Less is So Much More

Top (Zara, similar here and here), Blazer (Forever 21, similar here and here), Skirt (Zara - old, similar here and here), Shoes (Zara - similar here and here), Clutch (Ted Baker - old, similar here), Rings (misc. Ariella rings here)

The man who perfected minimalist, masculine-tinged vesture for the modern woman to the point of it being obscene is the very same man who, as it would stand to reason given the former, season after season seems to effortlessly craft and build upon a vision rooted in the primordial and ineffable duo of black and white.

He does this so adeptly, that we hardly realize that black and white are by and large the only colors we are seeing. In fact, we don't even miss the the other colors in the world at that point. Are there even other colors? That's not to say that the man does not utilize a broader palette in his collections—he certainly does, and he does so quite sharply. But home for his aesthetic exists in the glorious place where black and white live together as a kind of Platonic ideal; a perfect pairing of absolute light and dark wherein lies a beauty that is so elemental, that it simply can't be denied. It is a place from which boundless possibility stems. 

I'm not embarrassed to say I'm grossed out by me right now, too.  

Anyway, all I'm saying is, Alexander Wang's sartorial point of view inspires an enthusiastic urge to minimize in even the most maximal of maximalists. Black and white together are enough to make a statement when you don't need much else, but it is Wang's tailored eye and dextrous hand that makes the pairing of black and white so much more interesting and purposeful with seemingly so much less. 

His irreducible wares, like the linearly-disposed mesh pieces of his Spring/Summer 2013 collection, incite such immediate attraction that they are followed by a tidal wave of copycat and (to put it nicely) "inspired-by" pieces from brands far and wide; most notably, Zara (as pictured here). And then suddenly the market is flooded with (certainly cheaper, but recognizable) traces of his collection.

And while nothing I'm wearing here is of Mr. Wang's namesake brand (and trust me, I don't purport it to be despite my above ramblings), there is no denying that he has, whether unwillingly or not, had a hand in not only how the pieces I'm wearing look, but also in my decision making process for compiling an outfit comprised chiefly of these "inspired-by" pieces. 

Regardless of whether or not you don Wang-inspired copycat wares, or his pricey originals, what is authentic—and more importantly, what can belong to anyone—is dressing oneself with the kind of inspired sparingness that Wang so masterfully sets forth. It is in letting his crisp aesthetic guide you that you realize that less is really so much more. 

Peachy Keen

Blouse (Madewell - old, similar here), Skirt (Zara, similar here and here), Shoes (Zara, similar here), Watch (Marc by Marc Jacobs), Necklace (Dogeared "Karma"), Rings (misc. Ariella rings)

O, happy day! The sun is shining, the air is warm, the sky is clear, there isn’t a cloud in sight...there definitely isn’t any wind violently whipping my already temperamental hair to-and-fro (emphasis on the word fro), making it even angrier, and there definitely isn’t any fog, fogging all over me, soaking me in a light blanket of mist that is just damp enough to kick my hair into Diana Ross mode and render my clothes slightly see-through and crinkled. It’s summer in San Francisco!

Is it too early in the day for that amount of bitterness to be laid before you? My ruefulness is merely melodrama. Despite the fact that I am by nature solar-powered and also always freezing, this soggy city’s schizophrenic weather patterns are at this point, simply endearing.

But one can not deny the outfit difficulties that may present themselves in the wake of such capricious weather, in a place where you’re lucky if you get 65 degrees and a partly cloudy sky out of mother nature on any given day. It can make the unfailingly taxing question of “What should I wear?” essentially impossible to answer satisfyingly.

My solution? (Or rather, coping mechanism?) Ignore it. Let the mighty calendar of the fashion gods inform your decisions; let the seasons that are actually happening somewhere guide you. Oh, it's August and it's 50 degrees out? Leave the house in shorts, I say! Without a jacket (your jacket is actually stuffed in your bag because HELLO it's freezing), in a light-as-air silk blouse, in open-toed shoes even! Greet the fog with a courteous smile and then throw your shoulders back, laugh in its face, and soldier on. Because YOU LOOK FABULOUS. And sometimes, you’ve got to make your own summer happen—sartorially, that is.

You can deal with the frostbite later...

I Got My Mom Shorts On and I'm Ready to Party...

Blazer (Zara - last seen here), Camisole (Topshop, similar here), Shorts (Zara, similar here), Shoes (Zara, similar here) Necklace (Dogeared) 

The high-waisted, drop-crotched, fupa-producing silhouette of those shorts worn by Girl Scout cookie pushing moms of America or say by those middle-aged, tennis playing, waspy Hamptons types, is one best handled with care. It's tricky territory for sure—things can easily go awry—but that doesn't mean that one shouldn't endeavor to take a pair of these bad boys for a spin.

The "mom short," as I'll call it, (I realize this characterization is potentially offensive, but I really don't intend it to be, as it's merely observational, and furthermore, we're talking about some great shorts here) along with other mom favorites like bermuda shorts and hell, even culottes, were popping up all over the place this summer. Designers re-imagined these formerly dowdy silhouettes and presented them within new contexts, forcing us to rethink our previously concluded conceptions of these bottoms. And we did. And really, they can look rather chic if one is thoughtful in their undertaking (see here and here as a start).

I like the idea of wearing them with (surprise!) a blazer—especially one in the same color or print as said mom shorts or one that shares at least one color—because it reads as suit-y, a look atypical of the mom short aesthetic, and also because it lends some much-needed structure to the placid sea of fabric circling your pelvis. And of course, with a pair of pumps, one couldn't farther away from the soccer field.

I'm not saying I don't have my reservations, because I do. No matter what you look like, if cut the wrong way, or worn carelessly, these high-waisted wonders can make anyone's legs look like KFC drumsticks (not to mention, the previously glossed over eminent danger of a raging FUPA surfacing). I'm just saying, give them a try, and steer clear of the thin mints and the tennis courts when doing so. 

Taking a Cue from TTH...And S&M

Blazer (Zara - old, similar here), Dress (Tinley Road via Piperlime - old, similar here and here), Shoes (Zara - big time on sale now, similar here and here), Necklace (Nadri via Nordstrom, similar here) 

Wearing leather is always fun, but wearing leather, lace-up heels, and spikes sounds a lot more fun, doesn't it? 

It is.

Taylor Tomasi Hill, artistic director of Moda Operandi, street style slayer and crimson-haired fashion fairy, is a consistent and delightful source of stylistic inspiration for ladies far and wide (myself included). And this outfit of hers in particular managed to carve out a space in the nether regions of my mind and camp out in that spot since I first saw her in this look. So it was only a matter of time before some version of it made its way out of my subconscious and into my outfit rotation.

Only I took an ever-so-slightly more Star-Trek-the-Next-Generation-meets-S&M-mistress approach with this shoulder-padded, spike-bedazzled blazer. Wearing an outfit that is comprised of a few nods to dominatrix fashion during the daytime (and out in public) is easier than you may think, if you're into that kind of thing.

The important thing to remember is to not go over the top with it. There's a fine line between stylish so-and-so and BDSM streetwalker. Sure the leather dress is, well, leather, but the silhouette is clean and classic (a shift dress is one of the most flattering and versatile pieces a woman can own in any fabric), and even a tad sweet. And sure, the blazer is in fact spiked, but it's only a fraction of the whole piece that is armed and dangerous, and the cut of the blazer itself is slim and flattering, clean lines in a classic black with nary another spike in sight anywhere else. And the shoes, well the shoes are where you can do your thing, and that's not to say that these are necessarily ho-y—they're involved and eye-catching while still being straight-forward and chic—but it's on your feet where I feel like you have free reign to be a little bit more naughty at times and always more out-of-the-box. 

Lastly, the fact that the entire outfit is one color—black at that—played out in different textures, means that you can have a little bit more fun with it. The monochromatic nature of the look keeps things from getting too out of hand, spikes and all, while still making a bold statement. 

I say, use it. The next time you have an intense meeting scheduled with your boss, where you want to, I dunno, demand a raise, or do some heavy lifting in the upward management department, strap in, lace up, slap on some leather, throw on some spikes, and grab your whip.

Get Down

Dress (Cooperative via Urban Outfitters - old, similar here), Blazer (Bebe - so old, similar here and here), Sneakers (Converse - you can seriously buy these everywhere), Watch (Marc by Marc Jacobs), Necklace (Dogeared)   

My usual view (read: unwavering gaze of scrutiny) from atop 5-inch heels, stomping around at 6'2'' feels a lot different than the view from down here in these sneakers, where the air is much less intense, and considerably more blithe. And while normally I reserve my flat-wearing exploits for matters relating exclusively to running, the beach, and/or the grocery store, in recent months, sneakers have been sneakily (<— pun intended, but not because it's a particularly good one) making their way into my shoe rotation, despite my better efforts to stay altitudinous.

I think this mostly has to do with the fact that there are so many goddamn cute sneakers out there these days, and the fact that earlier this year, I was forcibly flattened (as it were) when I stupidly sprained my ankle falling down my stairs—NOT wearing heels, mind you! I am much more stable in stilettos than I am in flats. (I got really good at figuring out how to make a limp look like it's a part of your outfit, by the way.)

Whatever the reason for my tennis shoe fetish lately, the outcome is the same, and pleasantly amusing in that I've taken to mostly wearing sneakers with dresses and skirts, a trend perfected by Leandra Medine, and 4-year-old girls everywhere who choose their own outfits. And those toddlers know what they're doing, with that kind of carefree spirit—a youthful inhibition—coupled with a sense of purpose that makes them say, "I'm wearing my purple princess dress with my light-up sneakies today, Mommy!" (I realize children probably don't sound anything like this). Which makes me think, maybe the reason sneakers have been peppering my outfit lexicon as of late is because my subconscious knows they're somehow good for me.

Grounding oneself (literally) with a pair of sneakers worn with say, a party dress, or a blazer (or both!), knocked down off of your high-heeled pedestal—your place of carping, does sort of give you some perspective (figuratively) in the sense that you can't really take yourself—or anything for that matter—too seriously when you're prancing around in a polka dot dress and a pair of high-tops (it's reeeeally hard to act huffy when your shoes squeak—trust me, I've tried). 

But maybe a forced mood of "eh-I-guess-it's-not-that-big-of-a-deal-I'm-wearing-tennies-today!" insouciance brought on by a happy pair of rubber-soled sports shoes, is a dose of perspective we all need every once in a while in the midst of our overly urgent and upsetting, EVERYTHING'S SUPER IMPORTANT ALL THE TIME ALWAYS day-to-day lives. I know I need it. And so what if it's a pair of ground-hugging gym shoes that reminds me to chill the fuck out sometimes and happily shrug something off?

Sometimes you've got to get down to get up.