Wherein Style Spy Succumbs to the Cute, and Feels Okay About It

I'm not big on the cute. I don't do twee. Not much in my closet could be described as "sweet" or "adorable," and that suits me just fine. I myself am neither sweet nor adorable, so that kind of clothing would just be false advertising. However. Rules are made to be broken and when I saw this, I snatched it up.

(It's driving me crazy because I KNOW I've seen this photo before -- can anyone help me out here? It seems like it was a National Geographic cover or something.)

Believe it or not I've actually been in the market for something like this. I am bored to monochromatic tears with most of my tops -- almost everything is a solid color and it just gets soooooo dull. The very few tops I have that are patterned are getting worn to pieces. So I've been looking for something that had a pattern or a graphic on it, and I wanted it to have some COLOR. I have found a lot of silk blouses that are wonderfully patterned, but that was another thing hanging me up -- I really wanted something cotton or equally easy-care & casual. And I wanted it to be something I could dress up or down, so something too straight-up t-shirt-y wasn't really what I was after. This is technically a t-shirt, of course, but it's long & slinky & has a banded bottom, so it's a small step up from t-shirt.

I know. It's a panda. But it's a GREAT panda, not an overly cutesy-fied cartoon version of a panda (Cutesy-fying a panda really is bringing coals to Newcastle -- seriously, what is cuter than a panda bear?) and I LOVE it. I was flicking through a rack of clothing, saw it, grabbed it, and bought it without even trying it on. Bam. Just like that.

So here's my new favorite outfit, with my new panda shirt:

(click to make bigger)

Panda went to dinner Saturday night with my Prada ombré sandals, my fantastico Fragments lucite neckstravaganza, and my BCBG Leger-esque bandage skirt.

A word about this skirt: I love this damn thing. I really do. I typically do not buy a lot of BCBG. It's not that I dislike their clothing; although I do have a real grudge against the shoes -- I have bought several pairs and every single one of them have been cruel shoes that I couldn't wear because they were so painful. Often I really like BCBG and I think they do a good job at their price point. And I usually quite like Max Azria's namesake collection, which is their upper-end line (I think they call it "Runway" in the stores.") I don't think the Miuccia Pradas of the world have anything to fear, design-competitor-wise, from Max & Lubov Azria (his wife functions as his creative director). But given how intensely commercial most of their product is, I think they do an interesting job with the Runway stuff -- it's more grown-up, more interesting, more fashion-forward. The reason I rarely buy BCBG is its ubiquity -- oooooooh, good googly-moogly, it's freaking EVERYWHERE. There are three BCBG boutiques here in Austin, and if that weren't enough, all of the major department stores devote LARGE chunks of real estate to the brand. (If you based your information on a walk-through of the Austin Saks, you would think there were only four labels at this price point/demographic: BCBG, Diane von Furstenberg, Theory, and godhelpus Juicy Couture.) Since I don't really want to look out across any given restaurant I'm visiting and see 6 other women wearing the same dress as me, I tend not to shop BCBG too much, although I do have a few things from them that I like a bunch.

A few years ago their company took over Hervé Leger's. Leger was the creator of the original "bandage dress" in the late 80's, a look that became practically a uniform for supermodels, trophy wives, and other ornamental young women around the world.

There's been a resurgence in the popularity of the bandage dress the last couple of years (say what you will about Azria, the man is a marketing tornado) and I know that some folks are heartily sick of it, but I gotta tell ya -- they work. I mean, really -- look at my ass in this thing:

I am here to tell you -- my ass is not really that good. Seriously. Not even close. That's a big reason why these things are so popular -- they're like wearing a really good-looking shaper garment instead of a dress. All the lumpy bits? Smoothed right out. Cellulite? What cellulite??? It's fantastic.

There is the snob factor, of course. Given my druthers, I'd be sporting authentic vintage Leger from the 90's. That'd be great. However, until I win the lottery or the Pulitzer or something, if Mr. Azria wants to make virtually the same design available to me at a fraction of the price? Well, thank you, Mr. Azria! This skirt is well-made, the fabric is great, and it's shockingly comfortable. (I wore it to dinner.) I honestly recommend it. No, it's not for everyone, I understand that, but before you completely write it off as something only Posh Spice wears, check out this article with a size 14 model looking pretty damned hot in one of them. And here's Beth Ditto, unmistakably plus-size-and-proud, wearing one.

(Note to Miss Jody: Look! She's wearing those little Stella McCartney sandals with the cherries that you thought were so cute!)

I honestly think she looks fantastic in this. Yeah, she's a big, curvy girl. And she is locked and loaded in that dress and I think she looks like a million bucks.

I thought my skirt was a good foil for the panda shirt. And vice versa. The neatness of the skirt keeps the slouchiness of the top from looking sloppy, and the ease of the t-shirt loosens up the skirt a bit.

I'm very pleased about my new panda shirt, not least of which because it set me back less than 30 bucks (Hooray!). I think I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it. For instance, if it ever, EVER gets to be actually COOL again around here again, I have plans to wear it with my red & black striped suit, among many other things. It was an impulse buy, but it was definitely the right impulse.

How about you guys? Anyone have an momentous fashion epiphanies or strokes of luck this weekend?


Images: Style Spy, sassychic.com, dailymail.co.uk

Look Before You Leap

You know that old saying about looking before you leap?



Gorgeous -- I mean, gorgeous -- skirt that I got on eBay for a ridiculously low price. And the thing is, it's this close to perfect. It is a flawless, perfectly preserved vintage black wool YSL pencil skirt with side slash pockets. It's in pristine condition -- even the lining is perfect. And it's actually even better in person than it was in the photos. It has the same construction front & back -- four slight gathers, channel-stitched waistband, beautiful, beautiful high-quality wool fabric. It's a classic, it's perfect, it will last for years.

It should have been a no-brainer, because it's a YSL size 40 and I'm typically a perfect YSL size 38 and for the price I would have been happy to take it in and have it altered.



Except.

Apparently vanity sizing is not a strictly American phenomenon, my friends.

Dammit.

Apparently even in the bastions of French high design, they are experiencing size creep. This is disappointing and disillusioning, but nonetheless useful information to have. (It's just a shame I had to learn it like this.) The skirt is actually okay over my hips, but the waist is too small. I can get it fastened, but just barely, and heaven help me if I wanted to sit down & eat. Or move. Or, ya know, breathe.

(That giant sucking sound you heard? That was me.)

The waistband is all one piece and there's no overlap -- there's nothing to be done in the way of alterations unless I wanted to put an entirely new waistband on it and I do not.

This is my own dingdong fault. I bid on the skirt after I saw that it was a 40, without reading the auction listing carefully. Post-bid I saw that there were actual measurements listed which should have indicated to me that there was trouble coming, but I had sniped the bid and I thought, well, maybe the measurements are inaccurate and it was such a great skirt at a great price and blahblah coutureinducedhazefishcakes blah. Long story short, I was not a careful enough shopper and now I have this gorgeous item hanging in my home taunting me with its just-barely-not-wearable-ness. Serves me right, I should know better.

So. Who's a size 2? This thing needs a home with someone who will appreciate it. I'd say to wear it comfortably you'll need a 26" waist and hips not much bigger than 38". If you are that person, this fantastic garment can be yours for $25, and that includes shipping, which will just about cover what I dished out for it. (Minus the stupidity tax I'm imposing on myself.)

If you think you'd like to adopt the skirt, leave me a comment or drop me a line at shine @ austin.rr.com and let me know. If none of you wants it, it's going back on the block.

And don't forget -- read the fine print!!

Personal Madness

I'm in love!

I had lunch yesterday with a friend and during our little post-prandial stroll we wandered into the Michael Kors store, where my friend pointed to this little number and said, "That's so you."

Wow. Really? I am a cheetah-print pencil skirt? Hot damn! I might not have put it that way myself, but it sure did appeal. I love animal print. I love pencil skirts. And I luh-huh-HUHVE me some Michael Kors, whose whole "Mad Men" sensibility this season is speaking irresistible words of love in the ears of not only me but all kinds of women all over the place, based on an unscientific survey of blog sites, fashion magazines, and store windows. Another great thing about this skirt was that it comes from the "MICHAEL Michael Kors" spectrum of Kors' fashion empire, which makes it terrifically affordable. So I was tempted by the skirt, but I was good -- I put it down, I didn't even try it on, and I went on my merry way.

Until a few hours later, where after running several decidedly UNglamorous errands and a long argument with myself, I headed back to the store and tried it on. The good news is that it fit me like it was made for me. It does amazing things for my backside, I gotta tell ya. The bad news was that that meant I pretty much had to buy it, because I could tell I was going to regret it for life if I didn't.

Last night I was attending a cocktail event whose invitation had specified "Business Attire." Well, bah humbug to that! What's the point of having a party if you aren't going to dress up? Of course, if one is planning to spend the evening in a roomful of suits, one's brand-new, STILL-unworn sequined dress is probably a bit overkill (DANGIT! Someone invite me to a fancy party!!!), but that doesn't mean you have to throw in the towel entirely. So here's how I played it.



Cashmere t-shirt and boyfriend cardi (not a set, but coincidentally and miraculously the same color, so they can be worn as one), black leather belt and beloved Red Quasar Stuart Weitzman pumps. I went easy on the jewelry, just a great bracelet -- the skirt is ornamental enough and I didn't want things to get too busy. I am also wearing Ormonde Jayne Tolu, which is my perfect cheetah-print pencil skirt perfume. I think it was a great outfit, and I was one of about six women in a roomful of hundreds of people who wasn't wearing black. (Which is why I always have such mixed feelings about the LBD.)

At any rate, I can tell you this skirt is going to pay for itself in wearings pretty quickly. It's a nice heavy cotton with just a trifle of stretch in it, so I'm going to be able to wear it year 'round. It's going to look as marvelous with a pair of boots as it does with the pumps, and I love pairing leopard print with a bright color like red. (Or purple!) Laugh all you want, but this is going to be one of the most versatile pieces in my closet, I can tell.

What's really brilliant about this skirt? It comes in regular sizes, Plus Sizes AND petites! Hallelujah and thank you, Michael Kors!!

I was thrilled with my new outfit, and felt very sexy secretary all night. The only thing I was missing?

Meow, indeed.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and a safe and happy Halloween!!!


PS... I've been tagged. Twice. I know, I know, it's taking me forever. I'm working on it, I promise!


Photo: GQ.com

Give It a Whirl

It's funny how the mind works. Last week in my post about fashion at Cannes I posted a photo of Woody Allen. My guess is that Woody Allen doesn't make it onto fashion blogs all that frequently, and he wasn't the focus of the photo for me, but it got me thinking about him as a filmmaker. While I haven't loved every Woody Allen movie I've ever seen, I've at least liked almost all of them, and there are some I absolutely adore. One of my very favorites is a little movie he did in 1997 called Everyone Says I Love You. It's a musical featuring the usual Woody Allen cast of dozens, and it's surprisingly sweet and funny. And thinking about that movie made me think of my favorite scene in it, which is this one...

Isn't that just swoony? (Seriously, if that doesn't melt your heart, or at least thaw out the edges, I'm not sure there's any hope for you. It's one of my favorite things I've ever seen on film.) Goldie Hawn started out her life in show biz as a dancer, remember -- it's why to this day she still has those great legs. And this scene is set in Paris, which of course makes me love it all the more now, although the first time I saw the movie I'd yet to go there. (And if anyone familiar with Paris can tell me which bridge that is I'd love to know. I can't quite suss it out.)

One of my favorite details of the scene is Goldie's dress. It's a perfectly simple black dress, but obviously designed to be shown to its best advantage while it's moving. (Jeffrey Kurland, who has costumed most if not all of Allen's movies, does an amazing job in this one -- it's a great example of how a costumer can use clothes to help define characters.) It looks like several layers of silk chiffon in that skirt and an elegant, fitted top with snug sleeves that make her arms look nice & long. Oh, the joy of a twirly, swirly skirt. It's one of life's best things.

I have to admit, since I've been enjoying the New Skinny I've been rather vain about my new shape and have been indulging in pencil skirts pretty exclusively. But this clip reminded me of how much I do love to wear a skirt that's fit for dancing -- how much most women do, really. Fewer things in your wardrobe can make you feel prettier and more feminine than a nice big twirly skirt.

So, forthwith find an assortment of things to wear when you're feeling all girlie and twirly and swirly. As usual, click photos or hypertext for links.

"

D&G Dolce & Gabbana Strapless Pleated Dress

Tracy Reese One-Shoulder Frock

(It's not just a dress -- it's a frock. Which is scads better, as we all know.)

Great twirly linen for summer.

This might be more floaty than twirly, but let's go with it.

D&G Dolce & Gabbana Taffeta Strapless Dress

Crystal pleats are excellent for twirling.

On this right girl, this would be quite a wedding dress, don't you think? She'd need to wear her hair loose and carry a bouquet of wildflowers. Lovely.

For those who like their twirly on the subtle side -- classic and gorgeous.

More affordable version of the "frock" above with -- dare I say it -- an even better skirt. It's already twirling for you in the picture!

Peter Som Poppy Dress

Fendi Runway Cowl-Neck Gown

Because even goddesses like to dance sometimes.

Just Cavalli Gathered Jersey Dress

For the small-busted gal who wants a twirl.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Knotted Silk Dress

On sale at a great price!!

Jean Paul Gaultier Iridescent Chiffon Gown

Iridescent chiffon!!! Oh, I get a little trembly just thinking about it!

This weekend I got together for wine & gossip with the delicious Plumcake, and, inspired by the research I'd done for this post, I wore my great big cream tulle Michael Kors skirt -- it's a borderline tutu, really, and beyond lovely - two layers of vanilla-colored tulle over a layer of cream silk organza. It's so light and floaty, it moves if you even think about a breeze. As I walked down the street, the wind blew, my skirt twirled and lifted (but I was wearing a slip, so I was not afraid!), and my lips curved in the sort of smile that only a woman who loves what she is wearing smiles. It was a smile just for me and my skirt.

If you haven't already, go put on something that makes you smile. It doesn't have to be a big skirt or a dance dress, anything will do as long as it makes you happy. Whatever it is, put it on, go look at yourself in the mirror, and give a little twirl.

Oh, you look wonderful...