Sublime sparklers

My friend Elyse is tall and therefore, her frame can handle larger accessories. Elyse moves in the art world and possesses an air of mystery and sometimes sly mischief, so I chose larger accessories with a artistic/global vibe that make a bit more visual impact on Elyse’s taller frame.

B Brian Atwood flat sandals, $98
Amrita Singh 18k jewelry, $100
Sandra Dini coral jewelry, $1,125
Lemlem fringe scarve, $150
H M nail polish, £2.99

For a casual Friday at the office or a Saturday of errands, I chose bright accessories toned down with grey (you could also use camel to the same effect with orange). The large stone earrings and cuff bracelet combined with the striped scarf (remember our chilly offices) look put together but unstudied with a classic tee and cropped jeans.

Neil Barrett navy pumps, $925
Beaded clutch, $30
Kenneth Jay Lane bib necklace, $98
LORD TAYLOR yellow gold jewelry, $400
Yellow gold jewelry, €189

For the opening of a local art exhibit (Invisible Elephant, anyone?), I chose sculptural shoes and jewelry in analogous colors (here I go with the mint and navy again) with a sophisticated bag to give jeans a bit of understated elegance and polish.

A word on price:  While I heartily believe that you usually (usually!) get what you pay for, you might have noticed that in this post, I seem to have entered a dream world where a stylish girl of modest means can somehow afford to drop over 1k on earrings and nearly that on shoes.  While I won’t deny that those Neil Barrett stunners are totally sacrifice-worthy (yes, even the level of sacrifice that involves eating ramen for a week), my personal style strategy would be to look for a similar pair at Marshall’s or (in cases where it. must. be. mine.) follow Stephanie’s tips and attempt to locate them at a lower price online.

Petite Perfection

Now that we’ve begun to build wardrobes that flatter us and work with our lifestyles, let’s add some icing to the cake! Accessories are a super-fun (that’s the technical term) way to tsuzj up any outfit, and they can be acquired on any budget. And while there aren’t too many ways to go wrong with accessories these days, some pointers can make it easier if you can only purchase a few pieces.

Stature is one thing to consider when building your accessories collection. If you’re petite, you may wish to choose accessories (this includes bags) that are on the smaller end of the spectrum to avoid overwhelming your delicate frame. Conversely, if you’re tall or larger-framed, you may wish to increase your accessories’ visual impact by choosing what I like to term “statement pieces.”

Check out my friend, Jes, who’s a cutie patootie petite with a megawatt smile. She was gracious enough to allow me to accessorize the outfit she’s sporting below for work and weekend.

Gianvito Rossi zipper shoes, £399
Marc by Marc Jacobs shoulder handbag, $487
Green jewelry, $30
Timex watch, $45
Rare London printed scarve, £8
Square sunglasses, $32
Sue Devitt teal eyeliner, $20

I sometimes find it easiest to accessorize with analogous colors (next to each other on the color wheel), so with Jes’s navy skirt, I couldn’t resist choosing the mint that’s so popular right now and a purple-tinted blue bag to pop a subtle hint of color that’s still appropriate for even a conservative office. Also, since we Floridians tend to combat the sweltering summer heat by cranking the A/C, I’ve added a scarf for a chilly office.

Jessica Simpson flat thong sandals, $60
BAGGU neon yellow bag, $34
Gold jewelry, $225
Pendant necklace, $160
River Island heart shaped stud earrings, $8.29
Wet Seal wayfare sunglasses, $7.50
Kirra Lucky Charm Fedora, $9.99

For the weekend, I chose bright hits of color and a playful attitude to match Jes’s cheery smile. However, the scale of the individual pieces is kept small to harmonize with her petite frame. Keeping our proximity to the equator in mind, I’ve included a lightweight straw hat in case the farmer’s market is one of her Saturday destinations.

What do you think?  Do you prefer to accessorize with analogous colors, complementary colors (opposite each other on the color wheel), or just by feel?

You don’t need a bigger closet

“Elegance is refusal.”
–Coco Chanel

I’ve been in people’s closets that held items they had not worn in five years (sometimes longer)! When building a wardrobe, don’t hang on to clothes you no longer wear just because you paid money for them at one time or another. If you keep a well-curated closet (in other words, a closet edited with intention), you will have a more accurate idea of what pieces you have and how they can interact. This can help you save your clothing budget for pieces that will truly add a lot of value to your closet.

I know it’s hard to part with certain articles of clothing, though (after all, they’ve seen us through some crazy times!). What I find helpful is to move the items I’m considering “editing” out of my wardrobe to a different closet for a period of time (perhaps a month or so). If I don’t miss them during that time, they go in the donation bin, and it doesn’t seem so difficult to part with them. However, if I’m constantly visiting the other closet to retrieve something, I re-consider keeping it.

E = Expense

Rules are meant to be broken

Diane von Furstenberg

Eschew old-fashioned rules like “no miniskirts after 35.”  If you have legs to die for, take a cue from Diane von Furstenberg and rock a miniskirt all you want.  If you’ve been so disciplined in wearing your sunscreen that your décolleté looks like a baby’s bum, you don’t have to automatically start wearing turtlenecks on your 60th birthday.

Here’s where we go back to guideline number one: B=Body Appropriate.  To truly put your best foot forward, you have to be honest with yourself about what your body type really is.  Everybody’s got assets– be honest with yourself about what yours are and then rock them!

A = Age Appropriate

Shake What Your Mama Gave You

I love the confident attitude of the Curves Rule and Flat is Fabulous authors. 

For instance, I LOVE my collarbones!  On the weekends, I live in drapey V-neck tees to show it off.

What’s your favorite figure “flaunt” and how do you dress it?

Get By with a Little Help from Your Friends

Sunday’s video introduced the first step to creating a B.A.S.E. wardrobe.  One of the resources mentioned in the video is Bradley Bayou’s book, The Science of Sexy, which outlines style guidelines for different body types.

You might think that following certain guidelines for building a wardrobe would cramp your  style (no pun intended), but in reality, it is really freeing in so many ways.  By understanding what styles flatter your body, you’ll gain the confidence to invest in some really fantastic pieces that you can rely on day-in and day-out for years to come, while still incorporating seasonal trends (more on that later).  You’ll be able to get dressed in a nanosecond (well, almost a nanosecond) and still walk out the door looking great!

It seems that all of us have at least one favorite piece in our wardrobe that we consistently rely on; wouldn’t you love to have a closet full of them? 

Currently, my most faithful friend is a camel blazer with cropped sleeves–what’s yours?

Sexy Really is a Science

Apparently Bradley Bayou isn’t the only believer in the science of fashion.  Check out this quote from today’s article in Fast Company about Stacy London’s new venture, Style for Hire:

“Style is teachable,” London tells Fast Company. Her own approach involves examining the geometry of an individual’s body and selecting cuts and styles that play up the assets and minimize the problem areas. “A lot of people think this is about instinct, and you have to have some taste level,” she says. “But we believe very much in the science of styling.”

Check out the full article here.

Building a BASE Wardrobe