Why Did You Wear That: Go Shorty, It’s Your Birthstone

By Kirsten|January 14th, 2014|Why Did You Wear That?|

Happy birthday, fellow January babes. Let’s celebrate our births by donning our birthstone, the garnet. Sure, we didn’t luck out like the girls of April who were bestowed the diamond as their stone, but garnets don’t necessarily need to be associated with shopping mall jewelry stores or gifts from your highschool boyfriend. In my potentially biased opinion, a garnet is like a way chicer ruby. Fortunately for us, garnets are actually having a fashion moment. They are the hue that has been awfully hot (and haute) on the red carpet as well as the runway.

1. T. Killburn Geode and Garnet Drop Necklace, 2. 14k Gold 4ct Stud Earrings, 3. Virgins Saints & Angels Magdalena Sacred Heart, 4. 14k Rose Gold Necklace, 5. Mark Davis Bakelite & Rhodolite Garnet Earrings, 6. Ashley Pittman Shasira Bone and Garnet Earrings, 7. Dezso by Sara Beltran, 8. Ippolita Mini Lollipop Earrings, 9. Argento Vivo Long Stone Pendant Necklace, 10. 14k Rose Gold 17″ Garnet Necklace

xx,

WhyDid

Setting the Mood: Garnet Girl

By Kirsten|January 13th, 2014|Setting the Mood|

Not only is the garnet January’s gemstone, it also happens to be one of my favorite colors behind black, white and grey and closely followed by ballet pink. And wouldn’t you know, January just so happens to be my birth month. The deep red hue most often associated with garnets (did you know they could also be green, yellow, purple, and orange?) is a perfect shade for the chilly winter months. It looks great in everything from outerwear to accessories to your pouty little lips. It would appear that I’m not the only fan of the shade as it was quite popular at this year’s Golden Globes.

Givenchy Large Antigona Shopping Bag, La Perla El Color Rojo Lace and Satin Bra and thong,Valentino Rockstud Leather Bracelet, Rag & Bone Harrow Leather Biker Boots

xx,

WhyDid

Red Carpet Recap: I’ve Got the Golden Ticket

By Kirsten|January 12th, 2014|Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

Tina Fey in Carolina Herrera, Amy Poehler in Stella McCartney, Kaley Cuoco in Rani Zakhem, Zoe Saladana in Prabal Gurung, Allison Williams in Alexander McQueen, Zooey Deschanel Oscar de la Renta

Nope, that’s not the second coming of the polar vortex. It’s just hell freezing over because for the first time in a long time, I thought most all of Hollywood’s leading ladies looked nothing short of lovely on this evening’s red carpet in party dresses for the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards. I wasn’t sure if it was the bubbles from the prosecco getting to my head, or if all of Hollywood had decided to take things more seriously, from their attire to their acceptance speeches. Perhaps it was the absence of teenagers and excessive twerking- in any case, I wasn’t about to complain. Seeing limo after limo from Boston corporate coach arrive depositing a well dressed, well coiffed beauty, I knew my job dissecting the night’s fashion was going to be tough.

And then Sandra Bullock showed up looking like a flamenco dancer.

Followed by Paula Patton as a butterfly struggling to shed her cocoon.

And before all of humanity starts sharpening their pencils (and knives) to write me hate mail, I was most excited to see what America’s current sweetheart, Jennifer Lawrence, would be wearing. I was less than impressed when she made her unfashionably late entrance in the predicted Dior. My dad likened her to a barrel, but I’m thinking she looked more like that awful game women are forced to play at bridal showers wherein they create wedding gowns out of toilet paper.

Her anticlimactic arrival could only be topped by that of America’s original sweetheart, Julia Roberts, who must be a method actor with a movie starring her as a Dolce & Gabbana wearing schoolmarm. Her conestoga could not be located though.

But again, it wasn’t all bad. Red in all shades from tomato to garnet was by far the color most favored though Emma Watson’s version was the equivalent of a fashion mullet. There was also a lot of embellished black and elegant metallics. And we all know Jared Leto was the real belle of the ball. Perhaps I’ve reached a new level of zen or have been in California for far too long, but I did not feel like dismantling the TV for the first time while watching an awards show.

Leaves me feeling like 2014 may be looking up. For now.

Red Hot Red Carpet:

Emma Watson in Dior, Julia Louis Dreyfus in Narciso Rodriguez, Julie Delpy in Romona Keveza, Berenice Bejo

Two Timers:

Amy Adams in Valentino, Julie Bowen in Carolina Herrera, Taylor Swift in Carolina Herrera

Black on Black on Black:

Emma Roberts in Lanvin, Jessica Chastain in Givenchy, Leslie Mann, Uma Thurman in Versace

Styled by Wiz Khalifa:

Monica Potter in Romona Keveza, Julianna Marguiles in Andrew Gn, Lizzy Caplan in Emilio Pucci, Emma Thompson in vintage Lanvin

Black and White and Red Carpet All Over:

Margot Robbie in Gucci, Zosia Mamet in Reem Acra, Laura Carmichael in Viktor & Rolf, Emilia Clarke in Proenza Schouler

Golden Goddesses:

Kate Mara in J. Mendel, Robin Wright in Reem Acra, Michelle Dockery in Oscar de la Renta, Naomi Watts in Tom Ford

Platinum Princesses:

Tatiana Maslany in Jenny Packham, Kate Beckinsdale in Zuhair Murad, Mila Kunis in Gucci, Sarah Paulson in Marchesa

Gang of Green:

Taylor Schilling in Thakoon, Helen Mirren in Jenny Packham, Reese Witherspoon in Calvin Klein

Ain’t No Drama with These Baby Mamas:

Kerry Washington in Balenciaga, Olivia Wilde in Gucci, Drew Berrymore in Monique Lhuillier

And the Real Winners Are:

Cate Blanchett in Armani, Lupito Nyong’o in Ralph Lauren, Laura Dern in Roberto Cavalli, Amy Adams in Valentino

Good Girls Gone Bad…Like Really Bad:

Julia Roberts in Dolce & Gabbana, Sandra Bullock in Prabal Gurung, Paula Patton in Stephane Rolland Couture, Jennifer Lawrence in Dior

Bring on award season… and the prosecco.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Sand Skating?

By Kirsten|January 11th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

Speaking of skating… I’ve skated right through two of the east coast’s coldest months by hiding out in California. While there have been more than a couple of bikini clad Instagram photos, to be fair the temperature does dip below 70 when the sun goes down, but those sherbert sunsets never get old. I’ve made it my duty to watch them nightly because not one is ever the same and not one can ever be done justice by an iPhone photo- though Lord knows I’ve tried.

Speaking of aesthetic strife, no one can ever say I’m not resourceful. Yet again I’ve survived with a mere carry-on suitcase’s worth of clothing for the last eight weeks. (California must have that effect on me). Luckily, black and grey go with everything and I inherited some thread barren t-shirts that my dad was just about to relegate to cleaning rags. To say my dad is stable would be an understatement. If you need someone to put on your “in case of emergency” contacts, he’s the one. For instance, there’s a pair of sneakers I bought while visiting him maybe my sophomore year of college that have made it through five or so moves and always manage to reappear in “my room” whenever I visit. The deal with these shoes is that I made the rookie mistake of buying them half a size too small because they didn’t have my actual size of 7 1/2 and I just HAD to have them. I continue to make the rookie mistake of thinking that maybe they fit now… as if my feet have shrunk with age. All’s good and well for a few, but about 15 minutes into wearing them, I feel as though I’m partaking in the ancient ritual of feet binding.

Full circle? There’s a trail near my dad’s house where my mini sneakers abide and where I relish in the pastel skies on a nearly nightly basis. As I’ve traversed this trail, I’ve been mesmerized by these things that I incorrectly call sand dunes. Since I can’t really describe them (let alone identify them), I figured it was the perfect place to pose. So, Smitty, my own personal mountain goat (one of the memes my brother introduced me to) and I trotted up the trail in my tiny toe crushing shoes for this post. (Told you a skater skirt would look stellar with a crop top).

jacket: (similar here), top: Splendid (similar here), skirt: H&M (similar here), socks: StockinGirl (similar here), shoes: Converse (similar here – good job, Dick… these are apparently rare), bag: Balenciaga, necklace: no clue (similar here), dog: Smitty

I soaked my feet for an hour afterwards.

xx,

WhyDid

Friday Frocks: Skating Right Along

By Kirsten|January 10th, 2014|Friday Frocks|

Only thing a true ice princess needs this winter more than a whimsical skater skirt is a flirty, flippy, skater frock – just ask Michelle Trachtenberg. This silhouette is especially kind to those who have trim waists but may view their thighs as the type that are thunderous. It’s also great for someone who’s a bit more straight up and down and looking to add a little volume to her svelte shape. If you fear this looking too feminine much like Michelle and myself, layer a tough leather jacket on top and slip into a pair of rugged moto boots. Another option for styling a skater dress is wearing it over a turtleneck or long sleeve tee to give it a 90’s “jumper” look for the winter months.