Add A Little Summer Chic to Your 9-5 Routine

This was post was written for KC Style. With all layouts being done specifically for that site as well....In other words I'd better not see this anywhere else online. To view this post in its original format go to Add A Little Summer Chic to Your 9-5 Routine

With temperatures across the country hovering near boiling, it should come as no surprise that most of us have been dying to inject a little summer fun into our work wardrobes. Before you step into those shorts or pull on that cropped top, here are a few things to consider when merging your summer style with your 9-5:

Beach wear is for beaches not the boardroom. Your summer work wardrobe should not include anything you would wear to a beach, amusement park, or backyard barbecue. So steer-clear-of flip-flops, even if they are dressy flip-flops, anything cropped, rompers, and anything that exposes way too much skin.

Let the sunshine in with brightly colored pieces. Add a heap of instant summer to your work wear by simply swapping navy, brown, and black for brighter hues. You can also play with the season’s hottest trend, color blocking, by wearing a top and skirt in contrasting or complimentary colors.

Keep cool in lightweight fabrics. There is a reason that wool and flannel suits disappear from the shelves in spring. Instead of trying to summer up your fall and winter weight suits, invest in a cotton or linen number to keep you cool and dry as you trek from the car to the office. Speaking of linen, your linen suit should have a similar cut to the wool ones you wear in winter and should not make you look like a guest at a party in the Hamptons.

Use prints and patterns to add interest.Take your Monday through Friday top and slacks/skirt combo up a notch by adding a floral or nautical striped top into the rotation. Beware of any print that resembles the Hawaiian shirt your dad brought back from vacation, that kind of kitsch is best left in gift shops, retirement homes, and ironic tiki parties.

Bare your toes at your own risk. Some offices are okay with you wearing sandals, not flip flops, to work while some have a strict closed toe only policy. If your higher ups are okay with you baring all, when it comes to your feet of course, please be sure that your feet are ready for their close-up from toe to heel. A quick to the local nail shop for a pedicure is a must. Also stick with sandal styles that enclose your heel, incase they’re not camera ready, and that have a sturdy yet comfy bottom. An espadrille is a great way to add height while staying comfortable and work appropriate.

Life and times....

Most of the time my life goes by at a pretty normal pace, well normal considering I'm a columnist/contributor for like 6 online publications/blogs and a key holder at Benetton, which is nothing like being a key holder in Ghostbusters because that would be awesome. Lately things have picked up and I've been both simultaneously over and underwhelmed with everything causing the crazy to peek out from my YSL bag. All crazy aside, I decided to take a few minutes and do a general update on the life and times of Ana B, which are a lot less fab than you think.

1. I'm restarting my quest to take over the Internets one site at a time and have lended my name and writing prowess to typef.com...as soon as I finish my first three articles which is taking more time than you'd think (can we say chronic procrastinator).

2. I can now add ghostwriter to my ever growing list of writing accomplishments. While I don't get credit for my work, I do get paid and we all know money makes the world go round mein herr.

3. Putting together a round table discussion on race, fashion, and the brain drain in ATL for one of my outlets, more details to come on that later.

4. Me: "I'm really a writer now right? Since I'm doing more paid work these days than free you know."
BF: "Yes, you're a writer."

5.I've been mustering up the cajones to send out a few pitches to a handful of national PRINT mags and feel like I'll be there before I turn 27 in August.

6. I have been busting butt trying to get Gamine past the level of expensive hobby to a bonafide blogazine and it hasn't been happening. In all fairness I haven't put half the effort into the content and feel of the site as I put into getting dressed in the morning so what else would I expect. I do plan on fully changing that asap though.

7. In addition to my non-supernatural new title at the j-o-b, I also got a pay raise. It was $0.50... o_O I plan on quitting by my birthday but that's between you and me, internet.

Now that that's out of the way.....check out this video from last night's Ultimate Girl's Night Out featuring a book signing by the real Carrie Bradshaw, Candace Bushnell thanks to Rosalyn Wilson of the Chic Boutique Tour, more on that another time. (I was there with Roz and pals but didn't make it to the vid, the free drinks and book more than made up for it though)

The Making of a Coveted Closet

This is a Gamine original, which means it belongs to me as both the co-founder and Fearless Leader of Gamine and the writer of this piece. To see it in it's original format go to Spring Cleaning"The Making of a Coveted Closet.

Initially this spring cleaning post was all about cleaning out your mind, body and wardrobe, however after a very sobering trip to Lenox Square-for an event that lead to me window shopping-I decided to dedicate it to something that all of the Gamine Girls can relate to, transitioning your wardrobe. I don’t mean moving from spring to summer to fall, I mean transitioning from college to intern to entry level or in my case college to intern to professional blogger. As a persnickety, style obsessed, true to my sign Virgo I could think of no one better than myself to guide you through the journey from co-ed to coveted, a journey that I’m actually beginning now.

Before you run to your closet and start throwing away everything that screams undergrad and book it to your nearest J Crew, take a deep breath and inventory your sartorial influences. As you get older the things that influence you change, or should change, due mostly in part to the fact that you’re experiences should have broadened your range of things to draw inspiration from. When I was 21 my style crushes were J Lo, Simple Life Nicole Richie and Carrie Bradshaw, which made for a very trend focused schizophrenic closet. Now that I’m rounding the corner to 27 I love Nicole Richie even more, especially since she’s toned it down a bit, but I’m also a huge fan of Bianca Jagger, Anna Dello Russo and Genevieve Jones with a little bit of 90s grunge/indigenous/art deco thrown in, which makes for an even more nutty wardrobe that actually works. Just because your influences have changed doesn’t mean that you should throw out all of the clothes you’ve collected during your “not a girl not yet a woman” stage. I still have quite a bit of stuff from college that still fits me and style personality, with a few tweaks. So once you’ve gotten a hold on your style personality, its time to physically inventory your closet.

Mix up a batch of margaritas, or pop open the bubbly, crank up your favorite Pandora station and go at your closet like a surgeon doing lipo. First figure out what you actually wear, if you’ve worn something in the past month or so leave it where it hangs because you obviously love it. Stuff that you haven’t worn for 6 months should not be chucked but reevaluated to figure out why you haven’t worn it. If its too big or too small, toss it! If you bought it to pair with something and you still haven’t found its mate, toss it! If you have no idea how to wear it, toss it! The only things you should keep from your 6 month pile are things that you know how to work into your wardrobe, unless you have a stylish friend who can help you figure it out. After your 6 month pile, move on to the things you haven’t worn in a year and TOSS THEM! If you haven’t worn something in a year you obviously don’t know that you have it/how to wear it/it probably doesn’t fit. Now that you have some empty hangers and a pile of clothes on your floor, grab those rejects and list them on ebay. You’d be surprised at how much money I’ve made selling my cast offs on ebay. If having an online yard sale isn’t your thing, gather your girls together for a clothes swap and get some new goods for the price of your old rejects. Be careful with this and only invite pals who you know have great taste or they’ll clean you out and you’ll be left with nothing.

Once you’ve cleaned your closet and earned a little cash from selling the stuff you absolutely didn’t need or want, hit the mall yall! The thing about building a wardrobe is that you want to look for pieces that work together to create a couple of looks not just pieces. Try to create an outfit that can be broken up into three more outfits. In all honesty I’m a piece shopper but before I buy anything I always ask myself “What else will I wear this with?” if I can’t answer that I leave it. Times are too hard for 20 somethings these days for us to go out and waste money on things that we’ll only wear once, NAGL!

Unless you are rolling in the dough, or a guest on TLC’s What Not To Wear, going through each of these steps and building a wardrobe that is worthy of The Coveteur takes time-ever wonder why they feature so many fashion people, people who work in fashion get freebies and a crash course in style from the moment they start interning. Not only do you need the money to replace everything but you need the time to develop your personal style. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be on your way to owning a coveted closet in no time, as soon as that salary position comes through.

JUDAS!!!

This is another M.I.S.S. exclusive, so you know the drill. To see this post in it's original format go to Fashion Meets Music: Lady Gaga's "Judas".

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germonatta has obviously done her fair share of time in catechism and art history, because the video for her latest single, “Judas” is dripping with odes to religious iconography and popular culture. Instead of serving up a blasphemous video with an anti-Christian theme, Gaga merges the Renaissance with The Wild One and gives us a modern day version of Jesus Christ Superstar.

While a storm of unnecessary controversy swirled around “Judas” from the moment Gaga announced the track’s title, the lyrics are intelligent for a pop song, making the connection between Judas, Mary Magdalene, Jesus, and our little fame monster, the beat is sick albeit familiar, and the video is a sartorial feast for the eyes from the first frame. Although her chola version of Mary Magdalene felt like a continuation of her “Telephone” character, the Byzantine style crown she wears while ripping up the streets with Jesus and his chosen twelve, which calls to mind both Mary the mother of Jesus and the Empress Theodora another historic bad mamajama, and her leather top embroidered with a Sacred Heartmerge Renaissance portrayals of one of the most celebrated disciples with a modern day bad girl image.

Gaga’s fashionable play on religious imagery only begins with a Sacred Heart and a bikini top with a few strategically placed crosses. She carries the image of the beloved chola disciple from her mother superior with a lipstick loaded gun to her final scene as a Harajuku bride in creepers being stoned by her detractors. Despite her over the top fashion reeling you in from the first frame, the most striking image of Gaga comes when she bathes the feet of Jesus and Judas in simple leggings and a crop top with Botticelli like curls, but that’s just me you may prefer the Elizabethan Gaga entering the biker bar.

Clothes and Christianity aside, Gaga’s makeup was the underlying star of this video. Her thick eyeliner recalled on of history’s ultimate femme fatales, Cleopatra, and was very apropos considering her role as Bonnie to biker Jesus’s Clyde, who was very easy on the eyes mind you. Not only was her makeup game locked but Gaga’s stiletto nails were more than worthy of a place in our weekly Mani Monday wrap up. From a set boasting 3D nail art and what looked like a hint of denim to those amazing black and red nails dripping in gold chains, Gaga’s nails almost make me long for the days when I kept a fresh acrylic set.

Whether you are the fan of the makeup, the fashion, or the artful use of Gaga’s one year at NYU, most little monsters will agree that the only sin committed in “Judas” was mixing Chanel with Lacroix.

Google me baby!

Not really, but you can, I mean Googling me would only take you back here you know.

In other news I've been working, working, working day and night on everything from paying bills courtesy of Benetton to producing my first article for Harlem Fashion Row, a super amazing site dedicated to showcasing the stories and struggles faced by people of color in the fashion industry. Which brings me to point letter 2, not that I made point numero Alpha yet but...., I need a vacation! Not now but definitely before 2011 is over. That is all. Oh and I was picked up by Diversity New Online yesterday too....that really IS all.

Cherchez La Gamine

These are from March when the Gamine girls met Jamie Hopper for coffee, tea and a mini photo shoot for our new banner.

Photographer: Jamie Hopper

Creative Director: Anastasia Nicole

Set styling: Patrice

Models:Anastasia, Liz, and Patrice all in their own clothes

I don't really have anything else to say, I just thought it looked a little strange to have our feet right under our bodies looking all disconnected. That's all.

www.cherchezlagamine.com

Monday Monday

Lately my Monday's have been way cooler than my Fridays. Last Monday I hung out with Gaga and some of the most amazing bloggers this side of the Mississippi and yesterday was the perfect follow up to last Monday's madness.

8a.m. Woke up and got the closest to working out that I've ever been in months. I actually considered going to the fitness but stopped myself and opted to do 100 plies instead but only did maybe 60. Workout done!

9 a.m.-11a.m. I know my deadline was last night at 9 but that doesn't mean I can't turn it in late. You know one monkey doesn't stop the show....whatever that means. Filled out an email interview questionnaire all about me for a blog, I have no style pics to send with it so it's chilling in my draft folder...but more on that when it posts.

1p.m.- Meet up with Selden Beylouni. Not only is her salon amazeballs, she uses Kevin Murphy and No 4an all vegan French product line, but she is super cute and knows her stuff. (Write up coming to Haute Living soon.) Another fun fact about Selden is that she was the hair and makeup person at a photo shoot that I worked on as a lowly intern at Pregnancy and Newborn way back in the summer of 2007. Talk about small town Atlanta. (That still doesn't beat the phone call I had with the founder of Harlem Fashion Row who worked with the same company that I interned with in New York less than a month after I ended my internship. Oh and she was referred to me by an Atlanta connection not one from NYC-cue Twilight Zone theme.)

3p.m- HOT DOGS!!! nom, nom, nom.

6p.m.- Listened to the Sartorialist chat about his life, his blog and valuable information for your everyday life whether you're in fashion or not. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he's much shorter in person and is completely down to Earth. He also validated my penniless existence as a starving blogger. Too bad I had to leave early I would've died for a photo with him.

7:30p.m.- Freelance writing class at Emory....I learned more from Scott Schuman about myself as a writer than I did from my professor but since its paid for and I'm a nerd, I'll keep going.

10:oop.m.-Waffles!!! Who says waffles aren't what's for dinner?

With an action packed Tuesday ahead of me-writing, meeting, work, Shrek the Musical-I'm pretty sure that my weeks will keep etting better.

xo

A