What’s underneath it all…?

To My Naughty Blogginistas,

Over the weekend I took time away from my typical studies of writing papers & such & saw the play Intimate Apparel. I won’t get into too much detail around the plot of the play, but it revolves around a thirty-five year old single seamstress. Her specialty with the ladies is her intimate apparel. The women she creates her pieces for are typically seen in corsets & garters. The setting was 1905, so the style was very romantic & delicate. Every time the women in Intimate Apparel put on their lingerie they felt empowered, confident & sexy.

I’ve read several times over the years that when you wear something pretty, feminine or sexy underneath your clothing you feel more confident about yourself. Think about it. On an average day figure you put on a dress or a pair of jeans with a sweater….pretty average right? Imagine if you wore a slip under that dress or a matching bra & panties set under the jeans & sweater…Imagine how much more confident you would feel!!

Everyday lingerie is something that every woman should treat themselves to every so often. Now I’m not saying you need to go stop at the sex store & pick up a nurses outfit… Free People & Urban Outfitters are great places to find something that suits you because the intimates are very casual, but flirtatious in both collections. Here are some starters for wearing lingerie every day & outside of the bedroom:

v  Slips. Free People designs slips where you may be able to wear them as street clothes, but ideally they are for underneath dresses. Slips are also great to sleep in or just hanging around the house. Similarly…

v  Chemises/Babydolls. I like to think of them as a flirty nightgown. Definitely something you can sleep in nightly.  

v  Garter belts. Very simple & they’re designed to hold up thigh high socks or hosiery. So…garters can be not only sexy, but quite practical.

v  Thigh high socks/hosiery. Sexy all on it’s on…also a great option if you prefer not to wear stockings.

 

v  Kimonos. I love these! Victoria’s Secret makes them in all kinds of colors & designs. If you are wearing one for someone else you would wear this over your lingerie. If you are wearing these everyday think of it like a satin robe…very luxurious!

What are your thoughts Blogginistas?? Yes or no to bringing lingerie to your every day style?

Love always,

BR

Black Tie…Optional

My dearest Blogginistas,

Finally! My glamorous affair arrived! A few months back my family & I received invitations to a wedding in which the attire was black tie (optional)…this past Saturday we attended. Such a wedding requirement isn’t all that common, so I did my research on what to wear. After reading a crazy amount of articles, I discovered basically this: for a black tie optional wedding you should dress in black tie attire…Women: floor length gown & an up-do…Men: tuxedo.

I was very weary of this advice, so I took to my own rules & thought about what was trending for the fall. I wore an olive green halter satin dress (that I luckily found in my closet); it was midi length, meaning it came just below the knees. I couldn’t go floor length (as did many) because it’s simply not in season & if I went too short it would appear as if I was going clubbing (as did many). My shoes were leopard/sequins platform pumps, which were to die for! & I did my hair in a messy up do. So I was dressed appropriately for a black tie (optional) wedding, but still made it my own.

While many of us don’t get the opportunity to attend black tie events, a black tie optional event is the closest thing we can get to…so if you’re ever invited, GO!!! It’s spectacular. The ceremony took place at a cathedral & the reception was at chateau that was built in the 1500’s. This place was complete with an indoor pool, several old wooden bars, & the most fairytale-like ballroom. I don’t think I have ever been to a place more magical in my life. The bride & groom even took inspiration from the Royal Wedding, complete with a public wave & kiss on a balcony during cocktail hour.

So on to the clothes. What I discovered from attending this wedding was that all the advice I found online was inaccurate & I was very thankful that I was smart enough NOT to follow the “rules.” The wedding party & only a few other guests wore floor length dresses & tuxes. While most men stuck with suits, they looked polished & appropriate for a black tie (optional) wedding. The women were 50/50; they either looked perfect or like they had no idea what they were doing. So, here are my tips from my experience:

WOMEN:

-          Do not take your shoes off on the dance floor. It’s not classy.

-          Do not wear a shawl. Sweaters are a better option.

-          Do wear a dress that is not black. A colored dress will help you stand out!

-          Do know the difference between a formal dress shoe & an everyday casual heel. (i.e. Buckles are not appropriate on a woman’s shoe at a very dressy wedding.)

-          Do something with your hair. Switch it up from your everyday look.

-          Do wear a dress that fits you. Pulling up a strapless dress isn’t attractive. Pulling down a way-too-short “dress” isn’t tasteful.

-          Do invest in Hollywood Tape. I swear by it!

MEN:

-          Do not take your shoes off on the dance floor. It’s not classy.

-          Do not spike your hair if that’s what you do. It’s not appropriate for any wedding.

-          Do invest in a bow tie or skinny black tie. Both are sleek & classy & sexy!

-          Do make sure your shoes are polished. No scuff marks please.

-          Do keep your shoe laces tied. Dangling laces looks sloppy.

-          Do know the difference between a fall/winter suit & a summer/spring suit.

-          Do wear nice cologne.

So there you go Blogginistas! I have to say, I enjoyed myself at this wedding & if you are ever invited to such an event make sure your RSVP marks yes. Black tie (optional) is a difficult attire to work with since it’s in between when it comes to dress code. Make sure when you find what to wear (& this goes for any other formal event) you respect the attire desired, shop wisely, but also follow your own rules & make it your own. Whether it’s a stand out bag or a purple pocket scarf make sure you add something that makes your outfit YOU!

Thinking about weddings…what are your DO’s & DON’T’s???

Love always,

BR

it’s not the shoes, but the people who sell them

Hey, Hey Blogginistas!!

This coming weekend I will be attending a black tie wedding. (I’ll be posting about that event next week!) Luckily I already have a dress that is appropriate & in-style for the season, so all I needed to do over this long & fabulous Columbus Day Weekend was find a killer pair of shoes. Knowing where to shop for shoes on such a high traffic weekend in retail I sought out Nordstrom’s. Now I’m not here to talk about the shoes that I bought (which are by the way a four inch heel with a one inch platform…& yes I have to wear them for at least four hours Saturday night)….I’m actually here to share my thoughts on the service I received…not exactly about fashion, but the purchase will lead to many fashionable outfits to come!

For those who don’t know, Nordstrom’s is an upscale department store, comparable to Bloomingdales, just not as commonly seen. What I love about Nordstrom’s though is that while it’s upscale, it’s not always overpriced; they definitely have affordable items for men & women of all ages & all budgets. Since I sadly have no concept of the value of the dollar, I can’t help but literally be sucked into purchasing a more expensive item over something “affordable.” After being helped by the most wonderful men ever, I found myself at the register with not one, but two new pairs of shoes. In my defense, if I did not receive the help & attention that I got from the men doing their job VERY well, I would not have purchased both pairs of shoes.

Because I work in retail, you would think I know the tricks any sales person can pull in order to get a customer to spend more money…well I do know these tricks & l was fully aware of what was going on. If anything, I was absolutely amazed by these men’s’ selling skills! I think what really got me as a customer was the compliments & the extra help I received from two or three men in the shoe department of Nordstrom’s. They were complimenting the dress I was going to wear to this upcoming wedding….& telling me how I can wear the shoes with other outfits. Then when they tried (& were successful) selling me a new pair of boots they shared every which way I could wear the boots. Yet while a man can’t give me a personal testimony on women’s shoes, this particular man was fully educated on the shoes that he was selling & shared practical details with me. The more I heard, the more I felt it was necessary for me to buy two pairs of shoes.

If you think about it, every store you walk in to, whether it’s Nordstrom’s, Abercrombie & Fitch, or the Apple store, the better the service, the better you feel about what you are spending your money on. It’s a tactic every single retail company uses…& guess what?!...it works! All of us can probably speak of a time where we found ourselves guilty of this scenario…but it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Just be aware & be smart about your purchase.

To all those frequent shoppers…tell us your story? Have you ever gotten sucked into buying something just because of the great customer service?

Love always,

BR

those boots they call shoes

G’day Blogginistas!

…and may I say, Happy Autumn!

I apologize for posting a little later than usual…I was house/pet sitting for my parents over the weekend & was consumed with trying to be an adult & never managed to find an inspiration to write. Luckily, after a discussion with my younger sister we came to the conclusion that I should blog about Uggs- to wear or not to wear?

It’s that time of year again & whether you like it or not you have to bring out those cold weather essentials. I hate to admit it but I’m still holding on to summer by wearing flip flops (for convenience purposes!) in this cooling weather, but I have brought out some actual shoes. I’ve also brought out my Uggs, like I’m sure many of you Blogginistas also have done. Ladies, who knows how many pairs that may be, but guys I’m sure if you own a pair it’s the Tasmans.

If you already couldn’t tell, I LOVE Uggs & I recommend them to everyone. I believe everyone should splurge on a pair no matter what style-your feet deserve the touch of sheepskin. It’s pure fluffiness. I remember getting my first pair of Uggs during my sophomore year of high school (SIDENOTE: it was “cool” at my high school to wear Uggs & North Face…I don’t know why I ever thought that was fashionable). Anyways, I wore those Uggs out; the heels were run down & the fur pretty much disappeared.

I recently started shopping for a new pair of Uggs that I will purchase for the upcoming winter season (I hear it’s a bad one for the northeast, so I’d like my feet to at least be warm); I also did some research, not knowing much about the men’s collection. I gladly clicked the link for men’s Uggs & to my surprise Tom Brady invaded my laptop screen…evidently he’s a fan. You can view his campaign for Uggs here. I also discovered that the men’s collection has a very nice selection of shoes that look like they’re worth the money…so check it out fellas!

While shopping online, I came to a realization: Uggs should not replace all the beautiful shoes that I own. Yes, Uggs can be worn with any outfit…they are comfy & if you let me, I can & will convince you to buy a pair, but they still shouldn’t be considered “everyday shoes.” Way back when, I thought Uggs were great boots for the snow…& then I actually wore them in a foot of snow. My socks were soaked! The same goes if it’s raining-Uggs = BIG no-no! Have you ever worn black or brown Uggs without socks? I have & my toes & heels were dyed- don’t do it…you were warned. I also remember questioning Uggs my freshman year of college when a friend of mind wore them with every outfit he wore (except basketball shorts). I couldn’t help but think Don’t you have a real pair of shoes?

Like anything else in the world of fashion, I can find the goods & the not-so-goods of anything…& Uggs aren’t an exception for they have both good & bad qualities. My words of advice would simply be to not wear Uggs every day. And to those who haven’t owned a pair of Uggs, spoil yourselves! Spurge & try them out- I promise you will love them. Especially you guys out there- every man should own Uggs. I even convinced my cheapo father to invest in a pair…he loves them!

So I can’t speak of Uggs without linking you to their page…here’s the link to Uggs Australia. Happy shopping!

Whether you’ve owned them or not Blogginistas: Yay! or Nay! to Uggs??

Love always,

BR