Fashion

At some point in late August I was doing a little online shopping and happened upon this beautiful coat for an incredibly discounted price. As fashion fortune would have it, I also happened to have some birthday money burning a hole in my pocket.

I bought the coat and it was all I hoped it would be. It’s this beautiful orange color with embroidery all over it in shades of turquoise, but, sadly, it just sat in my closet day after ninety degree day. Oh Texas fall, you are so cruel.

Finally, last Sunday, it was a crisp, cool day. And even though I was having a bad hair day, I decided to wear the coat to church. I figured it would take the focus off my ratty bedhead and the crease marks on my forehead.

P was driving the car. I was sitting in the passenger seat feeling oh-so-sassy in my fab coat in spite of the fact that I’d had to pull out the Santa Claus threat to get Caroline to let me comb her hair.

I looked in the mirror to apply just a little more lipgloss and put on my sunglasses. That’s when I noticed P was looking at me and grinning.

“What are you looking at?”

“You.”

“Why are you looking at me?”

“You kind of look like Burt Reynolds in that jacket.”

Nice.

Like Burt Reynolds has my impeccable taste in coats.

Needless to say, I didn’t look at all like Burt Reynolds. Here’s a picture of me from Sunday morning. I’ll let y’all be the judge.

See? P has no idea what he’s talking about.

Anyway, it’s Fashion Friday and I thought it might be fun (just pretend like it is!) if I made a list of five fashion items you can add to your Christmas wishlist (if you want to, no pressure)

Maybe you’ll find something you can’t live without. Or at least something that would make you happy if you found it under your tree Christmas morning, as opposed to Uncle Ed after too much eggnog.

1. A great scarf.

A scarf is a must-have item and about the best accessory around. What else will keep you warm and fashion-forward all at the same time?

If it were me, I would wish for this one. Or maybe this one. Or maybe something simple and cozy like this one.

2. A really good pair of jeans.

Obviously you don’t want to send your husband or boyfriend or dad to go get these for you unless you can give them specific written instructions. Otherwise this could go way wrong.

I am a strong believer in a great pair of jeans. If any item is worth the splurge, it’s denim. Unless you’re allergic to denim, then it’s totally NOT worth it because of all the hydrocortisone creams and what-have-you.

3. A fun necklace.

I love this necklace because I have a slight obsession with all things turquoise and it’s always my go-to jewelry choice.

And how cute is this little funky owl necklace? So, SOOO cute is the correct answer.

I guess I’m feeling the bird love because I also love this lovebird necklace.

But I feel certain there are some poultry-free jewelry options out there this year.

4. A non-Burt Reynolds coat

You can find a great deal on winter coats at the moment because, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but apparently we’re in a recession.

J.Crew has 40% off on select outerwear right now. You could get something like this cute little number for a great price. And you will look like Audrey Hepburn rather than the Bandit.

I also like this plaid, belted coat and I think this coat is the cat’s pajamas.

Except I don’t know a cat that would actually wear that coat to bed.

But speaking of…

5. Pajamas

I have a slight obsession with pajamas that is rivaled only by my obsession of choosing the right Christmas card. No matter how many pajamas I own, I always want a new pair.

Because I am a fan of elastic waistbands. Comfort is key.

Check out these cowgirl flannel pajamas. I think I’m in love.

Although if I’m going to pay that much for pajamas, I’ll be forced to concoct an elaborate scheme in which I figure out a way to wear them outside of my home.

So these might be a better option. There is no place that feeds my loungewear addiction like Target because, HELLO, all you need to see is Mistletoad.

And if Mistletoad wasn’t enough, they also sell footie pajamas for adults. With sock monkeys for the feet.

Although I have to admit from the cruel voice of experience that footie pajamas seem like a good idea until you have to get up and go to the bathroom on a really cold night. You can consider that piece of life advice a little early Christmas present.

Y’all have a great Friday.

Love,
The Bandit

Last year I wrote this post to serve as a cautionary holiday tale. There is nothing like the Christmas season that will make some folks want to put on some apparel with blinking lights and various animals wearing Santa hats.

As I did my extensive research for that post, I realized that people all over the country are hosting Christmas parties with the specific intent of encouraging their friends to wear the ugliest Christmas sweater they can find. And I thought to myself, “Well that sounds dreadful. How can I be a part of this phenomenon?”

Apparently I hang out with a circle of friends that are terribly uncreative and don’t drink enough alcohol to make it through the evening in a hideous sweater made of some kind of synthetic knit.

And since the thought of having to make a big batch of mini-quiches and wassail for a real life party is more than I want to deal with this holiday season, I decided to create Big Mama’s First Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest.

There will even be prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

I know.

1st prize will be an original piece of jewelry from Lisa Leonard Designs.

2nd prize will be a $25.00 gift certificate from CWDKids.

3rd prize will be a $15.00 gift certificate to Amazon.

However, you have to provide your own eggnog.

To enter the contest you will need to send me a photo of the ugliest Christmas sweater you can find. Bonus points if it’s already hanging in your closet. Not really, but it would be impressive.

Here are the rules:

1. You have between now and December 17th to email your entries to [email protected]. I will announce the winners along with color commentary on Friday, December 19th.

It will be like our very own Ugly Christmas Sweater party but without a keg of Miller Lite and drunk fraternity boys.

2. You don’t have to actually purchase the ugly sweater. Feel free to take a picture of one that you find at your local Salvation Army, department store, or your father-in-law’s closet. I would love to see the sweaters actually modeled on a person, but it’s not a requirement.

3. Please don’t take pictures of unknowing shoppers all decked out in Christmas hideousness without their permission. However, I’m thinking nothing would be more potentially awkward than asking a stranger if you can take their photo for an ugly sweater contest.

Have fun! And may the ugliest sweater win.

Oh! To post your own copy of the cute button Shannon made for me, you can grab the code below to copy and paste to your blog.

<a href="http://thebigmamablog.com/index.php/2008/11/21/because-ugly-sweaters-need-love-too/" target="_blank"></a>

**Any pictures that are sent in may be used on the blog, so just keep that in mind. Thanks!

A few days ago, Gulley and I got an email from our friend Steph. She asked if we wanted to meet for breakfast and then go to the grand opening of the new Nordstrom Rack store.

Sure, count me in. By the way, what exactly is Nordstrom Rack?

Turns out it’s a fancy name for a Nordstrom outlet, otherwise known as the store where dreams come true.

So, yesterday after breakfast, we headed to the big grand opening.

Apparently we weren’t the only ones who decided to attend. There were women everywhere grabbing clothes off racks, waiting in long lines just to get in the dressing room, and balancing four boxes of shoes and eight handbags at the same time.

It was a sight to behold. Honestly, it brought a tear to my eye to see the dedication to shopping excellence.

Gulley, Steph, and I started off as a merry little band of shoppers.

We went straight to a rack full of Ed Hardy t-shirts and True Religion jeans. That was our first clue that we were in the midst of some seriously discounted prices.

Pretty soon, we all went our separate ways as we searched the store for bargains.

This is where I need to let y’all know that I am a fabulous shopper. Truly, I am like a bird dog in a field full of quail. (P will be so proud of me for that analogy, even though I really don’t know what it means other than I have skills for finding things.)

I have a sense of what will look good, what is truly a good deal, and the ability to skim merchandise quickly to ensure someone else doesn’t beat me to the last of anything. Honestly, I am a little prideful when it comes to my shopping ability and am even a little picky about who I shop with because I don’t need any dead weight holding me back.

And I mean that in the most loving way.

Steph left me in the dust.

From the moment we walked into the store, Gulley and I watched her eyes glaze over. She handed us each a Nordstrom Rack bag and began barking orders like a drill seargant, “DON’T OVERTHINK ANYTHING. JUST FILL THE BAG AND MAKE FINAL DECISIONS LATER!”

While I was standing by a rack full of sweater dresses, marveling at the incredibly low prices, she had already made her way through half the store and abandoned her tote bag for a full-on shopping cart.

Every now and then, she’d circle back to where we were with her cart full of things she thought we needed to see. Scarves, t-shirts, boots, and handbags. With dizzying efficiency, she’d say, “Gulley, you need this jacket because you can wear it to an Aggie football game! Mel, I found this pink shirt that will go with the scarf I showed you earlier! Girls, you need to get to the shoe department IMMEDIATELY and check out these boots! GO! GO! GO!” It was unlike anything I have ever experienced.

And just when I thought I’d seen the height of shopping excellence, I glanced up and saw her standing next to a rack of coats while talking on her cell phone. Not only was she simultaneously looking for bargains for Gulley and me, but she was on the phone with her mama describing various items that she thought she might like.

By the time we stood in a twenty minute line to check out, she had finished her Christmas shopping, bought three jackets for her mama and her mama’s best friend, found incredible sale items for Gulley and me, and become friends with most of the sales staff. She’d even befriended a lady whose shoes got stolen after she took them off while trying on a new pair.

I humbly bow to her shopping prowess. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever witnessed.

Sadly, I didn’t have my camera to document any of this in photos. P had the camera because he needed to take some photos for his landscape portfolio.

Whatever, like that’s important.

I desperately needed to take photos of all the mass shopping chaos and the cute scarf I bought. Oh, AND I saw Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs? Married to Eva Longoria?) getting out of his white Ferrari. But the important thing is that P was able to take photos of someone’s Southern Wax Myrtles.

So while I can’t show you photos of my bargain purchases, I can tell you about them. I bought a JWLA shirt very similar to this one for just $30.00. I found a darling multi-colored scarf with a ruffled edge. I bought a long, plaid tunic-type shirt that will look great with a belt and a beautiful sweater coat that was 75% off its regular price, otherwise known as dirt cheap.

It was one of the best shopping experiences of my life. The savings! The clothes! The realization that I am friends with the most proficient shopper in the San Antonio area and perhaps the southern United States!

My point is that if you find yourself in San Antonio, you need to head out to The Rim shopping center and get yourself to the Rack. There are some serious bargains to be found.

You might even see Tony Parker. And maybe you’ll be fortunate enough to have your camera with you.

Okay, don’t I usually answer some questions or something?

1. Heather asks: “Am I allowed to wear leggings if I’m 36? I’m wondering if I could pull off leggings with my boots? Obviously, I’d wear a long sweater or whatever on top, but are they too trendy?”

I may be slightly biased because I am 37 and don’t think I’m too old for leggings.

Yes, it’s a trendy look but I am a fan. It’s all about finding the right pieces. A good pair of leggings, a nice sweater dress or tunic top and boots. Plus, I think you need to be a little tall so that the look doesn’t overwhelm your figure.

You can find leggings everywhere right now, but these are really inexpensive. I’ve also seen these at Target.

For the top, you could do something like this. Or this. Or this from Old Navy is cute and affordable.

When it comes to boots, you can find them in all colors, sizes, styles and price ranges. I really like these. Or these because I have been dreaming about them for the last year or so.

And don’t forget, even skinny jeans are okay if you wear them tucked into boots. It’s like the boots are miracle workers that redeem even the worst fashion travesties.

2. Hollie asks: “I just bought these UGGs, they are really tall or you can fold them over. What would you wear with them to look like you bought them with some sort of clue? Please help.

Hollie, please see answer to question 1. Those boots would be perfection with leggings or over skinny jeans.

And I’m only about 98% envious that you own them.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll find my very own pair for 150% off next time I go to the Rack.

Which may be tomorrow.

Y’all have a great Friday!

Yesterday I received an email from Sophie’s sister, otherwise known as Sister. She informed me that she was in Paris and asked if I might need some insight for Fashion Friday.

Naturally, I seized the opportunity to live vicariously through her fashion experiences since I haven’t been to Paris in like…well, never. I’ve been way to busy going on field trips to the local pumpkin patch, although I do try to eat French fries at least a few times a week because I believe it is important to embrace other cultures.

Anyway, here is the report from Sister.

Live from Paris: No joke – black is the color in all the windows; solid black, black with gray, black with purple, black & white, black & cream, black, gray & purple plaid. Animal prints: black/white cheetah(!) with purple design – black/white animal prints paired with black/gray. When gray is showcased, it is with black, lavender, or purple. There are lots of purple/grape/wine colored scarves…with black or gray outfits. I’ve also seen purple/grape jackets.

The only colors I’ve noticed in windows have been used as an accent – there’s a wonderful rusty orange (not tu longhorn) {Note from me: Do you see why I love Sister? She knows me. She really knows me.} that has a hint of melon in it, that’s been in a few displays. Hermes has a FABULOUS window with a “parakeet/asparagus” (France has robbed me of my adjectives) green that made me stop in my tracks. They had it with the rusty melon orange, & I’ve yet to see anybody wearing those colors.

Another shop in Marais today had a gorgeous green paired with, you guessed it, black. Good looking combo, though. Parisian women really have a sense of style – rarely do you see one without a wrap and/or scarf of some sort. There are NO bare legs here. All legs have either dark hose, opaque tights, leggings, or patterned hose/tights with their boots or shoes. The only toes I have seen have been mine own, especially on the day of my arrival, when I was the only person in all 20+ arrondisements of Paris with open-toed shoes on their feet. I was, however, wearing a black ensemble with both a scarf & a wrap, so I wasn’t a total fashion faux pas.

Oh Sister. I do love you and your on the street fashion report from Paris. Muchas gracias or whatever it is they say in France.

Now for a few quick questions.

1. Lori asks: “Where can I find LONG tee shirts. I know Old Navy has long tank tops and they are divine. I need some long, long-sleeved tees to go under sweaters and such this winter. Any thoughts?”

Today is your lucky day!

Old Navy has these long-sleeve crewneck tees in longer lengths in a bunch of different colors. Best of all, if you buy two or more they’re only $10.00 each.

And my personal favorite is the Timeless Tee from Banana Republic. They are a little pricier, but they last forever and don’t shrink or fade. Plus, they are unbelievably soft.

2. Musings of a Housewife asks: “What the heck does ‘dressy casual’ mean?”

I’ll tell you what it means. It means that people like to send out invitations with arbitrary dress codes, such as “dressy casual”, “cowboy formal”, or “breakdance chic”. And then you spend a sweet forever trying to figure out what on earth “breakdance chic” means and you finally end up wearing some parachute pants and Vans, only to realize that everyone else knew to bring their own piece of cardboard to help them perform their breakdance moves.

But it’s the world we live in, so I will share some examples of what I believe to be “dressy casual”.

You could go with something like a sweater dress with tights and boots or maybe a velvet blazer with a great pair of jeans and heels. Another good choice would be a silk blouse and nice pair of pants.

The key is to make sure you have on a dressy shoe and a dressy top or jacket. If you have those key pieces, then you can pair them with a skirt, pants, or some good jeans. And by good jeans I mean that they need to be a darker wash in a stylish fit.

No faded mom jeans allowed in the dressy casual world.

Or in the breakdance chic world.

And definitely not on the streets of Paris.

One last personal note, I want to wish my daddy a happy birthday. Everything I know about style I learned from him. It is a rare man that can wear the same rust-colored velour jogging suit for the better part of two decades and keep it looking fresh. Dad, you are a fashion maven. I love you.

Y’all have a great Friday!

So let’s talk about how strongly everyone feels about velour. I had no idea I was courting such controversy by mentioning the full velour jogging suit.

First, I will confess that I still have both the velour pants and the jacket in my possession. I don’t know that I will ever wear them at the same time, but if I do I will keep in mind that many of you would tell me I look like either a cheap tramp or an octogenarian.

Secondly, I do tend to agree that the velour works better as separates. Although one of the girls on “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team” (which really deserves a whole post to itself) had on a bright yellow one and I thought she looked darling.

Third, I don’t really have a third thing. Oh, except to tell you that I’ve also ordered some velour pants in hot pink. But did not order the matching jacket. I have my limits.

The good news is that every time I wear my velour pants, I will think of “Nacho Libre” and say, “When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It’s for fun.”

Now for the questions.

1. TNS asks: “The question I want to ask is if you can wear black and brown together? Sometimes I pair it together and wonder if it’s a big mistake.”

A few weeks ago I stated that wearing brown and black together was a mistake and then I asked the stylist/color wheel expert while I was in Nashville and she told me that they can, in fact, be worn together.

The key is to keep it simple and make sure it all blends together. Don’t just throw on a pair of brown shoes with some black pants. Think along the lines of a nice black sweater with some chocolate brown pants and some black boots. Maybe throw in a leopard print belt for fun.

2. Nicole and Barbara both asked a similar question: “I’ve noticed that scarves seem to be really popular this year. I’m sure you’re not ready to wrap a scarf around your neck in Texas yet, but can you give me some suggestions for putting this look together?”

I am a huge fan of the scarf. The right scarf can pull a totally plain outfit together and make it fab. Plus, they are very versatile.

True story. I wore a hot pink scarf when I went to Deeper Still Las Vegas and then wore it on the plane on the way home. The plane got cold and I totally used my scarf as a blanket. It was brilliant and didn’t instill any kind of germophobia like when I consider using a blanket provided by the airline.

Here are a few cute scarves and some examples of how to wear them.

The best part is you can just throw on jeans, a long sleeve tee and wrap a scarf around your neck and you have yourself an outfit.

It’s almost as easy as a velour jogging suit.

3. Laurie and Rena both asked the same question: “Is there any type of shoe that is comfortable AND stylish for fall and winter?”

Oh yes, there is such thing as a comfortable shoe.

The sad reality is you won’t find it at Target. Or Payless.

The good news is I don’t think you have to pay a fortune to get it.

I just bought these the other day and they are very comfortable, yet totally affordable. They are basically the replacement for my black Reef flip-flops that I wore all summer long.

If you’re looking for some cute sneakers, you may want to try these. I tried them on the other day and they are so comfortable, plus they come in a lot of fun colors. I’m also a big fan of Converse, although they aren’t quite as comfortable.

But the real problem is that sometimes a girl needs something a little dressier which usually means something with a heel.

(Just for the record, when I just typed “heel” the first time, I typed “hell” instead. Coincidence? I think not.)

Heels are a little trickier. Part of the problem is that once your foot gets used to being in flat shoes all the time, it gets angry when forced into a shoe with a heel. It starts a revolt that begins in your toes and ends in your arch. Feet have to be heel-trained.

Back in my days as a pharmaceutical rep, I could walk a million miles in the highest heels you’ve ever seen while carrying a fifty pound bag filled with drugs. When I re-read that sentence I realize it sounds like I was working in some other sort of profession. Anyway, the point is it takes some dedication to wear heels on a regular basis.

However, here are a few pairs of boots and shoes that will hopefully prove to be fairly comfortable.

If not, you can always just carry these in your purse just in case.

4. Ashleigh asks: “What’s up with formal fashion these days? I don’t exactly want to look like I’m going to the prom, but I also don’t want to look like I’m 45 when… I’m not. Any ideas?”

Sadly, I don’t know what’s up with formal fashion these days, but I can assure you it doesn’t involve a velour jogging suit.

The last formal event I attended was close to a decade ago because P and I are very fancy people. But since I like to play pretend, I’ll show you what I might wear if I had an occasion more formal than say next month’s PTO meeting.

I love this. Or something simple like this could be beautiful with the right accessories. Or this is great because it is versatile.

And if this counts as formal fashion, then I would have to have it. I only wish it came in black or some gorgeous red color.

Really you can’t go wrong. Just find something that makes you feel beautiful and you will be.

Have fun. And maybe email me to let me know what people do at formal events.

And I’ll email you back and tell you what people do at crawfish boils.

That’s it for this week.

Y’all have a great Friday.

So while I was in Nashville last week, there was a real live stylist on the set. And by “real live stylist”, I mean that she actually gets paid to dress people for a living as opposed to just dispensing arbitrary advice on the internet while under the influence of prescription cough medicine.

Anyway, her name was Heather and she was lovely and very fashionable. I told her I had a little blog where I sometimes play the role of fashion expert and asked if she had any wisdom to share. Truth be told, we’d probably all be better off if she’d just take over the entire Fashion Friday thing, but I think she’s way too busy being a professional.

However, she did give me a little gem of color wisdom. Do you ever wonder if one color goes with another color? Or have an outfit that needs a little pop of color but you’re not sure what color that should be?

ME TOO.

Do a google search for the color wheel and you will find something that basically looks like this.

Any colors that are directly across from each other on the wheel are complementary colors. In addition to that, every third color is also a complementary color.

For example, on this wheel, the colors found in section 1 and 19 are complementary because they are across from each other. And colors 1, 4, 7, 10, etc. are also complementary.

You can use this information to create a color palette that you can work with in your wardrobe, decorating your house, or even trying to figure out what everyone should wear in this year’s Christmas card photo.

Everyone else in the world may already know this information, but humor me and make me think it just changed your life.

Now for the questions.

1. Kristi asks: “My sister-in-law is getting married for the second time, as is her fiancé. She is 35 and has always been trendy in what she picks out to wear, although she will tell you she’d rather have traditional anything. She thinks she wants “white” but since you’re the queen of fashion, I’m wondering if you might have some suggestions for her. Low key wedding but she wants it to be memorable.”

First of all, congratulations to your sister-in-law! I’m so glad that she and her fiance’ have found each other.

Secondly, it’s the bride’s big day and if she wants to wear white then she should wear white. The most important thing is that she feels beautiful and special.

I love either of these dresses from J.Crew. They are simple and elegant. The best part is that they come in ivory which is much softer and usually photographs better than a true white.

I also love this matte jersey gown by Calvin Klein.

But, if it were me, I would choose this dress by BCBG.

In fact, I may have to sell P on the idea of renewing our vows. Isn’t that traditional for a 12th wedding anniversary?

2. Mary asks: “I am currently in a great debate among friends on the appropriateness of wearing tracksuits/windpants as casual winter wear. I was told that ‘anything made out of material used to make a kite is not ok’. I tend to disagree. Shouldn’t everyone have some casual athletic wear to use for trips to the store and the like??? And along the same line, what is your opinion of velour???”

I hate to tell you but whoever told you to stay away from wearing material used to make a kite is your true friend. That should be a universal fashion rule.

Another guideline is to ask yourself how much noise you want to make as you walk the aisles at the grocery store. Shopping for groceries is hard enough these days without the distraction of “WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH” coming from the canned vegetable aisle.

I do agree that everyone needs some sort of casual athletic wear for the winter, but don’t be afraid of good old-fashioned cotton goods.

Personally, I’m a big fan of yoga pants or something like these jersey pants. They’re comfortable and versatile, plus you can pair them with a lot of cute things like a fleece pullover or a lightweight hoodie. You could even get super tricky and wear them with a vest.

(Total sidenote. Whoever works for Old Navy and decided to call that color “Baby Spinach” should be fired because EWW.)

As for the velour, I was ready to give up on the velour. A few years ago I decided it was perhaps a little too “Jenny from the block” and needed to go the way of Bennifer. However, I am a closet velour fan.

Last year, I gave in to the velour pants. I wore them with t-shirts and occasionally my denim jacket, but swore I wouldn’t go back to the full-on velour suit.

Yesterday I purchased a complete velour jogging suit AND I think I like it.

Even though a part of me feels like I’m wearing a costume.

What does this mean, my love of the velour jogging suit? Am I old and out of touch? Am I giving into Motherhood Fashion?

I’d love your thoughts on the velour jogging suit before I take the tags off the one I bought.

3. Caroline asks: “Is there a way to gently break it to someone (a good friend) that florals and stripes, stripes and plaid, or floral stripes and plaid REALLY don’t match? And also, said person really wants to be a fashion designer and is working towards it. Often her colors don’t match either!! Should I say nothing?”

Yes, you should say nothing.

If Project Runway has taught me anything over the last few seasons it is that fashion and taste are very subjective. It doesn’t always make sense and often beauty is in the eye of the beholder and/or designer.

How else do you explain the fact that anyone ever wore acid-washed jeans?

Or the prom dress that Molly Ringwald designed for herself at the end of “Pretty in Pink”?

That’s it for today.

Y’all have a great Friday.

I’m looking forward to a weekend curled up with my cough medicine and various decongestants.