FASHION FROLIC

I was scared when I saw the strong-shouldered trend this season. I couldn't help but wonder what the hell designers were thinking. Then I saw this Balmain cotton-blend tuxedo jacket and was compelled to run out and buy myself a few shoulder-padded options.

What was at first decidedly unsexy became sleek, chic and the major look of the season.

I scoured the stores for a few (much) lower-priced tops. The winner was the dreamweight strong-shoulder tee at EXPRESS. Skinny enough to cling to the right places and tapered in length, the sheer, lightweight fabric looks fresh and modern when worn over a black bra and paired with menswear-style trousers and sky-high stilettos. If anyone finds a blazer as beautiful as this Balmain on NET-A-PORTER.COM, and under $200, let me know. Label lover and fervent fashionista I may be, but Daphne Guinness I am not.

 Photo: NET-A-PORTER.COM

Scott Sternberg's Boy. by Band of Outsiders label is filled with delightfully quirky, blasé-basic pieces that integrate tattered tomboy with private-schooled prepster tones. Specifically, I am in love with the striped mohair v-neck sweater pictured below. How would I wear it? Two sizes too big, falling off my shoulders, just like Marisa Tomei.

It's perfect for Sunday brunches, and would complement mussed, rumpled hair and sooty eyes from the night before. Pass the pancakes. And cheers to Sternberg for designing a sweater that allows an extra hour of sleep and a forgotten blow-dryer. Skip the usual crumpled men's shirt and reach for this incredibly chic option. 

Photo: Boy. by Band of Outsiders

Sweater and other Boy. by Band of Outsiders pieces available at Oak stores in New York City:

Oak (Manhattan)
28 Bond St.
New York, New York 10012
+1 212 677 1293

Hours:
Monday - Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Oak (Williamsburg)
208 North 8th St.
Brooklyn, New York 11211
+1 718 782 0521

Hours:
Monday - Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Each month, I receive a thick, glossy, perfectly edited French edition of Vogue. I salivate over the creative, modern photography and intelligent articles.

Editor-in-Chief Carine Roitfeld's combination of beauty, brains and innate talent is evident in each page.

Roitfeld's career began as a writer/stylist for French ELLE. She went on to work as a muse for Tom Ford. And then, she was approached by Condé Nast International Chairman Jonathan Newhouse to edit French Vogue in 2001.

The magazine has always been a Bible for industry insiders and inquisitive onlookers, but since Roitfeld's reign, "her magazine has become known for fresh, fierce, razor-sharp photography. Roitfeld continues to style many of the shoots. She is not afraid to shock." (Telegraph)

"Think a sexed-up Nico as directed by Steven Meisel or Quentin Tarantino, a sexy stick of a girl. She is often accused of being cold, although this might be because she is ridiculously shy. 'I like to keep my hair down as my protection. With a drink it is better. I am very fun after one glass of vodka. I am more beautiful, too.' She also is nicer than she looks, but we actually don't care." - British GQ, September 2009, on Carine Roitfeld (page 148)

Her name is synonymous with sophistication, style, inherent sexuality and apt shrewdness. One day, I hope to be half the woman she is.

"Roitfeld's idea of Vogue as a brand taps into an idea of feminine allure that is at least in part innate, and timeless, and cannot be bought on the Avenue Montaigne." (Huffington Post)

Photo: New York Magazine

Photo: New York Magazine

Photo: Purple.fr

"They're inventing a new way of talking about fashion, breaking the rules, doing it with no money, making it personal and accessible. It will never destroy the glamour of a glossy magazine, but it's a breath of fresh air and inspiration." - Garance Doré on fashion blogs in ELLE Collections Autumn/Winter 2009 (page 69)