Posts with tag winter

She's bacccccckkk.

On September 9th, Kate Moss will be dropping her autumn/winter collection at Topshop. Apparently, there will be lots of "printed chiffon, intricate embroidery, mohair knits, and dropped waist dresses" in this winter wardrobe.

I'll admit it. Inherent in the eBay WTF of the day, there is always a certain longing. I am attracted to write about clothing, accessories, and strange household items that secretly, some part of me wants.

And who wouldn't want a vintage hat-warmer?

At first I clicked on this because I thought it was a hat. I started a low giggling as I spun Tin Man-themed jokes. But this is not a hat, it's a hat warmer! I live in New York, where it's cold, and I'm from Minnesota, where it's colder. This thing is $20 and I want it.

According to "the old lady [the seller] bought it from," the shiny aluminum heats up to remove wrinkles from your hat and, if you're like me, to make your hat feel cozier as a little incentive to get out of the house and go to work.

Imagine trying to keep your cat away from this thing! I might paint a face on it and call it my boyfriend. I mean. . .WTF.

Every year, as spring approaches, my eyes start wandering toward the less bulky items in my closet. I'm tired of my sweaters, done with scarves, and so over jackets. Fortunately, I live in Florida, so there are plenty of days where I can wear a kicky dress and cardi and be plenty warm. But what about those of you living in colder climates? What can be done?

Never fear, Posh is here! In a cape!

As Mrs. Beckham shows us (and as Brooke Shields and Lucy Liu fail to show us), a cape can be a fabulously chic way to ward off the winter chill when you just can't bare to wear your winter coat for another day. However, it can also backfire horribly. Here's how you can pull off Posh's look and keep your cape from becoming fashion kryptonite:

I always like going into shows like Lacoste because, like Nautica, I really don't know what to expect. I mean of course I know Lacoste, who doesn't? They do have a sweet little alligator for a mascot! However when it comes to them on the runway I just don't know.

With any runway show, this one was getting off to a fashionably late start. To kill time I read the program and call sheet, which is something I usually save until after the show (I am weird like that). The show was to consist of three distinct looks for the "stylish ski slopes" : a contemporary homage to Rene Lacoste, a mountain-high ride to Kingston Jamaica, and finally a ski disco party with leg warmers over jeans. My excitement was starting build, especially over the leg warmers.

When I walked into the tent the first thing I noticed was that the runway was covered in white fur, sheepskin to be exact! Either this was going to be super cool or super funny when models in heels tried to walk across this "animal" of a runway. Fashion roadkill or no, the mood was very fun and cozy -- I liked it.

Not to be totally negative but the program was more exciting than the collection. Not to say that I didn't like the collection because I did, I just didn't like it as much as I thought I would. The 1980's touches that normally would have scared me were kind of adorable in the ski setting. The pink, purples, and teal pastels in the disco ski party segment made me think of my younger years sledding in the backyard, which is never a bad thing.

Takeaway trends:
- Varsity style V-neck sweaters
- Wide stripes
- Tapered leg pants
- Colored tights

And as shameful as this is to say -- I will be wearing my leg warmers over my jeans next Fall.

While the world prepares for New York Fashion Week, Berlin has quietly been hosting a fashion week of its own. The event doesn't get nearly as much attention (with most of the major designers unveiling their collections in either Paris or New York) -- but, nevertheless, there's certainly been some interesting looks coming down the runway.

Like this guy. I don't know what kind of arctic freeze he's preparing for, but rest assured, when the blizzard of the millennium hits, he'll be ready. These gigantic earmuffs -- possibly designed for men with disturbingly large ears -- make the poor guy's head look like the meat on a really, really unappealing sandwich.

To be fair, the muffs were designed by a student at the School of Art and Design -- so, presumably, whoever created them is still learning. Or maybe they're just crazy.

For more looks from Berlin Fashion Week, check out the gallery.

You know what sucks? Losing one glove. It's never that an entire pair disappears -- but, like with socks, somehow one always manages to get away. So you're stuck wandering around the frozen streets -- either suffering the indignity of mismatched hands, or constantly switching your solitary glove from one hand to the other, desperately trying to keep five digits warm while the others succumb to frostbite. Oh, the humanity!

Finally, there's a website dedicated to ending this injustice. The sole purpose of OneColdHand is to reunite solitary lost gloves with their former companions. You can either mail in gloves that you find, or drop off strays at various locations listed on the website. Then, when one of yours goes missing, just browse the website to see if anyone turned it in.

Unfortunately the service currently only exists in Pittsburgh, so the rest of us are stuck with freezing fingers until OneColdHand expands to other parts of the country.

[via Trend Hunter]

Face it, you need to have a pair of winter boots to get you through these frigid, snow-covered months. However, as I've mentioned before, it can be a challenge to find a pair that doesn't make you look like a dorky ski instructor.

Here's an interesting boot by J Crew -- called the Wrench -- with an extra layer that looks a little like chaps for your feet. But don't be fooled -- that flap isn't just decorative. Most likely you can pull that up to keep your ankles warm on longer walks -- which is great for those of you that see a lot of snow where you live, and are constantly fighting against that frigid rising damp on your pant legs.

At $182, it's not the cheapest pair of footwear you'll ever own, but on the plus side, new looks for men's boots tend to stay in fashion for a few years (at least), so you won't be handing these off to Goodwill any time soon.

[via productdose]

Baby, it's cold outside.

You know what that means? Cold weather accessories.

We're sure all of you have a basket in the back of the closet packed full of mismatched gloves, scarves and hats. Those things technically keeps you warm but it isn't very stylish is it? Gift yourself or someone else with these stylish accessories.
Cold hands, warm heart: If your fingers can bear it go with a pair of fingerless gloves by Alexander McQueen, the cable knit material is warm and oh-so-chic. If you can't stand the thought of exposing your fingers in chilly temperatures go with these knit gloves by Y-3 (hint, hint they are on sale).

Neck and neck: Scarves of all kinds are in style this winter. Cashmere stripes for a fun and luxurious look, gray rabbit fur for a richer look, bring out your inner ski bunny with Juicy Couture or dare to be different with a cowl neck scarf.

Hothead: What is warmer than fur in the winter? Nothing if you ask me. Protect your ears with hot pink fox fur earmuffs by Chantelle or go full on fur with this lambskin hat by Karl Donoghue.

Boots made for walking: Winter boots don't have to be bulky and ugly, they can be chic instead. For a sportier look go with Juicy Couture. If true couture is your game, then opt for this pair by Dior.

Chances are, your wardrobe improves significantly when fall and winter roll around. Jackets take longer to go out of style, so if you bought something cool last year, it'll probably still work this season, and it's easier to look grown-up and respectable (which is totally the look this winter) when you're covering up from the cold.

But let's talk details. I'll bet that the only nice-looking piece of functional winter clothing you own is a scarf -- most likely because your wife or girlfriend bought it for you. Your hat, on the other hand, is some Christmas-themed fuzzy number with little fluffy balls on top, and your gloves look like rejects from the 1987 Finnish ski team uniform. Sound familiar?

Don't underestimate how these seemingly trivial things can make or break an otherwise decent ensemble. And with that in mind, check out these fantastic leather gloves from the Gap. Black is back all winter -- plus I love the brown underneath, and the detailing is perfect! You might be used to dropping $4.50 instead of $29.50 on this kind of item, but I assure you -- this is worth it.

Once your hands are looking good, don't forget your feet. A nice pair of boots can really enhance your look. For starters, check these out:

[via See Jack Shop]

If there's one thing I'm consistently noticing about menswear for the fall and winter, it's the simplicity. The bright colors, bold patterns and loud graphics of spring and summer have been replaced by plain, fitted tops in gray, black, brown and a some darker Earth tones.

Some of this is typical for cold-weather clothing, but I think, on the whole, we're moving away from the loud look, and toward something that's a little more sophisticated -- more grown-up, even. Not to say you can't keep it casual -- because what normal person can really be bothered to dress up 7 days a week?

That's why I'm such a fan of this jersey polo from Marc Jacobs. It's low-key, and seemingly straightforward, but on closer inspection you'll notice the little pocket detail,which is a nice touch -- not to mention, of course, the perfect fit. It's a little pricey at almost $90, but with all the layering you'll be doing, you can get enough use out of this shirt to justify spending a little more than normal.

[via productdose]

You may have written off the Gap, and I wouldn't blame you. For a while there they were somewhere in between a less-fashionable version of JCrew and a way too expensive (not to mention less trendy) version of Target. Bleh -- what's the point?

But the store has been on the comeback trail recently, and their winter line is particularly impressive. Check out this Moleskin Blazer, for instance. You can dress it up or down, depending on where you're heading -- even turn the collar up when you need to look especially cool. Plus, the dark, muted colors are right in sync with where we're heading this season, and you can layer underneath it with sweaters, or even hooded sweatshirts, when the weather starts to get a little colder.

Best of all, it's only $88 -- which, for a jacket this nice, is a steal. I never thought I'd say this, but it's possible that Gap is back.

[via Damn I Like That]

Fingerless gloves had a short stint when I was in college. I am not sure if was an all out trend or not, considering I believe the reason it started was so college kids could smoke without lighting their fingers on fire.

These days smoking is out and fingerless gloves are in. Gone are the days of fingerless gloves being associated with homeless people, they are now chic and can pull together any mundane ensemble. Sure they won't keep you as warm as a pair of regular gloves will, but this is fashion people ... we don't do practical.

They do have some "practical" elements to them, for example: you can use your Blackberry with ease, you wear them indoors and peck away at your laptop, you can even give people wet willies (okay, that was gross but I was running out of "practical" things).

Designers like Marc Jacobs, Philip Lim, Generra, Dior, and The Breed are all on board for the fingerless glove trend. I am know I am on board, are you?

Even though every sane person on the face of the planet has come to the conclusion that Crocs are an attack on mankind (probably perpetuated by some weird breed of human-hating aliens, hell-bent on making the world unattractive before taking it over), the silly rubber shoes just won't seem to die.

And now, to make matters worse, they can be worn year-round -- no matter how cold it gets.

The new "Mammoth" Crocs take on "a cozy twist" and "keep feet warm and toasty."

Ugh. When will the madness stop?

Just when you thought that Uggs were the worst cold weather shoes, we introduced you to Valenkis Rus boots. And just when you thought that nothing could top a pair of woolly clodhoppers from Russia, we're proud to present to you the Rubber Duck Snowjoggers.

By now, you are probably confused by the title of this post. I was actually referring to your inner Napoleon Dynamite, not your inner Napoleon Bonaparte. (Your inner N. Bonaparte would want shoes fitted with lifts and steel toes, not waterproof fabric and rubber soles!)

These colorful snowjoggers hail from Scandinavia, where men and women spend the long winter months trudging through icy, wet streets on cold dark days. And unlike other winter boots, which offer little in the way of traction and sole flexibility, the snowjoggers feel just like your go-fasters, only warmer.

While the East Coast seems to be experiencing an unusually warm winter, the hip kids have nonetheless cast their vote for this season's favorite hat style: the military cap.

Inspired by the cold weather uniforms of dough boys gone by, Target's version of this style gives you an afford way to try out the trend. This Military Cap comes in an earthy shade of olive green that would work well with both brown and black clothes. The fabric cap has the look of suede with all of the classic details like a front band, gold tone rivets and top stitching on the brim.