Why Did You Wear That: Hut, Set, Whatever.

By Kirsten|January 28th, 2014|Why Did You Wear That?|

This Sunday the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks will face off at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (full disclosure: I just Googled that to make sure). Besides being the best thing that’s happened to New Jersey since the Jersey Shore being canceled, this also means that we, ladies, have the opportunity to spend the afternoon in a room with a captive male audience. Oh, you actually came to watch the game? I’m actually here for the finger food and legitimate reason for pushing snooze on Monday morning.

My dad often texts me about football games and I attempt to give spirited responses because I know he cares… but sadly, I do not. I’m not like a football hater and I might care a little more if a team relevant to me was playing (Steelers, Giants), but I kind of don’t care either way. It’s the same way I feel about tofu. Meh. Without question, you will never see me in a bar wearing a football jersey. Or face paint. Though, Miley’s got me a little more interested in foam fingers as of late. I’m probably not friends with anyone wearing any of the aforementioned sports paraphernalia either, but I’m sure there are some exceptions. Like an actual football player. But alas, I do understand the need to show a little team spirt- I was cheerleading captain for heaven’s sake. Clever little ladies can achieve a sporty chic look by wearing a pop of their team’s color in slouchy sweatshirts, colorful kicks, or mini t-shirts boasting the teams logo. And denim is always a good look.

1. Nike Denver Broncos Super Bowl T-Shirt, 2. Nike Dunk Sky Hi Shoes in Armory Navy, 3. Hanky Panky Signature Lace Low Rise Thong in Screaming Orange, 4. Acne Studios Bird Fleece Sweatshirt, 5. Current/Elliot The Stiletto Distressed Skinny Jeans, 6. Seattle Seahawks Navy Antigua NFL Womens Signautre Hoodie, 7. Rag & Bone Capri Cropped Skinny Jeans, 8. Splendid Snowpeak Plaid Button Down Shirt, 9. Deborah Marquit Giardino di Fiori Lace Thong, 10. Vans Authentic Sneaker

But, if you’re anything like me and you could care less about either team and are betting only on running out of salsa before chips, then you may want to just stick to the home (New York) team uniform. All black everything. Not only will you still look slim after housing a plate of nachos, you also won’t look like an a-hole wearing the losing team’s color postgame– which really makes you the winner, now doesn’t it?

1. Towsen Reversible Leather Jacket, 2. Alexander Wang Drawstring Crepe Tapered Pants, 3. Only Hearts Second Skins Bodysuit, 4. Agent Provocateur Anoushka Lace Thong, 5. Jimmy Choo Lace and Leather Sneakers

Okay, break.

xx,

WhyDid

Red Carpet Recap: Up All Night To Get Lucky (and write this post)

By Kirsten|January 27th, 2014|Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

Last night the 56th Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The red carpet was covered in designer clad nominees and presenters from Kendrick Lamar to Anna Kendrick all looking to clinch their very own gold sippy cups. You know who didn’t win a Grammy? My computer… because it failed to perform. I’ve been without it since Thursday and fortunately was able to harass the geniuses at Apple enough to retrieve it at 6:45pm on Sunday evening– just in time to chip in my two cents on the evening’s events. Phew.

To go ahead and get the party started, Beyonce, husband, Jay-Z, and that ass took the stage wherein we all began to feel guilty about the half chewed leftover piece of cold pizza in our mouths. Perhaps we should all take up “surfing” because it seems to be doing wonders for Beyonce’s body… and love life. While we’re at it, where can one meet a man who glances at us like we’re the elusive golden unicorn and also happens to be a rap music mogul and doting daddy?

While on the topic of children, teen dream, Lorde was given the duty of taking the stage after Jay and Bey and despite a somewhat spastic start, she nailed her vocals proving that she earned both song of the year and best pop solo vocal wins. Speaking of nailing it, can anyone explain those nails to us?

But let’s get down to what really matters, the fashion. The Golden Globes were all about crimson, the SAG’s about blue, and the Grammy’s were primarily comprised of glimmering golds. There were spatterings of color from blue to orange and another heavy dose of red, and quite a few female icons opted for pants in black. Madonna and son, David, wore matching Ralph Lauren and oh gawd, she wore a grill. And shouldn’t her grill match her bedazzled gloves? And what happened to her British accent? It seems she’s traded it in for a southern twang… maybe due to her golden grill? It’s too much for me to comprehend right now. I ‘m drunk in love… or maybe prosecco.

The ladies who took our breath away have all graced both the best and worst dressed lists in award shows past. Katy Perry was a vision in (predicted) Valentino, Beyonce in sheer white Michael Costello, a pregnant Ciara in Emilio Pucci, and a tiny Taylor Swift in Gucci. I was torn on Taylor because there was no denying how stunning her gown was, but the hair and makeup didn’t match in my opinion. This was her time to be edgy. A slick ponytail and more dramatic makeup would have taken her totally over the top. Her half assed updo read post Pilates hair to me. By the way, have none of Taylor Swift’s friends shown her a video of her dancing? Please do.

On the other end of the spectrum, as adorable and talented as Ariana Grande may be, I’m heading to her house with a hairbrush and some tough love. If I see her in another half up-half down ‘do, I’m shaving her bald like Britney. As for the man posing as a roast beef eating Smokey the Bear, it’s a good thing you’re handsome and talented, cause that hat… It’s got its own Twitter handle for heaven’s sake. Skylar Grey wore what is essentially a flesh colored Band-Aid and Zendaya, I don’t even know what to do with you.

But for the most part the evening was full of fun surprises like 34 couples being married by Queen Latifah during a Macklemore/Madonna performance and a Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney reunion. I’m just left wondering where our bad girls of the red carpet, Miley and Rihanna were? Lady Gaga was also nowhere to be found leaving the fashion shenanigans up to the men and some creepy ass clowns.

Doesn’t Matter if You’re Black or White:

Sarah Hyland, Paula Patton in Nicolas Jebran, Judith Hill

Back in Black:

Kelly Osbourne in Badgley Mischka, Faith Evans, Louise Roe, Lorde

White Snakes:

Paris Hilton in House of Milani, Steven Tyler, Keltie Knight, Iggy Azalea in Elie Saab

It’s a (Wo)Man’s World:

Stevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper, Yoko Ono, Madonna and son, David in Ralph Lauren

Suits and Ties:

Miguel in Saint Laurent, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis in Mr. Turk, Austin Mahone in custom Sanctuary 28, Kaskade

Gold Album:

Rita Ora in Lanvin, Amber Rose in Naeem Khan, Chrissy Teigen in Johanna Johnson

Get Naked:

Sarah Bareilles Blumarine, Kasey Musgraves in Armani, Brooklyn Haley

Red:

Tamar Braxton, Miranda Lambert in Pamella Roland, Pink in Johanna Johnson, Gloria Estefan in Gustavo Cadile, Colbie Caillat in Ezra Santos

Channel Orange:

Giuliana Rancic in Alex Perry, Natasha Bedingfield in Christian Siriano

True Blue:

Anna Faris in Fitriani, Bonnie McKee in Gustavo Cadile, Alicia Keys in Armani Prive

Outfit of the Year:

Katy Perry in Valentiono, Beyonce in Michael Costello, Ciara in Emilio Pucci, Taylor Swift in Gucci

And the Winner Isn’t:

Ariana Grande in Dolce and Gabbana, Pharrell Williams, Zendaya in Emmanuel Ungaro, Skylar Grey Michael Costello

and in case you missed it or just need a reminder as to why you need to hit the gym…

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Woodgrain and Leather

By Kirsten|January 22nd, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

In adventures of “I’ve run out of clothes- what can I find in someone else’s closet?,” I popped into Dick’s closet to grab a jacket and found one which he claims is older than I am- which means it’s probably made out of dinosaur skin. While in the depths of his closet, a baseball cap in the same maroon hue caught my eye. When I reached up and dusted it off, my head nearly exploded as I discovered that the brim was… woodgrain. If I hadn’t had breakfast that morning, I totally would have passed out. Instead I fired off a text to my male bff telling him about the treasure I’d just unearthed. He was beyond stoked and probably a little jealous that he didn’t have his own. Don’t worry, homie, I’m on the hunt for a replica.

Pencil skirts are most often associated with secretaries and desk jobs a la Mad Men -pretty, prim and proper. However, I think they can be a very sexy addition to a dressed down look without losing all femininity. When I mixed a distressed (aka future dishrag) t-shirt that I cropped (obviously) and removed the sleeves from with this basic black skirt and topped it with an oversized leather jacket and baseball hat, I felt I’d created yet another perfect contradiction.

The combination of woodgrain and leather essentially makes me a walking rap song and what could really be better than that?

hat: brilliant find from dad (similar here), t-shirt: future cleaning rag turned crop top (similar here), skirt: Express, jacket: vintage (similar here), boots: All Saints (similar here), bralette: Victoria’s Secret, dog: Smitty, earrings: (similar here)

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Strawberry Fields

By Kirsten|January 21st, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

While the east coast froze during December and January, I was soaking up the sun on the west coast. Most people automatically assume LA, but I was up north near the Salinas Valley also called “the salad bowl of the world” which produces pretty much all of the greens consumed in the United States. So, by all means, eat your vegetables. This particular field is a strawberry field and wouldn’t you know it was all too fitting as the sun went down. The sunsets are nothing short of magnificent in the valley and each night I was wowed by yet another color combination in the sky and bouncing off the hills. On this particular late afternoon as we tried to capture “magic hour,” the sun cast a rose gold hue which only deepened as time passed and in turn, I now know what I’d look like as a redhead.

This was the outfit that I wore to ring in the New Year (yes, I got Dick onboard the New Year’s Eve outfit train). And while it was completely within reason on December 31st, I understand that some of you may not categorize sequin crop tops in the same manner I do- which is every day wear. So, now you’re looking at this jazzy little number wondering when the hell you’re ever going to wear it again and should you just send it to your niece for her next dance recital? The answer is no. You see, Dick is a very logical man, therefore I had to rationalize with him as to how both the skirt and top were totally wearable in more than one way. While this is how I would style a sparkly top for an evening out, in the next two posts, I’ll show you how to incorporate both a sparkly crop top and pencil skirt into your regularly scheduled wardrobe. But for now, let’s just bask in the rose gold glow.

kirsten smith

skirt: Express, top: Express, boots: All Saints (similar here), sunglasses: Ray Ban, bag: Balenciaga, necklace: Maya Brenner, dog: Smitty

xx,

WhyDid

Setting the Mood: Cake, Cake, Cake, Cake

By Kirsten|January 20th, 2014|Setting the Mood|

I love birthdays. Sure, we share our birthdays with approximately 19 million other people (except for you leap year babies, you’re special), but it certainly is nice to have a day dedicated especially to you. This is a great time to kick up your heels and get wild with a raucous crew or take a personal day to pamper yourself and maybe spend some time alone. Whatever your cup of tea may be, there’s nothing wrong with celebrating yourself– just not in a Stassi Schroeder type of way. I suggest spending at least fifteen minutes of completely quiet time reflecting on your year and being thankful for making it through. Then pop open a bottle of champagne and do whatever the hell you want… it’s your birthday afterall! In case you haven’t guessed, today is my special day and in case it slipped your mind and you forgot to purchase something sweet for me, you really can’t go wrong with anything cashmere, diamond clad or lacy… I won’t even be mad it’s late.