• home
• About

simple fix

Posted on January 27, 2011
Filed Under Around Town, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

If you were too vain to wear practical, water-resistant shoes to work yesterday, or too lazy to do so and bring more attractive office-appropriate shoes (I was both), you may have ruined your shoes with ugly salt-water marks, as I did. Or thought you had ruined them. Fear not: the fix is simple. Cup water + tablespoon white vinegar = happy boots, good as new.

Before:

After:

keep looking »

test test test

Posted on September 9, 2010
Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah testing 123 this is a test blah blah

keep looking »

Loving Marion Cotillard, take II

Posted on June 2, 2010
Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Hilarious.

keep looking »

Having a Talbots Moment

Posted on October 9, 2009
Filed Under Everything Else, Uncategorized, Women | 4 Comments

Loving Betsy Lowther’s style piece in today’s Express about once-stodgy brands that are now suddenly, and surprisingly, chic. Talbots in particular has really stepped it up, and I can’t believe I’m even typing that because of what my family now calls “a Talbots moment.” It refers to the time when I was shopping with my mom and sister Brenna a few years ago, and we stopped into Talbots because my sister Elizabeth had found a surprisingly cute dress there, so we’re thinking, ‘ok, let’s just see…’ we go in and oh man, it was a sea of awful: pleated chinos with embroidered lifesavers, scene-sweaters, droopy pastel knits. Before we knew it we were competing to find the most hideous thing (“Come look! It’s a sweater with a pearl necklace attached!” “Oh my God, a denim jumper with a Christmas theme! And it’s our lucky day…it’s on SALE!”) and soon enough, we were red-faced and laughing uncontrollably and unable to stop. And had to run out of there because the shop-ladies were giving us nasty looks.

From that moment on, uncontrollable laughing jags, clothing related or not, were referred to as having “a Talbots moment.”

So naturally, I’ve found myself with raised eyebrows on more than one occasion as of late, admiring an item in Lucky magazine, for example, only to then realize that it was Talbots. I’m so glad to see these companies putting out pretty, well-designed, classic and affordable clothes, and in particular I’m loving the longer, ladylike hemlines on these dresses (oh, and this belt and this classic, preppy jacket…). Looks like Talbots is having a moment of its own!

keep looking »

Making a Cameo at the Elle Party

Posted on August 26, 2009
Filed Under Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Angie Goff and the evening’s hero, Chris Reiter

Tonight I went to a rather mysterious party at the home of Jaci and Morris Reid, a veryfabulous DC power couple who live just off New Mexico Avenue. Mysterious because the party was “celebrating” Roberta (Robbie) Myers, Editor in Chief of ELLE, and Heather Vandenberghe, the SVP of Marketing at Louis Vuitton. The invite didn’t say why they were here in DC or being honored, but as it turns out, the magazine and luxury brand will hold a fashion show with Reid in October. Jaci, as it turned out, suffered a stroke in June, and seems to be recovering well.

The excitement of the evening came in the form of a female guest who lost her balance next to a teetery cocktail table and went down with it and my red velvet Georgetown Cupcake (dinner: two cupcakes and a piece of salmon sushi). Muleh’s Chris Reiter (above, with WUA9′s Angie Goff), gallant and nattily dressed to boot, dashed over to right her.

Robbie Myers was thin and beautiful, with her hair up in her signature ‘do. Upon meeting me, she inquired as to the origin of each thing I was wearing (uhhh…thrift, flea, Filene’s!) before confessing that her (white, sleeveless) dress was “three seasons old.” The horror!

Robin Givhan, who’s now living near Union Station, was there too (I love her – I’m such a dorky fan). We talked about the CNN show we taped together in January – apparently she never saw it either. She later left to walk her dog.

Sorry I don’t have much to offer in terms of photos. (I have really gotten terrible at taking photos at these things. A clutch, a drink, a camera – too much!) I promise to make that up tonight, at a screening of The September Issue, hosted by Gilt Groupe founders Alexis and Alexandra. Can’t wait to see this movie!! It officially opens in DC September 11, I think – I’ll keep you posted…

keep looking »

Enchanted!

Posted on April 19, 2009
Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment

For me, the idea of “style” is related to the appreciation of so many things: art, nature, food – even trash on the street. I find inspiration everywhere. Which is why this post, mainly a collection of images from Friday night’s Corcoran Ball, features just as many photographs of decor as it does clothing.

I arrived Friday evening (in my polka-dot, vintage Betsy Johnson dress) to find my workplace completely and utterly transformed into a dream-like fantasy world. Every room was different – the lighting, linens, and tablewear inspired by the artwork in that particular gallery.

One room featured antique crystal and furniture (above), while another – definitely my favorite – so lovingly captured the lushly feminine Vigee-Lebrun portrait that to sit in the room felt like being inside the painting itself. This was easily the most special gala event I’ve attended in Washington.

These tablecloths were fashioned entirely from the corners usually sliced off and discarded when a round tablecloth is made:

And these pink silk beauties were custom-made for the Corcoran Ball:

And now, for some outfits! Art-world-eccentric-perfection:

A painterly, classic Oscar de la Renta gown:

(me, my colleague Kristin Guiter, publicist Lindley Thornburg and The Washington Times’ Stephanie Green, who was all excited about this scoop)

keep looking »

When you can’t be two places at once….

Posted on March 30, 2009
Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment

…enlist others! That’s what I did this past Saturday when I found myself unable to attend two significant events (ARTINI and Fashion For Paws) that were taking place at the same time. I attended ARTINI in my MK-like dress, above, and Lesley Benn, the flame-haired, couture-wearing fashionista (I’m starting to embrace the word) of Washingtonian Best-Dressed fame, attended Fashion For Paws and contributed her thoughts and photos.

At ARTINI, I sampled some truly couture “artinis” – martinis inspired by works of original art from students at the Corcoran College of Art & Design. One of the mixologists used Capri Sun pouches for their drink, serving up what amounted to a flask-like drink that proved popular with the boys. I am absolutely going to steal that trick for future parties. And the event got an “A” for Absinthe. Not only did several of the drinks feature the legendary brew, but there was an entire Absinthe bar upstairs, where white leather couches were surrounded by trays of white rose bulbs floating in water.

Janine Tursini in a fierce cobalt dress (you should have seen the back..and the zippers…) and Dissident Display’s Adrian Loving in a vintage navy leather jacket.

I snapped my Sidewalk Style column wearing a dress that’s pure Spring inspiration (you’ll see her in tomorrow’s column), and can say that I felt, in general, very inspired by some of the looks I saw. Photographer Liz Gorman was there in a fitted yellow skirt, a white v-neck tee, and leather jacket. Knowing her fashion savvy, she probably scored it all for a song (by the way, she’s having a photo show at Tryst this Thursday from 7-9; I think Maria is coming with me). The Washington Post’s communications guru Kris Coratti was there in a killer Marc Jacobs leather dress, and the Corcoran’s own Megan Harmon wore Betsy Johnson’s tiered pink mini-crini skirt that as of yesterday, was in the window of the Georgetown store. And she wore it with silver hi-top Converse! I’m a little mad at myself for not taking more photographs!

Betsy Johnson’s playful frocks also made an appearance cross-town at Fashion For Paws. Here’s Lesley – striking a pose of her own in a wickedly sculptural Comme des Garcons dress – and her photos and account:

Lesley appreciated model Jackie Akoko’s natural swagger (her legs go for MILES) and this PYT, “gorgeous in a strapless Thread Social dress.”

“What a shame that two fun, must-attend District events for me and many of my friends were scheduled on the same night. But when one of them contains both ‘fashion’ and ‘paws’ in the event title, it wasn’t much of a contest from my own standpoint. If there are two things at the top of my love-list, it’s dogs and fashion. So unless a Clive Owen Meet-and Greet was the third, I was on my way to the Italian Embassy on Saturday night for the Washington Humane Society’s third annual Fashion for Paws.

“One of the adorable models from the runway – and her owner, Andrea Rodgers“

The sold-out fashion event seemed to be a massive success, certainly in terms of the lines to get drinks and snag cupcakes. Oh, and of course in terms of the charitable donations to the Washington Humane Society: I think I heard through the slightly muffled sound system a number in the $500,000 range. As I watched the roughly 40 or so DC personalities walking as models on the elevated runway, I couldn’t help but wish for some jeweled panties or fashion road kill moments. Other than a couple of less than cooperative model dogs, the runway show itself wasn’t especially memorable. The looks themselves were provided by a host of stores and designers –many from Saks, but also Betsy Johnson, Lacoste, Caché, Anthropologie, and Nicole Miller, among others. And they were fine, if a bit uninspired in terms of fashion (think conservative, casual, professional) — understandably I suppose, as DC seems to like to live up to its reputation in this respect.

“Lesson: Not wearing black can be a good – very good – thing. Gorgeous in Julie Haus.”

“This woman stood out with great personal style.”

“Just as I wished to see an evening jumpsuit, she walked by!”

“The shoes that proved my theory: If you’re stalking a pair of intriguing shoes that are unlike any others you’ve seen, they are going to turn out to be Dries Van Noten.”

Sugared up on Hello Cupcakes and Red Bull and teetering on 5-inch Jil Sander platform pumps, the focus of this fashion lover and the life of her camera’s battery quickly became the crowd, not the runway. At an event for fashion and animal lovers alike, some just loved the animals, I safely concluded. Aside from some egregious violations of the Code of Women’s Undergarments – a handful of visible bras (not just shoulder straps but entire bras!) and then that one otherwise lovely bra-less wonder – the fashion was overall impressive.”

keep looking »