Smug Mummy Style: Colorblocking the Arm Party

This post is not sponsored or solicited in any way; it is merely further proof of my rampant materialism and online shopping browsing hobby. As if we needed further proof. Ahem.

***

Enough with the worrying and career kvetching - let's get back to the business of being Prettier than Everyone Else, shall we?

Spring typically comes with a burst of color for our wardrobes - what's happening in nature is generally happening in our closets. For many of us of a preppish bent, if at least one spring item of apparel isn't screaming with color, things start to feel positively . . . well, winter-y. (And as someone who wishes only to partake in winter if it means "apres ski beverages by a roaring fire", that means it's to be avoided.)

Happily for us, two ongoing trends - colorblocking and the arm party - means we can stay true to our vibrantly colored not entirely naturally blonde, ahem roots while staying fashionable. The good news for any fellow Smug Mummies in the audience is that the jingle-jangle of the arm party keeps Baby entertained; the good news for all of us is that you can hop on this trend train at a variety of price points:

Clockwise from upper left: Lilly Pulitzer bamboo bangle / Target bamboo bangles (thanks for the tip, Amy!) / Target bow bracelet / Kate Spade "Carousel" watches / Swell Caroline bamboo bangles / Lilly Pulitzer "Spring Garden" bracelet / Fornash "Gecko" bangles / Fornash bamboo bangles

The brighter, the better - so pile 'em high and wear 'em proudly, either as shown or interspersed with your silver or gold arm party basics (or silver and gold - don't tell Grandmother, but we rebelliously mix both here.) (And randomly use the royal "We" at odd times.) (Parentheses)

Anyone planning to put some Spring in your arm party step? I'll be joining you just as soon as this hateful no-shop Lent plan of mine is over .  .

Smug-Worthy Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Men

Subtitle: "I Meant to Post This Earlier, but Then I Got a Flat Tire. And Then the Car Battery Died. No, Really. All Because I Went to the Craft Store (!) and Was on My Way Home to Test Drive a Complicated Recipe. This is What I Get for Trying to Be a Suzy Homemaker Type. Lesson learned, Universe. Lesson Learned."

Sub-subtitle: "I Like Long Titles"

See Also This Important, Special Note: None of the items mentioned below are in any way paid or solicited placements, blah blah blah . . . 

***

Not to get all cliched about it, but we women don't actually need to buy our men anything for Valentine's Day - they just want one thing, after all . . .

. . . our undying love.

(What, you thought I was going to say s-e-x? Not a chance - I have a prudish pretense to keep up here at the Pretty. Besides, I couldn't figure out how to import "sex" into Polyvore.)

For those of us not inclined to give just the, er, standard gift, finding the right gift for our respective men can be a bit of a problem. If only they were as easy as we women . . . for example, this Smug Married is delighted with any gift falling within the Holy Trinity - jewelry, spa gift cards, and more jewelry - though I'd happily accept anything my favorite blogging Smug Newlywed, Belle on Heels, assembled here. Hint, hint.

Here are the best, Smug-worthy gifts for the boys, from budget to major bacon:

(Clockwise from Upper Left):

• Bacon Wrapping Paper - show me a man who doesn't love something wrapped in bacon, and I'll show you . . . um, not the Anonymous Husband.
• Bacon Wrapped Steak - see above
• Rugby Shirt - model not included, unfortch
• Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones - I stole this gift idea from the divine Freckled Citizen a few years back; my travelin' husband type was mighty impressed.
• "Mad Men" Season 4 DVDs - nothing says "romance" like "cheating bastards in killer suits"
• Beer Making Kit - for the DIY drunkard
• Cigar Boxed Set / Grooming Kit - as if cigars didn't stink enough, now your man can smell like them 24/7
• Mustache Tumblers - the closest the AH will ever get to an authorized 'stache
• Filson Padded Laptop Bag - (thanks, @whitericebryce, for the rec)
• Old Tom Foolery Cards - for the smartass sweetheart

Whaddaya think? You just want me to do a giveaway with the bacon wrapping paper, don't you?

Pretty Holiday Gift Roundup, Smug Mummy Edition

Important, Special Note: more Pay-it-Forward charitable giveaway goodness over at my real-life Mommy Mafia friend & kickass photogapher Ziem Photography's blog today. Thanks for your generosity, Z!


***

I know, I know - the majority of you are likely Smug Mummies yourself, so why the gift list when you're supposed to be buying gifts for other people right now?

I'm so glad you asked! In numerical order:

(1) If you can't be generous with yourself at Christmas, who can you be? Wait, don't answer that . . .

(2) You may have a husband like a certain someone - ahem - who doesn't take well to being given a wish list, but if they just happen to run across one on the interwebs, or have something like this forwarded to them . . .

(3) A friend is about to/has just become a new mom, and though she's received umpty million things for baby, hasn't received a thing that would make her life easier.

(4) You've already purchased for friend in scenario (3) spa gift certificates and/or pinot and/or a night of free babysitting so she can go out for a few hours sans wee preshus darling angel.

Smug Mummy Christmas Wish List '11 by legallyblondemel featuring star jewelry

Clockwise from the left:

• Skip Hop Diaper Bag Duo by Jonathan Adler ($75): How Chicistan is this be-chevroned diaper bag? Perfect for the mom-under-one set.
• Citizens of Humanity Amber Mid-Rise Bootcut Jeans ($160): Repeat after me, class: MID-RISE. Because nobody wants to see Mama's ASSets peeking out as she bends over to deal with the latest toddler tempest.
• H&M Scarf ($12): warm, stylish *and* conceals omnipresent baby spit-up on shoulder.
• Lulu Frost for J. Crew Deco Bangle ($68): pretty for Mama, entertaining for baby to play with; since dangly earrings are now out, the arm is where the jewelry flair can go.
• Cartier Love Bracelet (I don't even want to know): it wouldn't be me if there weren't a "champagne tastes, beer budget", wildly unrealistic option on here.
• Santorini Monogrammed Coffee Tumbler ($32): no one gets between this Smug Mummy & her caffeine; let the monogram do the "Back off, it's mine!" talking.
• Maclaren Quest Stroller ($229): worth the $$; the best travel/mall stroller out there.
• Air Bacara Ballet Flat ($178): SPARKLE! The Prettiest I've seen for the buck.
• Skip Hop Pronto Changing Station by Jonathan Adler ($34): ideal for us moms-of-toddlers, who just need a changing pad/wipes insert for a regular ol' civilian purse. 
• Modalu "Pippa" Medium Grab (approx. $266 US): as I reviewed here, the ideal transition from diaper bag purse. Also, just lovely. 
• Itzy Ritzy "Snack Happened" Reusable Bag ($10): easy to clean, playful patterns, and just the right size for the toddler snacks I now tote everywhere. 

Anything I left off? Further gift roundup requests? 

Monograms Gone Mainstream

***Important, Special Note: The products featured below appear here merely because I covet them; they were neither sponsored nor solicited placements in any way. If, say, Santa or a certain Anonymous Husband wanted to bankrupt us buy me them for a certain upcoming anniversary, that's a different story...hint hint...***

It was just one month ago that our High Priestess of Hollywood Prep, Reese Witherspoon, announced to the world, "My rule is, 'If it's not moving, monogram it.'" At the time, I thought it merely another example of how she & I are destined to be BFFs - I mean that in that least stalker-y way possible, of course - but in the past few weeks I've noticed retail proof that we may not be alone.

This isn't to say that, yet again, prep is back - we never left, dears, except to pop out to the corner store for a bit more Hendrick's - but rather that this signifier of it may be enjoying a resurgence. I'm in need of some Pretty imagery today, and so I'm listing my recent personalized favorites below.

Please note that this has absolutely no relation to my upcoming wedding anniversary nor Christmas list. Nope. None whatsoever. I mean, I'm just not that sort of Material Girl. It would be a shame if the Anonymous Husband happened upon this list. Truly. 

Ahem:

West Avenue Jewelry "Medium Monogram Necklace" 

This one has been making the blog rounds - including once before here at the Pretty - but I nearly tripped over my Millers when I spotted a hipster-ish concertgoer at ACL last week wearing this. I barely restrained myself from flashing her the secret Tory Burch gang sign - in this corner of Austin, prep is an underground, alternative lifestyle thing - and settled for admiring how fun an accessory this is in person.

Jonathan Adler "Monogram Tote"

Of course Adler knows his prep patterns and colors, but I'd no idea until recently he'd done a design-your-own take on the classic boat & tote.

Louis Vuitton "Personalized Speedy 35"

I've never been much of a Speedy girl - it's a great basic, but who wants a bag that everyone else is carrying a copy of - assuming I could afford one in the first place? Besides, to hijack another high end bag maker's phrase, my own initials are enough. I confess this colorfully monogrammed take has me reconsidering my personalized Goyard pipe dreams.

Am I imagining things? The monogram proliferation, that is, not the Reese/BFF thing, because that's obviously going to happen . . . 

Developing Your Signature Look

In my recent closet cleaning, I stumbled upon more than the fall '11 accessories - more on those in a bit - for which I'd originally been hunting:

Not to depress you or me, but this is what plane travel used to look like. Also, note the belted cardigan & pearls there to the left, topped with camel-hair coat.

Hats! Also, those suits would hold up style-wise today, handsome grandfather's to the far right included.

I have a point here for once aside from boring you with old family photos, I promise. Anywhoodle - the pictures I'd been neglecting in the back of my "Monica Closet" included these gems of my late grandmother, the one who (as long-time readers will recall) raised me along with my late grandfather. I'd always admired the strong signature look of her younger days - hair up! ladylike separates & lipstick on! ballet flats & matching bag at the ready! pearls somewhere! - but I'd never before connected her statement style to my own.

Though I don't aspire to copy anyone's look note-for-note, Grandmother included - her trademark blue eyeshadow especially - I'm recognizing her mark throughout my wardrobe. Let's look at those fall accessories I find myself coming back to again this season, both by budget necessity and by preference:

***Mildly Relevant Sidebar: note that I pair the otherwise summer-y pink with orange, gold, or navy to make it a more fall choice. Plus, I just like pink, and this is my blog. So there.***

Starting from left: Target skinny scarf; Michael Kors watch; Tory Burch flats; Marc by Marc Jacobs bag; Longchamp tote; Kenneth Jay Lane bangles; Charming Charlie's cocktail ring. Conspicuously still absent: Modalu "Pippa" Bag    

I've updated the bags this year, but otherwise these are old favorites I find myself returning to again and again: large sport watch, ballet flats (I've decided my potential logo-strumpet issue here is instead my look), and a cocktail jewelry piece that wouldn't feel out of place on a "Mad Men" set. No matter how large my wardrobe or the latest fashion at any given time, I gravitate towards one or two pieces in each of these categories - similar to a certain someone I used to know.

It's a comfort to find a bit of my style not in my "In Style" subscription but rather in my own family's past. Maybe there's an upside to closet cleaning after all . . . maybe . . .

Who's your signature look inspiration?

Operation MILF - Early Fall Fashion, Classics & ZARA Editions

*Important, Special Note: the products in this post were selected & paid for entirely by me, unfortunately. I'll always note when a sponsor has paid for or solicited a post or product placement.*

At the end of long, nap-free day of parenting yesterday, I found myself in desperate need of some mom inspiration - or "MILF-spiration" as it's known here. Having spent the day nervously watching Master P with the eye of an explosives expert, wondering when the inevitable sleep explosion would *finally* occur, I wished to forget the boogery, sleep free reality of my day and indulge in some idyllic mom & child moments for a spell. Thanks to my new favorite Tumblr - one of those sites you want to propose marriage to, or at least eternal BFF-ness, upon arrival - I got my fix:

                                                  Source: lessonsinlovely.tumblr.com via Melissa on Pinterest

                                                              Source: lessonsinlovely.tumblr.com via Melissa on Pinterest

                                                 Source: lessonsinlovely.tumblr.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Alas, today I awoke to my messy New Normal - if also a currently napping one, thank Neiman Marcus - and a closet badly beaten up by the past few months of full time toddlery. Enter ZARA taking their magnificent mass-market fashions online in the US today, and the forecast looked a bit more Jackie again, if a Jackie as clad in my more-realistic-with-kids version of budget boatneck tees & capri pants.

I discovered ZARA a decade ago, long before Kate / Catherine / Duchess / Whatever popularized the store here in the US. Before I go sounding too Smug Shopper about that, I confess that only happened because I was dating a questionable South American at the time, and we'd go shopping on trips abroad to visit his parents. Half the appeal was being able to drop into conversations - "What, this old thing? I just picked it up on my last trip to Caracas," - and the other half was that ZARA made clothes that were current & that I could afford on a student budget.

I'm well past my dating Latin douchelords phase - it's OK, Holly Golightly went through one of those too - but the ZARA habit has stuck. And so this morning, I happily hopped online to check out their online wares; though we do have a store here in Austin, thanks to Master P I much prefer shopping online *if* I can find a good free shipping/returns deal (ahem, J Crew), which ZARA is offering as of this writing.

In my new mom reality, shirts & pants take a beating, so I can rarely justify crying into my dry cleaning bill over a spit-up covered silk shirt. Hence I try to save money when it comes to buying those two items, knowing they're unlikely to last past a season, and put that money towards investing in better quality accessories (more on those tomorrow). Besides, I have a trip & a camera to budget for, so a high priced Fall '11 wardrobe isn't in my AmEx cards.

Please also note that today's temperature here is predicted to be 95 degrees, so we will not be speaking of fall fashions like wooly cardigans or delicious riding boots until I can bear to think of them.

Enter today's Operation MILF Early Fall via ZARA purchases, all still available as of this writing:

Left: Zip-Up Blouse ($49.90) / Right Skinny (!) Trousers (These don't look perilously skinny, so I'm trying) ($59.90)

Left: Knitted T-Shirt ($49.90) / T-Shirt with Cutwork Detailing ($25.90)  

Where are you finding your MILF-spiration lately?

Confessions of a Logo Whore

(*With apologies to my late grandmother, who is surely rolling her blue Estee Lauder'd eyes & tsk-tsking me from above for that title. Turns out "logophile" is already taken for a completely different, far more impressive issue.)

The first step in recovery is . . . opening your closet, right?

Exhibit A, People vs. Yuppie Footwear of America

I've suspected this addiction for a while. Joked that people would begin to think I've joined a footwear based cult. Made fun of others for flashy logo-wearing while telling myself that my own be-logo'd brand preference was somehow different.

You might be wondering - as one is likely to do here at the Pretty - where is she going with this? So you have a preference for a certain, not-inexpensive-but-within-your-budget-and-of-excellent-quality shoe brand; why not stick with a good thing? 

But. But - is displaying a flashy logo ever as simple as preference for the design? Though I adore Brand to Not Be Named's accessories quality & aesthetic, logo or otherwise - obvs - when I opened my closet this afternoon to a bit of spring summer cleaning, my first thought wasn't "Ooh, how much do I deeply love my growing BTNBN collection?"

Ok, that was my second thought, but my first was - sixth grade. It's not a place I'd return to voluntarily -or if paid, bribed, and/or threatened with certain death - but peering at my branded stuff reminded me of how I obsessively coveted and wore certain things that the Pretty girls in my grade were wearing. You know the girls; same story, different school. At mine, the Pretty girls were wearing Guess jeans, in all their peg-legged, logo'd (in)glory - remember that triangle? - and I just knew owning a pair would change my life.

It didn't, of course, but I did walk a bit taller the first day I swaggered into school wearing mine. The Pretty girls may not have noticed, but I felt the difference. Though I'd bought the jeans for them, I continued wearing them for me. However, were they worth whatever exorbitant price my long suffering family paid for them? I, well... hmm.

Am I no better than a sixth grader now, with my be-logo'd leanings? Which Pretty girls am I trying to impress*, especially now that I'm living in a city where shoes bearing a "CONSERVATIVES ARE THE SOULLESS BANE OF MY ECO-FRIENDLY EXISTENCE" logo would likely take me further socially?  Am I truly dressing for myself here, or driven by some Other?

*I'd ask whether I was trying to impress the Anonymous Husband, but of course that's silly because us women are actually dressing for one another, if not ourselves, a good 98.2% of the time.

Any help from the Pretty gallery out there? Suggestions for change? Or do I just embrace this as my trademark & ignore any sinister Guess jeans undertones?

Summer '11 Trends: A (Rose) Gold for the Rest of Us

Once upon a Nordstrom, ladies with a penchant for jewelry had two choices of metal - silver or yellow gold, and never the twain should meet. Much like Coke / Pepsi or Aniston / Jolie, you had to pick a team and stick with it; none of this mixing metals business. Those of us with a, shall we say, more English (read: pasty) complexion tended to side with Team Silver.

*Mildly Important Sidebar*: Since you were wondering, I'm definitely not writing this frilly fashion post in an attempt to distract myself from a case of painful homesickness. Nope. Because going home to Southern California in perfectly weathered July, leaving behind the Death Hell Heat of Texas, only to return one short week later to the still Death Hell Heat'ed Texas, was a completely brilliant plan. I also certainly, 100% am not missing my dear friends back there or the cheeseburgers Animal style.

Ahem. *End Mildly Important Sidebar*

But back to the accessories . . . rose gold, an intriguing alternative & complement to the Silver/Yellow Gold divide, popped up in Spring '11 fashion, and it's an ongoing trend I'm signing up for as part of my ongoing Operation MILF wardrobe updating:

Sunnies by Michael Kors here, Earrings by Nadri (Nordstrom) here

To this yuppie's eye, rose gold is more vintage, less "Goodfellas". A bit less flashy, but still dramatic when the situation calls for it. It looks good with a summer tan (or tan-in-a-can, more accurately here), but doesn't demand it like yellow gold does.

As part of my intrepid blog journalism / distracting self from missing homeland desperately, etc., I unearthed some other rose gold favorites:

Left: Tom Ford "Rickie" metal sunglasses here  / Right: Majolie Rose Quartz Egg Drop earrings here

Left: Michael Kors "Runway" grey mother-of-pearl watch here; Right: Fossil (who makes MK watches, BTW) rose gold chronograph bracelet watch here

Left: Diana Warner "NYC Tree of Life" necklace here; Right: West Avenue Jewelry "Script Monogram" earrings (available in rose gold here)

What do you think, darlings - any plans to hop on the rose gold train? To buy me a plane ticket home to California or, failing that, those Tom Ford sunnies? 

Sisterhood of the Traveling Wedding Guest Dress

Subtitle: "Thursday noon service at the First Church of Materialism, Reformed"

Sub-Subtitle: "I really like subtitles."

You know the ideal of your perfect handbag, or shoe, or fiance - whatever the accessory  - you dream about while flipping through "In Style" or your other sartorial p0rn of choice? The one you fantasize about owning one day when you win that multi-million dollar contingency case or lottery, not necessarily in that order?

I recently came into possession of my dream, designer demure daytime dress (and whatever other adjectives begin with "d") entirely by accident and via the good graces of a dear friend & reader (hi, L!) looking to resell a frock. It - the dress, I hasten to add, not the friend - is flowery. It is sleeveless. It has an a-line skirt, which is exactly the cut my certified-as-child-bearing hips appreciate. It has pockets - POCKETS! - for the concealment of mini-quiches or lip gloss. It's just so . . . Charlotte. You know what I mean.

The label, CH Carolina Herrera, isn't terribly important - though it's way up there on my Platonic wish list of designers - as much as the dress' lineage. I'm a sucker for story as well as coveting things well out of my price range, so it's surprising I've only just started buying vintage and secondhand like this. This dress was originally bought in a panic by said friend, who had managed to convey herself, husband, and shiny new baby to a destination wedding, but not the dress she'd thought she'd packed. Enter Carolina:

Comes w/ grosgrain violet sash at natural waist; will model once I get brave / foolish enough for this OOTD business

And the story continues as the dress will travel with me this summer to four (! why, why all at once!) weddings & their respective rehearsals, brunches, and other Smug Married ceremonial necessities.

[Ridiculous OOTD photo redacted]

Mildly important sidebar: I don't know how you legitimate fashion bloggers have the stomach for these "Outfit of the Day" photos. There is no way to do them without feeling and/or looking insufferably (a) self-absorbed; (b) constipated; (c) like you sit around all day posing for photos [see sub (a)]. Many of you do it skillfully, and I just can't .  . . I just can't go there.

Anywhoodle, to me, this is such a happier result than the way I'd envisioned eventually finding such a dress. Trolling the interwebs for a sale has nothing on a frock from a friend - a dress with a Smug Married pedigree of its own, no less. Maybe someday I'll lend it to another wedding attending friend, and so on.

If only I could find such a friend for the shoes I'll need to pair Dream Dress with . . . anyone wanting to send me these? What if I pinky swear not to post an OOTD with them?

Photo Credit: Nordstrom

Operation MILF - Joining the Arm Party

Imagine my delight upon reading that actually fashionable people like Megan and the Man Repeller (unlike occasionally, delusionally fashionable ones like yours truly) have adopted the "arm party" trend of stacking a precarious-looking number of bracelets, watches, Christmas ornaments, etc up one or both arms. For once - hurrah! - I'm part of a trend - neveryoumind that I didn't even realize it.

I should back up & make a preppish note that women of a certain League membership have been doing this for forever. Here in Texas, one often sees David Yurman sterling bracelet stacks - all the better to set off that white bedazzled Michael Kors watch (if Daddy's Rolex wasn't available for "borrowing", that is). Back home in California, these stacks tend to be smaller & involve a Tiffany mix and match of silver baubles like this & that.

The current Arm Party trend, by contrast, is a little less Cartier (though by all means, if you can incorporate a Love bracelet, be my guest - and send me one) and a little more "I picked these up for nothing in a Marrakech souk (read: Target) during that undergrad trip." Less country club sterling, more brash gold. Golf claps all around for a trend making a look more affordable - for once.

Here's what I've been doing, albeit accidentally, on the Arm Party front; this is the tame version - not a party so much as a polite, evening gathering of the school board's fundraising committee, perhaps:

Bangles = Kenneth Jay Lane via Gilt / Tan = Jergens tan-in-a-can

And here's my untamed, "I want everyone within a three block radius to see & hear me coming", wear-a-lampshade keg party version:

Bangles = KJL, Charming Charlie's, vintage from a friend

You may be wondering about the Operation MILF inclusion in the title - in addition to helping us meet our desire to be fashionable, this trend is also toddler-friendly; Master P adores playing with these bangles & hearing them jingle-jangle. Plus, I can throw them on in a second without worrying about getting the look too "pulled together"; in the limited amount of time us new moms have to get dressed, anything thought-free like this is a winner.

Anyone else care to attend this party? You there, Colin Firth, are definitely welcome; while I doubt your interest in jewelry-based fetes, there is no party this girl is hosting to which you're not emphatically invited .  . . (with love to the Anonymous Husband)

CopyKate-ing, Wedge Espadrille Trend ed.

As my Twitter faithful - all three of you - know, yesterday poor Master P took a tumble at the local "splashpad" playground, which resulted in our very first ER visit. Thankfully & most importantly, he is well; I only wish I could say the same for my nerves, which, a la Mrs. Bennet, would benefit from a stern talking to & liberal application of pinot noir.

But today we're not here to talk about b-a-b-i-e-s lalalala mama needs a break from feeling guilty about her poor baby falling over even though this just happens sometimes especially to mothers of boys and OOH, look - pretty shoes!

Photo Credit: LK Bennett

LK Bennett "Maddox", US $265

As my fellow Royal obsessives know, this darling LK Bennett wedge, in black, has recently been spotted on La Kate / Catherine / Duchess of Cambridge & promptly sold out thereafter. Espadrille wedges being a Summer of '11 thing, this choice was somehow both classic and on-trend of her.

I'm not here to report on La Kate's latest fashions - I trust that you, like me, are (obsessively) reading over at What Kate Wore about that - but I was intrigued to hear from Ms. WKW that the Maddox wedges are being reissued both in black & a new taupe color, shown above.

A wedge espadrille fan for eons - approximately three years, to be exact - I planned to add these in the oh-so-versatile, leg-lengthening nude (still available as of this writing) (also, "nude wedge" sounds more like a high school prom strategem than a shoe) (parentheses) instead of the Kate black (sold out again as of this writing) to my summer 2011 wardrobe. . . that is, until I clicked over and saw the price. And the shipping fee to the US ($72, by my calculation). For a shoe I haven't tried on. Not to mention the potential return cost.

I set forth to the interwebs to forget about my poor wee babe falling over and why can't I just bubble wrap him until he's out of college investigate less pricey Maddox alternatives for those of us in the US, and am pleased to report there's other stylish nude wedges in the La Kate vein for the having.

In descending order of cost:                                             

Photo Credit: Stuart Weitzman

Stuart Weitzman "Luna", $195 (on sale from $325, limited availability online as of this writing)

Photo Credit: Zappos

KORS Michael Kors "Upland", $180

Photo Credit: Banana Republic

Banana Republic "Laredo", $120 

Photo Credit: Target

Target Xhilaration "Tallis" , $24.99

Hmm. I prefer the original La Kate version, but not with those shipping / return rates and I also prefer days like today in which my wee near-1-year-old baby doesn't fall over and scare the wedge espadrilles right off me.

What say you, interwebs? Other than I might need to lay off the Royal fashion imitating, that is?

Prettier Than Everyone Else: Start to Summer Style

Despite what you may suspect, this kindasorta traditional girl attempts to avoid solely worshipping at the Trust Fund Trinity of Style - Grace, Audrey, and Jackie, of course. Though any lady worth her pearls - ironic or otherwise, as Invisible Internet Friend Privilege might note - likely adores that Pantheon of Pretty, we risk getting stuck in a style rut if we merely imitate the past without incorporating some current iconography in our wardrobe dreaming.

That being said, it's been a while since we've taken a look back at Prettier times. Plus, it's my blog. In these challenging past few weeks of parenthood, I keep revisiting these favorite summertime images & reminding myself that one day I will be tan, glamorous, and well attired - preferably all at the same time, but right now I'll take any of the above.

We'll start off with some genuflection at the Pretty Icons altar, and then move along to a few of my favorite start-to-summer finds, both in bargain and dream edition:

I'd give up any number of favorite vices, save perhaps complaining, to be able to tan guilt-free again.

With thanks to Matchbook Mag for recently reminding me of this one.

Slim Aarons again at his whimsical best. Sometimes you just need a pink parasol.

Show of hands - who else wants an invite to this Slim party? 

As for a few summery finds, here's the beginning of my "best of what's around" budget/dream list as well as shameless pillaging of song titles:

Calypso St. Barth for Target "Straw Tote with Sequins" ($24.99) vs. Kate Spade "A Day Away Gemina" ($225)

Anthropologie "Shore House Shift" ($54.99) vs. Marc by Marc Jacobs "Schooner Dress" ($148)

 

Old Navy "Embellished Gauze Top" ($29.94) vs. MM Couture "Tunic" ($78)

Calypso St. Barth for Target "3/4 Sleeved Sequin Tunic" ($29.99) vs.  Jack Rogers "Provence Adeline Kurta" ($118)

More of the same once my wee CEO's ever-evolving schedule think he's dropping down to one nap ZOMG help me allows . . .

Playing Chicken with Fashion: Pretty vs. Skinny Jeans

Of the many things I pretend to be, fashionable isn't one of them. Though I enjoy keeping up with What Kids Are Wearing Nowadays ("WKAWN"), I only incorporate trends that suit my figure or preference. I don't fancy myself the most novel dresser around, though I have a defined style I prefer. When I wear pearls, I do so with not a whiff of irony.

When the skinny jeans fashion came along lo these two years ago or so, I was content to wait out the skintight storm. I envy those who can pull them off favorably, but as one who has hips officially certified by a doctor as wide, I am not one of you.

Happily, ignoring things I don't like comes naturally to me, hailing as I do from a long line of people wholly unwilling to acknowledge any unpleasantness in our midst. You may keep your "Oprah"-style sentimentalism; we'll take our vodka sodas with a splash of Pink Elephant, thankyouverymuch.

I may be strong in ignoring that which I dislike, but as my old reliable bootcuts & flares started to die out, I also began to run out of replacement options, faced as I was with a sea of skinnies. Jeans are a non-negotiable segment of any Southern Californian's wardrobe, so you can see the dilemma.

Imagine my feeling of triumph, then, when I opened up the Gospel According to "In Style" and spied this:

I tried to avoid omnipresent La Gwyneth here. I truly did, but she is everywhere, always. Sigh.

Granted, I'm betting neither of these ladies have been deemed officially childbearing of hip by their OB - not everyone can be this fortunate - but I'll take a fashionable return to flattering flared jeans when I get it.

Most importantly, I take from this as a "win" for Team Pink Elephant - if we ignore something long enough, it will go away. Fashion being cyclical, it may not disappear forever, but we're a resilient bunch. Gwyneth, Our Lady of Pervasive Presence, consider yourself warned.

Smug Mummy Style: The Mom Uniform Edition

 Subtitle: "Just Because I Had a Baby Doesn't Mean I Stopped Being Remarkably Vain" 

It was more a series of events than any one moment I can identify . . .

. . . maybe it was the morning the Anonymous Husband marched into the living room, freshly scrubbed & adorable in his business casual best, to say goodbye to Master P & me. He took one look at me in my usual morning-about-the-house getup - which I dearly wish I could tell you involves a fascinator & vintage smoking jacket, but in actual fact is more of the battered hotel robe & pj bottoms ilk - he paused, and sweetly whispered, "I think you have spit-up in your hair." 

. . . or maybe it was the 502nd time I sandwiched myself into my pre-pregnancy jeans, a process involving prayer and little oxygen. I've lost most of the 20 30 pounds put on in pregnancy but am left with different wobbly bits than before. Feeling the burn of waistlines past, I looked deep into bathroom mirror and wondered, "At least they're on?" before giving up and throwing on my out-of-date but comfy cargos yet again.

Whatever the motivation, I realized that I was inadvertently slipping into the Mom Look, one slippery slope and a few wine spritzers away from Chicoville. Not that I object to flowy pastel kaftans for Women of a Certain Age ("WOACA"), and I freely give myself & all other new moms a sartorial hall pass for the first six months or so of a baby's (whirlwind, sleep-free) newborn life. However, I've got a few more years to WOACA status and a reputation to uphold, so I'm not ready to let go and let Croc yet.

And so I'm setting about revamping the Pretty. Yes, there will be necessary concessions to my new stay-at-home-mom normal; I'll be investing in more quality ballet flats & sandals than my previously beloved heels. Any day dresses bought need to be at-home-wash friendly and long enough to let me bend & pick up my precious darling (vs. the "bend & snap" of years past). New tops need to acknowledge the changed landscape of my abdomen; abs, we hardly knew ye & won't again until time opens up for that tummy tuck those diligent workouts.

Another nod to reality - there will be sick days like today and "Why can't I manage to get in a shower? WHY???" days where the Mom-ouflage (baseball hat, giant sunglasses, yoga pants, workout-y top - classed up with pearl or diamond studs, naturally) will be in effect. We may not be rested enough to actually work out, but we may as well look as though we have & make everyone wonder How We Do It All - and trot out the Royal "We" while we're at it.

Let's bust out a Polyvore, shall we?  Here's what I've been going for lately Mom Uniform -wise, slowly adding items as naptime & revamped one-income budget permits .  . .

• Patterned Tunics: some may say tunics are merely a rest stop or two away from Kaftanville; I say there's a discernible waistline here, but one forgiving enough for the post-baby belly. The pattern is intentional, all the better for disguising baby ookiness. 

• Non-Diaper Bag Diaper Bag: Before baby, I devoted countless hours to finding just the right diaper bag - the one that now lives in the Trophy Wife Wagon with backup supplies because I fit everything I need in this (patterned & dark, to better mask stains) Le Pliage.

• Stylish Sandals: because if I buy one more be-logoed pair of Tory Burch, people will begin to think I've joined a shoe-based cult.

• Cropped Jeans, in my current size: Sigh. In white (Yes, I stained them within 10 minutes of putting them on) & dark rinse.

• Updated Accessories: Gold bangles - jangly ones to entertain Master P with - and fab tortoiseshell watch

More to come on the Smug Mummy Front, including dealing with (denying) the post-baby body wasteland, Mom-ouflage, and date night wardrobe updates...

Fall Fashion: Ruffles Redux

Please forgive me for the lack of posting, dolls, but it has taken me a few days to kick the Kimberlys in their (perfectly straight, blindingly white) teeth. Frankly, I've needed a wee break from the blogosphere as well, much as I adore you.

Happily, I've rediscovered the surefire cure to that which ails me - getting Prettier Than Everyone Else those Kimberly bitches included. Maybe I've watched one too many Merchant-Ivory movies, but as I was flipping through the latest Spring '10 Fashion Week, I was thrilled to see that amidst the studs and masculine plaids flooding the stores this fall, the floaty, romantic look is very much still in style. The ruffle, that brassy VIP of the romantic look, remains a fashion mainstay.

Consider these from the Field Marshall of Fierce, Christian Siriano (my Invisible Internet Friends Paisley Petunia also noted these here) (credit all photos: Style.com):

And one from my other BFF designer of late, Marc Jacobs:

Although my mood has rebounded, my wallet has not - not to the point of affording high fashion, that is, as that would be less of a rebound and more of a giant, er, bound. In any event, I meandered over to my go-to source for romantic splurges, Anthropologie, and discovered ruffly everyday pieces in pretty fall colors and a closer proximity to my price range (credit all photos: Anthropologie):

"Swept Away Top" - look how the fluttery bow up top draws the eye up to the face

"Sunlit Grove Coat" - aka, "Pretty's early Christmas present if the Anonymous Husband catches this hint"; just check out the sweet ruffle & pleating on the back:

!

"Blooming Phlox Tank" - like wearing a rose garden, minus the, um, dirt and bugs and stuff

"Windflower Necklace"

"Cashmere Squiggle Scarf"

What do you think, fashionistas - fluttery and fun, or do I need to step away from the Austen and Bronte for a bit?

The Handbag's Lament

(Subtitle: "Oh, good - she's being frivolous again!")

Oh, Muse - there you are /

Winking at me from afar /

Price beyond mortgage

(Photo credit: Saks. Haiku credit: me, unfortunately)

Once upon a handbag, many months ago, a certain lady of royal delusions discerning tastes spotted a certain YSL purse from across her computer screen. It was love at first ladylike handle.

I she saw, she schemed, she saved, until one blissful retail day she spotted the Muse (so perfectly named!) at her favorite store, in the desired neutral, fall-appropriate color. The Heavenly trumpets sounded, her AmEx began its anticipatory dance in her wallet, and all was right with the world until . . .

. . . the auto insurance bill arrived. And the mortgage one. Oh, and then she remembered the upcoming student loan payment.

This handbag hussy of five years ago? Would have found a way to the purse & the loan payments. By extended payments or some other voodoo magic, I would have pondered, plotted, and jammed all of the above into my budget - if not my savings account (foreshadowing!).

This handbag hussy now? (Begrudgingly) prefers to comfortably pay my bills. And have a savings account. And give money to, you know, other worthy causes. And lo, this accessories affair shall continue from afar for now.* I may be getting older, but some of that wisdom my family taught me just might be sinking in. If only the handbag crushes would stop nearly sinking me . . .

*PC Police Disclaimer: Yes, yes - the so-called "sacrifice" of a handbag is at best a silly sort of problem to be moaning about, particularly when people are struggling merely to pay their bills. I acknowledge that I'm blessed and lucky. Please just take this with the grain of (bad) haiku with which it is intended.

The Uniform

Once upon a time, we all sought to fit into a category. Be it the cheerleader, the athlete, the goth, or even the geek, as much as we may have aspired / vehemently not aspired to fit in the popular crowd, most of us took comfort in knowing what we were generally expected to act and look like. It is the stuff that John Hughes movies were so indelibly, wonderfully made of.*

*Oh, come on, I'm like 2 weeks overdue for a JH homage. At least it's a break from my "Mad Men" obsessing, no?

As a (credit) card-carrying adult, liberated from the tidily, too easily categorized halls of high school (CAN I GET AN AMEN?), of course these lines now blur, often intentionally so. Other bloggers like LPC describe it here more eloquently than I can, but long story short long at the ripe old age of thirty-one, I'm both comfortable in my skin and usually no longer want to be tidily identified solely by that (yuppie) exterior.

This morning, however, I awoke to the same anxiety about work / sleep / personal-stuff-I-will-get-int0-eventually-here that has been plaguing me for weeks, looked my closet in the . . . um, hanger? . . . , and decided - today is the day that I need a uniform. Not the conservatively fashionable one I usually agonize over, but the one outfit I don't have to think about, that will take me to work today and to play tonight and be appropriate for all of the above.

Much as I try to resist the overly prepster look or even "preppy blogger" label, today I'm embracing my Claire Standish roots, fitted pink cardigan, Lilly dress, pearls and all. I've working the slightly rock star purse too just in case Judd Nelson* makes an appearance, but bad boys aside, I'm confident and ready for the student government meeting or, less thrillingly, that pile of discovery I need to get out. Sometimes the superficial labels & clothes can be a good thing, even (especially) if just for the day.

*Or better yet, Steff from that other Hughes classic - any guesses?

What's your uniform?

(Insert Proper Post Here)

My darlings, I've been besieged by work, hence I won't be able to throw together a proper series of travel posts until this weekend at the earliest. To be frank, even if professional piddliness wasn't getting in the way, I'd still be having a difficult time writing these - to summarize my travel experiences is to acknowledge that they are at an end, and - well, me and Denial go way back. As do me and vodka, with equally questionable results.

In the meantime, I'm going to hunker down and labor away, not just at my paid job but also on my defense of the Scandinavian Leggings Uniform (!). Yes, really. See you shortly, starting in Copenhagen . . .