wardrobe 911 | solving life's fashion emergencies

personal style: fashion + architecture

Developing your personal style is about remaining consistent with your core values and design sensibilities.  What better illustration of personal style is out there than with designers themselves.  From fashion to fine art, when you work in a creative industry people expect you to dress creatively.  Throw in a few architects and you have yourself a smorgasbord of personal style makers.

Combining fashion and architecture has been symbiotic and enjoyable for both myself and my husband, Nick.  With Nick being an architect, you can only imagine what our wardrobes are like.  (Actually, it's pretty minimal because that is what we tend to like but he has a bit of retro-vibe and I certainly admit to my love of funky jewelry.)

There is a great little slide show at the Guardian UK's site titled "Blueprint for style" by Hadley Freeman about some of architecture's most noted architects and their personal style.  These greats don't disappoint; they almost become their buildings and it's not all that surprising.

I personally find the buildings of Peter Eisenman elegant with a bit of a twist and his clothing style reflects that with his bright red bow-tie amidst a sea of neutral classics.

Amanda Levete looks absolutely stylish, comfortable and in-control.  And if you are familiar with Zaha Hadid's work (pictured below), you will find her personal style not at all perplexing.

It's not attractive on her but she is not dressing for her body type, she is dressing for her art.

Sometimes I wish that Hollywood would go back to taking risks and that Cher and Bob Mackie would reunite on the red carpet. What do you think?  Should personal style trump dressing right for your body type and coloring??

nau says goodbye

so sad. 

one of my favorite athletic-inspired retailers, Nau, announced today that they are closing their doors.  Everything is 50% off.  I just picked up for myself their cute Urbane jacket.  But you better hurry.  Almost all the inventory is gone and there are only XL's left for men.  Get some Nau before it's too late.

the five 'best of the rest' shoes

A while back I was asked to write about the best women's shoes and it was such a struggle to limit it to ten because there are so many great shoe designers out there.  They had asked me to write about the five best and then about the five "best value" shoes. Alas, they changed the title from "best value" to the "best of the rest"...and I would have to state that I would NOT pick those brands as the best of the rest - I think it's important to invest in your shoes because you will ultimately end up getting style AND comfort. 

So here...in no particular order are the five Best of the Rest which are based on what I see sells and makes my clients smile time and time again:

1) Manolo Blahnik: "These are the most comfortable shoes -- only get me these from now on!" is what I hear from my clients.  Over-publicized, yes.  Pricey, yes.  Stylish and comfortable, double yes; and that's really why we buy them!

2) Tory Burch: I'm not a fan of the big gold logo on her shoes but they are colorful and comfortable and really look great on the feet.

3) Cole Haan: I did pick them as my top best value just because they use Nike Air technology and are high quality.  Their boots are fab so make sure to check them out this coming Fall.

4) Gentle Souls: Like Arturo Chiang, the soles in these shoes are extra puffy and comfy.  The styles are mostly flat and perfect for the mom on the go or the gal who hates uncomfortable high heels.

5) Donald Pliner: I throw Donald into the same pot with Stuart Weitzman.  He creates various styles from high heels to canvas slip ons and sandals.  I love the metallic leather that he uses on his more fancier styles -- yummy.

My favs?

I love Chloe, Costume National and Converse.  All a little irreverent, like yours truly.

What are your favs??

what to wear: skirts with flats

There seems to be a shoe theme this week and today we address the tall girl's shoe dilemma.  Whether you are tall and love to wear flats or you just prefer the comfort that a flat shoe provides, here's some more foot candy for your closet.

A Reader Asks:
I wear flats to work - but i was wondering if it would look OK to wear a skirt with flats (like a pencil or a-line skirt.) Would you mind suggesting other skirts that might look good with flats, if any!?

Wardrobe 911's Solution:
Lots of flat shoes can work with skirts -- you just need to keep the skirt style in mind when selecting the right shoe. 

Because pencil skirts are more narrow at the knee, you don't want to wear a round-toe flat or it will visually shorten the length of your legs.  Wearing a pointy-toe flat like the one shown is perfect and creates a longer line.

If the skirt is straight like this tan one, pointy toe and square-toe styles look best. 

For a skirt like the a-line style that our reader likes, you can get away with wearing shoes that have varying toe styles: from pointy, to round to peep-toe.  We're coveting this peep-toe Origami shoe by Sergio Rossi that is perfect with bare legs and a great pedicure.  For colder weather, pair gray tights with this burgundy suede flat.

Whether you're wearing a pencil, straight, or A-line skirt, the key is in the length, or where the skirt hits your leg.  Generally, flats do not provide the elongating effect that heels tend to give (unless of course you're a 5'10" supermodel), so keep the length of your skirt right at the knee to avoid looking stumpy or dowdy.  There are always exceptions to the rules, so before you run out of the house, take a step back and look at the proportions of your outfit. 

what to wear: casual shoes for petites

Many of you that read the Wardrobe 911 blog have commented or emailed me about casual shoe options for the vertically-challenged gal.  It seems that this is a product line that designers are seriously missing out on since half of the US female population is considered petite. 

So I ended up doing a little research when I was out shopping last week and I ran across ONE pair that fit the bill -- these cute shoes by Roxy. 

"Hmmm....I wonder if Roxy makes more cute shoes like these," I thought to myself.  Convinced that the designers at Roxy are petite and the buyers of major department stores are not, I went online and found lots more styles by Roxy along with some other great lines. 

PUMA also has a cute leather slip-on that would work great with jeans or cropped pants.  And if you are searching for something more sneaker-like, Tsubo has a great one called the Rhea.  It seems that some of the designers are catching on that a high-heeled sneaker is on our wish list!  What do you think of these styles?  Would you like to see more?

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Updates!

• Uh-oh.  We have been so busy around here that we have missed a few days of posts over the last month. We are back in the saddle and to our normal schedule (M-F) of posting so you won't go into Wardrobe 911 withdrawals.
• Rachel won the cute Trench Dress by IGIGI from our contest a few weeks ago.  Her mom is going to be so happy --just in time for Mother's Day-- congrats!
• The Wardrobe 911 Recipe Box is being received with great reviews!!  Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to send us an email -- we love to hear from you.  We have now added the outfit and shopping list card refills to our store.  Stay tuned for more updates.

traveling stylishly: with young kids

Destination
When I was a kid, my family vacations subsisted on my mom and dad throwing us kids (all four of us) into the back of our family's Cadillac with a bag of Cheerios and a few newly purchased car games to bide the time.  Along with waging war against each other for taking up space, we'd have to endure a day of staring out at the sometimes boring spans of freeway which would ultimately turn into a game of how many cars my dad could pass before we got pulled over. He liked to speed.  The "getting there" was sometimes painful but all was forgotten as soon as we pulled up to the pearly gates of Disneyland. 

Disney has become hip to a parent's needs and if you head to a Disney Resort, you can now enjoy a night out sans the kids while they are treated to an evening of arts and crafts, computer games, Disney movies, dinner and snacks with a caring, licensed supervisor in an environment created just for them.  They won't want to leave!

Style Solution
For moms, there typically is no thought about what to wear because you are so busy thinking about the kids and making sure their experience is fun and that they are taken care of.  Pick 1-2 colors (we selected aqua and olive) and 1-2 neutrals (we recommend denim and white) for your travel wardrobe and stick to those for easy mixing and matching.

Layering tanks and tees, lightweight shirts, Capris, jeans and comfy shoes are important for you along with some great accessories like this belt.   

Travel Tip
Since your hands need to be free so that you can hold your little one's hand whether you're on a ride or standing in line, wear a hip belt that allows you carry things easily.

Share your best tip for traveling with kids!

traveling stylishly: italian bike tour

Destination
If you enjoy being active on your vacations, a bike tour through Venice and then on to Croatia's Dalmatian Coast may be more your speed.  Touted as one of the most beautiful tours, CBT Tours provides just the right mix of bike riding and sight-seeing days so that you feel like you are truly taking in all that Croatia and Venice have to offer.

What to Wear
We've already shown you what to wear for cycling. But the real tough part comes when you need something nice to wear for dinner and the occasional ‘tourist’ days when you're not wearing lycra bike gear. 

The Motility dress by Nau is understated performance-wear.  Made out of recycled polyester/spandex jersey, it dries in no time and takes hardly any room at all in your carry-on. Wear it out for your tourist days with a funky belt bag such as this one by Kipling or with one that is a little more polished.

Reef's gladiator sandal is just the right mix of comfort and style.  It packs flat and it looks great with shorts, skirts or dresses. For chilly nights, make sure to bring something comfy and sleek -- we love this tunic jacket with the double zippers.

Travel Tip
Since you are limited to one bag for the tour, look for clothing and shoes that can serve multiple purposes or that can quickly dry after hand washing in the sink.