Monthly Archives: September 2009

Dress boldly

The goal for Ms. S&C’s fall wardrobe? To dress boldly. That means wearing color. And prints. Ms. S&C plans to brighten up her fall look with richly colored tights, footwear, and lipstick (in red, please). She’ll also add a dash of paisley and polka dots here and there. Read on for what has inspired Ms. S&C this season.

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J.Crew’s fall collection has some of my favorite looks, including lots of vibrant-colored hosiery and footwear. Verdict is still out on the short neon socks though. Actually, no it is not, I don’t like them.

But, what fall trends are catching Ms. S&C’s eye?

  • Tights — the brighter, the bolder, the better. I have a few pairs leftover from last year: gray, black, and red (purchased originally for a holiday party), but I would like to add another bright color (maybe orange) and a textured or printed pair (like herringbone).
  • Shorter-length skirt — otherwise, what will you wear your tights with? This piece is primarily for weekend wear and travel, so get something that’s versatile, like this wool one I picked up at J.Crew. It goes without saying, it is easier on the wallet to buy one skirt and a few pair of tights, rather than vice versa.
  • Boyfriend/tomboy look — slouchy jeans, blazers, vests, long cardigans, and oxfords are still in. I already have a long, black cardigan and a gray vest (understand why I need color?), so I think I’ll invest in a new blazer. It will be good for work, good for the weekend, good for forever. It’s a classic piece. Now, only thing left to decide: corduroy or wool?
  • Biker chic accessories — this means studs and zippers. You’ll find them on outerwear, bags, belts, and footwear (like the awesome Jessica Simpson pumps shown below).

S&C Style Tip: When you’re talking about trends — less is more. Don’t go all biker or all boyfriend (i.e. don’t pair the studded shoes with the studded belt and the zippered pants.). Wear these things separately. I think you know this, but just in case. Trends, in my opinion, are best utilized sparingly, and when paired with classic pieces.

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Kate Spade’s fall clothing line is funky and fun, but falls in the category of “aspirational-and-quite-possibly-unattainable buy.” However, I may be willing to trade my first born for the polka dot shirt and the quirky owl bag. I feel like I could channel my girl crush, Zooey Deschanel, with those pieces.

As for fall footwear, boots are still e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. Ankle boots, suede boots, western boots (I’ve loved red cowboy boots ever since I saw them on Katie Holmes in Wonder BoysLucky Brand are pictured below), biker boots (these tall, and affordable, ones in black from Nine West are great), over-the-knee boots (a trend I plan to ignore by the way). However, we cannot live on boots alone, so  other footwear can be embellished with ruffles and bows, studs, and straps (the Miz Mooz pair below have it all–color, interesting criss-cross straps, perfect rounded toe).

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Ms. S&C wants to know: What do you think of these fall trends? Love ’em? Hate ’em? Never wear ’em? Would love to hear what new items you plan on having in your closet this season.

posted by Ms. S&C

Bun in the Oven

The first few episodes of Project Runway are always a bit hard for me to jump right in to. There are so many designers, and we only get to hear the critique of about half of them. It isn’t until episode four or five, at least, that I start to develop favorites. So one thing that I like about this season is that, at MyLifetime.com, you can view videos of the extended judging, as well as more footage of Tim Gunn’s critiques! So far, this is one benefit that Lifetime has over Bravo. Now, on with the show.

Here’s a quick recap of highlights (and spoilers!) from last week’s episode, the Pregnancy Challenge, with guest host Rebecca Romijn.

  • I love a good pregnancy challenge as much as anybody, but can we address the prosthetic baby bumps for a moment? To my eye, they didn’t seem to create an entirely accurate representation of a pregnant woman’s body. To start with, you’re putting a huge bump on an otherwise stick-thin model, who hasn’t gained baby-poundage in any other area. More often then not, this resulted in the creation of a bowling-ball-tummy.
  • Leggings seemed to be the easy answer for most of the designers, who were new to pregnancy wear.  Four out of the 15 designers opted for the legging route.
  • One designer who strayed away from the leggings – in a most unfortunate manner – was Mitchell. While I liked the styling of his outfit (check out these boots!), his ridiculous, balloon-meets-diaper shorts should have sent him home, but instead . . .
  • Malvin goes home. And who can say it’s a surprise? This is the same designer who mentioned, in Episode 1, that a vocabulary has not yet been invented that can describe his clothing. In my opinion, that says it all. Malvin’s bird-egg-inspired get-up sent him packing.
  • In the end, I was rooting for the first-runner-up. I thought Althea’s navy gown with the detailed neckline was classy and fun and a little bit sexy. But Shirin’s red-wine-shaded gown seem to have an excellent fit, PLUS she made a (lined) coat to go with it. She had it in the bag.

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Shirin’s winning design in Project Runway’s Pregnancy Challenge episode

Clearly, the shoe pairing for the winning outfit should be one that values comfort asmuch as fashion, keeping _5762479mom-to-be in mind. I’ve heard a lot about Cole Haan‘s collaboration with Nike for a shoe line that marries comfort and fashion – at a price. These peep-toe pumps, with a Mary Jane styling and cushioning in the heel and forefront, would be the perfect partner for Shirin’s gown – but at $275, they’re definitely an investment piece!

Posted by Miss Mojito.