How Skinny Should My Tie Be?

Rule of thumb, gentlemen: your tie should be an appropriate width-to-body-mass ratio.

With the trend towards skinnier and skinnier ties, we make a nod to all things MadMen and every other 60s based tv show hitting the channels this fall (Pan Am, The Play Boy Club). But, seriously fellas, take a good look in the mirror and make an informed decision. "Does this make me look like I am wearing  a piece of fruit-by-the-foot?" A slender man with a slender tie= dashing. A big dude with a skinny tie has created a disproportionate suggestion that he is even larger. 

Need a guide? Keep the width no wider than a roll of extra wide duct tape and no skinnier than the width of your two index fingers. And this my own personal suggestion- a tie should never be skinnier than one's belt. 

The retro-inspired skinny tie image is not complete unless paired with NONpleated dress pants and/or a sleek, fitted suit.


Cheerio, my dapper men. Cheerio.

 

MORE Closet Cleansing! Keeping the Basics

Half the battle of cleaning and clearing the closet is knowing WHAT to keep.  Check out these basic checklists to see if your wardrobe is passing or failing.


A woman's closet should have:

• a versatile little, black dress and heels
• a crisp white t-shirt to be worn with dark denim
• both a pair of boot cut and a pair of straight/skinny jeans
• a sassy black pencil skirt hitting slightly above to slightly below the knee
• black dress pants that make your ass look amazing
• 2-5 button down dress shirts in classic colors and weaves (ex pin stripe)
• plenty of liner tanks
• various cardigans in neutral colors
• a pair of adorable red shoes
• ballet flats (neutral colors)
• bras & intimates; underwear in both black and skin tone
• a black, dressy wool coat for colder weather
• a tailored, feminine trench coat

  

 A man's closet should have...

 

• more ties than dress shirts
• 5-10 button down collared shirts including white and classic blue
• dress shoes in black, brown, and white for good measure
• socks appropriate for dress shoes
• a couple v-neck sweaters and zip/button up sweaters for layering
• at least, one tailored suit
• a few well-fitted classic white t-shirts 
• a few pairs of tailored denim
• a pair casual sneakers that would be considered a hybrid between sneaker and dress shoe (Slip-ons are often the best).  

In the Know: Cool Metal Jewelry

It is hard for me to tell you. I selfishly want to keep this amazing little secret to myself. But, today I gave myself a talkin' to and decided you all just need to know. Marissa of Interstellar Love Craft has the best deal on  handmade metal jewelry that you are going to find in Rochester. 

I do not frequently find myself to be a repeat customer with jewelry but WOW. I am on my fifth piece already. Marissa's aesthetic is refreshing. She plays with metal in an both earthy  and geomtric styles. I have gotten compliments every time I wear my pieces. The prices are fair, even on the special order items. My last piece was a special order that she let me help design. She didn't up-charge for the request and didn't mind when I asked for an extension on the chain. 

My next piece is going to be bringing her some of my favorite material (fool's gold/pyrite) and seeing what she want to do with it....can NOT wait. 

You best get some pieces by this niche designer before the demand begins driving prices up. 
Support a cool person who is creating a style for a very select crowd, here in Rochester.



Interstellar Love Craft . Marissa currently works in a studio at 250 Goodman St, #203. She has shown her jewelry at Java's Hearts & Crafts events and at the 2011 Clothesline Fest and will be at Artist Row Sunday, September 18th at the Rochester Public Market (10am-4pm).

Closet Cleansing 101

If Fall motivates anything in Western New York, it's a good shopping spree. Colors on the trees, feeling the breeze for the first time in months, and of course back-to-school-back-to-the-grind reminders that, alas, summer DIES for good when the seasons change around here. Play time is over. But not for your closet it isn't.

Some pointers for re-addressing the closet as you clean and clear it this fall:

If it's a classic and you have not worn it in a year, ditch it or replace.Classics- things like black dress pants, the little black dress, your husband's dress shoes.

If it's a trend item and you haven't worn it in 3 months, ditch it. Example - a blouse with nontraditional sleeves, a pair of pants with an extra long inseam, something in a color popular only this year.

If you have to ask yourself IF you look good, tell yourself to feel good, or wonder if it's too young for you, ditch it. Life is too short to suffer with image complexes. Wear what feels natural and makes your attributes look like attributes.

If you have 3 or more versions of the same item, ditch the excess. How many blue t-shirts do you need?Keep one plus another for backup.

If you love, love, love it so much that it's pilling, ripped, or faded, replace it asap!


Things to ditch this year:

Mommy Ass Jeans...that's right. Just because some 20-year-old can pull off a 1992 Kate Moss high waist, acid wash denim "retro" trend does NOT mean you can.

Uber Pointy Shoes or early 2000's Chunky Shoes. OUT.

KEEP it IF...

You wear it every week. (Your favorite high heels/dress shoes.)

It's lends itself to layering.(Cardigans, liner tanks or t-shirts...that shirt that never seems to get sweat-stained.)

You always feel good about your body when you wear it. KEEP.

It hangs well and rarely needs to be ironed.

1970s Flair

Spring 2011 runway had a distinctive lean towards the 1970's and WE LOVE IT!

Characterizing features: 

• waists that fall well above the natural waistline
• waists that fall well below the natural waistline, to hip line
• elegant hems JUST grazing the floor line
• long flowing hair with head band and head wrap detail
• colors- cobalt blue, almost burnt orange, deep mulberry, beige sand tones

Runway Samples

Marc Jacobs

Emilio Pucci

Marc Jacobs

Emilio Pucci

Rodarte

Get the Look

Armani Colezioni available at Neiman Marcus

Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters

ModCloth.Com

Rochester: Fashion Flash

Dear readers,

First off, my apologies for falling off the face of the earth this summer. I have been focusing energies on a fashion/beauty photographic project about to be wrapped up. (Images coming soon!) I am back and in business.

If it's any consolation, the fashion mood is JUST shifting now, as it always takes AMPLE time for Rochester to AMP up. But, never fear! Fashion is in the sweet smelling air of fall!


~andrea

Two major upcoming events will be defining style this season.

Fashion "Week" of Rochester

Rochester's first ever Fashion Week has been declared for Sept 30-Oct 2. More of a expose week-end, it boasts of a 3 day foray into what Rochester has to offer: a boutique crawl through 14 of the area's locally owned and operated destination stores; The Art of Fashion, a still modeled fashion show at Four Walls Art Gallery; and the weekend culminates with The Height of Fashion, a live runway show hosted by Rochester's own Memorial Art Gallery. This sounds built for success.

One criticism: scheduling for this event was not clearly defined online or in print until a mere 3 weeks before the event. Even the local area stores selling tickets were not updated with details before/at the point when tickets arrived. For the sake if fashion aficionados awaiting in anticipation, get your info out there sooner!
 

Eye Candy hosts during Fashion Week's Boutique Crawl Thurs, Sept 30th.

 

Dado Fall Fashion Show


Dado kicks off it's third bi-annual fashion show October 19 at Good Luck, with a preview of fall/winter samples to salivate over. Don't fix what ain't broke seems to be the theme, as jewelry shown remains to be by Mann's and Futurpointe performs at intermission for the second time consecutively. New to the mix and will be hair (and makeup?) by Rock, Paper, Scissors Salon, an up-and-coming salon in the area salon circuit. One can't help but wonder why Scott Miller pulled out of Dado's fall/winter preview to do Fashion Week of Rochester...makes for a slight sense of competition. But, who are we kidding, here? Rochester's scene is just burgeoning such that the reality is beaucoup room for growth. 

Ok, ladies and gents- get dapper, get set and GO!

Dado Fall Fashion Show- Tues, Oct 19th. The third bi-annual show slated to be a success. 

Spring Style Notes

Spring is soon upon us and it is the ideal time to shop. New inventory is pouring in and if you like a steal, then cleverly mix up some winter clearance into your spring wardrobe.

andrea's spring must-haves

denim leggings

This is the new rage. Trendy and comfortable, you can't go wrong. Occasionally referred to as jeggings, jean leggings look best paired with tunic length shirts.

All of the prominent denim companies have a version of this trend; so, GO find your favorite pair!

  



 (above, top: Joe's denim from shopbop.com, available in Rochester at A Step Apart; above, bottom: H&M leggings available at H&M retailers)


shirt dress/men's dress shirt

There's nothing sexier than getting out of bed and throwing on your boyfriend's rumpled button up. New takes on this style range from ultra feminine, body forming to loose and literal.

Which ever direction you steer, make sure your shirt is long enough to graze your cheekline (down below) and pair it with your new denim leggings!




andrea's pick:
Matt shirtdress by Jack by BBDakota, above,  keeps it structured and girly by hugging the natural waist. Available at Thread in Rochester.

jumper/romper/playsuit

Love your legs?? Show them off in a cutesy romper. Here's the key: WEAR with wedges/espadrilles to keep those sunkissed limbs looking toned.


Hate your legs?? Buy a full romper that draws attention to your arms. Problem solved.


The point is, buy a romper this Spring!!




andrea's picks:
Lucca Couture Jumper, above left, available at Urban Oufitters
Dolce Vita Romper, below right, with peekaboo lace back   available at shopbop.com (Dolce Vita sold at Dado of Rochester)

 

 (above left, Floral Playsuit available at topshop.com)

hidden wedges 

Hidden wedges are spectacular. They give the allusion of wearing a flat while still adding height and tone to the leg- perfect when wearing a romper. Best of all, they are comfortable to walk in. This may be fashion's best kept secret, as they are not easy to find. 

andrea's pick: 

Molly Classic by 80%20, above, available online at Amazon.com

 

(Note: any hidden wedges by 80%20 are amazing, although it is difficult to find retailers in this area. I use http://www.8020nyc.com/ to find styles first, and then the site will direct you to online retailers where you can purchase.)

 

(above, Aldo hidden wedge booties available at all Aldo locations)