Double Denim

I recently came upon a new to me fashion blogger - Wendy of Thankfifi - and I'm enamored! She lives in Glasgow, which I visited in my semester of studying abroad in Manchester, England. I've already been inspired by quite a few of her ensembles and can't wait to get our own dog that can become a model in my outfit pics. 

Have a great Memorial Day weekend and I can't wait to share the details of our trip to Traverse City with you next week, but follow me on Twitter & Instagram to stay up with our fun adventures!

Denim shirt, Worthington peplum top (similar), Gap legging jeans, Jessica Simpson flats (similar here and here), Stella & Dot Lilith Fringe necklace

Longer Lengths

After holding up my new green skirt (scored with an American Apparel Groupon) to the "tops" section in my closet, I decided to wear it with this watercolor tee. Normally I would wear a cropped jacket with a maxi skirt to ensure that my waist is defined rather than pair long with long; however, the colors in this tee (green, mustard, brown, burgundy, and peach) were begging to be worn with my peach boyfriend blazer! So, why not add a wide brim hat and fur vest to really work the boho chic look? Why not indeed.

Club Monaco fur vest (similar), H&M peach blazer (similar), Simply Vera tee, American Apparel skirt, Gap hat (similar), Fownes Brothers gloves, Franco Sarto booties (similar), Hue sweater tights, Tory Burch sunnies

Favorite Gifts I Gave (For the Gals)

From top left clockwise to bottom left:

1. Stella & Dot Lapis Drop Earrings

2. Steve Madden Neenaa Boots

3. Fownes Brothers Tech Cashmere Lined Leather Gloves

4. J.Crew No. 2 Pencil Skirt

5. Elle Lurex Tweed Jacket

6. Givenchy Rouge Interdit Satin Lipstick

A Sign of Growth

The combination of it being dark when I come home, my fiance starting work before I'm ready, and a non-DSLR camera have led to an overall feeling of underwhelm with the photographic evidence of my outfits as of late. I guess this is a sign of growth in my expectations of this lil blog, as pictures inside the halls of my office building were accepted as the norm this time last year. I can't well expect my co-worker (and current paparazzo) to brave the chill and take time out of her lunch hour to take my picture. Therefore, I must upgrade to an instrument that can capture the beauty of texture, shine, and pattern in fluorescent lighting. Any recommendations?

XXI skirt, Express blouse, Elle at Kohl's faux leather blazer, Club Monaco faux fur vest, White Mountain booties, Stella & Dot necklace, Skaagen watch

North of the Knee

Joe Fresh blouse, Simply Vera miniskirt, Nine West over the knee boots, Simply Vera fishnets, NY & Co leather bomber, Stella & Dot necklace, Akira and Charming Charlie bracelets

Official

While items like leather, boots, boucle, or suede might signal the changing of seasons to some, I never stopped pairing those textures with my summer staples. Therefore, once I open my tights drawer, it becomes officially fall. Even if they barely offer any coverage, as in the fishnet variety, it still counts. It doesn't hurt that they also made one of their first appearances with camel, cognac, hunter green, and a print that closely resembles fallen leaves. Welcome to Chicago, fall. I am overjoyed to meet your acquaintance once more.

Simply Vera tee, Loft skirt, Gap jacket, Hue fishnets, Nine West booties, Stella & Dot earrings

Sequin Your Day (Part I)

 I love wearing sequins; however, when I looked at my stock, I didn't have nearly enough. Still don't...I'm talking to you, you, or you  - get in my closet! When it comes to sequins, we so often delegate it for cocktail parties or date nights - why is that? They can be business and weekend appropriate too! While I've been on the "sequins for day" soap box before, we all need many examples before we make the jump into a new trend or make a change in our daily outfit choices. 

Check back tomorrow for my next "Sequin Your Day" post.

Loft trousers, Joe Fresh blouse, Jennifer Lopez for Kohl's tank, NY & Co jacket, Charming Charlie necklace, Nine West pumps

Rock of Ages

After watching "Rock of Ages" last night, I am thankful to have this outfit post on the docket since it felt very 80's and right now, I'm feelin' the 80's. If you haven't seen the movie, it's a bit like "Hairspray," "Footloose," "Dirty Dancing," or "Cry Baby" (some of my all time favorites). The premise? Boy and girl fall in love, then uppity, righteous, or selfish people try to break up the relationship and stifle rock 'n' roll, but despite the efforts, love and rock 'n' roll prevail. The lesson? Don't stop believin' in either...ever.

Elle jacket, Akira skirt & sweater, Jessica Simpson heels, vintage necklace & earrings, Charming Charlie bracelets, Revlon Cherries in the Snow lipstick, Foster Grant sunnies

Mixed Emotions

I don't know about you, but I have mixed emotions coming into a new season. I'm incredibly excited about the weather, yet completely anxious about what to wear. With questions such as: What will still be in style from last year? What will transition from summer to fall? When is it time to break out a thick sweater, leather, or a fur accent? It can leave a girl stumped in front of her closet. That's where I have been this past week...scratching my head whilst staring at my clothes, trying on eight different outfits, and then tossing them on the floor when they felt stale. I haven't determined yet how to get out of this rut, except to buy, buy, buy and consign, consign, consign. Since that option sounds expensive, I've taken a step back, repeated some outfits (the horror!) and will gain some new inspiration from Pinterest, fellow fashion bloggers, and you...my readers! What items have you found that are key pieces for this time of year? What's your favorite outfit you've put together recently?

Ark & Co trousers, Tahari lace blouse, Merona belt, Stella & Dot brooch, MRKT shoes, NY & Co jacket, Skaagen watch, Francesca's earrings

Ladies Do Lunch

[ Photos: Ari Seth Cohen, Text: Maayan Zilberman]

Some of you have noticed a new voice on Advanced Style as of late… That’s me, Maayan. I met Ari a while ago when I started talking to him about casting some of the women featured on this website for my fashion line The Lake & Stars. Many of the inspiring people on this website remind me of friends I made during years of volunteering as a painting instructor, and during frequent visits to my grandmother who was a social worker in a nursing home. From these experiences I got to learn that life doesn’t end at 50- in fact, it is just the beginning!

Ari’s work encouraged me to show my customers how women with wisdom and strong personal style can build a “look” with just a little inspiration, and how you can wear an outfit without an outfit wearing you.

This week I had the opportunity to meet up with Debra (a fixture on Advanced Style) and MaryAnn, who you all got to see in photos when Ari visited her home to see all the heavenly jewelry she makes. As we ate lunch (at Debra’s favorite of 30+ years, “Spring Street Natural”), the ladies got to compare their views on style, health, and aging gracefully. They even shared some of their stories of dressing up when they were children!

What are some of your earliest memories of expressing personal style?

Debra: I grew up in a very creative and open household, my parents encouraged my sister and I to play dress-up with clothes and to express ourselves. I was always very opinionated about layering. When I was 4 yrs old we moved to Florida, and I had a cotton harlequin jumpsuit that to me said, “THIS is Florida!”… It was my first favorite item; it was freeing and made me feel like I could do no wrong in it. Dressing up was always fun, it was never precious or formal.
MaryAnn: When I was a child, my aunt was a buyer for the upscale department store Gimbels (this building is now the Manhattan Mall in Herald Square!) so I got to browse her closets and have access to all the high fashion items. She would send me boxes and boxes of outfits, and every time they would be more fantastic. I got to learn early how to play with style, and none of it felt precious. Because it was a gift, nothing ever felt off-limits to play with.
Debra: (chimes in after we realize how similar their approach is): If you want an item in your wardrobe, you have to enjoy it…. Don’t be too precious with special items, make them casual- like a diamond brooch on a t shirt, or a tutu as a shawl… its about incongruity!

Do you feel like age should affect how much skin you show?
Debra: I have a great neck and shoulders, thanks to yoga and good genes, so I like to bare them. I’d say that every woman should try things on before purchasing them or leaving the house, because sometimes you think it looks like too much but its gorgeous.
We have to get over these outdated assumptions, that women (or men) can only wear certain things.
MaryAnn: A smart woman knows how to play to her good side, with the operative word being PLAY. Dressing up should be fun; you can’t take it too seriously.

Many women I talk to have a hard time putting together an outfit, or as we might say, “building a look”. How do you get dressed in the morning?
MaryAnn: Dressing up is a creative process that brings me closer to my “Self”. It doesn’t really occur to me that people would have a hard time with this; it’s a natural part of my day. My husband asked me recently “What would you call that look?”, and I answered, “It’s just me!”
Debra: Building an outfit is a morning meditation. It gets me prepared for the day ahead, and is what will determine my mood for the day.

(Last week I asked Debra to take me to Forever 21, a low-priced trendy fashion chain, so I could see how she would build a look with her “Frugality is Fun” mantra in mind. Without a second thought, Debra chose five or six structured dresses or corset-style bodice tops as the base of each look she would create. This would be the answer to all my questions about Debra… I needed to know, as an artist, what would be her “canvas”? She then layered all sorts of blouses, skirts, hats, etc. What you’d never expect, however, is how she treated each item- she’d turn it upside down, inside out, whatever way would work. It’s all about approaching clothes (and life) from a new perspective.)

What would you say to someone worried about age taking a toll on his or her appearance?
Debra: Wrinkles? If you have wrinkles I’d say… So what?! If you eat right, you’ll feel right. You have to keep this consciousness into your 40s, 50’s, 60’s and on…
MaryAnn: In order to keep looking young you have to do youthful things, like dressing with expression. If you feel young mentally, you will look young.
Debra: As you get older you have the confidence to take different style risks, which is inherently youthful.

How do you transition your look into hotter summer months?
MaryAnn: I wear a lot of leather layers all year, but I play with it, less layers and lighter weight. It’s the same aesthetic though. The jewelry I wear changes, I use more seasonal materials, like shells, for summer.

Who are your favorite designers?
MaryAnn: I’m in love with the Rodarte girls. Those sisters are the most creative designers right now; I love their aesthetic and fabric combinations. My dream would be to meet them.
Debra: I love the look of Rick Owens, and Comme des Garcons, but its more for inspiration- once a year I splurge on a designer item, but for the most part I like to work with what I have and just explore different looks.

Do you swear by any beauty regimens? How do you have such amazing skin?
Debra: I really don’t buy products, my main rule is to only use on your skin what you would consider putting in your mouth… so I use a lot of oils like jojoba, olive, etc… I just recently started using Weleda products; they make a lot of creams for babies.

What items do you think every woman should have? And does this change as you get older?
MaryAnn: You always have to have accessories, and lots of jewelry…. And black ribbon. I often have some in my purse if I need to tie something, or I put it in my hair.
Debra: Yes, everyone should have layers of accessories, and recycled items (things you use for more than one purpose)…. I always have velvet ribbon or elastic ribbon around to use as a belt, headpiece, bracelet, or for my hair.

What about someone who’s never tried dressing this way, what if they want to try something new?
MaryAnn: So much of the time people are cemented in their ideas of dressing and don’t want to change their look to be more creative- I used to try giving more friends advice, but its hard as you get older to change these habits!
Debra: To succeed with this I think you need to take it 180 degrees… go to thrift shops so the changes are less of an investment. Spend very little on just a few things so you can play and see what you want to do to express yourself. Go buy some new eye shadow, get a free makeover… anything that feels like PLAY!

Ways to wear: Leather jacket

In keeping with my last post, I thought it would be helpful to demonstrate ways to wear the leather jacket.

Here are just a few ways I’ve styled my friend’s leather jacket.

My tip: Add feminine touches to the leather jacket for a polished and pretty look. Team the jacket with pastels or floral prints and experiment with different sleeve lengths.

Alternatively add a denim mini, tights and ankle boots to achieve a rock inspired look.

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Pick of the week: Leather jacket

The trusty leather jacket is always a fashion statement and a piece that you will get a lot of wear out of. So for this week’s pick of the week I’ve tried to track down the best online leather buys.

My tip: Keep an eye out at local thrift shops and markets for your leather jacket. Not only will you save significantly – you will also have a truly unique vintage piece.

Faux leather is also another more affordable option. Many stores now feature some good quality faux leather alternatives which will not only save you money, but also offer a ‘greener’ buying choice.

If you are searching for a leather jacket that won’t date as quickly, stick to a simple design and colour. If you are shopping for a jacket to last you only a couple of seasons, you can afford to pick up pieces with interesting details like ruffles or fringing.

Stockists:

1. Miss Selfridge: http://www.missselfridge.com/ (International delivery)
2. Lipsy: http://www.lipsy.co.uk/ (International delivery)
3. Lipsy: http://www.lipsy.co.uk/ (International delivery)
4. River Island: http://www.riverisland.com/ (UK delivery)
5. Topshop: http://www.topshop.com/ (International delivery)
6. Miss Selfridge: http://www.missselfridge.com/ (International delivery)
7. Topshop: http://www.topshop.com/ (International delivery)

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