WhyDid.com

Why Did You Wear That: Falling Flat

By Kirsten|March 2nd, 2011|Why Did or Why Don't?|

A trend you can look forward to this spring is a wobbly one. We’ve seen wedges and espadrilles season after season, but this year our wedges are falling a little flat. Literally. Wedges have taken a bit of a different shape and I’m not sure I like it. Instead of making your feet look teeny like they usually do, these flat footed shoes makes you look more like you’re wearing snowshoes. They’re sort of like a pontoon boat, no? But alas, there may be no escaping these wonky wedges as Michael Kors, Phillip Lim 3.1, and Fendi have all docked their boats at the marina (sorry, too much?).

What are your feelings on these clodhoppers?

Ahoy!

xx,

WhyDid

photos via Style.com

WhyDid Wisdom: Read Between the Lines

By Kirsten|March 2nd, 2011|WhyDid Wisdom|

Ugh… more brain rotting television… Why is there nothing on TV??!! I have a solution for you… it may be a little crazy, but bear with me. Ever thought about reading a book? What a novel (no pun intended) idea.

I’m lucky I grew up in a “reading” household. My parents read to me as a child. They also encouraged me to love reading. You could say I have an active imagination so, reading a book and building the characters and their surroundings in my head was the perfect way to exercise my cute little pre-adolescent brain.

My three favorite places as a child? The drugstore, ballet class, and the bookstore. I spent hours browsing all the books. We even had an actual “library” in our house. It was a magical place full of Golden Books, National Geographic, picture books, and novels.

In highschool, I was fortunate enough to attend a school that didn’t ban books- classics!- like Catcher in the Rye and The Bell Jar which were considered too “racy” or “controversial” for students. I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity (though at the time it felt more like a chore) to experience classic literature. Who would have thought that I’d be so thankful for all those book reports and essays years later?

Unfortunately, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve devoted less and less time to something I really love. It becomes difficult to find time to just sit down and crack open a book. Who am I kidding? I’ve just started filling my downtime with useless TV shows and meaningless Facebooking and Tweeting. So, this weekend, when we hit up Barnes and Noble for some bookshelf booty I felt like a kid all over again.

When I told my mom what I’d done this past weekend she was thrilled. Something she always says to me is, “Reading will make you a better writer!” She’s absolutely right… as usual.

Books are a very inexpensive way to make yourself more interesting. Not all of us have the opportunity, let alone the resources, to travel all over the world and none of us can travel back in time (unless you’re Marty McFly). For less than a movie ticket, you can be transported to a foreign land or different century. Not to mention all the intellectual cuties who hang out in bookstores.

Having trouble figuring out where to start? Here are a few books that stick out in my mind as “must reads” or at least books that I really enjoyed. (To list them all could take forever).

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – This may take you about a month to read, but talk about a classic! Rhett Butler is the original Mr. Big.
Trading Up by Candace Bushnell (yes, the same woman who wrote Sex and the City)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett – Cried my eyes out. Such a great book. Read it before they ruin it on the big screen.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – Another banned book in most schools, but incredibly touching.
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

So, next time you are debating whether to sit through another episode of Kourtney and Kim Take New York or The Jersey Shore (which is lesser of two evils?), perhaps you’ll just hit “power” and pick up a book instead.

The End.

xx,

WhyDid

images via Colour Lovers

Why Did You Wear That: You’ve Got Sole

By Kirsten|March 1st, 2011|Why Did You Wear That?|

One of the most talked about moments from this past weekend’s Academy Awards show was not a musical number, not a gorgeous gown, not a misplaced expletive… it was Anne Hathaway’s Swarovski crystal encrusted Brian Atwood pumps worn with her Lanvin tuxedo. Twitter exploded with “who made Anne’s shoes?” and “I’ve got to get my hands on those pumps.” Certainly a victory for both Mr. Atwood, himself, as well as Anne’s stylist, Ms. Rachel Zoe.

For quite a while, the go to glamour girl pump was Christian Louboutin, but it looks like there’s a new “it” shoe in town. Basically, if you’ve heard of the actress, she’s worn the shoe. Everyone from Blake Lively to Cameron Diaz to Dianne Kruger has been spotted strutting her stuff in these sexy stilettos.

So has Hollywood traded in the flash of a red sole for the styling and simplicity of just a great shoe?

Sole long!

xx,

WhyDid

photos via: CoolSpotters and Just Jared

Why Did You Wear That: 1 + 1 = Reese

By Kirsten|February 28th, 2011|Monday Mashup|

I’ve never been particularly great at math (okay, fine, I was in the gifted program), but this seems like a fairly simple equation for even the least mathematically inclined. I know people were squealing with delight when Reese Witherspoon hit the red carpet in Armani, but I couldn’t help thinking this was something we’d all seen before… Then it hit me… probably kind of like how Einstein felt when he did that whole E=mc^2 thing.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Red Hot Red Carpet

By Kirsten|February 28th, 2011|Red Carpet Recap|

Without a doubt the color of the 2011 Academy Awards was fierce, fiery, red. From the beautifully structured Vera Wang gown donned by the always stunning Sandra Bullock, to the incredibly minimal Calvin Klein sheath that Jennifer Lawrence slipped into, red was the color that stole the show. These ladies prove that anyone can look stellar in red. Whether you are a deep brunette or a sunny blonde, all you need to do is choose the right shade of crimson for you.

If you didn’t go for bold fire engine red, you might have picked something shimmery. Metallics were still very strong on the red carpet for the Oscars. One of my very favorites was the ethereal Monique Lhuillier gown worn by Mandy Moore. Also wearing a gauzy gown, was Halle Berry in Marchesa. My only qualm with her is that same old hairdo. Time for an update, girl. Hailee Steinfeld also wore Marchesa (designed for her!) and looked absolutely adorable and age appropriate. I think we have a future fashionista on our hands.

Two other lovely ladies who wore the metallic trend were Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein and Celine Dion in Armani Prive. I must admit, my initial reaction to Gwyneth was “Ick!” The more I looked at her and saw detail shots, the more I loved how simple and chic her sequin sheath was. Celine picked a perfect Armani Prive option. It’s hard to believe this woman just gave birth to twins!

One of the first dresses that I saw when tuning into the red carpet arrivals was Mila Kunis’s Elie Saab gown. Although I was really nervous about her having a nip slip at any given moment, I already knew she was my best dressed for the evening. I absolutely loved that shade of lavender on her (or really on anyone for that matter). The dress was detailed and romantic without being fussy. Another dress in this same hue, was Cate Blanchett’s Givenchy creation. This was another dress that I despised upon first glance, but I have to say, the detailing on it was amazing and the color was perfect with her hair and makeup. I also love the pop of citrusy yellow/green beading that carries over to the back. I think it’s the weird square sleeve’lettes that are throwing me off.

The next two dresses were quite controversial as I watched my Twitter feed this evening. At first glance, I really like the way Amy Adams looks in her L’wren Scott sequined column dress. There’s nothing prettier than a red head wearing navy blue. However, her accessories were totally unnecessary. She didn’t need them at all. A lot of people were calling this “Jessica Rabbit gone wrong” but I think it was a really pretty look for her. Marisa Tomei sported a vintage Charles James navy gown. I really don’t like this dress. Mostly because it just does not fit her. It is totally ill fitted and it actually looks uncomfortable under her armpits.

I’m fairly certain everyone was waiting with bated breath to see what Natalie Portman would wear tonight. She was a late arrival and some even thought she might not do the red carpet at all due to her impending pregnancy. But alas, she arrived in Rodarte and looked absolutely flawless. She appeared to be completely miserable during her interviews on the red carpet, but let’s just blame that on pregnancy hormones. Another man’s fantasy woman who wore a similar shade was Scarlett Johansson. As beautiful as she is, her Dolce and Gabbana reminded me of something you could have purchased from bebe circa 2002. I also, am not digging her new ‘do whatsoever. All I wanted to do was spritz her with some dry shampoo and run a brush through it not to mention the FUPA illusion it is giving her.

I can’t say that I was truly appalled by anyone’s outfit this evening, which is totally disappointing… well, except Mark Ruffalo’s wife’s bizarre extra arm appendage dress thingy. So who were you favorites on the red carpet?