What did Cubicle Chic do over the weekend? We bopped down to Coach’s Soho store for their launch party featuring 10 fantastic style bloggers who will appear in their 2010 holiday campaign. It was a great party and lots of fun to meet some New York City’s finest bloggers.
There were……..
sequin skirts!
delicious snacks!
flip book photo shoots!
… and much more! To see a few more shots from our fun evening, check out our album on Cubicle Chic’s Facebook page.
Hope you had a fun weekend, too!
Filed under Side Notes
If you got a chance to read my last post highlighting leopard print, you know I’m a little obsessed. While it’s a sassy addition of office ensembles, I can throw this cardigan over almost any casual outfit, especially because mine almost always exclusively consist of jeans and a tee. I probably wouldn’t wear it with a patterned tee like this one, but this particular cardigan goes with almost any solid-colored top! In my book, an animal print cardi is as good as a neutral one 🙂
This weekend was so beautiful, no? The weather was perfect for enjoying the last lingering days of fall. The leaves outside my window are all turning shades of orange and yellow and slowly falling to the ground… which means it’s really time for me to invest in some sweaters! Over the past year I’ve compiled quite a collection of cardigans, but I could use some hearty, chunky knits. I haven’t gotten one yet because of a few key issues. First is fit: I’ve had difficulty finding the perfect chunky knit sweater that actually makes me look good (i.e. not like a rag-a-muffin). Second is texture: a sweater that I’ll actually wear needs to feel good, and so many of them this season are scratchy and itchy (why?!). And last but not least, price. Naturally, the ones that feel, fit and look great are so expensive! With winter right around the corner, I’m leaning toward making the investment. What do you guys think? Is it worth the splurge?
Whether I go with the chunky knit or not, I’m looking forward to working this sweater into many more office appropriate and casual outfits.
Lindsay’s Look:
Leopard Cargidan: Ann Taylor, $56 (on sale)
Top: Cheap Monday, $16 (on sale)
Jeans: AG Denim, $85 (on sale)
Necklace: H&M, $12
Boots: Frye, $250
Filed under Casual Style, Lindsay's Looks
Written by Meredith
Bowls of earrings. Piles of earrings. Twisted chains. Buried necklaces. An earring missing its partner. A cracked pendant. It’s not easy being sparkly and dangly.
It’s also not easy to store and display your jewels, so here is a little peek into how I’ve made it work. Both earrings and necklaces are displayed in antique gold and wooden frames so that they are accessible and pleasing to look at. I was originally inspired by the creative display ideas that the managers of The Beadin’ Path (best bead store in the country and a previous employer) always came up with and thought: “With the money we spend on our jewelry and how much we often treasure the pieces, why hide them in jewelry boxes when they would look lovely on display?”
After a trip to a yard sale and a thrift store, I had put together something that was both pretty and functional, qualities that I’ve learned are absolutely essential when decorating for New York City living.
Here are a few snapshots:
Why hello there!
It’s kind of special to see what’s inside someone’s locket, right? Consider yourself special. Mine’s got a photo of the Eiffel Tower I took one beautiful July evening that I’ll never forget.
Looks easy, right? Well, it is.
For the earrings, all you need to do is staple a large sheet of window screen to the back of a frame and you’re ready to organize. I used an industrial stapler the first time around, but when I needed to make some repairs, regular staples worked just as well. Yeah. Simple as that.
The necklace frame has a few more steps but is just as easy. I took a thin piece of wood and hammered a nail or pushed in a thumbtack every few inches along it so my necklaces would have something from which to hang. Then, I nailed the two ends of the piece of wood to the back of the frame so that it sat about one inch below the top border. As you can see, I chose to hang a few of the bulkier or heavier necklaces off the corner of the frame so that they wouldn’t take up too much room or be too heavy for the thumbtacks.
Unfortunately, frames don’t work for all jewelry. My earrings studs are laying in an old soap dish and my bracelets overflow from an antique brass bowl. Both displays look nice, but they don’t provide the same sense of satisfaction that a well-organized frame does. Let’s call this: Type-A shabby chic.
Filed under Side Notes
Every once in a while, a good New Yorker has to come down from his or her holier-than-thou, nothing-fazes-me pedestal and partake in something known as the Double T – Tourist Trap. Knowing which Double T’s to take part in, and when, however, is an art, and one that all good New Yorkers have perfected in order to emerge on the other side completely unscathed. The factors in play? Location, timing, and of course, the company you keep.
One particularly beautiful pre-fall afternoon, my friend C visited the city from upstate. It was almost her birthday, and she had come to see an opera and to celebrate with L and me. As it turned out, C’s father joined us, and another friend, D met up with us as well.
I’m working backwards here – but there’s the company I was keeping when I dove into the DoubleT that Saturday afternoon. C from upstate, her father from Philly, L from Inwood, and D from the Upper West Side. The special thing about this group is that none of us were tourists. C used to live here (with me, actually, when we first moved to the city after college we were roomies in Sugar Hill), and her father grew up on Long Island, so the city and all its mysteries aren’t quite so mysterious to us. Which brings me to the main focus of the first point, the company you keep. In order to really enjoy the DoubleT, you have to be making a memory, not just visiting it for visiting’s sake. Of course, seeing the Statue of Liberty with an out-of-towner is refreshing as it can renew your excitement about living in this fabulous city, but it somehow doesn’t hold the same gravity.
In any case, we chose to do Top of the Rock that afternoon. When C and I lived together we had some guests from Germany, and as a thank-you for showing them a fantastic time they had bought us a gift certificate to Top of the Rock – so we thought it was about time we cashed in on it.
In case you’ve been wondering this entire time, Top of the Rock is the top of Rockefeller Center, which is between 5th and 6th Avenues at 50th Street. Other attractions in or around Rockefeller center include the skating rink (open only in the fall & winter), Radio City Music Hall and the offices of NBC. Rockefeller Center is also the focal point of the hit comedy TV show 30 Rock, starring Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin and Tracey Morgan.
So. We’ve covered location (Top of the Rock), and company. Timing is also important, depending on the DoubleT you’ve chosen. The staff at Top of the Rock does an excellent job of regulating the flow of traffic and crowd control, so in this case it’s the time of year that comes into play. Fall is amazing. What better place to see all the changing leaves in Central Park than from a bird’s eye view? In addition to Central Park and its mass of oranges and yellows, from Top of the Rock you can see from one end of Manhattan to the other – and beyond. Brooklyn, Queens, New Jersey and far up the Hudson River are all part of the view.
The other great place to get a bird’s eye view of New York is the Empire State Building. However, I’m a big advocate of doing Top of the Rock because when you take those iconic photos of our glittering city, you have the most iconic skyscraper in them as well. 😉
The DoubleT – not always the necessary evil that keeps New York’s economy going. When the timing’s right, you can have the most fabulous adventure of all!
Filed under Stolen Says
“I got stripes/stripes around my shoulders/ I got chains/ Chains around my feet.” Johnny Cash is one of my favorite musical artists, and I’d like to dedicate this post to him. Of course, my stripes aren’t like the ones he references, but I can’t help but think of that song whenever I wear them.
In addition, these jeans have the best fit ever! I’ve had great luck with AG denim in that the fit and price are always right. Jeans are so expensive nowadays, no? I remember when one of my equally clothes-obsessed girlfriends from highschool and I used to be able to find jeans for $10 or $20 a pair at the Gap. Nowadays even Gap jeans border designer prices! Ah, the good old days… I was able to get these bad boys for half off 🙂
Another thing I love about this ensemble is that it’s all made with organic cotton. I’m not a stickler for organic goods, but I do try! I actually think the cotton is softer and stronger than the “regular” stuff. And to know that I’m doing something good for my body and the environment fosters a great feeling! Meredith and I were chatting yesterday about how much easier it is to find organic clothes for casual looks rather than office ones. Sad but true! I am challenging myself to put together a work outfit that’s entirely (or almost) made of organic materials. When I do, I’ll be sure to post it.
Lindsay’s Look:
Striped Shirt: Zara, $25 (100% organic cotton!)
Jeans: AG, $98 (down from $198 at an Anthropologie sale – also 100% organic cotton!)
Sweater: Urban Outfitters, $58 (and also 100% organic cotton!)
Boots: Frye, $250
Filed under Corporate Style, Lindsay's Looks
The Clubbing Shirt
One would think that a gentleman would have a hard time messing up something as simple as a dress shirt. After all, it’s hard to go wrong with a white or a light blue button-up oxford. However, more and more, The Gentleman is seeing men wearing truly dreadful button-up shirts to job interviews and business formal events on his law school campus and out in the greater corporate world. After staring in puzzlement at jet black, shiny, or bright red oxfords, The Gentleman finally realized what was wrong. Guys have begun buying and wearing shirts that they are hoping will work both for professional events and nights out at the club. Thus, The Gentleman presents the third entry in his re-occurring “Style Sins” feature: “The Clubbing Shirt.”
The Gentleman has no opinion about the overall quality or style of the Clubbing Shirt when it is actually worn to a club. For that matter, The Gentleman has no official opinion about night clubs in general. However, when a man begins wearing a Clubbing Shirt during the day, things start to go awry.
A Clubbing Shirt is always very tight-fitting, even more so than a slim-fit shirt and is usually either jet black, or a bold blue or red. Clubbing Shirts are also frequently shiny. Below is a very typical Clubbing Shirt from Dolce & Gabbana.
Photo Credit: Dolce & Gabbana
It doesn’t look bad here. Though, I would point out that unless you are as fit as the model in this picture, you are likely going to look a good bit sillier than the model because of how tapered the shirt is in the waist.
Now, let’s throw a gray suit on over that black shirt and see what happens.
Photo Credit: ImageShack
Suddenly, you look like you belong in a high school production of “Guys and Dolls.” That is not a good thing. Wearing a trendy black shirt under a suit gives off an aura of self-consciousness. It’s almost as if you’re embarrassed to be wearing a suit, so you put on your most fashion forward shirt to prove that you are still cool. The result is disjointed and cheap looking.
What kinds of shirts are off-limits? In addition to black shirts of any kind, red and bright blue or teal are simply too vivid to be worn in a professional environment. Think of a shirt as a blank canvas. You will wear other accessories, like your tie and your pocket square, to bring life and energy to your ensemble. Notice how this gentleman’s red shirt drowns out his tie:
Identity hidden to protect the innocent.
White, light blue and pale pink shirts are a gentleman’s safest choices because they are subdued and allow for a great deal of contrast with ties and pocket squares. Once you have developed a stable rotation of those colors, understated pinstripes and checked shirts ought to be added. I’ll spend more time talking about advanced shirt and tie pairings in a future article.
For now, just remember The Gentleman wants to be sure that you never wear this guy’s shirt to the office:
Guido Halloween Costume courtesy of my former roommate, Chris.
Next week, The Gentleman interviews a law school classmate who has started in his own clothing company…
Filed under The Gentleman
I love me some ruffles. Especially when wearing a suit, they are a nice feminine touch that softens the outfit’s strong lines. I don’t consider myself a girlie-girl (pink is practically an untouchable in my opinion), but I find myself unable to resist the pull of ruffles on the racks at the store. Ruffled skirts, shirts, dresses, shoes – they all need to be touched and investigated. So when I unwrapped this shirt last Christmas, you can imagine the pleased look on my face. Nice shopping, dear aunt!
Cute and playful, right? But still professional. The ruffles fill up the blazer so nicely. Now, I probably shouldn’t bring this up, but I made a little fashion faux-pas with this outfit… the blacks don’t match perfectly. The skirt and blazer were bought separately, are from different brands and are aging at different rates. If you look closely, you can tell that the skirt is a slightly lighter black than the blazer (it is about a year older). Of course, I could blame this all on tricks of the lighting, but… honesty is the best policy.
Happy Monday to all!
Meredith’s Look:
Shirt: Gap, a gift from my aunt
Skirt: Banana Republic, $40
Blazer: Zara, $70
Shoes: Cole Haan, $70
Filed under Corporate Style, Meredith's Looks
Written by Lindsay
When the temperature falls below forty degrees, it’s time to pull out the tights. The winter chill is fast approaching, and earlier this week, both Meredith and I noted how it has affected our dressing. I’m lucky enough to work in an office that allows bare legs in the summertime (although, perhaps I should take a cue from one of my co-workers and keep a pair of hose my desk for those chilly, air conditioned days), so making the transition is quite a big deal (ie NYC’s short-lived fall is almost over)! After adding tights to an ensemble, you have a new color and possibly new texture to include in your already layered outfit, and with this season’s patterned legwear, choosing the right tights can be a difficult task!
Fear not. Basic is always a safe bet, so we’ll start with solid colors. First, one must decide whether colored tights are appropriate. I think most muted colors can be, depending on your outfit combination. Other than the given nude, black and white shades, I think maroon, gray and navy are safe choices for the winter season. I also came across a moss colored pair that I quite like. Here are some of my current favorites:
Modcloth: Park Stroll Tights, $15
Hue: Cranberry Tights, $12.50
Charlotte Russe: Solid Footed Tights, $7.50
Next is pattern and texture. Some will argue that there’s no place for patterns in a professional setting, but I think that most offices would not eschew them so long as the color and texture/pattern combination isn’t too loud or too sexy. I’ve seen several ladies in my own office and in the building at large rockin’ the patterned tights and they add a pinch of pizazz to their outfits. A good cable knit pattern is another safe option if you’re sick of solids, but I came across some excellent alternative options that veer a little off the beaten path. Behold:
Modcloth: Dotted Tights, $18
Avenue: Herringbone Tights, $10
(hint hint: vertical lines make your legs look endless!)
Wolford: Sienna Tights, $68
I’ve always wondered whether it’s worth splurging on the expensive legwear brands. I recently picked up three pairs of tights from H&M because it’s my go-to place for… well… everything, and while the price was right, I am very disappointed in the quality of the tights! I picked up a gray pair, a black pair and a dotted white pair. The black and gray pairs already have runs in them from thinning fabric in the thigh area, and the white pair is pilling. What do you think, readers? Do any of you own Falke or Wolford tights (two favorites of top fashion magazines)? I have a hard time with this investment because prices start around $60 and I figure they must be just as susceptible to runs and snags as normal tights, right? A moderately priced brand that I have had great luck with is Hue. Until I wrote this post, I didn’t realize I even owned a pair! They’re on their second year – which says a lot for a pair of tights – and they’re still alive and kickin’ without any holes or runs. I will definitely picking up a few more pair of Hue tights this weekend.
This last section is for the fearless and fashion forward. These are probably a no-go in most corporate offices, but maybe some brave souls out there would wear them in creative environments. What do you think?
Hue: Bold Lace Tights, $18
Hue: Splatter Tights, $22
Pamela Mann: Bootylicious (haha) Tights, approx. $10
What tights will you be wearing this winter?
Filed under Side Notes
Thrifting a Vintage Tweed Coat, Part II
It took longer than I was hoping, but The Gentleman was finally able to pick up his vintage tweed sport coat from the tailor. Their work was, to say the least, very impressive.
I used the services of Lil Dave’s Tailoring in New Orleans to make significant alterations to a tweed sports coat that I purchased off of the Styleforum.net Buying and Selling Thread. I discussed the process for choosing this 1960s jacket and decided what needed to be altered a few weeks ago.
Photos Courtesy of Matt DeIulio
The first major difference is the length of the arms. When I received the coat in the mail, the sleeves extended down past my wrists and onto my hands. Not only was this irritating, but it made the coat look like it was intended for someone else. You never want your jacket to look like a hand-me-down from dad. I had them shorten the sleeves so that about a half-inch of shirt cuff is showing when my arms are in a resting position. This gives the jacket a smart and fitted look.
The coat was also extremely baggy in the middle. The tailor took it in significantly so that it is tapered and fitted in the waist. This is the most significant change to the garment. Baggy tweed looks terribly frumpy. By taking it in in the middle, this jacket made the transformation from dumpy to old-school cool.
These alterations cost $50 in total. While I was hoping that it would be a bit cheaper to tailor it, when you add in the $40 price that I purchased it for, $90 is a real bargain for a vintage coat that would cost more than five times that much new. The moral of this story is, if you’re looking to buy a bargain jacket, getting it professionally tailored is a must.
Next week, the Gentleman presents his third entry in his “Style Sins” series when he decries loud, “clubbing shirts”…
Filed under The Gentleman
This is probably my favorite shade of green. It’s such a warm hue and it matches my pale and redheaded coloring well. Plus, ever since the end of high school, I’ve switched from mostly silver jewelry to a stronger gold collection, and this green is just meant to be worn with gold.
Lindsay mentioned her tights earlier this week, and like her, I have also had to make the transition back into wearing them to work. You just can’t survive the fall and winter commute without them. Of course, this can drastically (that’s a strong word… ) change your look because you’ve got another fabric and color to integrate. At first I was unsure as to whether I liked these black tights with my camel heels because the contrast makes the shoes POP in a way I’m not accustomed to, but I decided in the end that I liked how all of the colors came together.
Interested in discussing tights and how to wear them? Check back on Friday!
Hmmm. Maybe should have titled this post “Look Right.”
So here’s the sad part: this shirt died! Photos were taken and then RRRRRRIP: one shoulder got a huge tear. My favorite green is gone, but at least I was able to save the buttons. They are just so cute and shiny, I bet I could find another green blouse as a new home for these buttons. It’s a shame to lose the tuxedo folds and the ruffle sleeves, but this is a hardship I’m confident I will eventually overcome.
Meredith’s Look:
Shirt: Banana Republic, $25 (but that’s a guess)
Skirt: Banana Republic, $60
Shoes: Aldo, $50
Filed under Corporate Style, Meredith's Looks
The 9:00 – 5:00 wardrobe for those who see no need to sacrifice style in a corporate world.
Cubicle Chic 