Pantone, the international authority on color, has released what it’s Color of the Year for 2012, Tangerine Tango, a warm red-orange hue.  Like last year’s happy pink Honeysuckle, Tangerine Tango is vibrant, radiating energy.  It’s a little exotic, a little spicy, but definitely friendly and upbeat; this is an approachable shade of a color that can sometimes be off-putting in it’s brightness and visibility.  If you’ve been shying away from orange, definitely give this one a shot!   (more…)

Ok folks, Black Friday has come and gone, Cyber Monday is nearly behind us…now it’s time to take the approaching holiday seasons seriously (if you want to, I mean).  I admit that a little snow would make it easier to feel festive right now, but alas we must play the hand we’re dealt.  Bryant Park’s skating rink is open anyway, and latkes are tasty all year-round.

So, whichever holidays you care to celebrate, take advantage of an opportunity to avoid the horrendous lines, out-of-stock merchandise, and crabby shoppers and do your business online instead.   (more…)

My previous post about Native American headgear covered some pretty wide bases, but there’s a whole world of accessories beyond hats, so I just had to share some more highlights.  For example, everyone knows the word “wampum,” but do you really know what it means?  And you may be aware of Southwestern silver-and-turquoise jewelry, but do you know when it was first developed?

Wampum comes from the Narragansett word “wampumpeag,” which means “white strings” – referring to strings of white beads made from a type of whelk shell.   (more…)

Yes, you can wear white after Labor Day.  We’ve been over that before!  And no, it doesn’t just have to be “winter white.”  Bright white (with cool or blue undertones) is just as acceptable year round as shades of white with warmer, yellow overtones.  According to Elle magazine, white has been very popular this season.  White is great because it can be either simple or elegant; it’s so versatile!

If you doubt that there can be more than one kind of white, I dare you to find a wedding gown website.  Prepare to be boggled at the possibilities!  If you’re not sure what shade will look best on you, consider your skin tone.  ”Winter” and “summer” skin have cool tones, and look good with cool whites.  ”Autumn” and “spring” look better in warmer whites, like ivory. (more…)

Sometimes regular old coats and hats are just boring.  You get sick of wearing the same ones every day, don’t you?  And who wants to cover up a sharp outfit with a baggy sweater, just to stay warm?  Beanies and berets and cups of steaming coffee are so obvious. Sometimes it’s nice to have a few alternative ways to stay cozy when the temperature drops.  Here are my favorites.

• A shawl/pashmina/poncho/ruana wrap.  They’re one-size-fits-all, and they’re easily put on or taken off.   (more…)

Going into a home where everything is perfectly arranged and coordinated can be cool, but it can also be intimidating.  If you don’t have a natural flair for spatial relations, moving past milk crates and a futon can be sort of scary.  But your dish towels don’t have to match your pot handles; there’s more to having an attractive home than that!

I always tell people who are moving, put up your curtains right away.  You could have a housefull of cardboard boxes and partially-assembled Ikea stuff, but if you’ve got curtains in the window, your place looks lived in and put-together.  It’s practically magical. (more…)

No one should ever leave the house without a scarf of some sort.  If you don’t have one in your purse/glove compartment/desk right now, go get one.  You never know when that piece of fabric is going to come in handy!

Your backup scarf can be rectangular or square, and I recommend that you pick a nice sturdy cotton tichel or a light pashmina.  Here are a few potential uses – besides using it as a headcovering or for warmth – that you may not have considered.

• Baby carrier - in a pinch, you can use a good-sized rectangular scarf as a sling (more…)

You have to admit, superheros always look good.  They’re fit, they’re put-together, and anyone who can save mankind from a deadly scourge is going to have a certain appeal.  With all the superhero movies that have been coming out lately, I decided to take a closer look at what makes them so attractive.

Superheros are incredibly modest – well, in some ways.  Skintight jumpsuits and spangly leotards aside, they love masks.  They don’t want credit for their good deeds!  Sometimes you just feel like hiding in plain sight, in which case a mask would be just the ticket.  If you’ve been crying and don’t want anyone to know, all you have to do is whip out your trusty half-mask.  It’s too bad they aren’t a current fashion trend. (more…)

I know there’s a month left til school really gets going, but the sales are already heating up, and duty-free weeks are taking place soon too.  Who doesn’t love the back-to-school supply rush?  Or at least have a weird love-hate relationship with it?  You have to drop a wad of cash, but at least the kids will soon be out of your hair for a good chunk of the day, and they may even learn something!

Some kids are content with a new box of pencils and a couple of clean folders, but there are SO many colorful, funky, personalized, designer, etcetera, objects for sale out there that it can be hard to get even one kid shopped for and organized, much less several.   (more…)

Lace isn’t just for wedding dresses and baby bonnets, you know.  You can find it everywhere from lingerie to stylish clothing to home decor.  It doesn’t have to be white, and there are dozens different ways to make it.  If you’re into the romantic, feminine air that lace lends to wherever it goes, read on!

It’s possible that lacemaking goes back as far as ancient Rome, where tools that resemble those used in the craft have been found.  But we do know for sure that it became popular in medieval Flanders (that’s Belgium nowadays!), and spread from there all over Europe. Different places developed their own signature techniques (more…)

Some of us have experienced a touch of warmer weather recently, and are starting to think towards next season’s styles.  And if you’re still surrounded by snow and ice, you might want to think spring anyway – it will get to you eventually!  Here’s a rundown of some of this spring’s fashion and accessory trends, from sources like Vogue, Glamour, and Women’s Wear Daily.

• Mixing different prints.  If you keep them in the same color family, wearing more than one pattern can look totally cool.  A floral scarf or headband will let you ease into this look, if you can coordinate it with a top or dress. (more…)

Experts have agreed that the hottest color in the new year will be one they dubbed “honeysuckle,” a bright, warm pinky-red shade.  The Pantone Color Institute, which sets trends for the fashion and home industries, chose it for its liveliness, saying that it “lights a fire to the senses.”  They also describe it as hopeful, and I agree that it is definitely an upbeat hue.

The experts who chose it suggest pairing it with white rather than black, and predict that honeysuckle will appear in materials with complimentary colors like blues, greens, and oranges (more…)

Yesterday was one of those ridiculous days where everything went…not exactly wrong, I guess more like quirky.  The cap to my funky day was walking out with my husband and baby to get some ice cream, and leaving the keys in our apartment.  We had no way to get back in, no way to get the stroller out of the car – and my friend who keeps our spare was at Pilates class.  So we spent about an hour wandering around outside with the baby in arms, laughing at our absurd situation.

It got me thinking about how much certain items become parts of ourselves, so that without them we feel totally lost, like a little kid whose blankie is in the washing machine.  (more…)

Remember the back-to-school shopping scramble?  Maybe you’re in the midst of it right now.  My family used to go to Kmart and buy every folder, package of looseleaf paper, and pencil case in sight.  Then my grandmother would take us to get new shoes.  Do you remember when you only owned two pairs of shoes?  When you only needed two pairs of shoes?  And picking your outfit for the first day of school was nearly as huge a drama as what to take for lunch?

I didn’t have a school uniform, but most people I know did.  They ranged from a simple black skirt and white shirt to some seriously hideous plaid pleated things.  It would have been nice not to have to worry about looking trendy, but I would have looked awful in most uniforms anyway, so I’m not sure if it would have been worth it to have one.

But for those of you who do have to wear the same thing every day – or whose kids do – here’s a list of ways to jazz up even the dreariest school uniform without being called to the principal’s office for infractions every other day.

• Socks and tights are pretty obvious, because they’re cheap and come in so many crazy colors and styles.  Did you know that legwarmers are back in style though?   (more…)

We all miss the alarm sometimes and wake up with ten minutes to get dressed and out the door.  When you’re in a desperate rush, you usually have to abbreviate your
routine, which can lead to a blah appearance for the rest of the day.  But just because your hair is wet or your makeup is half done or your shoes are mismatched
doesn’t mean that you can’t look good.  Here are some quick ways to add a little zest to your outfit, even on your busiest mornings.

1. Pick your shoes/bag/belt/hair covering in noticeably different color than the rest of your outfit – like a lime green headband with a denim skirt and black shirt.
2. (more…)