Skirt Etiquette

As I made my way home on the bus today after running a few errands I had the misfortune of watching a a woman- dressed adorably in a fitted navy blazer and full ikat print skirt- plop down in her seat. Now, when I use the word "plop" I mean, sat down haphazardly with no thought to the fact that by sitting down so unceremoniously, her skirt would be pushed up behind her back. She then spent the entire bus ride with her bare bottom on the seat. Witnessing this sad and embarrassing moment got me to thinking about how women today wear skirts. This unfortunately, wasn't the first time I've seen public skirt snafus. I have seen more flashes of panties than I care to admit. It seems women nowadays treat skirts as if they were pants. They bend, sit, cross their legs with no thought to the fact that they are showing their goodies to the world.Now, I know this makes me sound like a fuddy-duddy, but a big part of the fun of wearing skirts is to feel feminine and girly. The romance of a skirt twirling around you or the sensuality of a pencil skirt hugging your curves gets lost when the person wearing it doesn't know how to wear it! Listed below are a few skirt wearing tips for the novice and seasoned skirt wearer alike:

1. Pick a skirt that suits your body type. If you are curvy it is best to stay away from full circle skirts as they will add weight to your hips and bottom. Look for a-line and pencil skirts instead. If you have a boy shape or are thin look for skirts that create the illusion of curves.

2. Invest in tights. Opaque tights are best. Bright, bold colors look great with black or neutral colored skirts. And if you opt to wear a mini, black tights keep the look more modest. In the fall and winter, I wear mini skirts with black tights and my favorite black high-heels boots.

3. When sitting down in a skirts, remember to smooth the back down. This will keep it from riding up when you sit. The same is true for the front of the skirt when you stand up.

4. Try pairing your skirt with a fun pair of shoes. Men's wear-inspired brogues are very in right now. They work best with full or a-line skirts in frilly prints .

2010 Costume Institute Gala at the Met

Every year Hollywood and the style world's biggest brightest converge at The Met in New York City to bask in their mutual lights. This is one of my favorite fashion events - after the Oscars. Though unlike the Oscars, the Costume Institute Gala is all about celebrating fashion itself. Starlets show up on the arms of the famous designers loaning themselves out as muses for the evening. There were some definite misses, but for the most part everyone played it pretty safe. My picks for the evenings best-dressed are Diane Krueger and Marion Cotillard. Both were slinky curve-hugging dresses that still managed to look modern and elegant. Below I've added a few of my picks for accessories for the dresses.

Pumps by Badgley Mischka
Clutches by Inge Christopher

Birthday Wishes and Dreams

Today I celebrate a milestone that is the most common occurrence on earth. I am officially- as of 9:56 am central time- one year older. This is the last year of my twenties and I would like to experience the things that I have put off to be "responsible" and to "make a living". My goal this year is to go after the things I want and not let fear, circumstance, and setbacks get in my way.

Summer Dreamin'

The weather in Chicago right now is fantastic. Seventy-five degrees with a slight breeze is all anyone who lives in this two season town can ask for. This fabulous day has gotten me thinking about all of the amazing summer activities.

The Taste of Chicago
June 26- July 5

The 29th annual Taste of Chicago that spans all of Grant Park (the park where President Obama gave his victory speech on election night) in downtown Chicago near the lakefront is a must-see if you're a tourist and a maybe if you have lived in Chicago for more than five years. With over 50 restaurants offering more than 200 menu items, The Taste (as it's called) is the largest food festival in the United States. Admission is free if you would just like to walk the grounds and get squished by the crowd, but if you'd like to sample the food tickets run for $8 (plus a $2 surcharge) for a strip of twelve. Be warned: This is not an inexpensive outing. Most of the items cost anywhere from 3-6 tickets, so if you'd like to sample more than two restaurants be ready to shell out more dough. The best thing about the Taste (and what us local Chicagoans really take advantage of) are the free music acts offered during the two week festival.


Movies in the Park
Every Tuesday night beginning July 14 to August 25

Also staged in Grant Park, is the family, and couple friendly Movies in the Park. Staged in Grant Park not far off of Lake Shore Drive this is one of my favorite summer outings. Be sure to bring a chair or blanket and snacks - but no alcohol- this is expressly forbidden and your booze will be confiscated if you're caught. Please mind Movie in the Park etiquette: Don't sit you chair in front of people with blankets. And if you're a blanket owner do not sit with blank grass in front of you. Someone will simply plop their stuff in front of you and you'll be craning to see the entire night. Honestly, if you can't get there at least an hour before the film starts don't bother. Once it's close to film time the park is insanely crowded. The lineup this year:
July 14 at 8:58pm: Sunset Boulevard (1950)
July 21 at 8:52pm: Duck Soup (1933)
July 28 at 8:45pm: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1950)
August 4 at 8:37pm: Born Yesterday (1933)
August 11 at 8:27: Psycho (1960)
August 18 at 8:17pm:Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
August 25 at 8:05pm: Tootsie (1982)

Lollapalooza
August 7- 9

As I stated in my last post this is my current musical obsession. Just when you think that the Lollapalooza organizers could not top last year's lineup which included Radiohead and Kanye West, this year's lineup is AMAZING: Depeche Mode (assuming that David Gahan will be well enough to continue with their tour- I'm keeping hope alive),The Killers, Thievery Corporation, Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg, Andrew Bird, Lykke Li, Cold War Kids and Vampire Weekend- just to name a few. The early bird 3-day passes for $175 are all sold out. Advanced 3-day tickets are currently $190. The Lolla peeps are being pishers right now and are not releasing the daily schedule or offering single day tickets so if you want to be sure you'll have access to all of the bands I say go ahead and buy the 3-day pass. I'm leaning towards doing this myself.

Concert Mania

I have never been one for outdoor festivals: A bunch of sweaty, drunk people simply isn't my idea of a good time. But this year's Lollapalooza lineup has got me seriously reconsidering my opinion. Depeche Mode, The Killers, Thievery Corporation are a few among the many cool bands playing at the three day out door festival. The ticket prices are a little steep ,currently $190 for all three days, but may well be worth it.
Also on my list of amazing concerts are The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs and PJ Harvey and I am eagerly waiting for Tori Amos tickets to go sale. Yay music!

Getting Old-er

I will be 29 years-old this year. This still sounds strange coming out of my mouth. I am one year away from being 30. I never considered myself someone who had a problem with getting older until I actually started getting older. No one tells you how the last few years of your twenties fly by in a blur. Had I known I would have enjoyed them more. Right now I find myself thinking about where I thought I would be by this age. The space between vision and reality is an ocean. And this is what upsets me the most. I probably would have no problem with getting older if I had achieved all of the things I thought I would have by this point in my life. So, in a quest to save myself from shoulda coulda wouldas I am contemplating being drastic, being brave and being bold. And though this scares the shit out of me I know it's for my own good.

Keyed Up

I've been saving money (or at least attempting to) and of course, the moment you try to save money is when you see things that you want with a capital W. My latest obsession are the new Tiffany & Co. key pendants. Now, I'm not one of those trixies who walks around wearing Tiffany & Co. tag bracelets and necklaces. I find those things to be so pedestrian and boring. But these new pendants...so cute






I've found a few cheap alternatives in the interim. The first one below is from Fred Flare and retails for only $12.The second is from Target and retails for $47.