you can leave your socks on

Posted on February 17, 2010
Filed Under Women | 2 Comments

It is the understatement of the century to say that I’m sick of winter, these piles of dirty snow everywhere, and every single piece of winter clothing I own. I actually had a dream last night that I came upon Marion Cotillard, who had such winter blues that she’d taken to wearing drab black clothes, eating bad Chinese takeout and never leaving the house (and I trying to tell myself something…?). From this point onward, I’m going to set my sights on spring and preeeetty much pretend that winter is not here, and think about what I want to wear when that delicious warm/cool air starts blowing.

One look that I’m loving, and, I think, eager to try, is this whole socks-with-chunky-sandals thing. Also liking the look with flat oxfords too (see the J.Crew lookbook image above…and a selection of their socks here). That feminine/boyish mix really appeals to me, and with sandals I just really love the added texture and if going for contrast, color. I’ve seen a ton of looks with both skirts/dresses and with pants. What do you all think?

love the pink and red combo on chictopia

and this sweet skirted look, also from chictopia, that seems to give the look the right proportion

from papernstitch, this would look so pretty with a soft outfit in the same dreamy neutrals

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The Rhoda to Perfection.

Posted on December 15, 2009
Filed Under Around Town, Events, Women | 1 Comment

Last night I stopped in to the Capitol File holiday-issue party, which Hilary Rhoda attended as the issue’s cover girl and guest of honor. Just a few observations, in no particular order:

- The blonde is her mom. Yup.
- Hilary was wearing Stella McCartney. I knew you’d wanna know.
- Hilary is at once totally normal-looking and intimidatingly model-perfect. It’s sort of weird. Just when you’re like, okay, she is like kind of normal-skinny and girl-from-Maryland, you snap a photo like the up-close one above and realize again why she is the face if Estee Lauder. She…is…gorgeous.
- I want her eyebrows.
- I want her eyebrows.

Read an interview with Hilary Rhoda here, or check out the new Holiday 2009 issue in stores.

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Well-Tressed

Posted on October 30, 2009
Filed Under Events, Women | 4 Comments

Somehow, I have gotten to my mid-to-late-twenties without knowing how to properly braid hair. I know it’s not rocket science, I just don’t really know how to do it. I mean, I guess I do, but I’d probably only be able to do it on someone else, and forget about this magical French-braid business. These are the sorts of things that worry me irrationally, like in a what-if-I-have-a-daughter-and-I-don’t-even-know-how-to-braid-her-hair sort of way. Hair braiding being only the tip of the iceberg, I feel somewhat clueless when it comes to coiffure. But just like keeping this blog has made me hone my style preferences, (now if I only had the cash to take advantage…), it has also made me more interested in the “finishing touches” – the elements of personal style that take a look from meh to WHAM, from hm to DAMN. A signature accessory, artfully applied makeup, great hair. Those Mad-Men-era wiggle dresses? Not so cute with a frizzy ponytail.

Washington has undergone cultural, social and sartorial shifts over the past few years, I think hair is just starting to quietly hit its stride. For years in Washington, the hallmark of feminine “stylishness” has been the hairstyle equivalent of the oft-joked-about Ann Taylor look: a smooth, preppy blowout that is professional, reliable, and free from distracting ethnic flourishes. A while back, I contributed photographs and interviews for a street-style-hair feature in Washingtonian’s “Great Hair” issue, and, later, helped weigh in on some salons competing for an award or place on a list. I was astounded and, honestly, annoyed, by the number of salons who sent in photos of their “best” work: all long, blown-out locks that said very little about style or innovation or hair texture. It used to be hard for me to walk into a salon in this town with my naturally wavy hair and not be sent out the door with it ironed straight, with a cut that looked best when forced into such submission.

But I have to say – the times, they are a-changing (even Ann’s getting a makeover). Washington women are getting more interesting about how they dress, and hairstyles are following suit. Hot new salons like Immortal Beloved and Ted Gibson are opening up shop with fashionable opening parties. Yelp.com is holding a Hawt on Yelp promotion from November 2-8 with half off services at salons like Toka and Parlour and The Mandarin Oriental Spa. Salons like one80 and PR at Partners are offering how-to sessions and makeover parties for groups of girlfriends. I found myself in attendance at one of these parties recently, in the capable hands of Jacqui Davis. I’d heard about Jacqui from several different well-coiffed friends, and before you could say hairspray, she was showing us how to perfect the artfully wavy, textured side-swept bun. It was like having your chic older sister – or the woman with perfect hair you see at Starbucks – sit you down and confess the tricks (one included an *actual* rubber band and two bobby pins).

Call me crazy, but to have a stylist take the time to explain – and then have you do it yourself (minus the braiding…babysteps) – felt nothing short of revolutionary. I have to say too that Lauren, my stylist at Fiddleheads, is also amazing with this sort of approach (she’s painstakingly walked me through the product application/diffusing process many a time).

I’m loving this easy style. There are a few iterations of it I’ve noticed recently, in the form of smooth, forties finger-waves at the Allison Parris (I attended her fall show; she’s now being sold at Hu’s Wear in Georgetown) Spring 2010 presentation…

Their music was a remix of 40s Andrews Sisters music. Now they had hairdos!

After-a-roll-in-the-hay retro waves at Costello Taliapietra Spring 2010…

Photos via style.com

Elegant and not-too-done on Scarlet Johnasson at the Tribute to Cinema event…

Photo from LIFE archives

…and on me at the Corcoran’s Fall Fete on Saturday!
And you know, I did it all by myself. I’m a big kid now….

Photo courtesy Stephane Janin

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Handbag Crush.

Posted on October 13, 2009
Filed Under Only in Washington, Shopping Events & News, Women | 2 Comments

A serendipitous path led me to Ralston, a new handbag line from DC-based Paige Ralston Fromer, who used to be on the Hill and at the RIAA. A friend who met her at a local restaurant told me about her, and soon I was lusting over several of the handbags online while she and I exchanged an email or two (and in full-on Web 2.0 obsession mode, I even googled her and looked her up on Facebook…and saw that we had a few friends in common). Then, one day when I happened to be in Bloomingdale’s in Chevy Chase, I was heading out the door when a bag caught my eye. I went over to admire it, and sure enough, it was Ralston, and there was Paige standing among them (on a white horse! Kidding.) Something drew me to the line, and fate led the way!

The Ralston “Cindy”

The Ralston “Raquel”

I’m crushing on two bags in particular: the Cindy (LOVE the studded details on the upturned sides of the bag. Ladylike and quietly subversive at once!) and the Raquel, which would be the perfect work-to-cocktails option. One’s fun and one’s serious. Can’t a girl have both? Which do yall like?

I’ll quickly add that she’s planned two trunk shows with Bloomingdale’s – November 14 in Chevy Chase and December 5 in Tyson’s Corner. But hands off my bag(s).

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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!

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Immortal Beloved

Posted on September 21, 2009
Filed Under Around Town, Men, Women | 1 Comment

The salon Immortal Beloved celebrated its opening Saturday night in a converted warehouse/garage space on Church Street. Well-coifed/tattooed/dressed attendees munched cupcakes from old-school bakery Furin’s of Georgetown, drank white wine sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and beer chilling in sinks at the individual styling stations (so convenient, really…hair salon=ultimate smart party space…). Guests fell into two camps: current clients who gushed about the stylist techniques or curious guests who considered cheating on their own stylists for a hot, mussed fling.

Co-owner & man of the hour Kelly Gorsuch (formerly at Urban Style Lab) and Redeem’s Lori Parkerson, who contributed clothes for the site’s photo shoot.

Victoria Kurzweg, who modeled for the salon’s site, and Matty Taylor from the local band Tennis System.

flash…

…or no flash? Loved the hipster-poet look on the stylist from Salon Blu (center), and this woman’s embroidered tunic – her mother’s – was totally fantastic.