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Why Did You Wear That: Blurring Lines in Gempicket

By |November 30th, 2015|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

gempicket whydid kirsten smith2Upon entering my apartment, one of the first things people notice, besides the fact that it took them twenty minutes to navigate the maze like hallway to get there, is the collection of nightgowns hanging on the handles of my closet doors on the left side of the hallway.  Some of them are vintage, some of them I’ve never worn, others I wear all the time.  You could say that my obsession with nightwear began while watching Golden Girls as a little girl.  That’s right, instead of Big Bird and Mister Rogers it was Murphy Brown, Sam Malone, and Blanche Devereaux.  I still fall asleep to the sounds of Nick at Nite and all of this ties back nicely to the potential narcolepsy I suffer from.  Another hypothesis as to my penchant for boudoir attire is the time I spent buying lingerie for Henri Bendel.  One never knew she was missing a waspie or the imperative need for an embroidered kimono until she spent time in a showroom full of silk, chiffon, and lace.  I only have one dresser in my apartment and its sole purpose is to house my bras, panties, and bathing suits.  You may be wondering why I ever even bother getting dressed.  Spoiler alert, I rarely do.

Working from home most days doesn’t require putting on much more than a whisper of clothing.  Other than slipping into something spandex to catch a yoga or pilates class, I’ve become quite comfortable in the very basics– as have all of my deliverymen.  My freedom in dresscode and days of solidarity have taken some of the stress out of my normal work day, but it has also left me somewhat socially awkward and also in a panic when it comes time to piece together an outfit fit for public consumption.  And this is when the beauty of blurring the lines between “your eyes only” and “all eyes on me “comes into play.  When you can pair a Gempicket silk cotton batiste cami with your favorite skinny jeans or throw a vintage t-shirt on with your delicately demure tap pants, you’ve perfectly bridged the gap between wallflower and woman of interest.  Or you could just call the whole thing off and stay home in your skivvies.

gempicket whydid elodie cami

gempicket elodie cami grace tap pant

gempicket grace tap pant

gempicket loungewear kirsten smith whydid

whydid gempicket kirsten smith

gempicket loungewear whydid

gempicket new york whydidGempicket Elodie Cami, Grace Tap Pants, and Suki Socks

Photos by Michael Stiegler

Red Carpet Recap: Grammy’s One on One

By |February 9th, 2015|Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Red CarpetTaylor Swift in Elie Saab, Sebastian (with dad, Wiz Khalifa)

Last night marked the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.  Everyone was there from Beyonce to Mary J. Blige.  Even Prince showed up clad in head to toe sequins to present an award along with delivering probably the most profound message of the evening, “Albums, like books and black lives, still matter.”  Taylor Swift and Kanye may have buried the hatchet, but Mr. West nearly disrupted Beck’s speech while accepting the award for Album of the Year.  He thought it belonged to Beyonce and clearly we just need to give him a seat on every voting panel to avoid further broadcast disruptions.  In any case, I’m not sure who even hosted last night’s awards, but I wasn’t really tuned into the show post red carpet arrivals.  I had pegged Ms. Swift as my favorite for the night- that is, until Wiz Khalifa’s son, Sebastian showed up.  Two of my favorites who I never thought I’d be calling elegant, were Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj.  Both tamed their usually outlandish looks for sleeker, more sophisticated styles.  As for the rest of the arrivals? I’ll let you be the judge as I kept having the strange sensation of deja vu.

beyonce jessie j grammysBeyonce in Proenza Schouler, Jessie J in Ralph and Russo

57th GRAMMY Awards - ArrivalsNicki Minaj in Tom Ford, Miley Cyrus in Alexandre Vauthier

anna kendrick gwen stefani grammysAnna Kendrick in Band of Outsiders, Gwen Stefani in Atelier Versace

rihanna grammysRihanna in Giambattista Valli, Princess Peach

maddona givenchy grammysMadonna in Givenchy, Matador on a Cell Phone

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Red CarpetCharlie XCX, Creepy Rabbit

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Red CarpetSia and Maddie Ziegler, Thing One and Thing Two

chrissy teigen ariana grande grammysChrissy Teigen in Emilio Pucci, Ariana Grande in Versace

jennifer hudson grammysJennifer Hudson in Tom Ford, Papertowels

lady gaga grammysLady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell, Christina Aguilera in Versace

kim kardashian grammysKim Kardashian in Jean Paul Gaultier, Blanche Devereaux

katy perry kelly osbourne grammys Kelly Osbourne in Christian Siriano, Katy Perry in Zuhair Murad

rita ora grammysRita Ora in Prada, Swarovski Encrusted Microphone

xx,

WhyDid

Beauty Buzz: Find the Light

By |December 18th, 2013|Beauty Buzz|

metallic eye makeupDuring the holidays and especially with New Year’s Eve quickly creeping ’round the corner, some of us look for ways to amp up our standard makeup routines for swanky evenings out on the town and special seasonal celebrations.  Some may opt for the classic statement making bold lip (good choice) and others go for the more “Golden Girl” approach (also a great choice).  But beauty beware: there is a big difference between glowing like the lights of Paris (the city, not the socialite) and glaring like the neon signs of Las Vegas.  Let’s keep glitter where it belongs: on art projects, Halloween costumes and strippers.  Strippers can wear glitter.

Come to think of it, a guy I was dating once showed up late one night after work, which should have been reason enough to dump him, but he was covered in glitter.  Seeing as he doesn’t work at a Michael’s craft store, he must have procured his shimmering accents somewhere.  Hanging out with another lady is bad enough but, hanging out with another lady who dons glitter is grounds for permanent exile.  But I digress…

To achieve a glowing holiday look, invest in a few beauty products with flecks not flakes of shimmer in them.  You could go for a dramatic foil for your lids, a metallic manicure or something as simple as adding some extra shine to your tresses.  Be sure not to go overboard with your gilded look though.  A gorgeous glow is one thing, but looking like a greased up walrus won’t get your dance card filled up any faster… if at all.

nye makeup1. Caudalie Divine Legs, 2. ELLIS FAAS Light, 3. Ulta Metallic Automatic Eyeliner, 4. Kevyn Aucoin Set of Four Loose Shimmer Shadows, 5. Philip B Oud Royal Forever Shine Shampoo, 6. Ilia Gold Box Illuminator and Lip Gloss, 7. Formula X for Sephora Sparklers in Light My Fire, 8. Illamasqua Liquid Metal Cream, 9. RMS Beauty Living Luminzer, 10. Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eyeshadow, 11.Leighton Denny Hynotic Nail Polish

 

xx,

WhyDid

 

image via

Why Did You Wear That: One Piece of Advice

By |June 11th, 2013|Why Did You Wear That?|

Often times, a one piece bathing suit is something that conjures up nostalgic thoughts of Annette Funicello the Big Kahuna, and well, the Golden Girls.  But the one piece has come a long way, baby.  Once the modest uniform of the swim team, the one piece has become sometimes sexier than your skimpiest of itsy bitsy bikinis.  With plunging v-necks, racy cutouts, and all but there backs, there is a one piece to enhance and disguise just about any figure.  So, whether you are simply parading poolside before a sunset swim (because the only downside of a singular suit is the tan lines) or you happen to be hiding a trouble spot, a one piece bathing suit is a must for every beach bound babe this summer.

Styling Tip: a one piece bathing suit doubles as a super chic body suit with jeans or denim shorts and heels for post pool dinner and dancing.

one piece swimsuits1. Tori Praver Cactus One Piece, 2. Peixoto T-Back One Piece, 3. Charlie by Matthew Zink Paulina Animal Print One Piece, 4. Lisa Maree The Poetic License Cutout Crochet Swimsuit, 5. Mara Hoffman Pow Wow Cutout One Piece, 6. Forever 21 Knotted Monokini, 7. Forever 21 Tribal Print Cutout One Piece, 8. Red Carter Rainbow Brights One Piece, 9. Alexander Wang Cutout One Piece, 10. Mikoh Santorini Swimsuit

One: not necessarily the loneliest number.

xx,

WhyDid

 

Image via Naila

Setting the Mood: Golden Girls

By |June 10th, 2013|Setting the Mood|

On more than one occasion, read every time we’re discussing another traumatizing date or ex from hell over cocktails, my girlfriends and I revisit the idea of just going in on a townhouse and becoming the modern day Golden Girls… about thirty years early.  Anyone who knows me well, knows that I fall asleep nearly every evening listening to the witty banter between Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia.  I can’t wait to be a Golden Girl.  And in that spirit, I’m not going to wait– and neither should you.

I’m not suggesting you run to the closest American Apparel and purchase every item in gold lamé.  Not even close.  I am, however, suggesting you bring out your inner golden glow by wearing it right where everyone can see it.  Add some shimmer to your summer beauty routine with these shiny solutions.

Nails, Inc. Crystaltastic Nails, NARS Body Glow, MAKEUP FOREVER Aqua Cream Eyeshadow, Guerlain L’or Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold Makeup Base

Thank you for being a friend.

xx,

WhyDid