...you need a winter hat.

Yes, it's January and so it's a little late to be tackling this topic.  Nonetheless, here I am, January 2nd, and I need a new winter hat to go along with my Post Card coat.  Just an everyday hat that's cool.  I realized at school pick-up today that I've been wearing my North Face Cable Fish Beanie hat for way too long.  If you know me, you're sick of looking at it.  And, quite frankly, it's been to the gym, spinning, apres ski, the stable, etc.  In other words, it's seen better days.  Oh, and this other mom had an AH-MA-ZING hat on and I was jealous.  There.  I said it.

So, while I was sitting at afternoon-kid-activity-number-1, I started trolling online sites on my phone and not only got an education, but found some interesting hats out there.

First, the education.  On Nordstrom's site, I could choose from 'beanie', 'cloche', 'fedora', 'cap', and 'wide brim'.  Instinctively, I knew I wanted a 'beanie', but needed to know what 'cloche' was.  They are small-brimmed hats, sometimes very elegant.  See below.

Image from nordstrom.com.

Enough with education; back to shopping for a 'beanie'.  They had plenty of choices, ranging from $20 to $130.  With free shipping and free returns, I had to order a couple.  Here are the ones that will be stopping over for examination.  First up, a Missoni.  Really, I couldn't resist.  You KNOW it's super soft angora.

Image from nordstrom.com.

Marc by Marc Jacobs had a cute, polka dot and striped cap that I want to try out as well.  A little flare with this one.

Image from nordstrom.com.

This Michael by Michael Kors one is something simple with it's cheetah print.  I think I ordered the last one they had online!

Image from nordstrom.com.

I was also looking for something a little off-the-beaten-path.  Something a little inspired.   At this point, I was home and instead of cooking dinner, I was surfing around net-a-porter.com and shopbop.com to see what they had.  It was on net-a-porter that I noticed Eugenia Kim hats for the first time.  (After more research, I found that she attended Parsons, won a CFDA award for accessories design in 2004, and her millinery work can be found/purchased everywhere from Bergdorf to Barneys. I know, more education!  Read about her here.) Not cheap, but certainly different and cute.  While pompoms look ridiculous on me, I love this hat!

Image from net-a-porter.com

Net-a-porter was also featuring the Marc by Marc Jacobs one above, so I knew I was in good company.

A trip over to shopbop.com featured MORE Eugenia Kim hats and I loved these in particular.  Both are fabulous, and I'm hoping to sample one or the other.  Probably the first one.  Grrr.

Images from shopbop.com.

In short, there's a whole world of winter hats and I have only scratched the surface.  If you have any great hats I need to know about, please let me know! I'm on the hunt! ~ JH

...attending a wedding in Scotland.

Hi everyone!  We are back and digging into fall fashions!  Before we start with a series on 'what 2 wear this fall', we received a fashion question from a reader:

"My brother is getting married in Scotland - early November. So it will be a little chilly. I have a vision of wearing a green dress, as I feel I look good in green. My budget is around $300. Where could I get the perfect green dress. ... Also after having twins my body is less than perfect, so not too clingy.  Thanks in advance for any advice."

Happy to help! Lisa can relate to working with a new, post-twin figure.  Her twins are 6 years old now, she has learned about cuts that work best for her and believes in the power of Spanx for special occasion wear.  We feel that green in textures (velvet, lace, silks) will be fresh and on trend this season, though there's not a ton in the stores yet as we head into August.  But, the first round of fall dresses is out, so we jumped in to see what was out here.

First stop was Reiss.  This UK company produces great dresses that are around that price point and perfect for weddings and other such occasions.  If you are Kate Middleton, you wear Reiss a lot.  We found this intruging, 2-layer dress, which should work well for 'no clinging' with the structured underlayer.

Images from reissonline.com.

It's such a different dress that it caught our eye.  Stick a black blazer or wrap over it if you need to cover shoulders for a church service, add some black pumps, and it's done.   At $340, it's a little over budget, but it's worth a look.  Disclaimer:  Reiss has a very strict, 14-day return policy, so if you order, you have to be able to turn it around quickly if the dress doesn't work for you.

The next dress we found is out-of-budget-bounds at $475, but so fabulous we had to show it.  Found at shopbop.com, this Issa faux-wrap, silk jersey dress (a favorite fabric) has tons of ruching in the belly area, long sleeves and a great v-neck.  

Image from shopbop.com.

The best part about this dress is that it's a classic that you will wear for YEARS.  A perfect investment dress.  Issa runs a little on the small size, so if considering it, order up one size.  Note that shopbop.com also has a tight return window of 15 days.

If the Issa dress price is too much to swallow, consider looking at Rent the Runway, currently featuring an Issa wrap dress in a fabulous green for rental at $125.  (We haven't personally used Rent the Runway before, so if anyone out there has, please let us know about your experience.)  The feedback on the Issa dress was amazing.  

A little more sea-green, this Donna Morgan dress is well within range at $148 at Nordstrom.  The asymmetrical waist is flattering, and the fit information says to order up one size.  I'd pair this with nude heels, gold earrings and bangles.

Image from nordstrom.com.

A little 'warmer' dress for November-in-Scotland weather, this Tory Burch Kathy silk dress stood out to us.  Right on budget at $295, it's perfect for a wedding, and we love the emerald green color.  I'd style it with a big, gold cocktail ring, drop gold earrings, and a nude pump.  It's hard to see in the picture, but it has a keyhole neckline.  We can see this dress at holiday parties too.

Image from net-a-porter.com.

(Note that Net-a-Porter has a tight 14-day return time frame as well.)

Zara just got in a lovely green, lace dress with gathering at the waist.  The price is most certainly right at $89.90.  Sizing runs a little smaller at Zara; be aware.  We like the emerald tone of the green and lace will continue to be big through the fall and holiday seasons.

Image from zara.com.

Lisa also spied this printed, sequin dress at Zara, with a more structured look, but still enough room in the a-line skirt to move around in.  And, at $99.90, it's another dress that's wedding-worthy and well within budget.

Image from zara.com.

Finally, we looked at J.Crew's fall offerings and liked the Louisa dress in silk chiffon for $250, either in gallery green or monterey pine (shown below).  The pleating at the bust and skirt are universally flattering.  

Image from jcrew.com.

There you have it - the best of the green dresses.  Good luck with shopping and let us know what you find.  We'd love to see a photo of the final outfit! ~ LB & JH

...you want free shipping.

Image from asos.com.

Our informal poll of fabulous lady shoppers at a recent softball game brought home the fact that no one likes to pay for shipping.  So much so that we will purchase elsewhere rather than fork over for shipping.  You've been there, haven't you?  You carefully fill your cart and complete your shipping information only to find a $15 dollar shipping fee, and no in-store return.  Frustrating!  Here are some of our favorite places to shop online and ways to get around paying good money for shipping:

J.Crew - Forget free shipping with a $150 purchase or trekking in to use the instore red phone!  Call J.Crew at 1-800-562-0258 and make a friend with the Customer Service professionals.   My Customer Service friend, Kevin, and I have been together  for a little over two years now.  He can help me with anything I need – tracking down hard-to-find items, tips on size and styling, putting outfits together, sneak peeks at upcoming collections, you name it. Just about everything shy of balancing my checkbook and watering my plants.   It's all about service and Kevin takes care of me in spades, plus free shipping.  All the time.

Net-a-Porter - For the latest designer women's clothing, shoes, jewelry and much more from over 350 of the world's leading designers.  Free shipping all the time.  (And, as an aside, they have complimentary gift wrap too.)

Image from net-a-porter.com.

Amazon - Feep your eyes on this powerhouse as the company finally recognizes the opportunity and refocuses to fashion.  Amazon PRIME gets you free shipping. 

Asos - Over 850 fashion labels, and offering free shipping, both ways.  Everyday.

Under the heading of obvious:  Nordstrom, L.L.Bean, Zappos, Gap family (Piperlime, free shipping all the time, Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic, free shipping on orders over $50), Neiman Marcus (usually with a code, but NOT Bloomingdales or Saks), and Kate Spade.  

I got a fabulous leather t-shirt (which you'll see more of this fall) from Topshop.  And it came with....free shipping (on orders over $100).

ShopBop has one of the best selections of Diane von Furstenberg I've seen, and has a  limited edition collaboration with Current Elliott.   They feature familiar brands like Rachel Zoe and more obscure, coveted ones like Soludos.

If you're like Jen, in the eternal search for T-shirts, try StyleMint from Mary Kate and Ashley. You complete a fun profile and then voila! The Olsen sissies put together a ensemble of tees to choose from. All $29.99 and shipped free.

For men, Bonobos is at the top of my list.  Featured in the NY Times, Bonobos was started to solve a simple problem: men’s pants just don’t fit well. They’re either too tight to be comfortable or too baggy to look good. But, by innovating in a few key areas, they’ve developed a fit that they say actually looks and feels great for a wide variety of men.  They have sweaters, jackets, accessories, golf, swim, outerwear and boast "Fast and Free shipping.  Insanely easy returns."  Keep talking 'cause I like what you're sayin'.

What are your favorite shopping sites that offer free shipping? ~ LB

...you are obsessed with silver drop earrings.

With a birthday approaching, dear husband is bugging me for birthday gift ideas.  The only thing that I can think of, and has been frustrating me completely, is that I really want some longer, silver earrings.

I wear a lot of navy and white in the spring, and some of these outfits are SCREAMING for a pair of earrings in this category.  You see, I've been following the rule I learned from Ines de la Fressange in her book, 'Parisian Chic', that Parisian women wear either earrings or a necklace, but never both together.  A bigger, dare I say 'statement', earring is needed.  But nothing too sparkly or fancy.  Something chic, easy to wear, fun.

So, here's what I've found after a comprehensive web search.  This Oscar de la Renta pair I found at Bergdorf Goodman was the front-runner, but they are 5" long.  They are the exact style I want, just about 1 1/2" to 2" too long.  Why can't they be shorter?!

Image from polyvore.com.

Next up, from Stella & Dot, these silver drop earrings, but are they just too ordinary?  They just might be.

Image from stelladot.com.

I was hunting around Ippolita's stuff on the web.  They make lovely drop earrings, but most of them have semi-precious stones in the design.  What do you think of these?  No stones, but also might be too plain.

Image from nordstrom.com.

I found these on Net-a-porter, by Rosantica, and I LOVE them, but no silver.  Just gold with a variety of colored stones.  An intense google search of Rosantica gave no further information.  (sigh)

Image from net-a-porter.com.

I digress.  These are NOT AT ALL what I'm looking for, but I did fall in 'like' with these Isabel Marant earrings while surfing on Net-a-porter.com.  They are pretty fab.  Not what I need, but at $95, they might have to come home. One word: tassels.

Image from net-a-porter.com.

Ok, back on track now.  What about these Chan Luu silver feather earrings?  Are they too heavy for spring/summer?  They are the right length - about 2 3/4" long.

Image from chanluu.com.

I remembered that Calypso St. Barth carried a line of jewelry, Morra Designs, that was simple but fun.  Searching Morra Designs website, there were a couple that caught my eye.  First, these large disc drop earrings, in silver.  The disc is about an inch in diameter, and the chain looks about an 1 1/2" long, equalling the perfect length of 2 1/2 inches. Thoughts?

Image from morradesigns.com.

Or how about these?  3 discs, about 1/2" in diameter each - adding up to around 2 1/2" with chains included?

Image from morradesigns.com.

Finally, these...which might be the ones (other than those fabulous Isabel Marant ones!).  Me & Ro, jewelry designers to the stars (or at least Julia Roberts, who put their tiny little Soho outpost on the map), have some amazing pieces.  These silver, graduated disc earrings are lovely - approximately 2 5/8" long.  Kind of love, but are they enough of a 'statement'?

Image from meandrojewelry.com.

Decisions, decisions.  Which would you pick?  Would love feedback in the 'comments' section! ~ JH

...you are attending an event with your husband's boss and his wife?

I went for a run this week with a friend who had this very question.  Here is her situation:

• big, corporate fundraiser, not black tie, but dressy, at the end of April
• husband's boss and wife have invited my friend and her husband to sit at their table
• my friend has never met the boss or wife before
• she told me that dress can't be too short, really shouldn't be too sexy, that she'd love a cap sleeve, and she was thinking of something navy or blue.

So, my first thought is 'cocktail dress'.  I promised my friend I would look into it, and here is what I've found.

I love this Marc by Marc Jacobs dress.  The lace over jersey makes it conservative with a little twist - the mid-section is interesting, but not revealing.  I'd pair it with a colored clutch too, but maybe some nude pumps instead of black.

Photo from net-a-porter.com.

This Rachel Roy dress is simple, but has a lovely draped back for some interest.  Love the not-quite-navy color of it as well.

Photo from nordstrom.com.

I love Reiss (a UK company) for dresses, and they have a couple that might fit the bill.  The Sophia dress is a great faux-wrap dress in cobalt blue.

Photo from reissonline.com.

The Magda dress from Reiss is also great - another cobalt blue - with which you can wear a nude pump and call it a day. (Full disclosure - I purchased this dress this spring because it fit so ridiculously well. Don't have an occasion for it, but can't wait to wear it!)

Photo from reissonline.com.

This next dress is a great one from Elie Tahari at Bloomingdales.  The silhouette is classic, but the lace overlay makes it current.  Not too trendy, yet not boring.  My only concern about this dress is the length - might it be too short?  Or, is the model too tall?

Photo from bloomingdales.com.

How about a wardrobe staple, a la Kate Middleton?  This Issa dress at Bloomingdales is a solid little black dress.  (Kate Middleton wears a lot of Issa.) They aren't cheap (at $555) but they are completely fabulous.  The dress is a silk jersey, faux wrap, which means no fidgeting around with a wrap.

Photo from bloomingdales.com

Diane Von Furstenberg makes great dresses, although most of the time, they are too short in length for me to consider.  This DVF dress, the Jori, in purple (also comes in cherry and blue jay) is pretty fabulous though.  The length looks to hit right above the knee, and the classic style will keep it in your closet for years.

Photo from dvf.com.

DVF also made this lace overlay dress - the Zarita dress - featured at bloomingdales.com.  It screams cocktail dress, but I would go bare legged with it with a nude pump for the illusion of endless legs.

Photo from bloomingdales.com.

I hope that gives my friend a good place to start!  You know who you are, and I'm happy to help with more choices!  ~ JH