People Watching: College Campus, Michigan

Over the weekend, I was in Michigan -- freezing, snowy Michigan -- visiting my brother Alex, who's at school up there and was directing his first play, Shakespeare's The Tempest. At the show on Saturday I spotted a girl walking in wearing this outfit, and I immediately knew I had to share it here!

Her cotton trousers were patterned & ombre, from a deep red at the top, down to a light blue around the ankles. (They looked like a really well done DIY, but based on some research, it looks like she got them at H&M.) To ward off the cold, she was wearing a cream, chunky knit sweater. The outfit was finished off with neutral snake skin flats and a big cognac crossbody bag. It was spring-meets-winter, college-meets-high fashion, Saturday-brunch-wonderful, and each piece worked together to create this artistic, unique, and comfortable look. I loved it.

People Watching: Biking on 6th

Out for a walk around the neighborhood Thursday morning, a girl on a bike rode past in this summery outfit: a bright yellow tee, swingy navy blue cotton skirt, and chambray espadrilles. Easy, comfy, pretty. I like to think she was wearing some gold or leather jewelry, or maybe even a dashing little patterned scarf to complete the look.

People Watching: By the Kennedy Center

While picking David up at work the other day, I watched as people walked past his building, and to and from the Kennedy Center (right across the way). One girl's brightly colored pants and accessories made her stand out and served as a reminder to the still darkly-clad DC business hordes that spring really is here. She wore slightly faded reddish-coral cropped chinos with a tucked white ruffle-neck blouse, bright blue wedge heels, a gold scarf, and awesome sunglasses. Even her open gray peacoat couldn't detract from the energy of the colors she was wearing.

People Watching: Senpai + Kohai

If you're a fan of beautiful, one-of-a-kind, Free People-esque style, you must check out the designs offered by fashion label Senpai + Kohai!

Created by designers Melissa Choi (a very old friend of mine!) and Pia Panaligan, this line is unique in both its textiles and its purpose.

About their designs, quoted from their site:

Artistic approaches to fashion characterize our line. For our first collection, we were inspired by traditional embroideries and embellishments gathered from Melissa's travels to India. Our first collection used mainly natural based fabrics, many of which were hand dyed or painted. All the pieces are one-of-a-kind, hand-sewn party dresses, reworked found jackets, recycled fur and some hand painted hosiery, along with some silk scarves.

And about their purpose, which personally, makes me love their line even more:

The fashion industry being a fast paced business has been taken over by “disposable fashion”. We want to create a line of great quality-made pieces that don’t necessarily follow fashion trends and instead focus on traditional craftsmanship. With our world travels and multi-cultural heritage, we will incorporate these influences into our collections... Because we are from Philadelphia, a city that is a minority in the fashion world, we will stand out among our peers and help bring attention to the creative minds that dwell here.

I appreciate their desire to encourage fashion and the arts in their city, as well as their goal to produce clothing that is beautiful enough to transcend trends. I can't wait to see where Senpai + Kohai ends up in the fashion world -- I'm sure it's going to be amazing!

People Watching: Family Party

My friend Kati sent me a picture of her sister Jackie rocking shorts with tights (which she's done with flare ever since she asked this question a few months ago). She looked chic and adorable, and I had to share her outfit:




I love that she wore purple tights -- the dark color kept things tame, while still adding a little bit of fun. Thanks for letting me share, Jackie!

People Watching: Pentagon City Mall, Saturday Night

I was running a last minute errand to the mall on Saturday evening, trying to get in and out as quickly as possible. That plan was foiled by the droves of people, walking slowly, bags in hand. One good thing came out of being slowed down: I saw a girl wearing the outfit above, and knew immediately I wanted to share it here.

Her jeans were skinny, and gray (with a blue tint), tucked into worn-in cuffed black boots with a snow-day meets motorcyclist edge. She wore a gnarly-knit light tan cardigan with black trim (not quite like the one above, but you get the idea) with a light, red scarf wrapped around her neck. She looked dressed for the weather, comfortable, and really cool.

The Oscars!

Did you catch the Oscars last night? Overall, I loved the old Hollywood feel that a lot of actresses went for. But honestly, I felt the red carpet was lacking in blow-you-away dresses. I actually saw a number of non-A-list attendees in the background whose dresses looked really intriguing and I kept wishing a camera would zoom in on them. Unfortunately, there's no way to know who in the world they were.

There were a few standouts, though! Favorites:

Amanda Seyfried: Loved the gray-lavender color plus the gold accents, along with the train.

Stacy Keibler: Her entire look just worked so well -- very 20's. The cut of the dress was impeccable. 

Jennifer Lawrence: At first, I wrote her dress off as boring, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it. The color, texture, and that a-mazing skirt won me over in the end. It's Dior, after all!

Samantha Barks: I tend to like her dress choices in general... this one was just simple and awesome. (Her necklace is also awesome.) Plus, the teal dress she wore for her performance during the actual show was also stunning. Double win on her part.


Least favorites:

Naomi Watts: It's like the Jetsons meets wacko ice skating outfit. (Thanks to Lydia & Janet for the ice skating reference.)

Anne Hathaway: She pulled a Taylor Swift and picked a dress worthy of a middle school dance in 1999. As my friends Jessica & Erin aptly put it, it's just begging for a goth choker and a spiky up-do with chopsticks in it.

Jennifer Garner: While the color worked really well for her, all I saw was her being attacked by a purple sea slug, from behind.

Also, the question haunting everyone who watched last night: Did Kristen Stewart even brush her hair before arriving at the red carpet?

I want to know your best & worst picks!

The Sartorialist & Co.

via Style & The City

You know what's cool? The revolutionary way that street fashion is starting to shape the fashion world and what's seen on the runways.

Photographers and blogs like The Sartorialist, Style & The City, and Jak & Jil feature pictures of fashionable people in their everyday element: walking to work, drinking coffee, talking on their phone, looking fabulous (and maybe even a little odd). The fashion world has become slightly obsessed with the ease, history, and imperfection behind the clothes and outfits worn by the people captured in these photos.

I often wondered what makes street photographers stop and take notice... Then I saw this article about New York street photographers during Fashion Week: where to find them and how to make them find you (i.e. what are they looking for when it comes to the subjects of their photographs). It's pretty fascinating!

via Jak & Jil

via Jak & Jil

via Jak & Jil

People Watching: SAG Awards

Taking a quick break from our series on petites to talk about favorites from the SAG Awards red carpet!

Melanie Lynskey in Tadashi Shoji: Anyone else notice the amount of emerald-ish greens at this show? Color of the year, anyone? I loved this dress in particular because of the bodice design and the print. It's almost celtic.

Marion Cotillard in Dior: I admit, I'm not crazy about the top of this dress, but the skirt's color, fabric, and cut made me stop and stare. And it's perfect with the simple pointed toe black pumps.

Nina Dobrev in Elie Saab: This one is my all-around favorite. The cutouts & the sleeve length plus the color really made it stand out. Her hair and accessories work perfectly with the dress. Very chic.

Amanda Seyfried in Zac Posen: The skirt on this gown is what won me over. The piping details around the mermaid flare are just gorgeous.

Which were your favorites?

People Watching: The 2013 Golden Globes

Let's talk Golden Globes! I'm kind of a real girl when it comes to Red Carpet events -- the dresses are just too fun to look at... and ooh & ahh/gag over with friends via text (ahem, Elise, Janet, Kelley). Let's start with favorites:

• Michelle Dockery's regal gold & white Alexandre Vauthier gown caught my attention especially -- the colors and style were perfect for her and the occasion. Flattering in every way.
• Kate Hudson's Alexander McQueen dress came in second for me -- the gold detailing at the unusual but rockstar collar and the classy black silhouette worked really well.

While the above were my favorite style-wise, I also loved the following dresses for their color schemes and detailing: 

• Julianne Hough in a Monique Lhuillier gown: Along with her hair, the combination was girly and princess-y. Sometimes you just can't beat a super girly dress... if you can't wear something like this on the red carpet, where can you wear it?!
• Lucy Liu in Carolina Herrera: Definitely a bold move on her part, as this was pretty much the only (colored) print I saw last night. I love both the color scheme and how different it is. Again, the way her hair is styled completes the look. 
• Carly Steel's gown made the list because I loved the contrast of the colored beading/sequins up top with the simple flowy white skirt. It's different, sophisticated, and fun in an indie glam kind of way.
• Jessica Alba in Oscar de la Renta: The color/cut of her dress plus the color of her lipstick, and that necklace? Pretty much flawless. I could do without the clutch though.

And my picks for worst dresses of the night?

• Sienna Miller in Erdem: She looks like a 5 year old's birthday party meets the worst mother of the bride dress ever.
• Taylor Swift in Donna Karan: Umm... the top. I wanted a dress with straps like that when I was 14. Need I say more?
• Rosario Dawson's toothpaste-blue peplum number was cut oddly at the top. Plus it didn't do her middle/hips any favors.

And then there's Emily Mortimer's silver sequin gown, for which there are very few words. And those words are "armor," "eww," and "why?"

Which were your favorite dresses? Which would you never, ever wear?

People Watching: Holiday Party

My friend Meaghan showed up to a holiday gathering wearing a simple but elegant black peplum top with a pair of flattering red jeans, and I loved how festive and trendy her outfit was. I recreated the look here, pairing the top & pants with some glittery flats and necklace (she wore patent black flats -- also a great choice!). Perfect for a holiday party with friends and family.

People Watching: Dinner Out in Ballston

My friend Mindy showed up to dinner the other night wearing the above outfit (or an outfit comprised of similar pieces). I asked her pretty much immediately if I could put it on my blog (yeeeah... my friends put up with a lot). She looked fashionable but comfortable and cozy at the same time. Perfect for a nice dinner with friends at Rustico. The sweater skirt plus the cable tights complemented each other really well, and the outfit was a good representation of how to style a chambray shirt into the winter.

People Watching: Christmas Shopping in Arlington

While out doing some Christmas shopping last week, I spotted a girl in something similar to the outfit above. I loved the contrast of the pretty, bright blue coat with the jean shorts, and she styled the shorter lace-up boots with socks -- a look I'd been a little skeptical of, but am now eager to try. The overall effect was artsy and cozy.

I think the holiday season is going to be prime outfit/people watching.

More on how to wear shorts with tights/leggings next week!

People Watching: Ballston Crosswalk

Taking a break from Girl Friday, since we started up our new September feature this week. Don't worry, it'll be back next Friday!

 *   *   *   *   * 

I always try to take advantage of sitting at red lights by using the time to people watch. Especially in the downtown areas of Arlington and DC -- it's a treasure trove of fun outfits. Although it annoys me when all I see are joggers in their Under Armour or neon workout gear... I feel like they're wasting my time. Hahaha.

On Tuesday, as I sat at a light in Ballston, I happened to catch a glimpse of a girl wearing something like this:
 
I loved that she used a simple palette, but kept it interesting by matching stripes with a little bit of tribal print. Since the print was on her sandals, it added an element of surprise and personality to what looked like a pretty normal outfit. It's that attention to seemingly small details that made the outfit uniquely hers.

Go and do likewise.

People Watching: Sundae Sunday

My friend Courtney was wearing this little outfit this past week at church. I had to share it with you guys mainly because it was one of the cutest ways I've seen to style oxford shoes. I've been on the fence about oxfords -- I figured they're probably cute with jeans and a tee shirt, maybe with the right dress. But I loved how Court matched them basic shorts and a tank, keeping the outfit summery and casual, and then threw in the surprise of the shoes.

Favorite ways to style oxfords? Anyone?

People Watching: In Georgetown

This is my sister, Libby - she sent me this pic of what she wore on her one-year anniversary date with her boyfriend because she knows I love seeing what she comes up with. My sisters and I all have our own very different styles, but we all love to draw inspiration from each other and compare notes. I'm hoping to feature them from time to time on the blog because they have awesome ideas, and while we might not all agree on everything, if someone owns their look, to me it becomes more about the art of it and less about whether I'd wear it or not.

What I loved about Lib's outfit here is that the details she chose really help to make it hers. Not many people I know could pull off a camo dress and make it look classy. The way she used the belt to tie the ruggedness of the dress to the silver of her shoes and jewelry makes the whole thing work.

For those who are curious:

• Dress was thrifted (found at Tina's - a name I can't say without seeing Napoleon Dynamite fling tuna casserole at a llama)
• Belt used to be mine (came with a denim skirt years ago)
• Shoes are from Payless, bought for my sister Erin's wedding last year
• Necklace, from Lib's boyfriend Matt. He's a keeper.
• Cow, property of Ben & Jerry's in Georgetown.
• Also, Taylor Swift is jealous of Libby's hair.

People Watching: On the National Mall

We took a quick trip down to the Natural History Museum today - you know, just to tell Henry the Elephant "what up." As we were driving along Jefferson looking for parking, I was people watching from the car window (a favorite pastime) and I saw a girl wearing this outfit:

It was the essence of summer. A sherbet-colored breezy top and cropped jungle green pants (anyone else go back to their Crayola roots when describing colors?) were an unexpected but surprisingly harmonious combination. I couldn't see her shoes, but I think gold sandals and accessories would work well with the warm tone of the top. She was carrying a slouchy hobo kind of bag and her hair was up in a messy bun. The Wayfarers kept it slightly sophisticated. The whole look had a classy but, at the same time, summery devil-may-care kind of vibe. 

People Watching: On the Pike

I was walking home from the bank when I passed a group of kids who were obviously in town for some swanky school function - why else would 15 year old guys be wearing polo shirts and blazers on a 90 degree day? Amongst the guys in blazers was a girl wearing this dress:

I was... confused? Speechless? Amused? Slightly terrified?

The tack-on collar is a trend that isn't going away (apparently it'll be around this fall in full force). And I respect people who can pull off the buttoned-to-the-top look, although it's not my favorite. But this kind of thing... on a dress... with a button placket? Oh, Forever 21... Just because you can doesn't mean you should... But then there's something about this dress that does strike me as adventurous and unique...

Your thoughts?