Sweaters are the undeniable winner as far as trends go for the 2020 winter season. The return of cardigans is noteworthy because it is everything you think it’s not. Erase images of basic ho hum styles worn solely to warm you while sitting in your office chair. The cardigan of 2020 has personality. Think of it as the replacement fashion piece for blazers and motorcycle jackets which feel less compelling to reach for when considering a living room Zoom meeting. The cardigan of 2020 is elevated enough to take you anywhere you want to go and spunky enough to lift your spirits. There is truly a style for everyone right now.
I was very lucky to hear the brilliant and hilarious Michael Kors once say the following to a captive room of retailers and editors: “ all that really matters is what you wear from the waist up. The top half is where we get the most fashion credit.” In his view, once one sits at the dinner table or in a desk chair, all anyone sees is the top half! His wisdom feels more true than ever right now.
It’s October first. Sorry to say. I’ve been anticipating ripping the “September” page from my poster sized calendar and feeling a sense of dread. One of my friends recently said: “days are long, years are short”. I’m not sure where she got this clever adage but it stuck with me. The days are long and the years, months and weeks are flying. I’ve never been more aware of the passing of time than right now.
Last year at this time, I was pouring over images of Zendaya in an emerald green Vera Wang custom gown. The bodice of the dress was a sheer corset with boning running down the front until it met the subtly draped satin skirt that ran from her hip bone to the floor. The satin fabric was broken up by a high leg baring slit that revealed last season's dye to match shoe trend. It was a new type of red carpet perfection. Have you ever caught yourself the Monday after an award show considering adding an emerald green something in your closet? The gowns we recall for a lifetime do much more than fit. They often bring out the best in the wearer and even have the power to show us a new dimension of who they are. At their best, they might even show us the possibility of who we could be.
Is it Thursday again? Do you also find yourself wondering how it is whatever day it is because it was literally just that day yesterday? Where did the time go? It feels like the slowest and fastest of times. I would personally like to ask the emptying hourglass of sand to take five. That's how quarantine feels to me most of the time. Yet amidst the groundhog's day moments and fear that time actually is “slipping into the future”, there have been magical instants where time feels suspended and I can feel myself savoring the actual minute I’m living in.
Who wears short shorts? Not that many people I know in real life actually. Why? Short shorts pose infinite challenges that don’t always make sense from a functional standpoint and it can be really difficult to find a great pair. Right now, all I know for sure is that I want to be able to wear shorts in the summertime that are equal parts attractive, comfortable and versatile. This doesn’t seem like much to ask but we all know this can be a tricky proposition.
One thing is for certain. I’ve never spent this much time in my own kitchen-- ever. But the truth is, I like it. Actually, I love it. I’m not a stranger to this part of my home, I’ve just never really had the time to “hone my craft”.
Moving to LA has been one big reunion of sorts for me. I have found myself repeatedly surprised and delighted to rediscover friends I’ve made over the course of my life who live here. The scope is broad, incredibly random and very LA.
I was in Paris the first time I met Nevena Borrisova. We met for cocktails at the Bristol hotel to discuss an exciting opportunity we were developing at Bloomingdales. From the moment I sat down with Nevena, I was intrigued. She had a passion for fashion and a clear point of view about style that was refreshingly honest.
It has been uncomfortable to think about how to appropriately talk about clothing, accessories or anything related to fashion right now. Each day and week of this experience has been unprecedented. The first week felt like a heavy haze, the second week felt like an early April Fools prank and now the reality of it all has set in. My nature is to try and stay positive, search for meaning, solicit advice and feedback from people I love, trust and admire and to stay mentally and physically strong to the best of my ability.
I’ve been getting very cozy on the couch this past week. It’s not a place I find myself often probably for fear of becoming a dreaded potato..which by the way sounds delicious right now. Amidst lots of self inflicted mental berating that I no longer desire to wear pants requiring buttoning or zippering (which frankly feels daunting), I have found myself transfixed by my first binge streaming conquest of the pandemic...High Fidelity on Hulu.
It has been way too long since my last post. This is my first one this year which is symbolic of how busy it’s been. I still get the chills when I realize it’s 2020! 2019 was a year filled with change for me and went by in what feels like a flash. Highlights of the year include: moving across the country to Los Angeles, raising my angel puppy Ted and learning how to be a dog mom, starting a new role as a contributing editor to Variety magazine, reconnecting with childhood friends and family and overall taking big risks with an open mind and heart.
Anyone else scratching their head trying to figure out how it’s the first week of December? I’m having a deja vous moment….again. I feel like I actually just said these words, yesterday.
It’s not easy to find clothing you want to wear all the time. Lately, it feels like there is such a transient nature to things - especially, sigh, clothing. Raise your hand if you feel like you shouldn’t be seen in the same outfit on Instagram (I know you know what I’m talking about) heaven forbid you are seen in the same ensemble twice!
This week I had the honor to dress three women who have all been profoundly affected by breast cancer. Two are survivors and one a co-survivor. They shared their personal stories with me and in partnership with Johnny Was, Kendra Scott jewelry and Christian Louboutin we created three head to toe looks as part of a makeover for E! News.
Caramel, honey, cappuccino and chocolate. I’m not hungry, I’m just excited about all the delicious shades of brown in fashion this fall and the idea of mixing them head to toe. Usually about this time of year we start pulling out black as the one old faithful neutral to style with everything. Black by no means disappears this season, it’s just that it must share the stage with brown.
By now hopefully you’ve been cc’d on the animal print memo for fall. And it’s possible you thought maybe you were seeing an email from last Fall ‘18. Animal prints flooding your inbox again!!---I know. Don’t worry, you haven’t become Bill Murray and are not starring in the movie Groundhogs Day.
Yesterday I had the pleasure to show some of my favorite ideas for fall on E! News. The focus of the piece was back to school dressing for college. The part that excites me most is that this merchandise isn’t ephemeral. You can wear these items in the classroom and well beyond including interviews, internships and even a job.
Even though there is the gentlest whiff of Labor Day in the air and back to school looms in the wings, I got re-inspired this week sitting on the porch in Nantucket to make a case for basket bags. It’s been an exciting summer on the trend front but this one has continued to excite me because of its origins which resonate deeply with my young self.
