Black Pants and Black Boots

The trend is everywhere...black pants and black boots.  It's just one of those looks that you gotta have if you want to feel really trendy.  But, it's not easy easy to even FIND the right pant/boot pairing.  Wearing the pants tucked in can be a challenge because the boot calf needs to be wide enough!  But when you do find the right boots (see my earlier post on the challenge I had) I strongly suggest you wear a top to cover your butt!  It just makes the whole look come together and be more balanced, no matter how slim you are.

See for yourself:  The picture on the left is a "DO" and the picture on the right is a "DON'T"!

                                                  DO                                                 DON'T

Below is me and my sister-in-law sporting the look.  This is after a 6-hour wait in the hospital and receiving some great news!  But I had to chuckle that we were both sporting the black pant/black boot trend and actually are both "DO'S" for our body shape/height.  You can't see our boots but the point is still made:  COVER YOUR BUTT and experiment with different top/bottoms to find one that looks right for you.

Note that one of us is closer to 6' tall and one of us is closer to 5' tall; one of us is a triangle shape and one of us is an inverted triangle shape.  So, YOU TOO can wear this look.  Just play with it.

For those of you who can stand a little more detail, as I study this picture, I also notice something very subtle but important:  My sister-in-law has her (pink) scarf open, while I have my (white) scarf centered.  There is a reason for this:  The pink scarf is visually widening her upper body, while the white scarf is visually narrowing my upper body.  I am the inverted triangle so I need to narrow my upper body.  The fashion rule is this:  try to balance your upper and lower body and create as much of a waist as you can.  So, yes, think hourglass.  (At least with your shoulders and hips.)  What does that mean?  It doesn't matter if your shoulders are 4' wide or 2' wide - try to balance them with your hips!  OOHHHHH, I just saw one other important trick!  Notice how one of us is wearing short sleeves and one of us long sleeves???  See how the short sleeves add 2-3 inches to her chest/shoulder area by making your eye follow the horizontal cut along the short sleeve?  This is done right as it further broadens her top to balance her bottom, and I don't need any more horizontal width across my shoulder and chest area!

So, for the philosophical/experimental purpose of my blog:  How was my life enhanced or changed this week because of my building a better wardrobe to then create a better/authentic life?  Even though I was facing an extremely stressful day of driving my mother to her heart surgery appointment, I took the time to dress and put on makeup.  I didn't want to.  I didn't even feel like showering.  But, I knew it would make for a more comfortable day.  I now have memories of a wonderful bonding experience with my sisters in the waiting room, and a healthier Mom who is recovering well!

Leave a comment of how you've been successful with the black boot/black pant or leggings combo...

If you Build It...

Wednesday night was very exciting...an un-precidented event happened - Celtics tickets dropped in my lap! In the context of "Building your authentic wardrobe and your authentic (and exciting) life will come" I did not hesitate when I was offered last-minute tickets to the Detroit/Pistons game this past week - thanks B and P!

Here's what I had ready and waiting in my car and in my gym bag at work:

Picture a rainy New England night in Boston with 1 foot of snow on the ground - yes, there were puddles to navigate!  Had I not been prepared with hiking boots, I'm not sure I would have accepted the tickets...get the picture?

Of course, I wasn't prepared with my camera, so I didn't get fun pictures of the whole gang together.    Scratch that, thanks to Facebook, I got this picture!

Donna and Donna at the Celtics game!

The most severe weather does not have to mean BORING.  Check this out:

And you can get inspiration from your snow-covered surroundings....I've been wearing my "snowflake" pin a lot lately....

I just love how the sparkle in the blue scarf plays so well with the sparkle of the pin!












I would love to hear your comments below on what you've done for winter dressing or have worn to "keep it interesting!"  You can also email me pix by sending to the email in "my profile" at the right.

Best Outfit of the Week - January 13, 2011

Feeling a little drab, but wanting to wear my new boots, I put together this black skirt/black top outfit.

The top needed a little "oomph" so I started to pull a tired old green silk blouse that I had used many times in the past to extend the narrowness of the black v-neck.  I just love the black/lime green combo!  I wasn't really feeling the old green top...it felt outdated for me, even though it does a really good job of putting focus on my face.  So, I pulled this brighter lime green summer top to pair with the black velvety top and VOILA...the outfit was getting better.  I still needed a little more color so I added this long scarf which picked up the green in the blouse.  Even though it was an outdoor scarf, I wore it inside at work all day.  Other women were doing the same, and I felt very chic.

See below how the collared blouse is more yellow in undertones.  (I bought it when I was a blonde.)  Although the contrast with the black top is fantastic, I like the brighter lime green with the reddish tones of my hair now.

Here's a close-up to get a better feel of how this brightened my day.  Rule of thumb:  you can wear all black, but don't overdo it near your face.  Add some color somewhere!  If black looks good near your face, then add a punch of color with bright shoes OR a bright purse.  One punch of color is usually good.  It's more chic.  I added two 'cause I wanted to add that winter feel to my outfit.

How was my day changed or different by paying attention to my wardrobe?  I had a great day - did things out of the ordinary like getting my nails and hair done - just to prepare better for a business meeting and it gave me a great confidence boost!

Black Boots Dilemma Solved!

Okay, so I was looking to emulate this silhouette.  What could be so difficult?  I'm a fashion consultant and this new look would be good on my tall body frame AND go with my life.  I was anxious to incorporate the new black pant/leggings that I had already purchased into my wardrobe.

I even found the look featured in a Garnet Hill flyer.  I love everything about this picture:  the length of the jacket, the funnell neckline with the princess seaming, the flat boots and even the colors!!! (I'm a red head and I know those designers know what they are doing when they have photo shoots like this.  I also know that black washes me out, and although the coat appears to be black, it is really a dark gray.  A MUCH better choice for me!)

When I went to purchase the coat and boots when the sale catalog came out; both were gone.  No surprise, so I set out to Wrentham Village Mall to get me those elusive black boots (I already have brown but the calves don't fit over any sort of pants) that I needed to complete my winter wardrobe!  My budget was $200 and I had a vision of hitting a sale at Cole Haan, so I started in the middle of the mall.  Quickly navigating 4 shoe stores before I would come upon the Cole Haan outlet, I tried on about 4 pair of boots - passing up "good for great!"  I learned that the Cole Haan store only had a pair of suede dress boots that would fit the bill for wearing with skirts, and since they were 60% off, I could consider going back to a previous store and buying a 2nd pair of boots to create the look above.  I didn't love both pair of boots, although they would both be under my $200 budget.  I also didn't want to spend my Saturdays shopping for boots.  I salivated over the pair of boots the sales rep was wearing, and a former customer even pranced around the store wearing her version of the style I wanted.  There were none in the store to be sold.  I pressed on.  Dejected, I hit the last store: Off Fifth.  I knew that there was a possibility of my finding Michael Kors boots - the MK rep had told me so, but I really wanted one pair of quality boots to do the job:  to be able to wear with skirts to the office, and over leggings for the look above.  That's my goal, afterall: to have a minimalist wardrobe that fits the life I want to have!

As I was bending down to try on a pair of black suede "Lucky" brand boots, my eyes saw two boxes under the shoe racks. In one of those boxes was the perfect size, black Air Petra Tall Cole Haan boots that I had just admired on two women back at the Cole Haan store!  I was a-emotional as I knew this would happen. Of course they were 40% off, and in my size and color.  Of course they were just laying there for me to find, and of course there were not others in other sizes.  My boots, laying right there.  Waiting for me to open my eyes and see them.

I had done my homework to get these.  Most importantly, I had freed up the space in my life to attract these. 2 years ago I gave away my only pair of black dress boots to a friend, because the heel hurt me.  I watched her wear them in pride.  Then I replaced those boots in July with a pair of ultra-inexpensive black suede flat scrunchy boots that were way too young-looking for me.  I gave those away to my son's 15-year old girlfriend a few months ago.  So, I've been making do with black hose and black shoes in search for my perfect black boots.  Well, feast your eyes on these puppies! Gorgeous Cole Haan boots!

Exhausted but exhilerated, I now wanted to find a top or a coat to fall just below my crotch, so I could put the look together.  Yes, I had 2 sweaters at home that could fit the bill, but neither were perfect.  It was getting late and I had to do some grocery shopping, so I went to my favorite TJMaxx Stop & Shop combo in Milford.  I debated on grocery shopping first (delayed gratification) but I knew if I found the perfect top in TJMaxx then I would be exhilerated enough to get some grocery shopping done.  After trying on 10 tops and numerous coats, I emerged victorious with the perfect gray fleece, funnel neck, zip front jacket.  Oh yea, the length was just below my crotch.  YAY!  I did it.  I wore it out of the store - with my new boots.  Complete ensemble in 4 hours!!!!

Here's the fun part.  I was wearing my authentic outfit, and something happened in the grocery store that has never happened to me before.  I was checking out, and the fish counter guy came up to me and told me he had mis-priced my fish and he would go back and get me the correct price!!!!  OMG......how does that happen?  I wasn't even smiling alot.  Just walking around a grocery store in my gray and black outfit (usually I need MUCH more color than that!)

Of course, I noticed every boot/coat combination on all the women in the store.  Some got it right; most did not.  Here are some tips:  The 2nd longer coat picture above is OK, but is not as slimming as the length that falls just below your crotch.  Is there a better word for "crotch"?  Someone please correct me.  But the point is that the 2nd coat is about 8 inches longer than the first - this is a HUGE difference.  Changes the entire appearance.

Helpful hints of what NOT to do:

• Please don't wear "mommy jeans" - EVER
• If your pants taper at the bottom, make sure they don't start out wide at the top.  (Rule of thumb:  if they were bought 7-15 years ago, do NOT wear them.)
• One new look is slim legs and pants, and most women should cover their butts while wearing them.  Even if you have a yoga-pant-worthy butt, the entire leg slimness is too much - you look EXPOSED.  A very slim woman was standing in a bank line sporting this exposed look and everyone in line could not help staring at her undescript butt.  Don't do it!

• Keep your pant leg as slim as you can if you tuck in your boots.
• The taller the boot; the better, for the new look.
• I'm on the fence for UGGs on women over 30.  I even like the croc sandals (because I can garden in them) but I have no desire to get me a pair of UGGs.
• Have fun keeping stylishly warm this winter!

Feel free to comment with any fashion questions you may have!