Susan Says: The White Shirt

J. Crew Boy Shirt $69.50

When you look at all of your clothing and cry out: "I have nothing to wear" it's time to pull out the white shirt, a timeless fashion classic that is an essential in any woman's wardrobe.  

 

The key element is fit --- a fitted white shirt can be paired any number of ways, for casual or professional wear.  Look for a fitted shirt with a sleeve that hits the wrist; you can also cuff the shirt for a casual look.  Avoid shirts that are too boxy or too big, or sleeves that are too long at the wrist or too short.  I made the mistake of purchasing a white shirt with three-quarter sleeves and the sleeves are just too abbreviated to look fashionable.  

 

A white shirt can be worn peeking out of a blazer sleeve, paired with a skirt or pants, tucked into a pencil skirt or worn with high-waisted slacks. Or try wearing a long white shirt and allowing it to peek out of the bottom of a mini skirt.  Always fabulous with black leather, look for a shirt with great buttons or an additional panel where you button up to allow coverage if the shirt should pull apart so that your bra stays covered.

Although we would hesitate to wear leggings to the office, when paired with a long white blouse and a blazer, it becomes professional attire.  

A boxy white shirt can also serve as a "jacket" to top a tank top on a hot summer's day.  

 

The possibilities are endless...!

Susan Says: Three Generations of Family, Fun & Fashion

Some time ago, I couldn't resist blogging about a book entitled, "Best Friends, Occasional Enemies,"  co-authored by mother and daughter, Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Scottoline Serritella, respectively.  The authors write a column known as "Chick Wit" for The Philadelphia Inquirer.  Ms. Scottoline is a New York Times best selling author and her daughter, Francesca, has been honored with numerous writing awards.

I just finished reading another great book by the mother/daughter duo. "My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space:  The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman," is a tell-all odyssey of three generations of women who will win your hearts and bring you to tears of laughter.  The book is a compilation of essays written by Scottoline, the mother who lives on a farm, and Serritella, the daughter who is living single in New York.

My favorite chapter involved Ms. Scottoline taking inventory as to what she could do to best update her home.  After a long and dutiful inspection, she decided that what her home most needed was new SHOES AND HANDBAGS!  A woman after my own heart!  Grandma Mary has her own "style," namely a white lab coat (although she is retired and has never worked in the medical profession) and, to everyone's chagrin, a bra which she has been wearing for 30 years.

This is an ideal gift for grandmothers, mothers and daughters who want a roller-coaster ride of fun reading.

Susan Says: Fairy Tale-Inspired Fashions

Veteran costumer designer Colleen Atwood has transformed Johnny Depp into the Mad Hatter and Charlize Theron into an evil queen. Now she wants to put a spell on all of us with her new fashion line which will available on the Home Shopping Network, premiering on May 30th.

Atwood's first ready-to-wear line is a 12-piece collection of tops, dresses, skirts and caftans; her inspiration was the movie "Snow White and The Huntsman." She told Entertainment Weekly Magazine, "My goal was to evoke a simple, fun way of looking inspired from that movie."

According to the Vancouver Sun, The Atwood by Colleen Atwood collection follows on the heels of several other recent branding opportunities for costume designers, including Trish Summerville’s "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" collection for H&M, which launched in December, and the "Mad Men" collection for Banana Republic, which is a partnership between Janie Bryant and Banana Republic creative director Simon Kneen.

This is the first time that Atwood, a three-time Oscar winner whose credits include "Alice in Wonderland," "Chicago" and "Ed Wood," has designed a fashion collection. "It’s often said that costume designers are a faceless group of people," Atwood told the Vancouver Sun. "But we can contribute to fashion in a way that might be new and different."

A brown and black pointe knit dress will retail at $79.90 and a smocked peasant dress will retail at $149.90.  My crystal ball predicts that her creative challenge will be a success!

A Short Story

Shorts are big fashion for summer. Several years ago, Chloe debuted a suit which featured beige scalloped-edged shorts instead of pants:

Since then, shorts have been going in a dressier, more grown-up direction, which continues this summer. As shorts continue to gain popularity as street-wear (and even evening wear!), one new trend to consider is printed shorts. As the mercury rises, try cooling off in some of these hot prints, many of which are now on sale:

Zara Printed Shorts $49.99

Lucky Brand Veronica Ikat Printed Shorts $52.99

 

Paige Denim Printed Lola Shorts $149

Rebecca Taylor Mini Wild Rose Print Shorts $100

Affordable Brazilian Elegance

Calvin Klein designer and Brazil native Francisco Costa has created a capsule collection for Macy's as part of the department store's "Brasilian Celebration." The collection, which launches on May 15th, features 13 dresses priced between $135 and $180.  

In creating the collection, the designer's primary inspiration was his Brazilian hometown, Minas Gerais. He told InStyle Magazine, "When people think of Brazil, they envision a lot of vibrant color and festivals, like Carnaval. But Minas Gerais, where I grew up, values a natural, monochromatic aesthetic that is evident in my designs." 

Another inspiration was Rio's Museum of Modern Art, which features a unique spiral staircase; Costa did an interpretation of that staircase and created a wrap dress, which, he explains, is "one piece of fabric wound around the body several times, forming a modern, layered look."


"The collection really represents Calvin Klein; it's really light, it's really well made and the price is really right," Costa told Fashionologie.  "It's always a challenge but very exciting to design within a different block. It's good that we can bring our collection product to a much larger audience." 

The dresses are monochromatic, timeless pieces and are stunning, elegant and reflect the designer's signature minimalism, all very Francisco Costa and very Calvin Klein, and apparently very Brazilian too! 

Happy Mother's Day to All!

We wanted to wish a very happy Mother's Day to all. We hope you have a wonderful day! Our loving and hard-working mothers certainly deserve every indulgence and appreciation.

The holiday of Mother's Day has its roots in honoring mothers whose families were torn apart by the Civil War. In 1868, Anne Jarvis created a committee to establish a "Mother's Friendship Day" whose purpose was "to reunite families that had been divided during the Civil War." She wanted to expand it into an annual memorial for mothers, but she died in 1905 before the celebration became popular.

Appropriately, it was Anne's daughter, Anna, who would continue her mother's efforts and, in 1914, Congress and President Woodrow Wilson issued proclamations declaring the first national Mother's Day.

Amidst the celebration it's also good to take a moment to consider mothers who are less fortunate.

Here are some videos which raise awareness about the plight of mothers around the world:

- Every Mother Counts, a global maternal health advocacy organization founded by Christy Turlington, has declared today "No Mothers Day," in remembrance of the women and girls who die during pregnancy and childbirth each year. Watch their video here. 

-Actor Ben Affleck, an ardent activist for the Eastern Congo, also produced a video honoring the brave mothers who are raising their children in this war-torn nation. Watch his video here.

Happy Mother's Day to Moms everywhere! 

Dana's Deal of the Day: BB Creams

I love to apply my various serums, moisturizers and sunblocks, and of course my makeup, but sometimes, I just don't have time. Mornings are especially busy, but I don't like to leave the house to make the kids' school runs without at least a little sunblock (I do live in Florida, after all) as well as a little something to even out my skin.

So I was very excited to try the new "BB creams" which have come to market. The BB cream craze ("BB" stands for "beauty balm")  originated in Asia, and over a dozen different brands have brought BB creams to market in the US over the past year, with many more labels still set to launch.

The beauty of BB creams is that they are all-in-one products. These creams moisturize, prime, protect, sunblock and of course provide some complexion-perfecting skin coverage. With these creams, in one step you have all your skin care and beauty needs met, and you are ready to go.

There are BB creams available at every price point. Check out the selection at Sephora.com   for BB creams from brands ranging from Clinique ($37) to Dior ($56). Or try Target for BB creams from Garnier and Maybelline which ring up around $12.