#themtoo

I’ve been remiss in ignoring a large segment of my blog-reading population: men! Yes, believe it or not, the guys love Caradise too. So, without further adieu, here, gentlemen, are some fashion trends for you, hot off the press from Men’s Fashion Week in NYC…

And perhaps the biggest news from the Men’s Fall/Winter 2018 Collections that were shown earlier this month in New York City, wasn’t what went down the runway as much as when it did. And by when, I mean that many designers – including big names like Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss and eckhaus latta- sent their menswear down the runway right along side their women’s ready-to-wear counterparts. This is a shift from where fashion has typically been, when brands would showcase mens’ collections in an entirely separate runway show during a completely different week in February. It’s a shift that begs the question if Men’s Fashion Week as we know it is moving toward extinction in favor of one, unified, co-ed presentation.

However, not all designers opted to defy convention and yes, Men’s Fashion Week technically still occurred (although it was pushed back to Feb 5-7th, so it would immediately precede the women’s shows that began on the 8th) and here are some trends that prevailed:

Not-So-Mellow-Yellow:

The forecast was sunny at NYFW, with almost every designer using some shade of yellow in their collections. Calvin Klein showed a muted yellow mohair tunic (left) Michael Kors used the color to add some excitement to an otherwise basic top coat (center) and even Hugo Boss, whose runway was mostly shades of grey, added a yellow trench (right).

Mad for Plaid

While we expect to see plaid in the collections of traditional menswear designers such as Ralph Lauren and Joseph Abboud, plaid was also present in the smaller, more avant garde labels, like Todd Snyder and Bode. Ditching the staid grey and black plaid for brighter alternatives, Todd Snyder (far left, who gained fame for his collaborations with Timex, Champion and Moscot) sent “Schoolboy Chic” head-to-toe plaid down his runway, as did Ovadia & Sons (far right). Raf Simmons mixed up the traditional plaid suit with a boxy- cut blazer and patches adorning the knees.

Pump up the Volume

There was no shortage of outerwear on the runways and its’ defining characteristic was volume. Metallic or matte, short or long, dressy or casual, they were all puffy. Hugo Boss added down to a traditional grey top coat (left), Perry Ellis created interest with a tie-dye satin, a fabric that popped up in many pieces of his collection (center) and Tom Ford sent down a puffy white vest layered over an (equally puffy) metallic jacket, then dressed up the whole look with black brogues (right).

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No Track In Sight

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The moral of this blog post is that I’m ahead of the trend curve (a wonderful quality for a blogger), but also incredibly lazy (a horrible quality no matter who you are). Because these photos were taken last Fall (October 20th to be exact) with the new track pants I’d snagged from Anthropologie. I was drawn to their side stripe, the comfy silk material and their lose (but not sloppy) fit. And apparently, I liked them so much, I waited five months to share them with you!  My apologies. In fact, I completely forgot these photos were in my camera until I saw track pants popping up everywhere for Spring.  They’re a fun alternative to jeans – plus – without a zipper or a hint of lycra in sight – they’re way more comfy. I wore mine casual with a hooded sweatshirt for these photos, but I’ve since worn them with heels, an un-tucked button down and a blazer.

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My exact pants last seen here // Sweatshirt // Tee

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Get the look, no matter your budget:

$         //          $$          //         $$$      //          $$$$

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Cheap or Chanel?

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Shop my jacket HERE.

Coming from a family of casual gamblers and odds makers, we are a big fan of the over/ under bet. No occasion is too mundane to propose a little wager… What time will we arrive at our destination? How many watermelons will we buy this summer? How late will my brother be for Thanksgiving Dinner? How many pieces of pumpkin pie will my husband eat?  You get the idea … So, welcoming you into our little club, here’s my question:  I’m setting the over/under on the cost of this jacket at $50. What side are you going to take?

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Falling for fair isle

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Shop my sweater here.

What are your thoughts on fair isle? Yay or nay? I used to think it was best left for apres skiing in St. Moritz or for the pages of an L.L. Bean catalog, but lately I’ve been swayed by the cool colors and retro vibe of the fair isle options out there. Pair it with jeans or up the cool factor and wear with a leather skirt, tweed pants or leopard loafers to give your preppy sweater an updated, edgier look.

My turtleneck version is on sale and fits true to size. Although it is really warm — best not worn indoors … it’s better suited for galavanting thru a prairie while exploring an old white-washed barn … or, well … to apres ski in St. Moritz.

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Hat  //  Sweater  //  Shirt  // Similar Jeans //  Boots

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Let’s Get Right Down to Business

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Sorry, but no time to think of something creative to say because a late night of Halloween revelry has me processing a little slow.  So I’m getting right down to business this morning and sharing these great sale finds before they’re sold out. This striped ruffle top is almost half off, as are my jeans. Size down on the denim though – and a warning that they are extra high rise … which I love, but realize that isn’t everyones cup of tea.  Shop my ruffled top HERE , jeans HERE and HERE similar coat HERE and HERE. Shoes similar HERE and exact style last seen HERE.

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Costume or Couture?

With Halloween upon us, it’s harder than ever to distinguish between what is intended as costume and what is really just haute couture. For example, if you see me wearing that pale blue, floor-length coat at pre-school pickup? Nope, not Cookie Monster, just my newest Shopbop purchase, thankyouverymuch.  Below are some more v. haute items that if you happen to own, could easily double as your costume tonight. (Or, perhaps more importantly,  if you see someone wearing any of these items tomorrow, don’t just assume they’re doing the Halloween walk of shame. They are not, my friends. They are just way more stylish than you or I. )

 

 

Rainbow    //   Pale Blue   //   Floral

That colorful fur coat at left bears a striking resemblance to the Rainbow Unicorn costume available at Target and popular among the under 5 set this year. This one doesn’t come with a headpiece, but you can make that at home, and probably will need to anyway, since the coat alone will set you back $700.

 

Witch Dress //  Tulle Sweatshirt  //  Jail Break PJ’s

What about that wrapped tulle sweatshirt in the middle? Add some household nick knacks and it would make the perfect “cyclone” or leave as is and you are cotton candy noir or Angelina Jolie’s top knot.

 

 

Desert Sandal  //   Koala Hat   //   Fur Shoes

For you geography buffs, buy that shoe on the left, simply pair with all beige and you are the Sahara Desert. Voila!

Come on ladies, it’s not too late to get creative!

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Viewer Beware

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My friends have been known to (affectionately?) refer to my style as “Dropped on her head when she was a baby.” Aaaaaand I’m pretty sure this is what they’re referring to. It’s admittedly not for everyone. Exhibit A: Seeking approval from my photog the day I shot this look, I asked what she thought of my outfit. Her only response: “I like it, just maybe not all together.”

However, one of my philosophies with this blog has been to be less boring. Why take a picture of basic outfit? Yes, I could photograph a black sweater and jeans. Yes, that’s what I wear most days. BUT, that sort of outfit doesn’t really elicit exciting conversation, nor does it make for a fun photograph. So take this outfit as you will, wear all at once or wear separately. Or, I guess don’t wear it at all,  but keep reading because you think of this blog as the fashion equivalent of road kill … even though it’s bad, you just can’t look away.

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Shirt is Milly and v. old but similar HERE // Skirt similar  HERE and HERE and HERE // Bag comes in a few colors, it’s HERE and HERE and HERE (all on sale!) // Shoes last seen here

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Have $22 to Spare?

There is so much guilt hanging in my closet, in the form of expensive tops I’ve bought but only worn once.  Why I buy them in the first place, I really don’t know… but that’s a topic for another, much longer, soul-searching sorta blog. In the mean time, I’m here with this guilt-free $21 (!!!) , striped, peplum top for your wearing pleasure. Try it with jeans or a pencil skirt and you’ve got an outfit casual to fancy.  As with all of these fast fashion sites, I sized up and am wearing a medium. Shop my top HERE.

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Transitional Dressing Decoded

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One of my favorite ways to transition summer dresses to fall is to add a leather jacket. Here, I topped my cap sleeve Free People dress (on sale here!) with a lightweight Zara leather jacket. Mine is old but I found you some similar and similarly priced ones below.  Also of note, my block heel ankle- wrap shoes are on sale and come in three colors! Shop all the loot below.

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Dress  //  Shoes here and here // Jacket similar here and here  // Sunnies 

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A Fashionable Keyword Search

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Whenever I’m on a website that’s a bit daunting, just due to the sheer volume of clothes to choose from, I resort to a keyword search. “Midi Dress” is a common one, but others might be “Ruffled,” “Distressed,” “High Waist” … all words that help narrow down the clothes that best fit my personal style and in turn save me a lot of scrolling.

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