Little Bit of Edge

I've been hoping to write a blog post about my fellow co-worker, Kirsten Chan, whom I've noticed always has the best accessories. Not to mention, adorable style too.

I caught Kirsten's tweet the other day that said she had on a gorgeous necklace, so I requested that she stop by my desk so I could check it out. Not only was it a kick-ass necklace, but her whole outfit rocked, so I had to blog about it.

Let's start with the necklace.

I love the rough around the edges chain-link metal that hold the three pendants, but the best part of this necklace has to be the back! It wraps from Kirstens neck, over her shoulders and dangles down the back. When she showed me this detail I just about fell out of my chair. What a fun surprise detail!

Kirsten paired the necklace with matching brushed metal cuffs and a ring. Her earrings are horseshoe studs  decorated with little crystals.

I love what Kirsten did with the rest of her outfit. Since this necklace is such a show stopper, she kept the rest of her outfit simple. Her pleated dress, and simple cardigan don't detract from the necklace and keep her outfit work-appropriate.

 

And it gets better...Kirsten's tights have the slightest pattern. The navy pattern contrasts well with her black and gray pieces without being too bright and distracting. And the booties keep her look modern and sassy.

Kirsten's outfit head to toe: black cardigan from French Connection, dress from Korea (the country, sorry friends), tights from the Calvin Klein Outlet, boots from Akira, necklace from Urban Outfitters, bracelets and rings from Cold Picnic and earrings from Trillium.

Thanks to Ian for the photos, Kirsten for being a model, and Nia at Guzzardo's floral shop  for letting us use her store front as our set! 

Styling for Men: Your Perfect Fit

On a quick trip to Hannah's Bretzel today for a delish sandwich, I spotted Scott Somers in a chic suit that I just had to blog about.

One of the most important pieces of styling advice for men is to wear clothes that fit. Scott stood out in his tailored Hugo Boss suit and brown loafers.

Scott also mixed colors and patterns very well with a subtle striped shirt, a navy tie, and gray/tan suit. Definitely looks like he should be a character on Mad Men.

Things to keep in mind about fit:
1. Scott's suit jacket fits snugly around his waist and still leaves room for him to breathe and be comfortable.
2. The edge of the jacket sits perfectly on Scott's shoulders. Suit jackets shouldn't droop or jut out over your shoulders, or be so tight that your shoulders poke out.
3. The length of the pants should only "break" once. This is the number of times your pants fold inwards when they hit your shoes. I've noticed a lot of designers showing suit pants that don't break at all. Scott pulls off the "just a bit short" pant-look with ease.
4. Scott's pants are not pleated, which, as most of you know I really don't like pleats because they will make you look heavier. Try something more fitted.

As I mentioned, Scott had his suit tailored. Nothing says style like a nice tailored suit.

Scott's outfit head to toe: Macy's dress shirt, Sean John tie, Hugo Boss suit, and brown loafers.

Styling for Men: Layering

Alright guys, a lot of you have asked me how you can change up your look on a daily basis. I hear you. Men seem to have fewer options in terms of accessorizing and definitely in types of clothes. Unless, you fancy wearing a dress, which I don't recommend.

For these chilly days, layering is the perfect answer. Alex and I had a fun styling session last weekend picking out outfits for every day, and dressing up. Here’s what I chose: 

I love the navajo pattern that's all over sweaters, scarfs, and shirts for fall/winter. Although this pattern has been popular for a while, I think it's a great staple for cold weather. Think of navajo print as a really easy way to add color to your wardrobe. If the sweater is too much for you, try a scarf or a solid sweater over a patterned button down.

For this look, I complimented the sweater with a light blue thin denim shirt. I like that this color compliments the sweater pattern without exactly matching one of the colors in the pattern. A pair of fitted, dark denim jeans keep the look casual and clean. Alex’s brown leather loafers teeter on dressy and casual, so he could dress the look up with a dark dress pant (navy or black).

Alex's outfit head to toe: vintage navajo patterned sweater, blue button down, and Levi's 510 Super Skinny Jeans, brown Stacy Adams loafers.

For the second look, I was inspired by Alex’s pink, short-sleeved button down. I pulled a gray vest to layer over the shirt with a chunky gray cardigan on top.  Black jeans on bottom, and amazing vintage leather mod boots. 

I left the vest unbuttoned to create a less conventional look and show-off more of the pink and add layers of interest. I like the grays on top, keeping it simple, but adding some dimension with different materials and shades. 

Alex pulls off the mod boot by keeping the rest of his outfit simple without any other flashy elements. These boots steal the spotlight. Let's channel our inner Beatle :).

Alex's outfits head to toe: SEE eyeglasses, vintage Saks Fifth Avenue pink button down, vintage gray suit vest, chunky gray Gap cardigan, Victorinox Swiss Army watch Levi's 510 Super Skinny Jeans, vintage mod boots.

Mission for Missoni

Remember what happened just a few weeks ago on September 14th? Some of us got up at 7AM to hop on Target.com in hopes of avoiding the craze of shoppers on a mission for Missoni. To our dismay, the site was down due to the other hundreds of thousands of people just like us. Those that braved the in-store madness may have snagged an item or two, but most people I know were let down after the hunt.

However, my co-worker, Meredith Stiles not only found the block heel suede pumps, but their signature chevron pattern on a colorful blue knit dress. Her strategy was to check out what was returned after the sell-out sale.

She wore the dress to work yesterday, and I just had to share!

Meredith chose to keep the outfit simple since the dress does all the work with bright blues, pink and yellow weaving through the knit. Her tights and heeled booties were perfect in jet black. Sorry for the poor pic quality! My camera is le crap-py.

Hats off to Meredith for finding these pieces and not getting trampled!

M.S.'s outfit head to toe: dress (Target obviously), black tights by Assets, and black booties from Francesca's.

I Wish I Were Parisian

Most people who get the chance to travel to Paris instantly fall in love with the city. Its charm, art, culture and chicly styled women are just a few things that will keep you wanting more. This outfit and location for the shoot felt just that. Parisian.

Although many of us are in denial that fall is here, we might as well embrace the change in wardrobe and take on the chilly weather without getting rid of color and charm.

My favorite purchase for fall is this red knit dress. Since the dress does all of the talking, I chose simple gray tights with black riding boots. I love boots since you can get a low heel and be comfortable and warm all day. 

Since I was wearing a black jacket, I decided to wear a colorful scarf that compliments the red with purple and mauve.

For the pièce de résistance, accessories including a little sparkly black ring and dangling Eiffel Tower earrings.

My outfit head to toe : earrings from H&M, scarf from Urban Outfitters, jacket by Marc New York by Andrew Marc, dress by Tulle (also available at one of my favorite Chicago boutiques: Penelope's), tights from Paris, and boots from Nine West. 

Bisous! (kisses)

Photo cred: Ian Merritt

Chic Travel

These days there is no shortage of fashionable versions of just about everything we use in life. If you do a little digging you will find those perfect black flats that are cute but functional for work, or that stylish trench that makes you look chic while keeping you dry.

I recently helped a friend, who I refer to as JWhite (Jennifer White), who needed a fashionable laptop bag that could also hold all of her purse items. This was a delightful challenge, and I found a few keepers that I thought I should share with you!

• Silver bag from icered: I love the can’t-miss shine of this sportier bag. The cool metallic is unique and will compliment any outfit.
• Black LeSportsac: The patent leather makes the bag look chic and fun while keeping it all about business with the traditional laptop bag shape. (TSA friendly - you don't have to take our your laptop when going through security. The bag opens butterfly style.)
• Orange retrostripe from Oxio: This is one of my favorites in terms or incorporating a fun color with a functional bag.
• Red leather by Kologbags: This classic red leather will be fashionable forever. I love the short handbag handles, but it also comes with a shoulder strap. This one really pulls off that purse-like look with all of the baggage room.
• Retro pink by Rainebrooke: Stand out in a crowd of black-clad travelers with this pop of pink. It’s modeled after a train case and will hold your laptop and a few extras.

And which one did JWhite choose? The black LeSportsac. She's already traveling in style with her new trusty tote.