Fashion Night Out News

For all my friends and readers in New York (jealz!), thought I'd give you a great idea of what to do this coming Friday night to celebrate Fashion's Night Out! If I were in the big city, there'd be a few places you'd find me. I would probably swing by Opening Ceremony to check out their collection of toile Keds, pick up some beautiful Sydney Evans necklaces at Barneys, or get a great canvas FEED bag at Gap (who couldn't use another tote?). Or maybe I'll stay uptown and stop by the Calvin Klein store on Madison to hear Bryan Adams (one of my fave crooners) belt out an acoustic set. So while I'm holding down the fort in L.A., stop by these stores and more for some limited-edition finds and more that are available Friday, September 10 only!

(photo: courtesy of Vogue.com)

Maxi Magic

For some reason when I was in high school, I liked wearing my skirts long. Maybe it was just a phase, but as I gear up for fall, I am starting to think that I just might have been onto something. This T by Alexander Wang maxi dress not only lets you ease into the season in utter comfort, but it's the perfect building block for your fall look. Pile on that new little leather jacket, top it with an oversized funnel scarf, keep wearing that denim jacket from summer, or pair it with that great boy's blazer from Brook's Brothers. No matter the pairing, this dress literally works with anything and though it may cover a whole lot of skin, it still clings in all the right places. Talk about an essential building block.

(photo: courtesy of Shopbop.com)

Line I Love: Alexis Bittar

Aside from digging his name (and him being a total dreamboat), Alexis Bittar is my jewelry dream come true. His lucite leopard bangles for fall have my name on them, and I am hoping to get my hands on a few of his neon ones so that I can stack them high. Having had the chance to meet him this past weekend, and tour his insanely amazing factory, I now know that each handmade piece is labored over by incredibly skilled craftsmen. That leopard print? It's hand painted. How cool is that? Plus, I am pretty sure that his jewelry constitutes as an investment seeing as not a season goes by when I don't find either earrings or a necklace or a bracelet that I have to have. So I'm loving that he's opening not one but TWO L.A. locations (scheduled for 9/15), and that the one that's closest to my apartment is conveniently nestled right next to the new Magnolia Bakery on West Third. Some banana pudding and baubles seem like the perfect combo to me. I simply can't wait!

(Photo: courtesy of Fashionista.com)

What Would Betty Wear?

When I'm not polluting my brain with mindless fare on TV, I make sure to load up my DVR with hours on end of Mad Men. Because Betty and Joan are just that cool, I've started asking myself, "would Betty wear that?" when I get dressed. Almost every answer is no, but I think if I wore red kitten heels like this, the resounding answer would be yes. I'm always looking for different places to find a little style inspiration and who wouldn't want to take a cue or two from Mad Men. Just trying to incorporate a ladylike silhouette like these bow-adorned heels (or one of fall's chic ladylike box clutches) is an easy way to add a little demure femininity to your look. Pair the bows with a tough leather jacket and voila, an awesome, unexpected look. And just think, maybe it'll bring us a few steps closer to Don Draper...or Pete Campbell!

(photo: courtesy of Net-a-Porter)

9-02-10

In honor of one of the greatest days EVER, I figured it'd be an epic fail if I didn't call out the significance of 9-02-10. I have an uncanny ability to watch episodes of 90210 over and over again until it hurts (thank you, Soapnet) and can pretty much compare any situation in real life to an episode of the show. (If you think I'm talking about the new version, you should probably just stop reading here.) So why not pay homage to my favorite zip by taking a little sartorial inspiration from the girls of West Bev. Now while I still to this day think that I'm Andrea Zuckerman (I mean, we both are from the val), for today I am going to say that I like Brenda's style best. Brenda in the days she was dating Dylan in high school, wearing too-high Levi's, matte silk button-down blouses, what I think were cowboy boots, and that briefcase type bag she carried on her shoulder. It was sophisticated and could probably be pulled off today. So are you a Donna in her lycra bodysuits? An Andrea in her blazers and glasses? Or a Kelly in her babydoll dresses and long, flowy skirts? Take the day to find your 9-0 style.

What You SHOULD Wear

All the rage right now are style "experts" like Stacy London and Tim Gunn, the type who tell you that to dress for your body type you should hide your flaws and conceal your worst features. It tears at women's self esteem and teaches them to hate parts of their body. I think there's actually a different way to look at it. Instead of downplaying what you don't like, play up what you do like! I love the nape of my neck. I think it's a really pretty part of a woman's body and I think when you show it (because so few women really do), it totally catches the eye. So when I'm shopping I usually look for pieces that really draw attention to it, like off-the-shoulder shirts and sweaters, no matter the season. This thick knit is perfect for fall but with a hint of shoulder it's subtly sexy, too. I can cover up while still not looking too modest, and feel comfortable and confident in what I'm wearing. The perfect combination.

(photo: courtesy of Revolve Clothing)

In Theory

Back when I lived in NYC, I relied on my uniform of black Theory pants and interchangeable button downs. I loved their Max C style and I had the shirt in like 5 different colors and wore them literally every day. My friends camped out for hours at the Theory sample sale and I dove head first into the sales racks at the Theory outlet at Woodbury Commons. Now comes news that designer Olivier Theyskens (formerly of Nina Ricci...swoon) is designing a capsule collection for Theory. Now not only have they relaunched their amazing shoe collection (I have two pairs from the early aughts that are still in heavy rotation), but they've got one of the most coveted designers EVER designing some of their clothes. There's nothing better than learning that a lustworthy designer has decided to try their hand at the high-low game. While part of me is still relieved that my new work uniform consists of skinny jeans and tees, this makes me long for my working girl days in Manhattan. If only Theory were this chic back then.

(photo: courtesy of ShopLaStyle.com)