The "T-Shirt" Dress & Fashion Week Bits

When does a trend become a trend? Is there a rule? Does it have to make its way down a runway at least 5 times before it gets a label? Or does Anna Wintour have to hold a certain trend knighting ceremony and then all is as it is?

I'm not Anna Wintour, but I'm calling a trend here - the t-shirt dress. I'm using the term "t-shirt" in the loosest way possible here because these dresses are far from casual. The great majority of red carpet dresses are strapless or sleeveless, but I've noticed many ladies wearing dresses with a more modest top half. I hate saying modest here because it makes me sound like an old lady, but I'll go with it anyway. I find dresses with more coverage up top to be far more appealing, but that's just a matter of taste. 

Por ejemplo:

Image via Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe

This is model/actress Kasia Smutniak at the Venice Film Festival last week in a sweet Valentino "t-shirt" dress. It's perfectly youthful, feminine, and ethereal and there's not a collarbone or bit of cleavage in sight.

Exhibits 2 and 3:

Image via Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images North America

Image via Dave Norton/Bauer Griffin

The gorgeous Keira Knightley in Elie Saab Couture (top photo) at the Toronto International Film Festival Saturday night and at last week's UK premiere of Anna Karenina in Chanel Couture. Two dresses, two t-shirt tops.

Lastly, the 3/4 length t-shirt dress:

Image via Ian Gavan/Getty Images Europe

This is Kristin Scott Thomas at the Venice Film Festival last week in one of my favorite dresses in recent memory by Giambattista Valli. This was on my wish list for Anne Hathaway for The Dark Knight Rises tour, but it was not to be. Kristin is a lady of a certain age, so a more modest dress makes sense for her, but I think Anne and her pixie cut would have looked phenomenal in this.

Obviously we girls are not going to be wearing gowns day in and day out (or maybe ever), so how should we take this trend and turn it into something we can wear every day? Luckily there are lots of t-shirt dresses out now to pick from and they're a great transition piece for fall. Wear them with booties and layer over a cardigan, blazer, or chambray shirt and you're all set for chilly temps. Here are some of my favorites:

More Asos...

Also, feel free to layer another skirt over a t-shirt dress. Sounds crazy, I know, but haven't you ever had a perfect dress and thought, "man I wish this was a top because it would go perfectly with such-and-such"? It can work! Trust me. Have a look at how Blair from Atlantic-Pacific does it here.

Fashion Week (Fashion Month, really) kicked off in New York on Thursday where American (mostly) designers will show their collections for Spring 2013 with London, Milan, and Paris to follow in the coming weeks. Collections are shown a season ahead of time - meaning spring collections and shown in September for the following year and fall collections are shown in February for the following fall. I'll be pinning my favorite looks on Pinterest here and I also plan on highlighting my favorite looks, collections, and trends here so stay tuned.

My FNO adventures: Cocktails and dinner at Back Bay Social Club; Madewell sharing the chambray love (ha! I'll just put this in my living room); a festive and fun Newbury St;, and my purchases (Madewell scarf, Zara flats)

Since 2008 the unofficial kick-off to Fashion Week has been Fashion's Night Out. This city-wide shopping event was conceived in NYC to stimulate the economy and to give retailers a boost when said economy was in the tank. It's grown into a global event in the last four years, with Boston coming on board for the last two. Some in the fashion industry argued as early as last year that FNO isn't necessary now in an improved economy and that it doesn't have a place in an already overwhelming Fashion Week schedule. I can understand this in New York, but I definitely still think it has a place in Boston. Boston has a relatively fledgling fashion community and I'm all for anything that helps bring it together. Newbury Street was shut down to traffic and it felt like a great big street party with shopping. Who wouldn't love that? There were people buying, buying, buying in every store I went in, both big chain stores like Madewell and Zara and local boutiques like LIT. As long as it's a benefit to the city and it's retailers, which I sincerely hope it is, then I will be supporting FNO.

SO.. t-shirt dress - do you love or hate? Are you excited to see the spring collections? If you went out for Fashion's Night Out tell me all about it!

Paprika Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos With Black Bean Pineapple Salsa

I think I was a vegetarian in another life. I could go without meat for a few weeks and probably not even notice. I've mentioned my issues with the way meat is farmed/raised/produced in this country so I won't get into it again. I try to stick to a high protein diet most of the time and since I find alternative proteins like tofu, seitan, and tempeh to be gross, meat it is.

I've had this recipe bookmarked forever and I'm delighted that I finally got around to making it last weekend. The original recipe is all about making fresh tortillas and while I'm sure that's just fantastic, I wasn't about to do that. Some day! Trader Joe's whole grain tortillas worked just fine for now.

For 10 tacos (obviously I only made 2 so adjust accordingly):

2 large sweet potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper

Pre heat your oven to 390. First, wash your sweet potatoes. I just use a wet dish towel and scrub them, but if you have one of those sophisticated potato scrubbing brushes then by all means use that. Chop the sweet potatoes into about 1 inch pieces, making sure they're all about the same size so they roast evenly. Also, leave the skin on! It's packed with nutrients and it's yummy.

Line a baking pan with foil and spray it with a tad of non-stick spray, just in case. Arrange the sweet potatoes in one layer and drizzle with the olive oil, smoked paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix everything around with your hands and make sure each sweet potato is covered with goodness. Pop them in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes. When they're done they'll look like this and your mouth will be watering:

While the sweet potatoes were roasting I made the salsa. Here's what's in it:

1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup sweet corn
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 spring onion
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 large red or green chili pepper, chopped
1 heaped tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 heaped tbsp chopped cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper

Put the beans and corn in a large bowl. If you're using canned beans and corn like me, don't forget to rinse them. If you're adding the red onion and the chili, add them now and mix. I happen to hate raw onions and I don't like chilies that much so I left them out. I did add about a 1/4 of crushed red pepper flakes, though.

Next, add the spring onion, parsley, cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Spring onions (Or green onions or scallions have a milder flavor than red onions so I prefer them.) Add the pineapple. I did a pretty tiny dice on the pineapple since the salsa looks much prettier with everything the same size. Season the salsa again, if needed. The end result is a lovely little bowl of this:

This is a great alternative to a run-of-the-mill salsa and would definitely work in place of it for just about anything. All I had left to do was assemble my tacos. Sweet potatoes first, then salsa, and finally some fresh sliced avocado.

These are absolutely delicious and will definitely be going into my meatless meal rotation. The sweet potatoes are soft and chewy and the smoked paprika taste reminds me a little of BBQ potato chips (YUM). The salsa is sweet, tangy, and spicy and goes together perfectly with the sweet potatoes. These were so incredibly easy to make and I don't think you'll miss the steak or chicken that usually goes in a taco.

How do you feel about eating vegetarian? Feel free to share your taco love with me, regardless of their meat inclusiveness.

Navy As The New Neutral

Can you feel it? That extra little chill in the air, your desire to drink all things pumpkin flavored, and the need to go through all of your sweaters to make sure they haven't been home to an eclipse of moth this summer? Fall is here, my friends. And it's going to be good.

Sure it will be warm for another few weeks, but I think it's safe to say that the heat index will not be above 90 for the rest of the year. If it is, then I'm probably just going to wear a sweater anyway because I've had enough! I am not a fan of the heat so I was in a weather-induced state of misery for most of this summer. I've been going through the same rota of dresses and skirts for months now and I am so ready to wear fall clothes. I have yet to obtain most of my fall wardrobe yet, but that's another story for another day.

Each new fashion season usually has a new neutral shade. We went through a gray period for a while and nudes and camels had their moment in the sun. Now, it's navy's time to shine and those old navy rules are going right out the window. No navy with black? Not anymore. Here's how navy was shown on the fall 2012 runway:

Left, Preen; right DKNY Images via Style.com

Left, Marc by Marc Jacobs; Right, Carolina Herrera Images via Style.com

Chic, right? Previously, navy blue has skewed a tad on the cheesy side. I can remember countless teachers in the 80s and 90s wearing navy blue slacks with matching hideous heels and it makes me cringe. I'm happy to report that navy has come a long way, as evidenced by the looks above.

A quick stroll through Pinterest furthers my case and gives great inspiration.

The lovely Hanneli Mustaparta

Source

Mila Kunis. Unknown source

Source

Tory Burch Judi dress. I want to own this.

Are you sold yet? If not, then hopefully my closing argument will sway you. Here is the simplest of navy basics - a silk blouse - and here are two ways I will be styling it for fall.

Neutral Navy by melissah528 featuring silver jewelry

Equipment long sleeve shirt, $365 / Glamorous striped jacket, $79 / White jacket / J.Crew cord pants / Donna Karan black knee length skirt / Gucci platform pumps / Betsey Johnson betsey-johnson shoes / Marc by Marc Jacobs crossbody handbag / Planet satchel bag, $285 / Michael Kors silver jewelry / Blu Bijoux crystal necklace / Meadowlark anchor jewelry, $220 / Slim belt / Wayfarer style sunglasses

Unless you've been living under a fashion rock (sorry), then you'll know that the other hot color for fall is burgundy. Or, oxblood if you're fancy. It just so happens that these two colors pair phenomenally well together. A navy blouse with burgundy trousers (in this case cords), with flats and a striped jacket can be for work or casual. For a more formal look wear it with a black pencil skirt (or any skirt cut of your choosing), a bib necklace, and heels of your choice. For this fantasy I've chosen a burgundy suede pair of Gucci t-strap platforms, as you do.

Are you sold yet? I hope so. Navy: not just for tragic 80s teacher types anymore. Do you think you'll get on board with this trend? Can't wait for fall? I hope you're at least excited for pumpkin beer!

Fig, Prosciutto, & Manchego Sandwich

Or, the night I made a sandwich for dinner. There is no usual Hot Looks post today because I just plain haven't had time to research one! My busy week started last Friday when I entertained (to put it loosely) some family members who were in town and continued into a going away party, brunch, shopping, work (both actual work and my other blogging endeavor), work outs, and I even managed to squeeze in a date. Just when I thought I would have some down time my allergies attacked. Is anyone else being tortured by ragweed right now? It gets worse and worse for me every year!

Anyway, I was totally out of things to eat for dinner last night. I have my sense of taste back after being without it all of yesterday morning and afternoon. Isn't that the WORST thing about being congested? I racked my brain for about 15 seconds as I was about to leave work last night for something to cook and it finally landed on: F it; I'm making a sandwich. Joey Tribbiani might be my spirit animal because I think sandwiches are awesome. I honestly try not to eat them very often (coughcarbscough), but sometimes they are very necessary. And this was one of those times.

Before I left work I remembered that I saw figs at Trader Joe's last weekend and rejoiced that they are in season. Are figs not the prettiest fruit ever? One of my favorite sandwiches happens to include figs, so a plan was hatched.

You will need:

Bread (any kind)
Dijon mustard
Arugula
Prosciutto
Manchego cheese
Figs
Fig jam or butter

I got a fresh, chewy loaf of Italian bread from TJ's, which I knew would be perfect and comforting. There's just something about the smell of bread!

Slather the mustard on one slice of bread. I like a lot of Dijon mustard, but add any amount you want or just leave it off. By a lot I mean I like it when it makes my nose burn. Weirdo.

Next, layer on the arugula. You can use any lettuce or green you want, but the peppery arugula goes perfectly with everything else.

The prosciutto goes next. Mmmm fat marbling.

And then the manchego. Have you ever had manchego? It's a Spanish sheep's milk cheese that is kind of like parmigiano-reggiano, but creamier and lighter tasting. It's delicious. I probably ate more than those two pieces. In fact, that's probably why that photo is blurry. I was in a temporary cheese coma.

Next, the gorgeous figs. I used two whole figs and cut them into four pieces each.

Lastly, the fig jam goes on the other slice of bread. I used Trader Joe's fig butter, which I love, but I've also made this sandwich with Stonewall Kitchen's fig and raisin chutney, which is spicy and tangy and just as good.

And there, my friends, is my favorite sandwich. It tangy, spicy, sweet, smokey, and gooey. Everything one should look for in a sandwich soul mate. Another variation of this sandwich subtracts the mustard and manchego and adds a blue cheese spread. Figs and blue cheese go together like vodka and lemon soda water (just me?). I make my own blue cheese spread by combining Greek yogurt and blue cheese crumbles with a bit of pepper and whizzing it up in the food processor. It's much healthier and yummier than a store bought spread or dressing :)

My sandwich friend definitely provided some much needed comfort and the mustard helped clear my sinuses for about 10 minutes. Benefits all around! Are you a sandwich person? What's your favorite?

I hope everyone has a lovely long weekend! It's the end of an era in my house because my wonderful roommate is moving down to DC on Saturday and my new roommate is moving in the same day. Tomorrow morning will be spent putting furniture together and trying to avoid disasters and things breaking/falling down the stairs.

Hot Looks Of The Week & My Faves

Image via Jean-Paul Aussenard/Bauer Griffin

 

Lea Michele In Geogio Armani

 

Lea Michele is very polarizing, yes? I don't mind her, but some folks really can't stand her. By some folks I mean everyone on E!'s Fashion Police. It is pretty hilarious when they make fun of her posing. Some folks are also really sick of hi-lo hems on dresses and skirts, but I'm still really into them! In fact, I wore one yesterday :)

 

Lea wore this light gray Armani dress to VH1's Do Something Awards this week and I think she looks absolutely gorgeous. That neckline would be downright dangerous on a lot of women, but since she has small boobs I think it works. I love how the waves in her hair mimic the ruffles on the neckline and hem. And how hot are her Jenni Kayne sandals? They go perfectly with this dress. Lea is styled by Estee Stanley, who just had that amazing run with Jessica Biel for the Total Recall press tour and premieres. Brava!

 

 

Image via FameFlynet Pictures



Eva Mendes In Thakoon Addition

 



I think this might be my favorite this week because it's a street style look. Eva is styled by Rachel Zoe for the red carpet, but I think it's safe to assume that she came up with this one on her own for running errands around Hollywood this week. This dress is by Thakoon Addition, which is Thakoon Panichgul's diffusion line. His main line collection ain't too shabby either.

Eva has great street style - have a look through the thumbnails here if you don't believe me. She always dresses very feminine and favors printed dresses and skirts. This Ikat print shirt dress is so adorable and something I would wear in a heartbeat. You can actually get one in a different color at The Outnet right now if you feel so inclined. Her Ralph Lauren Collection Cartridge bag and Thierry Lasry Obsessy shades are perfect compliments to her casual look. Also, her legs are insane.

__

My Faves

Image via glamour.com

I think I talk about lip gloss and/or lipstick a little too much, but I can't help it. I love them. Did you know that Anthropologie has launched its own line of lipsticks? Neither did I until yesterday! I adore Anthropologie almost as much as I adore lipstick so you bet I'll be trying these out! The shade at left is called peony and it will be mine.

 

Here is a nice little retrospective on Emma Stone's red carpet looks over the past few years from her stylist, Petra Flannery. Emma is one of the best dressed celebrities on the red carpet and I can easily say that I love every single look here.

 

I just discovered these adorable and slip proof ballet flats from OKA b. and I think they're a great alternative to rain boots in the summer. They also come in about a million different colors and they're totally affordable. Hello, citrine!

 

Did you ever want to live in Carrie Bradshaw's or Monica Geller's apartments? Well, you can't because they're fake, but you can imagine with these floorplan illustrations! How cool are these? And I don't know if it's sad that I've watched this much Sex and The City or not, but I can notice an inaccuracy in Carrie's apartment - her toilet is in the wrong spot. If you remember the episode where Aiden moves out and fixes the toilet before he leaves, then you'll remember that her toilet is next to her vanity. I know. I'm pathetic.

 

 

Last night I had a dinner and movie date with my friend Julie. Did you know that if you eat at Hungry Mother in Cambridge before 6 PM that they'll pick up your movie tickets from the Kendall Square Theater for a discount and add them to your bill? Me either! But that's exactly what we did last night. It was my first visit to Hungry Mother and it was delicious. We feasted on cornbread, deviled eggs, clams and andouille sausage, roast chicken, and lemon angel food cake with blueberries, and ice cream. Yum! We saw Celeste and Jesse Forever and I loved it. I want to be best friends with Rashida Jones.  

 

 

Happy weekend, all!

Nicole Richie For Impulse At Macy's

While you weren't paying attention, Nicole Richie became a bona fide fashion superstar. Or maybe you were paying attention and you're just as impressed as I am. Remember when Nicole was a crackhead? (Really. I'm not going to get sued for that.) And when she palled around with the odious Paris Hilton? Ew.

I'm thrilled that those days are behind her because Nicole's House of Harlow 1960 and Winter Kate lines are some of the most sought-after in fashion today. Luckily for those of us balling on a budget, Nicole is bringing her talents and signature bohemian style to Macy's with an exclusive capsule collection for their contemporary Impulse department.

Image via Macys.com

Nicole has amazing style herself so first I'll share some of my all-time favorite Nicole looks.

Image via Bauer Griffin

This is Nicole at her boho finest - leather bell bottoms, fringe bag, hat, jacket draped over her shoulders. It's just so cool and easy. And she's still trendy with her polka dot top!

Image via Neilson Barnard/Getty Images North America

Nicole wore this GORGEOUS Emilio Pucci dress to the Fifi Awards (that would be perfume) in May. It looks like it was made for her and I love that she stayed true to her aesthetic while still being in a formal dress. It's gypsy chic.

Image via Bennett Raglan/Getty Images North America

I want this dress. I need this dress. This dress is amazing. It's a Winter Kate dress that has a cut out back and is brilliantly styled with red heels and a top knot in her hair. Are you getting my obsession yet?

Image via Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images North America

The girl looks good in yellow. This time from Julien Macdonald.

Image via Bauer Griffin

I could go on and on (really), but I'll end with this fun casual look. The Proenza Schouler zebra sweater is perfect with black skinnies, orange heels, and a House of Harlow 1960 bag.

Now that we've established that Nicole can dress herself rather well, let's take a look at the clothes she wants us to wear via Macy's.

The collection obviously skews heavily to the bohemian side of Nicole's taste, and why shouldn't it? It's what she's known for and what she does best. The collection is also very print heavy, which I happen to love. So many women are scared of prints. They are your friend! Nicole also brings in richer fabrics like faux fur, faux leather, and solid velvets. The prices will range from $49 to $149, which is incredibly reasonable. Here are the items on the top of my wish list:

Image via Macys.com

 A lace t-shirt with faux leather sleeves- lurve. I'd have to see this in person before I could say whether or not it's okay for work. I have a feeling it will be though. I'd wear it with colored trousers for work or black jeans and leopard heels for a night out.

Image via Macys.com

A black and yellow chevron/tribal print blouse. How great is this top? I would wear the crap out of this. With trousers or a skirt (faux leather would be hot) for work or evening. It's a must have!

Image via Macys.com

A graphic print long sleeve dress with lace panels. I imagine this will be a little much for some people, but I'm all about it. I think this print is a fabulous canvas for an insane statement necklace.

Image via Macys.com

A cap sleeve asymmetric hem top with neckline details. This top can be worn with absolutely anything and I love it. The fun neckline details mean you don't even need a necklace! But do wear some dangly earrings :)

There are many more pieces I love from Nicole's Macy's line, but these are the ones I'm most likely to buy. Have a look at the rest of the collection here and tell me what your favorite is! The collection is available in 100 Macy's stores nationwide and online from September 12th. You better believe that I will be at Macy's, which just happens to be across the street from my office, at the stroke of 5 on that day.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Have you all been taking advantage of strawberries while they're fresh, in season, and hopefully local? I hope so! I sure have been. Strawberries were always such a special treat when I was little because they weren't around for very long. At least not in the 90s in our Western New York supermarket. Now you can get them all year round because they're shipped in from all over, but those off-season strawberries never taste quite the same.

I think the most common way I ate strawberries when I was a kid was with Cool Whip for dessert, but I also recall many strawberry shortcakes. I know a traditional strawberry shortcake is made with a biscuit-like cake, but we always went for those little round sponge cakes that came six in a package. They got instantly soggy with strawberry juice and a healthy amount of Cool Whip, but they were yummy!

I saw this recipe on Pinterest (obviously) and I knew I had to make it before the good strawberries went bye bye for the season. Prepare for strawberry deliciousness.

12 ounces of strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4 inch dice (2 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Sanding sugar for sprinkling (or just regular sugar)

Preheat your oven to 375. The first thing I did was slice my strawberries, eating one for myself about every third strawberry. You can adjust that ratio to your liking. Once the strawberries are sliced, put them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of sugar and the lemon juice and stir. Set them aside and try not to just eat them like that with a spoon.

Next, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a large bowl.

Cut your butter into cubes.

I clearly need a new cutting board.

Martha suggests cutting the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter. I am not the owner of a pastry cutter, so I just used my hands and made sure to smoosh (that's a technical chef term) it in good so there were no big chunks. The texture you're looking for will resemble wet sand.

Stir in the cream until the dough starts to come together and then add the strawberry mixture.

Take a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon measure and drop the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with sanding sugar, or just regular sugar like me if you had never heard of sanding sugar before today.

Bake your cookies until the edges turn golden brown. In my oven this was about 20 minutes, but the recipe calls for 24 or 25 minutes. So be sure to keep an eye on them if you have a wonky oven, like me. Remove them with a spatula and set them on wire racks to cool.

These might be my favorite cookies ever. Yes, I say that about all cookies I make, but I might be serious this time. They're soft and buttery and the baked strawberries remind me so much of a strawberry rhubarb pie, which just happens to be my favorite dessert of all-time. As I mentioned before, I love chocolate, but I really only like it in small doses so cookies with fruit or nuts are more up my alley. I could have (and did) eat an obscene amount of these over the weekend and I've happily offloaded the rest to my office kitchen where they're already being scarfed down. In fact one co-worker e-mailed this to me already: "God Damn those were f’ing tasty.  Crap, they are good.  I’m going to be thinking about those for the rest of the day." So I think they're pretty good!

If you love strawberries, then definitely give these a go! What's your favorite cookie? Have you ever made cookies with fresh fruit before?