Second City Style Fashion Blog - Style, Luxury, Beauty & Shopping

Advice. Ask the Bean: Shortening the Shirtsleeves

Working the Suit into the Summer Season

Dear Bean:

Spring and summer have always been big issues for me with work. I primarily wear suits, and the jackets make me feel so warm that I end up perspiring fifteen minutes into a presentation. It’s so humiliating! Is there another outfit option for me that is just as professional as a suit, but won’t make me feel like I’m having a constant hot flash?

Signed,
Overheated

Dear Overheated:

There is nothing worse than walking out the door feeling put together and ready to WOW the breakfast meeting, and then showing up in desperate need of blotting paper. Summer is a wonderful season, but it can have some negative side-effects during the 9-5 outfit scenario.

However, if you peruse the magazine ads, you will notice many slacks that would look lovely with a tailored single-button blazer, are now being paired with a streamlined suit vest. This is your ideal opportunity to take advantage of the current trend, and work with a little more air flow.

The vest for women has been associated with the terms “preppy” and “sweater” for years. Yet it has been a suit staple for men for just as long. It’s exciting to now see that fashion gender gap narrowing in. The vest also provides the ideal layering piece for the current ‘tween season. You can pair not only the blouse with the vest, but also the dress, t-shirt, or even the turtleneck.

Graphic Tees Done Right. Handmade and Humorous.

Graphic tees often seem like a trend made to give style to people who don't naturally have it. (Britney's message tees, for instance? Horrible.) But when done correctly, they can look smart under a jacket or cardigan. Lean toward one-of-a-kind graphics, and hand-crafted (but not craft-y) screen prints. Artistry takes a t-shirt from casual to chic. Asymmetry adds something special, where a centered print looks mass produced. Humor can make or break a statement shirt, so always keep it subtle. 

Try Etsy.com for handmade goods, like this piece by Circular Accessories.

Fleur de Lis Tee $30

Or try a tee with real meaning--Purchases of this one benefit charities in Africa.

Jovovich-Hawk for Glamour Limited Edition Tee $68

Edun Tail Feather Tee $55

Twenty8Twelve Roantree Cover-up Tee $110

- Hayley Wells

Advice. Ask the Bean: What to Wear With Sunshine

Dear Bean:

I need to escape from this wretched March weather, so I booked a trip to Florida for a week. I’m so excited for sunshine that all I can think of are strappy sandals, flowing skirts and an outfit that doesn’t include a scarf and gloves. However, being from an area where winter lasts the majority of the year, my wardrobe needs a desperate spring update. I don’t even own a pair of flip flops! Please help me find clothes to purchase and bring to the tropics for my desperately-needed vacation!

Signed,

Desperately Seeking Summer

Dear Summer:

Good for you on your last-minute travel arrangements! I know more than one reader will feel a bit of envy towards your upcoming sunbathing excursion — perhaps even a writer on this end as well!

This is a very difficult time of year to shop for clothing fit for weather above 45 degrees. Luckily many of the new spring lines are being brought into retail, so you can begin creating your warm-weathered wardrobe. My first suggestion is to buy the basics that you need for your vacation and plan to shop while you are there to put the finishing touches to your attire. So bring a large suitcase, a smaller bag for toiletries and some shoes, that perfect beach tote, and leave some room for your trip home. Hopefully by then, you’ll be able to wear your new purchases even after vacation time!

Read more "What to Wear With Sunshine" here

Wardrobe Change. Second City Style's Advice In Today's Chicago Tribune.

There's a great (must read!) article today's Chicago Tribune Tempo section today by Anne Brennan, titled Wardobe Change, Easy Inexpensive ways to reinvigorate your look. With the changing economy, now more than ever women are looking at ways to recycle and save money with their wardrobes and this article addresses that concern.

The article offers advice from experts such as Barbra Horowitz, author and stylist, with tips on how to "Revive Your Closet" by tailoring and dying what you already have, "Write a Wish List" so you avoid impulse spending, and to "Invest in the Best" which includes quotes from our very own expert, Lauren Dimet Waters!

Invest in the Best
"Consider the cost per wear of an expensive item you love," suggests Lauren Dimet Waters, editor of secondcitystyle.com, a blog and Web site that focuses on Chicago fashion and boutiques. "I'd rather buy investment pieces," she says.

A price but flattering coat you wear every day may end up being a bargain in the long run.

Virtual Deals
Most bargain hunters find deals online on such Web sites as eBay. Second City Style's Dimet Waters raves about scoring a mink caplet on eBay for $10, plus $20 shipping.

"Every time I wear it, people say it's fabulous. (I say) I know," she says with a laugh.

One of author Horowitz's tricks is to buy designer pieces form the past season on eBay. "Styles aren't changing that fast, and no one is bidding on them, " she says.

Aside from eBay, Dimet Waters also recommends letrainbleu.com, basicboutique.com, trendora.com, styledrops.com, overstock.com, and labelspree.com.

Tailor your needs
Wherever you shop, be sure to find a tailor: "Everything can look couture if it fits properly, " Horowitz says.

Dimet Waters changed a beautiful but unflattering cashmere wrap-style coat into a button-down style with the help of a tailor. "I basically made a new coat and wore it for another five years," she says.

With a little ingenuity and patience, creating a new wardrobe on a budget is possible. Saving money and looking good? Sounds like a great start for spring.

— Excerpt from Wardrobe Change, by Anne Brennan, Chicago Tribune, March 19, 2008, Tempo Section 5, Woman/Style

Barbra Horowitz is a Los Angeles-based stylist and author of "Closet Control: The Ultimate Guide to Revitalizing Your Wardrobe and Revolutionizing the Way You Store It." (Sterling: $22.95)

Style Sleuth. Headwear Without the Hat Hair

Rachel Yeomans for Second City Style Magazine

My hair usually takes a total of 30 minutes to wash, dry and style—sometimes longer considering whether I’m curling or straightening. However, as soon as all this effort is made, I step outside and it goes into a frizz, is blown into a bird’s nest or it turns into a saturated mop from rain or snow. And now that winter is in full force, I attempt to protect my tresses with a warm hat — thus leading to hat hair. It seems I’m up against forces larger than my hairspray can handle!

In order to battle the elements and save my locks, I went on a hunt for winter head-warmers. It was assuredly hard for me to opt out of the adorable fedora when I should be looking at a wool cap with ear flaps. Yet I found some compromisingly warm - and fashionable - items to warm my head and maintain certain control of my hair.

1. Take the Eric Javits Cloche for example. This adorable vintage hat reaches the ears to protect from winds and is loose enough to remove chances of the hat-hair crease. The chenille fabric also provides the warmth needed for those chilly outdoor commutes.

Read more "Style Sleuth" here

Ask the Bean: Sole Survival

Dear Bean,

I have a five-block walk between my house and the bus every morning. With the current slush and snow covering the sidewalks, my pumps are getting ruined! I’ve looked into getting some galoshes or other work boots, but I just can’t bring myself to wear my work suits with mukluks. Do you have some advice on “commuting shoes” I can wear and how to save my other shoes from the current conditions?

Signed,
Desperate Soles

Dear Desperate,

Oh the hardships of the daily commute! I completely understand your want to remain fashionable during this slushy time of year; however I believe most fellow commuters will empathize with your predicament.

And lucky for you, mukluks are no longer the sole option for commuting footwear. So save those work pumps by packing them in your purse and only wearing them upon safely entering your winter-free workspace.

Read more of Ask the Bean here.

Ask the Bean: The Perfect Button-Down. Second City Style Fashion Magazine

Dear Bean,
I own half a closet-full of button-down blouses for work. However not a single one fits me perfectly and some make me look downright frumpy. I am an average Medium so I don’t see why finding a blouse that fits me and looks fashionable is such an ordeal! Can you please help me find a blouse that looks good and I don’t have to constantly readjust?

Signed,
Desperately Seeking Shirt

Dear Desperate:

Oh, the neverending quest for that perfect button-down blouse—office appropriate, fitting, and hopefully gorgeous. I’m sure every woman in dress code shares in your button-down frustrations. But armed with style, knowledge and a bit of patience, I can guarantee you will discover this legendary find — maybe even several.

Read more here...

Ask the Bean: Battling the Empire (Waist). Second City Style Fashion Blog

Dear Bean,

I’ve come to notice that empire-waist tops are everywhere. They are all so cute and stylish, I’m dying to grab as many as I can. But I’m nervous that they’ll all make me look pregnant or heavy. I’m not a stick-figure but I still want to be stylish. What types of tops can I buy that have the empire waist but still flatter my figure?

Signed,
Curve-Conscious

Dear Conscious:

You are absolutely right; waists have crept up to the empire once again! However take a deep breath before fretting about appearing to gain a gut as soon as you slip one over your skinny jeans. With all the varying styles and cuts, “empire waist” is no longer synonymous with “maternity-wear”.

There are just a few things to look for when purchasing the empire-waist top. First and foremost, fit it to your body type. You may be curvy, skinny, pear-shaped or top-heavy—whatever shape you are, there is an empire-waist for you.

Read more here...