thoughts on style

Who What Wear, one of my favorite fashion sites, posted a great spread today featuring celebs out walking their pooches. Being a new dog owner myself (my miniature dachshund is so precious!), I've found a whole new style occasion in my life: the daily dog walk. Living in Manhattan forces the dog owner to see and be seen more than almost any other place in the world, so while most of us will not be photographed on our walks like Olivia Palermo, Naomi Watts, or Kirsten Dunst,, we will pass by countless other Manhattanites on their daily commute, run around the neighborhood, or walking their own dog. My dog walking style pictured above is a comfy, downtown-meets-uptown look for summer, with Chuck Taylor slip ons for comfort and ease when my dog is pulling me out the door, a loose tee, and distressed denim which make it easier to walk (substitute cutoff shorts for super hot days), and a chic blazer and some haute accessories to keep it looking interesting, and to add a little uptown to the mix. Round sunglasses are my newest favorite shape, which give it sort of a vintage, dapper flair which balances everything out. Don't be afraid to mix & match with colors, patterns, and accessories with this look, it's a perfect time to experiment -- after all, it's just a walk!

After watching this year's Oscars, I found that some of the best red carpet looks were made special by the hair and accessories even more than the dresses. Angelina Jolie's emerald green earrings were my absolute favorite of the night, followed by Amy Adam's Fred Leighton necklace, and Kate Winslet's glamorous hair, which was reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour. Some actresses did hit the mark with the dress, however, such as Penelope Cruz,who shined in a vintage Balmain, accented by a simple diamond necklace and earrings. Another dress that needed only minimal accessories was that of Jessica Biel, whose pale pink/nude number was anchored by avant garde architectural draping.

While most looks of the night played it safe with mostly neutral colors, structured silhouettes and classic ballgown styles, one actress that stood out to me in a particularly cheerful color (despite the gloom of the recession) was Natalie Portman, wearing a dress in the most gorgeous shade of pink. Her look was refreshing, and I wish I saw more of it on this year's red carpet.

So what are your thoughts on red carpet style?

Big news in the socialite world...huge actually. Tinsley Mortimer just got...bangs! The likes of Arden Wohl, Poppy Delevigne, and Olivia Palermo must be so jealous. Bangs are a big deal for a girl, and let me tell you why.

Almost two years ago, when I began contemplating getting bangs (after watching Reese Witherspoon's fabulous bangs at several red carpet events), I went through a similar dilemma to Tinsley's. Keep the long, glamorous, uptown-girl curls, or take the risk and go all sleek, chic and sexy? I ended up with the bangs, and they looked amazing. Girls with bangs have the potential to really have that "statement" hairstyle (i.e., Anna Wintour, Betty Page, Elsa Klensch--whatever happened to her!), and I rocked it --until about a month ago when I got bored with what was supposed to be my own future trademark Anna Wintour-esque bob, and decided to grow it out. I am currently in the middle of my awkward growing-out stage, where my bangs are neither here nor there, swooped across the side of my face but not quite tucked behind my ears. And bang girls beware - the withdrawl syptoms from growing out your bangs include the constant urge to just trim them again and get it over with. But you must resist! As for me, just a few more months, and I am home free...unless Tinsley's bangs look just so incredible that I get the itch to trim again, I will be dazzling New York with my curled, pre-bang-cut Tinsleyfied locks in several months. But I still think Tinsley looks smashing in her new fringe.

So what are your thoughts on Tinsley's style?

For all of us whose eyes were not on Obama during his inauguration into the presidency today, surely our eyes were on Michelle Obama, in her sequined, bejeweled Isabel Todelo dress and tonal green leather gloves and Jimmy Choos. According to Cathy Horyn of the New York Times, “Ms. Toledo…said the coat and dress were made of Swiss wool lace, backed with netting for warmth and lined in French silk. “I wanted to pick a very optimistic color, that had sunshine,” she said.” (www.nytimes.com, About the Dress). Though I adored Ms. Obama’s dress, the color palette, and her accessories, I thought the jacket was a little much - a little stiff, but it could have been all the beading/sequins. In my personal opinion, a little less could have meant a little more today. That said, she still looked stunning to me.

We have at least four years ahead of us as a nation (and a world) to observe, compliment and sometimes critique the style of the first lady, but what does it all matter to America, with so many more important issues to deal with? Well according to Women’s Wear Daily, a lot. WWD stated today that “For better or worse, style has always impacted the presidency, never more so than now, an age of instant, 24/7 media coverage. Each gesture, each inflection, each lean Hartmarx suit impart meaning." (WWD, The Obama Momentum: Smarts, Style Create A New Kind of Power). And already, we’ve seen Michelle Obama in a range of styles and designers, every which one chronicled in countless news reports, blogs and even fashion magazines. She proudly wore an ensemble by mass market purveyor J.Crew to her appearance on Jay Leno, wore an extremely chic camel and black Narciso Rodriguez number to inauguration events on 1/19, and is a big fan of Chicago designer Maria Pinto.

To put it briefly, Michelle Obama’s style has hit Washington like a coup d’etat. Let’s just hope Barack can do the same.

Let's face it: we've already gone over whose dresses were fabulous and whose were hideous. Now it's time to take a look at the bijoux and the accessories, the true cherries on top of the sundae. Whether they were Fred Leighton or one-of-a-kind pieces designed especially for the one wearing it, the biggest pieces for this year's Golden Globes were large drop earrings, cuff bracelets and statement necklaces. My favorites had a pop of color, such as Kate Beckinsale's ruby red earrings and Eva Mendes' turquoise necklace.