Fashion Tips

Skinny denim really comes out of our closets when it starts to get chilly — from tucking into boots or pairing with flats. We had various editors – of different heights and body types – test out a handful of denim brands and styles. Here’s what they had to say: (more…)

I’m well known for my aversion to pants and for my obsession with skirts/ dresses, but even I will be embracing the boyfriend denim trend this spring in full, thanks to new styles that are completely wearable, comfortable and flattering.

First made popular by Katie Holmes, early critics of the look sniped that she looked like she was slumming around in Tom Cruise’s jeans.  Admittedly, at first, I wasn’t a fan of the look either and felt that it did no justice to her body; it made her legs look shapeless and boxy, and when you are lucky enough to be as leggy tall as Mrs. Tom Cruise, you shouldn’t mess around with a style like that. (more…)

It’s no secret that pencil skirts are a universal staple in any girl’s closet. Even Nina Garcia thinks so, as it was featured of one of her must-have pieces in her book, The One Hundred: A Guide to the Stylish Pieces that Every Stylish Woman Must Own. I know I personally wear one to work at least once a week, because I love the way that pencil skirts hug a woman’s curves and make even the short people like me, have infinitely long leg lines. Because I wear them so often, I can sometimes run into a rut in terms of pairing them with outfits.  Thanks to some celebrity inspiration, I have five different ways to infuse new life into my staid normal pencil skirt outfits for rotation Monday through Friday:

1. The Classic Slim Fit with a Button Down Shirt

As Victoria Beckham demonstrates, you can’t go wrong in pairing a classic slim fit, high waisted pencil skirt with a perfectly fit button down shirt.  Although this style does work best with a high waisted pencil skirt to better accentuate your waist (even better showcased with a belt), a natural waist or low waist pencil skirt makes this look just as alluring.  The combination of a closely fit button down shirt with a snug pencil skirt elongates your body lines and perfectly showcases yoursilhouette in an captivating, yet appropriate Corporate, Citizen Girl way.  The key to making this look impeccable is to make sure that the button down that you wear is perfectly tailored and like a second skin, meaning that none of the buttons gape and that the shoulders are perfectly draped.  You can do no better in perfectly fit, classic White button downs than Parisian chic designer, Anne Fontaine, who creates hundreds of different designs of these shirts every year, riffing on classics to create contemporary designs, or creating the perfect timeless standard. (more…)

It’s not easy to dress warm while looking cute, and this challenge is even more difficult when jetting away to a winter ski/ snowboard getaway.  Keeping warm on mountain peaks and on the ski lift is essential, but there is no reason to sacrifice your style for the sake of practicality.  This “How To” focuses on how to look stylish and warm both on slopes and après ski, so that you look less Abominable Snowman and more Snow Bunny.  Read on after the cut for some pictures of celebrity inspiration, and offerings from some winterwear designers who know exactly how to blend fashion and function: (more…)

Each of us at TDO have a stack of beauty and fashion resource books, and Curve Rule & Flat is Fabulous by Elycia Rubin and Rita Mauceri is my new go-to reference.

I really love that this book empowers women and tells them to love the shape they’ve got.  Elycia and Rita don’t believe in the cookie-cutter body types of “boyish” or “pear” – and instead, know that women can be a combination.  Thus, they’ve got strategies for dressing for different body parts. They created a mix-and-match system with playful, fun tags like “Belly Babes,” “Curvies,” and “Tatas.”  So for instance, if you’re one of the “Hipsters” and also fit into the “Busties” category, you’ll find tips that address both those areas.

This book is divided in various sections such as Beachy, Lacy, Casual, Loungy and Sophisticated; each section devotes time to key basics that help empower all of us to dress better in our daily lives.  For instance, it’ll break down stragies for wearing a Straight Leg jean for “Booties and Hipsters,” “Belly Babes,” “Leggies,” and “Dainties.”  In addition to adorable illustrations, this book is chock full of REAL women throughout each section that illustrate the tips they’re giving, so you can an immediate visual without having to try on everything in your wardrobe. They even delve into the “Lacy” (i.e. intimates), offering advice on how to wear a Soft Cup Bra for “Busties” – full coverage is key – and “Tatas” – stick to a triangle style with an elasticized band.

Truly, this book is so fantastic that even the most stylish women could probably learn a thing or two.  I certainly found a few things that I was doing wrong (beachwear is a tough one for me!) and I highly recommend picking this up for some fabulous tips to improve your fashionable life.  

Order at Amazon.com for $18.95.

Editor’s Note: As I was attempting to book a flight for my upcoming trip, I noticed that more and more airlines were charging for that second bag. I almost gasped – not to mention scrambled to find a flight without extra fees – because I have a tiny travel problem. I always overpack – and even worse, my luggage always gets heavier on my return trip. I turned to the lovely ladies of The Jet Set Girls, Anne Fritz & Hope Schmid, for their expert advice. Check out this fabulous guest-written article, full of their best tips!

With more and more airlines charging to check a second bag, and some even your first (looking at you United, American Airlines and Northwest) carrying on your luggage is more important than ever. Not to mention that it can save you up to an hour when you land and a case of the dizzies from watching the baggage carousel go around so many times. Plus there’s no risk of your luggage going to Dallas when you’re headed to L.A.

Our best and most timeless packing secret is: (more…)

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Right after we saw the Tracy Reese show, Carolyn and I were excited to stumble upon James Aguiar, stylist and fashion expert extraordinaire, catching a break in between his busy schedule of shows. You may recognize him from “The Look for Less” on the Style channel, as the host of “Full Frontal Fashion,” or as the former fashion director of NYC department store institution, Bergdorf Goodman.

We couldn’t help but seize the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his favorites for Fall (because Spring 2009 is great and all, but we want to know what we should buy NOW) and his thoughts thus far about the Spring collections.

Fall Trends for Men: The return of the dressed up man.  James sees men beginning to fully embrace the suit, thanks to the proliferation of numerous menswear designers who are all designing fabulous suits. His favorite? Lanvin – for its perfect mix of trendy and classic. (more…)

Why is it that swimsuit shopping always seems so daunting? The endless amount of choices and colors, the unforgiving mirrors that force us to analyze our bodies… It doesn’t sound very fun, but knowing what styles look the best on your body definitely goes a long way. We talked with designer Lisa Curran for tips on what we should consider when buying a new swimsuit.

- Bigger is not always better. You might feel inclined to buy a bathing suit that is slightly bigger, to seemingly “hide” more imperfections. Don’t give in to that urge–larger suits will sag, especially when they get wet, and that won’t look good at all.

- There are plenty of cute one-pieces and tankinis out there. If you’re uncomfortable showing your tummy, don’t fret. Find a brand that devotes their design focus to one-pieces and tankinis as well. Designers like Lisa aim to design for women of all shapes and sizes and have a large selection of cute one-pieces and tankinis. Lisa’s Shirred V-Neck One-Piece in Cobalt has full bra support and ruching to camouflage trouble spots. Plus, it comes in several pretty colors. Cobalt is our fave because it offers a splash of brightness. For ladies with longer torsos, tankinis work well also. “They will make you look more proportional,” says Lisa. We love the Romi Tankini in Green, pictured above, with its cute print.

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The weather’s finally turned cold at my house. A sure sign is that I’m reaching for my scarves and my favorite Ugg slippers (still can’t quite stomach the boots, but I’ll admit the slippers are dang comfy).

The problem I’m having is that, while I’m super excited to pull all of my yummy fall sweaters out of storage, I still have a few things from summer I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to yet. Fortunately for me, layers are everywhere this fall, and I’m ready to hop right on the trend.

First stop has to be a great turtleneck. Throw one under the right summer dress, add tights and ballet flats, and you’ve got a perfectly darling fall look. T-necks are so very hard to get right, though. You want fabric that isn’t sheer (it is nearly winter, after all), but is still really thin so it layers easily. Nothing sucks more than that overstuffed feeling you get when your layers start bunching. Also, the neck is really important; you definitely don’t want that uber-thick chunk of fabric around your neck that you used to sport back in grade school.

My two favorites this fall are by Juicy Couture and Zooey. The Juicy version has a nice low-ish neck, which is great for those of us with shorter necks – or who just realize that covering the whole thing up isn’t exactly the idea. And it has such a very flattering cut! The Zooey is perfect for those of you who normally hate t-necks, as the neck is really loose (though doesn’t venture into cowl neck territory at all). Plus, it has nice long sleeves, which is a major perk for me when layering. (more…)