WSJ lists best & worst fashions of 2009

Friends, you can't believe everything you read. WSJ lists the best and worst fashions for 2009 and I have a few comments on their report:

Best: Boyfriend jeans (with pumps) - I know many of you wear boyfriend jeans and love the comfort factor, but are they the most flattering? The photo showed Katie Holmes sporting them with black pumps, and I'm sorry, even though she's tall, lean and rich, they aren't that cute.

Best: Oxford shoes, as in flat, tie oxfords featured in the photo with a dress no less, and I say, ain't gonna fly. Whether with jeans, trousers and certainly a dress, oxford shoes aren't attractive unless you are theatrically making a menswear statement.

Best: Belted dresses. Yes, the leaner silhouette is refreshingly sophisticated after all these years of empire or babydoll shapes.

Best: OVER-the-KNEE-Boots - I spent a bit of time on this highly touted fashion statement prior to my trip to Paris and London last month. The fashion mags, the NY Times, Style section all reported this hot trend. Given the predicted temps and my strategy to wear leggings or short skirts and tights, I bought a few pairs of OTKB on line, only to send them back. Fortunately I had a weekend in NYC to peruse the streets of SoHo and decide whether they were a smart style choice. The answer, on the street, everyone wore knee high boots, or an occasional ankle or mid-calf boot. Only the Jersey Girls, (sorry Jersey, but if you've ever been to the bar at the SoHo Grand on a Saturday night, you spot the Jersey Girls,) only the Jersey girls were decked out in their high heeled, Over-the-Knee-Boots - need I state the obvious comparison?

Best: Dressy Shorts - Love this look, yes with heels if you are in your twenties and thin. You do know I aspire to the old adage "never too rich or too thin."

Best: Cardigan Sweaters - Thanks to M'Obama mama, cardi's can be a hip added layer. Try a fun color and add a skinny or a wide belt for that shapely silhouette, and to avoid looking like your grandmother.

Best: Mad Men Style - Yes, thin is in as in shapely, two button suits, a bit of a shoulder and a skinny tie. Fortunately for men, their styles do not fluctuate too much. Note: three button's jackets and pleated trousers are out.

Best: White shirts - YAWN. Yes this basic can come in handy if you want a crisp professional look and to blend in the crowd, but can't we be creative? That's why it is called a basic.

And now for the WSJ's list of the worst fashion for 2009:

Worst: Big Shoulders - Okay, 80's Norma Kamali shoulder pads the size of a D cup are dated, but a moderate, shouldered garment, be it a jacket or a tee shirt is shapely and fresh. Now to my two fashionable friends who encouraged me to buy a bat-wing-ish fitted, zipper top from H&M (via cell phone camera,) shame on you and shame on me for buying it!

Worst: Wild platforms - yes Herman Munster shoes are still out.

Worst: Short shorts with tights. - I beg to differ; I like this look again, if you are in your twenties and good shape it was a cute way wear shorts this fall. The shoe matters, perhaps a high but not stiletto pump in the same color of the tights (preferably black) will work and flat boots, any height. Hey, If you want to be a fashion victim in OTKB with your short shorts and tights, and are in great shape in your twenties, go for it.

Worst: "It" Bags - In any economy it is best to buy what you love and suits your lifestyle.

Worst: Tunics over leggings - Is the author crazy?? In the fine print the crime was on a red carpet, but it wasn't the Oscars and the outfit looked glam. Let's face it, leggings are baaack.

Worst: Skinny jeans on men - I happen to love skinny jeans on skinny men sporting a "Euro" look. Again, the author mentioned one exception: The Jonas Brothers. At the risk of libel, I'll refrain from repeating my immediate response.

Worst: Booties with skirts - Au contraire - walk the streets of NYC, London & Paris and you will see flat or heeled booties with dresses & skirts - it's hip.

Worst: Harem pants - Agreed, no matter how comfy.

And last but not least, Worst: Sequins by day - although I wrestled with sequins this holiday season, the outfit featured was a grey, short sleeve sequin cardigan (a.k.a. shrug) over a white t-short and jeans. I thought it looked cute, wearable, not holiday at all.

So there you have it. If you made it this far, let me remind me you my friends, you can't believe everything you read; even this blog - it's just my opinion.

Tis the Season for Sequins

Tis the Season for Sequins...

This holiday season, sequins are ubiquitous and available at all prices. For me, it started at Topshop in NYC, early November: a cobalt blue sequin tunic caught my fantasy for a holiday party. Typically a size 4, the size 8 fit like a “stuffed sausage,” as my Grandmother would say, and there were no larger sizes. Let the games begin. DKNY SoHo had a cute, short sleeve t-shirt covered in sequins in assorted rich jewel tones. On the mannequin they featured a silver grey one with a thick, wooly grey infinity scarf that kinda dressed it down, more my style. At $145, it had potential, but I wasn’t motivated enough to buy. Next stop London, where I saw more sequin tanks, tops & dresses in colors of the season. While walking through a mall with my sister-in-law, I saw a multi-colored jewel tone tunic-tank for under 20 quid, translation, under 40 bucks in US dollars. There wasn’t time to try it on and I passed. Is it possible after seeing so many sequin styles I was over it before the parties began?

At the first holiday party I attended, my dear friend arrived wearing a champagne colored sequin top with skinny jeans and knee high boots. The color was extremely flattering on her fair skin, with blonde hair. We laughed that I could have been wearing sequins as well. (I eventually became determined to wear a relatively new outfit I wore once earlier in the fall, a deep purple silk top and lapis jacket with black faux fur color.) At the party there were red sequins, black sequins, silver sequins abound. My husband whispered he was glad I wasn’t wearing sequins. (Unfortunately for him, he was with me on all the shopping outings, evaluating assorted sequin tops.)

The next holiday party was a shopping event for a charity. Being on a Thursday night, I had come straight from a busy day, and was dressed in black cashmere long sweater over leggings, YSL gold trimmed boots, all accented with appropriate gold jewelry. When I walked in I was blinded by the array of yes, sequins! The host was wearing blue sequin top with a black skirt, there was another black sequin tank top, and a jewelry designer wore a brushed gold Nanette Lepore dress with liquid leather tights and booties. Stunning. (Ironically, I tried that same dress on in Las Vegas and passed thinking I would wear it only once, because it was such a statement.)

And that my dear friends was the hesitation, investing in sequin attire is yes of the moment, but do we want to be in that massive fashion trap whether it was $40 or $540? Would you wear sequins after the holidays and feel foolish? If you wore sequins again next holiday season, wouldn’t that be “so last year?”