Healthy Style: On Badassery

I originally posted a version of this over on my Weight Watchers Online blog. But I thought this fashion-interested world might want to read it...so here it is.

We've all been using it.

"I feel like a BAMF."

"I'm one of those people out in the freezing cold, running."

As compliments to others on their running, their yoga, their Tough Mudder, or their Crossfit,

"BEAST!"

It struck me the other day, as I read a post from a running friend about how and why to run in the cold. I'm with her, 100%, I've found I love it, but something isn't sitting right about one of her reasons for getting out in the cold: "I'm usually the only one out there at 5am in the freezing cold, and if I see others, they're usually much younger, and men. So own the BAMF of being out there," or something like that. Why do we want to be a badass? Or maybe the question is "why do we call a strong, accomplished person who pushes themselves towards goals a badass?"

Isn't that a derogatory term?

We certainly use other phrases and words to describe our womanly selves: strong, committed, dedicated, healthy, thoughtful, gorgeous, brilliant... So why do we feel the need to steal terminology that otherwise applies to people we do not want to be? Even in my bloggery fashion world, I've got a Rocker Chic(k) Pinterest board, with lots of leather and studs, shit-kicker boots, and black eyeliner. I love that stuff. In fact, I'm wearing all black and my combat-like boots today (allbeit with a cozy hand-knit scarf, white wool coat, and fur hat and gloves, balancing that badass).

The fashion-y version of badass. Bullet bracelets and The Real Deal

I suppose it's because we want to feel strong - even when we don't. We want to feel that we can do anything, and byjesus, those biker chicks who kick their biker boys' a.sses whenever they like, well, they can do anything. I suppose it's because we want to leave the doubt of our "softer selves" behind, and charge forward without looking back. I suppose it's because, somehow, boys are still better at this than we are. In our heads, at least. I mean, really, no matter how strong a feminist we are - ahem - I am - there's still doubt. All the rocker chicks and wrestling divas and I'll-give-birth-then-acquire-a-company-2-hours-later CEOs, well, aren't they simply emulating the male?

I hear it now. If this were to "take off" on the interwebs like things do now, I'd be bashed up one side and down the other for saying women just want to be men.

It's alright. I can take it. I'm one of those BAMFer-ines people talk about.

For her birthday last year, H gave the newly 6-year-old Bean a "comic book" of Athena myths. She (and her brother) loves it. Admittedly, I picked it out for her, knowing he'd want her to have a link to her Greek heritage. And what better link than the original lady badass? True, Princess Diana, aka Wonder Woman (also a hero in our superhero-ridden home), also comes from old mythology and the strength of the ages, but Athena? Don't mess with her. It's a message H and I want to the Bean to hear.

The Bean reading Athena to her brother

Be strong. Be true. Be honest. Be kind. Honor your parents and your elders. Speak up for and protect those who cannot speak for or defend themselves. Honor your heritage, your body, and your self by taking care of yourself, both mentally and physically.

And if a devious demi-god tries to get in the way, hold your head high, look forward, and walk right over them with your a.ss-kicking motorcycle boots.

 This year, she's going with a Frye Veronica slouch boot (last year, it was the moto-like Engineer Pull-on, kids' styles, here. We got hers at Nordstrom.). I, on the other hand, got my combat boots at Target

Style Inspiration: Religious Contrast

I grew up singing the Doxology. We had coffee hour. My grandparents were greeters. Then my parents were. I grew up solidly Protestant, in austere churches: whitewashed walls, wood trim, and unpadded pews. The only adornment was the cross. The only color shone through the stained glass windows, casting rich hues onto well-worn hymnal pages.

When I cast out on my own, I finally found a church where I felt at home. Its façade is classic stone, its interior white and wood. Its music is traditional organ and choir. The congregation sings “A Mighty Fortress” without glancing at the hymnal, and Easter is full of brass joyfulness.

H is Orthodox Christian. The first time I walked into an Orthodox cathedral I was dumbounded. My Protestant senses were overwhelmed. Not only was there incense (that made my WASP-y nose sneeze), but that smoke drifted past ornate icons. I thought of them as richly decorated paintings; Orthodoxy holds them as holy objects.

When we decided to marry, we thought briefly about a dual service, then tossed that idea. The logistics would just be a PITA. For this Protestant girl, though, the mysticism inherent in Orthodoxy was perplexing. I saw the beauty (I’ve always been a sucker for gilding and illumination. Give me an ornate medieval text, and I’m a happy girl.), but I didn’t get the faith. I was much more at home with a more Shaker and even Quaker sensibility of clean wood and no gold.

Over the last 14 years (yup, been together that long), I’ve come to not only appreciate the intricacy, but also the solidity, of the Orthodox aesthetic. The iconography once foreign to me is now comforting. The relative minimalism I still find peaceful (the first American settlers in my family were Quakers, it's no wonder I find it grounding) now shares room in my closet and our home with the rich colors that come with ancient faith.

This contrast struck me, in particular, one recent day – on Pinterest, no less. The Autum/Winter 2013 Milan runways were popping up all over the boards I follow. I found myself pinning non-stop. I was pinning the Dolce & Gabbana collection. I loved every bit of it: rich, embroidered, and yet sedate glamour.

Images via Harpers Bazaar

It was the Orthodox palette. It was the Orthodox sensibility. It was the Orthodox mysticism, staring back at me from a Pinterest feed. With a teensy bit of Protestant starch.

I’m still a sucker for an impeccably structured and crisply austere Helmut Lang jacket. I still lust after simple contrast in color and texture. You know, the ones that might as well be a Presbyterian minister’s collared shirt? I’d happily wear them.

I’d just add a big, gold, filigreed cuff in balance.

Style Inspiration: Of Beaches, Bedrooms, and Blue Trousers

In between deadlines, thoughts of beach living, a newly painted home, a renovated kitchen, and a clean, organized, and streamlined closet with only clothes I absolutely love are keeping me afloat. Thank goodness for Pinterest, and its infinite inspiration.

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I dream of an afternoon with a book, a magazine, a chaise lounge, and a pool. In a new bikini and massive floppy hat, of course.

 

 

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I dream of the beach when it's not quite warm enough to go in the water - at least not without my boots on.

 

 

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I dream of the day when the bedroom painting project rendering our walls a deep, luxurious grey, and that was supposed to take a week will be done.

 

 

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I dream of a kitchen that is sleek, new, and still warm and comforting. And where all my pantry supplies and cooking utensils fit.

 

 

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I dream of a closet where I can find things, and where I don't need to find them, because I have only amazing, straightforward pieces that fit me and I love wearing.

 

These, my friends, are my current, and almost attainable dreams.

 

More of what I'm pinning (so addicted to the Pinterest app - I can pin ANYwhere!) over here.

Winter Style: Brights in the Grey

I love winter. I think I might have mentioned that before. Nevertheless, it's really hard to rejoice in the brisk cold air when you're dragging with what seems to be the 537th cold, a stack o' DayJob deadlines, and a crankypants attitude that may or may not be well received at home.

So I don't have energy for much reading, but trolling - ahem - scrolling through Pinterest when I'm waiting in line at my morning Starbucks stop, or at Target picking up yet another glamorous package of toilet paper or paper towels seems to give me some short & sweet reminders that life is not only not that bad, but under control, manageable, and even gloriously bright. Oh yeah, and I'm steering the ship.

So here are some of my recent pins and how they spoke to me. Hope they brighten your already-sunny-but-crazy-windy-cold day.

We'll start with the night when I was feeling crazy overwhelmed and sick. Pinterest said this to me, which TrainerJen had emailed me, in not so many words, just minutes prior, changing my workout plan for the next morning to, literally: sleep.

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And then Pinterest said this. So I figured I'd better listen and go to bed. I did.

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Earlier, Pinterest had tossed this image my way. The coat, in its gloriously wrecked and punk sensibility, was in, and was the cover art for the catalog of, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2006 Anglomania exhibit. Later in the day, The Museum at FIT (one of my favorite places on earth, and one that gets far too little notice, in my opinion) posted an article from The Observer on their facebook page (like it now, please, for all of the amazing current and historical fashion they post). As the discussion around The Met's newest take on punk shows, punk is funny stuff, both musically and culturally. The sheer chaos that shows there is apparently bubbling up in the provenance of the fashion, too.

Once again, the Pinterest universe was speaking to me. Ok, the online universe. Quibbles.



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We're renovating our kitchen this spring, and are in final debates. We have a tiny, but not terribly tiny kitchen, so the "galley kitchen" stuff isn't quite right, but neither is the sweeping expanse of some things I find. I pin them nevertheless. I couldn't be more excited about finally getting a handle on our culinary world by taming our insanity known as our cabinets. I'm in love with a modern + rustic combo like this one.

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Once that's done, creating culinary masterpieces will be a cinch, right? Isn't that how it works? In the meantime, H's orthodox Christian tradition of an essentially vegan fast is coming up, so I'm grateful to Pinterest for helping to maintain the trendiness of veganism. I cook vegetarian often (but LURV a brilliant steak), but am lining up new tastes for the 40 days, like this mushroom ragu. You can bet I'll serve it over some soft polenta...or...

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And while I'm a Winter Girl at heart, still pinning away from the Autumn/Winter 2013 runways to get my fix of fur, coats, and scarves, and, well, fur coats and scarves (comma placement, anyone?),

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I've also started pinning and planning for #DownthaShore2013. Cannot wait to get a new bikini and maybe a retro suit (last year's don't fit!). Also can't wait to rock my best schlumpy Jersey Shore looks. Or, if I'm feeling ambitious, a crisp, clean (ha!) summer look like this one. (And gee, Bloomingdale's *just* pinned their version of the shorts, here)

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What's getting you through?

Give in Style: The Right Gift for Everyone

"The Right Gift for Everyone" might be a little ambitious. But in the interest of keeping my own gift-giving thoughts collected, I started a Pinterest board "For You..." to collect all of the things I see and say "oooh! That would be perfect for...The Beans, my girlfriends, a hostess, a boss...

You get the picture.

So while I slave away at trying to respond to government requests (no offense - really, I promise - to anyone who works in the government procurement business, but really? Do you have to release all of your requests exactly such that I have to slave away as everyone else does their holiday shopping and goes to holiday happy hours?), check out my picks for now. I'll keep adding more as we go through the season (and I take a break from the proposals to eat and pin a few pieces here and there).

Happy Shopping!

Oh, and for those of you with an H, a boyfriend, a fiance, a male friend, a father, brother, or even a male boss in your life, check out my For H board, which, while specific to my - ahem - H's taste, might have a few ideas for you, too!

Holiday Style: I Blame It on Gwyneth

Or rather, my dear online friend over at What Would Gwyneth Do. She posted earlier this week about being thrilled for Halloween because, though not a 'ween fan, it's the gateway drug - ahem - holiday to the rest of the holiday season.

Which is, of course, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Screw that Staples commercial.

While I must respectfully disagree with her Halloween stance (I lurv it! See my preparations here), I absolutely, completely 100% agree with the gateway holiday concept.

Up until, oh, last year, I had a very strict "I Don't Start Celebrating Christmas Until December 1" policy. Very strict. In high school, I had a bell I wore every day of December. But I wouldn't put it on until December 1st. My parents didn't decorate the house until December, we didn't Do Black Friday, and we most certainly didn't Finish Our Shopping Early.

Then I had kids.

Last year, I realized how much joy there is in the season, and how important it is for a family to establish traditions that The Beans understand and appreciate from all aspects of the holiday season. It's also important for Mama and Papa to celebrate.

So when someone posted about being eager to jump from spooky to snowy, it got my imagination going, and I couldn't stop pinning and party planning. So here, on the eve of a weekend when I'll be flying solo (H is away checking on our place down tha shore, among other family business), and will likely spend Saturday night quietly indulging in reality TV, cooking shows, and the internet, here's what I've found so far, along with my Pinterest boards the are particularly pertinent to All Things Cheery and Bright.

S'mores cookies. On The Big Cookie List of Cookies I Want to Make This Year. I will make at least 2 types, and bring home 6 more, one weekend this December. For more than 10 years, my college roommate and our two freshman year dorm neighbors (and dearest friends) and I have gathered for Cookie Day. We haven't missed a year of baking.

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Dark nails. My last manicure is still chipping away, and while last fall's Chanel Peridot is absolutely still on trend (I'm still madly in love with it and oh, so glad I bought 2 + the Graphite), I'm infatuated with the sleek, deep colors this fall brings us.

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Holiday classics. I know I'm not the only one who will recognize this still from White Christmas. I will watch it. I will make The Beans watch it. I will cry when they honor the General. And, this morning, as I was tooling around Pinterest, I had a brilliant idea: a Christmas Costume Party! Come dressed as your favorite holiday movie character! The possiblities are endless!

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Gleaming exaggeration. This Marc Jacobs skirt is making the Pinterest rounds. To me, it's everything glorious about dressing during the holidays. So if I don't have that costume party, you can wear this to my Christmas Cocktail Party. Because, whether H knows it or not, we will be having a Christmas party this year.

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I love fall. I love winter. I love snowy, foggy, gloomy days when you can curl up and snuggle, when you can bake your brains out, when you can take a walk in a Winter Wonderland.

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And then you can wear this.

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If you're not already following all of my Pinterest boards (and why wouldn't you be, she types confidently), here are a few of particular interest this season. If you pop on over to my Pinterest profile, I've just conveniently rearranged them to be at the tops. Enjoy - and pin away! I love seeing everyone else's pinspiration!

Party On... Exactly what it sounds like, all of my party inspiration, whether drinks, dresses, decorations, or daintly little treats.

#Sequins and Such One of my older boards, but, well, it's the holidays. So...sequins.

Thirst Quenchers Because Christmas Cocktail Parties need cocktails

Tis the Season I shuddered when my little sis was pinning Christmas crafts before Halloween. And then I started.

Food Designs This was my first recipe board, started before #healthyme. It has All The Good Things with cheese and fat that I'm going to offer guests for parties. All in moderation, my friends!

Sweet Tooth Designs I have one. So sue me. And the holidays offer me the chance to bake, bake, bake, then Give It All Away. Here are loads of dreamy desserts, some complicated, some insanely easy.

For When I Have Lots o' Time I started this board to pin those things that look like a lot of DIY fun. Turns out, there are some good gift ideas here. I have grandiose ideas of making gifts this year. Just like last year. And the year before...

For the Beans More DIY, but in theory Bean-focused. Though, truth be told, there are lots of things here that you could do Just Because, whether you've got Beans of your own or not.

Mama's Wish List So far, only 2 things. But it will grow. Someone let H know, please, that Pinterest is the Modern Girl's Amazon Wish List?

Winter Girl I won't go on any more about my Love For Winter

Weekends Around Town because we need to be stylish as we run our holiday errands and bake our cookies

#HealthyMe doesn't go away with Halloween. There are so many tasty ways to stay on track and stay inspired to keep moving. Really.

For H I find him sometimes difficult to buy for. So when I see something, I pin it.

There are more, but I'm sure you have your own Pinspiration, too. Where are you finding your holiday mojo this year? And don't tell me you aren't excited already. I just won't accept that. If I'm joyful, you have to be too.

[Grin]

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Personal Style: Who's That Girl?

I get it all the time. PR pitches addressed to "Celine." People seem shocked when they find out that my name isn't. And it isn't even close. But there is a story to it, one that I actually hold very near and dear to my heart.

And so, on this day when I'd have loved to post a new style dilemma for you, or told you about some event, but didn't get to it, well, I figured I'd answer that question, "Who's That Girl?" So head on over to that ubiquitous "About" page, here, and find out.

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Then, if you like what you see, and this blog is the only place you've come across me so far, well, then, get on the social media wagon and follow me elsewhere...

DC Celine on Facebook - I don't read as many blogs as some, but I do have my favorites. I share links, photos, and other interesting fashion and style things that pop up in my own feeds here. And, for those not on Instagram, I periodically post my Instagram pics (at least from my #twitterfashionshows) here, too. Have a question about something you see on my facebook page, just comment, and I'll track down the answer!

DC Celine on Twitter - 140 characters of fashion and style focused chatter. Fairly regular tweets on what I've been #wearing. I also share where I've been that relates to my own fashion, style, and personal journey (no, I'm not "mayor" of the Starbucks and the yoga studio, I swear). Have a style dilemma or a "where do I eat in DC" question? Tweet at me, and I'll give you my (solicited) opinion!

DC Celine on Pinterest - For those who follow the blog, you know that, even when I'm too swamped to post regularly, I can usually find a few minutes to pin. I've got boards for everything from seasonal clothing (Winter Girl) to aspirational fashion (Pie in the Sky) to #healthyme to my travel desires (Where My Heart Wants to Go). And if you contact me with a style dilemma, and are on pinterest, we can do a collaborative board, like we did to find City and Sand's reception frock.

DC Celine on Instagram (@DC Celine) - Some don't get the "filters." I, on the other hand, love them for Making My Pictures Look Better. And since I'm not an Outfit of the Day #OOTD poster, but sometimes want to share at least the concept of what I've thrown on, I find it easy to make a simple shot shine. Also, The Beans. And H.

Favorite Post: Once a FallGirl, Always a Fall Girl

Still behind on posts. So either to joyfully relish the fall with you - or to torture you, if you're one of those summer types - I thought I'd re-share some of my happy autumnal and wintery posts and Pinterest boards.

Yes, I like the chill in the air.

Here is a post I wrote a little more than a year ago. I bought the turtlenck poncho. It didn't fit. It looked terrible. And I never returned it (much to H's chagrin). Turns out? It's perfect now! Cannot wait to don its glorious coziness.

I love fall (have I mentioned that?), so tweeds and velvets make me happy. See?

My velvet Daslu boots still make me crazy happy. I've already worn them once this year.

Then there's my Winter Girl Pinterest board, which is also good for fall. Or try my Weekends Around Town board, which, right now, seems to have lots o' autumnal inspiration. Then there's my boot obsession showing up on Bells on My Toes.

Style Inspiration: On My Mind and on My Boards

Little crazy here, folks, so a quick look (in case you aren't following me on Pinterest already) into what's on my mind and on my boards lately - and why.

Glittery, soft sparkle from Queen of Dresses DVF; How I'm Going to Style My KISS and Motley Crue T-shirts for the Office (thank you, Refinery 29. or not. see this old post about H thwarting my Rocker Chic(k) efforts ); the Gap pants that made it into my closet this weekend and are already lined up for constant rotation (more colors, please!); Catherine Malandrino, a longtime fashion and style idol (despite the fact that I now wear flats), whose dresses I now fit in; a Chloé coat this Winter Girl is craving; a peek into an upcoming post on black maxi skirts for a musician friend (and the rest of us).

Style Dilemma: What to Wear to a Metal Concert

How does a girl make it through a crazy week after a delightfully family-oriented weekend (see Pink Birthday Cake, below)?

She looks forward to rocking out at a KISS/Motley Crue show Friday night.

Uh-huh.

When I heard they were playing this Friday, I rallied the troops. This is a Do Not Miss show. Two summers ago, an old boss gave us corporate tickets to the KISS show at Jiffy Lube Live. 12th row, I think? VIP parking that meant we didn’t have to schlepp our way across the lot after tailgating? Bean No.2 was still pretty teeny, so H stayed home, and some awesome friends and I rocked out.

It was literally one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. There’s a reason they’re still playing. They. Are. Showmen.

And you know way more KISS songs than you think you know.

So getting tickets to this show was a no-brainer.

But what to wear? This is a fun dilemma to have, quite frankly. It’ll be hot, for sure. We do not have VIP parking this time. Nor do we have 12th row seats (I think Gene Simmons actually spat upon me last time.) I suppose it should be comfortable and cool.

Honestly, I’m super excited to rock a skimp-o-rific metalhead-inspired ensemble .I’ve got a rockin’ new bod, and, well, if you can’t wear something skimpy and completely age-inappropriate to a KISS concert, well, you’re losing a prime opportunity. H will be there this time, after all.

As some of you may have seen on Instagram or Twitter, lately, I’ve been wearing a Target Mossimo denim mini skirt H bought me pre-Beans as a semi-joke. He used to love to give me “hottie clothes” (translation, in my book? Stripper clothes) as “jokes.” Most of them have surreptitiously made their way to yard sales or donation piles. But for some reason, despite it never really fitting me, I didn’t toss this skirt. I’ve worn it 3 times now on weekends, and it’s garnered “where did you get that cute skirt” questions every time. Hel-LO, weekend staple!

So that’s a prime possibility. So are the Target poplin shorts I’ve found. We’ll see. I’m definitely turning to my Pinterest Rocker Chic(k) board for some inspiration. There is nothing more fun, in my book, than finding a way to channel rocker chic(k) not only at a concert but also in Regular Life. A little bit of leather, a little bit of metal? Yes please.

Ultimately, for Friday night, I suppose I’ll have to decide if I want to be able to sit down and how much I care whether I’m showing the world my underwear. Also, given that I’m sure I’m not the only one with a “what to wear to a summer concert” dilemma, I also wanted to share some of my favorite concert-wear posts from some of my favorite bloggers, and one from my archives:

Wardrobe Oxygen: Ask Allie: What to Wear to a Music Festival
So Much to Smile About: Outfit + Inspiration: Girls' Night Out
DC Celine Archives: Style Dilemma: Mama Rocker Chic on the Cheap and

Style Inspiration: For My Husband

Usually, he's H. He started out as F, years and years ago (a few of you remember that). But for those who don't remember, he is The Best Husband Ever.

I was so excited to take him out last night. We were going to have a date. We were going to meet Hal Rubenstein at a book signing at Alton Lane for his newest book, The Gentry Man, then go to dinner. We even had a sitter.

Then the Day Job, well, there's the Day Job. So I spent last night editing a a technical document rather than spending time with the love of my life (one of three, I know, I'm effusive at times) and freezing up when meeting a man with impeccable style and one of The Coolest Jobs, fashion director at In Style magazine.

The evening wasn't totally lost. H was in our favorite grey flannel chair re-watching the current stage of the Tour de France (he watched it earlier, too). At least we were next to each other.

So instead of taking him to check out some impeccable menswear, I'm going to have to settle for sharing Mr. Rubenstein's book - it looks positively fascinating. But then, I'm a sucker for historical fashion and historical writing.

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And I also thought that I'd share bits from a board I have over on Pinterest: For H. Some of it is hopeful on my part, but some of it is his style, unequivocably. The Bruno Magli oxfords, for example. H has never met a pair of Italian dress shoes he didn't love.

Clockwise, from top left:

• 1950s spider tie tack pin one of my favorite jewelry designers, Alexis Bittar, pinned
• Burberry jacket that recalls one of H's favorites, his German loden jacket
• Land's End Canvas board shorts short enough for H (he hates those to-the-knee shorts. hates.)
• Graceful Alton Lane 3-piece suit (a girl can dream about her H wearing a pocket square, right?)
• Volcano Messenger Bag by Issi (via Young British Designers), which, in his European heritage, H can carry off, especially in this supple color
• The coolest jacket ever, a Kroon jacket I almost bought H for Christmas last year, with a zip-out insert that makes it seem like you have another jacket underneath (H hates the cold)

Style Inspiration: Rainy Day Blues

I love a rainy night.

And I love a rainy day.

I happen to be wallowing in a funk at the moment, so turned to the Interwebs to wallow further. I firmly believe that a good wallow, savoring the depth of whatever form The Blues take for you, is the best way to cope with The Blues. For me,

I need armor. I need the structure of a Comme des Garcons design or the slouchy menswear-inspired trouser from Jenny Kaye.

I need to lose myself in a gaze, get lost far away in Billie's voice.

I need to acknowledge that The Bean is turning 5 this week, but remember that she'll always be my babygirl.

I need color saturation like only the 1960s can give.

I need a good storm - and a good book in which I can escape. It doesn't hurt when it was not only a childhood favorite, but was also "born" in my hometown. Returning home takes lots of forms.

I need romanticism, like the misleading glamor of an exiled princess.

I need ethereal mist - losing myself again.

Maybe some of this hits home for you. If it does, jump on over to my The Blues board on Pinterest.

Healthy Style: Building a New Closet

I got up this morning, got The Beans started on breakfast, then went to my closet.

I haven't shaved my legs recently, so despite the humid heat, I wanted to wear pants.

I tried on 3 pair: a 6+ year old (but favorite) grey chalkstripe Banana Republic suit pant, a post-Bean initial weight loss pair of brown plaid KORS trousers, and a never-worn-because-I-actually-need-to-have-them-hemmed grey wide(r) legged pair of Ports 1961 trousers I picked up at a District Sample Sale after The Bean.

This is my #wearing tweet from this morning. Clearly, the trousers didn't work.

The issue? The pants were all hanging off my proverbial fram, loose in a way that's not just cool slouchy. They looked bad.

Yes, the hashtag for this should be #fashiongirlproblems.

That being said, and with even my standby dress collection (I'm a huge fan of the "one-and-done" dress option to narrow down early morning sartorial choices) dwindling, it's time to overhaul my closet.

I can't do a complete overhaul. It would simply cost too much. I need to do that dreaded closet assessment all of the stylists recommend, I need to have some things altered, and I need to plan my purchases. All quite organized, isn't it? So here's what I'm going to do.

I hope.

Step 1. Continue to try things on and put them in piles of "Worth Trying to Alter" and "Donate." I may add a "Consign" pile, but that's a heck of a lot of effort for me. The "Worth Trying to Alter" will be around how much I love a piece, how much it's literally still worth, and whether or not I think the type or scale of alterations are even possible.

Step 2. Attempt to hold off on buying anything new until my plan is in place.

Step 3. Get things altered, and see where I stand. Getting this done is a huge step for me. I'm notoriously bad [insert H cackling here] at getting around to doing stuff like this. But it's necessary in this case.

Step 4. Collect ideas and formulate a "Buy List." Thank goodness for Pinterest, now. It does make it easy. That being said, I also have to be realistic about inspiration, what will work on me, and what will work in my closet. I've started a "Creating a New Closet" board, and am also pulling from some other boards, like "Just Plain Pretty," "Ladylike," and "Rocker Chic(k)." I'm also open to ideas: if you see something you think might work for or inspire me, just cc: me in your pin! Or if there are enough nosy busybodies out there, maybe I'll open "Creating a New Closet" up to folks who want to help. Thoughts welcome!

What I already know about myself - or perhaps assume is a better word - is that I'm drawn to anything that remotely looks like Katherine Hepburn would wear it (read: higher-waisted wide leg trousers), simply ladylike dresses, and now that I feel like my frame can handle it, neckwear. I'm definitely pulling from a time gone by (see also: "The Way It Was"). Perhaps I should revisit those assumptions. Ok. So that's Step 4a: Find My Personal Style.

I'll tweet ideas periodically, too, and continue to blog about things. Look for the #NewCloset hashtag on, you know, every form of social media available.

Step 5. Go get a Style for Hire consult at Westfield. It's there. It's free. Why the heck not? Someone who doesn't know me as well as other folks may have some useful perspective on what will work for me. (Thanks, Allie, for the review of the service!)

Step 6. Buy. This will probably not happen until September or so, so my inspiration is happening on a distinctly cooler trajectory than appropriate to July.

So what other steps have you used to build or rebuild your wardrobe?

Style Dilemma: Belle of the Ball

Remember the #guestofawedding style dilemma, in which we chimed in and helped Chelsea through picking what ended up to be a sexy-yet-conservative navy zippered number for an Annapolis wedding?

This time, it's Colorado. And Lee is going to accompany a friend to a Special Forces Ball.

Yup, she's gonna be on the arm of one of the baddest bad asses there.

I know. I've met them. Some of my favorite people. (Note to self: see if I can get my happiest-whilst-designing-warheads-but-used-to-jump-out-of-planes friend to chime in on this challenge.)

Update: I have achieved the impossible. My warhead-designing Special Forces buddy has gamely - and surpisingly on stylish point - chimed in via my personal fb post of our challenge. He says: "I like the Jersey gown. Shows a bit of leg. Other choices would be a dark camo pattern or a dark green similar to the beret color. However, it is the woman that makes the gown." Smart, smart man. In so many ways.

Back to Lee.

Lee, as Chelsea put it, "looks fabuous in bold colors." She doesn't have any parameters about what she will or won't wear, other than she wants it to be a floor length gown. Smart girl. It's a ball. When else does a lady get to wear a floor length gown, unless one is, of coure, a celebrity. Or opera singer.

We have to work quickly, so Lee has time to get the dress packed up and on the plane. Help us? Follow the conversation on facebook and twitter (#belloftheball #styledilemma). There is pinterest, too (if you'd like to join in the pinterest fun, shoot Chelsea a note via email or on fb or twitter, and she'll add you). The whole world pinning for Chelsea's #guestofawedding dilemma was quite frankly one of the best parts of the fun. Lee has graciously said she'll let us take pictures as she tries things on, for at least a facebook fashion show, if not a #twitterfashionshow, too.

Chelsea's already started pinning. I'm up next - how 'bout you?

It'll be fun!

Oh, and if you're not following Chelsea on facebook or twitter yet, The Chelsea Chronicles and @chelseachronicl.

Style Dilemma: Guest of a Wedding Dress

Like many of my reader questions these days, this one came in from the twitterverse...short & sweet:

Style Dilemma alert! Chelsea needs my help! Here are the project requirements - I mean - dilemma details:

Where & When: Early May, in Annapolis, 3:00 ceremony at Naval Academy Chapel, with a 5:00 reception at William Paca House. It’s Navy. It’s Annapolis. It’s colonial.

Who: The Groom is a Navy pilot, and Chelsea’s hoping there will be some young Top Gun studs in attendance. Really. The Bride is Chelsea’s connection to these nuptials. “Bride is 28, totally hip and fun.” Chelsea, a blogger herself, posted their sweet engagement - and then wedding planning - here for all to read (don’t mind if do!)

Why We Care About Chelsea’s Dress: By Chelsea’s own words (at my nosy question of “who else will be there who's opinion you care about, whether or not you should”): “the pressure to look good is high.” While there aren’t a lot of folks in Chelsea’s immediate professional world there, a cross-section of her blog’s (small) fan base will be looking to see what she is wearing.

What Chelsea Says She Won’t Wear: “In terms of styles, I generally love cowl and v-necks, sleeveless and cap sleeves, and the body of the dress can be fitted or a-line. I hate dresses that have elastic around the waist (a thicker or banded waistband is fine). I am not a fan of one-shoulder or strapless dresses on me, primarily because I hate strapless bras (with all due respect to my friends at Coup de Foudre). The bridesmaids are wearing navy, so I am trying to steer clear of that color (though of course I have found a number of dresses that are navy that I love). I want to be able to wear it again (don’t we always say that?) and would like to keep the price under $350.”

As we’ve emailed, tweeted, pinned, and g-chatted through the beginnings of this search, it’s also come to light that she [eyeroll] has some hangup about not wearing a dress that might be perceived as “white.” Can’t imagine why.

What I Can Tell You About Chelsea: She’s a firey, spunky, passionate girl who runs her own business, is a mother to two amazing (not so little) boys, and has a thing for novels that pretend they aren’t trashy (don’t hold it against her - I certainly don’t). She’s a Hill junkie who’s been there, conquered that, and has the brains to prove it. Her style runs to brights (and navy, in this case) and appropriately flirty with a strong dose of class and elegance. The first time I laid eyes on her was at our first #BlackChampagne meet, where we dressed for an imaginary funeral. She had on a fitted black sheath with the most gorgeous neckline and back. Translation: she has an amazing figure with curves in all the right places and isn’t afraid to use them well.

So.

Normally, here’s where I’d offer 3-5 choices in her price range, taking into consideration her the “parameters” she gave me, and maybe include one that pushes her style envelope. I’d line them up in polyvore and make my recommendations.

But we’re not going to do that this time.

This time, we’re asking for your help, oh Infintessimal Readership. Chelsea needs your help. She needs the power of the social interwebs. And I just know you’re going to step up and deliver.

How You Can Help Chelsea: We’ve gleefully devised a couple of ways, and will keep you posted as each of them comes to life.

Pinterest: Chelsea’s just gotten addicted, so I’m taking her quite literally and made (ok, it took absolutely no arm twisting, but it just sounds better that way) her create a group board. She’s already invited a few stylish friends, and we’ve already started pinning and discussing. Join the crew at the great “guest of wedding” dress search board. If you can’t figure out how to get on to the board and start pinning your ideas, just tweet or email me.

Twitter: If you are on this 140-character time suck, and you follow me, you know that I’ve uesd the #twitterfashionshow a few times. It takes a bit of guts, but Chelsea’s game. When we get to the point where she has Dresses in Hand, she’s promised to tweet us the choices so we can all chime in (@chelseachronicl). We’ll do our best to let you know ahead of time, so you can “tune in” and tweet along. And if Chelsea actually goes to a brick and mortar store, she will - gasp! - tweet us from the dressing room mirror. #twittershopping. Really. It works.

facebook: Yes, we’ll use this, too. So you non-tweeters can join in the fun, we’ll also post the #twitterfashionshow and #twittershopping pics on my DC Celine page. You’ll be able to comment away. It might sound crazy, but a virtual stranger’s opinion on these things sometimes reveals the best, most useful style observations. I was grateful (cheezy but true) for the help you all provided for the reunion and for a few other nights when I just didn’t like my closet.

So jump in! The social media water’s fine! And help out a Really Cool Chick with a Style Dilemma. And watch the interwebs for #guestofawedding #styledilemma...

UPDATE: Miss Chelsea herself has posted. How does she really feel about being the subject of a social media experiment - I mean project? Read on...

Style Inspiration: Pinning and Posting

Like every other female under the age of 50, I've got a small addiction.

No, not my shoe additction.

My pinterest addiction.

As I work this #healthyme thing (and work it real good! - sorry, just had to!), I've promised myself I would by No New Clothing (shoes and accessories excepted, of course) until I'm where I want to be. So to prepare for it, I'm channeling my shopping urges into pinning.

We'll pretend it's smart shopping planning.

If you'd like to take a look at what I'm looking forward to trying on and possibly buying, go take a look! I've just rearranged my boards to put the focus where my brain (and heart) is right now, and here are my top 5:

SeasidePoolside - I started this board last summer, during my halfhearted attempt to loose weight. We were prepping to spend a month down tha shore, both vacationing and working remotely. This year, I think we're just going to vacation, so what with this new me and all, never mind the fact that my bathing suits are pre-Bean-No. 2, I've got reason to plan my down tha shore shopping. Oh, and if you want to take a look at what I lived in last year (other than weekly mani/pedi excursions with Bean No. 1 in which she picked out my colors), take a look here. It'll be different this year.

#HealthyMe - Yes, I'm a fashion blogger. And I love to eat. I've also discovered that I love to eat healthfully, and am honestly happy meat-free. While I don't think I'll maintain meat-free past Easter, I've found some pretty amazing vegan fare (among other things). Oh yeah, and it's helping me get to my feeling better goals. If you try nothing else, try the Avocado Pasta. You've probably pinned it. Now make it. You'll want to make it Every Night.

Ladylike - one of my first boards. I'm constantly inspired by things demure and pretty, though would hardly call myself a girly-girl. Here are things that have caught my eye - some of which I'm absolutely going to try on when I hit my goal weight - that usually harken to Earlier Times. And no, it's not all Kate H. Promise.

Bells on My Toes - I do have a Shoe Problem. I'm an addict, and have no problem admitting it. So this board is, well, pretty full. As it should be.

Pie in the Sky - Here lies the runway inspriation. I love that we can "follow" a talented eye like Nina Garcia, among others, and let our fantasies take us away to a place where money is no object, and the fabric will lie on us like it does on the runway models. Translation: Beautiful, Amazing, Inspiring Fashion.

So if these are my top 5, which one will sneak up from behind? Rocker Chic(k). If you follow my tweets, you know that H and I don't get out much, but when we do, it's often for a show. We just had a blast at the Rock & Roll Hotel with for-me-memory-laden The Wedding Present. Aaaaand we've got a few tickets purchased for this spring and summer already. It's an ecclectic mix, starting with Chuck Berry at the new Howard Theater (talk about an icon), then progressing to Miranda Lambert (and some others) at WMZQFest, then KISS + Motley Crue launching their 2012 tour at Jiffy Lube Live (seriously, can't we just call it what it is? Nissan).

Don't worry. If we can, we'll sneak in a little 'tallica in Atlantic City in June. And we'll try to figure out how to take The Bean to see her First Favorite Band.

Winter Girl Confession

I get giddy when it snows, no matter how much. I adore the cold. When H is away, I sleep with the windows open. And you know that picture of the Danish baby outside a shop in the cold that made the rounds? That would be my beans.

So all that being said, despite the fact that I haven't yet really been able to bundle up and enjoy frigid temperatures, I somehow have beach on the brain. Perhaps it's about taking the beans on the sand, running them up and down the promenade down tha shore.

Or perhaps it's complete embarassment about the complete and total schlump I was during last year's nearly month-long jaunt. I brought nice clothes with me. I swear.

And while I won't give up my beloved Beach Patrol sweatshirt, I absolutely promise I'll do better this year. I may not lose the weight I want to in time (though I will try my darnest), I've started to pin some possible pieces - and some pie-in-the-sky cabana inspiration to my SeasidePoolside board on Pinterest.

Thanks, Belle, for the original pin of Marchesa Resort 2012. Because we all need a little resort collection in our lives.

Style in Print: Written Inspiration

I'm a reader. I'm an avid reader.

My mommy was an English teacher, so maybe that's why we grew up surrounded - literally - by books. Like so many others, books are my escape, my haven, and, not to sound all trite, but my soul. The written word gives me the chance to forget my daily life, to raise it up, or to release it. I've been known to hide out with a book, avoiding whatever's on the other side of the door. I've been known to laugh hysterically, out loud, then try to muffle it while other coffee shop patrons glace askew.

I'm rarely without a book. In my purse, on my nightstand, in our bathroom, they stand stacked. In times of short attention span, I "resort" to magazines. I read anything from Star to Cook's Illustrated to Town and Country to Smithsonian.

I cried when H and I were trying desperately to make room for The Bean's arrival, packing up the books we thought we wouldn't need so they could go in boxes in the basement.

Though I was carrying on, stiff (but quivering) upper lip and all - willing to put them aside for our new baby (who turns out to love books as much as I do) - H made me - over my I-want-to-be-a-grownup-about-this protests - stop and pull them out of the box so they could stay upstairs with me.

I'll read just about anything, though I tend very strongly towards the fiction variety. I'll make an exception for the exceptional, like Robert Kaplan's Balkan Ghosts, Voices and Silences, James Earl Jones' memoir, or my beloved copy of a massive Katherine Hepburn (my ultimate style heroine, to be deliciously frank) biography I picked up on my first trip to Cambridge, England. (And yes, there's a juicy thrill I get when I read the lines that mention my ancestor-y relative and famously dramatic suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst, was a bit player in Kate H's life.)

As I tweeted to Alison this morning that I loved her pirate-y ensemble (oddly, it looks like that tweet never went through - pooh), and recommended she get her E a book The Bean adored this summer (Jane Yolen's The Ballad of the Pirate Queens), I realized I needed to add a board to my obsessive pinning: Written Inspiration. Since reading Anne of Green Gables and Macbeth in my middle school years, my wardrobe choices have been incredibly influenced by the tales I read.

Perhaps it's time I return to that inspiration.

Go see what pages inspire me on my new Pinterest board, Written Inspiration. (You are on Pinterest, aren't you?) It's a work in progress, of course, and promises to be a walk down a literature memory lane.

My Style To-Do List

Instead of reading a Government draft RFP or preparing something horrendous like a compliance matrix like a responsible adult - or even instead of sleeping, which my body desperately needed to do - I used the 2 flights here to Lawton, OK, to read the entire October issue of American Vogue. Cover to cover. I devoured both the inane (Hamish Bowles does X Factor) and the intelligent (Hamish Bowles does X Factor), marked pages, and then borrowed a pen from a nice gentlemen across the aisle and scribbled a list of everything that had popped into my head while reading.

• Does it count that I "followed" Vogue Germany and British Vogue on twitter? Order multiple Vogue subscriptions
• design and order calling cards
• buy very-nice-but-ok-to-lose pens
• get new, impossibly hip glasses and/or
• get lasik appointment
• change all future vacation references to "holiday"
• figure out how to collaborate on a style post about warheads (Scott, if you've read this far, I'm sure I can find a prize for you of some kind)
• Listen to Robin Givhan NPR archive broadcast (thanks, Wardrobe Oxygen!)
• Check! Headed up August 3-5! Plan trip with Mommy & The Bean (the 2 Elsas) to see Schiaparelli/Prada exhibit at the Met
• Gonna cross this one off, given that I just found some lovely eyes at Bobbi Brown!
• Check! Finally!, a whole year later, I found TWO (Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood and Hollywood Red)find a red lipstick
• Check! started on pinterest - Style Tomes and Style Reading List.
• Uncheck! Never happened. find nail salon in Lawton
• She did it on her own, and did beautifully! Bad friend. plan Old Town Boutique District vintage scour for friend who wants a vintage-y party dress for weddings this fall
• Check! start a Christmas list (for the first time in, oh, 25 years)
• It's just not worth it. Too many good, cheaper things out there. look into La Mer
• Check! On it's way! With the new bug repellent! order Skincando Miracle Cream
• Check! #healthyme is in full swing! Sort-of check. I did it once. Skipped DRESSED viewing Thursday for yoga class - do yoga and/or calissthenics tomorrow (each day will be a new resolution for the next)
• Check! Classic Crane's at The Dandelion Patch - buy new letter-writing (as opposed to card-writing) stationery
• Check! It was part of me "get ready for cool new job" stuff. buy new not-to-lose pen
• Check! Addicted. get pinning - seriously
• Check! December 2-4, with The Bean in tow! plan NYC trip (including Daphne Guinness exhibit)
• Check! Had an amazing weekend just the two of us down tha shore in March. plan girl time with childhood BFF
• Check! Nope. Happy with my Nook (Christmas gift from H) and laptop (PC, people, PC). figure out if i want an iPad
• Check! Russel + Hazel "chicklets" (love, love, love the name!), of course, bought at The Container Store. Now, I have to use them. find pretty little post-it notes for marking up magazines and maybe books
• Check! 678 Colorful Skinny Jean on order from The Limited. investigate skinny jeans
• Check! See above. investigate colored jeans
• Check! Going for my second appointment today! brows with Adrian at Nectar Skin Bar
• Silly me - no massages (hint, hint, add them!) massage at Nectar Skin Bar
• Check! Adrian is a brow and skin god. Put yourself in his hands. anything at Nectar Skin Bar
order Vogue subscription (in multiple languages?)Really, it's sitting in my car in the box. Take it to the store already! return Michael (Kors) turtleneck ponchoRosa and I never made it - visit Michael Reinhardt at Neiman Marcus Chevy Chase to buy new La Metier de Beaute eyesmake list of fahion/style/art books to read