Wherein Style Spy Eats Her Words

This past Thursday, February 1, Style Spy was quoted in the Wall Street Journal. You may not be able to access this article due to the WSJ's somewhat draconian subscription policy, so suffice to say I made disparaging remarks about certain silhouettes. To wit: "When you're 41, there's only so much babydoll you can do without looking really silly."

The only problem is, she said sheepishly....

(Voom by Joy Hon $262)

I found this dress last week at local Austin boutique Fetish and I absolutely fell in love with it. I know someone my age has to be very careful with a look like this, but the dress is knee-length, it wouldn't be too short. I envisioned it with black tights and my very wonderful Ferragamo ankle boots:

and I'd be good to go.

But no, I said. I must put this behind me. And then I talked to the nice WSJ lady and said the thing about the babydoll dresses (along with many other things that I think I'm glad the rest of the world doesn't get to hear) and that clinched it. No adorable red silk smock dress pour too-old-for-babydoll moi.

Except. Except... I've been looking at the New York F/W collections and I saw these:

(Nicole Miller)

(BCBG Max Azria)

(my buddy Isaac Mizrahi)

and now I am wracked with doubt. And the Want Monster is nipping at my hypocritical heels.

But maybe it's just a question of semantics. Maybe "babydoll" isn't what I should be thinking -- maybe "trapeze" is a better call. "Trapeze" doesn't exactly sound somber and adult, mind you, but it's better than "babydoll." "Trapeze" invokes Carnaby Street mod, or Bonnie Cashin cool. "Babydoll" evokes Frederick's of Hollywood and the terrifying Mutton/Lamb effect.

So here's what I'm thinkin' -- if I go with "trapeze" as opposed to "babydoll" I can wear the dress, right?

Right?!?!?

By the way -- the Fall Collections in NY are happening faster than I can keep up with them. Expect more comments, judgment, snarkiness, and swooning as I have time to get posts together. In the meantime, you can check out my Style.com Lookbook to get an idea of the notable trends I see shaping up.

Photos: Style Spy, Style.com