W2WW Live - One week away from J.Crew event!

Let the countdown begin!  We are ONE WEEK away from our 'Drop off and J.Crew' event next Wednesday morning!  Lisa and I are so excited at the great feedback we've received.  THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SPOTS LEFT - don't be shy!  Email us at lisa@what2wearwhen.net or jen@what2wearwhen.net and let us know you want in.  If you've received a confirmation email, you are on the list! 

Received my Spring 2013 J.Crew catalogue yesterday and tore out pages of things I liked - I liked quite a few things, no?  

Image from Jennifer Houston.

Since that's a jumble, these are the things that I'm eyeing.  First, their shoes are INSANE this spring.  I love the Tabbie t-strap sandals, the Lillian suede wedges and the Mari sandals.  All come in multiple colors.  Must try on!

Images from jcrew.com.

 In the clothing department, I love the hummingbird floral pant, merino boyfriend sweater (yes, Lisa and I are suckers for a good v-neck), and the double-square t-shirt - cute for a pop of color under a cardi or jacket, right?

Images from jcrew.com.

This bling is to-die-for gorgeous!  Wear to any cocktail party!

Image from jcrew.com.

Lisa and I will be hitting J.Crew this weekend to check sizing, start styling and pulling things together for YOU.   When we're done (and hopefully the store won't be too pulled apart) we're going to assemble a list of our truly favorite items for the ladies that attend our in-store event.  Again, RSVP to one of us and let us know if you'd like to attend!  Hope to see you there! ~ JH

...you are curious about black stockings.

A reader in Montana reached out last week to ask a style question:

"Ok what is the trend on hose, tights, etc. I am starting to see more and more black pantyhose again."

Dear reader, you are astute in noticing that black hose is making a comeback.  It all started about a year ago with Kate Middleton wearing sheer hose; it's an unwritten rule that dignitaries and guests attending events with the queen must dress appropriately and that includes closed-toed shoes, mid-length skirts and pantyhose. 

Image from styleclone.com.

Even Kate's sister Pippa Middleton has been spotted in sheer legware. 

Image from shine.yahoo.com.

Sheer sparked the trend but now the look has grown to include black, first opaque and now sheer, which began showing up on the runway in 2012. What's not to love about black sheer? Practically speaking, it beats the heck out of bare legs for those of us that live in cold climates. And they are the perfect foil for shorter skirts or dresses.  Best of all, legs look flawless enveloped in their sheer blackness.  The NY Times wrote in November, “It’s like that old trick cameramen use, putting a Wolford stocking over the lens to soften the look of skin,” said Dr. Patricia Wexler, a New York dermatologist who treats the fashion elite. “Except you’re actually putting it on the leg.”

Some inspiration for wearing black hose?  This look is hot.  She's rocking the black and white trend for spring.

Image from pinterest.com.

Totally amazing under shorts - great transition look.

Image from nymag.com.

Wear with a gorgeous dress for a night out, like this fab Jason Wu creation.

Image from elle.com.

Have fun with it Reader-in-Montana!  Let us know how you wear them! ~ LB

it's Spring 2013: Ankle Strap Shoes

I felt a little smug when this week's ad from Piperlime arrived in my in-box.  

Image from piperlime.com via email.

My initial thought was 'yes, no kidding'.  And then I realized I hadn't shared this with you, our readers!  Shame on me!

If you follow me on Pinterest, you can guess that I am obsessed with finding the right pair of ankle strap, heeled sandals for this spring.  Ankle straps are everywhere.  If you think you can't wear them, try a couple of different styles on; there are cross-strap and single strap ones.  They come in all heights from flats to heels to wedges.  If a color breaks up your leg too much, try a nude pair.  And how to wear them?  Easy - cropped and ankle-length pants are everywhere and a crisp pair of white ones will really put the focus on your shoes' details.  Under long pants is always an option.  Dresses can get an instant update with an ankle-strap shoe.

Piperlime has a nicely curated selection of ankle strap shoes - check it out for inspiration - that range from heels to stacked heels and wedges. 

As for me, I need 2 pairs this spring - a very neutral nude and no-platform, minimal black sandals.  Both heels.

I'll start with the neutral because it's simply easier.  I've had these Classiques Entier strappy sandals for a couple of years now.  They are really great in style and in color, but honestly, not that comfortable. Standing and walking in these shoes is a little painful.  Ah, the sacrifices for fashion!

Image from ebay.com.

If I'm going to replace them, I may as well go for updated look, no?  It was pretty easy to find the updated version of these. It was love at first sight with these Tory Burch Vanetta sandals.  They were sold out of my size online; I called the Boston Tory Burch store and asked a salesperson to find them for me in a store.  She called back within an hour, having found them in NYC. A simple 'charge/ship' and they were on their way.  Slightly lower heel height, updated, and really comfortable.  SOLD!

Image from toryburch.com.

Onto the black pair.  Here's where it's tricky for me.  My obsession started back in January when I purchased that cobalt blue Vince outfit at Saks.  After bringing the outfit home, I started surfing around to see how different online retailers styled the outfit.  (This is something I do regularly, which is useful for taking a piece of clothing and finding different ways of styling it.) Shopbop had it simply paired with black, ankle strap sandals.

Image from shopbop.com.

What were those shoes on the model?  I found them on Shopbop; they are 'Nicholas' Jacket Snake Strap sandals.  At the time, they were full-priced at $240.  Plenty in stock.  I pinned them to my Pinterest board for future consideration.  

Image from shopbop.com.

Fast forward to last week. I happen to be on Shopbop and click over to look at them again.  Not only are they on sale (yippee!), but they are SOLD OUT OF MY SIZE.  Completely.  ARG!  Many Google searches produce NO other online retailers selling this brand!  Shopstyle doesn't turn up anything.  I cannot believe it.  I am stumped.

The only other thing to do is search for similar options.  And when I say search, I have been searching with a capital S.  I've been on Zappos, Amazon, Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Shopbop, Revolve Clothing, Ann Taylor, Gap, Piperlime, Banana Republic, Calypso, Reiss, Tory Burch, Zara, Lord and Taylor, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Bluefly, J. Crew, Jildor, Scoop NYC, Comptoir des Cotonniers, etc, etc, etc.  

Here's a short list of my findings so far.  These Givenchy sandals are pretty fab especially with the subtle zipper detail around the sole of the shoe.  The heel height is great and I like the 'covered' heel in the back. But, at $650, I'll have to keep looking.  Oh, and did I mention they are SOLD OUT too on net-a-porter?!  ARG!  What, does everyone want a pair too?!

Image from net-a-porter.com.

Shopbop has these Isa Tapia 'Lia' Sandals are only slight better priced at $395.  Maybe a little more 'precious' than 'sleek' with the scalloped edges, but a great heel height.  Problem?  Oh yeah, they're SOLD OUT of my size too.  

Image from shopbop.com.

How about these Alexander Wang sandals?  At least they are available for pre-order...maybe to ship at the end of April?  The heel is creeping up there in height...

Image from pinterest via saks.com.

How about these much-more-reasonable Everett sandals from Ann Taylor?  At $118 (and they ALWAYS have coupon codes to reduce that price even more) you can't really go wrong in trying them out. But are they too strappy?

Image from anntaylor.com.

The search continues - if you spy anything that looks interesting, please shoot me an email with a link.  In the meantime, if you find yourself in shoe department or store, give the ankle strap shoe a try! ~ JH

...you want to wear a hair cuff.

When I'm not sporting a fresh blow out, I've either got a black Goody hair elastic on my wrist or doubled around my ponytail.  Functional, yet B-O-R-I-N-G.  Well say 'hello' to the new jewelry for your ponytail.  The Hair Cuff, which I am love with.

Image from afterdrk.com.

I am partial to gold since my hair is brownish and highlighted and you can't go wrong with this little number in gold or silver from H&M.

Images from hm.com.

I adore this enamel one too and it comes in a rainbow of colors.  White will look so sleek with spring and summer fashions.

Image from nordstrom.com.

The French faux tortoise shell is a classic.  These are made in France by Luxe Claire.  Oui! Oui!

Image from folica.com.

And how does one wear a hair cuff?  Low and messy.  Think a loose gathered pony at the nape of your neck which contrasts with the clean lines of the cuff.  Don't pile too high or pull the hair too tight.  

The cuff should be in proportion to your hair length.  For shoulder length hair, you'll want a cuff 1-2" wide.  For long hair, go crazy with a wide cuff, 3" or more.  Enjoy experimenting! ~ LB

W2WW Live - 'Drop off' and J. Crew

Image from jcrew.com.

Have an item of clothing in your closet that needs to be styled?   Bring it.
Love J. Crew and a discount at J. Crew even more?   Keep reading.
Need some spring wardrobe lovin'?  Shop it.
Want to come meet us?  Sign up.
We would love to see YOU.   

W2WW goes live with our very first What 2 Wear When styling event with J. Crew at the Natick Mall in Natick, Massachusetts.  We are SO excited!  

We are big fans of J. Crew, especially for spring when our wardrobe and our spirits desperately need color and respite from the snow.   On Wednesday morning, March 6th, from 9:00 to 11:00am, J. Crew will host us and an intimate group of W2WW readers for a before-hours shop.

Lisa and I will be on hand to share our favorite items from Spring 2013 (arriving in store just days before) and help you style an outfit or answer any style questions you have. Have a great skirt in the back of your closet that you don't know what to do with?  Bring it!   Our good friend and J. Crew stylist, Sylvia Gesell, will hook you up with a 15% discount on our purchases that morning.  Can you think of a better way to kick off spring?!

Since we only have 4 hands and 2 brains between us, we are keeping the event intimate so that we can properly spend time with everyone.  We will close the event once we reach 15 people so secure a spot with an RSVP at jen@what2wearwhen.net.  We'll confirm by return email if you're in.    

So get ready to drop off those kids at school and head on over to J. Crew on March 6th anytime between 9 and 11! ~ LB & JH

Honesty.

So, if you've noticed, we've been absentee bloggers. And there are no excuses. We are well, happy, and having a great winter. So what's our problem!?

Image from theurbanpolitico.com.

That's it. We can sum it up in one word. We have been trolling through stores. Old standbys haven't completely rolled out spring yet. New finds are 'meh'. We made a promise to ourselves and our readers that if we had nothing nice to say, we wouldn't say it.

Thus, the silence.

But stay tuned.  We have some things in the works that will involve YOU and we are REALLY excited about.  ~ JH