Fashion Blog

I just went and saw the movie W. Though there are many things I would like to discuss about the film and it’s merits, this is not the place for most of them. Except the fashions of Elizabeth Banks, who played Laura Bush. There have been many questions in the upcoming election regarding the wealth and privilege of either candidate (and their wives), and some very reputable columnists have even made it their job to investigate and report on the designer, style and price of the potential first lady fashion. What does it take to be a politician’s wife? Is traditional and safe the way to go, and what risks does one play in making an outspoken fashion statement?

J.Crew is your new best friend.

Though I abhor it’s pastel palette, J. Crew nonetheless provides chic, modest and respectable silhouettes at a mid-level price with good quality. It’s all about the button-up cardigan and high waisted, to the knee pencil skirt.

But if your man is really aiming for the big one, it’s time to pull out some of the more impressive and heartwarming duds. We hear Cindy McCain is partial to Oscar de la Renta. But if that’s not your style, stick with J. Crew and you’ll be safe, like this dotted V-neck dress or the metallic rose shift.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more cardigans.
                                        Buy v-neck dresses.
                                        Deals on pencil skirts.

As the summer begins to wind down and your summer office job along with it, the question becomes: what lasting impact have you made on the company and your co-workers? Will anyone even remember your name a week after you leave? While second-guessing the files you didn’t “file” or the transcriptions you forgot to “transcribe”, ask yourself this question before you turn to attention-grabbing fashion as your signature at the office’s end of season luncheon: Do you want to be hired again?

If the answer is “yes”, stick to the dress code: closed toe shoes, modest skirts and pants, no jeans, and nothing too revealing. Maybe, if you’re really gunning for next year’s summer associate position, whip out the company T-shirt. Here is a perfect example of humble, appropriate, and traditional office wear:

Macy’s is having a 20-50% off sale this weekend, so hop on down to get this look with:

                                                                   D-ring pencil skirt- $29.40

                                                            Ruffled short-sleeve Blouse - $26.40

                                                                        Kenneth Cole Pump - $82.50

If returning to your summer job makes you want to strangle a newborn koala bear (or worse!) it’s time to break all those conformist rules:

No opened toes, you say? Well flaunt more than your pearly pinkies with a pair of BCBGirls “Iriana” Pumps:

Modest skirt? Laura Ingalls Wilder would change her religion to if she was allowed to knit her patchwork quilt in to one of these leggy beasts:

                                                     Tommy Hilfiger Patchwork Miniskirt - $41.65

And while I would recommend a plunging neckline as the final upset to office decorum, Macy’s does not dabble in such risqué material. The best I could find was this Lauren Jeans Co. off the shoulder top, but it will do.

Best of luck in your final days of mindless summer corporate work! Don’t forget to end on your own terms.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more pencil skirts.
                                        Shop for more pumps.
                                        Shop for more short sleeve blouses.

Our good friend Tory Burch– okay, I don’t know her, I just thought it sounded good–was just named one of Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed, and now, here’s her skirt on sale.  What a coincidence!

This Andrea skirt is really cute, high-waisted, and not made of linen, which is good because I bought a linen skirt just like this earlier in the summer and the wrinkling really ruins the shape.  But anyway, this one is a cotton blend and just in time for the fall transition.  In fact, its dark brown hue is probably the very reason it’s on sale now–who wants to wear chocolate in summer?  Well, I did actually, but that dark skirt I bought gets too wrinkly after just seconds.  Never again.

Tory Burch Andrea Skirt Old Price= $265, New Price=$106