A New USEFUL How-To book

I'm not the biggest fan of serious how-to-dress books, they become outdated very quickly and are often un-relatable for most people. That said, I got an advanced copy of Nina Garcia's new book "Look Book: What to Wear for Every Occasion" and I have to say, it's pretty great. It's a fun read, with gorgeous illustrations by Ruben Toledo, and the advice is general enough to work for everyone, while specific enough for each occasion she lists, that it is truly helpful.

I think this would be a fantastic gift for a new graduate, someone who has just moved to a new place, started a new job or just a friend who asks you advice all the time!

Happy Reading!

Swimwear To Cover The Tummy

Today is a big day for me, I'm getting the final veneers/crowns for my teeth so I can put the ugly incident behind me. I will finally be able to eat normally, and with almost all of my stitches out of my lip I can even put away the straws (although they are fun!) I look almost back to normal, my lip is still swollen a little bit where the stitches were, unfortunately I hear from my father-in-law who also had lip stitches at some point, that the bump there takes quite a while to go away.

But back to the matter at hand - swimsuits. If your mid-section is a problem for you, I have a few ideas for the beach or pool.

I LOVE this one piece, it's such a classic look and the ruching is unbelievably flattering,



It comes in several colors including a really hot red color and a beautiful purple. This suit has shaping in it to smooth you out and create the shape you want. It's ideal for anyone who feels they have a few pounds to lose because the fabric and shape make you look slimmer.

Swimwear for Big Busts

I think it's been too long since I wrote about any swimwear, now with summer around the corner it's time! There are so many directions to take this, I thought I'd start with a post on suits for big busts, those can be hard to find.

This underwire halter top has a cute design and comes in cup sizes, which means it will offer a good fit and support!



The same print comes in a regular underwire style and this tankini top, because sometimes a girl just needs to cover the tummy.

As for the bottoms, there are two styles, I think this one is great because the foldover top means no 'rollover issues'! Very important thing to think about when choosing bikini bottoms!



I also really like the combo of pattern with solid. I'm not a big fan of lots of print, this way it's really balanced out.

And then there is the one piece, with the empire waist detail which is really flattering on everyone.




This tankini has concealed underwire, and goes by cup size, and the shoulder straps can be switched around to be worn in different ways.



I love the color, and sometimes a girl wants to two-piece but doesn't want to bare her belly, this is the perfect suit for that. The bottom is also cute -



This line also has other kinds of bottoms, and an underwire bikini top if you don't want the tankini style. Clicking the photos above will also get you links to those other pieces.

Tomorrow I will do swimwear for women who have tummy issues...

bad advice involving glue and fringe

Apparently the Today show had some hack who calls herself a stylist recommending people GLUE FRINGE to their clothes if they can't afford to buy something new. That is totally freakin' wackadoo.

Seriously.

If I see anyone on the street who looks like they have followed this absolutely horrendous advice I will tell that person they should hire a lawyer and sue. Or get their head examined for thinking it sounded like good advice.

If you can afford glue and FRINGE (I can't stop capitalizing, just imagine me yelling that) you can go to a Forever 21 and buy a fun belt. Please do that instead. PLEASE.

Check out what they say about it in the Cut. It's funny, and they have a video.

A Foolproof Outfit to Make You Look Thinner...part 1

I swear it works, and it's nothing earth shattering - a pair of loooong wide leg trousers, heels (even 2 inches will do) and a top that skims the body (i.e. nothing form fitting or even waist defining). The idea is that you look long and lean, and it's amazing.

I wore this outfit last week and several people who see me on a regular basis asked if I had lost weight, and one person said I looked particularly skinny that day, everyone loves to hear that.

So, for examples of each piece -

The Helmut Lang pants on sale at Gilt today would be ideal - there are two different wide leg trousers, one black wool pair and a lighter pair (both in fabric and color). For invitation to the online sample sale click here. They are an incredible deal - around $100 for very well made and timeless trousers that usually go for much more.

If you don't want to go that route -
These Sanctuary trousers (on sale!) would work well, just make sure they are longer on you than they are on the model (they should go pretty much to the floor) -




These AG cords would be an easy way to recreate the look in a casual way -

A Bad Shopping Experience

A friend of mine bought a top at ellamoss.com, everything seemed fine until she tried on the shirt she got. It smelled funky, but , she thought maybe it was the plastic. Until she lifted her arm and saw a tear in the shirt and the tell tale signs it had been worn before. ew.

But that's not even the worse part, all companies make a mistake at some point or another and what matters is how they deal with those mistakes. They were awful, they could not have cared less, had nothing to replace it with, and the worst part - had no way to make sure my friend didn't have to pay for return shipping. She actually had to pay to ship the offensive shirt back herself. ugh.

I certainly won't ever shop there, I don't care what kind of coupons they give away - if that's what they think of as customer service, forget it.

This is definitely the place to shop -

Leggings are NOT PANTS

Yes, you heard me yelling that - Leggings ARE NOT PANTS. Nor are they appropriate for women over 16, maybe 17, unless it's for Yoga.

I had a client this evening, a lovely woman who wanted help with her wardrobe. She had seen another Bay Area personal shopper/stylist a couple of months ago and this "professional" actually tried to get her to buy leggings, and not for yoga. They bought adorable wool skirts, and the leggings were, gasp, to go under those. The horror. I'm sorry, this client is a doctor, in her mid-thirties, and she looks young enough to be mistaken for the baby sitter without the sartorial insult known as leggings. THERE IS NO EXCUSE. No grown woman should dress that way, and no one who is supposed to be a professional should be telling a grown woman to dress this way. ugh.

Phew. I've gotten it off my chest.

Now if anyone has made the mistake of thinking you can wear leggings as a substitute for pants, or tights, just head right out and buy some opaque black tights. Leggings cut you off at the ankle or calf, a very unflattering point. Tights, especially with a shoe that's the same color, will elongate the leg.



You can make them fun with a subtle pattern -



I will admit that a friend showed me a good way to wear leggings - MATERNITY leggings, with a long sweater over them with the bottoms of the leggings tucked into her frye boots. That looked stylish, but the leggings weren't very tight, and when hidden on top by a long sweater and on the bottom by the boots, they no longer looked like leggings. And let's be honest, who is going to begrudge a woman with a growing belly a pair of comfortable elastic waist pants? Not I.


Anyone else however, unless you are under 16 or on your way to the gym, just say NO to leggings.

The Horror...And The Remedy

I don't usually do this, take a picture of a person without their knowledge...but I was stuck waiting in line at the post office for what felt like forever and, well, I was so horrified by what was in front of me. This woman was not at all honest when she looked at the mirror, that is if she looked in the mirror at all. We could all see every line and seam of her underwear under her awful capri pants (not just regular vpl, I'm talking EVERY seam). Plus the incredible wedgie that could not have been comfortable...oh, and then there are the socks pulled up. If it's so cold that you need to pull up socks, don't wear capris.


If you fear this could be you, buy as many pairs of this underwear shown below as you can, and wear it every day under everything, then at least you won't have people like me staring at every seam...

every girls best friend

So we had my shower this past Saturday, and I wore the Moschino dress I posted about beforehand. But when I put it on it was gaping a bit on top showing my bra so I bought double sided tape to keep it in place. The tape was AMAZING. It stayed in place all day, didn't itch (regular tape itches, don't ask how I know that, it's a long story) and when I took it off it didn't leave a single mark on the dress.



Every woman should have this just in case. It will keep dress and top straps in place to keep bras hidden, or if button down tops gape this tape can fix that as well. Definitely worth the few dollars to make sure the clothes you have work well for you. They also make other useful things, like these adhesive nipple covers -



If you have a skimpy top and don't need to wear a bra, these are great.
and Beauty.com offers free shipping on these items, so go for it.

What the Emmy's teach us about wearing a bra

Christina Hendricks, otherwise known as Joan Holloway thanks to her Mad Men role (she was also in Firefly!), knows how to dress her "assets," case in point:



She has big boobs, but she has them right where they should be.

Susan Sarandon on the other hand:

And no, this is not about the cruelties of age or gravity, this is about the lack of an over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder (from Beaches, yes) This is a woman who looks AMAZING above the neck and chose to leave the house without a bra. Seriously, her hair, her makeup, it's all so beautiful, but I'm blinded to it because her boobs are huge and creeping down to her waist. If she put on a bra she would look really shapely - be able to demonstrate she has a waist instead of looking like she is in a house-dress.

Another example of a beautiful bra wearing woman :


Chandra Wilson looks amazing.

to make sure no one else has Susan Sarandon's problem let's look at some great bras that come in a wide range of sizes -

Like this Wacoal Elegance bra that runs up to a G cup-



Here is a choice that comes in sizes up to G cup that has convertible straps, which means it can be worn with a halter dress or crisscrossed straps.




Maybe Susan didn't wear a bra because she didn't want the straps to show, and a strapless bra is not so effective for bigger sizes. A better choice in cases like this would be a bustier or longline bra which are not only for your wedding day, this would be a great choice -



or this one that goes up to DDD cup,



So, remember, support the boobs and voila, you will have a waist!

Special dresses for real women

My cousin wrote and asked for some assistance in finding her dress for my wedding, I was of course totally up for the task! She is a petite thirty-something successful and busy working mom who wants to look good but said the last time she needed a formal dress she had a different body and can't wear the same things anymore.

I asked her some questions to figure out what she was looking for and here are my first attempts (there will be more to come later in the week!)



I like this Donna Ricco dress above for several reasons, it emphasizes a small waist and gives some structure and shape to the skirt as well, and I like the split neck which is very flattering as well. While it could look a little bridesmaid-y because of the fabric, somehow it doesn't.

This Nanette Lepore dress is gorgeous and bright and fun - It's so beautiful in person, the picture doesnt do it justice - the fabric color and the model doesn't fill it out like a real woman would:





I also think that this jewel tone silk dress would be fabulous with a long sparkly necklace and black patent pumps and clutch -

Weekend Brunch Outfit

I posted a brunch outfit a while back, and people seem to really like that, so I will try again.

I like this Ella Moss dress for a warm weekend midday stroll,



These sandals are adorable, and affordable at $58 -




And I LOVE LOVE LOVE this bag -