Fashion

Okay, so here’s the bad news. (Or maybe it’s good news to some of y’all, but just pretend it’s bad news so you won’t hurt my delicate feelings) I’ve decided to take a semi-break from Fashion Friday for the summer because it’s just so dang hot and it’s hard for me to think about fashion unless it involves what to wear when you’re soaking in a tub full of ice cubes because the heat is about to send you to the land where fun goes to die.

The good news is that I may still do a few Fashion Fridays throughout the summer because you never know when some sort of haberdashery emergency may occur and I’d hate to not weigh in with my two cents that may or may not be helpful, but I just can’t commit to weekly posts because I may be too busy eating ice cream at the pool or trying to get the smell of spoiled milk out of my purse.

What? Spoiled milk?

Oh yes. I managed to spill an entire glass of milk in my purse last night, which led me to the discovery that milk is surprisingly sticky when it gets all over your credit cards and everything else in your purse. I am telling myself that I got it all cleaned out, but deep down inside I have a feeling that at some point in the next few days I’ll pull out my Visa card and the smell will be so horrendous that it may cause a cashier to pass out.

I don’t know why I’m telling you this except that if you ever happen to run into me somewhere and you smell something that would make your dog throw up, please keep in mind that it’s just my handbag.

But who am I kidding? We all know I now have an excuse to buy a new bag.

I’m going to wrap this up because it’s late and I still have to watch “Grey’s Anatomy” because Meredith and Derek are supposedly getting married and if they don’t because of some asinine plot twist then I am going to be so worked up that it will take me hours to settle back down. Don’t disappoint me, ABC. It’s bad enough that Lil Kim got voted off “Dancing with the Stars” this week. My heart can’t take much more.

However, before I go get caught up in the Mer/Der wedding bliss (Please do not deny me this, ABC) I have a question that is actually fashion related. Gulley and I got into a discussion yesterday about our favorite outfit of all time. Ultimately, we decided that choosing one outfit or piece of clothing is like trying to choose who you like better, your grandmother or Justin Timberlake. It’s like “Sophie’s Choice”.

Here are three items that made my list and the year they changed my life.

1. Guess Overalls (1986)

The day I finally talked my dad into buying me an $80 pair of overalls was one of the happiest days of my life. I wore them constantly, but my favorite combination was wearing them with a hot pink t-shirt, a scarf belt, matching hot pink socks, and white Keds.

(EIGHTY DOLLARS IN 1986! That is absurd, but as Ramona on “RHofNYC” would say ‘Kudoos’ to the Guess corporation because people bought them in spite of the fact that they were EIGHT DOLLAR OVERALLS)

2. Aqua-colored Gloria Vanderbilt jeans and matching shirt (1980)

My MeMa bought me this outfit and, sadly, I ruined it when I got battery acid on the jeans when changing the batteries in my 8-track player. True story.

3. Luv-it Jeans with roller skates on the back pockets (1981)

If I ever questioned the fabulousity of these jeans and how they made me the envy of all the other ten-year-olds at the Magic Skate, my fears were put to rest when a girl I haven’t seen since sixth grade became my Facebook friend about a month ago and told me she’ll always remember how much she loved my Luv-it Jeans with the roller skates.

That is a powerful testimony to the importance of a good pair of jeans.

So what are some of your favorite fashion pieces of all time? Units? Anyone?

ANYONE? (Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about unless you were born after 1985)

Oversized sweaters from United Colors of Benetton?

Three layered Polo shirts with the collars flipped up?

Go ahead and confess. You’re safe here.

Y’all have a good Friday.

***I just had to come back and add that I just finished watching “Grey’s” and, while I don’t want to give anything away for those of you who have it waiting on your DVR’s, I will say that it has left me a sobbing mess. Well played, ABC. Well played.

I realize there have been moments this week when I’ve made light of the fact that we are in the midst of a swine flu pandemic, so I feel like in all fairness I should be serious for a minute and provide some tips on how to avoid contracting swine flu. Fortunately, my friend Corrie sent me this photo which serves as an excellent reminder of behaviors that should be avoided.

You’re welcome.

And seeing that pig serves as an unwelcome reminder that swimsuit season is right around the corner. Only the Shred can help me now.

Several of y’all have emailed with questions about swimwear and I wish I could produce some miracle of modern spandex that would solve all your woes. Just remember that you have nothing to fear except the fear of a swimsuit.

I don’t even know what that means.

In the interest of laziness and the fact that it’s way late since I stayed up to watch a live video feed of the Compassion bloggers in India, let’s start with a few tips that I blatantly copied and pasted from last year’s swimsuit edition of Fashion Friday.

When trying on a swimsuit:

1. Make sure you actually move around in it like you will when you wear it. Bend over, lift your arms, and move around to make sure everything stays in place. Because when your child takes off a full speed towards the deep end of the pool, you don’t want to have to worry about the girls falling out in mid-run.

And, hypothetically speaking, if your pool has a brand new slide that you decide to go down to impress your daughter, you don’t want to have to worry about almost losing your bottoms. Hypothetically speaking.

2. On that point, try different sizes to get the right fit. If the bottoms don’t have enough coverage, then try different bottoms. Going up a size isn’t going to necessarily help and may just give you saggy bottom syndrome once they are wet.

3. As painful as it may be, look at yourself in a three-way mirror to make sure everything you want covered is actually covered. Just a quick look is all it takes, don’t torture yourself.

4. Last of all remember that NO ONE will be more critical of how you look in a bathing suit than you. Every other mama is a lot more worried about how she looks than how you look. Find something comfortable that you feel good in and call it a day.

I realize this advice is over a year old, but it is still relevant. There are certain truths that will always remain and those are a few of them.

Now for a few recommendations:

If you’re looking for a suit that may perform a few miracles, then Lands End is a great place to start. They have swimsuits that offer all-over control and have a cute retro look to them. There’s also this halter-style one-piece that offers control.

If you need a little (or a lot) of underwire with your swimsuit, then one of my favorite sites is Aerin Rose. It’s a great line of swimwear with one-pieces, tankinis and bikinis that all have great support. Plus, they’re having a sale right now.

Here are a few more links to sites that have good swimwear selections. Beachbliss, Figleaves, Swimsuits for All, Lion’s Lair Specialty Swimwear, and Best Swimwear.

And here are a few suits that will get an extra shout out just because I think they are so cute. I love this Tommy Bahama suit, this paisley one-piece , and this darling tankini.

One last thing, check out all the cute cover-ups. I am particularly in love with this one and this one that can be worn as a skirt or a strapless cover-up.

Of course you could always go with something like this, rock a side ponytail, and channel Chrissy Snow from “Three’s Company”.

On a completely unrelated note but of much greater substance and importance, there are not words to describe the power of this post by Melissa and this post by Angie from the Compassion India trip. Both left me in tears as I read them yesterday. INCREDIBLE.

Y’all have a great Friday.

Here’s Mr. Linky if you have something to add on a fashion-related note.

On the way to College Station last weekend, Gulley and I discussed many important topics in between threatening our kids with a babysitter if they didn’t start acting right. We covered the economy, the Dow Jones Industrial average, who we like best on American Idol, our hair, and, of course, fashion.

The fashion topic of chief concern was regarding what to wear during the summer when it’s so hot that you want to take off your skin and sit around in your bones. In a pool of ice. While drinking an ice cold Diet Coke. With a fan blowing on you.

Maybe it’s just me, but I get tired of wearing shorts every day and I’m over capri pants. Now don’t freak out and send me a bunch of emails declaring your love for capris. I realize the capri is here to stay and I even own a few pairs, but I’m tired of them. I have decided that I like nothing better in the summer (other than Dreyers Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup ice cream) than a cotton dress or a skirt with a tank or tee.

So on Tuesday, Gulley and I headed to Nordstrom Rack on a quest to find her a few cotton summer dresses and we succeeded. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that later on in the day we went into Forever 21 and I hate to even type this out for fear of defiling my blog, but they were selling acid-washed jeans. Look, I realize these are hard times we’re living in right now, but do we really want to add acid-washed denim to the wealth of all the things that have gone wrong in 2009?

Let’s keep some dignity, people. And shame on you, Forever 21, for stooping to this level.

Now for the questions:

1. Emily asks: “What I should wear to my graduation from Texas A&M next month? Note, my cap and gown will be black so I’m thinking black shoes are a necessity.

Congratulations on your graduation, Emily! It’s such an important day because not only will you be getting your diploma, but you’ll be posing for pictures that will be around for a long time. If there is ever a time that you don’t want to commit a fashion faux pas, this is it.

Unfortunately, I chose to wear some really ugly black heels to my graduation and when I look at pictures from that day all I see are those bad shoes at the bottom of my gown. I don’t know what I was thinking, but it’s never a good idea to wear shoes that make your feet look like an isosceles triangle.

Just consider that bit of wisdom an early graduation present.

I love this retro black and white poppy dress. I realize it’s a little pricey and I’m almost certain College Station doesn’t have a White House Black Market store, but it’s a good guideline. If I were you, I’d go search the racks at TJ Maxx and some other discount stores to see what you can find.

I also saw this dress at Macy’s the other day and thought it was adorable. Sadly, it’s a little much for a trip to HEB.

The important thing is to look for something that you’ll actually wear again at some point. There’s nothing worse than buying a dress that you only wear one time, except, of course, shoes that make your feet look like isosceles triangles.

Hope that helps.

2. Courtney asks: “I am the proud mother of a beautiful 4 month old son. I am also now sporting the “pouch” that many women experience post-pregnancy. As I work to lose this mushy belly, I am in the need of some clothes that will help me to not still look 6 months pregnant. I’m slender everywhere else – I just need to hide this tummy!

The hand of fashion is smiling down on you because there are plenty of items to be found that will hide the mushy belly. I know this because I am still wearing those items even though my baby is now five and a half.

Don’t judge me, sit-ups are hard.

I love stuff like this top because you can wear it with jeans or shorts depending on how you feel. Not to mention that it covers a multitude of postpartum sins. You could also look for something like this darling ruffled dress.

Try to find things that are loose around your mid-section because, sadly, it takes a lot of crunches to get back into pre-pregnancy shape. Not that I know this from experience, it’s just what I’ve heard.

I actually did a short clip on BlogHer’s latest Backtalk video about what happens to your body post-pregnancy. You can go watch it here if you want and please keep in mind that the video camera causes me to have a horrible lisp. IT’S NOT MY FAULT.

At leatht I don’t think it ith.

3. MIchelle asks: “My husband and I are going to Boston this summer to celebrate our fifth anniversary. We are doing a lot of sightseeing, but I don’t want to walk around Fenway Park and Harvard in shorts, tennis shoes and a fanny pack. Any suggestions on casual day wear?”

I’m proud of your fashion instincts regarding the fanny pack. Well done.

I’ve already stated my love of the cotton dress/skirt/tee or tank option. I think it looks a little nicer than shorts and can be dressed up or down with jewelry and shoes. I’ve never been to Boston in the summer or, well…ever, but I believe the summer sandal is universally acceptable.

I’d look for a cute pair of comfortable flip-flops or sandals for the trip and maybe some type of messenger bag that you can carry instead of a purse or the dreaded fanny pack.

Hope y’all have fun. I hear Boston is lovely. In fact, I almost went to Harvard except for the fact that I had a hard time passing Algebra II.

That’s it for this week. I think next week will be dedicated to swimwear because a lot of people are trying to figure out how they can hide their entire body at the pool.

In the meantime, I’m putting up Mr. Linky if you have anything to add. Please link to your specific post.

Y’all have a great Friday.

Okay, so remember how last Friday I showed you how Caroline had decided to organize her closet using a Sharpie marker? And y’all were sweet enough to tell me how to get the marker off? But then I told you that I adore the marker because it will make me smile every time I see “Witt!” and “Sring!”?

Well, by noon last Friday, the nice folks at Sharpie had emailed me and offered to send me one of their fancy new stainless steel Sharpies to try. Who’s going to turn that down? A dang fool, that’s who.

So yesterday my fancy new Sharpie showed up via FedEx and it is delightful. It’s like a sophisticated Sharpie and if there is anything I crave in my life more than chips and queso, it’s sophistication. That’s the whole reason I read “US Weekly”.

Anyway, I’d just like to say WELL DONE SHARPIE HEADQUARTERS.

About a year ago, I made it a personal challenge to link to Anthropologie as much as possible with the hopes that they might send me perhaps a single dishtowel. A dishtowel. My expectations could not be lower. But Anthropologie never calls; they never write. It’s like coming home from summer camp all over again.

But yet the folks at Sharpie found me without even a direct link to guide them. They are like the CIA of corporate America and I applaud them.

I also applaud my new stainless steel Sharpie which I will keep on a very high shelf because it is my precious.

Now for some questions:

1. Rachel asks: “At what point are you too old to shop in the Juniors/Misses?”

I don’t know. I’ll let you know when I get there. I always think it’s a score when you can find something (especially trendy items) in the Juniors department because it’s usually less expensive than the clothes for grown-ups.

It’s not so much about age as it is about body type and how clothes fit your body. It also depends on the store because some department stores have better Junior departments than others. I’ve had luck finding cute things like these in the Nordstrom Junior department, but I probably won’t be buying clothing with the brand name “L8ter” any time soon.

Nor will I revisit Esprit.

The important thing to remember is that you’re going to wear a bigger size in Junior clothing than you do in other things and that’s okay. Your self-esteem shouldn’t be tied to a number on a tag. It should be tied to how good your hair looks.

And also remember that there comes a time when it’s better to leave some trends to the teenagers because it’s a right of passage to wear clothing that will make you look back at your high school pictures and cry.

2. Lilah asks: “What kind of sock do you wear with a shoe like this? Do you wear those half sock thingies or tights or no socks? If it’s no socks, how do you keep your feet and your shoes from being stinky

You can wear half sock thingies only if they don’t show. Tights if it’s really cold.

Other than that, I have to go with no socks.

The stinky feet question is a good one and is also why you will never see me wearing flats when the weather gets warm. My suggestion is to sprinkle the shoes with a little baking soda. I have no idea if it will actually help, but I felt like I needed to offer some type of suggestion and it works for my refrigerator.

I just like to throw out all kinds of unsubstantiated advice. It’s essentially the entire basis of Fashion Friday.

3. Anne asks: “I need a denim skirt. What color denim for summer? Can you wear a dark rinse year round? And would you do a pencil skirt, or A-line?”

I would love nothing more than to find a great denim skirt, but it has proved to be my fashion nemesis. I just can’t ever find exactly what I’m looking for and so I go without. That is my tale of denim woe.

However, I did see this skirt in the Boden catalog and think it’s darling, although those pockets might be better in theory.

I also saw this denim pencil skirt which looks so cute on the model with a tucked in shirt and belt. Do you know how often I’d wear a tucked in shirt with a belt in the summertime? Exactly never times.

That’s all for today because I have to finish packing for my trip. It’s like trying to stuff an elephant in a shoebox.

Laissez les Bon Temps Roulez, y’all. (I know Hebrew and Cajun. Sophisticated is the word you’re looking for.)

Here’s Mr. Linky if you have anything to add.

Do you ever have one of those moments where your child does something that is so frighteningly similar to something you would do that it kind of causes you to shiver at the power of DNA? Maybe it’s the way they put their hands on their hips when they’re talking or the way they laugh too loud at a joke?

Or maybe the way they organize their closet?

Last night before bed, Caroline wanted to show me something in her closet. She had developed some type of wardrobe labeling system that she wanted to share. The good news is that after four years of me saying “The clothes on this side of your closet are for WINTERTIME! and the clothes on this other side are for SUMMERTIME! You cannot wear a sundress when it’s 30 degrees outside”, she finally managed to embrace the basic concept.

The bad news is she labeled it in marker. Not with one of the vast amounts of Crayola washable markers that we have all over the house, but the lone Sharpie permanent marker that I reserve for emergency situations.

Behold, WINTER. She went with the phonetic spelling. And an exclamation point for emphasis.

And, Spring! Or rather “Sring” complete with a little flower illustration.

Thus, our almost 100 year old original cedar closet is forever changed.

And I’ve put the Sharpie marker up on a high shelf.

Now for the questions.

1. Several people have asked: “What are your thoughts on the maxi dress? Can it be worn by just anyone? Are they here to stay?”

Well, all I know is that when I wore mine the other day while hanging out with Jack, Chrissy and Janet at their apartment, I was really comfortable and felt very current. Oh wait, that wasn’t me. That was Mrs. Roper on “Three’s Company”.

Oh it’s just a little 70’s humor.

I actually like the maxi dress even though I don’t own one. I get the concept, but it feels very dramatic to me and I’m not sure where I’d wear it. It may be a little much for a PTO meeting. However, if I found one I really liked, I would definitely buy it. Well, except for the fact that I’m on a bit of a fashion fast and not buying anything these days.

The other thing to remember is that the maxi dress isn’t going to work for everyone. I think you need to be a little tall to pull it off without looking dumpy. You can still get the same kind of look, but with a dress that comes to your knees instead of your ankles. Of course, technically, that would eliminate the “maxi” part of maxi dress and you’d just have a “dress”.

And keep in mind that you can totally wear a fitted t-shirt under these dresses because, if you’re like me, you can’t really leave the house without a little invention known as the brassiere. I gave up on strapless bras a long time ago because I find them to be a concept that has proved to be way too ambitious.

Here are a few cute maxi dresses if you’re ready to give them a try.

2. Megan asks: “We are no longer allowed to wear open-toe shoes at work. We are limited to closed-toe shoes only. My office is in Houston and obviously not run by men, hence the no open-toe shoe policy thing. What are your suggestions for us?”

I guess in this precarious economy it’s not a good call to quit your job over the shoe issue. The folks at the unemployment office may not understand.

But don’t despair. There are still good shoe times to be had. How about something like this? Or these? Or maybe these? These are cute slingbacks with a closed toe and if you really feel daring you could go with something like this.

That’s all the questions for now because I need to go to bed. Caroline and I are taking a little road trip tomorrow and I am in desperate need of some REM sleep.

So, now for the giveaway.

A few weeks ago, Alison emailed me to let me know that she watched the scarf video and mentioned she happens to sell scarves in her online boutique. Well, I immediately emailed her back and begged her to do a giveaway because, oh my word, she has the cutest scarves. It seems fitting to give away a scarf since I’ve mentioned them a time or eight hundred in the last few months.

Here’s how you enter:

1. Go visit the Ali J Boutique and check out all her beautiful scarves.

2. Come back here and leave me a comment about anything you want, but try to mention which scarf you’d really like to win.

3. Please, no duplicate comments because it makes my head feel like it’s going to explode when I have to figure out if there are extraneous comments that need to be deleted.

4. I’ll close comments on Monday, March 30th at noon and announce the winner shortly thereafter.

I’m putting up Mr. Linky if you have a fashion post that you want to link. Also, please make sure you post the link to your specific post and not just your blog. It makes life easier for everyone and by everyone, I mean me.

Y’all have a great Friday!