Fashion Fridays

Fashion Friday: Stars and Stripes Forever

March 8, 2019 by Gindi 2 Comments

Happy Fashion Friday friends!

I was wandering around a mall the other day (this never happens) and was amazed at the latest trends.

Stripes, stripes everywhere. And red white and blue – well before the ole 4th of July.

So today and next week for Fashion Friday we’ll cover the latest looks. Today it’s STRIPES. Next week, it’s the red and blue color combo.

I love stripes. They feel optimistic. Well, bright stripes. I’m guess gray and black stripes would feel more prison like than optimistic. But bright stripes are what are sweeping the store fronts, on line and in store.

As someone who wears a 10-12, not a 2-4, the trick is to either wear vertitcal stripes or stripes in accent areas like sleeves. Now you itty bitty girls go bananas with all the darling horizontal stripes out there. I just have to avoid them, or throw a blazer over it and mitigate most of the stripey fun.

Here are some of my favorites right now, granted it’s a lot of tops, but seriously stripey pants might be too much (if you have daughters, there are adorable girl options too). I apologize that most everything is from Boden but they are KILLING the stripe trend this season!

The bright green and white Lydia sweater from Boden is a perfect spring cross over addition to your wardrobe:

I’m a big fan of this blue and white boyfriend shirt from Gap for the weekend:

This look isn’t for everyone. But if you like big bold looks and you’re taller, then this topper from Francesca’s is for you. I personally love these oversized sweater/poncho looks:

I have never walked into a Forever 21. But this caught my eye. Wouldn’t this tank be great under a denim jacket for summer – or as she styles it if you don’t have a love-hate relationship with your arms (I love that they enable me to pick up my kids, I hate that they jiggle when I do…). And while we’re at Forever 21, I love everything about this sundress outfit for summer. Yes with a cute crochet purse. Yes with the converse. Just yes to this whole thing. Who even cares if it’s for someone 21, it’s stinkin’ adorable.

While I typically wear tankinis, I’m dying to pick up this adorable stripe-accent one piece swimsuit from Boden:

Would love your thoughts on this Verity jumpsuit. You know I straddle the fence on the jumpsuit. I’m a full no on jumpers but this seems like such a fun option for the summer. What say you?

I think everyone should have this utterly joyful outfit for summer (with a little longer short). I don’t even care if these are horizontal, I love their happiness.

Sneakers. I can’t even. Mic drop.

Stay tuned. How to make patriotic fabulous next week!

Fashion Friday: Garage Glam?

February 15, 2019 by Gindi Leave a Comment

You have heard me talk about invitation’s coded attire in Fashion Friday posts before.

But the hits just keep on coming my friends.

You should hear what I’m hearing! Garage glam. Warehouse chick. Urban upscale. What’s a girl to do?

In the coded attire post, I offered some tips on how to decode an invitation’s weird requests (time, location, etc.).

For today’s Fashion Friday though, I offer specific advice for these garage/urban/grunge/warehouse/etc. type of invites.

Some people are comfortable with a leather dress, and that would definitely do it. I know I wouldn’t feel comfortable – either from a professional standpoint or just an actual physical comfort perspective. Plus, on the Gulf, the weather is so unpredictable you could get hot fast in one of those.

If you’re going to one of these uniquely coded parties, and it’s between the fall and early spring, a moto jacket with sheath dress and cool heels would fix you up. It reads chic but still professional. Some of these parties aren’t work specific parties but inevitably you run into people from your industry.

If you do the Moto jacket, you could try it in a brighter color with a neutral dress. Or vice versa. I love this blush Michael Kors leather moto from Nordstrom’s (blush and light rose pink are everywhere). If you prefer traditional black leather, this levi faux leather moto is a steal of a deal from Nordstrom’s.

You could pair the black jacket with something simple, a bright blue dress or red sheath with no adornments. Or if you try a color in the Moto, and think the soiree will be dressier, pair your bold topper with a simple black lace sheath underneath, like this one from Bardot at Nordstrom’s.

Then, polish off the outfit with some bold shoes. High pumps with studs like these from Steve Madden or Sam Edelman at Nordstrom’s or a funky animal print bootie like these Halogen’s.

You could throw a long simple chain on as a necklace or belt to add another metal element.

You’ll be the chic-est garage girl there!

So what is the weirdest invitation code you’ve received? How did you decipher it (besides just phoning a friend, the best standby ever!)?

Fashion Friday: Gala Guidance

February 8, 2019 by Gindi Leave a Comment

It’s Fashion Friday, friends!

Thank you for sending in all sorts of fun questions.

Next week we’re going to tackle another “coded” invite attire question.

But today, Fashion Friday is all about Gala Guidance. My post last week elicited texts and emails with questions and conundrums.

If you’re interested about the funny twist my own gala gown took after Friday’s post, stick around to the end.

For now, here’s a few tips based on the kinds of questions I got last weekend:

1. Dress your frame.

I had folks texting me questions about specific gowns. It all boils down to this, consider your frame. If you are petite, then large loud prints or big bold ruffles are going to overwhelm you. If you are tall and slender, it’s easier to pull them off.

Similarly, if you have a big bust, then a dress cut down to there is going to be hard to pull off in the real world. I realize Hollywood does it, but we don’t have tape specialists working in our bathroom to ensure we don’t experience a wardrobe malfunction.

Below are some dresses I discussed with friends. The first had a pattern that would overwhelm my very petite friend but we found more muted patterns (the next two) for her to try.

The final gown is for my slender friend with a smaller bust line. She looks smashing in every shade of blue and would knock the gala socks off in this. All dresses at Dillard’s.

2. Consider stepping outside your comfort zone, by renting.

I had the best conversation with work colleagues about gala gowns this week. One of them said that she would never invest a few hundred dollars on a big bold color in an evening dress. But she likes the ideas of reds and greens and blues. So for several years running, she’s rented her gala gown from Rent The Runway. We’ve talked about RTR before on the blog about subscription services, but this is an entirely different option. If you can normally guess your size (you get two sizes just in case), and you know what style looks good on you, then RTR might be perfect for you to step outside your comfort zone in print, pattern or color. (But leave time for an emergency steam if it comes crumpled!)

3. Pick a focal point.

If you have a daring neckline, you probably don’t need a statement necklace. You are the statement. If you have deep smokey eyes, then you don’t need bold lipstick. If you have a high-low hem with show stopping stillettos, then don’t overwhelm them with large sparkly earrings. Put on your dress. Decide where you want people to look. Work around your focal point. Don’t create too many distractions. Quality not quantity.

Cate Blanchett always gets it right – Smokey eye, nude lips, minimal jewelry, killer statement dress:

4. Feel beautiful.

If you read my post-gala dress saga below, you’ll see one dress I loved. But I felt heavy. I mean, I am heavier right now. But I felt heavy. You should feel beautiful. Don’t wear something you think is a statement dress but you don’t feel smashing in it. Similarly, don’t wear a long black gown because you don’t want to draw attention to yourself because of how you’re feeling about you right now. Feel beautiful. Get a friend to encourage you. Find something that is not only comfortable but also lovely to you. A color. A pattern. Fabric. Shimmer. Whatever.

As for my post-gala gown sequel, as soon as I wrote last week’s post I thought, I don’t want a long plain black dress. Yes it looked pretty but it just wasn’t jazzy enough for me.

So I ran up to Dillards because they were having a big evening gown sale. I tried on TWELVE dresses that were lovely. Yes, I’m on a spending freeze but I thought I might be able to exchange my gown even though I was past 30 days.

The last gown I tried on I found while browsing the dozens of racks. It was the exact same as my black dress but in a deep royal blue (plus they only had one and it was my size!!!). I saved it for last to give the other gowns a try.

Previously, I had tried two blue gowns that I absolutely adored for their color (see above), but I just didn’t feel confident or comfortable in them because of the fit across my abdomen.

When I put the old/new dress on, I loved it. Still it was my favorite gown (a nice confirmation of the first one). AND it solved my problem with it “just being” a black dress.

I pleaded my case to the saleslady (because of the 30 day return policy). She said if I would run home and get my dress, she’d hold this one until I returned. She could give me store credit for my black dress and apply it to the blue one.

So I ran ALL THE WAY HOME (I wasn’t close to my house at the time) and now I’ll be wearing blue tomorrow night. Hoorah for color! (Pictures tomorrow!!!)

See you next week fashion friends.

Fashion Friday: Gala Gown Shopping

February 1, 2019 by Gindi 1 Comment

Happy Friday Fashionistas!

Ah I’ve missed you.

I had this whole six part installment ready on fashion trends that I started LAST November, and then life hit.

But I really want to get back to writing Fashion Fridays because I love them so. Plus, if you’ll recall, I’m on a discretionary spending FREEZE which means I’m not buying anything. Nada. Zilch. Zipo.

So I need to live vicariously through you. Send me your fashion dilemma and let me shop for you. I’m free unlike these subscription services, and based on one of my best work buddies recent experience, I’ll be a whole lot more spot on than they are. (A series of 15 minute voxes this week describing her woes with not one but two different services!)

However, today, I actually am dusting off my own dilemma from December to report on for your Fashion Friday enjoyment.

I knew I was going on a spending freeze in January for a full quarter and I also know I had my kids school gala to attend.

I have about three gala dresses in my rotation, but I’ve worn them a number of times and they’re pretty memorable dresses so I wanted to buy a new gown but didn’t want to spend a fortune.

My best momma friend from the kids school and I started talking about what we envisioned. She wanted a neutral dress with really bright and bold accessories. (She has achieved this with a smashing navy gown from Nordstrom’s and spectacular bold heels and jewelry. Plus she’s been working out way harder than me and is going to be the belle of the ball. Love that my friends are not only gracious and smart but also have fabulous fashion insight! This is her gown. Everyone should own this dress. Just don’t wear it to our gala.)

I digress.

I wanted a bold gown. If you haven’t noticed, I enjoy color. Pattern. Unique styles and fun accessories. I rarely do pattern on a gown (save for the above) because it’s hard to pull off if you’re not super slim, which I haven’t been in quite a while. But I like color. And sparkle.

I had a hankering for green but was willing to do blue or red too.

Then I fell in love with this gown. And found it on sale. I ordered it. The gown looked lovely on. From the front. When I turned to the side, it looked like we were expanding from a family of five to a family of six.

I stewed and wondered and hemmed-and-hawed, but eventually decided to return it. I would have to lose at least 10 pounds, in my middle, which wasn’t going to happen during the month of Disney and trial.

While at Nordstrom’s, I tried on over a dozen gowns. Most I pulled, but a few the saleslady pulled for me. I liked them okay. But as my darling momma friend said as I texted her from the dressing room (seriously y’all, how did mommas shop before cell phones – your besties are always one “phone a friend” away), the other one was better than these.

I left Nordstrom’s empty handed.

Dillard’s had an amazing selection of evening gowns this season, a far better selection for me than Nordstrom’s (a rarity), but they never run sales.

Regardless, I marched into a dressing room with another dozen+ gowns to see what I could find.

By now, you guys know my limitations on dressing. I’m 5’10 and a size 12. I carry the bulk of my weight, now, in my middle. (Pre-kids, it was all hips and thighs.) When I look for a special event outfit, I like to feature my neck and clavicle. I have pretty skin and a long neck and I’m not remotely afraid of color.

So guess what I ended up with?

Anyone?

Black.

Hahahahaha. Life is funny.

Here’s what happened.

I narrowed it down to the below three gowns.

My friend liked the red because it had the bold color I was going for and the bow feature was a pretty and modern fashion feature. I liked it too. But. There was so much gathering in the pleats of the skirt that it made me feel thicker. This is a night out with my man and I was going for something a little sexier (not we’re-dating-sexy, but hey baby you look great!, and a red bow dress won’t get me that reaction).

I loved the Badgley Mischka full skirted metallic striped gown. Hand’s down it was my favorite. Here were the hiccups. One, it was $300. Not in my budget. Two, it was low cut and I wasn’t sure how much old cleavage you can show. Three, while my friends gave it the green light, they said I’d need to go get a fake tan because I was too pale to pull it off. Sigh.

This left the black. It definitely hit the mark on slimming. That’s the beauty of solid black, right? It had a little peplum around the waist which worked to my advantage (those can go either way). It had a cool neckline. Plus, while I had none of the appropriate undergarments in the dressing room, I knew with the right bra and Spanx as well as sparkly vintage jewels and high heels it would look good. I would feel good as well as comfortable which isn’t an expectation for gala wear.

So there you have it.

My advice when shopping for special events: be willing to release preconceived ideas of what you envisioned and try on a wide spectrum of gowns. You may surprise yourself. Or you may get exactly what you’re looking for. And always, always, have a buddy on text standby.

Don’t forget, send me some fashion fodder for the weeks ahead!

Fashion Friday: Winter Trends, COLOR

November 9, 2018 by Gindi Leave a Comment

We’re back! Fashion Friday friends, I’ve missed you.

I have been (and still am) sick. So I’m just not writing. But I miss Fashion Fridays and talking what’s in and out with you girls. Lucky me got to head to the Nutcracker Market yesterday and attend my favorite event of the year: The Saks Fashion Show. Now sometimes, it’s utterly outrageous and the trends don’t translate. But this year, it was fantastic. All the trends translate. And I’m hear to do that for you today.

The Fashion Friday trends for winter 2018: white, color (talk about a crazy flip after white), animal print, pink, shimmer and metallic, floral, and jewel tones. Seriously y’all, the trends were gorgeous this year. And that’s SEVEN trends. Oh my will we have fun with that. Plus there’s something for everyone.

I’m going to kick us off with color. You’re going to have to forgive my runway photos. I had a great view of the models but the glaring lights didn’t always result in smashing photographs. But you’ll get the idea.

Here were some of the looks hot off the Saks runway:

Okay, granted a few are crazy, but I just love all the saturation. I mean check out those shoes! And that orange jacket – I am nuts about that eye popping outfit! It made such an impact when they walked out! Just as it would when you walk into the room.

I can’t afford Saks fashion (these are all straight from the stores if you have no wardrobe budget limit) so here’s a few places to grab some saturated color for yourself this winter:

Banana Republic has day glow yellow cashmere in a svelte simple crew or a big cabled oversized sweater:

Nordstrom has this TopShop knit midi coat in my favorite – eye popping green:

I just picked up a rich cranberry faux fur vest for holiday parties at the Nutcracker Market yesterday. Here’s a Michael Kors one at Neiman’s for under $200 but you Houstonians can pick it up for a fraction of that cost if you are headed out the market this weekend.

When I blog about some of my newest designer obsessions, Dress the Population is going to be on that list. They have fabulous cocktail dresses, and pantsuits, this season in a variety of colors. I want everything they are selling. Here’s just two: red with a bow for the holidays, yes please, and I know the sparkle one is a lot, but go big or go home:

What trend appeals to you most? Stick around for shots from the rest of the fashion show. And have a great VIVID weekend!

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