Suzie Says: Re-Inventing Your Wardrobe

Do you have a closet full of clothing and find yourself routinely wearing only a select number of pieces?  Enter Lawrence Zarian, fashion/lifestyle expert, author and TV personality who wowed me in a recent television demonstration on how to re-purpose your clothes and build new fashion looks with the items you already own.

Here are some of the great tips Lawrence shared:

• Update Your "Little Black Dress": Everyone owns a scarf or two, so just take a scarf and run it inside the back of the dress and tie a bow in the back and you'll have a newly created "exit" look. 

• Re-Invent Your Shirt Dress: Simply unbutton the shirt dress and wear it over a camisole...wear over jeans and you have a brand new "duster."

• Re-Style a Summer Dress: If your summer dress has a bit too much color or pattern, here's a solution: put a black skirt over the dress (as long as the material is light) and you have a new two piece outfit that is more "wearable."

Zarian's book "10 Commandments for a Perfect Wardrobe" will debut this month and besides great fashion tips from some of the biggies in the fashion and fitness world, you can share his candid personal journey about weight, self-image, self-acceptance and being beautiful, inside and out.

SJP's New Collection a Fashion "Shoe-In"

"People should dress the way they want. Any rules for age or shape are silly.  If you walk out the door feeling good about yourself, that's what counts."

So stated Sarah Jessica Parker - aka SJP - during a recent interview featured in InStyle Magazine.  

Parker is, of course, famous for the stunning clothing and shoes during her years as the star of Sex and the City, as well as her highly coveted "real-life" style.  She's famous for donning ultra-high-end labels like Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo, and now SJP is bringing that high-style to the mass market through a partnership with George Malkemus, CEO of Manolo Blahnik, to create a more affordable line of shoes and handbags.

Vogue UK describes the SJP collection as "pared-back, simple and elegant" with pumps and flats priced between $200 and $300 and bags for around $700 and reports that the SJP collection will be produced entirely in Europe and New York City, and will be sold exclusively at Nordstrom.

The shoes debut on February 28 at selected Nordstrom stores and at Nordstrom.com.  Meanwhile, here's a first look at  a pump from the collection, the "Diana", which was featured in Lucky magazine and will retail for $365.

Star Style: Kim Basinger & Ireland Baldwin

Basinger Then & Baldwin Now / People

Ireland Baldwin, age 18, has credited her mom, Oscar-winner Kim Basinger, with inspiring her to get into modeling.  Now, it seems that Ireland is inspiring Kim, who just turned 60 earlier this month:  Basinger has signed a contract with her daughter's modeling agency, IMG.

Reporting on Basinger's IMG contract, Variety wrote, "The perception of who is an acceptable spokesperson is changing; Basinger, who is 60, can help challenge the stigma that only youth works for sponsorships."

Variety continues to note that, "Recent months have seen partnerships like Jerry Seinfeld, 59, for Acura, Michael Bolton, 60, for Honda, and Helen Mirren, 68, for British retailer Marks and Spencer."

Fabulous at Any Age

Courtesy Harper's Bazaar) Bazaar celebrates its "Fabulous at Every Age" winners in New York / Stylebistro.com

Style at any age is one of our favorite fashion topics, so we were excited to see Harper's Bazaar's Fabulous at Any Age feature, honoring stylish women of different generations.

"At Harper's Bazaar, we celebrate women who are fabulous at every age, because great style is timeless," said the magazine's Editor-in-Chief Glenda Bailey in a statement about this year's "Fabulous at Every Age Contest." When the winners of the contest were announced, actress Brooke Shields hosted the celebratory event, which was sponsored by Estee Lauder.  Shields, recognized by Harper's Bazaar as being a symbol of ageless beauty herself, commented, "I think we should just own what we see in the mirror with absolute confidence."

The grand prize winner was Teruko Laura Burrell, age 55, who was awarded the grand prize of $10,000.  The other winners each received $5,000.  The Fabulous at Any Age winners are pictured with Shields above.  You can read more about them on Harper's Bazaar's web site.

And it's worth noting that it was recently announced that Shields is publishing a book on another one of our favorite topics - mothers and daughters!

At Harper’s BAZAAR, we celebrate women who are fabulous at every age, because great style is timeless,” said editor in chief Glenda Bailey. - See more at: http://www.magazine.org/harper%E2%80%99s-bazaar-and-est%C3%A9e-lauder-launch-2013-fabulous-every-age-reader-search-find-five-america%E2%80%99s#sthash.kGaPrssN.dpuf

At Harper’s BAZAAR, we celebrate women who are fabulous at every age, because great style is timeless,” said editor in chief Glenda Bailey. - See more at: http://www.magazine.org/harper%E2%80%99s-bazaar-and-est%C3%A9e-lauder-launch-2013-fabulous-every-age-reader-search-find-five-america%E2%80%99s#sthash.kGaPrssN.dpuf

Ralph Lauren's Puppy Love

Ralph Lauren's "The Dog Walk" / Harper's Bazaar

Since 1982, when a stray dog wandered into Ralph Lauren's ranch in Telluride, Colorado, canine causes have been close to Lauren's heart. On October 15th, the designer will launch a video dubbed "The Dog Walk," on Ralphlauren.com. The video will highlight the brand's accessories -- including shoes, handbags, dog carriers and leather leashes -- from a "dog's-eye view," according to Harper's Bazaar. Ten percent of sales from some featured accessories will be donated to the ASPCA in celebration of the organization's Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month.

The best part is that the dogs featured in the video were all rescued, ASPCA pups -- and all of them have been adopted since the video shoot.

"We would do anything to save a dog," Lauren to Harper's Bazaar.

Sneaky!

Inspiration from Pinterest

One of our cardinal rules has always been to keep all gym clothing -- including sneakers -- exclusively at the gym and to lose the sweats and sneakers once your workout is done. All rules, however, are made to be broken, especially when it comes to fashion, and recently we've been noticing some very stylish sneaker ensembles. For inspiration, look no further than the photo above from Pinterest. (For more non-sneaker-related style inspiration, check out our Pinterest page.)

Nike Air Max in Mercury Grey & Flash Lime @ $90

The Nike Air Max, in a variety of palettes, warrants a re-examination of the no-sneakers-outside-the-gym rule, and would look chic if worn with cropped pants and a tailored top, like the J.Crew model below.

J. Crew model rocks sneakers with her stylish ensemble

Cut It Out

Gwyneth Paltrow, who needs no figure-flattering, rocks a cut-out dress from Michael Kors

Could clothing with cut-outs really be figure-flattering? Yes, according to leading stylists. The secret is that these styles draw attention to the cut-outs, which actually can have a slenderizing effect.

In order to tackle this trend in a figure-flattering way, you need a strategy. According to stylist Basia Richard in InStyle Magazine, this trend can suit most figures, but you have to be strategic with placement of cutouts. The key is to highlight areas you're proud of -- those with curvy shapes might go for a top with cut-out accents on the collarbones, while fitness buffs could draw attention to the midriff. Also, good tailoring helps ensure that the cut-outs fall in the exact spot you intend. 

While the Michael Kors style worn by Gwyneth Paltrow above is a bit towards the daring side, Emily Blunt modeled a more subtle cut-out look from Pucci:

Emily Blunt in Pucci / USA Today

 For a less dressy, more day-to-day take on the trend, check out this top from Milly, which not only draws attention to the collarbone, but also has the added bonus of being on sale: 

Milly Top / Bloomingdale's