We've all been in this situation countless times. You go out to eat, sit down at your table and...where do I put my purse?? You don't want to get your purse dirty by setting it on the floor...Hanging it on the back of your chair is, in my opinion, like saying "Rob Me"...You don't want it on the table- totally annoying and crowds everyone...Sooo...do you just keep it on your lap? Hopefully there's an empty seat next to you, right? Well, you're forced to weigh the pros and cons and settle with one of these options. There IS, however, a way around all of these- thePurse Hanger. You'll never have to worry about where to put your purse again. It will hang from the table right there next to you. Your purse will be clean and safe, readily accessible, yet at the same time out of the way- just as it should be. Invest in a little purse hanger and save yourself some hassle.
Until a friend of mine gave me one, I never knew just how handy they really are. She came back from visiting her family in Hawaii, and brought back a cute little purse hanger for me. It's super compact and when it's all put together it's only about 1.5 inches in diameter and about 3/4 of an inch in width- just a perfectly sized little silver disk with a hula girl on it. This helpful little lady tool can be slipped into every woman's purse as an excellent preparedness item. There are plenty of cute and inexpensive purse hanger options, and my vote is that it's worth adding to the list of purse essentials- right up there with your lip gloss and breath mints.
Thanks to a comment from a friend and follower of this blog, I'm going to be focusing on brooches for this post. She was wondering whether or not wearing brooches was still stylish and if so, wanted ideas on how to wear it. Brooches have been around for centuries, and so I would deem it a classic piece and definitely safe to say that it's still stylish for that reason alone. However, wearing a brooch today doesn't have to evoke strictly vintage qualities. There are so many different styles of brooches to choose from, and what's more, there are more ways in which to wear them than ever before. They truly are a beautiful and versatile accessory.
Here are a few ways to wear the brooch that I've thought of and found:
There's of course the classic way of wearing it pinned by the shoulder. To play it safe, my personal recommendation is to where it with a sheath dress (or any other similar style). This is because the cut of the dress (or top) is typically more basic looking and so you have better chances of pulling it off as a nice accent rather than running into the dilemma of your outfit looking too busy. Also, the fabric is generally better at holding its own so you don't end up with the brooch drooping off of you.
Also a time-old classic, but wearing a brooch on the lapel of a jacket can be stunning. This is a pretty risk-free feminine touch.
Try pinning a brooch to the loose knot of your scarf. The two have potential to work really well together and can create a pretty focal point- just be careful you don't choose an overwhelming combination.
If you have a dress with a definite waistline, even a high waist skirt, or perhaps a gathering at the bust of a dress- you can enhance these features with the brooch as well. Also, a bow is just begging for a brooch to sit at its center. With the right dress, adding the brooch can make you look red-carpet-ready for your classy evening out.
If your brooch just doesn't seem to work on any of your clothes, but is too cute to ignore- no problem!
Your brooch can be transformed into a pendant for a necklace!
If you're feeling extra crafty, the brooch can be added to a headband or made into a barrette for your hair!
It can also be made to fasten to your purse, giving it a decadent little detail. You could try this on either the base of one of your purse's handles, on a pocket etc.
Once again, I've finished writing another post for this blog and feel like I need to go shopping so I can find the perfect brooches to incorporate into my wardrobe.
Any thoughts on how you like to wear brooches? Any favorite styles?
Also, if you have anything in particular you'd like me to write a post on, let me know- happy to do it!
Fact: the trench coat is an absolute classic fashion piece.
We've seen classy women wearing them for decades, and I don't see this changing in the decades to come. All you have to do is find yourself a classy trench with a feminine cut and details that speak to you, and then you're all set with a jacket that will continue to work for you and look stunning. Not only has the trench coat withstood the tests of time in the fashion world, but it is still given limelight at even the most recent fashion weeks around the world.
The trenchcoat will keep you warm, dry and totally classy. It's easy to incorporate additional layers if you need the extra warmth. You can also add a little flare by adding accessories to finish your look. A scarf has never looked better than when paired with the right jacket, and you might even consider adding a broach. We'll talk more about the broach next time...
Autumn is in the air and if it hasn't happened yet where you are, temperatures will be cooling off for most of us here in the northern hemisphere. The idea of wearing a classy trenchcoat is sometimes my only comfort when accepting the harsh reality that colder weather is coming. It's hard to complain about the cold when you have a beautiful jacket waiting to be worn.
Animal prints were mentioned in the last blog post, and I think they deserve a bit more attention today. It seems they've always been around, but are now making a bold comeback in today's fashion. For one, animal prints held a very strong presence at the various fashion weeks around the world this fall. Personally, I never thought this was a style I could pull off and have never worn any animal prints before. More often than not it ends up being just too much for me. Maybe if I was some rock-star I wouldn't mind getting all decked-out in a leopard print outfit to make a statement; but clearly I'm not. I simply want to be fashionable and nothing outrageous. Now though, I realize this is possible even with animal prints. The key is to use them as an accent piece- so just one, maybe two leopard or zebra print patterned pieces. This is a nice way of finding a sort of middle of the road approach to a typically edgy style. With the animal print, you really can take your pick of whatever clothing article or accessory you want and build around it. Animal prints are no longer a style to be left to a select few to try and pull off. They can be incorporated into every woman's wardrobe and add the extra lift we all need from time to time. Variety is the spice of life. So go ahead and do the wild thing. I think you'll be surprised by how well you wear it, and it will help fight the monotony that likes to creep up on us all.
So what are your favorite animal print pieces? Is it the ...shoes? ...bag? ...cardigan? ...leggings? ...scarf?
I wanted this very short clip of Chloe from Paris Fashion Week to represent my post for this event not only because I appreciated the clothing style, but also because of something interesting I noticed about the type of shoe selected for the runway models to wear. They were pretty much all wearing flats, and mostly ballet style flats. Certainly this had to have made walking the catwalk much easier for them as opposed to wearing gigantic heels- but this is the runway in Paris! There's no way the designer would be making selections for the runway based on what's most comfortable! No, the flats were purposefully chosen as an accent to the styles presented. And I must say, I think the flats did a wonderful job of enhancing the elements of grace and elegance for this collection.
This runway event confirmed that flats can be worn with any outfit- whether dressed-up or dressed-down. Choices range from the ballet flat and loafers, to and all sorts of prints, straps and styles.
Only a couple of weeks ago I was "talking shoes" again with a friend and she mentioned to me a piece of advice given by Oprah. I'm paraphrasing here, but she said one item every woman should have in her wardrobe is a pair of leopard print flats because since they don't go with anything, they go with everything. Excellent point. If you start trying to coordinate different leopard print pieces, it's easy to go overboard with it; so it makes a nice little accent on its own. Plus, this pattern combines blacks and browns in a way that totally works- like tortoise shell. The leopard print flat is just one way of having a neutral that is anything but neutral. So...many thanks to my good friend and thanks to Oprah. I love wearing flats, and this little bit of advice will help me to branch out a little, explore different styles and create fun new looks for myself.
Any other suggestions for fun little flats??
It's now October, and as many of you already know, this month commemorates Breast Cancer Awareness. There's never been a better time to wear pink and find ways to raise awareness and lend support to the cause. This month while shopping, try and take the time to make purchases that go beyond being a lovely fashion piece, but that also contributes to raising funds for the fight against Breast Cancer.
There was, of course, a huge variety of styles presented by designers at the Milan Fashion Week. The video attached is of a runway event by Versace, and if you watch it, you'll notice that every model is wearing a dress or a skirt and top combo. Although this collection was designed for this coming spring and summer, there's no reason why we can't find a great dress to wear now that will also work well with fashion trends around the corner.
The Sheath dress is a classic style of dress that I feel demonstrates and reflects the overall tone presented by Versace in the Milan Fashion Week clip posted here. Also, the sheath dress is an especially great style to highlight after having written about the perfect black dress for my last post- I think the two were destined to work hand-in-hand. What's more, a sheath dress can be found to suit any body type. The sheath dress is truly the ultimate classy, lady dress. While it seems wearing one would be particularly well-suited for upcoming spring fashion, I feel safe saying that it is more than ok to start wearing one now.
P.S. Anyone following Paris Fashion Week?
We've all been in this situation countless times. You go out to eat, sit down at your table and...where do I put my purse?? You don't want to get your purse dirty by setting it on the floor...Hanging it on the back of your chair is, in my opinion, like saying "Rob Me"...You don't want it on the table- totally annoying and crowds everyone...Sooo...do you just keep it on your lap? Hopefully there's an empty seat next to you, right? Well, you're forced to weigh the pros and cons and settle with one of these options. There IS, however, a way around all of these- the Purse Hanger. You'll never have to worry about where to put your purse again. It will hang from the table right there next to you. Your purse will be clean and safe, readily accessible, yet at the same time out of the way- just as it should be. Invest in a little purse hanger and save yourself some hassle. 
Until a friend of mine gave me one, I never knew just how handy they really are. She came back from visiting her family in Hawaii, and brought back a cute little purse hanger for me. It's super compact and when it's all put together it's only about 1.5 inches in diameter and about 3/4 of an inch in width- just a perfectly sized little silver disk with a hula girl on it. This helpful little lady tool can be slipped into every woman's purse as an excellent preparedness item. There are plenty of cute and inexpensive purse hanger options, and my vote is that it's worth adding to the list of purse essentials- right up there with your lip gloss and breath mints.
