Macy’s kindly reminded me this morning that the wedge is back! And it’s back with attitude.
I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of excited about this. I just got some cute cropped pants from the Gap that would look great with any pair of these. Happy spring shopping!
Have you SEEN the Manolo Blahnik Spring collection? OMG. I want them all. Why can’t I live the glamorous lifestyle that would support such a shoe addiction?! Why can’t Sex and the City be real and why can’t I have the shoe collection of Carrie or Charlotte?
Anyway, most of these are under $1K, but still. For now I must window shop only and enjoy the eye candy…
You might recall awhile back, I mentioned Rent the Runway – a place where you can rent designer dresses at affordable prices. After being a member of the website for a good 2+ years, I FINALLY made my first order and OMG, it far exceeded my expectations!
I didn’t actually get any of the dresses I originally posted, but I settled on these two for the family Christmas Eve party:
I ended up wearing the top dress – thank you, Christian Siriano!
I was too excited when the package arrived that I forgot to take pictures of the presentation. Man, Rent the Runway really GETS its customers! I opened the box and inside was a garment bag with my three dresses (they give you two sizes of each – but they only had one of my sizes in the Christian Siriano, which is why I even opted to add the Jay Godfrey to my order). They included Hollywood Tape to make the dresses fit if they weren’t perfect. (And if none of your dresses fit at all, you just let them know, send them back and you get a refund…and I think they might try to send you new dresses that will fit asap….)
The package also included the prepaid envelope to mail the dresses back in, and a checklist to make sure you didn’t forget anything when packaging the dresses up to send back. In addition, I received two reminder emails letting me know when my dresses needed to be returned. It really could not have been a better experience for me.
Added bonus: you get to keep the Rent the Runway garment bag 
Not that I need garment bags, but it’s a nice touch.
So what was the grand total for all of that? $75. That’s it. It could have been $50 if I went with only one style, but I added the second style for $25 since I’d never done this before and wanted to make sure I had a dress to wear – that fit.
Overall, I’m a huge believer of RTR and can’t wait for my next event. Maybe next time I’ll rent some accessories or a handbag to go with the dress. I just can’t believe I waited two years to finally try this out. Do yourself a favor, ladies, start renting gorgeous designer dresses ASAP! Make 2012 the year of FASHIONABLE YOU!!
I want to hate these, but I can’t. It is snuggie-esque, but I don’t care. Why didn’t anybody think of pajama jeans sooner? I’ve always been that girl who goes home and immediately puts on sweats. I just love being comfortable. When I got pregnant, I made a bad habit of going out in public wearing hoodies and comfy pants. I was undoubtedly an embarrassment to my wonderful husband who never complained (out loud or to my face). And sadly, I haven’t given up the habit post-pregnancy (sorry, Stacy and Clinton from TLC’s What Not To Wear).
I feel like pajama jeans would allow me to be comfortable while still looking socially acceptable. So I can’t help but secretly want these. The only thing stopping me from buying these is that they’re almost $50 w/ shipping handling. Meh. Now if they were $20, I’d get like four pairs in a heartbeat…
…and just admit it, you want them, too.
If you read my post about Fall Fashion: Faux Fur you might be wondering if I ever did embrace this trend as I was contemplating. Fear not, readers, I DID in fact get a new winter coat, complete with a faux fur collar! The best part about this coat is that the faux fur collar is removable! That’s right, it’s like the best coat accessory in the world. Feeling fancy? Button on the fur collar. Feeling conservative? No biggie – just sport the coat sans fur. I’ve worn it both ways and I love it – it’s perfect for the cold winter days we’re already starting to experience here in Chicago. Thank you, Target for this affordable, fashionable find!
Mossimo Military Short Wool Coat With Removable Faux Fur Trim – $45 at Target
I’m back! You can thank my lovely 72-hour migraine for putting me out of commission.
Rent the Runway. Who’s familiar with this? It’s like Bag Borrow or Steal, but for designer dresses. I’ve ben a Rent the Runway member for two years but have yet to rent a dress (I know, it’s a shameful admission). The truth is, I don’t lead a fancy enough lifestyle that warrants me wearing gorgeous designer dresses. Sad.
However, I think I’m going to give it a try for the holidays this year. My entire extended family gets together for a Christmas Eve party every year, and though it tends to lean towards the business casual side of the wardrobe, I really can’t see a downside in dressing up to feel glamorous for a night. Here’s what I’m currently considering (I know, I need to narrow down my options here…suggestions welcome!!):
Pencey: Gold Rush Mini
Retail: $520; Rent: $75
Jay Godfrey: Iris Lace Sheath
Retail: $325; Rent: $50
Kate Spade: Mademoiselle Dress
Retail: $395; Rent: $50
TIBI: Black (or Navy) Zepplin Mini Shift
Retail: $363; Rent: $50
Shoshanna: My Little Secret Dress
Retail: $395; Rent: $50
How does it work?
You select the dress and/or accessories you want for a certain event. On the homepage, you enter your zip code, date you need your dress and you size (you even get a backup size if you’re unsure what size will fit). You can open the calendar on the dress page and select from the available dates. They advise you to select a rental date a day or two before your actual event. After you wear your dress (or accessory), you just mail it back in a prepaid envelope, and that’s it. RTR takes care of the dry cleaning and everything. And you know you’re getting quality dresses because once a garment even starts to look worn, they retire it. An additional perk: you can call a stylist at RTR to help you put your whole look together.
How do I sign up?
Easy. Just go to their website and you can sign up for free. Of course there are perks for referring friends as well. Though I haven’t actually rented a dress yet, I think this idea is stellar and I can’t wait to give it a shot in a month!
Last season when I was watching American Idol (guilty pleasure!), I didn’t quite understand the feathers in Steven Tyler’s hair, but he could pull it off. And the more I saw him, the more I started to love the trend. I just couldn’t help myself.
I’m not daring enough to go and get feather extensions actually threaded in, but I am lucky to have an awesomely attentive family member who follows me on Twitter and took note of this new trend I’m in to. She happened to be out and about and picked me up TWO feather extension clips. One is more subtle and one is more fun. How perfect! Not only am I the proud owner of some feathers, but I now have options. Priceless.
I wore my fun feathers this past weekend. I don’t know why, but I love the white synthetic hair strand attached to it. It makes me feel like Rogue from X-Men.
What are your thoughts on this trend?
I’ll be honest, I used to shy away from fur – real and faux, for no seemingly good reason – but I think I might embrace it this season. I don’t know; I kind of dig it.
I think I need to start sporting fur in moderation, though - a la this BB Dakota Leather Jacket or this French Connection army jacket:
Then again, there’s something badass and elegant about a full fur coat like this Tahari belted jacket, or this Shelli Segal flared coat:
What are your thoughts on this Fall trend?
So last week was premiere week — the week when all of our favorite TV shows return, as well as a couple new ones. I highly anticipated the premiere of one of my favorite guilty pleasures: Gossip Girl. Four seasons ago, I fell in love with this whimsical world of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Nope, never been there. Maybe that’s why I found the show so charming. That, or because I instantly fell in love with Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick).
Anyway, this show has been great from a fashion standpoint. Here are two of my faves from the Season 5 Premiere. XOXO.
Azzedine Alaia Platform Shoes: $838
