30 for 30 Day 9: Ruffle it up

How is everybody enjoying the Remixing so far? 2nd week is almost over... I am liking it, however, I am super bored with taking pics inside my apartment, and I am tempted to ask people on the street. "Hey... stranger? Will you take a pic, or like 10- of me, in this outfit? Its for my blog."

What do you guys think of that idea?

Well, at least for today you have to suffer through more shots of me next to my cabinet. Sorry.

I wanted to include a close-up of the ruffles on my shirt, and my earrings. They are the best part of this outfit. Please agree.

Top: Club Monaco

Long shorts: F21

Shoes: ASH

Earrings: Urban

2 more things:

Yesterday's bracelet- forgot to mention- it was from Fossil! I will post a close-up pic next time I wear it. Fossil makes amazing jewelry, as well as apparel. I designed for them for 2 years, and loved it.

Last thing: Thank you to everybody for reading my blog and for all of your sweet comments. This is so much fun and one of the best parts of my day. I just wanted to mention that to you guys! =)

Have a great night!

L, viv

30 for 30 Day 7: Bad Day Dress

Yesterday, I did not post a pic of my outfit because I came home from work and changed into comfy clothes within like 11 seconds of walking in the door. I actually just forgot to take the pic. Oops.

Today, since H is gone... I took my camera to work and my coworker snapped this pic of me at my desk. I have LOTS of work to do, you can't see it, but it is piled all over the place. But still I have plenty of time for a mid-day- photo shoot.

Oh, I do have to tell you this dress is my Bad Day dress. ALMOST every time I wear it, I have a bad day. Today was not terrible, but I did make a mistake on a pant measurement and I hate when I make a mistake at work... I almost cried. Its bad enough that my hair looked like a poof ball cuz of the rain, then if I had cried over the pants, my make-up would have been all terrible looking too. See what I mean? Bad Day Dress.

I probably won't Re mix this one again...

Dress: H&M

Earrings: H&M

Shoes: I forget (random store in Dallas)

Hair, make-up, attitude: hell

DIY: Help me! Tell me what you think!

So, everyone is wearing shorts- especially denim, especially cut-offs. Right? I don't want to be left out of this trend! Even though denim cut-offs don't really blend into my all-black- primarily-Club Monaco-wardrobe-of-dresses-and-skirts... Do you think I can make them work? I want to look sophisticated and not Spring Break 2003. Help me.

(I was totally DIY at 7am this morning... Don't worry 30 for 30 re-mixers, I am not adding these to my 30 items... I'll save them for later. And also, don't worry church, I am not wearing this today.)

What do you think?

Oh also, here is a mini tour of one corner of our apartment.

Tell me what you think of my new shorts please.

I would turn around and ask you to tell me if my butt looks big in them, but I'm not totally crazy. Only like 50- 60%.

30 for 30- Remix Items!

Sometimes people ask me for style suggestions. Maybe its because I'm a clothing designer. Maybe its because I wear all black, so my clothes always "magically" go together and they think I have good style. Maybe its because I write a blog about fashion and they think I know stuff. I like to give people advice about what they wear. I like to be helpful. Sometimes they listen. Not usually.

Many times, my advice is to clean out your closet, once or twice per year (Spring and Fall) and try on everything - making outfits- so you know what fits, what goes together, and what you still like! (I can go into more detail about this process another time.) I even suggest taking pics of your outfits, so getting ready in the morning is a breeze. I did this last Fall, and not only was it super fun, but it helped me style my wardrobe in ways I hadn't previously though to do. Now- Summer. I am struggling with my Summer clothes, as you know. So, yesterday, I came across a fabulous way to challenge my Summer styling skills, and save some $$. Check out Kendi Everyday, and follow her immediately. Please. After you follow me. Please.

SO, here are the rules of the 30-for-30 Challenge!

1. First rule of 30 for 30 challenge, don't talk about the 30 for 30 challenge.2. Pick out 30 items (shoes included) and list or take a picture of the items and post on your blog. (other accessories are not included- belts, jewelry, watches, etc.)3. Only wear the selected 30 items for the next 30 days- "remixing" them in new and awesome ways, making fabulous outfits.4. No shopping for 30 days. This was Kendi's rule, which many of the other participants have also adopted. However since I am currently already on a shopping freeze, I am giving up eating lunch out during the week. Instead I will come home, or eat at work. 5. Spread the love to the other re-mixers. And invite others on your blog to join in as well.
So, here are my 30 "Remix" items. I know what you're thinking, they are all black and white. (Duh. Its me!) But as you can see, I have SOME color in my accessories. So you will not die of boredom for the next 30 days.

(I felt like I was taking a pic of my kids here) 5 Dresses

4 Tops

2 Cardigans

2 Skirts, 1 long short, 1 cropped pant, 1 pari of jeans

6 Tanks (layering)

4 Tees

4 Shoes

see? Color!

What do you think!? If you want to participate in your own 30 for 30, let me know!!Also, please know that I will still find the time to post pics of people with terrible and offensive style over this next month. So if you don't want to see pictures of ONLY me. So, don't worry. There will still be pics of horrible looking people on this blog, you know I can't help myself.

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.

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!

LBD #3 and an example of why I am not a model

LBD #3. This is why I am neither a model, nor a photographer. HH is still at church, so I am forced to take my own pics today. I want to hurry and change out of this dress because it is like a million degrees in NYC today. I was feeling crabby earlier, but nothing a photo shoot couldn't cure. I hope you enjoy.

This dress is from H&M, and the shoes are Naughty Monkey, one of my VERY favorite brands. Wearing 5" heels in NYC is kind of a hazard. So, of course I wore flats most of the way to church and changed into theses bad-boys when we were only half a block away. They are cute, but not worth breaking an ankle over.

Oh where is Vivianne? Well, she couldn't make it today, she totally busted it on the sidewalk. Yeah, but did you see her shoes as she was laying there all mangled? Um, hell yeah I did, they were friggn awesome.

LBD #2

LBD Day #2. This dress is simple and easy for Saturday. The perfect example of what an LBD should be: basic enough that you can wear it casual, or dress it up with accessories for a night out. The silhouette is typically short and the styling and details are minimal, so that it won't go out of style quickly. Although it may not be necessary to have so many LBD, because they are so versatile, it is damn fun. Right?

Coco Chanel is credited for "inventing" the LBD in the 1920's. Every woman should have a little black dress. One that makes her feel sexy, confident, elegant.... and also skinny. One that transitions from day to evening, from season to season and even from year to year. How many do you have?

How many does Vivianne have?

A. 11

B. 4

C. 6

HH is really getting good at this photography thing... although he did chop off the top of my head in one shot. He said it looked "artsy", I did not agree. Of course it was also his idea for me to hold the Calculus book in the last pic.

And now some LBD shopping... All these are from Revolve, one of my fave online shopping destinations. Enjoy!

Black Halo

James Perse

Literature Noir

RVCA

See By Chloe

Hope you love them all!

See you tomorrow... I wonder what I will wear...!

Guest Post by Couture Carrie: Back in Black

So, you should be super excited about the fact that TODAYYYY I have a guest post by my FABulous friend, CC. Be sure to check out her blog Couture Carrie and follow her asap, to see more posts like this one. Thanks, CC!

Hello, darlings, it’s CC! I was so excited when Vivianne asked me to do a guest post for her! This survey focuses on chic black pieces to round out your wardrobe, as our lovely Vivianne adores dressing in head to toe jet!

First photo: Japanese Vogue, August 2009. Consider a black miniskirt, either in leather or silk!


CC loves this Tibi silk mini skirt from theOutnet.com. It has a minishorts underlay beneath the crepe de chine bubble hem skirt ~ perfect for sultry summer nights!


Just pair with a sexy pair of gladiators or platform pumps. How about these Fendi chain-trimmed suede sandals from net-a-porter.com?


Or try these Rock & Republic Alayna chain pumps from shopbop.com.


A staple of CCs wardrobe, these J Brand 10” ankle skinny jeans are pure stretch denim perfection. Find them at shopbop.com.


You’ll also need some wet look leggings. CC is a big fan of these ones from blackmilkclothing.com. Perfect for layering under a tunic or minidress!


Frolic on the beach in this Red Carter eyelet bikini from shopbop.com.


Opt for an adventurous asymmetric LBD this summer like this Whistles ruched bodycon dress, at asos.com.


Looking ahead to fall: consider this Michael Kors leather-paneled crepe dress from net-a-porter.com.


Pair it with some strong and sweet accessories. CC is smitten with this chunky Nixon brushed stainless steel watch from net-a-porter.com.


CC also adores this ribbon rosette clutch from J. Crew.


Hope you’ve enjoyed this bodacious black post, darlings. Thanks again, Viv!

xoxox,

CC

Print Mix Up

I am not the best at mixing prints... I wish I were better. Some of my blog friends are so good at it, I am jelly of them, and I look at their pics with such admiration, hoping to be inspired. But, since most of my clothes are solid black, there really isn't a lot to mix. So wtf. And when I say wtf, you all must know that I am saying wt freak, ok, I do knot use the eff word. =) ANYway, This weekend I have been taking pics of people who also have trouble mixing their prints. There is a very fine line between Print Mix Pretty and Print Mix Poopy. K? Beware.

See below Hat Lady. While I love her hat, the rest of the ensemble is not working out. Skirt= cute, and I understand what she was shooting for, but the stripe + the texture in the ruffle is too much for the busy print of the skirt. Also the sky blue in her top is not a match. She needs a solid or a flat-non texture to tone down the look. When mixing prints we need to mix colors of the same shade or complimentary shades. Am I right? I can imagine this look working if her top had been a solid white, off white or even soft pink. Can you see it? What do you think?

Next: Yellow Geo. I'm curious what you all think. Maybe if the print of the skirt was a larger scale it would work, and if the skirt were A LOT shorter. There is just too much skirt coverage. She almost had it!



And finally, a look that really works! Sorry you can't see it well, but the colors work well together and the proportions are all right. Pale yellow stripes combined with soft blue-grey, with vintage shades together in a floral print... Love the shoes too. The dark belt really completes the look, don't you think?


So glad we end on a positive note right? AND get ready for Man-day Monday tomorrow! I have pics of some very nicely dressed MEN for you!! Look forward to it.

Monday Man-day

That means on Monday I will write about Men's style. Ok, maybe not every Monday, but at least some Mondays.

So today I was in Herald Square, trying to snap some candid shots of men that were walking by - and what did I see? A dude HOLDING a friggin pigeon! No, the pigeon was not hurt or in need of someone to carry it around... this guy just snatched it up and was holding it and the poor bird was trying to flap and flap and get away from the weirdo. Can you imagine? I was too shocked to get HIS pic- sorry. Fortunately, he let the poor thing go. Like 100 feathers scattered all over the place and the guy just walked off like huh huh... the poor bird is probably traumatized for its entire lifetime. We all just stared at the guy. Still, I did not take his pic. His outfit sucked. I do remember that.

This guy's outfit does not suck. He looks quite stylish. Although I am normally not a fan of mixing black and brown, he is pulling it off very well. Extra points for the chic shades and the cuffed jeans, right?

Fashion VS Function

I learned after moving to New York that people here dress for function as much as they dress for fashion... Yes, wearing all black looks cool, but it also doesn't show dirt or wear, and uh, you all did see the garbage piles right? We are OUT, walking in our city so much, our clothing gets dirty- it just makes sense to wear dark clothes! It gets worn out from the elements faster!

What about layering? Hello... We have to layer, not just cuz its cute and trendy, but because we are walking to work when its 50 outside and we need a jacket. We are taking our lunch break when its 60 and we just need our cardigan and top- and then when we're waking home we have our sleeves rolled up and its 68... See? Function.

Or how about jeans tucked into boots? Duh, of course this looks cool, but when you're walking 15 blocks in the rain, you HAVE to do this! WE do not have the luxury of walking from the kitchen to the garage and to the car, driving through the rain, and then wearing the boots with the jeans tucked into them, into the office. We look like this for a purpose!

I have so many of these, but I will only talk about one more. My favorite. LEG WARMERS... I know, its summer now. But this is my absolute fave. I only really came to love leg warmers last winter because that was my first winter here and I thought it would be my last winter on Earth. I only actually survived because of Leg Warmers. Dancers wore them, I dunno, like forever ago, over their tights, to keep their muscles warm or something. (I think I may have just made that up.) But oh my gosh, they are so warm when you wear them over tights or even jeans and pull them up over your knees. They started trending again a few years ago, but honestly I don't know why they ever went away... as long as I live here, I won't stop wearing them. In the winter. Obviously.

So, that is your Fashion lesson for the day.

Guess what! I actually got my pic taken on Sunday morning before church and I think my look illustrates my "all black" and "layering" points pretty well. If it doesn't, who cares. I like this outfit. HH called me "Hammer" all day though. Whatever.

This is how I do color

I don't wear color. I only wear black. HH only wears black. We share a closet, a compact, but very well organized sea of black fabric- in only slightly varied shades, of course. Its difficult to decipher where his clothes end and mine begin. But, we manage. Most of the time. I told you all how I came to give him the name HH (Howard Hughes) and it is because he is so flexible and laid-back... ;) he he. Well, one time I used one of his multi-level pant hangers without telling him... (you know the kind I'm talking about? With 3 or 4 parallel bars across?) and I hung a pair of black dress pants on it. I rarely wore them and forgot about them for several months. HH put them on the other day by mistake. He freaked out for about 3 minutes, thinking he'd suddenly gained 10 lbs, until he realized that they were mine. I had to try them on IMMEDIATELY so that we were sure they were mine, and then IMMEDIATELY put them on MY OWN hanger on MY OWN side of the closet. It really is better this way- my things separate. Otherwise, I would have had to change his nickname. I love that guy.

Back to the POINT. Wearing black. My wardrobe is all black, black/white, black/grey, and a little teeny bit of navy. I dress like this because when I wear all black I feel most like ME. If I were to wear pink, or some floral print, I would feel weird. I would be in a bad mood, most likely. Its not worth it, clothes are supposed to make you happy. Here is my attempt at color since it IS Spring...

PS- I am pretty sure, the only day of the week I will be able to get a pic of my whole outfit for you all is Sunday. HH is just not into it. I took this my own self and I made a collage. Hope you like.