How to Dress Up Dressing Down

As winter rakes its snaggly nails into some of the more temperate weather challenged amongst us (San Francisco, New York, and Chicago girls, do you feel our pain?!), the temptation to just throw a ski jacket on over your pj’s is strong. Even the most hardy and dedicated fashionista can find herself increasingly apathetic about her daily wardrobe in favor of staying warm. So, how does one maintain their desired level of comfort while staying chic?

For winter, some easy ways to be happily toasty and stylish are:
~ Invest in a classic overcoat. Coats like Les Prairies de Paris’ Paco Coat or Mara Hoffman’s Wrapping Cape Jacket are at once cutting edge and timelessly fashionable, and not only provide a serious layer of warmth, but dress up even the most casual ensemble.

~ Make your layers count. One of our favorite items to layer is the cardigan, because it can be closed for a snug fit or left open to reveal your layers underneath. Pair a nice basic tee like Golden Cast’s Halo with something like Burning Torch’s recycled cashmere Peter Pan Cardigan for a look that is utterly comfortable but not sloppy.

~ Upgrade your hoodie. The hip designs of manufacturers like Mike & Chris now ensure that you can wear that favorite cold weather wardrobe staple without looking like you’re constantly on your way to your workout. Try Mike & Chris’ Grayson or their fabulous Bailey for a downtown look that doesn’t stray into hobo territory.

During warmer months, of course, the necessity of layering becomes a moot point, and casual urges stray more towards going out in your bikini than your flannel pajamas. A few ways to keep it classy and simple during summer are:
~ The not-so-basic tee. A few little details - some beading here, a graphic there, can elevate your favorite tee into something dressier, without sacrificing its soft cotton appeal. Designers like Soul Revival, Cavern, and Burning Torch all put a little extra something special into their t-shirts.

~ Ditch the flip-flops. Yes, we know, they’re SO easy to slide on and go out in. But a cute little pair of flats can be just as kind to your feet and easy to don. Go for flats in silver or gold to match with any outfit and to give your ensemble a little extra shine.

Naturally, there are some basics to casual dress that can be applied regardless of the temperature outside. Here are some golden rules:
~ Accessorize. Yes, we can hear you saying “duh” all the way over here. But a fancy pair of earrings or an extra-long necklace can do wonders for the basic jeans and tee combination. In terms of earrings, avoid anything overly heavy so that you can wear them all day and not bother your ears. We personally love Kimberly Faith’s layered Chain Revival necklace for our lazy days, as well as Round Designs’ surprisingly light wooden earrings.

~ Belt it. A solid and versatile belt with a special little detail is a girl’s best friend. Go for an unexpected color, like red or white, to give your ensemble a little kick. Many belts also have the lovely byproduct of being slimming.

~ Go jersey. In general, jersey (soft, knitted fabric, can be cotton, wool, silk, rayon, poly, etc, or any combination therein) is an easy way to flatter your shape and be ridiculously comfortable. Right now we’re obsessed with the ease of jersey dresses like Diane Medak’s Rouched Dresses or Kara Janx’s Kimono Dresses…just pull them over your head, and you immediately look like you put far more attention into your appearance than you actually did.

~ Find that perfect pair of jeans. Very simply put, a well fitting pair of jeans equal perfection, hence most women’s search for their own personal best pair. Low-rise jeans are universally more flattering to all shapes, as they allow for a more accurate fit. Of course, there are many levels of low-rise, so no need to wear anything outside of your comfort zone. An extra-long top is very IN, and can alleviate some of your fear when sitting on a barstool or other perches of potential embarrassment.

~ Get some height. Okay, we know, suggesting adding heels to your outfit is not really in keeping with staying comfortable. But if there’s one thing we learned from our little fashionista friend Kelly, it’s that white tee + good jeans + heels = HOT. It’s amazing what a nice or unusual pair of heels can do for that most basic of outfits. Our personal favorites right now are the Louboutin-like Oh! Deers; they have the red soles and sexy shape at a fraction of the price.

To market, to market...

So, in an effort to become a better blogger, and by extension, a better person, here finally is my much delayed account of Los Angeles Spring 2007 Market. To be shortly followed by my account of Halloween and most likely what I had for dinner last night.

As always, it was a big mad rush from making appointments and travel reservations, seeing everyone (that is, trying to see everyone), until I could finally collapse on the plane home. Leaving the business has gotten a little easier, probably because I am so crazed and busy all the time these days that I simply can’t even try to sweat the small stuff.

Pre-Show
The flight over was uneventful, and I made my way over to Fox Rental, some random “boutique-y” car rental place that I’ve never heard of. All I know was that my car would be $14 a day, and that’s all I needed. Frankly, they could have given me a Flintstone car that would be powered by the soles of my feet - all I needed was to get to and fro from the airport, as well as make a couple of jaunts to Smashbox Studios. Of course the guy behind the counter, a humorless Russian, tried to get me to upgrade to a nicer car. “No, I want to the cheapest piece of garbage that you have,” I told him, and this elicited a surprising chuckle. He fiddled around in the back and said, “Well, you have slightly nicer piece of garbage car, all economy were gone.” I departed off like a rock star in my Taurus Sho.

I checked in to the Standard downtown, which mercifully let me in before the official check-in time. It’s not that I think that the Standard is too cool for me, but I am slightly confused by it, which does seem to belie some sort of deficiency on my part: be it coolness, hipster worthiness, whatever. For example: on the phone, near the buttons for “bell desk” and “wake up call” there is one button that says “heaven” and one that says “hell.” I pressed hell and freaked out and hung up when it seemed to be ringing something. Because, really, atheist that I am, I would lose my shit if they had some sort of pre-recorded satanic cackling on an outgoing message.

I was able to relax a bit in my space pod-like room, meeting Candice down at the lobby briefly to exchange my postcards, which would be placed in her front row gift bags, for some dresses for Drew Sidora, my friend Beth’s client (who also borrowed a Candice dress from me for her L.A. premiere of Step Up) to wear to Candice’s Smashbox show the following day.

That night I had dinner with Soroya at Cobras and Matadors, one of my favorite old L.A. haunts. Lentils and tapas and sangria, oh my. After that it was on to the Louis Verdad runway show at Smashbox, with a quick run back to the Standard to grab the dresses that Candice dropped off for Drew. The Louis Verdad show was madness - I saw Beth in front and gave her Drew’s dresses but we got separated because of all the Smashbox rigmarole of standing in line for passes, standing in line for entry to the show, and then waiting for the show to start. I was totally grumpy in my tired state with my painful high heels. To make matters worse, my phone was dead, so I missed multiple calls and texts from Beth who had an extra seat in the front row for me. Grrrr.

Day One
Candice’s show was at noon, so I decided to not try and squeeze in any morning appointments, instead doing some work on my laptop and having a leisurely breakfast at the Standard’s café. I noticed that none of the other fashion people were eating at the café…oh, wait. There’s a male fashionista at the bar, having a liquid breakfast. This is why I don’t have what it takes to look good in super skinny jeans.

Beth was unable to attend Candice’s show with Drew, so I told her that I would help Drew out at the show. Waiting outside for her to show up, who should I see drive by slowly and creepily in some white minivan type vehicle? Why, crazy Vincent from Project Runway III. I couldn’t believe my eyes, but the guy was unmistakable. I am ordinarily not a whip out my camera phone and take pictures of people kind of girl, but I seriously wish I had in this case. I told Drew about my sighting and she agreed that I should have. She also looked a little frightened about the possibility of Vincent popping up.

Drew brought her father and little brother to the show, and they were equally adorable. She is such a nice girl, clearly because she comes from such a nice family. She looked great in her Candice dress, much better than the models, in my opinion. Curves suit those dresses so much better than mere bones. We had fun at the show, and Candice’s new line looks gorgeous: there are several new variations on what was the Blue Mood dress, I think they will be really well received. Just gorgeous.

I got back from Smashbox, and as I gave my car over to the Standard valet, he rubbed a spot on my driver’s door with a puzzled expression. “WASSAT?” I exclaimed, and sure enough, there is a rather large circular dent that I could have sworn was not there when I got the damn car. Of course, I never get the rental insurance because I think it’s a total rip-off, and they happened to upgrade me to the Sho. It looks like something that can easily be suctioned out, but where I would get that done, and how, given my utter lack of time, was the question. That, and really, how did this stupid car get a dent when it’s staying in the garage for the most part?

Since I had enough time and could stand to work off the planned massive consumption of food at Malo, I decide to take a scenic walk to my afternoon appointments from the hotel to forget about my rental car woes. Oh, good. Human feces on the ground and homeless man masturbating. It’s as though I never left. Oh, and something funny (not ha ha funny): at an intersection, a car tries to turn right onto a one-way street going left. Never mind the fact that there are huge cars in both lanes of the one-way stopped at the red light, the driver behind the car gases it hard, and would have hit the SUV in the left lane, had not a homeless guy risked life and limb and jumped in front of the car, waving his arms. The car stops, barely missing the guy, and then sort of backs up and speeds off going straight. The homeless guy wipes his brow, and then goes to work the line of stopped cars, starting with the SUV that he just saved. The SUV’s window remains up and the guy’s cup empty. Now, I am no big fan of panhandling, but really? This guy just jumped in front of a large moving vehicle to save your suburban ass. I don’t think $20 would kill you.

After I finished my appointments, Stephanie and I went to dinner at Malo, which is owned by the same brains behind Cobras and Matadors. It was so damn tasty. Inexpensive, and just delicious. They have caipirinhas, and the beef and pickle tacos were to die for. We had fun and pretty much ate them out of house and home. Hey, I didn’t eat lunch.

Day Two
It’s on. My first appointment starts at 10 and my last one is at 4, with my plane leaving around 8, and my rental car still with a hole in it. However, another valet delivers the best news ever to me when I retrieve my car, pointing out a clear sticker on top of the dent. “They already know about it,” he assures me. “You didn’t do it - that’s why the sticker is there.” Hurrah!

Given my newly uplifted mood, I bust through all of my appointments, having to just grab lookbooks at the end of some and run out with them. I am very excited about the stuff that I picked up for spring - a lot of pretty dresses, and fun, bright, pattern-driven dresses (call it the Uli effect). Granted, it will still be freezing in San Francisco at that point, but I’m sure the girls in L.A. and Miami will be loving it. More on the new lines later…

And so, I got back home, safe and sound, and predictably exhausted. Looking forward to being well-heeled for spring, though…

On a completely unrelated note, why am I receiving spam in German now?

Ich habe einen Barenhunger.

I. Am. So. Hungry.

I started doing the low carb thing again on Monday, and I am famished. Mind you, I have more or less been eating nonstop…it’s just that I’ve been eating mostly vegetables nonstop.

Part of what spurred this on was getting the shipment of the new lighter wash Denim of Virtue Jeans that I have been so eagerly anticipating. I have no idea what happened to my older pair of light wash jeans that I loved, which, truth be told, were getting super holey in a compromising area. I suspect that they were lost in the move up north. Or stolen by my crafty mother. The new D of V lighter wash jeans are just so perfect, and when I saw them in the showroom I vowed that I would have a pair. In fact, I even have a whole outfit planned with these jeans, including an adorable Goldencast tee that we’ll be getting in September (I think).

So, shipment came in, they look fabulous, but, me being me, I had to earn them in some way (you know, other than the usual of working my booty off with the store all day and night). And, of course, I want them in a cute svelte size. I have been pretty good about doing pilates and starting to get back into the cardio groove, but it was time to get back to the low carb thing. I’m all about life being short and enjoying the things you love (including cupcakes, crunchy bread with butter, sangria…okay, stop), but I just feel better (physically and mentally) when I am for the most part doing the meat and vegetable thing. It’s not for everyone, but it works for me.

Buuutttttttt….the beginning stages are tortuous, mainly because of the hunger thing. It’s also a little disconcerting to be so hungry when you’re eating all the time, but in a weird way, it makes me feel like I’m doing something right.

Anyhow. I am hoping this can all be fixed with a big steak tonight. In other news, there have been some cool random press things. People.com have one of my Lindeberg tops in their Hot Pick Sales of the Week, displayed rather prominently. While I was admiring this handiwork that I had little to do with, I saw that Nick Verreos of Season 2 has a blog for each episode, which, if you haven’t read it, is rather fantastic:

http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1216026,00.html?cid=recirc-nowonpeople-1216026

I was so glad to see Michael win a challenge last night. On top of appearing to be immensely talented, he just seems like a really cool guy. I have to say, I am such a sick, sick Project Runway addict…the shows are too short for me. I was telling D last night that I wish Project Runway ran on a daily basis and was five hours long. This prompted a nervous laugh out of him.

And Michael Kors has returned! Thank Whack-a-Do.

I know, I know...

I am a blogging slacker right now. I promise, I will be better, as a) there is much dishing on Project Runway to do, and b) there is now a link to my blog from Maneater's Customers Page. Which means people might actually start reading my blog. I mean, right now, I don't even know if my boyfriend reads my blog. In fact, if I asked him if he does, his response would most likely be, "you have a blog?"

Anyhow, there are good reasons for my slacking, namely that I am just swamped at Maneater. We have new product galore, the new issue of Lucky (Maneater Threads' new Burning Torch jacket will be in it with us listed as the retailer) will most likely be coming out next week, AND the new Customers Page is up. Check it out here:

http://www.maneaterthreads.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=38

Very exciting stuff. I have much to do today, and much to do before D and I take off to go to Santa Barbara.

Another Beautiful SF Day...

So, because I wasn't as completely slammed with work today as I have been, and because I am utterly obsessed with Lush products since buying the Ocean Salt Scrub, I decided to take a little stroll down to Union Street. It is such an utterly beautiful day: cool but not cold, a slight breeze, super clear sky dotted with a few clouds. I really have turned into one of those people who say, "I love (insert newly adopted city name here)."

I indulged my need for new Lush product, so I now have shampoo and conditioner to compulsively smell in addition to my Ocean Salt. I resisted the urge to get a little Vietnamese cinnamon pepper chocolate at Cocoa Bella. I am hungry, though...I can tell because my mind starts to wander in a hundred food oriented directions...like how dim sum would be soooooo good right now...D and I should have Sunday morning dim sum....

Time to get back to work. After I sniff my Lush stuff.