ode to emily

keeping with my aspen chic or sporty chic themed posts, i'm going granny chic this week. and my new roommate emily is the inspiration behind this posting. emily is obsessed with granny chic anything. she loves shopping in secondhand or consignment stores and wears the vintage-inspired look with ease. i'm not a vintage-y girl, even though i love the look of it, it's just not me. of course i had my phase of only wearing vintage...i think every girl into fashion does. but i've discovered that i just can't wear it. not cuz it doesn't look good...but because my skin breaks out and i sneeze and i feel like my throat is closing. even after a couple washes, i still feel this way. is it psychosomatic? perhaps. but what i do know is i have the same reaction around cats as i do post secondhand clothes wearing, so i've concluded i'm allergic to it.

there's a certain kind of woman that can pull off granny chic.

this chick can. you don't have to wear actual old vintage clothes for this look. nowadays, i feel like this look is everywhere. embellished cardigans are at every store and boutique i frequent.

whether it's gemstone embelishment or tiny rosette embelishments like on that last picture, cardigans with extra details add that granny flaire. some might be thrown off just by the term granny anything..i mean, who wants to look like their grandma at their age? but when styled in a modern way, with funky vintage-y jewelry or with distressed boyfriend jeans, this look is very now.

her tweed skirt and fur edged wool coat work. add those blush/nude shoes and you look like anything but an old lady.

coats are a pivotal part of this look. all wool knee length, a line coats work. we have great floral brooches at fred that would complete the look. add trendy shoes like hers and a knit beret to solidify this look.

one aspect of granny chic i do love is the jewelry. kenneth jay lane creates some of the most modern vintage jewelry i've seen.

other pieces i love:

i like the cameo pendant on the super long chain. all these pieces can be worn with embellished cardigans or worn with a simple white tshirt and look great.

i think this style is perfect for late fall early winter. it oozes coziness and comfort. if it's not your every day style, i think it could be easily incorporated into your wardrobe by adding just an element or two of the style.

sporto

i was a huge tomboy growing up. i'd say i was a tomboy thru college. it wasn't til i started working at nine west in my early 20s that i even thought about what i was going to wear. i mean, i always liked clothes, and reading fashion mags and whatnot, but i was a jock. jocko johnson...people actually called me that. i stuffed my "thunder thighs"(thanks for that self confidence blow uncle mike) into my lame-o abercrombie jeans and tossed on a hooded sweatshirt and thought i looked good. i look back now and see that i still have that sporty vibe going on pretty much every time i don't work. i have a ton of clothes, but i reach for the same army green or camouflage cargo pants and my decades old off the shoulder grey sweatshirt that is literally hanging on by a thread at least once a week. as i get older, i realize for me, comfort is a main priority in my life. sometimes that means sacrificing looking fabulously hot, but i accept that. sometimes i think i walk out the door looking like a haunted house, and to my surprise people will compliment me and say i look good. i'll spend two minutes throwing myself together garbed in my newly dubbed "sporty chic" apparel and i'll get more compliments than when i take an hour trying to primp myself and dress to the nines. my friend annie at fred struggles with her casual wardrobe. i think i've mentioned this before. she's constantly in heels and dresses, and looks great, but when it comes time to go the brewer game or something, is plagued with the what should i wear dilemma. a lot of people that come into fred want to have some weekend appropriate clothes and find themselves confused on what to wear to look cute, yet stylish.

my go to outfit as previously stated is army green pants and a gray sweatshirt. not a pull over collegiate-type sweatshirt, but something cut a little "sexier" and more modern. something like this:

there's something about that heather gray that i can't stay away from. i'm always drawn to it. it's another one of my fashion equivalents to comfort food. i love wearing the look with some kind of pumas, or asics or even my bright red and cobalt blue saucony tennis shoes. i'm not a shoe whore, but when it comes to tennis shoes, i can't help myself and want to buy a zillion pairs.

i'm not a color person, but when it comes to shoes like that, i'd wear 'em all. add some cushy yet fashionable athletic socks like these:

and throw on some form of a hat:

they key is not to overthink this look. just put on your favorite articles of comfortable clothing and wear them with confidence. don't think you're a scrub if you're not wearing your skinny jeans and five inch heels. you can look hot in your old standbys. channel your inner emilio estevez in breakfast club..."come on sporto, level with me..."

and stop into fred for your casual basics...new zenana long sleeve knit basics, infinity scarves and don't forget to take advantage of their buy one sweater, get one half off sale.

stay puft marshmallow man

when i first saw ghostbusters as a kid, i thought the stay puft marshmallow man was the cutest thing ever. my mom even made me a replica of it. it was my favorite toy. this is who i speak of:

awww, look at that guy. he's cute. anyway, since the weather has completely flipped over the last week and it's a mere 40 degrees, all i've been thinking about is a new winter coat. i already feel like i need one. in october. i love jackets..i have a bunch...leather, blazers, cropped military style...you name it, but i struggle year after year with a winter coat. my friend alicia and i finally consigned our same winter coat that we wore for like five years straight. a black and white marled wool number. it was time to retire it. year after year i want to buy a new winter coat, but i never find one that i absolutely love. i'm determined this year. i know what i want. i've had it in my head for two years. olive green, mid thigh to knee length olive green parka/anorak style with a fur lining. i think i've mentioned this before. but i can NEVER find it. ever. i saw one in a lucky magazine two years ago, and have wanted it ever since. what is the connection to the stay puft marshmallow man you ask? well, i wear this puffy north face jacket all the time, even if it doesn't go with my fashion sense, strictly for its warmth. people have called me the stay puft marshmallow man, or they say i look like ralphie's brother joey (is that his name?) all bundled up in his snowsuit in a christmas story, or they call me the michelin man. i never took offense to it, because honestly being warm is one of the most important things to me. i don't care how silly i look if i'm warm. i got teased the other night b/c i was wearing a big wool scarf and a knit hat inside a bowling alley...i was cold. 40 degrees is freezing to me. so, i'll wear it. and ignore the comments. but there are tons of women who come into fred looking for jackets and refuse to buy a "bulkier" jacket because they feel fat in it, or say it doesn't show off their bodies. hmmmm, to me a winter coat should shield you from the treacherous and harsh wisconsin winters. i don't think you should be judged on your outerwear here. i understand the need to look chic, believe me, but a little practicality never hurt anyone.

i just re-started my winter coat hunt recently, and i still haven't found "the one." but i'm not giving up. i'll wear my michelin man puffer until i find something practical and fashionable. it's a tough one, even for me. but in phase one of my hunt, i did find some nice coats:

i always wanted a camel colored coat in wool, and i like this one. but for the love of god, put some pants on that chick. jeez. this dark one is sleek, i like the length of it, but it could be almost too long for me at 5'4". i dunno.

see, that's the color i want, but longer and with fur lining. impossible to find. well, not impossible, but it is if you want one under $800.

i would love a faux fur, but it's definitely not for everyday wear. i love how warm that one looks. i think i am gonna get a faux fur this year fur sure. god, i'm lame sometimes.

this one is the closest to what i want, except it's in gray, and has toggle closure on it. i'm not a huge toggle fan, but i do like this coat. and if i don't find something by thanksgiving, i'm gonna have to go for this one:

but that's the extent of the fur lining i want. it looks warm, cozy, kinda log cabin/woodsy chic. i guess that's what i want. only if that was in olive green...ugh, why is my winter coat hunt so hard? i have this black wool coat i wore to the ground too, but i'm sick of it. got it for cheap at a sample sale, but it's beat to hell. buttons falling off the sleeves, small tear in lining...it's looking a little rough around the edges. kinda like me lately. maybe i should cut it some slack and wear it another year. eh, maybe not. this is when i know to end my blogging for the day. i'm having a debate with myself whilst posting. i'm sure it's annoying to read. so, i'll write to y'all next week.

time to ski-daddle

yeah, my brain's not functioning as creatively as possible today, hence the lame title of this post. who even says skeedaddle? is that even how it's spelled? enough rambling. i'm sitting here writing this and it sounds like the wind is going to bust through one of my windows. it sounds treacherous outside. blustery. scary even. it sounds like winter. i know that's weird, but it does. and it's making me think ski lodge. have i ever gone skiing? no. have i ever stepped foot in a ski lodge? no. i don't know why i'm really thinking of that, but i am. i think perhaps i've been obsessed with the aspen chic look lately. thick chunky knits just made for sipping hot toddys around a fireplace. check out this pic of a ski lodge that inspired this aspen chic posting: are you kidding me with that place? i wanna go there. just so i can wear the clothes that just beg to be worn at a place like that. i saw this sweater at the end of summer and i wanted it:

i hate the shoes and skirt with it, but i love the sweater. ski lodge. aspen chic. of course it was out of my price range and sold out really quick, but i decided when i saw that sweater, i was going to find a similar sweater, and i still plan on it. i checked out a bunch of websites and found some pretty decent options:

each and every one of those sweaters make me happy. i think the thicker the better. the chunkier knit, the better. i love the bundled up look. everyone knows my love of the brand haute hippie, but this sweater, well, blanket sweater is almost too much, but i don't know, i'd probably wear it if i ever made it to a ski lodge.

a bit overwhelming on that model's frame, and probably on most people's frame, but i suppose appropos for a night cap apres ski.

it may be a little premature to post about this stuff, but like i said, it sounds like winter right now. just toss on my new favorite brand of boots, ash, and you have your whole look ready to pack for your winter getaway:

how cute are they? ugh, i want to go on vacation. or shop. we started getting in great sweaters and sweater dresses at fred, and i have to restrain myself from buying every one. i could live in knits, and i pretty much do this time of year. i'm sorry to get you all thinking of winter, and snow, and whatnot, but it's what's on my mind today. come into fred and check out our great selection of sweaters and sweater dresses. get cozy and fashionable as the temperatures keep dropping!

and the emmy goes to...

so, the fashions at the emmys left me wanting something more. old hollywood glamour, long fitted dresses, jeweled embellishments...i felt like i was seeing a lot of the same thing. i wasn't really wowed. maybe i'm too critical, but really, i usually see something that takes my breath away. this awards show was eh, ho hum. my absolute favorite look was by far the weeds chick. mary louise parker. she stood out--in a good, well, great way. i think i loved it cuz it was short. and everything else was long and fitted with some grand tail like appendage at the bottom. this was awesome on her. she's hot and the color was amazing. i know blake lively's red number was critiqued by some, but i kinda liked it. i usually hate the color red, but i thought she pulled this look off well. and her hair was wacky but cool. that weird ponytail all funked up was different: there were a couple other dresses i thought were ok.

the three of them look glamorous...they stood out a bit. the first dress' color is great and i like the belted action, kate walsh looks stunning and i must say i think julia looks amazing in her blue number. but really, nothing to steal the show. i will say i was grossed out by a couple looks:

padma's purple dress is a nice color, and i have to admit i like the shredding bit on the shoulder, but why on god's green earth would you throw that blob of red flowers on the side? it looks like flowers you get when you win a horse race or something. that's what i thought of. it's just too odd for me.

and the award for the most unflattering fit dress goes to sarah silverman. eeeaashhh. what a trainwreck that is. drapey, ill fitting blob of wrinkly blue. yikes. bad call on that one.

um, are you kidding me with this one? do i need to say anything at all here? ugh, yuck. so, overall, i wasn't impressed.

while, i'm on the topic of formal dressing, jaxie, our line of accessories at fred...headbands, clips, etc...has expanded. check out the great new necklaces we are now carrying. perfect for dressing up your evening dresses:

these pieces are really stunning in person too. made with vintage jewelry--they are definitely statement pieces.

jaxie's new fall/winter headband line is deeply fabulous. stop into fred soon before they sell out.

check out jaxie products, fred and luscious on the morning blend: http://www.themorningblend.com/NewsArticle/tabid/1474/xmid/36082/Default.aspx

with the chilly weather rolling in, now's the time to stop into fred for our selection of sweaters, scarves and coats. our fred fashion show last thursday at hotel metro was a huge success! check back soon for pictures of that great night!

edge of night

i've been living and breathing fashion the last couple weeks...with fashion night out last thursday, the big lela fashion show on saturday and planning our huge upcoming fred fashion show next week thursday, along with our ladies night this thursday..it's been event after event. throw in the rachel zoe project, project runway, flaire's styling competition and it seems i don't have any time for anything other than fashion these days. i'm not complaining, but i will say it's making it hard for me to not want everything i see. i'm trying to be good and not spend, but really? how can i not when all the trends are constantly being shoved down my throat? haha, that was dramatic and harsh, but i really am battling my shopaholic tendencies lately. so far, however, i am sticking to my list. i'm not straying. at all. i'm proud of myself that way. but i can't keep my head on straight these days because all i want to do is shop. i think about material things morning, noon and night. is that shallow? perhaps, but i like to think it's part of my job to think about these things...well, that's how i justify it anyway. so, on rachel zoe, taylor has been wearing an army green military-esque jacket and i've wanted one for months now. she wears hers with a huge turquoise statement necklace. i saw a jacket styled with a heather grey vneck tshirt and a floral topshop skirt. so, this is next on my list to purchase. we're getting a super cute one in next week at fred that i'm dying to get. check out what i'm talking about:

they're casual for the most part..i used to have one in the 90s that i wore during my grunge phase, but this time around i'll wear it with skirts and dresses, not my ripped up jeans. i think that's what i love most about fashion right now for myself. wearing things unexpectedly. like a leather bomber or biker jacket over a cocktail dress. wearing this casual jacket with a high waisted floral skirt...wearing anything in an unexpected manner is what i'm about right now. take leather. yes, i'll wear it via my bomber and biker jacket, but how cool is leather when you wear it like this?:

you don't see too many leather cardigans, which is why i love that.

same goes for this leather tank top. and yes, there have been some cute leather dresses, but this leather dress just hasn't been seen too often:

so cute, minus the side boob shot. i'd wear a tank under it. even wearing this fancy cocktail dress with the faux leather bottom part is cool:

so, i'll be getting some leather or faux leather pieces that are unexpected this season. sequins are huge too, so i'm thinking i'll skip the sequin skirt or jacket, even though i love them, and go for something more unexpected like this sequin tshirt:
you get the point, wear the trends in a not-so-obvious manner. i'll continue to daydream, night dream, any dream about obtaining the remainder of my fall must have list. i'm happy to hear that some of my readers are making their own fall binders too. yay! i'm not alone. love it!

taken out of context(ure)

my favorite part about fall dressing besides the amazing boots, is experimenting with textures. i feel my best when i'm comfortable, yet i don't want to sacrifice style too much. i saw this picture of a woman in a purple satin corseted balenciaga dress with a cozy looking wool/cashmere blend purple coat over it. i was inspired. i have my favorite fuzzy pale blue coat from fred and i had to get a satin dress to wear under it. so i did. minuet dresses at fred rule. they fit like a glove and are inexpensive, but look like a million bucks. the outfit kinda looks like this:

well, not really, but the strapless dress looks similar, but my coat is much fuzzier/cozier looking with a shawl collar. i love the way the fabrics play off one another. silky satin, which is fitted and sexy, worn with a warm and toasty fuzzy winter coat. i have always been a fan of mixing textures. like wearing leather with cashmere. i swear i'd wear it all through fall if i could afford to. mixing a leather skirt, or the of-the-moment leather legging type pants with a soft knit sweater. how perfect:

for me, i feel like i'm pulling off a rocker look, hard and edgy, but adding a feminine, or not so harsh sweater to balance it out. it works for me. and i don't feel like i'm trying too hard to be cool. same goes for my leg/footwear. i love playing with texture. textured tights, a sweater dress and a shoe of a different texture. i'm all about suede. i love suede shoes even though they're not that practical for this state and its wretched weather, but i love wearing tights with a pattern, a warm chunky knit sweater dress and suede shoes. all i need is a hot toddy or some cold weather beverage in my hand and i'm a happy camper.

yep, it's like comfort food for fashion. and honestly it's my favorite part of cold weather. wearing the clothes to keep me warm, but still looking good. so, that's all i'm thinking about now as the temps keep dropping a little, and the sun goes down earlier....cold weather..ugh, keep it. but bring on the mixed textures and cozy pieces of fall and winter.