LOOKBOOK: August 13

Popcorn-Stitch Drapey Open Cardigan (Alloy, $40)

I've been seeing lots of open, drapey cardigans for fall.  It comes in several other colors, although I'm really loving this ivory.

This is a great choice if you work in freezing office space (lucky!).

 

 

LOOKBOOK: August 10

 

Isabel Toldeo for Payless Anasis Loafer Pump ($50, Payless Shoes)

Normally I find Isabel Toldeo's designs a little too avante garde for my tastes, even her Payless line.

When I first saw these, I thought they were ugly.  I then took a closer look, and I love them.

I don't know why.  I just do.  So perfect for fall.

Is it fall yet?

Hello, Fall!

It's Labor Day, and for the fashion world, the official beginning to fall styles and colors.  Despite what the weather may say, most see this as the time to start putting away the flip flops and bringing out the boots.  Yes, it may seem strange to tuck away one's sandals when it's still 80+ degrees outside, but from all the forecasts I've seen, it's going to be in the 70s for the remainder of the week.  Maybe that's whay I've been itching to go get my sweaters out of storage all day.

Before you rush our to your nearest mall--or the "mall" on your laptop--shop your closet first.  Don't forget to clean it out while you're in there.  Most of the fashion rules that were poular in our youth, such as not wearing white after Labor Day, are no longer in place.  Here's some tips to keep in mind as your start to stare your wardrobe down:

Keep: Your whites.  White jeans, white dresses, and white shirts can all still be worn.  Just be careful to make sure the outfit isn't totally white or too summery.  For example, mix a gauzy white dress with a pair of boots or colored flats, and add a cardigan.  Don't wear that same dress with a pair of rubber flip flops.  Keep anything white to one item in your outfit is a good general rule to go by.
Store: White shoes.  You can get away with just about anything else white but white shoes don't mix well with fall leaves, or snow.

Keep: Nice flip flops.  And by nice, I mean Eliza J. flip flops, Rainbows, critter sandals from J. Crew, etc.  Basically any sandal that isn't rubber or feature a summer motif on them. 
Store: Nicer sandals, or those with seasonal motifs. 
Trash: Any rubber flip flops (such as those from Old Navy) that are dirty or show imprints from where your feet were in them. 

Keep: Tropical, jeweltone, and pastel tanks, tees, and camis.  The colors for fall are brighter than usual, but still subdued.  If you have to ask if a shirt is too bright, then it is. 
Store: Neon colors.  If you were told you'd be directing traffic and needed to wear a bright shirt, the one you'd decide upon needs to be packed up.

Keep: Flare and bootcut jeans. Flares are all over the runways for fall, and are a welcome relief from skinny jeans. 
Store (trash, actually): Anything distressed.  Jeans with major rips, holes, or overly distressed have gone the way of Ed Hardy. 

Keep: Seasonless motifs or critter items.  This would include your favorite skirt with the pink elephants embroidered on it, or the Bermuda Bag purse cover with turtles. 
Store: Anything seasonal.  Seahorses, starfish, sunglasses, etc., should all be packed up.  If you don't boat, anything nautical should go as well. Note: a small logo, such as Vineyard Vine's whale or Lilly Pulitzer's palm tree, don't count as a motif.

Use with care: Straw purses.  A nice straw purse can work well with a fall outfit, but it must be an actual fall outfit.  Don't use a straw purse if you're wearing that gauzy white dress I mentioned above.  If you're wearing brown cords, a forest green sweater and some suede boots and are heading to the pumpkin patch, a straw purse can make a great addition.  Be sure to pack it away once it starts to freeze, though. 

Use with care: Maxi dresses.  Add a cardigan and a belt to bring it into fall.  If your dress is a tropical floral print, it needs to hibernate until next year. 

Trash on sight: Anything that came from Deb's, Forever 21, Wet Seal, Charlotte Russe, etc., that was purchased more than a month ago.  The quality on these items is already poor, and will be out of style by next season. 

Give Away: Anything that you can't fit into right now.  Anything that you haven't worn this year.  Anything that you can't remember last wearing. 

Once you've gotten through this list, you should be all set to hit the shopping destination of your choice and start stocking up on sweaters because it slightly looks like we might get a fall!

 

Back to School: Old Navy

And finally, Back to School Week 2011 comes to a close.  I apologize it took longer than a week, but between some Wordpress problems that were the result of my own stupidity and working two jobs, nothing seemed to get done.  But that's life.  Now on to some clothes!

I took this set in a different way than most of my other sets after one of my clients told me a story of when her daughter started college.  Her daughter was a business major, and shortly before the start of the school year, she received a letter in the mail informing her that all business majors were required to dress professionally for all their business classes.  When I was an education the first semester of my freshman year, I was required to dress professionally for my job shadowing.  If you're in a similar position of needing something professional, or just like to dress up, this set is for you.

Polyvore set here. 

 I started off with a pair of herringbone pants.  Herringbone isn't a print, it's actually a pattern made due to the weaving of the fabric.  Don't worry, herringbone is very business appropriate and is common, not to mention great for fall and winter because it's a heavier fabric.  I then added a fantastic ruffled tank to add some femininity, and then threw on a military-inspired black cardigan.  You can use a black blazer if you desire.  A basic black bag and shoes finish the outfit.  I'm not crazy about either, but they're what Old Navy had to offer.  I'd add the black Simply Vera heels from the Kohl's Study Date set, and the Longchamp bag from earlier in the week. 

Some tips on professional wear:
-Don't buy 100% polyester pants.  This means avoiding the "dress" pants at Charlotte Russe/Wet Seal/Deb/etc.  They haven't changed since I was a teenager: a wide leg with huge cuffs and usually a crease down the leg.  Buy instead from Old Navy, Macy's, Talbot's, etc.  Yes, they'll cost more, but the clothes will be of better quality, and therefore you will look better.  
-When you pants, look to see if there is a crease on the legs.  As much as you may hate ironing, if there's a crease, they're going to need to retain the crease.  This goes back to the designing on the pants, they're designed and cut to hang with the crease in them.  Ironing the crease out will make them fit funny.
-Skirts shouldn't be more than 4 inches above your knee, and I know some will say that's too short.  Real life is not Ally McBeal. 
-You can't always throw a cardigan over a dress and call it a day.  If it's a dress you would wear out to a club or out with the girls, it's not work appropriate. 

Since you put some work into looking professional earlier in the day, I made the Study Date simple:

Polyvore set here. 

A simple yet stylish dress, with some simple flats and sparkly earrings.  A quick, slightly messy updo and a swipe of gloss is all you need, and you're good to go. 

I'd like to thank you for sticking around for what actually turned out to be Back to School Week and a Half!  As always, if you have any questions, need a clarification, etc, don't hesitate to email me at wvfashionologist [at] gmail.com.

Back to School: Kohl's

Since Kohl's is a department store and carries more than one brand, I thought I would have almost unlimited selection to choose from.   However, after a trip to my local Kohl's and pursuing the Kohl's website, I found the selection...depressing.  There wasn't much at all I liked.  While Kohl's isn't my favorite place to shop, I have found really nice stuff there, and I know many of my friends and coworkers love to shop there. 

Anywho, while my local store doesn't carry much of the LC by Lauren Conrad line, the website does.  I was somewhat surprised by how nice it looks.  Is it original? No, but again, it looks nice.  So in keeping with my sister's plea for more casual, I pulled together this outfit:

Polyvore set here.

Here I paired a basic pair of navy striped shorts with a great ruffled cranberry shirt.  Again, I went for items that would mix and match with items you already have in your wardrobe.  Instead of going for flats or sandals, I chose this pair of  oxfords to add interest.  I've been seeing lots of oxfords in stores right now so you may want to look into picking up a pair.  You can wear oxfords much like you would flats, just make sure to keep the soles flat, not like brogues, which look similar but have a heavier sole (think Doc Martins).  I added some bangles with cute bow accents. 

I'm going to be honest: there wasn't a single bag I liked on the Kohl's website.  While I like the style of this bag, when I looked at it in store, the materials make it look cheap.  However, I thought it gave the outfit a hint of Katherine Hepburn (my namesake!) between the purse and the oxfords.

I fared much better when choosing a study date outfit:

Polyvore set here.

While I did the back to class set with the LC by Lauren Conrad line, I decided to go more sophisticated and use Simply Vera by Vera Wang for the study date outfit.  While my overall opinion of this line is one of disappointment--this line had so much potential but ended up being some badly cut polyester blouses--there occasionally is a knock-out piece, like this skirt.  This skirt has jaw-dropping drama that I haven't seen in an outfit at this low of a price.  Since there is so much detail in the skirt, I chose a shirt with matching details on the sleeves.  Tuck the shirt in so you can show off the detail on the skirt.  For an outfit like this, go with simple hair, makeup, and accessories.  Were this just a plain gray skirt and black shirt I'd add some colored shoes or bag, but again, that would distract from the beautiful architecture. 

Back To School: American Eagle Outfitters

When I was in high school up through my junior year of college, American Eagle was my store.  I was a major AE brand whore, a godly amount of my clothes were from there, the whole nine yards.  And then, I got tired of it.  Maybe it was just my style was changing.  I do remember about that time the clothing seemed to change somehow.  Like it didn't have the character, style, and originality that it used to.  I used to get the cutest graphic tees there, and then all of a sudden the only graphic shirts offered only had some for of "AE" "AEO" "American Eagle" etc printed on it.  I'm not a big fan of wearing logos on my shirts, as I've mentioned before.  So it's been quite a while since I've really looked at American Eagle.  Recently, I sat down and browsed the website, and I'm impressed.  It's like the original old stuff I loved so much are coming back, and that makes me excited.

Polyvore set here.

I had my little sister look over all the sets I've done here for back to school week, and while she really liked them, she said that she wanted something much more casual.  As she puts it, 12 years of Catholic school forced her to wear skirts almost every day, so now that she's in college it's jeans time.  In this set, I paired a basic pair of flare jeans (huge this fall), and a great tank.  To really turn this outfit from "ok but bland" to "that's great" I added a red infinity scarf and some adorable sandals.  Seriously, aren't those sandals wonderful?  If you don't want a scarf, go for a chunky or a long necklace and add some bangle brackets. 

Polyvore set here.

I kept the tone casual again for the study date outfit.  Yes, you can wear white after Labor Day, just be sure to not make the outfit too summery.  The wedge sandals can be worn into fall as well, the textures on them are very Earthy, and can remind a lot of people of the textures found outside in autumn.  I added the peacock feather necklace as a way to add some pops of color.  And now for the 10th time this week: tights and flat boots for colder weather. 

Back to School: Target

When I first went off to college so many years ago (okay 2003, and it does seem that long ago), just about everything I bought to head off came from Target.  The Target had just opened up on Rt. 60 in Barboursville, so  I was rather excited about it.  Most of my clothes, all of dorm stuff (which I actually still have...), all came from the giant red bull's eye in the sky. 

I'm still a fan of Target, and I feel it's one of the places where you can get the most bang for your buck.  They usually have a designer collaboration going on, such as this summer's Calypso St. Barth which I was in love with, and Missioni coming up here in September.  Trust me, there will be more on that later. 

But before I get even further off track, here are the sets for Target:

Polyvore set here.

When I first saw this skirt, all I could think of was how perfect it would be for fall.  I added cute red flats (which would go great with the J. Crew shirt from yesterday), a simple brown bag, and a red scarf.  Even though the scarf, shoes, and skirt aren't all the same shade of red, they're in the same family, which will allow you to get away with wearing them all together.  I added a simple teal tee to keep everything too matchy-matchy.  It's a bit unexpected, and teal is hot for this fall.  Had I paired this skirt with a neutral shirt, I probably would have taken away the scarf as it would have been too much red.  But adding this shirt in a complementary color, you can go further with accessories.  A purple shirt would also work, as would yellow or a bright colbalt blue.

Polyvore set here.

Also hot this fall? Colorblocking.  I chose this great colorblocked dress as it's not only on trend, but is also a basic classic dress.  I love the pink and dark green for the fall.  A simple woven wedge and tortishell jewelry just make this so simple and wearable for a lot of people.  Like the skirt from yesterday, this will also be great with tights and a flat boot. 

The Perfect School Bag

Longchamp Le Pliage, $125-145, depending on size

I had one of these bags (until my puppy chewed it up), and I carried it everywhere.  Depending on the size, you can fit several textbooks in one of the larger sizes.  They come in all colors of the rainbow, and even some limited edition prints.  If you're thinking the price is a bit high for what is a basic bag, let me assure you you're getting your money's worth.  A Longchamp bag will last you a lifetime, no matter how badly you abuse it.  They're easy to take care of (a soapy cloth will get them clean), and it will go with all but the most formal of wear. I carried my Le Pliage (RIP) and messenger bag all throughout college, and still use the messenger bag often.  The messenger bag isn't as big as the Le Pliage, but is still quite sizeable.  I can carry several Tom Clancy paperback novels (don't ask) in the messenger.

A Longchamp bag also makes a good baby bag for those who don't want something that looks too much like a baby bag.  I had a friend who purchased a Le Pliage in red (same bag I had), because, as she puts it, "it didn't insult her intelligence."  She spent months looking for something that wasn't a large black box, a cutesy duck print, or a pink and green paisley explosion.  A Longchamp fit her bill perfectly. 

There are a fair number of Longchamp knockoffs being sold, especially online.  They're nowhere as near prevalent as Coach knockoffs, but they're there.  A Longchamp bag is made in France, never in China.  If you're looking at buying one from Ebay, don't buy any that come from China or Hong Kong, as they're not authentic.  Also make sure that the Ebay listing clearly states them to be "authentic." 

Guess who is a big fan of Longchamp bags?  One of my new style icons, Kate Middleton:

<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-477" title=" on June 30, 2011 in Ottawa, Canada." src="http://wvfashion.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/larger_km_longchamp1.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="186" />

This picture is from Kate and William's recent July trip to Canada/United States.  I had the same bag Kate does in this picture, except mine had long handles. 

She also carried one to her college graduation. 

As the Duchess of Cambridge has proven, how many other purses out there that you will not only buy different colors of, but will use for several years to come?

Longchamp can be bought locally at Yarid's, which has several stores throughout West Virginia including in Charleston and Lewisberg.  Visit their website for more store information.  I bought mine through Nordstrom's and the online store Magnum's, which has excellent customer service. 

 

Back to School: J. Crew

For J. Crew's back to school look, I went with a preppy theme (and no, J. Crew isn't a preppy brand no matter what people tell you).  While J. Crew is the most expensive of all my sets this week, I've seen very similar items in many a store, so don't fret. 

Polyvore set here.

 I paired a classic plaid button down with a military green button down skirt (very '80s).  I swear the skirt isn't as bright as in real life, I looked at it about two weeks ago at the J. Crew in Easton Town Center.  Tuck the shirt into the skirt, because leaving it untucked will pull attention away from the cute details on the skirt.  A classic canvas bag and adorable loafer heels complete the outfit. All of these pieces will also mix easily with others.  Subtract the skirts, add a classic pair of corduroys.  Take away the plaid shirt and add a sweater.  The possibilities are endless, which will be thankful for those mornings when you've partied a bit too much the night before.

Polyvore set here.

I chose a simple yet pretty dress for a study date.  I'm probably going to buy these glitter sandals next paycheck as I love them that much.  They're simple, and yet they add the perfect dash of glitz to any outfit.  The necklace is simple and understated.  I also may buy this dress.  I chose this dress for the sole reason that you can wear it year round.  Now, you can wear it with sandals, and when it gets colder, pair it with some flat boots and tights. 

Tomorrow's Back to School Brand: Target

Welcome to Back to School Week!

 

This week I will be displaying fashions for back to school.  Each daily post will feature an outfit suitable for the first day of class and a study date (or party).  I'm aiming the Polyvore sets at college students, so high schoolers may want to double check their school's dress code policy before making purchases.  Even for those of us out of college, use the sets to get some ideas on how to transition into fall fashion.

I'll also be doing a post on how to liven up a school uniform, in request to a question that was emailed to me last week.  Having spent 12 years in Catholic school, I understand that a lot of people want something a little more stylish for school than plaid skirts.  Depending on your school's uniform policy, it can actually be pretty easy to dress up a uniform. 

First up this week: J. Crew.

Fall Fashion When We Don't Have a Fall

I'm trying to stick to my rule of not discussing fall fashion until it's actually, like, fall.  And by fall, I mean leaves turning pretty colors and I can wear pretty sweaters without jackets.  However, at least here in southern WV, there hasn't been an honest-to-goodness fall.  I mean, there's like two weeks of pretty weather around the middle of October (and in time for Bridge Day at the New River Gorge!), but last year I swear it was in the 80s through November.  When I would go shopping, there are all these beautiful sweaters and corduroy pants, and it's just too hot to wear them. 

It's really confusing, and I'm not sure how to discuss fall fashion if it's going to be 90 degrees.  Or like this past spring, where it rained for over two months without letup. 

Here's what I'm thinking:

-What pieces to keep out when packing up your summer wardrobe
-What pieces to pick up that won't be too hot, yet will keep you warm (yes, this sounds weird, but in my head it makes sense)
-Accessories are key
-Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

I am planning to do a back to school week next week.  I'll be covering back to school outfits from a variety of stores such as J. Crew, Target, Old Navy, and Kohl's.  I'm also going to include an outfit for a study date or a party, because you can't wear jeans all the time.

I'll figure something out.  Meanwhile, if you have any questions about late summer/fall clothing/accessories/style/etc., ask me in the comments or email me at wvfashionologist [at] gmail.com.