gray and cocoa brown together more often. I put this combination together at the suggestion of one of my co-workers and it completely rocked my socks off. I lost count of how many compliments I got that day! 

Thin the sweater collection. Say bye-bye to dated fits and color repetition. How many black sweaters does a women need? Do sweaters that barely reach my waist really keep me warm? These are the two basic questions that will guide the upcoming sweater purge.

Commit to red lipstick for most occasions. It’s amazing how lipcolor lights up your face. The right, bright red can make you look like a million bucks. I rock the red most weekdays and often on Saturdays. I love the insta-glam I get from a couple of swipes of Bobbi Brown Burnt Red or the jolt that comes with an application of No. 7 Love Red. Of course, when I wear red lips I pare back on everything else, only adding mascara and powdering in the brows. I want to keep it simple, minimal, and classically gorgeous.

I’m revisiting my most favorite colors, styles, and looks to develop a silhouette that is more flattering, wearable, and exciting. I can reach these goals! 2014 is gonna rock!

An Unstylish Moment - New Years Eve 2013

We ponder extravagant party dresses during the winter holidays. So much excess, so much Cinderella. We drag out beaded ball gowns, cocktail frocks dripping with spangles and bangles, or pour ourselves into stretch lace minis. We get decked out like the halls--beribboned, sparkly, and blingy. The goal is absolute gorgeousness, the unforgettable kind that guarantees a steady stream of suitors in the New Year.

Well, I found the perfect outfit to ring in 2014--it doesn’t bling or zing, and it cost nothing. I shopped in my closet, and had my choice of animal prints, shimmering jewel colors, or vintage favorites. I finally settled on cozy and comfortable sweatpants and a fleece-lined hoodie. It’s perfect for this year’s NYE activity--staying in with my hubby, watching Monty Python, eating Indian take-out, and drinking Prosecco.

No inner debates over strapless vs sleeveless vs backless. Proper undergarments won’t matter. No shawl needed to warm bare shoulders. And if I fall asleep in my sweats, nothing gets crushed, torn, or rumpled. If I need opulence, I’ll slip on a cocktail ring.

Happy 2014 to my readers and supporters!  Each one of you is a source of inspiration.  Make this your most stylish year ever!

There Are Places I Remember...

Here's my mom and me when I was thirteen. I don’t remember the occasion, but we were visiting my great aunt Cille and I’m sure that there was a scrumptuous homemade meal involved--perhaps even a coconut custard pie, my mom’s favorite.

Mom is wearing an emerald and sapphire blue suit that she made, and I’m decked out in a cute navy blue double-knit shift with a low-slung belt designed to accent the hips. I had no hips or waist at the time, but the fabric was kind to the under-developed teen figure. There was no drape or cling to call attention to my lack of curves. It was one of my favorite dresses!

Mommy’s Little Fashionista

Me at Three

It's never too early to steer the young towards a fierce and fashionable path. This darling little fashionista is yours truly at the tender age of three. The adorable jodphur and cardigan outfit is courtesy of either my mom, my grandmother, or my great aunt. There was a heated competition among them to keep me on the best-dressed toddler list.

Here I am, sassy and stylish, ready for my closeup. Maybe I’m ready for a shopping trip. “The sale is where?? Hand me the car keys!”

The Ruby Slippers

ShoeEmbassy.com pulled me back to their website. This is not a quiet website--especially if you swoon over menswear-inspired styles. Their shoes are so super cool, so bad, that I bought another pair. And, no I didn’t need them, but what’s need got to do with a girl’s shoe collection?

Shoe Embassy sucked the credit card right out of my wallet and had its hot and sweaty way with it. Here’s the result--a pair of oxfords that have been dubbed my “Rock Lobster” shoes. Part rockabilly, part dandy, totally bold! They’re perfect for a relaxed workplace or paired with Saturday jeans. I’ll rock them this week with pearl gray cuffed trousers, a slate gray beaded sweater and black metallic socks. The shoe color will crank the volume up to 11.

No doubt people will stare and point at my feet. It’s okay--they’ve been staring at my hair for years now so I’m glad that they can shift their focus!

Sugar Coated

This coat is a cinch for Cutest Coat in the Closet.  This olive green corduroy trench was scored last year at the Philadelphia Flea Market.  Whenever I wear it I feel as if I should be in London strolling through the evening fog while Big Ben tolls the hour. 

Out of Africa and Into My Closet

I’m pogo-ing around the room in a happy dance. I just found out about a fabulous website, www.kisua.com that promotes African fashion. Global fashion is always cool and this platform showcases the talents of hot designers such as Beatrice Black Atari and Chechi Arinze.

Check out this site if bold color, exciting patterns, and unique interpretations of classic styles make your heart race. Check out this site if you’re tired of seeing the same old thing in every store. Trade in your standard issue black polyester blend pants for an eye-catching pair of wax cotton raspberry and grey print tailored trousers. Dare to dump your boring trench for a khaki oversized pocket coat.

The dresses are my favorite pieces in the capsule collections on the site. Classic sheaths and shirt waist styles are featured, as well as demure cotton dresses that could have come straight from a 1950s starlet’s closet. 

I'm writing love letters to coats!  I'm adding to my holiday wish list!  I'm realizing that my closet is shrinking! 

Gaultier Rocks It!

"The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk to Catwalk" exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum is the one of the most spectacular fashion exhibits I've ever seen. Philly fashionistas, grab a friend, get on the Bolt Bus and see it next weekend.  Here are some of the highlights!

Glamour Puss

Edith Head

Today is eight-time Oscar winning costume designer Edith Head’s 116^th birthday, and I’d like to chat about glamour.  I’m a huge old movie fan.  I adore the old school glamour and melodrama, the scenery chewing of divas like Susan Hayward and Joan Crawford.  I gobble up the preposterous plots, gorgeous gowns and perfectly tailored ladylike suits.  

Ms. Head draped us in romance and allure in many classic films:  “All About Eve,” “Roman Holiday,” “Sunset Boulevard,” and “Rear Window” to name a few.  One of my favorite Edith Head designs is the breathtaking white strapless gown that she conceived for the 1951 film “A Place in the Sun.”  Elizabeth Taylor floated on that cloud of a dress and every aspiring prom queen that year wanted a knockoff of it.

Okay, now think about actors.  Could you get any sexier than Redford's and Newman's suits in “The Sting?”  Yep, Edith Head did that.  

I miss glamour.  Instead of cringing over stripped down looks or the stripper aesthetic I want to swoon over an impossibly beautiful gown or a sophisticated silhouette.  Where are the garments that make me want to kick up my heels?  

I kan’t kount on a Kardashian!

Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in "A Place in the Sun"

Living the High Life with Sheena

In celebration of the recent NY Times discovery that Black people wear their hair natural (who knew) I’m introducing you to the delightful Sheena High and her magnificent crowning glory.

Sheena first thought about wearing her hair natural in 2010. One of her sorority sisters had been flaunting a riot of kinks and curls for three years and counseled her to “get rid of the creamy crack.” (“Creamy crack” refers to the chemical relaxer many Black women rely on to straighten their hair.) She responded, “My hair is straight out of Africa, it’s not gonna cooperate,” although she had long admired the styles and textures of unprocessed African hair. But when her hair stylist, a beneficiary of the unnatural hair business, said that her hair would look better natural she decided to make the change. Besides, making and keeping appointments for touch-ups was becoming a hassle. 

She didn’t want to do “The Big Chop,” cutting off the relaxed hair while transitioning from chemically processed to natural hair. (The “Chop” is gutsy, and is often immediately followed by the purchase of fierce statement jewelry and screechingly bright lip color.) So, she gave herself three years of graduate school for this “experiment.” The growing out process took about a year and she admits that she wasn’t wild about the big chunk of new growth. “Although [my hair] was natural I was still straightening it. I wasn’t comfortable with how it looked, or with styling it.” She found that putting heat on her hair made it fluffy and bouncy. Fluffy hair that moves is pretty seductive stuff for a sista and harder to give up than dark chocolate dipped strawberries!  On her 29th birthday, however, she decided to turn off the heat and never looked back.

Sheena is now more confident about her hair.  She‘s learned more protective techniques and adores her new look.  No more “dyed, fried and laid to the side” hair for this lady! Check out her incredible style--isn't she gorgeous?
 

 

Got Me Workin' Day and Night

Sometimes a successful workout depends on the right soundtrack. Stuff the right music into your mp3 player or smartphone and you just might want to drop it like it’s hot in between sets of shoulder presses.

Here’s a taste of the music that pushes me through upper body training sessions.

Lat Pull Downs to “I’ll Keep Holding On” - The Marvelettes

Bench Presses to “Heartbreaker Pt. 2” - Alice Russell

Dumbbell Flys to “Haitian Sensation” - The Blue Method

Bicep Curls to “The Groove Line” - Heatwave

Hammer Curls to “Let The Beat Hit ‘Em” - Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam

Side Lateral Lifts to “Self Esteem” - The Offspring

Push Ups to “Tightrope” - Janelle Monae

Tricep Kickbacks to “I’m A Man” - The Spencer Davis Group

Overhead Extensions to “Stone Free” - Jimi Hendrix

Planks to “Transcend Me” - The Bamboos featuring Alice Russell

Wiping Sweat, Stretching and Moaning to “Black Hole Sun” - Soundgarden

The results? Sexy shoulders and back, toned arms, and the strength and energy to carry overstuffed shopping bags from Nordstrom Rack! Hit me again, Lisa Lisa!

Heartbreaker

G.H. Bass broke my heart. Burned rubber and dropped a bomb on me. (Where’s The Gap Band when you need them?) Waved me away with a simple “talk to the hand.”

Bass quit making women’s shoes in narrow widths! How could they do that? They are the preppy style standard and their shoes should be fit for all feet.  Now the cutest loafers and oxfords of the season are unavailable for women with feet as narrow as ice skate blades.

The new Candy Weejuns are “preppy and polished,” according the Bass website. These adorable Skittle-colored loafers could have been the linchpins of my casual wardrobe--I woulda bought ‘em in every color!  Guess I'll just have to Moonwalk through life in another brand.  

Bye-bye Bass!!  I'm no longer a fan--I'm taking my socks and going home.