I don’t know exactly what happened while I was in Vegas, but when I left DC it was definitely 80+ degrees and very sunny… now that I’m back its 40 degrees and rainy and I’m NOT HAPPY about it. And while I’m complaining, my (freezing) walk to work today was a not-so-pleasant reminder of two fashion faux pas that really bother me…
1) Inappropriate outerwear over work attire:
Seriously. I don’t understand. If you’re investing in a suit, you should invest in an appropriate coat to wear over it. Appropriate does not = your North Face fleece, your ski jacket, or anything that looks like this.
2) Rain boots a child would wear:
It’s just not ok to pair your rain boots with frogs on them with your work attire. And (maybe) even worse, it’s not ok to tuck your suit pants into your rain boots.
I mean I get it, winter coats can be pricey and maybe you can’t justify spending a ton of money on rain boots because you don’t wear them enough… But a winter coat is a necessary investment piece (for those of us who live in places that actually have a winter of course) and trust me, you’re much better off getting your feet wet than wearing these.
So what to wear to not look dumb? It’s really not that hard…
Diane von Furstenberg Millitette Coat ($695)
I spotted this beauty in People Style Watch and I’m kinda obsessed. Love the feminine ruffles combined with the belted waist. Not the most affordable option, but it’s an investment piece.
Miss Sixty Pleated Trench Coat ($148)
You can’t go wrong with a classic trench silhouette and this eggplant color looks good on almost anyone (slash purple is so right now if you’re into that sort of thing).
Hunter Boot for Jimmy Choo ($395)
These croc-printed rubber rain boots are so cute you won’t feel silly in them when you put them on because weather.com says there’s a 50% chance of thundershowers but it ends up just being partly cloudy (hate when that happens).
Kate Spade Randi ($125)
I know you’re probably sick of hearing it (I love bows) but the ribbon accent on these lipstick pink boots is delightful enough to brighten up a rainy day.
I’m back from my trip and kinda exhausted, but it was great to spend some time with my mom and her sister. I’m so lucky to live across the street from my own sister for now, but I can only hope that 30 years from now we’ll still be close enough to go on shopping trips together!
On another note, I kinda decided that 30 years from now I (in theory) want to be like one of those women who power dresses for lunch at the club or tea with the ladies… and I want a closet full of St. John suits in every color possible (yes, even lime green). Until then I’m settling for the sweeeet purple python printed St. John dress I scored in Vegas this past weekend (apparently so great that my mother and her sister bought it too!) and drooling over some of these runway looks…
The rich hues and textures… tone on tone bow shoes… silky, feminine blouses… there’s nothing boring and black about these suits. Just lovely, don’t you think?
While the beautiful Wonderfelle is enjoying a long shopping weekend in Las Vegas, she asked me to post. In addition to having the great privilege of calling Wonderfelle (aka beautifelle, lovabelle) my girlfriend, I’m the man behind the scenes of wonderfelle.com. When we first began dating, Wonderfelle introduced me to the bow tie and, I have to say, I’ve fallen in love. I’m not sure if it’s the southern charm, the bond-esque elegance, or simply doing something a bit out of the ordinary, but when ever the opportunity arises, I chose to wear a bow tie.
Stefano Ricci Pleated Silk Bow Tie ($285)
This formal bow tie is just enough of a twist to separate you from everyone else at your next black tie event. Don’t forget, sometimes a well cut black suit can make more of a statement than a tux.
Brook Brothers Stain Resistant Four Petal Flower Bow Tie ($45)
A great everyday bow tie with enough fun to transition from office to happy hour. I especially like this one in these icy blue tones for winter.
J. Press Madras Bow Tie ($49.50)
Fall is clearly upon us in DC, but I’ll continue to hold onto summer with a little bit of madras. In a distinctive fall color palette, this bow tie will help warm you up as the weather gets cooler.
I’m off on a mini vacay with my mom and her sister for the next few days and will hopefully be too busy shopping/eating/playing to post anything for a bit… but in the meantime I thought I’d introduce some of yall to my Z (without him this blog would not exist!) and show a little love to the guys out there who may not be so interested in what Blair wore last night (but for some reason read this anyway?!). Z will be guest posting over the next couple days, so give him a Wonderfelle welcome and enjoy!
Checking my e-mail the other day, I came across a link to Inc.’s 30 Under 30: America’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs that made me feel ridiculously under-accomplished (after all my birthday’s coming up and who would have thought in my mid-twenties I would feel so old already). Going through the list, I found a number of fashionable entrepreneurs in the top 30 whose stories are pretty inspiring… Here are two of them:
Numbers 2 & 3: Susan Gregg Koger and Eric Koger of ModCloth
Susan started selling vintage clothing online (out of her dorm room at Carnegie Mellon) through a site created by her then-boyfriend (now husband!) Eric. In it’s 6th year, the site is on track to sell $15 million of women’s clothing and accessories in 2009. Since its inception, ModCloth has branched out to sell retro-inspired pieces from independent designers as well as vintage items. In theory, it’s kinda my dream job (work from home – check, pretty much shop for a living – check, make lots of money – check, oh and I have just the perfect boyfriend to run the site… hmmm). Who am I kidding, I work in finance – that’s painfully more exciting, right?
Anyway, I’m personally a big fan of the ModCloth – I featured a skirt from the online retailer in my first post ever! With more than 300 designers being featured on the site, it’s hard to pick favorites… but here’s a look at some items I’m loving right now:
Thrown for a Loop Top ($63)
A versatile top and such lovely ribbon detailing around the collar!
Kusama Dress ($65)
How playful is this polka-dotted little dress?!
The Femme Bot Skirt ($50)
I’m kinda into metallics right now if you haven’t heard already…
Moody Blues Coat ($93)
An interesting silhouette and I usually hate turtlenecks but the neck unzips!
Source: CWTV
What I wished my work attire really looked like…Perfectly fitted silhouette, boyfriend blazer with rolled up sleeves, statement necklace…
but what’s missing?
Valentino Kaleido Tote ($2,995) 
The gray satin tote embellished with gradient stones gets cut off in the first pic but here it is in it’s complete splendor. And its amazing… Mission: find a “look for less” version, ASAP.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: blazer, bow, dress, flats, heels, sequins
A childhood friend (and Wonderfelle reader!) of mine recently moved to London to study byzantine art at The Courtauld Institute of Art for the year, and I thought I’d do a post relating to London style. I spent some time on Face Hunter and The Style Scout looking for inspiration and looked through pics from London Fashion Week… but ultimately, I decided to shop from the perspective of “if I were a student in London and needed to spice up my wardrobe” (read: burberry’s not in the budget and I need something to wear for a night out) and share some UK shopping picks of the moment…
ASOS Sequined Boyfriend Blazer (£75.00)
ASOS Zebra Sequined Boyfriend Blazer (£75.00)
Mesh Panelled Jersey Dress (£45.00)
Asymmetric Zip Shift Dress (£55.00)
Monochrome Shift Dress (£48.00)
Lipsey London Dresses: Because if I’m actually looking for something to wear out on the town, it’s probably going to be a dress. I’m digging the kinda futuristic simplicity combined with exaggerated shoulders on these dresses. Just throw on black heels and you’re good to go.
KG by Kurt Geiger Alice (£120.00)
Kurt Geiger Elevate (£220.00)
KG by Kurt Geiger Bella (£95.00)
Kurt Geiger Amp (£350.00)
Kurt Geiger Statement Shoes: I’m having more than a bit of shoe lust here… As you may know, I just can’t resist bows (especially big, borderline obnoxious ones) and I love a statement heel that’s wearable too.
I’m having one of those “I hate everything in my closet” days :( I’m in need of some closet cleaning anyway so I’m doing a bit of a “portfolio rebalance” if you will… Besides deciding what I need to throw out, what I need to donate, and what I might try to consign, I’m (obviously) more concerned with what I need to add to my closet (other than another shoe rack…). I’m looking forward to a mini vacay with my mom and her sister later this week and of course some shopping is on the agenda.
How do I really decide what i do or don’t need to add to my closet?? It’s so hard when you love shopping… and I’m not really a fan of those “must have” lists of things that every woman needs in her closet. Tim Gunn, I love you, but I don’t own classic dress pants or a white button-down, and I can count the number of times I’ve worn jeans this year on one hand (seriously).
Anyway, I’ve pretty much decided that I don’t particularly need these things… but 80′s Purple has such great photography of their items, it’s so easy to covet them…
Dolce Vita Marilyn Boot ($365)
These boots are made for struttin’ and that’s just why I don’t need them. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a hot, impractical boot… I just don’t need another pair.
Purple Label – Women’s Monet Color Block V-neck Dress ($64)
A very flattering color block number in a shiny organza that would look lovely under the boyfriend blazer I seem to want to be throwing over everything these days… I might actually be able to convince myself I need it… but they already sold out of my size, boo.
Charlotte Ronson – Women’s Trench Coat w/ Leather Sleeves ($945)
How fierce is this trench (and the model in it)? I love, love, love the leather detailing and exposed zippers… I kinda need it, but too bad i need to pay rent more.
Han Cholo – Moving Stone Ring w/ Stone in Gold ($242)
The moving stone is a pretty neato idea, but the real 14k gold version is $780 and I don’t really need to invest this much for the cheaper gold plated version.
I love the story behind Old Soul, New Heart -mother teaches daughter, and together they create re-worked vintage pieces that are quite Wonderfelle, don’t you think? I may be biased… as you may know, I love bows.
Has a Temper ($45)
Chain Gang ($65)
Bow Tie Not Optional Gray ($65)
Bow Tie Not Optional ($65)
The combination of delicate bows and chain detailing on the first two pieces is perfect for a look that’s not too girly. But what I’m really loving are the vintage silk bow ties that have been re-worked with vintage and modern chains in the last two necklaces. I’ve always been a sucker for bow ties and this is a delightful way to incorporate them into my wardrobe as well!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Coat, Comfy, dress, Opening Ceremony, Outblush
Apparently still affected by my fever over the Marc Jacobs ballet flats I found the other night, I donned my bright yellow trench this morning… and as I scurried to work, the not-so-gentle breeze that swept me across Mass Avenue confirmed that summer is more than just officially over. But with the new season comes a number of fall fêtes and I’m sure yall are looking for a stylish investment or two…
