{ stretch it out }

{ stretch it out }

as i mentioned yesterday (and also in this post, and this video!), i'm really embracing fashion's sudden, frenzied return to PANTS! i realize that sounds a bit ridiculous, because pants never went extinct, but we're unquestionably experiencing a return to vogue of long, lean, trouser-ized silhouettes this season.

the new york times likened the look to 1970's advertisements for revlon's 'charlie' perfume...

...and printed a fun guide on how to wear the new look, with suggestions including:

• keep the tops slim and tucked in.
  
• as with cocktails, it doesn’t pay to mix. staying in the same color range is ideal, as it helps lengthen the line.
  
• look for jackets with a narrow cut — and coats that are cropped or knee-length. you want any bulk to end at a slim part of the body. and my favorite:
  
• always smile at everyone!

{ stole the show }

{ stole the show }

started obsessing over leopard stoles when first i saw them on dries van noten's fall 2010 runway...

...the fire was rekindled when they recently began popping up all over the street style sites...

...and the desire has finally been (delightfully faux!) satisfied by my most recent e-order:

i promise you, this piece is even better* in person!! i'll probably be wearing it all winter...
---
{ dries photos via style.com, taylor tomasi streetsyle via style.com/bloglovin/moodboard, leopard stole courtesy of modcloth }
*and it's only $20!! honestly, i would have bought it even if they weren't a sponsor of this site. it's a great trend, a fun piece & SO versatile!

{ armorai }

{ armorai }

honestly, we're all susceptible to falling prey to fashion's fickle trends. which is fine, as long as you're able to muster enough objectivity to pick and choose which ones work for you (thus avoiding victim-hood), and to wear them in a way that's unique to you. happily, there are sometimes trends that work for everyone ~ and this season, olive green is the one!

{ above: glen luchford for harpers bazaar / via sighs + whispers }

if you think about it, olive really is the new black (as is its sister color, camel!). it's a hard-working neutral ~ universally flattering, it pairs seamlessly with nearly every color and print in your wardrobe. good thing it's everywhere right now ~ and available at every price.

personally, i've been working it into my wardrobe pretty aggressively over the past week...

{ above ensembles originally featured HERE and HERE }

...and am desperately on the hunt for that perfect militant flack jacket and sundry synced accessories. to follow, a few of the olive lovelies i've bookmarked for fall:

{ left to right: elizabeth + james blouse, marc jacobs shoes, lanvin gloves, diane von furstenburg boots, the glamourai necklace, elizabeth + james jacket }

~~~
updatery!! today over on jak+jil, we're shown a perfectly seasonal, fall-transitional way to wear olive:

{ short story }

{ short story }

after inundating us with years' worth of wonderfully humongous heels, fashion's been trending towards littler leg lifts for several seasons now. but it was marc jacobs' fall 2010 collections (for both louis vuitton and his eponymous lines) that cemented their au currant currency. there's something very serene, very old-fashioned-femme, in wearing a kitten heel. it's at once a throwback and a way forward.

i've enjoyed pulling some old (nearly vintage!) favorites out of the back of my wardrobe, and have found them suddenly more alluring than ever before. these are the three i can't stop wearing:

{ glittering gold brocade beauties by prada }

{ black satin classics by christian lacroix }

{ shagreen stunners by helmut lang ~ i adore the humor & comfort provided by their rubber-band back straps! }

how do kitten heels make you feel? are you ready yet to find high style on a lower level?

{ it's a trend } polkadotorama

{ it's a trend } polkadotorama

i logged on to style.com this morning, where the cover story ~ i kid you not ~ was: trend of the moment: polka dots!!! looks like we're onto something here friends!

remember, last week i posted nothing but dot-sembles, and this week i'm asking you to do the same. send me pictures of your own several-spot stylings by friday morning to be entered to win a $150 credit to shop.theglamourai.com! { images above via style.com }

{ anthropologie's mixologies }

{ anthropologie's mixologies }

all of a sudden, it seems like everyone is hopping aboard the mixology bandwagon! do you think they've all finally discovered this blog or something? ah, to dare to dream...
anyway, anthropologie is the latest proponent of the mixery mentality. their newest catalogue offers quippy tips on how to get the look, like:

1. when experimenting with patterns, anchor your look in a single color like crimson.
2. similar prints, different scales? mix subtle and substantial.
3. a dotty, black-and-white dress makes a crisp canvas for bold, brushstroke flora.
4. when rendered in complementary hues, a zippy plaid meshes with thin, delicate stripes.
5. flowers and stripes also go together ~ especially when they share a common color like navy.
6. when cross-pollinating floral patterns, use earthy neutrals to ground neon brights.

{ pics + tips via anthropologie }

much as i may jokingly try to claim credit for this terrific trend, i'm simply just thrilled the movement is going mainstream (whatever the reason)! mastering mixology is the best way to add mileage and whimsy to your wardrobe. i will continue to report from the front lines ;)

{ in trenched }

{ in trenched }

{ images via nymag.com }

the old jingle about april showers proves only too true in new york. it is relentless! besides being wet, temperatures swing across an infinite spectrum this time of year. thus, a variety of trench coats ~ which are much more comfortable and breathable than traditional mackintoshes ~ are essential. right now, i have 3 khaki, 1 fancy black, and a funky plaid version in regular rotation. i assure you, that isn't the least bit excessive! right now i'd love to add a short-sleeve or sleeveless (maybe a DIY?) interpretation to my repertoire... i could go on collecting indefinitely.

how many trench coats do you have, and what are your favorite new versions?

{ in the mix }

{ in the mix }

based on the number of readers and friends who forwarded this story to me, i assume many of you have already seen the new york times' guide to mixology. for those who haven't, i think they gave some great tips, which bear repeating:

1. vary the scale. mix a small neat print with a splashier one. or an eye-popper with one that’s more neutral.
2. stay within the same color family.
3. mix up the fabrics, the weights — a rough-textured fabric with a more refined one. somehow a nubby, slubby fabric pairs up more naturally with a flat weave than do two smooth-textured fabrics.
4. toss in some polka dots, stripes or even leopard prints, which are easier to mix with other patterns because they’re simple and graphic. and they’re familiar to the eye.
5. consider the accessories. though it’s fun to tote a print bag with a print frock, you can tone down the brights with a great tan leather bag or pair of sandals. straw works, too.

this guide was accompanied by colorful clothes as an economic indicator ~ a story suggesting we are in the throws of a new peacock period in fashion: "the profusion of hothouse colors and patterns popping up on new york streets this month suggests a new buoyancy, as women shake off the constraints of a lingering recession and stock up on fashions more lively and vivid than they’ve seen in years."

{ pics + tips via the nytimes }

what do you think? has mixology made its way into your life and style yet?

{ freebird }

{ freebird }

judging by the response to yesterday's costume post, i'm not the only one batty for birds this spring! for everyone on the same flight, i collected a few feathered favorites from around the web:


{ clockwise from top left: swallow cuff: $212, tibi shift dress: $345, miu miu blouse: $650, ann demeulemeester blouse: $990, modcloth belt: $16, forever21 dress: $23 }

{ currently coveting } amazing technicolor dream digs

{ currently coveting } amazing technicolor dream digs

this spring, it's all about being bewitched by brights.
{ inspirations from all around the interwebs // chairs from anthropologie }

{ ultramarine integration }

{ ultramarine integration }

i think it's pretty clear what the accent color du jour is this season: cobalt hues are red-hot!!
{ images via go backstage, jak+jil, because i'm addicted, design sponge & stockholm street style }