Shorts Shorts Shorts

I design pants.

Pants and shorts. Pants shorts pants shorts pants shorts. All day long. In case you have not noticed pants have been trending -big time- this year, and now so are shorts. You may say, duh Viv. Its Summer, people always wear shorts in Summer. Well, obviously they wear shorts during the Summer, more than they do any other time of the year, Smart-ass. But shorts are more important than usual this year. They come in more lengths, they have different types of pockets and hems, and waistbands... people are buying and wearing lots and lots of shorts, and if you are not also doing this, you should be.

See these girls?

Please know this about wearing shorts this Summer:

1. If your shorts are squeezing any part of your body, which then creates 2 parts. Please do not wear these shorts.

2. If you are not able to sit, eat, walk or breathe in your shorts (denim specifically). Please do not wear these shorts.

3. Please do not wear shorts that are meant to be worn to the gym, anywhere other than to the gym.

4. Please do not wear shorts that belong to a man, unless you are a man.

5. Although I support wearing heels with shorts, please do not wear heels with either of the shorts mentioned in points 1 or 2.

Have fun wearing your shorts. Or not.

Man-day

I am sure you've all been missing Man-day Monday, right? Well I have not forgotten about it, I simply have not seen any hot and super stylish men to snap shots of! WHERE ARE YOU!? I hope you are hiding in the fitting rooms at Bloomingdale's buying your amazing new summer wardrobe or something, because you are not out on the streets looking awesome.

Men, (or ladies who buy clothes for their men), if you're looking for inspiration for how to dress in the heat of the summer months and still be really gorgeous and not all sweaty and boring in a giant tank top from Old Navy- check out mensflair.com.

Below are pics from mensflair. These are great pieces that are stylish and fashion forward - bringing sophistication to any guy's summer wardrobe.

A pocket square is great for any season. It can work in addition to, or in place of a tie to add a touch of color and texture to a suit.

This shade of blue is so HOT this Spring and Summer. If you're not already wearing it, you should start now. I don't blame you if you want to skip the blue shoes though... Also go get some aviators. (True aviator sunglasses have the bar across the top of the bridge of your nose.)

I know, I know... you couldn't possible wear one of these... the point is to be INSPIRED... maybe not a neckerchief... couldn't you see yourself in a summer scarf though?

Love these, super classy, and they look great with casual or more dressed up attire.

These are great shoes. Timeless.

I don't care if you (guys) drink Naty Lite beer and have a bottle opener on your key chain. If you have elements of sophistication in clothing, you'll get major points with ladies. Good shoes are MAJOR POINTS.

Now, I since I know we can't all afford to wear Gucci, here are some affordable alternatives.

www.zara.com/#/en_GB/man/

www.clubmonaco.com/062010/default.asp

bananarepublic.gap.com/

www.kennethcole.com/home/index.jsp

BACKpack madness

I see this FAR too often.

I only see it on WOMEN. Why. Why are you wearing your BACKpack on your front? Do you think New York is that dangerous? Really? Guess what. IT ISN'T!!

This looks so silly.

Unless you are in Jr. High, please PLEASE do not wear your BACKpack in the front. (if you MUST wear a BACKpack at all, dear Lord, must you?), it is in fact called a BACKpack.

NEW on Broadway! (no not that Broadway...)

This week, along Broadway, in the heart of the Fashion district, some new and ever-so-lovely statues were unveiled. Apparently they are just temporary, but I kinda wish we could keep them. You see, my office is one block from here- I come here on my lunch hour ... its a sitting area in the middle of the road where they decided to put a bunch of tables and chairs, and now glamorous statues. I like it. The statues are sponsored by companies in the area and dressed by their designers- if I understood correctly.

When I first saw them, my thought was- OOH, I should challenge myself to dress like each one and blog about it. Then I came to my senses. "Um, Viv, have you SEEN your own closet? All you have is black." So, that idea is out. Besides, as if I could paint myself pink. seriously. Instead, I am just going to post pics for you.

Somehow, people eating their lunch, whilst looking at the ASS of the statue is a little... I don't know... INAPPROPRIATE?

She isn't posing for me.

They're not real, dude.

See, none of these would work in all black. Not at all. Not that I would mind wearing a sign on my head.... I do love this part of the city.

What's Next for the Fedora?

I've been trying to forecast what the update could be for the Fedora. I feel like we are saturated with them this summer. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE them. For Fall and Winter: menswear fedoras in wool and heavier fabrications. Now, for Spring and Summer, fedoras in straw and more breathable fabrics. I love them with striped ribbon accents or a little feather. I think they are super sexy on guys, too, don't you?

BUT, there has to be something, a new hat, coming up next... what could it be?! Too many people, in the mainstream, are wearing fedoras now, that this trend will soon be over. So, I am thinking hard about what will go on our pretty little heads by this time next year. I'll let you know what I come up with.

Sunday morning... really??

I took this pic on Sunday morning at 9 am. We were on our way to church, and H turned to me and said "GET OUT YOUR CAMERA" . I spotted the target and we actually followed her out of the station, but alas, I only got this fanny shot. I am terribly sorry I couldn't get a front view for you, but I really wanted to spare your eyeballs from popping out of their poor little sockets. Mine fell right out on the corner of 77th and Lex.

I am dying to hear your thoughts.

Trend Watching: Summer Scarves

Remember the days when you used to put all your scarves away as soon as the temps hit 60? Well, not anymore!! Summer scarves are huge, they have been trending for a while now, but it seems like they are stronger than ever this year. Either that, or all of us have really cold necks.

I especially love printed scarves paired with a solid dress or top, or mixing in your ensemble. Lightweight fabrics are obviously best for this time of year, but even your Fall scarves can still be worn, if you don't wrap them too tightly, or if your office is kept as cool as a meat locker. I love that we can enjoy this accessory all year long, it adds so much to your overall look. Don't you think? Is everybody rocking summer scarves in your part of the world? I hope so!

Love it.

Uh... no

I don't know if this girl is one of my very special 17 Followers, and read yesterday's post...? If she did, I am thinking she didn't actually understand what I was getting at.

VPL

I really am glad Summer is here.

Now that you're no longer all bundled in layer upon layer of wooly mammoth sweaters and puffy coats that look like sleeping bags, more of you is ….exposed. Obviously this happens as the temperature rises, and in most cases it is refreshing to see people dressing brighter colors and lightweight fabrics. Heavy layers are shed for shorter skirts, cropped pants and frilly tops... and oh Sweet Lord. What is left?

I just might have to jab out my eyes. VPL. Many of you know what I'm talking about, and for those who do, I'm thankful, because you're probably not contributing to this fashion faux pas. I'm targeting this blog to those of you who have either never heard of VPL or worse yet, know what it is, but think you don't have it. I'm talking about visible panty line.

If you are wearing pants or jeans that are fitted to your bum bum, there had better not be more than one … equator. If there is, you need to be wearing a thong. Don't tell me thongs are uncomfortable and the creep up all day long, puh-leez, they take like 11 seconds to get used to, and then you forget that they are up your butt at all. Go get a thong right now and put it on. Everyone who checks you out from behind will be glad you made this decision, I promise. YPL is the worst thing you can do to your fanny, to your overall style, and to mankind.

My eyeballs thank you.

Yellow Printed Socks are you serious?

When I started this blog, I told myself I wouldn't post pics of old ladies and make fun of their outfits. Well, screw that. Nevermind. Sorry, that sounded really harsh. But, seriously, nobody, NOBODY! should wear yellow printed stockings with black plastic sandals. I don't care how old you are.




UN AC CEP TAH BL-LAH

What's In There??

How many times has someone looked at your handbag and asked "what the heck are you carrying in there?!" Men, especially, wonder why are our bags so big, as if we are toting around a baby grand piano or something...? Well, if we needing to, we would, right? We just need, or might need, a lot of stuff!! I used to carry a MUCH larger handbag. It... she, Cynthia, is gorgeous, but I complained of my back hurting so often that H bought me a new, smaller bag. Its much easier and more practical to use a small bag around the city. While I miss Cynthia, especially when I need to do a shoe-switch mid-day, I don't miss the back pain she caused me. Meet Marc.

You can see from the contents, or lack of contents, I am kind of a minimalist. There is no way, even if I wore a size 5, Marc could carry my shoes... right?

I got the idea for this post from my blog buddy Fashion Butter. Why is it fun to see what other girls have in their bags? I don't know, but it its.

Gum, chap stick, lip gloss, lip shimmer stuff (Burt's Bees), red lip stick (Mac) - I don't wear any of this except for the chap stick... Not sure why I keep carrying it around... Advil bottle, contains mostly Advil.

Blackberry, pen, pencil, apartment keys (with card for gym, library, drug store and grocery store), 51 cents (don't be jealous), zip drive, various cards and drivers license (even though I hope I never have to drive here, and if you live here you should also hope I never drive here.)

Wasn't that fun? At lease we didn't find any trash or crumbs or dead bugs.

Thanks for the idea Fashion Butter!

Look-a-Like Lovers

Have you ever noticed couples dressing like each other? I'm not talking about people who are on vacay in NYC, or other touristy places. They are equipped with backpacks and maps and are afraid they're going to get separated from one another, so they dress IDENTICAL so they can spot each other while making their way through the chaos of Times Square or Grand Central or pretty much anywhere that has more than 6 people... meet The Greens. You can barely even see Mrs. Green because Mr. Green is hovering so close to her. I'm pretty sure they are using one of those kiddie leashes that parents use for their wild children.

I was really talking about couples dressing alike, but not TWINSY. You know? Check out Mr. and Mrs. Spring-time Neutrals. Don't they look sweet?

Or the Nauticals? Cute, huh? I think their plaids really compliment each other.

I caught this pic of Mr. and Mr. Bright-Polo having a Sunday coffee. I'm pretty sure they have no idea how close to twinsy they are...

H and I would fit into this match-y match-y group, because we both only wear black. (If you are new or have forgotten why his name is H, it is not short for Husband, or Him, or He, or How-the-hell-did-I-end-up-married-to-this-guy, you can read where it came from here.) Unfortunately for you, me, (I don't know who) I don't have permission to post a pic of him, but you can see a pic of us on my Dad's blog. He posted one without asking any one's permission, but he can do that because he is my Dad.

Skull Heads

So, I haven't been posting any outfit pics lately, and can I tell you why? Yes? Ok, I will. And this is not me complaining, this is just me telling you about my day and about my life... I don't want my blog to be "vivianne-complains-a-lot-dot-com" ok?

Well, I am struggling with my summer attire right now. While the temps in NYC are kind of all over the place- anywhere from 60 to 90... that is not the problem... I don't spend a LOT of time outdoors (shocker, I know) The problem is the soaring temps inside my office! I share an office space with 2 other designers, seemingly normal girls, and yet they apparently have sub-zero body temperatures, even during the month of June, and therefore crank up their space heaters- which then warms our entire room despite any effort of the building's AC unit. They are super sweet, great girls, so I haven't been able to get up the courage to roll them in their desk chairs right out the 12th floor window... We go back and forth very sweetly all day - I ask to turn off the heater, then open the window, then they ask to turn the heater back on... then I die a little, then go into the bathroom, strip down to my bra and undies and try to shove my whole body into the sink to cool off... without getting my hair wet. Duh.

Since I am a designer, I am going to start telling my bosses that bikinis worn as "work attire" are trending- just so I can wear them to the office. Maybe then I won't DIE of heat stroke.

Having said ALL that, this is all I have for you- my necklace... (don't worry, this is not ALL I'm wearing today!) It is PROB my FAVE necklace. My friend Ash got it for me in Mexico, and I always get ... attention when I wear it. Especially when I wear it to church! Um, its fashion! Yall know I love Jesus! So what if I wear skull heads to church! It looked good with my dress!! Sheesh. Love it?!

Monday Man-day

Good Morning!

Although I am not thrilled about it being Monday, I am happy about the temp in NYC being below 1000 this morning. Geez. For a few weeks there I thought I was back in Texas!

I am also happy to post these pics! Yes, friends it is Man-day!

Caught this pic yesterday while waiting (FOREVER) for the subway. Love the mix of dressy and casual...

Yesterday was my baby brother's Bday, so I am posting this pic of him. I am so proud to say he is my brother- He has great style, some of which is my influence (I made the shirt he's wearing) and some that is all his own. He is charming, funny, talented and I am so excited to have him living in NYC now!

Happy Bday Ty! Are you still coming over for dinner? Love you.

FINISH getting ready FIRST

What is it that she HAD to leave the house for, I wonder...

Let's see what the Panel thinks about this look, shall we?

V: Tim, what do you think of this young lady walking down the street with giant curlers all over her head?

TG: Oh Dear gawd. Dreadful. Ladies! FINISH getting ready BEFORE leaving the house!

V: Stacy?

SL: Are those beer cans?

CK: Actually, I think they are paint cans.

Viv: Anna? ...Anna??

AW:

Anna is sheilding her eyes.

I don't blame you, Anna. While I thought this was funny, I hope, HOPE, this girl ended up looking SUPER cute once she removed the paint cans.... plus, nobody will notice the 2-tone jeans when the curls are in full swing! However, I must agree with Tim. We all want to see the finished product- not the work in progress. Of course there are those days when you finish putting on your mascara while on the bus or in your car... but if that kind of thing is happening all the time, I think it compromises your overall style. Imagine if you showed up to work in pajama pants because you "didn't have time to finish getting ready- isn't that the same?" (Uhhhh pretty much.) You get my point.

The answer to my LBD Trivia

Last week you were wondering how many LBD are in my closet... you are dying to know, right?

I have 11 black dresses.

Sorry for the short post- I promise I'll be back on track starting TOMORROW!

Final LBD- a little late.

Well it took me forever to post this, but here I am. My main reason for the delay is that this picture SUCKS, and overall, I am not proud of this look. My photographer only took ONE shot, with my phone so its all blurry, and I felt bad asking him to retake the pic. He was in a hurry to get to the store to buy ground meat (Ew) and other stuff to make taco salad.

sigh... so even though, I actually carried out my full long weekend of LBDs, I feel like I ended it with a fizzle. Sorry. Boo me.

See how crabby I look here? Sheesh! Wow, and the tan lines! Bad. It looks like I have on a white tank top. Fortunately for me I wore a cardigan as I was leaving- I know the Panel would NOT approve. Shoot, I don't approve!

I will try to get back on track with some interesting posts, and better looking pictures ASAP.