Undecided

Okay, these are either fiendishly clever and adorable or altogether icky. I can't decide. What do you think?

Giuseppe Zanotti Crystal Fishbone Sandal

I think I'm leaning toward icky...

Amen, Sisters

Can I get a witness from my Curvy Girl Congregation? Amen, sisters, I have finally found some jeans that fit! Lift up your hearts and SING!!!


This weekend I took myself to Macy's in search of some jeans. I don't wear jeans very often, but there are times when they really are a necessity, and right now I don't really have any that fit. The tag on these read 529 -- Curvy Jean. Which sounded exactly like what I need and boy howdy, they are.

You'll notice that the front of the waist is a lot lower than the back. This is a good thing. This creates this effect:


which is very important for us curvy girls. For those of us with comparatively small waists and larger hips, the low-rise jean can be the bane of our existences, because of the gapping in the back of the waist. To get them to hang right you usually wind up cinching them so tightly with a belt that there are folds of fabric squashed at your waist, creating the dreaded paper-bag effect (never chic). Or you just have to make sure you always sit with your back to the wall because otherwise -- did someone call a plumber? But these ingenious babies solve this problem with a little extra rise in the rear, while still being low enough in front to look hip.

Because no one wants this:





I found these Levi's 529s at , and the best part was that they're on sale! A measly $34.99! Truth be told, I'm a miser about jeans. Sure, I'll drop obscene amounts of money on shoes, but I just can't bring myself to do the high-end jean thing. It is possible to spend upwards of $300 on a pair of jeans these days, and I'm sorry -- for that kind of money those things had better come with the liposuction that will allow me to actually fit into them.

A weird little caveat: Always try on every single thing you buy before you purchase. I bought two pairs of these in two different washes (dark blue and black) and the black ones are a size up from the denim, despite being the same make & model & fiber content. Go figure.

How about you guys? What kinds of jeans are you wearing these days? Which ones do you love?

Photos: Style Spy

The Search for Small Perfection

This is my favorite t-shirt:

I feel a little silly saying that I have a favorite t-shirt, because t-shirts are such basic items that one wouldn't think there could be much variation in them. Au contraire, mes amies. This t-shirt is so perfect in its small way that it has become a garment I do not want to live without, and every time I take it off the hanger I kick myself for not buying more than one. It's Simply Vera by Vera Wang from Kohl's, part of the very first collection she did for them. (One part of its perfection is its extremely reasonable price -- I got it on sale and it set me back less than 25 bucks. I assure you I've gotten my money's worth.) I wear it by itself, I wear it as a layering piece under sweaters & cardigans, it even looks great under a fabulous cap-sleeved tiger-striped vintage shift dress I adore.

What's perfect about this shirt? Well, the fit is fantastic. I'm long-waisted and this t-shirt is nice and long. It is actually tuck-in-able, or comes down over the waistband of a skirt and does not hoik up in the back when you sit down. (I HATE futzing with my shirttails, don't you?) The fit is slim but not skin-tight, and the fabric is a super-soft 90% modal/10%silk blend that has washed beautifully and is thin enough to layer but not so thin it looks tacky on its own. (Modal is a cellulose-based synthetic, similar to rayon. It's popping up a lot these days.)

Last weekend, attending a wedding, I fell in love with a bright yellow cotton cropped-sleeve waist-length jacket that a friend of mine was wearing. It was absolutely adorable, and when asked she told me it was Vera Wang from Kohl's. Monday I hit the Kohl's website to look for a photo to post here. They didn't have the yellow jacket, but they did have this, which got me all excited:

Another t-shirt! And they're on sale! Woo-hoo! This shirt isn't exactly the same as the black one -- it's apparently 100% cotton, not the silk/modal blend, but I'm taking a chance. I ordered it in white and this color

which is called "Violet Night." (What?? Honestly, who comes up with these names? The white isn't even "white," it's "Simply White." As opposed to "Complicated White." Oy.) I have no idea how this color is going to translate in real life -- my experience is that the Kohl's website is not a faithful representation of the color truth, and Wang's palette is a notoriously muted, dusty one, so this may wind up being deathly on me and going back to the store. But I'm hopeful.

There are several great items in this line right now; some really good basics that are wearable and yet still infused with Wang's design sensibility, which tends to the cocoon-ish and semi-dark. Her shapes may look a bit off to some people because they are not usually sharply tailored, but those well-placed pleats and gathers make for comfortable clothes that flatter less-than-perfect body types. I have a skirt from the first collection that I've worn a bunch, and it still looks great after several machine washings. Up close, no one is going to mistake these clothes for high-end designer, but for the price point I think they've done a great job with them. They're at least as good as the Mizrahi stuff for Target.

I'm expecting the t-shirts at the beginning of next week, so I'll report back. In the meantime, let's hear about your small perfect items. Do you have anything in your closet that isn't a "wow" garment, but is still perfect in its own small way? Tell me about it!

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Photos: Kohls.com

Everybody Loves Stefano

More YSL gorgeousness. Just because.

Well. Looks like I'm not the only YSL-besotted fashionista out there. Cathy Horyn at the New York Times wrote a glowing review of the latest collection, and for those who are curious about the inner life of Stefano Pilati, there's a profile of him in the March issue of American Vogue. The outpouring of love for this collection makes me feel all warm & fuzzy, because I think Mr. Pilati is going to start really getting his due as one of the best things going, and also as an example of someone who knows how to take a classic, iconic house and move it forward without betraying it. (Remember, folks -- Yves Saint Laurent is still alive. He retired from design, but he's still out there watching it. Can you imagine how nervous-making that would be? I wonder if Pilati has a red phone on his desk like the ones you see in the Oval Office in movies -- a direct line for the maestro in case of a fashionuclear emergency.)

A few have asked me where one acquires such magnificent things. Bear in mind, the collection I just showed you was Fall/Winter 2008, which means it won't be in stores for several months. If you're desperate for YSL, you'll have to make due with current & past seasons. (Which shouldn't be too painful.) Check the YSL website to find beautiful things available for purchase, although it's far from a complete line, I'm sure. Saks online seems to only carry accessories; and Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus both carry a limited selection of including this little schmatte:

which is yours for a mere $4100. (Some how I think I'd look happier wearing that garment than the model above does. Seriously, whatever could go wrong while you were wearing that dress? You could threaten me with unanesthetized dental work while I was wearing that and my response would be, "What-ever, tra-la, hand me another glass of champagne, please!")

If you've spotted something in fashion coverage online, can't find it via e-commerce and absolutely can't live without it, your best bet is probably to phone up one of the stores and get a live human being to direct you. The number of the Madison Avenue boutique in NYC is 212-988-3821, and if you really want to go to the source, the rue Faubourg Saint Honoré boutique in Paris is 011 331 42 65 74 59 (from an American phone). (Don't worry about your French. Trust me. They speak English there. Very hushed, sexy, French-accented, expensive English.) Also available online are some things from past seasons, still lurking out there and some of them (not all) bargain-priced. These breathtaking darlings

are from Spring 07 (the "Violet" collection) and they long to come and live with me. I can practically hear them calling my name, can't you? If you love the style but the purple is more than you're willing to take on, they're also available in black.

Personally, I'm all about the purple. Speaking of which, this blouse would serve a useful (and beautiful) purpose in anyone's wardrobe.

The ties loop around in back, but you could wear them a number of ways, I think.

This also comes in white. Good white blouses -- I love 'em!

This next is not exactly a bargain, but it's a similar color to that gorgeous blue trim on the gray coat I showed last week that so many people responded to so strongly.

And this little num-bah -- so veryvery French, don't you think?

And at a great price. This blouse + a great skirt in a dressy fabric + your favorite special shoes = your go-to cocktail party outfit for the rest of your life. Perfect.

And, of course, the Want Monster is torturing me with these:

From Spring 08. Every fashion editor on the planet seems to have gone mad for these sandals -- they are all over the mags & catalogs. And why not -- they're a teeny bit cutesy but who cares? (Although I think the reinforced-toe pantyhose is one particular bit of French styling perversity I'm going to leave on the shelf. I've come to embrace fishnets with open-toed shoes, but this is a bridge too far even for me. Too reminiscent of my Grandma Stella and her ever-present Peds.)

So cool. And look -- gold!!

This the sort of gold star I wish someone would award ME. For good behavior, perfect attendance, stylish excellence -- whatever. Unfortunately, they appear to be available... nowhere. They're not even on the YSL site (which has an extensive and highly drool-worthy selection of shoes, do check it out), so I don't know if they even produced any besides the runway versions. This is probably just as well, given the still-exhausted state of my MasterCard.

Sadly, also apparently available nowhere. Ah, well...

Photos: Style.com, NeimanMarcus.com, Yoox.com, telegraph.co.uk

Fancy Nancies, Unite!!!!

This morning I heard an interview with Jane O'Connor, who is the author of this book:

Fancy Nancy

This is Fancy Nancy. Fancy Nancy, as you can see, is all about the girly, the frilly, the special; the shimmery, feathery, over-the-top fanciness. She embellishes everything, including her socks. She is uninterested in anything plain or ordinary -- Fancy Nancy wants The Works. As I listened to Ms. O'Connor describe her heroine, I thought, "I am down with Fancy Nancy. One. Hundred. Percent."

Nancy would never go bare-headed when she could wear a hat, and would never wear a hat when she could wear a tiara. She goes so far as to teach a class to her peers on how to be fancy. Evidently, Fancy Nancy is looking forward to learning to speak French, because French words are fancier.

When I heard that I thought, "Good googly-moogly, I AM Fancy Nancy!" I mean, look at this book from the series:

Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Paris

Because I have to tell you -- this Fancy Nancy is looking for a boy from Paris herself. And may I call your attention to the -- ahem -- curly red hair? I rest my case.

Okay, I may not be THE Fancy Nancy, but I most definitely am A Fancy Nancy, and I always have been. Exhibit A:

Yep. C'est moi. That's the child Style Spy, just shy of her fifth birthday, working the catwalk of a children's fashion show at a mall, circa 1969. My great-aunt Lucille was the manager of a swell little children's clothing store called the Bon Ton when I was a child. If you ever wonder how I got to be the fashion-obsessed creature that I am, consider that some of my earliest memories are of spending entire afternoons at the Bon Ton, trying on & modeling clothes for my mother, grandmother, and dear Aunt Lucille. A lot of that stuff came home with us, because, well, Aunt Lucille was generous with the family discount.

Now, I don't know about the red & white plaid suit (!!!), but I do remember that yellow dress. Apparently I rocked that little number, because it became fashion show loot. The dress was alternating bands of yellow and white lace, the little coat was navy blue lined with that adorable striped fabric (I'd wear that today if I could find one big enough), and yes, the tam o'shanter with the yellow pompom was part of the ensemble. I worked that tam o'shanter, girlfriend.

I'm still a Fancy Nancy, and I'm proud of it. It's not necessarily about adding ruffles and bows and frills to everything (not that I mind a well-placed frill, of course), but I do believe in going big or going home. I don't think you should save your nice things for special occasions -- if that shiny necklace brightens your day, wear it to the grocery store! I'm not afraid to wear high heels to the dry cleaner. I can't see the point of wearing jeans to go out to dinner -- whyever would you pass up the chance to put on a beautiful dress? I'm appalled by men who won't even put on a tie to go to a wedding (I've been to two weddings in the last two weeks and you do not even want to get me started on that subject) or anyone who is wearing athletic apparel and not actively engaged in athletics. Do I put on a skirt and heels to go to the dentist and have my teeth cleaned? Yes, I do. The nice people at my dentist's office are no less deserving of my best efforts than anyone else.

In my worldview, being a little fancy is just a way of putting your best foot forward to the entire world. It's showing that you respect yourself enough to present yourself in the best possible setting. It's showing that you respect others enough to make an effort for them. I'm not saying a person has to wear a tiara all the time (although please, do feel free), but a little fancy never hurt anyone.

My challenge for you this week is to express your inner Fancy Nancy. Listen to that little voice inside you that encourages your fancier tendencies (and if you don't have that inner voice, just imagine mine). Wear a dress someplace you ordinarily wouldn't. Put on some lipstick before you walk the dog. Accessorize. Tuck a nice handkerchief into your handbag instead of the wadded-up tissues that usually live there. Thrill yourself with your shoes.

Say it with me now: "Fancy is good!! Fancy is très bon!! I am a Fancy Nancy!!!!"

Trust me, it'll be fun.

Worth Every Penny

Exclusive Designer Cat. Comes with dustbags.

(Please forgive me. I figured it was the weekend, so no one was paying attention.)

Photo: Style Spy

Shopportunity -- March 8

eLuxury has their sale items marked down an additional 30% for a limited time -- this sale ends at midnight PST Sunday. (You should shop early, though, because we change over to Daylight Savings Time this weekend and with that complication on top of Pacific Time -- I don't even KNOW when that is. Just do it sometime before, say 6:00 or so and you're probably safe.)

And additional 30% off is not inconsequential, my dears. That means that this wonderful thing

Jean Paul Gaultier Knit Wool Dress

is down to $235. Oh, I love that! It's a knitted dress with an attached scarf -- so dramatic! And that color -- blue-eyed redheads are very good in purple.


This adorable jacket

L.A.M.B. Melton Lambswool Jacket

is going for a measly 179 bucks. It's only March -- you're going to have plenty of need for a jacket yet this year and how much do we love that color? So great.

And remember these shoes?

Hollywould Metallic Whitney Ballet Flat

I have been harping at you about these shoes for a couple of months now. They're marked down to under 100 bucks, so just buy 'em already, wouldja???

On top of the bargains, they're offering free shipping on orders over $150.

Not shopped out yet? You can get an Extra 15% Off A Special Selection on YOOX.COM by using code WONDERWOMAN@YOOX at checkout.

This applies to these stunning blue satin pumps from Etro

as well as these killer rose-gold strappies from Pollini,

decorated with little gemstone flowers, so pretty they make you sit down and fan yourself.


So, go! Shop!