Garden Party Funky

My lil' sis & mom are throwing me a bridal luncheon on Saturday (thank you!). And while I have some more than respectable options in my closet, F and I did a whirlwind 1 hour, 15 minute Tysons II stop Saturday night. Just to see if I could come up with something a little garden party, a little funk.

I was pleasantly surprised at the options. All sorts of different silouhettes - not just my standby halter. And remarkably few flowered prints. Thank goodness. Hurrah for the non-flower prints!

As I stood nekked in the dressing room at Betsey Johnson, F brought me about 10 different dresses and a fab 40s pair of pumps to try. I channeled all sorts of glam screen goddesses:

• Molly Ringwald - in a white polka dot, mildly drop waisted halter complete with bows and pouffy skirt
• Katherine Hepburn - in a white silk teeny fruit print shirtdress (my fave!)
• Sophia Loren - in a brown & white striped knit empire waisted bandeau (w/ rope tie halter option)
• Some 70s goddess whom I can't recall at the moment - in a bright burnt orange knit shirt dress (slightly fuller skirt, totally flattering) with wooden buttons (would be a great way to spiff up the office attire, which is why I didn't buy it for said garden party)

We had a blast there, totally loving it, and then, since nothing was "just right," as Goldilocks sez, we moved on to Saks. Went through a whole slew of frocks there, too, with mild success on silouhettes (40s waisted, spaghetti sheath, girly pouf, Italian mini-shirtdress), still none was just right.

I might have to don something I already have in my closet, but we had an hour & a half of fun trying!

Sadly, none of the dresses I tried were online, or I'd show you - they really were fun - particularly the Betsey frocks. Girly and light, but not too young for a DC-fashionista!

Garden Party Funk

1 week to the lovely luncheon my sis is throwing for me (thank you!). And I have nothing to wear!

Well, not really. I actually do have one or two things I could wear. For example, white linen circle skirt (Banana, last summer) and Mediterranian-blue silk scarf top (again, Banana, last summer). Top was my "I'm going to stroll along the Black Sea" elegance top for last year's trip to Romania. Then I left it in Bucharest when we went to the beach. Helpful.

Back to the current dilemma. I do have things to wear, but I'd love to have a new funky garden party outfit. Have been surfing the web a little, but nothing really struck me. So on Saturday F and I took a speedy trip out to Tyson's II (in that pouring rain). We had an hour.

Started at Nieman Marcus. Cute stuff, but nothing fab. A little staid.

Then we hit Betsey Johnson. Well.

In half an hour, F had brought about 10 dresses to the dressing room (he's very good). Lots of adorable, not-in-the-least-staid options. Channelled all sorts of glam retro movie stars:

• Molly Ringwald (white pastel polka-dotted minorly drop-wasted halter - complete with bows)
• Katherine Hepburn (white silk fruit printed shirt dress - my fav!)
• Sophia Loren (brown and white striped empire waisted beach dress/tunic - with a covertible rope tie)
• Someone from the 70s (can't think of a good name right now - still on half a cup of coffee) (great little bright burnt orange knit shirt dress with wooden buttons)

It was loads of fun - not to mention the 40s-inspired tan suede pumps that went perfectly with everything. I didn't come up with anything (this one was just a smidgen too tight, this one too big, but nothing just right), but it was fun.

Then we went on to Saks. Much the same experience. Too big, too small, nothing just right. But I was pleasantly encouraged to find lots of different silouhettes - more than my old standby halter. I felt really good in the fitted cuts of the 40s & 70s. I have to recommend them!

Fashionable Travels

Loyal readers (all 3 of you - thank you!), I need your help once again.

If you were going to go on a long trip somewhere amazing, where would it be? That is, where would you go to experience the most amazing - and maybe undiscovered - fashion and style? I promise, this time, I won't freeze up like I did in Italy.

F and I have yet to decide on our honeymoon location. Where should we go?

Today's Fashion Fantasy

My wish today is that somehow Fashion Police's Robert Verdi would fly down from NYC to stop me on the street and show the world my brilliant pairing of a blousey, feminine Romanian top with my grey chevron-stripe skirt suit. Finished, of course, with my re-favorite red pumps.

Fashion Ode to Tax Day?

I didn't realize it last night when I picked it out (yes, I pick out my clothes before I go to bed - at least on mornings when I'm supposed to get up really early) my clothes, but I'm playing mid-80s accountant today.

Higher waisted black pencil skirt, sheer cream satin & gold striped (teeny) puffed-sleeve blouse, and my standby black pumps (wore my 5"-ers all day yesterday, so the tootsies needed a little break). Totally stylin', but it is mildly amusing.

Easter Bonnets and New Shoes

I'm headed to Easter service in just a little while. And I'm a little annoyed. (Yes, yes, I know it's not about me, it's about something much higher than me.) I'm not happy with my Easter dress choices.

The dress I've worn for the past few years (a springy, colorful silk sheath) is too small (yes, I know there's more self-indulgence there, but it's really getting annoying). I'd swim in it.

So the only other choice I have - I like to dress up for Easter - it's one of the few times when I get to be totally girly - is a white linen suit. Yes, it's a good choice, but again, a little too big. I looked for a new suit last year, and found nothing. Absolutely nothing. There were 103 suits out there, and this one was too old, this one to blue, this one too pink...you get the picture.

Next year, I'll find it. Maybe I'll be on the lookout all this year for the perfect Easter outfit.

And I'll be very curious about the rest of the congregation. We're not a hat-wearing bunch, but they do come out today. Bunnies and eggs, unite!

If you love it, wear it. Me and my red shoes.

Aas I was getting dressed this morning (waaaaaaaaaaay too early), and I threw on my LBD, I slid on my favorite deep red patent leather heels.

"Red shoes!" you say, "what a great way to spice up the LBD!"

Why, thank you.

But you have to know the fashionista-shaming truth. They're at least 10 seasons old (how does one count the seasons? How many are there per year?). One of these days, I'll tell the story of my obsession shoe purchase (complete with gay boyfriend shopping companion), but it's true. I've had this pair of amazing shoes for 100 years. Nearly literally.

I went through a phase when I didn't wear them, for fear that they were too "out." You see, they're square-toe, chunky heel pumps. So pre-Y2K. What would people think? (Aw, c'mon...we're in Washington...who am I kidding?)

And I love them. I put them on in the morning, and I feel funky. I feel tall, strong, and kick-a@@. I always get compliments on them, and, well, there really is no better way to spice up a LBD than with bright color shoes - and red works fantastically well.

So what I want to know is, what one piece of your wardrobe will you never give up, no matter how out of fashion it might be, because you absolutely adore it and how it makes you feel? Because, in my fashionista-shamed mind, I believe that if you love it, it looks good, and it's "you," you should wear it, no matter if it would raise eyebrows on 5th Avenue or Rodeo Drive. If you love it, wear it.

If you love it, wear it. Me and my red shoes.

Aas I was getting dressed this morning (waaaaaaaaaaay too early), and I threw on my LBD, I slid on my favorite deep red patent leather heels.

"Red shoes!" you say, "what a great way to spice up the LBD!"

Why, thank you.

But you have to know the fashionista-shaming truth. They're at least 10 seasons old (how does one count the seasons? How many are there per year?). One of these days, I'll tell the story of my obsession shoe purchase (complete with gay boyfriend shopping companion), but it's true. I've had this pair of amazing shoes for 100 years. Nearly literally.

I went through a phase when I didn't wear them, for fear that they were too "out." You see, they're square-toe, chunky heel pumps. So pre-Y2K. What would people think? (Aw, c'mon...we're in Washington...who am I kidding?)

And I love them. I put them on in the morning, and I feel funky. I feel tall, strong, and kick-a@@. I always get compliments on them, and, well, there really is no better way to spice up a LBD than with bright color shoes - and red works fantastically well.

So what I want to know is, what one piece of your wardrobe will you never give up, no matter how out of fashion it might be, because you absolutely adore it and how it makes you feel? Because, in my fashionista-shamed mind, I believe that if you love it, it looks good, and it's "you," you should wear it, no matter if it would raise eyebrows on 5th Avenue or Rodeo Drive. If you love it, wear it.

New Office, New Style

Things have been a little crazy lately - be thankful that I spared you a report of the fashions in Ft. Worth, Texas.

So after that trip, I switched jobs, and now have a whole new style world to experience. Gone are the military folks, here are the executives. I'm very curious to see if any of them show any signs of style. My expectations are low, I must admit, because 95% of them are former military. And the rest of them either wanted to be, or are grown up jocks. Khakis and blue blazers abound, on the male executive front.

On the non-exec front, I've seen some adventurous shirts - at least adventurous for DC. We're not talkin' fitted button downs here, we're talkin' branching out into some cooler colors. And for the women? Wow. There's some nice, classy biz-caz wear (props to the cool turquoise glass beads). And then there are the women who just don't understand that tight is not appropriate for the office. Tight tops everywhere. Poppin' out all over the place. Wow.

Teeny bit of inspiration

Haven't had much to shout about, style-wise, lately. Life's been to & from the office, on the airplane (I spared you the reports of Fort Worth, TX, style). But in today's mail came a teeny bit of style from an unexpected source.

I usually don't look to J. Crew for anything more than a button-down shirt or a T. Today's catalogue, though, is worth a look...

• Cashmere long-sleeve tee (in any color your little heart desires)
• Heritage chino shorts would make a great base for that new dressy short shorts look. Pair it up with some peep toe heels (they do), and you're dressed for the next party.
• Mini-seersucker jacket. Don't know what it is about seersucker, but I want this!
• Keaton summer-weight chino jacket makes a great safari statement. We'll just have to see if I can swing a waisted jacket.
• The washed patterned tuxedo shirt is just the spunky sort of twist I like for my office attire.
• The Eloise suit jacket is cut just right (at least it looks like it in the catalogue) for still feeling like a girl, not like a girl in a boy's suit.
• Can't wait to throw on the embossed beach dress - maybe even in grapefruit (can a strawberry blonde pull off sunny yellow?)
• And it might be a little old-fashioned (says F), but I love the button down & full-length skirt in silk seersucker. It worked for Sharon Stone when she did it with a turtleneck. It works for Carolina Herrera (I only wish that her button down wedding gown worked for my own nuptials!). It works for J. Crew.

Now, if only I could find the room in my "budget" (and I use that term extremely loosely) for any of it.