spéciale de la mode: Vogue Sweep

Do you ever find yourself so stressed to the point where you feel like you need be swept away for just a moment to reprogram and reboot yourself back to a positive state of mind. Some people go to the fridge for this feeling, some people take a puff of the reefer, but here on #IMFBlog, my fix is the Vogue website. Say I am at work and I dealing with an overflow of calls where I feel I could risk my job at the moment with a giddy erg to just pull the plug from the wall, I pop on over the Vogue website and indulge in the rustling fabrics and juxtaposed textures combinations that Vogue has such a rich history of providing in regards to aesthetic relief. Their sartorial and beauty and content will enliven me, and help me remember the beauty that lies beyond the four walls of my cube. Vogue Sweep is my new segment I will begin this year in which I will highlight my sweep of the Vogue website for the most interesting and eye opening news headlines I find when I visit the website. Let me know what you think of what I find. 

*The New Street Style: Is Fashion Peacocking Dead?

*Anna Karina Never Goes out of Style: Get the Godard Girl Look

*Now This Is Real Parisian Style

*8 New Face Masks to Try This Weekend

*Pattern Language: Richard Renaldi Documents Sartorial Flair in Ethiopia

*Kathy Griffin Quitting Fashion PoliceIs the Latest in Red-Carpet Revolts

READing Your Style: Holiday Gift Etiquette: The Dos and Don’ts of Exchanging Presents

Of course, this is crunch time for gift buying. This is the last weekend to Christmas, and if you hadn't bought gifts since Black Friday, in my fashion, the below advice will help you prioritize how you go about gift buying (especially if money is tight). Gift buying can be a tricky endeavor when it comes to certain people, but thankfully Vogue.com supplied us with an overview of Holiday Gift Etiquette to help us out during the next 5 days:

Which family members get gifts?

Aside from the obvious musts—mom, dad, siblings—how do you determine what family members get a gift over the holidays? “My family is so big, we usually limit gifts to immediate members, and then do a Secret Santa exchange with our extended family,” shares one writer. “We even set it all up online on a site called Elfster, which makes everyone’s life easier.” It seems many are turning to the Internet to organize their gift-giving these days. One editor admitted everyone in her family made online wish lists and then emailed them out to each other, taking the guessing out of the equation. If you’re spending Christmas with your in-laws, it’s okay to limit your giving to only your mother-in-law and father-in-law. “I used to only get presents for my boyfriend’s parents, until one year I branched out to his aunts, so then they felt obligated to get me something from then on,” says one editor. “I think in the end, skipping presents is almost appreciated on the other side. It takes the pressure off the table.”

What about your friends?

Most of the staff said they no longer exchange gifts with friends. “It was something I used to do back when I was in college,” says one editor. Instead, most of them now choose to do something together as a mutual present. “My girlfriends and I always decide on something fun like going to see a play or having a spa day or a very nice dinner,” says one writer. If you do exchange gifts with friends, make sure you open the gifts at home and not in front of each other, says one editor. “It’s better this way. There’s no awkwardness or comparisons among them.”

In new relationships

There was a bit of disagreement among our staff regarding gift-giving during an early courtship. “If you’ve just started dating someone, even if it’s only been a few weeks, a little token is always thoughtful,” says one writer. But one of our editors was strongly opposed: “I think you have to be seeing each other for at least six months before you start buying them anything!” The jury is still out on this one.

Office guidelines

As for who in the office gets a gift, the general feeling is you should give something to either your assistant or someone you work with very closely to show them how much you appreciate their effort throughout the year. As for your bosses, while it’s not obligatory, a little something never hurts. “They’re aware of your pay grade, so there’s really no need to impress them,” adds one fashion editor. Finally, if you love giving your office mates presents, make sure to bring a gift along for everyone—and keep it under $25. “You don’t want everyone to start speculating how much money you actually make,” says one writer.

What not to give

Even though we work in the fashion industry, all of us agreed that clothing is usually a bad idea—unless it’s something the other person has specifically mentioned they wanted in the past. “The holidays are really not the time of year to force your personal style on others,” said one fashion editor. Other faux pas? “I hate it when people give me a funny gift,” says one beauty editor. “Honestly, who has ever liked a gag gift?” Finally, the general consensus in the office is, unless you’re an actual chef, artist, or designer, stay away from anything homemade. “My friend always gives me this jar of some nonsense she makes in the kitchen,” says one writer. “Just give me a card next time.”

spéciale de la mode: Shopping Secrets of a Vintage Clothing Vet: Lynn Yaeger Shares Her 5 Golden Rules

Anyone who knows anything about me, knows I absolutely ADORE a great thrift store! If you can find a store where you seem to find at least one great item each time you go to it you have found a good thrift store for yourself. Considering one can find clothes for $1 to $10, how can one not be tempted to spend $2 on a barley worn blouse, especially if it's designer. In my fashion, its all about how the item is worn that allows one to step out the box of the trends of the moment. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that most people cannot imagine sifting through the humongous, and seemingly disheveled inventory of some stores to find pieces that can pass for daily wear that don't make one look they stepped off a Warner Bros. movie set from 1950. That dreaded "selection overload" is what we like to scapegoat the culprit to be, but I was pleased when I saw a post on Vogue.com on Vintage Shopping advise from the accomplished, now Contributing Editor to Vogue Magazine, Lynn Yaeger. Her eccentric style is strongly recognized within the fashion community, and her work in fashion writing spans past 30 years. In the post entitled, Shopping Secrets of a Vintage Clothing Vet: Lynn Yaeger Shares Her 5 Golden Rules, and in my fashion, her advise goes along perfectly with my theme, The Secret of Stylists, in that she helps to demystify how to go vintage shopping or thrifting without being overwhelmed. 

Photographed by Tim Beddow, Vogue, May 2013

Julius Caesar, that ancient vintage shopper (you thought he paid full price for those togas?) once said, “Experience is the teacher of all things.” By which we are pretty sure he meant that before you begin shopping at the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show tomorrow, you will probably benefit from a few gentle tips, offered by a veteran who has been attending these events (and hauling home treasures, along with some whopping errors) at least since the Clinton administration.

1. Please don’t buy it if it doesn’t fit! If it’s too big, you might be able to make it smaller (but that could ruin its line, and therefore its charm), and if it’s too small—well, it’s old, and may be rip-prone anyway. So please, just don’t.

2. If you are fairly new to vintage shopping, you may be more comfortable finding something that echoes current runway trends (the sixties resurgent at Saint Laurent; the seventies in all its loopy fringy glory practically everywhere else). If you’re skittish, start small, with a bag, a scarf, a hat.

3. Be wary of the advice of your fellow shoppers! Sure, it’s fun to hang in the communal fitting room and swap comments. Everyone, maybe for their own sick reasons, will tell you you look great, even when you sort of don’t. Remember that in these circumstances, you have only one real friend—the mirror.

4. Don’t forget to bargain! And always say, “What is your best price?” if you are not sure you want it! If you say, “Will you take x amount?” and the dealer says yes, you are honor-bound by the laws of the flea world to buy the thing.

5. Go super early for the best selection—plus you will see what the scouts from design houses are buying, which is always fun—or super late, for the best prices. The nearer to closing time it is, the less likely the seller wants to lug that 50-pound, 1920s wardrobe trunk back to the van.

*6. #IMGBlog SUGGESTION: What if you find an absolutely amazing piece at a Thrift, but you tend to be the type that cringes at the thought of wearing someone else's clothes which have already been lived in, I personally suggest the following:

Depending on the delicacy of the fabric the first thing you will want to do is wash it immediately in the washer, or take it straight to the dry cleaners on the way home from the thrift to pick up as soon as possible. Then even after you have washed it and you still feel the unsettling feeling of the fact that this-was-someone's-piece-of-clothing-and-you-don't-know-who-that-person-was put it on a hanger in your closet or in your drawer and leave it there unworn for a considerable amount of time, or at least until the feeling starts to set in that you have owned the piece for a good amount of time to consider it officially yours, and you can forget the anonymous other person existed.

READing Your Style: Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible (Part 11)

As we know, the Fall/Winter 2014 Collections are well on their way, and in my fashion, thinking about the direction of fashion, it is so interesting to me to see how our ideas of what is "fashionable" change throughout time. As I mentioned in my February Editors's Letter, clothes in this 2014 year seem to be more about expressing a certain intelligence. Minimalism is the trend once again, and while one may think that minimalism is about pairing down, and dressing more simple, the concept of minimalism is really about giving the illusion of simplicity. A look can be minimal while being quite assembled and thought about, and that's the trend I am seeing going into 2014, and forward as we can now start to prepare our wardrobes for Fall.

The reason I decided to bring back Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible posts this month is to shed some light on fashion history, and churn ones mind about where our favorite pieces of clothing originated. As we all know here on #IMFblog, I find it fascinating to think about how pieces of clothes have developed throughout time, and why we are attracted to certain styles of dress. Strong style is dependent upon one's knowledge of how to use our looks to enhance our power to choose where we want to go in life. Hopefully these excerpts get you to taking more interest in being sartorially strategic and inspiring.

CHAPTER 19: GLOVES

Vogue, March 2013, "On the Prowl", shot by Steven Klein

CHAPTER 20: HANDBAGS

Vogue, June 2013, "Golden State", shot by Camilla Akrans

à la mode: 5 Days, 5 Looks, 1 Girl - Jane Herman Bishop

DAY 1

Oddly enough, I find I am not the type of person who likes to wear jeans to work, or too often as a matter of fact. With my personality and career mindedness, I am the type of person who enjoys dressing up in dress slacks and blazers on a daily to appear most professional and appropriate. 

DAY 2

But Vogue contributor and cofounder of JeanStories.com, Jane Hermon Bishop, has me rethinking the notion I have for jeans. In my fashion, she almost gives me a new outlook on jeans as a whole. The way she puts her outfits together, the jeans she wears are almost camouflaged for what they are. 

DAY 3

For the sake of her blog, Jane wears jean every day, and her Day 4 look is one I adore because she isn’t wearing jean pants, but a jean jacket. She’s not particularly confined to wearing jean pants everyday but she was able to incorporate her love of the fabric elsewhere on her person. Plus with her Dries Van Noten pants almost look like jeans with a floral pattern on them, so the look is even more intriguing in that way. I also love a pointy shoe if you remember from my à la mode post "Retro Remix".

DAY 4

Her Day 5 look is a classic look that still passes as professional. It’s so basic, but the clean, crisp look of her tan jacket mixed with her clean white patterned blouse, and clean dark blue denim is a look I am sure no one would look away from. A clean look is always admirable, in my fashion. Although I do have a certain admiration for her ripped jeans in her Day 1 look. 

DAY 5

Paired with her black sweater with the small Christmas tree designs on the sleeve, and that colorfully patterned hood, I am attracted to the adolescent look especially with her canvas shoes. It’s another clean look, despite the rips in her pants. She is my inspiration for Casual Fridays at work.

READing Your Style: Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible (Part 10)

As we know, the Fall/Winter 2014 Collections are well on their way, and in my fashion, thinking about the direction of fashion, it is so interesting to me to see how our ideas of what is "fashionable" change throughout time. As I mentioned in my February Editors's Letter, clothes in this 2014 year seem to be more about expressing a certain intelligence. Minimalism is the trend once again, and while one may think that minimalism is about pairing down, and dressing more simple, the concept of minimalism is really about giving the illusion of simplicity. A look can be minimal while being quite assembled and thought about, and that's the trend I am seeing going into 2014, and forward as we can now start to prepare our wardrobes for Fall.

The reason I decided to bring back Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible posts this month is to shed some light on fashion history, and churn ones mind about where our favorite pieces of clothing originated. As we all know here on #IMFblog, I find it fascinating to think about how pieces of clothes have developed throughout time, and why we are attracted to certain styles of dress. Strong style is dependent upon one's knowledge of how to use our looks to enhance our power to choose where we want to go in life. Hopefully these excerpts get you to taking more interest in being sartorially strategic and inspiring.

CHAPTER 17: COATS

Vogue, August 2013, "Status Update", shot by Mikael Jansson

CHAPTER 18: HATS

Vogue, August 2013, "Bonjour Brooklyn", shot by Boo George

READing Your Style: Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible (Part 9)

As we know, the Fall/Winter 2014 Collections are well on their way, and in my fashion, thinking about the direction of fashion, it is so interesting to me to see how our ideas of what is "fashionable" change throughout time. As I mentioned in my February Editors's Letter, clothes in this 2014 year seem to be more about expressing a certain intelligence. Minimalism is the trend once again, and while one may think that minimalism is about pairing down, and dressing more simple, the concept of minimalism is really about giving the illusion of simplicity. A look can be minimal while being quite assembled and thought about, and that's the trend I am seeing going into 2014, and forward as we can now start to prepare our wardrobes for Fall.

The reason I decided to bring back Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible posts this month is to shed some light on fashion history, and churn ones mind about where our favorite pieces of clothing originated. As we all know here on #IMFblog, I find it fascinating to think about how pieces of clothes have developed throughout time, and why we are attracted to certain styles of dress. Strong style is dependent upon one's knowledge of how to use our looks to enhance our power to choose where we want to go in life. Hopefully these excerpts get you to taking more interest in being sartorially strategic and inspiring.

CHAPTER 15: ATHLETIC WEAR

Vogue, June 2013, "The Kate Effect", shot by Mario Testino

CHAPTER 16: SWEATERS

Vogue, July 2013, "A Sporting Chance", shot by David Sims

READing Your Style: Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible (Part 8)

As we know, the Fall/Winter 2014 Collections are well on their way, and in my fashion, thinking about the direction of fashion, it is so interesting to me to see how our ideas of what is "fashionable" change throughout time. As I mentioned in my February Editors's Letter, clothes in this 2014 year seem to be more about expressing a certain intelligence. Minimalism is the trend once again, and while one may think that minimalism is about pairing down, and dressing more simple, the concept of minimalism is really about giving the illusion of simplicity. A look can be minimal while being quite assembled and thought about, and that's the trend I am seeing going into 2014, and forward as we can now start to prepare our wardrobes for Fall.

The reason I decided to bring back Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible posts this month is to shed some light on fashion history, and churn ones mind about where our favorite pieces of clothing originated. As we all know here on #IMFblog, I find it fascinating to think about how pieces of clothes have developed throughout time, and why we are attracted to certain styles of dress. Strong style is dependent upon one's knowledge of how to use our looks to enhance our power to choose where we want to go in life. Hopefully these excerpts get you to taking more interest in being sartorially strategic and inspiring.

CHAPTER 13: HOSIERY

Vogue, January 2014, "More is More", shot by Craig McDean

CHAPTER 14: SHOES

Vogue, June 2013, "Golden State", shot by Camilla Akrans

à la mode: 5 Days, 5 Looks, 1 Girl - Stella Greenspan

As evident by last year’s MET Gala Exhibition, Punk: Chaos to Couture, the rebellious nature of the punk aesthetic has evolved into so many interpretations since its beginnings in the last 60’s and early 70’s. In my fashion, punk in general terms means having the courage to be who you are and express yourself either through your clothing, attitude, actions, or beliefs, despite the feelings other may have towards you. Exuding a “punk” attitude says a lot about your strength in character and how you think. It makes for an intriguing personality for people to have to try to understand, and appreciate. 

DAY 1

When it comes to dressing for business, if you prefer a more hard rock inspired edge in the clothes you wear, it can be hard to incorporate that punky edge while still appearing professional enough to climb one’s corporate ladder. I myself have always enjoyed a more grungy, edgy look myself since middle school wearing beat up Chuck Taylors (which I still have), black clothes, and holes in my pants, but now, as an adult chasing a higher salary and executive leadership, my grungy looks are best saved for my weekends, and at home.

DAY 2

But sometimes, going to work, I like to add a bit of punk into the mix in my own ways. I believe Stella Greenspan, Fashion Assistant to Creative Director Grace Coddington, is a great example of how to do that. As one can see in her Day 1 look, there is something delightfully offbeat and hard edged about her considering her mid calf length leather skirt, teal stockings, and deconstructed leather shoes, all by Balenciaga. Unlike a lot of the smiling, gleaming Vogue girls who wear upbeat playful colors and patterns, Stella prefers to wear darker colors, and still looks as gleaming and smiley as any other Vogue girl. I love that she is able to wear dark colors, leather, and varsity jackets that are unconventional for the office, but the fact that she adds pops of color and crisp white collared shirts qualify her looks as professional attire. 

DAY 3

All of her looks are youthful, functional, appropriate for work, and say that this girl sees the beauty of the dark side. There are many variations to a girl’s personality, and a girl doesn’t have to be girly, flirty, and colorful to be beautiful. Her Balenciaga shoes are my favorite aspect to her looks for she wears them with each look, and there are so many qualities to them, that say so much about Stella in and of themselves. She inspired me to be comfortable wearing my big black Nike boots to work as long as I can balance the look out with some really tailored pants, and an interesting crisp collared shirt like her Day 4 look. 

DAY 4

I adore her Day 3 evening look and her Balenciaga skirt. The fact that she plays with the stripe effect from the skirt with her scarf and her sweater is genius, in my fashion. Along with the vintage jacket with all those zippers, and the leather shoes, it all culminates into a rough and tumble look that is still girly, flirty, and polished, and positively Vogue. 

DAY 5

READing Your Style: Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible (Part 7)

As we know, the Fall/Winter 2014 Collections are well on their way, and in my fashion, thinking about the direction of fashion, it is so interesting to me to see how our ideas of what is "fashionable" change throughout time. As I mentioned in my February Editors's Letter, clothes in this 2014 year seem to be more about expressing a certain intelligence. Minimalism is the trend once again, and while one may think that minimalism is about pairing down, and dressing more simple, the concept of minimalism is really about giving the illusion of simplicity. A look can be minimal while being quite assembled and thought about, and that's the trend I am seeing going into 2014, and forward as we can now start to prepare our wardrobes for Fall.

The reason I decided to bring back Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible posts this month is to shed some light on fashion history, and churn ones mind about where our favorite pieces of clothing originated. As we all know here on #IMFblog, I find it fascinating to think about how pieces of clothes have developed throughout time, and why we are attracted to certain styles of dress. Strong style is dependent upon one's knowledge of how to use our looks to enhance our power to choose where we want to go in life. Hopefully these excerpts get you to taking more interest in being sartorially strategic and inspiring.

CHAPTER 11: SUITS

Vogue, March 2013, "To Rome With Love", shot by Mario Testino

CHAPTER 12: PANTS

Vogue, November 2013, "L.A. Confidential", shot by Patrick Demarchelier

READing Your Style: Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible (Part 6)

As we know, the Fall/Winter 2014 Collections are well on their way, and in my fashion, thinking about the direction of fashion, it is so interesting to me to see how our ideas of what is "fashionable" change throughout time. As I mentioned in my February Editors's Letter, clothes in this 2014 year seem to be more about expressing a certain intelligence. Minimalism is the trend once again, and while one may think that minimalism is about pairing down, and dressing more simple, the concept of minimalism is really about giving the illusion of simplicity. A look can be minimal while being quite assembled and thought about, and that's the trend I am seeing going into 2014, and forward as we can now start to prepare our wardrobes for Fall.

The reason I decided to bring back Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible posts this month is to shed some light on fashion history, and churn ones mind about where our favorite pieces of clothing originated. As we all know here on #IMFblog, I find it fascinating to think about how pieces of clothes have developed throughout time, and why we are attracted to certain styles of dress. Strong style is dependent upon one's knowledge of how to use our looks to enhance our power to choose where we want to go in life. Hopefully these excerpts get you to taking more interest in being sartorially strategic and inspiring. 

CHAPTER 9: TIES AND SCARVES

Vogue, December 2013, "Dressing Like the Dickens", shot by Tim Walker

CHAPTER 10: VESTS

Vogue, January 2014, "More is More", shot by Craig McDean