Hello Hauteness

The other day I was getting dressed for work and I had a Fashion Tip Friday epiphany thanks to something I put on.  I slipped into a classic pair of black pants, put on a blouse, and checked myself out in the mirror.  I immediately realized that this was not going to work.

The blouse was hitting me at an incredibly unflattering point:  directly at the widest point of my hips.  As I’ve mentioned before, my hips and thighs are where I store all of my alcohol and chocolate calories.  The LAST thing I want to do is highlight them by creating a horizontal hemline across this part of my body.

Needless to say, I immediately changed into a top that was actually a little shorter and therefore a lot more flattering.  The outfit still showed off my hips but I no longer had on a blouse with a less-than-flattering length.

It’s amazing what recognizing your flattering and unflattering points will do for your overall style appearance.  If you know how to highlight your best points and minimize your worst, then you’re already ahead of the game in my book.

So ask yourself these questions the next time you are getting dressed and look in the mirror:

1. Does this highlight my good or my bad points?
2. Do I like this outfit because it looks good on me or because I just like the outfit (a la this post)?
3. Do I have something that will look better with this top or bottom?

I used some tops from my own closet to demonstrate how wearing the correct length and cut can actually make you look slimmer and more appealing.  I’m all about visuals so hopefully these pics speak louder than words.

Too short

Too long

Jussstttt right!

We all have had those days when we get home and ask ourselves “what was I thinking when I put this on”?  Don’t let that be you anymore.  Happy Friday!

As part of the menswear boutique crawl I went on with Cesar back in June, I visited Service Menswear on South Congress.  Hidden away in the  relatively new shopping center behind By George and next door to Perla’s, this no frills men’s boutique has made a name for itself.

The shop is probably equal to the square footage of my living and dining rooms combined.  While it may be small in square footage, Service is mighty with it’s use of space and selection of brands.  Racks of button-ups, t-shirts, chinos, and shorts run the length of the store.  Fun baskets full of flip-flops make a nice accessory to the racks, along with the industrial-style shelving that proudly displays neatly folded denim behind the sales counter.

I found it interesting that while I was in a menswear shop, the two people behind the counter were both female…and stylish females at that!  Impressive.  I like this because if I were a guy I would want for a chick with style to tell me how I look in something I’m trying on.  I only wish that there was a male around (gay or straight) more often when I am shopping in a boutique.  I’m all about getting a healthy dose of opinion from a member of the opposite sex.

Anyway…I digress.  Service is a great destination for the low-key guy looking for something cool and relaxed to wear (very Austin) without all of the hassle of going to the mall.  No frills, no fuss, no drama.  That kind of guy.  They offer up apparel brands such as American Apparel, Converse by John Varvatos, Fred Perry, Gant, Jack Spade, Levi’s, RVCA,  and many more.  They have awesome kicks (yes, I just typed kicks) from Billy Kirk, Sperry, and Grenson (amongst others).

What most caught my attention is the fact that all apparel in the store is pre-washed and dried by the owners.  That way when you try it on you know it will fit and you won’t have to deal with shrinkage down the line.  This is way cool in my opinion.

So check it out.  Service offers up something for any guy looking for effortless style…or at least style that looks effortless.  Happy shopping!

Last Thursday I attended a happy hour that truly struck a chord with my Texas country girl heart.  My friend Kathy has been inviting me to attend an info session for Emerging Professionals in Conservation (EPIC) for probably two years.  Every time I’ve tried to attend something came up last minute and I didn’t make it.  Now I pride myself on following through with people.  I don’t like to cancel or flake out on anyone, especially my friends, so I was horrified that after two years I still hadn’t attended one of EPIC’s events.

That ended last week.  Even though I had two other events that I needed to attend that evening, I made it a priority to be at EPIC’s annual membership drive happy hour.  EPIC is a division of the fabulous Austin non-profit Hill Country Conservancy, which according to their website:

Our strategic vision is to create Vast Open Spaces. This plan leverages the open space already acquired in the Hill Country and adds to it adjacent or nearby land so the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.

Eventually, we hope to have an open space “network” of more than 50,000 acres that will preserve the clean water, wildlife, rural character and scenic vistas that are currently threatened.

So in lamense terms, HCC’s mission is to preserve Texas Hill Country land and protect it from development.  EPIC is HCC’s way of getting the young professionals (like  me) interested in their cause.  While I know this organization is not fashion or style related, their vision is something I see eye-to-eye with.  Plus, to be perfectly honest, giving your time and money to a worthy cause is something I consider incredibly stylish and classy.  So there!

Anyway, this happy hour was way on the eastside at Utility Research Garden.  Never heard of it?  Me neither!  I certainly have now.  This little oasis nestled amongst the adorable homes that are springing up left and right on the eastside was the perfect location for an event celebrating nature and land conservation.  I walked up and literally my jaw was dropped the entire time as I took in the trees and foliage that make up this beautiful garden.  The greenery surrounds you to the point where you almost forget that you’re in the middle of an urban development.

I walked up, made my nametag, and jumped right into the mass of people drinking and mingling on a beautiful (yet steamy) summer evening.  Considering that I’ve been all over the happy hour circuit as of late I decided to skip the wine and stick with water in my uber cool new Hill Country Conservancy cup (man I love cups like this…they’re unbreakable!).  I quickly found my friend Kathy and met a few nice peeps from EPIC.  Kathy was one of the individuals looking to sign up new members so she gave me the spiel and I was in…hook, line, and sinker!  I knew I would be, so I signed up in a heartbeat.

Central Market provided the food, with fresh produce from Utility Research Garden.  Republic Tequila was nice enough to come out and give tequila tastings (hell yes I partook!) and they had cool sounds filling the garden from local band So Long, Problems.

All in all, this happy hour seriously impressed me.  The setting was lovely and unique.  The food was delish!  They had excellent local vendors (hello tequila in a Texas-shaped bottle!).  And it was all to develop interest in a worthwhile cause.  Well done EPIC!

If you’d like to join me for future events, check out HCC’s website and become a member of Emerging Professionals in Conservancy.  Seriously, do it.

It’s hot.  Yes, I live in Texas so of course it’s hot.  But, when it comes to this time of year even NYC is hitting 100 degree days so this post applies to all of you guys out there.

When it comes to high temps and dry heat, moisturizing and protecting your skin becomes more important than ever.  Did you know that humidity is actually REALLY good for your skin?  Those that live in dry heat climates such as Arizona and Colorado don’t have the moisture in the air to keep their skin as soft and supple so they actually don’t age as well as those of us sweating in more humid climates.   Of course, we have to deal with a lifetime of perspiration to earn better skin so it’s a trade-off.

Anyways, I have been wearing a moisturizer with SPF in it since I was 16 years old.  Honestly, if I had known about the importance of protecting your skin sooner I would have started moisturizing straight out of the womb.  I lather up with Neutrogena’s Healthy Defense SPF 30 Daily Moisturizer on my face and neck everyday.  Even on the days I’m bumming it and not wearing makeup, I at least take the time to moisturize and protect my skin.

Boys, this goes for you too.  If you want to help protect your youthful glow I suggest using a product like Jack Black’s Double Duty Face Moisturizer SPF 20.  You gotta love a skincare line named Jack Black that is sold at Stag.

Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to protect the rest of your body on a daily basis.  While of course you should be using sunblock when you’re out at the pool or on the golf course, it’s great if you can use a daily body moisturizer to protect yourself on those ordinary days.  I LOVE Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Light Weight Body Lotion SPF 30!  This is my favorite summer lotion because it isn’t heavy and doesn’t leave you feeling greasy.  While it’s a little pricier than most products I buy, it’s worth it to me to have beautiful, moisturized and protected legs during the summer.  Afterall, I’m showing a lot of skin this time of year…it needs to look good.

We are all familiar with the Oxford shoe style.  If I were to define an Oxford, I would say that it’s a leather lace-up shoe, often two-toned and ornamented with a perforated design (such as the men’s shoe below).

Apparently I’m not far off.  Wikipedia defines it as:

An Oxford shoe is a style of leather shoe with enclosed lacing.  Oxford shoes are traditionally constructed of leather and were historically rather plain.  The shoes originally appeared in Scotland and Ireland, where they are occasionally called Balmorals.  The design of the shoe is often plain, but may include some small ornamentation or perforations.

Recently I’ve been seeing a lot of shoes that are inspired by this traditional style, in both men’s and women’s styles.  I love the idea of taking an old favorite and making it new again so I decided to surf the internet to find new interpretations of Oxfords.  What do you think?