Spring Fling

I'm so happy winter is over, the 3 days of rain almost drowned me. Even though I love buying coats, boots, layers, etc. I'm truly a sun girl. My toes like to be free, I'd rather have bare legs than tights and my hair likes the dry weather. 

So that brings us to spring. What's new? What's in? What color is hot? What should I add to my wardrobe?  Here's a few thoughts; I don't really care about the trends, if it doesn't look good on you, who cares if everyone is wearing it? Color; buy what you like (except for black - you already have enough of that). What should you buy? Have you looked at what you have? If you haven't worn it in 3 years, give it away. Go through your closet, what needs to be mended, cleaned, tossed, etc. 

Now that you've done the work here's what I found in Nordstroms which caught my eye. I shopped like price wasn't an option, do you know why? Because the same things are in every store at every price. The less expensive stores copy the expensive stores. So you might the same style for a fraction of the cost, just keep your eyes open.

(1) CUT OUTS: This is everywhere, in shoes, skirts, dresses, jackets, etc:

Halogen "Prism" Eyelet cotton fit and flare dress $128

Halogen "Perforated" leather skirt $228

 

Halogen "Prism" eyelet cotton skirt $79

leather skirt up close

Betsey Johnson eyelet dress $178.00

Overpriced honeycomb dress $395

Zara cut out dress with a slip under $100

(2) Trend that won't go away - the "Moto" jacket, short for Motorcycle. It used to only come in black leather. Now it's in all kinds of color and material. 

Splendid cotton blue and white strip $128

Diane Von Furstenberg blue and white leather $945

Some overpriced designer white leather $1495

Zara cream cotton $119

(3) Animal print, this never seems to go away. Me, I'm Persian, we love it and will wear it whether it's in or out! Now if your sick of the typical leopard print, now there's giraffe, snake skin and everything in between.

Diane von Furstenberg skirt  $275

Rachel Zoe Collection

Rachel Zoe Giraffe print jacket

Diane von Furstenberg snakeskin skirt $275

(4) Shapes, fit and flare dresses, shorts instead of skirts....

Mint cardigan (very in color right now) and flare skirt to the left. To the right, dressy shorts - all pieces under $69 

Flare dress - I liked the shape, not the style so much - overpriced $575 

Fashion addict!

I can't believe it's been over a month since I've blogged. Since my last blog I've subscribed to a ton of fashion magazines and I've been blogging in my head. That doesn't help you much!

My last post with JB was 12/26/13 tittled "Get Unstuck". Well I've created a monster, a fashion monster that is! He's addicted to looking good and he has to get his "Katya shopping fix" whenever he can. I love that he loves it. I see him get so much attention from everyone, they tell him how good he looks, how sharp his outfits are and he just seems to smile more and stand with an air of confidence he didn't have before. A makeover can be magical.

JB's first shopping experience was about getting the basics in, black, blue, grey and white. They were all interchangeable and the goal was to get as many outfits from his new purchases as possible.

Now we are venturing out. On our 2nd shopping trip he purchased bright blue slacs (H&M $35) a red and blue plaid shirt (H&M $30) and red suede loafers (Macy's - Alfani $50).

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The 3rd trip we added some summer items: 

A light blue linen shirt (note the rolled up sleeves - makes your biceps look bigger!) (Zara $40.00) Light white/cream cotton slacks, similar to khaki's but with more style (Zara $80.00) and tan loafers (Zara - we didn't buy them - not the best quality shoe for the price)

Below the same slacks but with a blue button up (Zara $40.00) , blue light cotton sweater (Zara $40.00) and a blue and white polka dot tie (Zara $35.00)  - I love polka dot (so now John does too) with blue oxfords (Zara - we didn't buy them).

 Here he wore the same pants and tie with a cotton light blue sweater (H&M $30.00). Grey oxfords (DSW $55.00) and fun blue socks (H&M).

Look how happy he is!!! Notice the new hairdoooo! I suggested he stop cutting it so short and putting gel in it - I think he looks extra handsome like this. 

Here's his new black, shiny suit (Zara $99.00) Aqua shirt (Zara $55.00) and Aqua/yellow strip tie (Zara $35.00)

The overall look is slim pants, color or fun pattern in small doses, clean simple lines, tailored is best and comfort. 

From Boys to Men

I remember when I first realized I could start investing in clothing. I was about 25 years old, I just realized I was no longer getting taller, my size was going to stay the same (unless I ate my way out of my current body) and I was officially an adult. Prior to this I would shop in thrift stores, Melrose or cheap stores trying so hard to look different and unique, aka silly. I started looking at stores in the mall that I would never have gone in before. I was looking for hip but well made "grown-up clothes". Bebe had just opened up (don't think of the Bebe nowadays, they either changed their buyer or designers, it's a totally different store now) they made well made suits with a bit of a flair and the suits were $200-$300. This was a ton of money, but I knew it was time to invest. I bought a fully lined, linen suit that was so hip, it had wide legs, a jacket with a wrap tie at the waist and it looked great. It was my first grown-up outfit. I used it for weddings, job interviews, speaking, basically anything important.

Well now I get to help people who are currently having the realizations I did years ago.

Meet Thomas pictured here with Coco, this is Thomas's BEFORE photos. He's my newest prodigy. He's been reading my blog, I think he saw John's transformation and asked for some help. Prior to our meeting he proudly told me he got his first facial (see "MEN" June 2010 blog post) . I glowed like a proud mama!

Thomas is 30 years old, attending college and he's recently transitioned from starving student to living a bit more financially comfortably and he's an all around great guy. He's pretty mature for his age, he likes dating women who "have something going on" and realized when he wants to go out with these woman, he doesn't like showing up in t-shirt and jeans. So Thomas contacted me and said, "I'm ready"! After we talked what I gathered is, he's ready for his outsides to match his insides......so off to the mall we went.

Thomas gave me his budget, I increased it and we set a date. Thomas let me know he's never liked shopping, he's tried to change his look, goes into stores, gets lost, doesn't know what to buy and then leaves discouraged. That's what I'm for! I promised this would be fun. 

Being this was his first venture away from Jeans, white T-shirts and clunky high-tops I decided we had to go somewhere that was extremely reasonable. Once he's a full fledged disciple, we can start spending more money on key pieces, but for now, we have to get as much as possible for as little as possible. That's when I knew we were going to H&M. 

I showed him some ideas, styles and had to push him to be honest with me. I don't want anyone saying yes to me and then the clothes sit in their closet, that's the worst! So I pulled and pulled clothes and set him up in the dressing room. I pulled, tugged, made him turn, sit, stand and asked hundreds of questions. Then when we were done, I pulled all the "yes's" and showed him what goes with what. Almost everything I chose would be interchangeable with everything else. We are just building his wardrobe, so we needed more neutrals than unique pieces (those come later). John also came along with us, he's completely hooked at looking good and all the positive attention he's been receiving lately, he likes looking like a grown up, and so do the ladies!  

Below is Thomas pretending to cry knowing he's about to spend his mullah! But look at John, he's so happy, he knows he's going to look good! Thomas isn't convinced yet. He bought 3 slacks, 1 long sleeve t-shirt, 3 cardigans, 1 sweater and 3 button up shirts - he spent about $350 - that's an average of $31 a piece. Note - I just looked on H&M and the 2 cardigans are now 1/2 off, I told Thomas to go back with his receipt and the sweaters so they can either credit his account or he can shop more (that's why you have a personal shopper - it doesn't end the day the shopping is done).

Next we needed shoes, we went to Nordstrom where I had a feeling we wouldn't be buying shoes but I wanted him to see the expensive, well made brands to get the idea that this is what good shoes look like and cost ($150-$500). Then we went to Macy's where they always have a sale and found these suede loafers. Thomas wasn't convinced at all, he was concerned there was no support, that his feet would hurt, blah blah blah. Then disciple John started telling him "dude, you're not going to work in these shoes or walk for 8 hours, these are for a date, dinner, movie, that's it dude, plus you'll look good!" I think I am bringing John with me to all my male make-overs. The shoes were about $50. John who's ready to venture out bought red ones.

Below is Thomas's first outfit. Blue gingham button up, Grey cardigan, blue checked pants (they look grey but they are blue). He's not convinced yet, look at his face.

Now Thomas is starting to have a little fun, a few poses and there's Coco (camera whore). This is my version of a hooded sweatshirt. It's a thin sweater, with grey slim cotton slacks. 

Outfit #3 and Thomas is officially having fun, look at that smile on his face! Black cardigan, light blue and white striped button up, grey cotton slacks (same as above). 

And the finally, a double breasted sweater (cardigans aren't for Mr. Rogers anymore!), electric blue button up and black cotton slacks plus Roxie (the other camera whore). 

I went to a bridal shower yesterday and showed some of the girls his before/after photos and if only Thomas could have heard them oogle and gaggle about how good he looked. I have to say I agree!

Dress your age not your shoe size.....well maybe sometimes......

Earlier this month I posted on facebook asking if anyone had any questions and SKS said:

Age appropriate fashion tips. i.e. even though it's Southern California, at what age should a woman no longer bare her legs and go with stockings? What about swimwear- I don't care about the fact you CAN wear a bikini, when does it become inappropriate? Skirt lengths for 45+ and exceptions to the rule. ‪#keepitclassyLosAngeles

My first thought was......there are no rules, wear what you want, but that's not true. I love rules....ask my friends....I have too many. So there is no black and white, hard and fast rules. It depends on your body size, age and what you can pull off  - meaning your personality. I'll do my best to be as clear as possible.

To answer SKS 1st:

Bathing suits: If you look good in a bikini, then wear it; there is no age limit in my book. Besides if you have a decent body and you're in a one-piece, to me it looks weird. 

Stockings: Sorry but just the word stockings sounds old. If you mean tan nylons - I say never. Not ever, never. If you have age spots on your legs, tell yourself they are freckles and freckles are cute. Anyone who wears tan nylons screams OLD. Go bare legged all day long.  Or nude fishnets are super cute with brown shoes. Now, black tights, fishnets, and fun patterned tights, these I like. I wear them during the winter with boots. I'm not a big fan of dark tights with heels; it's a hard look to pull off. Also, NEVER EVER wear stockings with open toe shoes. I thought everyone on the planet knew this until I saw a lady with open toe heels, a mini skirt, a terrible bra which made her boobies look like weird cones and she had to be pushing 60+. It was a very bad look it hurt my eyes.

Skirt length: Ok now this will be difficult to describe. I don't think age dictates the length of the skirt. For example: I have a friend, she’s 40, under 5'5” and she used to be a dancer. Dancer = muscular legs. Her legs aren’t long; she has amazing muscular calves and thighs. If she wears knee length skirts it will make her legs look short, stocky and it’s not flattering. She wears mini-skirts/short dresses, but she’s figured out a way to wear them tastefully, here’s how. Her skirts/dresses are loose and have an A-line to them, never tight. When she wears a skirt, the top is always loose and not revealing, since she’s already revealing leg. Because she has fab legs, when she sits down and the skirt rides up, it does not matter, her legs look fab!

I know another girl, just over 40; she’s maybe 5’6” – 5’7” (she always wears heals so I’m not sure of her true height). She wears short dresses that are tight at the boobies with heels. The dresses are too short, when she sits down, she’s self contentious of the sides of her legs and so she’s constantly adjusting her skirt, pulling it down, trying to hide the sides of her legs. She looks ridiculous, like she’s trying to look younger than she is. Unfortunately it does the opposite.

For me, I’m 5’8”; long legs (thank you baby Jesus and Mom) mini-skirts with heels are out of the question. I do have a few short skirts; one is really super cute, camouflaged, a-line, with a few sequined details (you have to see it, it sounds weird in the description) I wear this with a loose top and converse slip-ons or flip-flops. I have a few dressier skirts, I wear them with tights/opaque hose and flat riding boots, I have some summer dresses that are short, and I wear them with Tory Burch flip-flops. Hint, the cheaper the dress/skirt the shorter it is. I can’t go into Forever21 and find a dress, ever.

**Note for those wanting to look attractive and classy but not super sexy, not trashy following these suggestions** Show one body part only at a time. If you’re showing cleavage, have your bottom half covered in loose clothing. No tight top and tight pants/skirt. If you have tight, sexy pants on then wear a loose shirt. If you’re wearing a short skirt, then a loose top is preferred. If you think your short skirt might be a bit too mini, wear flats. Heels with a mini are for Vegas, a club or girls under 30. 

Hope that helps!

My boyfriend......boyfriend jeans that is

I love boyfriend jeans. I love any look that is casual and not sweats. You know how I feel about sweats, if you don't, shame on you, read previous posts you bad fashionista! Casual is hard for me. I'm Persian, we dress up to go the grocery store. So when I find a casual look that is comfortable, hip, fashionable and looks good on me......oh I'm so happy.

Before boyfriend jeans, I had a love/hate relationship with jeans. Jeans made me look great, they were like spanx to the 10th degree, but they were oh so uncomfortable. Remember when it was all about low-rise boot cut jeans that had wide bottoms, you wore them with high heels (preferably platforms) and they were tight as heck? If you were 5lbs over weight or more (umm which is everyone) these jeans created the ever so lovely muffin top (see previous posts).  Or if you had a booty you were the victim to the whale tale (see photo)

They were so long, so tight and the heels so high - there was no comfort happening for days. So when I'd ask, "so what should I wear to said event", and someone would say "oh you know, it's casual, just wear jeans". I would think, do they know I can barely sit in those jeans and they are so long you can't wear tennis shoes with them, I'm stuck in 4-6" heels and I'll be well over 6ft tall????

Then one day a miracle happened.....no not the Pajama Jeans......about 4-5 years ago the ever so lovely "Boyfriend Jeans" hit the stores. I was a skeptic at first. I was working at Nordstrom's, they were $150-$250, torn and baggy. Did they think I was a fool? I thought they would make me look fat and in no way would I pay money to look fat. I can do that all on my own, thank you very much! So I poo pood them.

If you didn't know, most of my fashion inspiration comes from real people on the street,  I see something on someone and think, hey that's cute and then I go find it. Well this is what happened with the BF jeans, I started seeing them on everyone and they looked cute. I saw them casual, dressed up, mid-level dressed up and realized they were so versatile. I still wasn't ready to pay full price for them, and one day I found myself in Old Navy (shhhh don't tell, my Persian family would have me shot by a firing squad) and they had a pair of BF jeans, torn but no too torn, nowhere on the jeans did they advertise "Old Navy" and they were $40. So I bought them, I wasn't 100% sold on this trend and I didn't want to invest too much. I wore them with flats (Tory Burch silver ones of course), I wore them with high heeled sandals, I wore them with T-shirts or blouses, I could wear any color with them, hot pink, green, yellow, practically any color goes with jeans. I had to start keeping track of when and where I wore them so people didn't see me in them too much (as if you are all keeping score - I forget I'm the only one I know with a true photographic memory).

Then winter came and I was so sad. I would have to put away my BF until next summer. But wait!!! I'm at the mall and in walks this woman in a bulky sweater that hits at her waist, BF Jeans and cute combat boots! There you have it ladies and ladies, BF can stay with me through the winter!!!! and he did!

I still wear these jeans today, no one believes me when I tell them they are from Old Navy and cost $40, they look as good as the stupid $200 ones.

So here's how to buy boyfriend jeans.

If you are 5'4 or under and thin:
You can wear them super baggy (at least 2"- 4" in waist size larger than you normally would) with a big belt, flats (sandals, or lace up flat boots) or heels, just wear a tight top, tight sweater, cropped jacket in the winter, wife beater with a big light material scarf in the summer. Trust me, you are thin, we know you are thin and nothing makes you look fat. It's an illusion that you have to wear tight to show your body. Also, only roll up the pants 2x. If you have to roll them up more, then cut the bottom so the roll isn't super bulky. Also, they must hang a bit, don't pull them up to your waist. You also can wear them tighter (I'll describe that later).

Jennifer Aniston pictured left

 

If you are 5'4 or less and not thin (if you have a distorted view of yourself and you don't know if you are thin just know anyone size 6 and under in my eyes is thin - ok don't get your panties in a bunch, if you are above a size 6 you are not fat, you are still NORMAL but you're just not thin, thin also has to do with body frame, oh geeze I might have opened up a can of worms). Anywhoo...... you under 5'4 girls who have some curvature, need to wear these jeans a little tighter. NOT TIGHT, just tighter (2" in waist size larger) Tighter in the booty and thigh region, not in the calf area - we are not buying skinny jeans. Wear them with the same items above minus the wife beater (that's what Jen is wearing). Instead wear a more blousey blouse. Heels would be best for you.

For you girls over 5'5 or tall girls, you have it the best. You can wear baggy BF or tighter BF. You can wear heels or flats, just go crazy!

 

My fav look right now - I have to get these!

 

Now for where to buy:

If you're like I was when I first started and you don't want to spend a lot of money, I'm all for that.
Right now The Gap has a pair on sale for $45.99 called "1969 deconstructed boyfriend sexy jeans" item # 600623. Buy them on line, 1 and 2 sizes up, when you get them decide which you like best and return the other one to the store. They come in petite (read previous post, if you are under 5'4 buy these in petite). Or just start shopping and see what you like. I promise, once you buy a pair, you'll be thanking me.