The Blue Box Branches Out!

The iconic blue box is holding something new these days...purses!

Tiffany & Co. has branched out of their world of fabulous silver and sparkly diamonds to embrace a new accessory....the handbag. I must admit that I am still a bit skeptical about whether this is a good move for the company, because as we've seen before- when a company starts to saturate their brand with too many items, you lose the sense of identity and product recognition. (Can you tell I work at a business school? Those kids are rubbing off on me.)

In any case, a few years ago Tiffany & Co. started designing frames for glasses and sunglasses. I remember at that time thinking that was a bold move, seeing again that jewelry is really their thing. I am all for a brand expanding to embrace new trends in the market, but I don't want to see them veer from what makes them truly great.

So they call it "The Leather Collection": Magazines everywhere are writing about it: InStyle, Self, Vogue- and the consensus is, there are some pretty interesting, classy, and well made pieces. My favorite is the TRT: Tiffany Reversible Tote, which boasts the iconic blue suede on one side, and a metallic leather on the other. Truly fantastic!

I will give them a chance, seeing as their brand has consistent, loyal followers. And, well, I admit- I am one of them :)

The No-Show Sock

My brother, an avid runner, was on the fence about whether it's age appropriate for him to wear black athletic socks with his running shoes. He's also a high school teacher, so he's acutely aware of how the "younger fellas" dress, so he was quite perplexed when I told him- ABSOLUTELY!

But there's a few rules, fellas, about the black sock:

1. They HAVE to be low cut (or no show). Not even a shorter crew works. Trust me here.
2. Make sure they have some blend of polyester, nylon, spandex. Cotton DOES NOT WICK SWEAT.
3. They should have some kind of microbial absorbing action- do I need to remind you that socks smell terrible after a good work out?

Age could be a factor here- but honestly, I don't care how old you are- the tall (even crew) sock in black is a no-no. My neighbor (he's in his 90s now, so I will be kind) who lives across the street in Texas was infamous for the white sneaker, tall black socks. Please please please don't be this guy!


So remember, if you're not going to wear the low cut white running sock, black is just as good, if not more trendy! And the reality is, the black sock looks better with a grey athletic shoe, rather than stark white. Show it off, boys!

Psst...Your Zipper is Showing!

Yes, it's supposed to!

Has anyone else noticed the trend? Exposed zippers on clothing! I love it and have been slowly acquiring great pieces with this fashion forward idea. I'm sure many of you are thinking- "No, no- the zipper isn't supposed to show! It's supposed to be hidden." I did too, initially, but then- you start to see so many fun ways the exposed zipper adds something to the back of a dress, skirt or shirt. Let me show you a few of my favorites:

The Dobby Stripe Silk skirt: I fell in love with this and just had to have it (thanks to the 30% off friends and family discount from last weekend). Again, I loved the pattern and style, then turned it over and saw the ADORABLE exposed back zipper. Done.

Zipper Tank Dress: WOW. Honestly, I am not a big Ann Taylor fan (the LOFT yes, but not the main line) and this dress is really fantastic. The exposed zipper functions almost like a belt breaking up the dress so that a waistline can be created. Brilliant.

And then there was TRUE love. This dress left me practically drooling at the Kate Spade store downtown. I ALMOST bought this full price, and well, friends, patience rewarded me...50% off! Honestly, I couldn't love this dress more.

I realize the exposed zipper isn't exactly earth shattering, but wow- have I found some perfect pieces for the fall by embracing this trend! And the best part...you don't have to worry if your zipper is down...you will DEFINITELY know :)