Dear Editor
December 1, 2009
Dear Editor—
Each year it seems to me that just when I can finally afford that cute sundress/short skirt/fabulous crop pant I’ve been admiring/craving/lusting after all summer—hello end-of-season sales!—it’s also time to figure out how to get the mothball smell out of my sweaters. I’m not in favor of global warming, but still I’d love to extend sundress season by a month or two. Any ideas?
Sincerely,
Loving Summer
Dear Lovely–
I have one word for you: layers. Followed by some other words: tights, boots, long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, and scarves. Though I reside slightly south of the Mason Dixon line, I still experience that unfortunate drop in temperature known as fall followed by that wonderful dearth of degrees known as winter. I’ve found the key for switching my summer frocks into fall fashions is the judicious application of layers. I start with my favorite Banana Republic long-sleeved tee followed by my favorite color-blocked Calvin Klein sundress, and top it all with the cabled cardi I picked up at Macy’s last winter. Add some tights—a great way to add texture and pattern, especially if the rest of your outfit’s monochromatic—and boots to keep your tootsies warm, thus insuring that you can have your sartorial cake and stay toasty too. (Tights and boots work with crop pants too; I’d recommend staying monochromatic to extend the line of the leg.) I also like to add a pop of color around my face with a brightly colored scarf—cotton for the not-as-cold days and cashmere or other knit for the frostier ones.
As for jewelry, I tend to forgo necklaces if I’m rocking a scarf, but I’ve found that summer bangles look just as soigne over a close-fitting sleeve as they do on a bare arm. You may want to try out your earrings-scarf combination before heading out the door to make sure you don’t end up spending most of the time fidgeting as you try to untangle said earrings from said scarf. A special note about rings: oversized baubles can sometimes snag knits, so you may want to pop them on after you’ve arrived at your destination.
Of course, one of the dangers of layering is that you could end up looking like the little brother in A Christmas Story. (“I can’t move my arms!”) So I suggest you keep the inner layers on the thin side with a chunky sweater topper. Or check out of the many thinner-than-air versions of the down vest that are popular this time of year. And not to get all scientific, know-it-ally on you, but even if you’re not trying to stretch out your summer(wear), layers are the way to go since all that nice heat generated by your body gets trapped between ‘em making sure you can get thru the winter looking haute and feeling hot.
p.s. For more tips, check out this post from the Oligoville archives.
Sincerely,
Paulette
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Dear Oligo Editor: Bag Overload
November 19, 2009
Dear Editor–
To keep my body healthy, I’ve always got my gym bag. To keep the planet healthy, I bring lunch in a reusable lunch bag. Then of course there’s my purse for my wallet, keys, company i.d. I know it’s uber easy to go from day to evening if I just carry an extra pair of shoes, a statement necklace, and an evening wrap. Trouble is I’m out of hands and bags! Please help lighten my load.
Sincerely,
Bag Lady
Dear Bag Lady,
I confess that I am one of those that espouses the theory that all one needs is a pair of Jimmy Choos, a statement piece or two or three, and a swoon-worthy, preferably sparkly topper to get your after-hours on. That being said, I understand why you don’t exactly want to show up at cocktails channeling your inner sherpa. Thank goodness for Myrda Monasterial and Eloisa Serrano, the designing duo behind Revelation by M.E. They not only craft their line to do double-duty, but their site also features each garment styled for day and night so day-to-evening is easy peasy.
Don’t tell the folks at Jimmy Choo I said this, but you can also skip the stilettos entirely (who says a woman’s feet shouldn’t be comfortable during the cocktail hour) and instead add a few key pieces of bold jewelry—along with smoldery eyes and kiss-me lipstick—to amp up your look without bulking up your load. Try a sculpted cuff and stacking rings from Tammy Antoinette’s Painted Metal collection or splurge on a selection from Dori Csengeri’s line of embroidered necklaces and earrings. The right piece of jewelry can make even the most sedate sweater set suddenly sexy.
Last thing to do? Ditch all those bags at the nearest coat check–remember you want to turn heads, not dislocate your shoulder.
Stylishly yours,
Oligoville
