Enough about Michelle, let's talk about Jill

The fashion world has gone crazy for Michelle Obama. Designers are tripping over their samples to dress her while fashionistas analyze her every clothing choice. (Remember when we were all dying to know what dress she had chosen for the Inaugural Balls?) Impeccable, classy, the next Jackie O perhaps, but what about Jill?
Our Mr. and Mrs. VP (aged 66 and 57, respectively) may not be a young as the First Couple, but they share the same youthful energy and looks. Jill's chic teacher-y style deserves as much praise as Michelle's. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before her shopping habits are also put under scrutiny, but forget about the recession of a minute and have a look:

The campaign trail can take a toll on a person, but here is Jill at several stops in September still looking sharp. I'm not in love with the grandmotherly yellow twinset, but the color looks amazing on her.


Sorry to knock on our First Lady, but Jill modeled the lemongrass suite for us first on election night. And there are no questionable green shoes in her ensemble.


Jill and Michelle must have called each other when they got dressed on the morning of the Whistle Stop. We all know how cold it was that day, but I wish Jill had tamed that scarf a little bit.


Jill perfects cold weather wear on another cold day in January, Inauguration Day. Beautiful color and, more importantly, killer boots.


This is the show stopper, Jill wears a red strapless Reem Acra gown to the Inaugural Balls. Strapless is quite a daring look for any woman over 40 and Jill manages to keep it classy and show off her great arms.


Just a glimpse of what is to come: Mrs. Vice President's first day on the job, showing a group of D.C. area school children around her new home at the U.S. Naval Observatory.

Diet Makeup

Girls, it's the answer to all your prayers: makeup that makes you skinny. These lip glosses will plump your pout and trim your hips at the same time. Take that Lisa Rinna!

Its creators, beauty industry insider and author Karen Robinovitz with cosmetics company Purple Lab, say this lip gloss will help you lick away the pounds.
Huge Lips Skinny Hips features Hoodia Gordonii extract, derived from the plant found in South Africa and Namibia, which has been used for centuries for its appetite suppressing benefits. So, the next time you find yourself drooling over the office candy cache, you simply have to run your tongue over your lips and the feeling of hunger will disappear.
Not to leave you wanting, the lip gloss also contains vitamin B3, which “stimulate[s] blood flow to the lip surface, diminish[es] the appearance of unsightly wrinkles around the mouth and create[s] a plumping effect without stinging or burning.” the manufacturers say.
This makeup miracle is available in six colors, from hot pink to nude, for £18 in the UK. Sadly, I've had no luck finding it on this side of the pond and may need to look into trans-Atlantic shipping costs.

Coming Soon

Reruns:Eva Longoria 2008 SAG Awards, Miley Cyrus 2008 Academy Awards, Heidi Klum at the 2008 Oscars

Big earrings – translated from the Fall ’08 trend- big necklaces. This is an understandable evolution, and the red carpet provides plenty of fodder for this fashion option.
**Where to shop: Check out the antique stores for some vintage bling (Olde Tyme Antiques & Gifts 294 E. Main St., Newark) or go big and go fake at accessory stores (Icing and Claire’s) or Froever21 and Burlington Coat Factory.

Sheer – A few designers tried this in Fall ’07, most noticeably adding the transparent touch to long gloves. This spring brings back the 80’s feel, as previewed by Project Runway’s favorite designer to hate, Kenley. Just be careful where the sheer is and what you wear under it (remember Gwenith’s mistake).
**Where to shop: The younger stores (H&M for example) already have a few options in netted dresses. You can also look at Cache for a more sophisticated interpretation. Try to make this trend your own by opting for transparent scarves or returning to sheer stockings.

Project Runway-Kenley Spring 2009

Truly new:Agyness Deyn in Burberry Spring 2009, Colette Pechekhonova in Salvatore Ferragamo Spring 2009
Nude – This may be a tricky trend to master (especially without a little bit of pre-summer glow) because the wrong shade of nude will wash you out. A handy trick is looking for photos of celebs or models with your coloring and copying their color choices (provided that they look good, of course). Why pay for a stylist when you have internet access?

Strapless Sash Belted Silk Jumpsuit in Aura $149, Italian Linen Halter Jumpsuit $179, BeBe

Jumpsuit – The earliest versions of this trend were laughable, fitted-jean bodysuits. Spring débuts a 1920’s, Katherine Hepburn silhouette inspiration. High waists and flowing fabric in sleek neutrals make the jumpsuit a real figure-flattering option for a significant portion of the population.
**Where to shop: You can find this hot new trend at Forever21, but the quality is lacking and this is one look that needs to be chic not cheap. Try BeBe, they already have some on sale (photos above).

Marnie, Gucci, Karl Lagerfeld, Ossie Clark – Spring 2009

Ankle-strapped shoes – It seems that designers just can’t let go of the bootie. Though, at least this trend is a welcome reinvention of the ankle-high footwear. The ankle strap does cut the leg line and therefore women with shorter legs should get a second opinion before investing in this trend. However, the placement of the strap does wonders for those of you coping with that anatomical aggravation, the ‘kankle’.
**Where to shop: I haven’t had any luck in locating this style in the mainstream stores. Steve Madden, Bakers and similar stores offer one or two options apiece, but it looks like I will have to lust after Whitney’s for the time being.

Kanye West goes couture

The jack of all trades has has done it again. Kanye West was approached by Louis Vuitton to design some couture kicks for the high end brand. Despite his own dubious fashion choices - of the "yeah boyee", Cosby persuasion - I had no reason to expect the worst when I heard about this venture. Then the shoes debuted on the Louis Vuitton runway.

To hear him brag on his video blog, you would think he invented the stiletto, but no, he just RE-invented the sneaker, circa 1980. The enticing qualities: they come in bright colors, are extra bendy and by some miracle aren't plastered with KW monograms. So, just how did Kanye tap into his creative genius to bring us this foot candy?

We started from the sole. We made it lighter weight and flexible, so you can bend it…. I was inspired by the movie “Dune” because, as you know, I love sci-fi…. The collection had all these jackets that were very padded. They looked like maybe they had hockey pads in the jacket, and there was one where the collar came up really high. I took that element and I put that on the back of the shoe. It’s like the opposite of the tongue. Usually you have the tongue at the front. [This is] like a tongue at the back.

Riiiight. My vote is that he sticks to rapping. No word on how much these backwards shoes are selling for, but I think it's a safe bet that the only Kanye-inspired apparel I can afford are those venetian blinds sunglasses.

The Rant: Shoes

Here's another addition to the ‘get over it already’ list, where fashion goes to die. This time, let’s take a look at shoes that not even SJP could love.

I’ve already mentioned my abhorrence of the stripper platform shoes. They were alright, bordering on trashy when the trend was a small, ¼ inch wood-finished platform a few years ago (OK, I bought two pairs of shoes like that). Now things have simply gotten out of hand. We can’t all be Real Housewives.

Maybe it’s a climate thing, but I really wish the Ugg fad would bite the dust already. How could an Australian even come up with sheep’s wool-lined boots? The temperatures here hardly warrant the fluffy foot ovens. And to make things worse, the only way anyone below the Mason-Dixon Line can wear them is with a mini skirt. Like the Croc, this is one piece of footwear that needs to be kept in its proper place – the snow-bound north.

I recently stumbled across this interesting find while shoe shopping with a friend. They are open-toed flats, but the ‘open’ part just looks like the manufacturer forgot the front of the shoe. I am probably being premature in placing these on my hate list (as I wasn’t even able to try them on myself), but they looked just bizarre on my friend. So I’ll leave this one open to a public opinion poll. Give them a try at Burlington Coat Factory and weigh in.

Sketch Pad: 12/08

Did you ever get a vision of exactly the right cardigan to finish off your posh work outfit or the perfect boot to take you through an entire day out with the girls and into a night out? Now, did you actually try searching for these essential, elusive wardrobe additions?
Honestly, these items are usually out there, somewhere, but they are never in the proper size or price range or color or fabric to fit your vision.
There’s your answer, guys, for why women walk into a store under the guise of “not looking for anything” and proceed to spend hour upon hour flipping through clothes racks. We’re searching for the intangible perfection of that designer shoe or handbag from the “My Imagination” collection.

My collection includes a variety of ‘essentials’ that seem the epitome of ‘practical’ according to my vision. Top of the list is the rise of the square-toed shoe. Nine West comes close here. Something with a deep, toe-cleavage cut and a blunt, squared front. And none of that stripper platform business, thank you!

I have recently been longing for some long dresses and skirts. Not just of the evening wear variety- consider the maxi dress (above, Kate Moss). I think a bright color or pattern on a long skirt would be wonderfully comfortable, yet still sophisticated enough when paired with a fitted turtleneck t-shirt, nude-toned cardigan or architectural jacket. Now, this may be a delayed product of attending too many weddings last summer, but I think a little romance is a nice contrast to the recent menswear office wear obsession.

Another item missing from the store shelves is patterns. Stripes are always a spring/summer nautical theme, polka dots and hounds tooth are retro references and then you can always find ‘reinvented’ florals in fall and spring. Mixing it up with ethnic-inspired patterns to be worn together would nicely stretch the bounds of what “matches” and what “goes” with what. Especially since Spring 2009 is promising an influx of nudes and flesh tones to make pattern mixing easy.
*Where to shop: Target’s latest GO International designer, Thakoon, has a blinding variety of prints in his collection and encourages mixing and matching. BeBe also has a hot house mix of prints in their spring collection (link).
Your turn, what are you waiting to see on the shelves of your favorite store? Better yet, pass on the tip if you have seen any of these items in the shops.

Buying clothes...to work out in

Believe it or not, there is one part of my wardrobe that is almost entirely five or more years old: my exercise clothes. I’m that girl that thinks, ‘Why spend on clothes you’re just going to sweat all over?’
Yes, there is a significantly higher ratio of attractive guys at the gym than in most bars, but this does not mean you need to dress up to work out. (And it definitely does not mean you need to put on makeup before working out!)
Guys should just appreciate the fact that we’re at the gym, not care about whether we’re wearing a cute pink tank top sports bra and matching running shorts and baseball cap made of special sweat-resistant fabric.
That being said, here are some tips on the public exercising dress code (and a little genuinely smart advice from the exercise experts):
The leggings trend does not apply to work out wear, so don’t channel the 1980s by wearing spandex or tights under a pair of running shorts. Doubling up on the sports bra actually gives you some extra cleavage, as well as extra support if you need it. It seems like athletic gear is one area where fake fabrics are ok; try sweat-resistant material for your socks, but stick with natural fibers that won’t permanently lock in the BO smell into your tops. Go ahead and buy that new pair of sneakers, then give them a test run on the treadmill at the gym before you throw out the receipt.

Poor Jen

Sorry to do this to you Jen, but I’m pitying you not because Angie took your man (and adopted all your potential children) but because your “comeback” is turning out more like a throwback. Most of your magazine spots are taking the “new” too literally (a la New Year’s baby naked).

And when she does don clothes, Jen’s styling seems to be stuck in the 90’s. Very safe, not very fashion forward. For a Vogue feature, those are unpardonable failings.

Doing it right.
The best recent example of the “A-list celebrity recent divorceé comeback plan” is Reese Witherspoon. Major comeback moment: arriving at the Golden Globes with a new feathery-banged do and that bright, but still sexy canary-yellow Nina Ricci dress. Then there’s Christy Brinkley, getting a lot of press over her recent divorce case as well as her chic courtroom style or Anne Hathaway’s continuing style awakening, despite her former flame’s incarceration.

Same old, same old could be an endearingly consistent quality in Jen. Maybe her casual, nipple-tight tops, beach hair and annual romantic comedies will keep her going ‘til she’s 40 and can retire. Oh, wait.

Closet Raid

As it ‘tis the season to give, it’s not a bad practice when it comes to your wardrobe during holiday visits. Whether you’re playing hostess this year or trying to cram 15 outfits into your carry-on luggage (who wants to face the horrors of baggage claim during the holidays?), there is no need to panic over a forgotten article.
The cardinal rule of wardrobe diving is only take what is freely given. And when it comes to your closet, ladies, you know which cashmere cardigan or satin pumps you’d rather not have stretched, stained or “borrowed for keeps.”
OK, that rule is really for the benefit of the 'borrowee,' not the borrower. To the borrower: keep an open mind, since there is an excellent chance that you won’t find the perfect duplicate of that forgotten essential.
One-size-fits-all accessories are easy. Go for either neutrals to throw on with even your most eclectic outfits or take the opposite tack, using bright colors to pop off a conservative ensemble that needs a little something. For clothing, look for loose cuts and flattering shapes (A-line dresses and skirts, empire waste tops and dresses, the one-size-fits-all wrap dress).
Don’t go too short, too low cut, or too tight – save yourself from the awkward jealousy that may come if the clothes look better on the person borrowing them than the person who owns them.
Also remember to be innovative with your options. Turn a scarf into a belt, layer a long sleeve tee under a short-sleeved dress if there’s a sudden cold snap and open-toed shoes can still be worn with a pair of tights or socks. Then you can always turn to your man’s luggage for help. Anyway, menswear for women is a trend this season. Knot a plain men’s belt around your waist, borrow a long, loose men’s cardigan for a cover up, or grab a vest for an extra layer over a cute dress.
But, for heaven’s sake, take an extra peek inside to make sure you’ve remembered everything before you close your luggage.

Old Yeller

According to Pantone (the self-proclaimed “world-renowned authority on colour”), the color of 2009 will be Mimosa. Clearly this “warm” and “reassuring” shade of yellow will be just what the world’s economies need to pick themselves up out of the panicked depression that was 2008.

Unfortunately, the financial geniuses already tried this ploy in Spring/Summer 2007. Reese Witherspoon hit the red carpet at the Golden Globes in this canary-yellow Nina Ricci dress and Michelle Williams followed in a bright orange-yellow Vera Wang gown at the 78^th annual Academy Awards.

For the average consumer: bright yellow accessories easily added a cheerful pop to any outfit, according to Life & Style’s March 2007 trend page.

So, I’m left asking the vital question: Did it work? Not so much, according to Economy Watch.

Credit crunch aside, yellow is one of the most difficult colors to wear on most skin tones. Most people can carry off carefully placed accessories, but a flowey mimosa dress of the Spring 2009 runway incarnations is a whole other thing.

Bogetta Veneta, Versace, Sonia Rykiel - Spring 2009

I will not be buying into the Big Bird trend.