Snob Appeal

Today at lunch I had the pleasure of hearing about a wedding that was being planned. When the discussion turned to attire for the males in the wedding party the girl had this to say, "It will probably be Hermés because ****(the groom) thinks that Vineyard Vines is the poor man's Hermés."

Oh snap! So should you dare to wear Vineyard Vines? Let's compare:

Vineyard Vines


Shopping: Only four stores in Edgartown, Mashpee, Nantucket, and Greenwich... plus some department stores and online.

Selection: Everything from flip-flops to polos to ties. Lots of casual wear for your weekend at the shore.

Clientele: Guys wearing croakies, girls wearing tennis skirts, and others who just love Cape Cod.

Good enough for your wedding: Hey, why not! I could see their designs with starfish or shells being perfect for a beachside affair. Although some of the ties may be a tad loud for fancier ceremonies.


Hermés



Shopping: Stores all over the world. Their products can also be found in a few upscale departments stores and of course, online as well.

Selection: Mostly accessory based; they are probably most famous for their scarves. They even provide a guide to help you tie your scarf in various ways. They also sell random items such as beach towels, ashtrays, and jewelry.

Clientele: Older ladies... at least the times I have been there! You know how much women over 50 like scarves.

Good enough for your wedding: Positively. If there is ever a time to wear a 145 dollar tie, a wedding is probably it.

Maybe on your wedding day there are things more important than whether the groomsmen wear Vineyard Vines or Hermés bow ties. I believe that celebrating two people's love is more important than a superficial brand name.

Fashion Exposé!

Politics is fine but what else goes on in the District of Columbia? I went undercover to find out! (Who I am kidding, I just like to pretend I am cool like my friends who work for certain agencies and say "undercover.") Cue the spy music!

Location: Fancy Capitol Hill reception. Bring your ID because you better be on the list... or know someone who is.

The Scene: Schmoozing central. Free goodies plus speeches from Senators, Congressmen, and Ambassadors as the main event. I was personally most excited to see Jim Webb after that battle for Allen's seat.

Open Motto: "I love my country!"


Secret Motto: "Free food? Open bar? See you there!"

Typical Outfit: A nice black suit, white/blue Brooks Brothers shirt, tie. Some may even have pin stripes to jazz it up. One guy even wore a tan suit. Talk about living on the edge!

Favorite Accessory: Probably gray hair or a handshake if that counts.

Fashion Sins: Blah. Welcome to the drab that is most business attire. Gotta love the working world.

Not as exciting as you may have thought huh?

Falling Out of the Gap

Like vultures circling a wounded animal, the private-equity groups have begun to feel out the Gap. It makes perfect sense. Once the mainstay of the mall, the Gap has been reduced to a shadow of its former retail glory. Here the stock price tells the rise and fall of the chain. We all have an item similar to the flowered Gap tank top I loved in back in High School, which has long since been taken to Goodwill.


But even if there is a buyout, is there any hope the Gap can turn itself around? Here is my advice: stop shooting yourself in the foot! Creating other very similar chains like Old Navy (for cheap-clothing lovers), Banana Republic (for the more upscale), Forth & Towne (for Moms), and now Piperlime (for the shoe-obsessed) only spreads out your existing shopping base. Sometimes less is more. Stop cannibalizing the Gap's base for the success of the spin-offs.

If the company were to go the specialty route they would need to market the Gap to a niche audience as well. In most stores you can pinpoint the target market within the two seconds it takes to walk past. (Can you imagine your Grandmother thinking Urban Outfitters was the store for her?) The Gap has no driving conceptual force... other than bland. Hire some savvy marketing gurus and pick something! Anything! Maybe then the Gap will actually have some foot traffic again.

Until that turnaround, I will be shopping elsewhere.

Flat But Not Dull

I wear flats for many reasons. They are cuter than tennis shoes but still comfortable. They easily transition from casual to dressy. But mostly, I love to wear flats because I am tall. When I put on even three-inch heels I will be crossing into six feet tall. While feeling like giant may be fun at times, it gets awkward having everyone but the basketball team looking up at you.

This pair of Circa flats are just plain adorable. I love polka dots; these pull them off perfectly. Circa shoes are generally good quality and wear well. I also like that it has a small heel for extra support. Sometimes I feel with absolutely heelless shoes it can be tough to walk long distances.


Bright colors for shoes are so fun! These Marc by Marc Jacobs beauties caught my eye. Pairing them with a skirt seems ideal. (Show 'em off!) I would leave these until the snow and slush of winter passes, unless you are luck enough to live in the balmy south.


Pointy-toed pairs can help to dress up an outfit. I have a few ensembles that would be completed by these Jessica Bennett mary janes. While the black is the most versatile, they also come in grey, chocolate, and tan. These shoes would be just as at home at that trendy new bar as at the not-so-exciting office.


And for the preppy set: some cheery yellow, moccasin-inspired skimmers. You may even already have a matching Lacoste polo to wear with these Kate Spade shoes. These are sure to help you win your next croquet game... or at least let you lose stylishly.

I guess Tom Friedman was right, the world really is flat.

Car & Fashionable Driver

This week the North American International Auto Show is taking place in the good old Motor City. So the automakers are rolling out new and improved (or sometimes ugly) models. It is actually a pretty interesting event to attend, especially the charity preview. You never know what you might see.



I like this sleek Maserati Quattroporte. (My Italian is not wonderful but I believe that translates to "four doors." Creative.) Apparently the only thing they changed was the transmission. But hey, that is still an improvement! I did decide that based on this picture I could be a model at the Auto Show. Except I would demand a better dress!

Then there is the Kia Kue. It looks like one of those sports cars from the 1980s with those doors. It must be for the legging-loving girls and collar-popping guys who want to relive the decade. As for me, I prefer the modern era!

This is a Volvo concept car that will be out in 2009. Ohh, I can envision the lacrosse Moms of the future right now!

And for my personal pick, the new Dodge Viper. I love the sporty design and prominent hubs/wheels. The only problem would be the numerous tickets I would get!

Gotta love driving in style!

Fashion Faceoff: BCS Edition!

Since the Ivy League is not exactly a hot spot for football, we often have to rely on big state schools to fill the void. (And some small or private ones too like Wake Forest or USC.) Tonight Ohio State and Florida will tango for the national championship. Who will win? Only time will tell. But this is just the time and place for a battle for fashion supremacy!

Up first is Ohio State:

~Mascot: Brutus Buckeye. Apparently a kind of nut. Right.
...Weird but original, safety (2)!

~Uniforms: Scarlet and grey. And they put stickers with the buckeye leaf on their helmet. Too bad it looks like a certain drug plant. Smith is their star quarterback; here he sports the uniform and some sweet shades.
...Standard fare, field goal (3)!


~The Ladies (and the Cheer Guys): Nothing different than your average cheerleading uniform. Ponytail with bow? Check!
...Classic and good for the cold weather the Big Ten endure, touchdown (7)!


And going south to Florida:

~Mascot: Albert E. Gator. I am not sure what the E stands for but it reminds me of Robert E. Lee. (The South shall rise again?)
...Not as annoying as that gator arm motion, field goal!

~Uniforms: Orange and blue, opposites attract I suppose. Is orange for oranges in Florida? Anyone?
...I like that you take color risks, touchdown but extra point not good (6)!

~The Ladies: The Gators like to show a little more skin than those OSU girls. No sleeves for these Floridians!
...Their cheerleaders are cute enough to pull it off, touchdown!

So in my Bowl Game I have OSU with 12 and Florida with 16. (There is no way this will be the actual score!) Good job Florida! Have fun laying out and drinking pina coladas the rest of the semester!

Naked the New Black?

So congrats to the Pundits at Yale. I have to admit that I am a bit jealous. I have thrown some decent parties, none of which graced the pages of the New York Times. Now I know the key ingredient: nakedness. Not nakedness in the frat party sense (let's get girls to strip!), but being naked to just "be."

Maybe I am just not deep enough to appreciate this type of event. Do you know how I feel when I am naked? Cold. And no, I do not feel repressed by society when I am clothed.

I can actually think of a whole list of reasons I like clothes:
1. As stated before, for warmth. If I move to a tropical island, maybe I will reconsider.
2. My outfits reflect my personality and outlook on life.
3. High quality materials (cashmere, silk, etc) feel wonderful on your skin.
4. I can make myself look better in clothes. This does not apply to sweatshirts! However, careful picked clothes will highlight your assets.
5. No offense, but I just do not want to see the vast majority of people naked. Sorry.

I could go on but I do not want to bore anyone. So if anyone wants to have a entertaining time featuring clothes, feel free to give me a ring!

A Frame of Mind

Life is all about turning negatives into positives. Case in point, I am pretty much blind. But instead of wallowing in my lack of sight, I get to experiment with fun glasses! And I get better than 20/20 vision to boot! Right now I usually am rocking eggplant-colored frames from Kate Spade but I am looking to expand my collection while I am still on the parents' health care. (This is more valuable than you realize!) It is amazing how many designer frames there are now. When I was just a kid, the pickings were slim... Other than the frames I had in fourth grade that were pink with rhinestone butterflies on the outside corners. Talk about the envy of my other bland uniform-wearing classmates. Anyway, I digress!

Some of my favorite frames have multi-colored layers. These Missoni frames are a sober brown on the outside with a pretty sky blue on the inside. Although you may not immediately notice the inner color, I bet it would really make blue eyes sparkle.

And for the status conscious, this Chanel pair is perfect. They may even match the pair of shades you already wear regardless of weather. However, be warned, if you constantly show off these glasses people will roll their eyes behind your back. No one wants to hear about how fabulous your Chanel glasses are for the fifth time. Let the glasses do the talking.


If you like the idea of literally wearing rose-colored glasses, these Prada frames may be just the pair for you. Although I would not try these if you have red hair, too much of a good thing!

Do not dispare if you already have good vision. (Ohh, poor you, you can see things when you wake up.) You can also buy these frames with plain glass lens.

Just remember, guys DO make passes on girls who wear glasses.

Eye on Metallics

I love metal-inspired eyeshadows and apparently Vogue agrees with me. Here is the look during the spring Chanel collection.

Instead of using one metallic color they used two: silver on the lid and gold under the eye. While it concept seems a bit bizarre it actually looks great. Just don't freak out when you first put it on. Remember most people are not looking at you a foot from your face. (Unless you are a face model I guess.)

If you want to tone it down just use either silver or gold shadow. Some brands like Cargo, Nars, and Stila make really beautiful metallic eye shadows. I would suggest using Cargo's Reverse Liner to brighten the inner rims too. It perks up the look. And of course, lots of black mascara!

This fun Tahari jacket completes the look. (This blazer works too.) Shine on! :)