Breaking the Rules

That old fashion dictum that you shouldn't wear more than one boldly-printed item per outfit is so deeply etched in my mind that I have a hard time questioning it. I'll happily wear the leopard print shoes, but not with a leopard print blouse. Despite the fact that I embrace mixed and layered prints in interior decorating, that attraction doesn't affect the way I dress. Until, perhaps, now.

I love the more-is-more aesthetic of this Gap ad. Even though the two striped items bear identical patterns (rather than ones that just use the same color palette), the outfit still works, coming across as playful, even joyous. It doesn't overwhelm because the rest of the outfit is completely tame, comprising the simplest shapes, textures and colors. All you focus on are the stripes, and without them, the clothes would be utterly bland. I also wonder whether the fact that the patterned pieces are at opposite ends of the body, with the plain fabric giving the eye a breather, keeps the prints from being too busy. I won't be racing out to Gap to buy these matching pieces, but I do intend to keep their styling idea in mind for future outfit inspiration.

Gap ad from Lucky, December '07.

Styling Idea: Scarf Under a Cardigan

Stick with me here but I found a terrific styling idea in a pretty unlikely place - the latest issue of "O". Here it is:



I love cardigans and am always on the lookout for new ways to wear them. I never would have thought of draping a scarf under a deep v-neck cardigan instead of wearing a cami or a tank. I'd be a little worried about how well the scarf would stay put as I moved around, put on and took off a coat, etc. but it's so interesting that I'm willing to give it a try. The belt looks like a useful anchor. Also, a scarf woven from textured thread would probably be a lot steadier than one in silk. I love how breezy and seemingly thrown-together a look this is, but at the same time, it's so flowing and elegant. Plus, it's an excuse to wear scarves more often.

I'm cracked up over the fact that the tip is from an article about how to conceal the skin on an aging neck! Though I'm a couple decades shy of having to worry about that, and though "O" isn't a magazine where one would expect to find fashion-forward tips, I'm certainly not above stealing this idea. Which just goes to support my larger belief that style inspiration can be found pretty much anywhere. Happy hunting!

Image from O, November '07.

Plunge-Backed Sweater

When temperatures drop sharply, as they have been in my corner of the world this past week, the inverse relation between literally feeling cozy and "looking hot" becomes increasingly frustrating. I'm intrigued by this sweater because of the potential it suggests for making the chunky knits that are so essential to staying warm in the winter a wee bit sexier. Its plunging v-shaped back, like that of the more familiar open-backed evening gown, suggests a glimpse of a part of the body that's usually concealed. The fact that the sweater is dark so that it contrasts with the pale, neutral-colored bodysuit underneath also references this idea.

I wonder whether a scoop-backed sweater would be even more effective if it had more of a draped "U" shape or whether that would require dialing back on the thickness of the wool to avoid making the whole thing too bulky. I'd like to see how a similar idea would play out in a slightly finer knit and I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for this kind of sweater in the shops.

Sweater by Just Cavalli. Image from Marie Claire, November '07.

Watercolor Stripes

I'm not a stripey kind of girl. Stripes have too much of an athletic connotation for the way I like to dress when I'm not working out or playing a sport. I do, however, love this striped top, and for a very simple reason: I adore anything that looks like it was painted with watercolors. I crave the softness of the hues and the way they blur and blend. Usually, and this instance is no exception, the fluid drape of chiffon communicates the feel of that sort of paint best. The loose cut and light and silky fabric look wonderfully comfortable. I like the wide scoop neckline, too, to show a little skin. I'd probably wear this top to gussy up a pair of jeans (or short shorts come summer, the exercise gods and my thighs willing).

Image from InStyle, November 2007.

Paisley Bikini

A good swimsuit can be hard to find. There are lots of reasons for this. A big one is that swimsuits don't give designers all that much room to manoeuvre. After all, the number of shapes and the type of fabric are fairly limited. With the exception of color and pattern, most swimsuits look pretty similar.

Then there's the issue of figure flattery. Of course you want something that's going to do what it can to distract from the parts of your body that aren't quite how you'd like them. My personal belief is that a bathing suit's ability to do this is entirely minimal. Sure, a large bust needs support and the rule that dark colors are minimizing still applies, but you're basically wearing 2 ounces of fabric. Ninety-five percent of your body is completely exposed and the rest is encased in the thinnest layer of spandex. You can run but you can't hide (besides, running and cellulite jiggle do not a happy combination make).

For these reasons, I absolutely cannot fathom spending a lot of money on a swimsuit. I usually buy them off-season and stash them until I'm next on a sunny beach. I look for styles that are going to be supportive and not dig in at any awkward places, but beyond that, I don't fret much about the cut of the suit. The biggest factor I look for is an interesting pattern or color. For a few years now, I've been buying bikini tops and bottoms at different times and from different places, and have had fun mixing and matching them. I gravitate towards the same colors and patterns as I would in other clothing - nothing garish and nothing completely plain (the all-black swimsuit is dull, dull, dull).

I really like this bikini from the November Harper's Bazaar:



The paisley is playful yet classic. The colors warm but subdued. And I like the subtle cross-over detailing on the top, too. The price is reasonable enough to consider buying even before it goes on sale.

Nighty Night

With the slight exception of Elle, this month so far the fashion magazines have been a complete wash-out in terms of inspiring images. Lucky, Marie Claire, Fashion and even Vogue have all been unbelievably slim pickings. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Harper's Bazaar, which should be arriving any day now.

In the meantime, I've been looking at some of the photos from the past couple of months and found two that I haven't yet shared but which continue to impress. Both show loungewear, both are delicate and feminine, but one skews sexy and the other more cozy.



I'm loving cream and black as a color combination right now. So much more old-world than black and white, almost as though it has been faded by time but still with a crispness and a unisex appeal. The colors must be the only gender-neutral aspect of this negligee though. Everything else is so demurely sultry: the dress-like cut, the silk, ribbons and lace, the body-shaping underwire.

Still sexy, but more in a girl-next door vein, is this set:



Of course, it's made of cashmere, so it's soft as opposed to scratchy. I'm thrilled by the lavender color, which seems to have fallen from favor in recent seasons. I love the casually elegant shape of the top, which is loose but not shapeless, with flowing, on-trend sleeves. I'm also a big fan of the pointelle lace-inspired knit pattern on the panties.

It can be hard to justify investing in beautiful loungewear when there are so many gorgeous pieces of clothing that one can actually leave the house wearing. But then again, maybe true style is about what you wear (and do) even when no one's watching.

First image from Harper's Bazaar, October '07. Chemise by Guia La Bruna. Second image from Elle, October '07. Sleepwear by Huit.

Prada Prints

Ignore the scowls on the models' faces and focus on the prints. Aren't they charming? It's been a while since we saw these kinds of florals: large-scale flowers, more realistically rendered than stylized, spread out widely across the fabric, leaving plenty of background for breathing space. The colors are fabulous, too. Rich plums, midnight blues and butter yellows instead of the girlish pastel pinks or garish cherry reds that one frequenly encounters with florals. It's also refreshing to see a variety of less commonly depicted flowers like fully blown poppies and mini carnations (or are they asters?) as a variation on the usual theme of roses, roses, roses. Here's hoping that Prada sparks a trend and that we see more of this kind of gutsy patterned fabric showing up on clothes in the next few seasons.

Images from Elle, November '07.