Potato, Poh-tah-toh: Wild Ones

(Left) Nicholas Kirkwood for Peter Pilotto here, (Right) Zara Multicolored Lace-Up Sandal here

I. LIVE. FOR THESE. SHOES. Livvvvvvv for them. They are everything: mixed prints, stiletto heel, lace-up, textural, higher than 4 inches, oh and motherfraggin' FEROCIOUS. Owning these two pairs would mean I could tap out—I could stop buying shoes altogether right then and there (Lying! I will never stop buying shoes).

Still, the fact is, this gloriously noisy duo is (upon deeper thinking) a paradigmatic representation of the harmonious relationship between high fashion, and what we call "fast fashion" today. Brands like Zara, J.Crew, Club Monaco, and Topshop, not only take cues from the pedestalled designers of the "1%," and make runway-ready styles available to and affordable for the masses (thank you!), but what makes these brands in particular stand out, is their ability to build on that inspiration, and create inspiring pieces and set trends of their own.

Case in point, the Zara sandal on the right that is clearly inspired by the Kirkwood pair; it's also borrowing that canary yellow from the Louis Vuitton Spring '13 collection, and that monochromatic patterning from the Marc Jacobs Spring '13 show, and then it's building on those quoted themes—that cerulean and the sort of tribal feel of the shoe are all its own. All the elements are blended together expertly to create something that is "inspired by" but still wholly unique and statement-making in its own right. (OK, I'LL SHUT UP ABOUT THE DAMN SHOES, NOW.) Bottom line, both of these pairs are fantastic in their own way, and if I don't manage to make it to the Nicholas Kirkwood/Peter Pilotto Promise Land, those Zara sandals will get me there at a fraction of the price. Hollah.

Born to Mack

 Workwear, redone.

 Remember these guys?

 It's hard to pull off "gangster" in a pencil skirt, but I manage.

T-Shirt (Urban Outfitters - I will never have enough early 90s rap reference Ts), Skirt (J.Crew, similar here) Shoes (Charles by Charles David, last seen here), Necklace (Dogeared), Bracelet (Asos - old, similar here), Watch (Fakety-fake-fake $20 at BP. here)

Nothing says, "I'm a productive and stylish employee who should be taken very seriously" like a Too $hort "Born to Mack" T-shirt. Hence, my wearing this cheeky little number to the office the other day. Sure some people got it, while others just stared at me blankly—confused, probably wondering where my pantsuit from Macy's was, but this is Startupland, Sillicon Valley, USA, I'm a 20-something with style and a sense of humor, and it's the 21st century damn it! I want to break free of my young-professional-after-work-boxy-blazered-networking-mixer bondage and LIVE! And by live, I of course mean wear what I please and never take myself (or my outfits) too seriously. 

I say, push the workwear envelope where you can. Those unspoken rules (pah!) of dress codes for young professionals in the workplace are more plastic than you might realize. Plus no one looks good in a polyester pantsuit. NO ONE. Don't let "The Man" keep you down, guys...(or something). Those ill-fitting pantsuits of the late 90s, conference-going, schwag-collecting young professional from days past are designed to smother the youthfulness and creativity in all of us. And they do a GREAT job of it. Dressing with some levity, and nudging—I said nudging them—the boundaries here and there where you can (note: this does not mean slutting it up), will not only inject some fun into your look, but it will also bring some lightness to your work day, and maybe—and this is what dressing with style and purpose is really all about—make some of the people around you smile. 

Photos © Rose Garrett

Potato, Poh-tah-toh: Mesh Bootie Makeout Sesh

 (Left) B Brian Atwood Michelet Mesh Bootie here, (Right) BCBGMAXAZRIA Gamma Bootie here

And then there's these guys...

(Left) Nicholas Kirkwood Metallic Leather Slingback Ankle Boot here, (Right) Forever 21 Mesh Paneled Peep Toe Bootie here

Very lately, my shoe cravings have been of the shootie persuasion (i.e. shoe-booties), and for warmer weather styles, designers look to lighten up the heavier, more enveloping and protective winter styles of close-toed, strapped-in, all-weather-wear boot badassery. This Spring, that means mesh paneling and cut-outs in the form of peep toes and slingbacks. But that doesn't mean that any of the drama of the winter styles has been lost.

To the contrary, that first set of booties up top packs quite the kick-ass punch, and while the bcbg booties aren't a total steal at $275, they still give the $500 price tag of those B Brian Atwoods a run for its money. And while the second set is a bit more delicate in its delivery, the statement is just as fierce (Danielle of WeWoreWhat demonstrates this expertly). Those Nicholas Kirkwoods are supple and cinderella-like, but they're still statement-makers nonetheless, and while they're definitely un-duplicable (make no mistake about it), the cheapies from Forever 21 actually do a pretty great job of capturing some of those key elements at a much, MUCH lower price range. Long story short: I want all of these.

Hello, Moto

Jacket (Asos, similar here), Blouse (Forever 21, similar here), Skirt (Zara), Shoes (Zara, similar here), Necklace (Nadri), Bracelets (Asos and Marc by Marc Jacobs)

It seems that the leather motorcycle jacket is one of those sacred staple sartorial treasures that will never go out of style (see also: the tuxedo jacket, and the high-waisted trouser), with an enduring quality that reads as classic, essential and never stale. Since the time of Marlon Brando a la The Wild One (swoon), designers have found a way to re-imagine the moto jacket each season (whether it be through silhouette, material, cut, color, occasion, or all of the above) and present it anew, making it ever the more covetable (last Fall there was a metallic emerald cropped motorcycle jacket from Rebecca Minkoff that I just lost it for). This Spring we're seeing moto styles in unexpected hues like crisp white and lush blush and oversized motorcycle vests are once again, on the hit list for the season.

Sure, this chopper topper has its hiatuses, but it's always there; always comes back to the runways; always shows up on some stylish lady who's owning it in the streets; always hanging in your closet resolutely, ready to be worn and make even the least bad-assy of girls (me) feel like Marlon Brando.

Photos © Rose Garrett

Blaze It Up

Hijacking.

The spread.

Blazerrrrrrrrr (Zara - I die for it.), T-Shirt (Work It via Urban Outfitters, similar here), Skirt (Urban Outfitters, similar here), Shoes (Prabal Gurung for Target, also eyeing these), Necklace (Nadri), Bracelets (Misc. from Asos) 

There is nothing, NUH-THING, I turn to more when I am in outfit doubt than a blazer. Too many ladies (and men, too, now that I think about it) overlook and underestimate the power of a great blazer. Carelessly pigeonholed by the masses as the stuff of stodgy, corporate boxiness when it comes to workwear and (shudder) conventionwear for women in the workplace (I can actually FEEL the glass ceiling just thinking about it), the blazer (as it pertains to women) is often misused and mis-designed by people who don't know any better and even more often, never acknowledged for its sexiness (do NOT say "business casual" to me...ever).

Lucky for us fashion-forward ladies, over the years (NO THANKS TO THE 80s) designers have done a marvelous job of re-envisioning and reconstructing the role of the blazer in a modern woman's wardrobe. These days, the blazer is front and center of the designer focus when it comes to statement-making pieces that go beyond the boring box of workwear shame. We have a giddily boundless supply of beautiful and interesting blazers/sport coats/suit jackets from designers high and low available to us (HELLO, I LOVE YOU). For those who do know better, a thoughtfully designed, well-tailored blazer is a staple—dare I say it, the linchpin—of outfit-making greatness.  

So please, put your skirt suits away (forevarrrrr), get thee to the nearest Zara (blazers 'til your face falls off over there), and do as Snoop would do, and BLAZE IT UP.

Photos © Rose Garrett