Friday, October 24, 2008

What About This?

Between sips of $3 beer at a local bar this week, my best friend squealed and clapped while announcing You should write a post where you dress me. I was intrigued. I already follow her around various stores helping her pick out things in real life. Why not partake in a bit of virtual fantasy? So with no price limit and an intimate understanding of how she likes to dress, I took to the interwebs this morning after waking at 7:15 AM, sans alarm, for some unknown reason.

I'm not going to go completely off the deep end here. The clothes I've chosen could actually be worn in her real life and on her real frame. She is a hair under 5'2" and curvy, kinda like an hourglass left in the dryer for too long. This makes it difficult for her to buy pants, so she favors dresses and skirts, especially for work. In college, she favored stilettos and grommets. But now that we're not 18 anymore and have to sorta, kinda act like grown-ups, she's looking for a way to dress like a professional woman without losing herself in boring slacks and oxford shirts.

Let's start with the casual looks.

As I mentioned before, buying pants or jeans can be a hassle. I love these J Brands for her because they are a classic mid rise bootcut that looks good on any shape, and they make their jeans with the right amount of stretch. Also, their denim is supersoft and lovely.


In her closet now, she mainly has thinner athletic-type jackets and serious coats. I love this jacket because it's leather, which will keep her warm, but it's also cut in a way that keeps that 18 year old alive.


She loooooves shirt/sweater dresses. And this one can be worn on the weekend and to work by changing jackets and shoes.


Much like I, she has been looking for a pair of versatile, comfortable and cute flats for months. I can say right now that it's basically impossible to find a reasonably priced pair. But reason has been thrown out the window here.

I thought she would like these because they can be worn with anything and everything. And, since she used to dance ballet, I thought she would appreciate the fact that these shoes are made by a company that also makes actual pointe shoes.


I decided that for the weekend, her bag should not be as large as the one she has to carry all of her work shit in, but still in a neutral so if she needed to bring it to work for whatever reason, people wouldn't look at her funny. This one fits the bill.


Now on to those weekend nights.

Dresses, dresses and more dresses. This one conceals anything she might not like while drawing the attention up to her face. It's just waiting for the right pair of shoes and a stack of bracelets.


Um, did I mention that it's fucking cold outside. Shiny tights can help with that.


She is a Blahnik girl, generally. But when I saw these Choos, all I could think of was her. This often happens when I'm out wandering around, and I secretly take a cellphone picture of the shoe and text it to her.


On the Lower East Side, there was a small accessories store that she loved. It closed a few months ago. Every time we were down there, she would drag me inside so that she could fondle a clutch that folded over. This one reminds me of the one she used to love that has now gone away.



But she, like most of you out there, has to spend most of her life at work. Suits aren't required, and I, in fact, dislike them on most women. Unless they are perfectly tailored, suits and curves of any sort do not mix. I'm a fan of the work dress. And the work separates.

I love everything about this dress for her. The fact that it's in a vibrant color. The possibility of wearing it with or without a belt. The pockets! She can run right from the office to a date or to dinner with a certain someone known as Samantha.


She used to be unsure about pencil skirts, but she bought some utilitarian ones a few months ago. This piece has a personality. The exposed zipper lets bits of her non-work self peek out. The color keeps it appropriate for the office. The waist band gives it the visual interest that many similar skirts lack.


The buttons are what I love most about this coat. I think it's because they remind me of the ornamentation that she used to have on her shoes and bags back in college. It's black, which is always okay for work. It's double breasted, which I usually wouldn't suggest for her, but as there are only two rows, it can be gotten away with.



She is a fan of the bootie. I hate booties with the heat of 1,000 burning suns. My hatred might stem from the fact that booties make my large feet look like they could crush small villages. But she has dainty, girl feet. And, let's be honest, a knee high boot is probably not okay in most offices. This pair drew me in because of the buttons again.


We both have what some might say is an unhealthy love for all things Marc Jacobs, including his work for Louis Vuitton. When I showed her the picture I took of this bag, she seriously suggested that we go in halfsies and make an ownership schedule. But really, every girl should have one all to herself. Maybe something like this perhaps?



And so we have reached the end. I feel like I need to refuel. Maybe with some of the bacon my mother bought me while she was visiting last week. Mmm, bacon.

A note to all of my other real life friends who read this blog. If you would like a similar virtual styling session, either simply for inspiration or with items at prices that you can actually afford (much like this Old Navy post), then email me. I have a lot of free time on my hands.


P.S., When I told my best friend about some of the things that didn't make the cut, she insisted that I edit this post and add one particular item.


Obviously this is a weekend shirt...


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1 comment:

margaret said...

um, i am utterly OBSESSED with that leather jacket. do you know me/love me well enough to outfit me? :)