Driving shoes are a perfect option for the weekend. Like boat shoes or loafers, they are casual without looking sloppy.
The difference between driving shoes and moccasins or loafers are the rubber “nubbins” on the sole. These give grip and traction – two things I actually need driving my little standard Volvo up and down the steep hills of San Francisco!
I pulled three options I love: a Must, a Should and a Lust.
Enjoy!
Lucky Brand | Coach | Tod’s
Whew – post #27 of this little series. A quarter of the way there!
Diamond studs. I love them. I have shown you my go-to pair of “diamond” studs before. I have owned one pair of real diamond studs in my life – but there were really more like diamond “speck” earrings; they were from a high school boyfriend and appropriately sized about 1/4 carat each. But I lost one. And that sort of made me not want to invest in another pair of “real” ones. I wouldn’t turn them down of course if a pair happened to come my way (*ahem, hint hint), but I am too nervous to invest in a pair myself.
Not to fear! There are a HUGE number of gorgeous “fake diamond” studs out there! The best ones require a little investment (think the $50-$100 range). Nina Garcia delves into the ins and outs of purchasing diamonds and what to look for in the book and the details are worth the read. My three favorite cuts are cushion (unique and sparkly), emerald (classic and elegant) and a bezel-set round (a little more fun).
I rounded up a couple of classic options and a couple of fun ones that I love!
round cluster from BaubleBar | rose gold studs by Vince Camuto
After yesterday’s brief detour, we are finally ready for the post I had intended as a return from the NGTOH (again, reference yesterday’s post) category. Actually, I didn’t intend for a hiatus (indeed, I would love to finish this series up in 2013!). Rather, I got stuck.
Denim jackets. I love the way they look – on other people. I personally find them difficult to wear because I am long waisted. They always hit me as a very awkward spot about 1.5 inches above the waistband of my pants. Not cute. The ONLY way I can wear them is over a dress. And I do love that look. So while Ms. Garcia has lots of other suggestions as to how to style a denim jacket, here is mine:
Jacket: Robyn Denim Jacket by Adriano Goldschmied via Calypso St. Barth (buy here)
Dress: Cross-front Jersey Maxi from Old Navy (buy here)
Necklace: BaubleBar Ivory Jurassic Collar (buy here)
Bag: Gap leather stripe tote (buy here) {clearly I am obsessed with this thing}
Sandal: K. Jacques Uranus Braided Sandal (buy here)
I think I am going a little batty. I swear I wrote this post a year ago. I still have all the images I originally chose but cannot find the post ANYWHERE. So, apparently I didn’t write it. And I had to choose all new items because obviously not all my original picks are still available.
Now, I know what you are thinking… “Why did you wait a year to do another NGTOH post?” (if you aren’t up-to-date on my personal, internal acronyms please reference the title of the post). There IS a reason, which will be addressed in the next post (stay tuned until tomorrow), which is, incidentally, all ready to go because I thought this one was done. Sigh.
So. A cuff. Gotta love ‘em. Who can ignore a big, gorgeous bracelet floating around on your wrist? Statement jewelry to say the least, but in a more subtle way than, say, a bib necklace. They are ideal with an otherwise simple outfit, adding color, texture and sparkle without being too “too” – if you know what I mean.
Nina Garcia has a particular love affair with “Verdura Cuffs” – but even she thinks they are a bit spendy since they start at $12,500. As always, she has amazing brand and styling recommendations, so check her book out, but here are a few I love:
Top row: Stella & Dot | C.Wonder | Banana Republic
Middle row: BaubleBar ”Rose Gold Link” | Salvatore Ferragamo via Zappos | Tory Burch
Bottom row: Trina Turk via Piperlime | BaubleBar “Fluo” | Giles & Brother via Baublebar
I am from Colorado so I love number 24: Cowboy Boots!
Once they’re broken in, they are so comfy, totally warm and make your legs look long in jeans due to that little heel.
Cowboy boots are definitely something to spend money on. A cheap-o pair won’t be comfortable and won’t last. A great pair will look and feel amazing for decades!
Cowboy boots look amazing with jeans and a t-shirt and of course are adorable with a sun dress and denim jacket – but I love to dress them up a bit.
Don’t get me wrong, they are still casual. But in a tailored way – not a schlubby way. They would even work with a blazer (I promise!). Definitely a staple to add to your closet!
A good cosmetics bag is a must!
They need to have a “wipe-able” interior (to get rid of the schmutz from when your eyeshadow crumbles). A super cute one (see the gold below) can double as a clutch! And your makeup deserves something as pretty as it is!
Yes, you can grab an $8 bag at Target or even use a ziplock (wait, never mind, please don’t!), but I think that a cosmetics bag is a great way to have a little splurge from a designer you love but maybe can’t afford for the big stuff (Chanel, I am looking at you…).
Chanel DOES make some super cute ones, but two designers I think knock it out of the park for cosmetics bags are Kate Spade and Tory Burch. Both have a little whimsy, great colors, extra details and (most importantly) are amazing in quality.
Which do you like best?
This item of The One Hundred is why I wanted to start doing this series.
A cape? Seriously? Who wears those? (other than Blair Waldorf who totally looks amazing in them and to whom I devote this post as Gossip Girl returns tonight! Yay!)
So I decided to find a cape I might actually buy – which was hard because a lot of the cute ones are totally expensive!
But I think I did it. And I actually want to buy this now! Would you wear a cape?
Building an outer wear wardrobe is just as important as building the rest of your wardrobe.
Wearing a fleece with your cocktail dress is not cute.
Adding a camel coat to your outer wear options gives you an instantly chic go-to. Paired with white, ivory or black, a camel coat looks incredibly polished but not rigid. Like a gorgeous, snuggly Birkin bag for you whole body (maybe that is a stretch).
They are super warm and a quality option can be expensive. But they never go out of style and can last decades. A camel coat is the definition of an investment piece.
The next item on the list of The One Hundred is a caftan.
I own one for a little pool-side fashion, but if you watch the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills you know they are totally acceptable as “real” fashion too!
Is there anything more snuggly than a cable knit sweater? I think not!
I have owned dozens of classic cable knit sweaters and my two go-to brands are Ralph Lauren and J.Crew who make excellent preppy versions. They speak to the Blair Waldorf in me! In fact, I love them so much that my little pupster has one:
cutest thing ever
Now I know what you’re thinking: “Jennifer, it is practically April! I am NOT going to wear a cable knit sweater!” To you I say two things: 1.) you don’t live in San Francisco, ’cause it is about to get chilly here and 2.) I have a solution for you!
How perfect is this sweater from J.Crew. I have two linen cable knit sweaters from J.Crew from many seasons ago and I LOVE them! The coverage of a sweater but so light and breathable!
But maybe we should dig a bit deeper. I know that Nina Garcia specifically recommends a cable knit sweater, but what else can we cable knit?
