Speaking of undershirts, men, here’s your chance to firm up: the new man Spanx undershirt. It claims to firm chest, flatten stomach, and improve posture. In any event, it appears to be a “compression shirt”, which my husband loves (although to be fair, the the last ones he bought were promoted by Dan Gable, so maybe that had something to do with it).
Anyone want to give this a try and post a review?
Jersey was my friend when I was pregnant. And despite the illusion that the pounds would fall off just by nursing (put in my head by too pregnant celebrities), it has remained my friend post-baby. And I’m not talking about Jersey Shore. I am talking about the fabric.
When I googled Jersey, I found this in Wikipedia: In 1916 Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel outraged the fashion industry by using jersey at a time when it was strictly associated with underwear.
Despite its shaky start, Jersey is a great fabric knit because it drapes beautifully (to hide belly bloat – hello!) and with a little added Spandex/Lycra/Elastane, it will grow or shrink when you do. By contrast, 100% cotton tends to wrinkle, not hold its shape, fade, and shrink. So avoid 100% cotton for maternity and look at labels for Rayon, Spandex, Lycra, Elastane, Polyester, or a cotton/Poly blend instead.
Maternity brands that use high-quality fabrics for pre- and post-pregnancy include Olian, Maternal America, Japanese Weekend, and Isabella Oliver.
A man friend told me he liked my blog but wanted tips for men. This gave me the perfect excuse to unleash frustration on men wearing visible t-shirts under their expensive work shirts to the office. Just last week, I gave one of my colleagues a verbal warning about this. I told him next time, it will be a written warning.
Men, I know you think this is up for debate (see Mancouch.com and Undershirt Guy), but if you are an upwardly-mobile professional, go with a sleek v-neck instead.
And, if you absolutely must to do this, please do so outside the office. Thanks in advance.
Picture this scene in Confessions of a Shopaholic: Isla Fisher is walking down the street to her job interview with Alette dressed in a rainbow of colors: royal blue, yellow, purple and orange. Then, she adds the infamous green scarf. And that moment is magical. But on anyone other than Isla, with her bold red hair, this look would be a disaster.
Welcome to a stylist’s secret weapon: hair color. When color of the clothes and accessories compliment your hair, it’s instant chic.
The formula is simple. Khaki, tan, and gold looks great on blonds. Mix with contrasting bright colors like fuschia and red for bonus points.
Do you sport jet black hair? Follow the Angelina Jolie model this spring: wear black with white accessories.
Brunettes look great in brown, of course, but also strong jewel tones like deep purple, royal blue and red.
Redhead? Just add a shade of rust to the rainbow. Or watch Confessions of a Shopaholic and take notes. The costume designer, Patricia Field, does make Isla looks amazing.
What’s wrong with me?? I’m sitting on the couch with my baby in my lap watching 16 and Pregnant on MTV and crying my eyes out watching the teen mom and dad make the tough decision to give the baby up for adoption. If I ran across this before I had a baby, I would reach for the clicker. Now, I am completely engrossed – and an emotional wreck. If my husband comes home, he’s going to think my mom died.
Everyone tells you how much things will change after having a baby. No one talks about the things that will stay the same. Maybe it’s just me, but I am still the same person with the same passions. I still care deeply about personal style, and I still love my job as a lawyer. The difference, now is balancing it with my baby girl.
About six weeks after I gave birth, I told my husband for one night a week, on Wednesdays, he was in charge of the baby. I wanted one night where I didn’t have to rush home from work but do something I wanted or needed to do for me. I wanted one sacred night where I can go swimming or meet my girlfriends out or go to the mall. And it has been a lifesaver.
My girlfriend, also a corporate lawyer, was complaining about having to rush into a store and buy something every time she had an event to attend for work. Inevitably, she would buy an “outfit” she didn’t really like and might never wear again. I told her, toddlers or no toddlers, she had to make a date with herself for a Saturday “no pressure” shopping trip, hire a sitter, make a needs list of pieces she needed (not outfits) and spend the day going to her favorite stores to see what she could find. And there would be no requirement that she would actually have to buy something.
Whether you are putting together a wardrobe or simply refreshing it, you have to keep in mind that it take some time and space to look your best. Even if you had a million dollars and an entire month to shop New York, L.A., and Paris, I do not believe that you can recreate Kate Moss’ closet full of fabulousness. So be patient! And gentle with yourself. And enjoy the process. Hey, at least you’re not 16 and Pregnant! - J
For mommy on the go, Tantalizer is a multi-purpose must that not only covers the blindingly white part of your arm fat, it also evens the skin tone on your legs and takes the place of hosiery. I even applied some to my big ole’ baby belly before my maternity shots. And the best part is that is didn’t leave a mark on my white shirt. At $32 a can, it’s a splurge, but I was pleasantly suprised by its longevity.
Still too rich for your check book? Try Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs. I have tried it on my legs, but for $7 it only needs to do one thing well. And it does!
Hello, my name is ______, and I’m a bagaholic.
Step one, is to admit that I am powerless over a great bag.
Step two, is to snap a picture with your IPhone and upload it to Tweet My Bag.
Step three, is to win a bag by Rebecca Minkoff (or at the very least, a 25% discount)
Step four, is to check out Tweet My Style so you can show off your fashion saavy.
Or just snoop the sites for style ideas…..
I have two problems with sales.
One, sales confuse me. I am not sure if I am buying because it’s a good deal or I am actually going to go Rachel Zoe and wear that boho sheep skin vest.
Two, I haven’t had time to “follow” the sales since I was skipping class in college.
I make an exception IF I already own pieces by that designer AND I happen to stumble across it before the more saavy sale shoppers snatch up the goods. That’s where my faveorite sales websites come in: ruelala.com and shopittome.com. They allow you to shop a sale by designer and emails you when the sale starts. So check out the sites, and by God, get your sale on!
Style tip: Focus your wardrobe palette!
Closet dysfunction 101 is a lack of focus, and having too many colors in your closet is one way to make it hard on yourself to get dressed in the morning. The turquoise blouse that looked to pretty on the rack doesn’t match anything else in your wardrobe. This leads us to go with the five or six standby looks that are already matched and complain we don’t have anything to wear. I assure you, that is not the case. I have never seen an empty closet.
The first thing you can do to is simply pick one face brightening color that draws you in (and hopefully looks great with your coloring!) Bonus points if it is a hot color that season, so you will be able to find it in abundance when you shop, like a deep plum.
Next pick two neutrals that complement your new “signature” color, like black and gray. Now, mix it up! For work, choose a gray cardigan, purple blouse, and white pencil skirt. For fun, black Capri pants and a purple wrap sweater with three quarter length sleeves.
How do keep this look fresh? Accessorize! And once you have a good “base,” mix in other colors, like magenta, that will work with both your signature color and your neutrals.
The irony is that by limiting your choices, you will have more freedom to experiment, not to mention time. Welcome to focused, sstress-free dressing!
