Saturday, March 24, 2007

What Does $125 Get You? -- Target Edition

I love Target. I know, you think, who wouldn't ? Rafe and Proenza Schouler abound, but it isn't just the biggest, newest designers that get me excited to go to the store or browse the website. It really is design for less. I've fallen hook, line, and sinker for their tag line. (Someone give that Target account manager at FILL IN THE BLANK advertising agency a raise!). So, how much could $125 get me at Target? Quite a few things. How could any style loving woman not get excited in the face of these?

Enough patent to satisfy the trend, not so much to make me ashamed if I use this next spring:














Knockoffs of the Christian Louboutin wedges abound and Target's are some of the cutest:















And if you're loving yellow for the spring:
















If ever there was a bag to haul to the beach, this would be it:















Maybe for work... definitely for fun:

The Woman I Am Meant to Be

Ever feel like the way you're dressing isn't living up to how phenomenal you are? Every morning, you stand in front of the closet trying to decide between the black pants and the black skirt. And will it be the purple v-neck, the gray v-neck, or the white v-neck? It can be hard to stay creative, and to express who you are in every outfit. Some days you hit it just right, that necklace is from that cute boutique you love and the dress is from that vintage shop where you always find something unique. I've looked through my closet to discover that I've bought pieces solely for what will work at the office rather than things that I really love. I wan to comb through my closet and take those things out, so that I'm me 24/7. When I free up that room, I'd love for these to fill the void.






















Wednesday, March 21, 2007

A Kept Woman

Dear Mom,
I love you. You encouraged me to be strong, smart, and to take little to no mess. You can definitely bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan. I aspire to be like you, hope to be as amazing as you are when I "grow up."

But what if maybe for a bit of time while I'm finding myself, I let some of that "I am woman, hear me roar" go? What if instead I allowed myself to be a trophy piece, arm decoration to some nice man? This man would, in exchange for witnessing my beauty (No, Mom not THAT beauty!), buy me nice dinners, take me to fancy places, and buy me one of these Goldenbleu bags:




































And Mom, the new Spring/Resort collection on the website is even better:
http://goldenbleu.com/collection.html

Love,
Me

P.S. Maybe I can even get him to buy me two, and you could have one.

Be Prepared

It's official and I got a whiff of it last night: spring is here. There's still a chill in the air, but even that's different. Springtime and 30 degrees and winter and 30 degrees are different. Besides, the chill allowed me to wear my new vintage (ha!) navy blue dress with the neck ties and the full skirt. It's love for sure with the blue dress.

But, my fashion meter has been set to spring for months now. I know many of the cute shoes, pretty dresses, and gorgeous handbags that will thrill me over the next few months. What I don't have--in fact have been lacking for years-- is a great spring jacket. When the spring showers come, I'll be utterly unprepared. My kelly green winter coat kept me warm and upbeat every time I put it on, and I need something just as great for spring. A bit late you think? Better to have picked my spring jacket in the fall? Perhaps, but I have found a couple of contenders.

A khaki trench is classic and says I am a together, important woman (something I aspire to be). And will I be allowed to make this model/diva face when I wear it?:


















Or I can be more school girl cute and pretty as a picture in this:

















Decisions, decisions.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

What Does $125 Get You?

There are things that every woman needs to be her best: great shoes, a great handbag, and a sense of her own style. Trends are great, fun, flirty things, but a sense of what looks best on you yesterday, today, and tomorrow is more important. So, if I take $125 can I get any of those things?


This would fall under a sense of my own style. I am a proud girly girl. I would frolic (yes frolic is what girly girls do) in skirts and dresses all day and night. I like to think of my style as classic and sexy. These pieces from J. Crew are classic, items to be worn for many springtimes to come. There isn't flash to them, but then I imagine the belts I could wear, the big earrings that would go, or the vixen like shoes to finish it off. All that at $125.97.

I have a wide navy and gold belt that would look great with this.















Simple, I know but every woman needs one good button down and this would be my pick. This with a pencil skirt, a peeptoe pump, a sexy ponytail, and big gold hoops? The new girl Friday.

















Who doesn't need a great khaki skirt? I love the interest of the grosgrain and it would look great with my wedges.


Sunday, March 11, 2007

The Wedge Between Us

A dear friend told me that I walk with such confidence when I wear heels that she would never know they hurt my feet. I take that as a huge compliment. Although many of my beloved high heels start out fine or when I'm severely deluded great, towards the end of a work day or a night out I often contemplate walking shoeless on the streets of New York. What is a 5'3 (some would say 5'2) girl to do? Heels are the great equalizer for me in a world of tall men and a worthy tool in the battle against the general assumption that I'm fresh out of high school. Heels mean power to me, so though my feet may pay the price and I have found flats to love I still need a lift.

The wedge beckons. It is height with less stress and these cry out "Buy me!":


Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Dual Personalities

Often the women we are on the weekdays bear little resemblance to the women we are on the weekends. At your 9 to 5, you wear cute, but sensible flats with a well cut pant and a button down shirt. On the weekends, you're strictly jeans, hoodies, and maybe Pumas when you feel like dressing up.

This spring, break the cycle with these shoes that say I'm fun, seriously:

Functional Beauty

My love of handbags runs deep, but sometimes love hurts ... my shoulder. I tote around makeup, books, magazines, an ipod, and the miscellaneous clothing item to return or umbrella in case it rains. The sensible choice would be to find a messenger bag or backpack and there are cute ones but none of them quite fit my style.

This could be the answer to my prayers: the lambskin Tessa bag from Ananas. The convertible bag can be worn as a shoulder bag or changed into a messenger bag and worn across the body. The color choices and the wood accent add rich detail to the bag, and at $460 they should. It's also two great bags in one. Smart and sexy, that's so me.

My Neglected Inner Teenage Girl

In high school, I tried to become a tomboy. Gone was the little girl who loved when her mother put her in frilly, flowery dresses. Wearing dresses and skirts seemed to require a confidence I didn't have then, and the potential exposure of my knock knees didn't help. Jeans and a t-shirt became my uniform. A change of season only required a change in the length of the t-shirt sleeves.

Tracy Reese and Diane Von Furstenberg know just how I'm feeling. The teenage girl inside me who missed out on cute spring dresses and skirts that would swing just so demands attention. She squeals with delight whenever I visit Forever21 or Delias.com or Alloy.com or Wetseal.com (obviously she squeals often). She can't wait for spring to come (just over two weeks away now!) and she can't wait to wear a few of these fetching items:




























Of course to support this habit, I'll need to go to work. I can be grown and girly in these: