My Dad, My Fashion Muse. Kind Of...

I have watched my dad wear his Bean Boots and Woolrich Wool Coat for years. It never even crossed my mind that my dad had great style. You could ask my mom about this, and she wouldn't always agree, because my dad has also been known to wear his slippers and fleece pants out and about for more than a day. What can I say, he's a creature of comfort.

This is my dad here...
But I have always admired the simple style he often presents; how it really works on him, his subtle plaid button downs with his slightly baggy Girbaud Jeans. He's a man of practical fashion, which is very much the person I am becoming.
I love over the top fashion, don't get me wrong. I still love outfit changes, playing with accessories, and dreaming of those amazing black wedge ankle boots that I have yet to find, but I also enjoy down to earth style. There is no patchouli oil in my future, but there may be a few more plaid shirts.


For Christmas this year, I asked for some Bean Boots from L.L. Bean. I love the classic look they offer with either skinny jeans or relaxed, opened or laced up, and they also protect your feet! Believe me, I am not just now realizing these boots exist, its just that I have taken a whole new approach on them as a fashion item. L.L. Bean grew their business solely on their Bean Boots ( no pun intended there...), but it took me years of seeing my dad wearing them and older, more conservative women rocking the moccasins to make me realize, they are awesome. Kind of like how at first Lady Gaga really bothered me, now I cant get enough of her.

I also am obsessed with these wool coats from Woolrich. In years past, I would cringe at the thought of wool on my skin. Whenever I would see a movie or TV show where someone fell into ice cold water, and then get rescued and covered in a green wool blanket, I would gag. I would rather freeze than dry off with that. However, I experimented and found that with layers, you can't even feel the itchiness of the wool, and low and behold, it really does keep you toasty warm!

Not everything in a closet has to be designer or expensive. Taking a page out of the 60's or the 70's can really enhance modern style. Opening Ceremony does a great job with this philosophy ( though they are a little pricey.) This vest and flannel work well together, like a perfect marriage. However, separately, not so much.

Branch out, dig through your moms ( or dads) closet and see what you can find! I bet you will be surprised!

A Somewhat Random Gift Guide

Over the years, I've had to get creative with my gift giving. For one, I don't like just buying a gift because its what you're supposed to do. Another reason is that in years past I really didn't have money to spend on my five other family members and their kids. These two predicaments have brought upon some good and I have come up with some great ( I think) ideas that have made a lasting impression:

If you are broke, food is the way to go. Back in my early twenties, I made everyone I knew chocolate and butterscotch covered pretzels dipped in sprinkles. They were a hit! Its very basic, because that's the only way I can cook. You melt the chocolate or whatever flavor chips, dip in the little pretzels, sprinkle sprinkles, let them harden... and voila! ( They could look like those there on the left. I used mini pretzels, more bang for your buck!)

If you want to really do something different, make a plate! (or at least hire someone to do it). My sister's family is growing and I wanted to get one big thing for all of them. I found this company online that made all sorts of great plates and platters. I was able to tell the artist exactly what I wanted and she made the most adorable platter that they use all the time! It was under $100, which I thought was pretty fantastic. ( That's it over there on the right... yeah, that's my spray paint censor. Privacy Act.)

I enjoy giving gift cards, but only if they make sense. I mean, when does Starbucks not make sense, but all the others I try and stay away from. Aside from Starbucks, I think Audible.com gift cards are great for the right person. Podcasts and Audio Books are all the rage, but the cost of buying them adds up. I found some pretty appreciative recipients of this one.

Anything photo related for the grandparents or parents. Seriously, I know its stereotypical, but its true. I actually just framed a picture of me at Mile Six during the NYC Marathon for my dad on his birthday, and he cried. Mission accomplished. Shutterfly has a whole store of ideas, as well as others like SnapFish.

And how excited would you be, if someone gifted you US Weekly or People? Magazine Gift Subscriptions are always a winner.

The bottom line for me has become about practical gift giving. No one wants a bunch of stuff they don't have room for or have to go into hell, also known as the mall, to return the thing. When I was younger, I of course asked for dolls and clothes, and watched as my older siblings opened pots and pans and housewares. I swore I would never ask for such boring gifts, but here I am, asking for these exact things, and I tell ya, they really fill a need.

Don't get me wrong, the lavish stuff is fun. But in the end, I most remember the small, more creative gifts that stay with me years to come. Feel free to shop off my list and Happy Holidays!

Knockoffs: Not Just Canal Street.

I always thought knockoff fashion happened only in places like Canal Street and in small corners and alleys of major cities. It got so bad once that Kate Spade ( and others) took out an ad in WWD calling out those thieves and threatening them with a law suit. I expect this type of behavior from the vendors down on those streets, not from someone like Anthropologie.

I was in the store this weekend and did buy a fabulous dress. And while I was in line to pay, I browsed the jewelry. What caught my eye was their Corvus Earrings. Many times on this blog, I have highlighted Objets d'Envy. They have been a client of Kick PR for over a year and the collections get great press and a lot of buzz. So, its no surprise that someone at Anthropologie probably saw the Objets d'Envy Crystal Ball Earrings. It should have ended there, but it didn't.

Click HERE for the Corvus and HERE for the Crystal Balls.

The Corvus Earring is the exact replica of the Crystal Ball Earring that Kirsten Goede, designer of Objets d'Envy, hand made five years ago! The difference? Price of course, and most important, quality. The Corvus is made of metal and glass, whereas the Crystal Ball was again, handmade and uses Swarovski Crystal and gold fill. Oh, and these were the original design.

I know when you are up against someone like Anthropologie, you don't have a leg to stand on, but this really upsets me. I get to know my designers really well, and I get sad when something like this happens, because the credit can be taken away. Small designers work so hard day and night to create special and unique collections, and then someone like Anthropologie comes in, copies the design, and takes the credit.

So, the message I guess is to keep shopping emerging designers. Often, the inspiration in many big stores comes from someone whose not getting the credit. I know it happens all the time, and maybe I'm most upset because its something close to me, but it gets me thinking more about this industry. Of course there will be cross over in trends and designs, and that's normal. But to copy something exact, not cool.

Shop Objets d'Envy this holiday season. Support emerging fashion and help give credit where its due.

My Holiday List Scares Me.

My birthday is two days before Christmas, so its natural I spend a lot of time in December wishing and wanting. Well, actually I wish and want all year. Every week or two I like to go on to Polyvore.com and play. Some people play video games, I play dress up ( and so does my dog Elton.)

Anyway, this year the tally for my wish-list is a mere $15,420. Don't you think that's justifiable? Take a look! We've got a fabulous coat that I can't stop thinking about from Preen, a luxuriously silky blouse from Donna Karan, wool twisted pants from Aminaka Wilmot ( they surprised me, I love them.) funky suede wedges from Osman Yousefzada, leather chain gloves from Causse, oh, and a Rolex, to help me tell time. Anyone want to loan me their credit card?

Tyra Banks Picks San & Soni

Over the course of my five years running Kick PR, I have had the chance to work with so many amazing small designers. Many of them have a hard time breaking into the mainstream consumer market because they are short on funds. Many PR firms charge an arm and a leg, and make promises they can't keep. Being a small designer is a constant uphill battle. Whatever money there is, it needs to be allocated to make the most sense, and often times that's sales and production. In many cases, PR takes a back seat.

Sometimes though, even with the limited PR efforts, something amazing happens... word of mouth. San & Soni is one of those designers that people talk about, in a positive light. It's one of the most beautiful and unique lines I have seen, and every season the designers Jeet and Sonali Singh give us something even more special than the one before. This is a collection that speaks for itself and often times you hear, "Wow, what a fantastic jacket, where did you get that?" followed by "This is San & Soni." And it's in this exchange that word of mouth begins. Its exactly what Malcolm Gladwell talks about in his book, "The Tipping Point."It takes that one person, or group of people, to spread the word on something noteworthy.So, when Tyra Banks wore the San & Soni Princeton blouse from Fall 2009 on her show with Miss J, you can imagine what that does to a brand. Tyra is an all around fabulous woman. She embodies a woman of style and class, and choosing to wear San & Soni on her show is not only amazing exposure, but truly flattering. Even better, it happened on its own, naturally. Tyra's stylist was shopping in TG 170 on Ludlow Street and picked up the blouse.

The Fall collection is available online at TG170.com and www.sanandsoni.com, under Collections/ Fall '09. Check out the beautifully tailored blouses like the one that Tyra is wearing, the elegant and chic cocktail dresses that will wow a crowd this holiday season, and the blazers and coats that will keep you fashionably protected from winter's elements.

If you are in New York City, San & Soni will be selling for the third season at the Gen Art Shops event on December 2nd. The location is 7W, and shop 'til you drop from 7-10pm.

I Love Combos... No, Not The Cheesy Snack.

For the holidays, I try and be smart and thoughtful with my gifting. It's hard earned money I am spending, and the only way I feel good about throwing down the dollars is if I know I am going to make someone happy. People have confidence in me, that if I am getting them a gift of jewelry or apparel, I didn't go grab something off the Summer '06 rack at Wal Mart. I also don't always love giving something for the sake of giving something.

I just found out about the gift sets for under $100 from Chicago designers Kirsten Goede of Objets d'Envy and Kate Boggiano of Kate Boggiano Blouses. These two women are amazing designers, and happen to be very good friends. Girl power! They are both offering a gift set including a pair of earrings, an every day tank, and a pashmina for $82. What I love, is that there are four color ways to chose from, and I feel that having those options helps to personalize the look for each person. My mom for instance should really stay away from the color gray, but she looks ten years younger in teal and fuchsia!
And though what I am about to say may sound cliche, remember, cliche's speak the truth. This gift set is "more bang for your buck." Check out the sets HERE. And there's no timer on the website, so feel free to shop around for hours!

New Hampshire Chic. Yes, It Exists.

My boyfriend lives in New Hampshire, so that means I am there as well. And New York City and New Hampshire are pretty much the same, so I don't even notice the difference! Ha. At first, I had accepted the fact that when I was in New Hampshire, I needed to put away all of my NY clothes and lounge around in sweats and flannels. It was a bit depressing; New York is like a stage and every day is a new presentation! In New Hampshire, no one gives a flying whoop if you are wearing shoes from an obscure shoe designer out of Spain. So I threw my hands up, stomped my feet and screamed "How can they not care about such things?!" Well, the answer always is, its just fashion. Its true, it is just fashion, but for me its a wonderful art of expression.

So after my tantrum, I decided I would recreate my look for New Hampshire and instead of dresses, tights and wedges, I would design "New Hampshire Chic." And I have to tell you, New Hampshire Chic is super cute! So, I went over to my favorite outfit design site, Polyvore, and worked up an outfit that I would wear. Here is my creation:

Flannel: Check. Puffy Vest: Check. Cardigan: Check. AWESOME LEATHER BOOTS by BELSTAFF: NEED TO BUY! So, its not that bad. Its OK that no one here cares, what matters is that I feel good. Somehow I feel like Blaire Waldorf complaining that no one at NYU knows who she is, but she gets out of her hole and builds a new life accordingly. And that's kind of what I am doing in New Hampshire. When in Rome...