UGGs, how do I love thee….let me count the ways.  When I first saw you, I thought “How UGG-ly” and resisted the call of your sheepskin-lined warmth. 

Then one day, Winter fell upon the world and the coldness descended.  I for one, could not find a way to keep my delicate little feet from feeling the frigid bite…until you came into my life.

Forgive me for I did not realize what I was missing….

Yes, you are hearing from a former UGG hater, now an UGG  convert.  After years of looking for warm footwear to wear during the Winter, I finally broke down and bought a pair of UGG slippers (Coquette). 

(pic taken from uggaustralia.com)

The moment I slipped my foot into them, it was love.  I quickly followed by purchasing a pair of boots, which are equally as heavenly.  The fleece never flattens and after a hard day of work I look forward to coming home and putting on my UGGs.  Fuzzy goodness in my opinion.  Perfect for lounging around at home or running out to the supermarket with.  They are so comfortable that sometimes I don’t want to even take them off (have thought about climbing into bed with them on but that would be wrong!). 

In my experience, UGG footwear tends to be true to size.   I am a size 7 and wear a size 7 in UGGs.  Being a shorty (5′1ish) I tend to prefer the classic  Short boots which come to mid-calf on me.

(pic taken from uggaustralia.com)

So if you are looking for a warm place to put your feet this winter, try a pair of UGGs.  Yeah, they are still UGG-ly but worth the $100+ price (some models are up to $200).  I say look for deals.  Shop around on the internet for sales.  I recently bought a grey pair from The Walking Company (thewalkingcompany.com) and used ebates.com for a 10% cashback.  I was later appalled to find out that Lori’s Shoes (lorisshoes.com) was having a 25% off sale which included UGG.  Zappos carries the brand or you can buy directly via uggaustralia.com.

Happy UGG shopping!

-Kris

by Devon Ellington

The holidays are upon us, which means no time and dozens of commitments. It’s imperative for both your time and your sanity to put aside an afternoon or evening, scroll through your closet, and figure out some outfits for holiday events.

Pull out some mix-and-match pieces and put them to one side. Figure out how to dress these items up and down. Pull some of the dressy shoes. Line up the dressier purses on your bureau, and take a quick inventory of your jewelry. Wash or dry clean anything that needs it. Mend anything that needs it. Keep it all together on one side of your closet, and you’ll cut your dress time and your stress time by about 85%.

Sweaters pack easily and shake out well. If you have to work all day, but have an event at night, wear your regular work blouse during the day with a black or navy blue skirt or pair of trousers. Before you leave work, switch to a cashmere, silk blend, or metallic sweater, add a bit of shimmer to your eye make up and lip gloss, and you’re ready to step into any party.

In general, if you stick to a plain, dark-colored skirt or pair of trousers, you can have a bit more fun with the top — something in brighter colors, embellished, or metallic. If you’re going to wear something patterned, make sure the pattern doesn’t overwhelm you. Every other wardrobe pro insists on having a white shirt in the wardrobe — simple cotton for the warmer half of the year, something silky and slinky for the second. I think that’s a good idea, but I don’t personally wear white, so I have very little white in my wardrobe.

The little black dress is a go-to for any time of year. I am at a point where I’m looking for a replacement for my little black dress — I’ve worn it out! Usually, though, I have my little black dress and my little blue dress — a dark blue sheath that can dress up or down depending on the occasion. Black can wash you out if you’re not careful — if you wear black, you may have to boost the cheek color and lip color a bit. And, of course, the correct undergarments are important so that the lines of the dress flatter YOUR lines. (You can go back to my article a few months ago, “Let’s Talk Lingerie” for more on undergarments).

Something to think about as you choose your holiday wear is flammability. It’s harder to find sparkly holiday wear in natural fabrics. And many people use candles more during the holidays. Make sure you know the fiber content of anything you wear and how it reacts to flame. A tunic with wide, draping sleeves may look gorgeous, but if you’re going to reach across a buffet table with candles, you’re setting yourself up for a serious accident. If you’re going to wear something with flow and drape, whether it’s a sleeve or a scarf or a very full skirt, be aware of flame and keep your distance. Some of these fabrics go up like accelerant.

Sparkly jewelry adds a holiday lift. Plenty of manufacturers put out holiday-themed jewelry that’s also pretty. A silver or gold pin with a little sparkle can dress up a usually demure sweater or top. Just make sure that the pin isn’t too heavy for the garment. You don’t want to tear it or leave a large hole from the sharp point of the pin. I try to keep fabric scraps in different weights handy and test the pin before I put it on the garment. If you don’t do that, you can test it on material from one of the inside seam allowances — just remember that, unless the seam is pressed flat, the garment is half the weight.

Brighten up your make-up for the holidays. Add a more shimmery shadow, or, at the very least, a shimmery highlight. Lorac makes a fabulous “Gold” eyeshadow that I only wear during the holiday season, usually paired with their “Garnet” shadow. Many companies bring out a shimmery gloss in either a transparent, a neutral, or a very pale pink. You can layer that over your regular matte lipstick to add a bit of punch. Or you can pick up a shimmer gloss and keep it in your purse to just use it for parties. A “lipstick wardrobe” is an inexpensive way to change your look. Benefit has a great shimmer gloss in a shade called “Charge It!” And Kiehl’s “Tawny” can be worn alone or layered over other shades. All of these colors have worked with whatever my hair color of the moment is!

Speaking of hair color, this is a great time to touch up your color, add highlights, or even change it. Are you happy with the way your hair looks? Maybe it’s time for a cut and color. I’ve been doing my own color for about thirty years now — the only time I went to a pricy salon, they screwed it up. If you need to do both, get your cut first and wait about two or three days before the color, so the cut can settle. And then the color coverage is more thorough.

What about shoes? The temptation is to go for the highest heels possible. If you can change on the way and know you’re only going to be there for a little while, and can soak your feet when you get home, go for it. Otherwise, a pair of metallic flats are your best friend. Get a cushioned pair with a bit of arch support. That will serve you better, especially at a company party, than stilettos. If you’re going with boots, a block heel will serve you better than a stiletto heel, especially if you’re going to tramp through snow.

And, if you do have to go through bad weather, but you plan to wear cute shoes –especially a silk or a satin — wear an all-weather shoe or boot to get there and change ONCE YOU’RE INSIDE. There’s no reason to ruin a perfectly good pair of shoes in order to make an entrance that no one will really see anyway. Enter the foyer, step aside, switch shoes. Not a big deal.

You can dress up any coat by adding a pin. Since it’s a coat, you can get away with something larger and more elaborate than you can on a top. You don’t have to coordinate your hat, scarf, and gloves — each can be unique with individual meaning, as long as they go well together — in other words, try not to wear too many competing patterns at once.

Go forth and enjoy the holidays!

–Devon Ellington publishes under a half a dozen names in both fiction and non-fiction. She worked the wardrobe department on Broadway shows, and on film and television sets for over twenty years. Visit Ink in My Coffee to keep up with her.

Someone called me a fashion plate last week.

Of course, I’ve also been called a trophy wife, which is even farther from the truth.

An actual “fashion plate” was the illustration placed in catalogs, newspapers or magazines, from the days when pictures were carved into metal plates and the image transferred with ink to paper. These then were the ads for clothing — the example of how something could look.

It’s easiest, when you first start trying to dress nicely, or more stylishly, to simply copy the images. Look at how the pros assemble an outfit and show your sincere admiration by imitating away. This can be daunting, however, unless you have an unlimited budget. That’s when you have to get creative. Not necessarily Molly Ringwald, I-can-sew-a-gorgeous-prom-dress-out-of-this-cheap-nasty-one-and-that-vintage-one creative, but being willing to play with clothes.

It’s really about being willing to try stuff out, being willing to take a risk. Combine separates and accessories in way that comes from your own head and not from a picture. And the thing about taking risks is that sometimes other people won’t approve. Much like being perceived as a trophy wife.

It was an older woman who called me that — in her late 50s/early 60s and frumpy with it. I mentioned that David is older than I am (by seven years) and that my stepchildren are now grown and I skipped the having babies part (but I helped raise them since they were five and seven years old). She looked at me — and I was dressed up for the conference, with my eye-catching dress and black wide-brimmed hat — and declared: “You are a trophy wife!”

Arm candy. Oh yeah.

The thing is, people are going to apply their labels regardless. For all that, maybe “fashion plate” is a decent one to get.

Fast Fashion Tip for November: Refashion your favorite trench coat by trading out its belt for a new one that matches the season. In fall, wrap yourself up with a plum or cranberry colored suede belt. In spring, add a bright pink or pale yellow. And if you need your lightweight trench during a summer monsoon, belt it with a hot-season color like topaz or azure.

Trench coats—super heroes, spies and fashionistas all love them. No matter your occupation, body shape or clothing budget, a trench coat is a wardrobe essential.

In 2009, runways and discount stores both sported them in delicious shades, cropped and full length, flared and narrow. Burberry, long known for their classic trenches, joined with Liberty of London to create two special editions to celebrate 25 years of London Fashion Week, while Target carried budget-conscious styles from Mossimo and others in silk, twill and wool.

Every trench has its own unique personality, which is the reason it’s a fashion icon in its own right. Originally worn my various armies in World War I, the trench quickly became a must have for comic book characters, private dicks, hot shot spies and numerous film stars, among them Dick Tracy, The Punisher, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Marilyn Monroe, Han Solo, Marisa Torme, Kate Moss, James Bond, Victoria Beckham…the list goes on and on.

And for the rest of us less rich and famous peeps? Well, it gives us a mysterious, almost super human air ourselves. Whether we’re wearing a full-length classic beige trench or a chic cropped leather one, not only do we look über cool and slightly aloof, but we feel just like our film and comic book counterparts —we can strut a runway in four inch heels as easily as we can set our secret decoder rings to stun and request our martinis shaken, not stirred.

The beauty of a trench doesn’t stop with the garment itself. Accessorizing a trench is almost as fun as deciding which one to wear. Silk scarves, vintage brooches, fedora hats, knee-high boots and fabulous heels can all work together to further your coat’s style and glamour. Like a great pair of jeans or a classic LBD, your trench can stretch to fit many occasions and seasons. Use your imagination and wear it as a dress with a leather belt, stilettos and wool beret for a special night out, or repurpose it with a fedora, black tights and dark sunglasses for a costume party.

Trench coats are always in style and the ways to wear them are endless. Just don’t be surprised if the next time your wearing one someone asks how you take your martini…

Normally when it comes to handbags, I try not to be snarky.  But recently I can’t help myself.  Perhaps it is because I am on a self imposed handbag ban and am bitter (for those who don’t know “handbag ban” it refers to a period of time in which a person who normally buys handbags ceases all handbag-buying activity).  Maybe it’s due to the economic climate-someone once told me that the worst time to buy expensive things is during an economic downturn.  The reason being that companies while trying to save money, spend less money on design elements and therefore nothing tends to be different or innovative.  I’m not sure if that is entirely true…I mean look at a company like Apple who continues to woo people with their iphone, imacs and mac books.  But I digress…

Back to handbags.  I do have a Fall handbag HIT list but I also have an ICK list.  So without further ado, I present my ICK list:

1.  Hayden-Harnett Corinne Mini Bag:  I don’t get it and $198 for a wallet on a chain with a few gems stuck on-um no thanks.  Fortunately, Hayden-Harnett seems to constantly be holding sales, so the likelihood of actually having to pay full price for this is small.

(pic taken from HaydenHarnett.com)

2.  Kooba Madison-I’m normally a fan of contrasting  trim and straps but the strange “origami inspired” lines of this bag make me think of Grandma and the $595 price tag  unappealing.

(pic taken from Kooba.com)

3.  Rebecca Minkoff Yellow Python Microfiber Nikki-RM just proved to me that they can take a beautiful bag and ruin it.  Kudos to RM for offering a vegan version of one of their most popular styles.  But thumbs down to the plasticky obviously-fake python print in yellow and the $398 price tag.  I think I’ll pass.

 (pic taken fron lunaboston)

4.  Coach Tartan Spotlight Bag-Honestly, there are many bags that Coach is offering right now that I could go off on.  I’m not a fan of any of their Op Art or Pop C prints.  This tartan print combined with the C’s is just icky in my opinion.  I guess if you were a tartan print fan and a Coach fan, then this bag might be for you but it’s a bit too bright and bold for my taste.  I think I could find something better to spend my $268 on.

  (pic taken from Coach.com)

5.  Dooney & Bourke Fairfield Collection:  This line features bags with typical Dooney and Bourke shapes-low key, conservative.  But what kills these bags for me is the icky tortoise shell duck which in my opinion gives it a dated 80’s (tacky) feel.  Not ridiculously priced, from $165-$265 but me still no likey.

(pic taken from Dooney.com)

Disclaimer:  The bags on my ICK list are purely my opinion.

-Kris