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· June 22, 2008 2:45 AM by

Colleen Shirazi
· June 22, 2008 5:04 PM by

Dain
· March 7, 2008 1:43 PM by

Colleen Shirazi
· March 8, 2008 9:35 AM by

Carol

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The Lipstick Page Forums Beauty & Fashion Blog

Posted by Dain, Sunday, June 22, 2008 12:07 AM (Eastern)

Once it becomes warm enough, I live in dresses. Yes, they tend to be more expensive, and yes, they often (but not always) require heels, but otherwise dresses are the least fuss free—just wear and go. A cardigan (or sometimes a jacket) will help ward off any chill in the air, but the most pressing sartorial concern, when you wear a dress, is showing off a great pair of shoes. (A win-win situation, if you ask me.) A sober work shift is best with equally serious pumps, or even a pair of high-heeled loafers. But if the dress is breezy and summery, sandals make the most appropriate option, I recommend Grecian flats or espadrilles, so relaxed but elegant. On the other hand, if the dress is more of the cocktail variety, more city than villa, it is an opportune moment to break out your dressy, exotic heels (when in doubt, a black pump always works). With long evening gowns, which tend to hide shoes, I am fond of the flash of a metallic flat—it is quietly festive. This is also a great time to indulge in accessory worship: clutches, fantastical jewelry, delicate wraps, belts, hats, what have you.

Indeed, in spite of my penchant for minimalism, I tend to buy a new dress or two every year. Not only for the practicality of it, but also because they tend to be interesting pieces in themselves: the prints, the colors, the fabrics, the embellishments, the tailoring. You'll end up hoarding them long past a season, unlike the twelfth pair of skinny jeans you just bought. Indeed, a woman could easily live on a subdued palette of great dresses, a cashmere cardigan, a trench coat, a pair of elegant Manolos, and oh, one of those Chanel quilted 2.55.

Personally, I'm quite in love with both of these, from Tsumori Chisato ($750) and Thakoon ($1130) respectively:

As you can see, they are whole outfits, all I'd need to add are Lucifer Vir Honestus' organic rose-gold chain and my purple Manolos, and that deconstructed grey military jacket from Les Prairies de Paris should I get cold. Now... if only I could afford them. Keep dreamin', Dain.

These are the ones I currently own:

white apron dress from Banana Republic Favorite piece in my wardrobe. As much as I instantly gravitate towards white, I've not yet met another white dress quite as perfect on me as this one, even among designer racks. Pretty cool.
navy floral print kimono dress from Lucky Brand My second favorite dress, though it is considerably more serious.
sapphire jersey goddess gown It's very elegant, but so comfortable I've been known to wear it informally, and sometimes, fall asleep in it.
tropical floral print dress from Lucky Brand A simple dress, splashed with lots of color
exotic linen caftan from J. Crew This is my latest addition ($165), expensive for J. Crew but very well made as far as I can tell. Only question, redundant? It's so nice for work.
yellow floral print halter dress from Anthropologie sexier and more summery than most of my selections
rose silk evening gown For the most special occasions, the perfect shade of pink that's the most flattering color on me, but a simply cut goddess gown, with a plunging back with a lace inset.
black butterfly print dress from Anthropologie this was my first major dress, but as cute as it is, I just don't wear black.

How do you know if a dress is right? Just put it on, you'll know.

thelipstickpageforums.com

Labels: anthropologie, banana republic, closet confidential, j crew, lucky brand

2 comment(s)

June 22, 2008 2:45 AM, Colleen Shirazi said...

I agree about dresses. I always think of the saying, "Well begun is half done."

June 22, 2008 5:04 PM, Dain said...

Yup, separates are so much work. Dresses are more expensive, but they tend to be nicer.

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Posted by Dain, Thursday, March 06, 2008 1:47 PM (Eastern)

Normally, I pick five fantasy items that'll update my wardrobe, but I'm not so dedicated about it this season. I'm a little bored with the constant imminency of fashion. Trends are to clothing what celebrities are to people: popular plus corporate backing. [shrug] On the other hand, now that I can actually afford what I desire—it seems much less exciting. So my list this time around seems a little flat. It's mostly stuff I've already bought and doesn't reference the trends much.

A silvery moss green velvet skirt from Missoni ($68), dusted with polka dots. Very unique, but subtly so. Velvet is a nightmare to tailor by hand, so in the future I will sternly steer myself away from brilliant deals that are ill fits, but it came out alright in the end. My pants are very basic and boring, but I like skirts with a little more flavor (I also have a cream lace pencil skirt shot with gold), since they're more flippant to begin with.

I have my eye on this Alexander Wang Drop Needle Rainbow Cardigan ($357), it also hits that subdued-but-special note really well. Or maybe I just have a weakness for anything rainbow, in which I am far more comfortable than black. I wonder if there won't be knock-offs at Urban Outfitters, though, I'd like to save room in my wallet for perfume.

Manolo Blahnik, you've seen these before. This is probably my only trends-conscious pick. Bold color is in. The 80s are in. But these are gorgeous enough to last beyond.

Mmm... another recent purchase, a sultry summery sundress, the Fleurette Bluebird Chemise ($49.95). I can live on one handbag and four pairs of shoes and three pairs of pants, but dresses I do accumulate without any intention towards minimalism. They're the easiest things to wear, in my view, and the nicest. Though it is not by any intentional design, I've bought one every season, and I wear them all quite thoroughly.

I'm on the market for a pair of pearl earrings, and these smartly priced studs from Pearl Paradise ($482) still capture my imagination. Can a Buddhist really resist a lotus theme? I already own a strand, small and flawed, but of great sentimental value as it belonged to my mother. (Plus I have quickly discovered how very difficult jewelry design is, and am wondering if I shouldn't just leave it to the professionals.)

thelipstickpageforums.com

Labels: alexander wang, anthropologie, fashion notes, manolo blahnik, missoni, pearl paradise

2 comment(s)

March 7, 2008 1:43 PM, Colleen Shirazi said...

Hermmm...you do need some classical, expensive pieces of jewelry, much in the same way you need an interview suit, dressy shoes, and what-not...to have on hand. I'm a firm believer in that though I dislike the idea of classical pieces having to conform to only a few set designs (it makes it easier to give stock advice but, it's boring).

Once you have these, that's when you can branch out to more personal designs. I have noticed certain components are impossible to find. i.e. it's very easy to find many merchants who sell mainstream components, but if you want something different, it suddenly becomes much much harder to get hold of.

It probably has to do with my price range but imo, people on a certain level of jewelrymaking are also simply protecting their craft.

Ultimately, I do feel that will change, as more and more of the people who jumped into jewelrymaking when it was "hot," drop out. The people remaining will only become more and more specialized, hence there will also be more specialized suppliers.

March 8, 2008 9:35 AM, Carol said...

I LOVE that cardi! If you find a suitable knock-off, do tell me about it!

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Posted by Dain, Friday, August 24, 2007 11:25 AM (Eastern)

I suppose there are three levels of "going out". First, there are the kind of clothes you wear when you go to a bar or a club with your friends. Next, "dressy", for all but the most formal, weddings, funerals, cocktail parties, and dates. And finally, straight up formalwear, for black-tie events, which I suppose are rare in an average person's life. Anyway... a parade of beautiful things.

clubbing

Gotta look sexy, so "show some skin" (animal prints, leather, silk, and lace will add to the effect), though there's no need to go all out with the T&A (this article is about style, not sex appeal). Leave the complicated clothing at home, which guys don't "get" anyway. Anything skimpy, like this breezy lace inset camisole from Lyell ($115) (add a pretty bra to peek through). Anything body-conscious, like this pink wrap top from Anthropologie ($39.95). Anything sheer, like this sheer v-neck from Alexander McQueen ($1260). My favorite combination is a sheer blouse worn with a black bra and lace camisole underneath, plus jeans. I am not leggy, so I concentrate on tops. Perhaps a good third (if not half, about a dozen) of my shirts are flirty/lacey/sheer/print-happy blouses, so the examples above are only intended to be illustrative, though the Alexander McQueen is lovely (what the hell is with the price though?). I don't usually spend too much on these (less than $50 is fine), because they come and go with the vagaries of fashion, it's just not worth planning them in advance.

Since I already own a lot of tops, what I want instead is a dress made for dancing, like this spare, sexy sequin-studded slipdress. I would avoid bringing anything too nice to a bar, because accidents will happen, but I was thinking a pair of hoops would be so grand, and then I saw these Annette Ferdinandsen Silver Sea Fan Earrings ($275), similar look but much more interesting. Normally, I avoid coats when I go out (more to worry about), but if it's cold out, would not a sleek leather jacket ($650) look really sexy? What shoes would I wear? I wear heels all the time, but only when I'm sober and sure of going to someplace clean. Flats will do, ma'am.

cocktail

This is too easy. I mean, it's semantically obvious; if you want to be dressed up, the simplest thing is a dress. Dresses are beautiful, interesting, and so easy to wear. All you need are some heels, knockout jewelry, and a wee bag. Above, the most delectable of Alexander McQueen, but mine usually come from Anthropologie or Banana Republic. Since I'm petite and short-legged, I usually look for high-waisted dresses with a-line skirts of moderate (knee) length, like the froth-of-lace dress in the middle (if it were longer, that would be my wedding dress; the other two are "bias-cut", which is a good bet for curves, while angular, leggy people can wear those shapeless minidress sacks that one sees so much of these days). Like flirty shirts, there's no exact limit to the number of the pretty dresses I own (maybe 4-5?), because it's not really that frequent that I find one that I love, and I refuse to buy things unless I love them (an axiom of smart shopping).

For the dresses above, which are quite posh, a classic pump, strand of pearls ($390), and amethyst earrings ($7810) will do. For summery sundresses (I'm fond of colorful prints), I have a pair of green Banana Republic espadrilles, olive peep-toes with beige laces that wrap around the ankle), which are probably my favorite shoes, period. Neither is that difficult to walk around in, and the espadrilles, once broken in, are surprisingly comfortable. If and when they finish, I'll probably look to Castañer, the brand that is to espadrilles what Repetto is to ballet flats.

formal

Olivier Theyskens is the couterier of my dreams, though not everyone will feel that way. If you want a reason, just look at this magnificent gown (Rochas FW 2005), heavy textured silk with petals of florid kimono print appliqued o'er. What would you do with this dress? Stand around, look statuesque, sip some champagne. It's a freakin' ballgown, what else would you do? Don't get me wrong, you could definitely do "cocktail" to a formal event (no one would knock you down for wearing Alexander McQueen), but this gown is a notch above in formality.

Also from FW 2005 are these crystal-bow pumps from Balenciaga, which at the time demanded a heartstopping price of $2240. Still, I've never seen a pair of evening sandals quite so gorgeous. I would kill for these shoes, though they look like they would kill your feet. And what about a profusion of diamonds (rather like a tennis bracelet that shuns the straight and narrow) for your delicate wrist? These are from Harry Winston.

evening bag

Calvin Klein's silver lizard clutch ($470) will go with everything on this page. Minimal shape won't overwhelm jeans, the luxe skin isn't too humble for gowns, and then there is the laudable neutrality of silver.

Labels: alexander mcqueen, annette ferdinandsen, anthropologie, balenciaga, calvin klein, cathy waterman, fashion notes, harry winston, lyell, manolo blahnik, pearl paradise, rochas

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