Personal Style

outfit looks of the week

June 15, 2015

Happy Happy, Joy Joy!

The summer is here! I couldn’t be more thrilled for warm weather-appropriate clothing and accessories, and relishing in the splendor of unexpected adventures that being outdoors more often brings. For example, the hubby and I took a detour from our normal route through Brooklyn, and drove right by this fabulous Ren and Stimpy adorned wall. We stopped for an impromptu photo shoot, unable to resist the cool ’90s throwback and the vibrant colors in the art that were, coincidentally, a great match for what I was wearing.

Plus, talk about happy, joyful surprises: as you can see, I went with my stylist’s vision (Anderson of Sassoon Salon) and lost almost five inches of hair in order to produce this lob (long bob), which will most likely serve me quite well in the summer heat. I can still pull it back into an itty bitty ponytail for when I’m working out and/or the humidity becomes unbearable. The decision wasn’t a calculated one, and as much as a control freak as I am, it’s nice sometimes to let things happen without too much planning involved.

Speaking of things happening organically, I recently found out about the brand IX Style, whose mission is to provide clean drinking water for children and communities, specifically in Guatemala. The sale of each pair of shoes, and updated huarache sandal style (pictured), provides clean drinking water to children by funding water filtration systems, rain collection units, and wells, so that children are safe from disease, and also don’t have to travel and spend time patiently collecting water from potentially contaminated sources, for survival.

IX, the Mayan word for water, sees to the hiring of several hundred artisans, mainly women, to construct the shoes, bags, and accessories, and thus, provides another stream of revenue into the community. In addition, a tree is planted for each item sold, which correlates with clean water, as it can improve soil quality and prevent soil erosion and mudslides, which in turn effect the water sources.

Some of my favorite brands and retailers have already gotten on board wit IX Style, such as J.Crew, Gap, Anthropologie, and Shopbop.com, and overall, I love the comfort that the shoes provide, which in turn, leaves a constant reminder of its charitable nature.

In This Look:

Proenza Schouler for Target Dress (no longer available)

IX Style Purple Woven Leather Huarache Sandals (c/o)

Wink & Winn Custom Duffle Handbag (c/o)

Sorrelli Pyramid Jewelry (c/o)

La Mer Floral Watch (c/o)

Polaroid Cat Eye Tortoiseshell Sunglasses (c/o)

June 10, 2015

Dressing for a Music Festival…Like an Adult

by Julia DiNardo

[My “concert-going adult look” for the 2015 Governor’s Ball Music Festival]

My Dad was recently on the hunt for a style of denim that he kept referring to as “adult jeans,” jeans that are void of whiskers, faux wear and tear, fading, and/or too tight of a fit. As much as we kids laughed at him and his phrasing, I couldn’t help but relate to what he was saying while getting ready this weekend for the Governor’s Ball Music Festival, held in Randall’s Island Park, NYC. I was honored to be a guest of one of my most favorite brands on the planet, Dove, who hosted me for a full day of music in their incredible stage-side cabana, indulging in the new Dove go fresh Revitalize products.

[Accessories selections for the music festival]

Since it was both a casual and professional event, with temperatures mixed from chilly, to very warm, to chilly and windy as the sun went down, I agonized over what to wear. The genre of “festival attire” is all of the rage right now, and I certainly owned a piece or two that would fit into that category, yet I agonized over what to wear. Footwear that was stylish and sensible, clothing that could be layered, all the while possessing a carefree spirit were top priorities. And yet… I don’t necessarily subscribe to dressing “age appropriate,” but let’s be real – I wouldn’t be wearing anything that would mimic what the 15 year-olds were donning for the music festival. Plus, I do want to dress like an “adult going to a music festival;” my look is interesting, and has evolved, and is just so…me. So here’s what I wore to the Governor’s Ball, that was a mix of business and pleasure, varying temperatures, and overall, a total blast.

[The older I get, the more I appreciate (and want!) ear plugs at a rock concert!]

[A deejay set to get the crowd moving]

[Dove provided a bevy of faux tattoos for adornment in its cabana]

[The Dove go fresh Revitalize Body Wash with NutriumMoisture, amid festival-friendly floral headbands]

May 18, 2015

A Mint, Black, & White Spring

by Julia DiNardo

As promised in last week’s post, I’m going to try to keep the white jean/pant motif going all spring and summer long, hence, here’s one more way to wear it and make it work for the office. It’s joined this week by black and mint, a rather complimentary color palette that I feel right at home in. In fact, I’ve found that for approximately the past 15 years, I’m always gravitating toward creamy, minty hues; so much so that I wanted it to be one of our wedding colors and have worn it more often than not in tops and dresses as the perfect foil to my gingery tresses.

Black and white slingback loafers provide a pop of mod color contrast, while I took inspiration from the shoe’s hardware and tried to mimic the shapes and texture of it in my jewelry. I’ve found that being observant of the shape and weightiness of an object, and matching your look to balance that out or elegantly contrast with it is quite key.

Oftentimes, the wrong kind of fabrics or jewelry can be introduced into a look that has great potential, but ends up being slightly off because the balance of soft versus hard, geometric versus fluid, isn’t quite right. Next time you’re feeling like something may be off about your look but can’t quite but a finger on what to remove or adjust, think about the combination of texture, shape and fabrication that you’ve introduced to the outfit.

Continue reading…

May 11, 2015

Gaining Aesthetic Confidence

by Julia DiNardo

Ah, the elusive white jeans…when the perfect cut, thickness of fabric, and size has been located, it’s a killer look. However white jeans can be so…unforgiving, hugging every curve, and concealing..nothing. To me, they are the great sartorial paradox of looking amazing, but hold the potential to make one extremely self-conscious while wearing them. Just the very nature of them being so stark white makes one’s every move a strategy- where to sit, what to eat, even what handbag or shoes to wear is crucial, as these accessories can potentially leave rub-off marks on the jeans.

At the end of the day, when the perfect pair is find, they are worth the preventive measures, and making peace with what may happen to them, letting go and enjoying the look, is all part of the process. In working with Marshalls recently, I spoke with stylist Estee Stanley about identifying personal goals and tips to find, and relish in confidence. Clothing truly has so much to do with it, and finding your own personal style, pieces you love, that work best with your individual body is essential to the process. For me, wearing these white jeans in a cut that works with my petite frame, being neither too tight nor too lose and taking a cavalier attitude to them achieves that, and I’m going to incorporate into my wardrobe weekly, so stay tuned for more personal looks featuring them!

Back to my conversation with Estee, she reiterated that “what you wear is a powerful tool to convey who you are and how the world perceives you; what you are wearing makes a huge statement of who you are. Look AND feel confident, dress and feel comfortable, and ALWAYS wear something that you LOVE!” In an independent survey down by Marshalls, 42% of women identified looking and feeling their best as something that would help propel them towards their goal, and I couldn’t agree more. Remember to “dress for your body type, and ignore trends, ” Stanley emphasizes. “Make a statement with the story you are telling with your outfit and don’t feel what you don’t feel happy in. There is so much fashion out there that there are amazing clothes for all body types. Have the guts to go into the dressing room and try stuff on; items look completely different on the hanger than they do on your body.”

I think that it’s important to be accepting and accommodating to our bodies, and reward ourselves with clothing that fits our shapes and lifestyles to a T. If you’ve lost weight, gained weight, have “baby weight,” and don’t feel like yourself, find clothes that work with that new body of yours, instead of resist it. Choose items that make you feel confident and powerful for every stage of life that you’re in. Considering being your best version of yourself by dressing the part; white jeans, here I come!