Why Did You Wear That: …Try Try Again (the Saga Continues)

By Kirsten|June 6th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

That Friday I met one of my best girlfriends for lunch at Morandi followed by a stroll through Soho to pick out the perfect dress for my perfect first date with my dually proclaimed “perfect fit.” My go to for a first date involving dinner is something form fitting- suggestive enough, but leaving plenty to the imagination. It’s like dating- don’t give it all up at once. I already had an idea in my head and found something that fit the bill fairly quickly. When I came out of the dressing room to gain approval from my friend and anyone else I could ask, the sales associate informed me that the dress could be spun around so the opening was in front. Sold. I probably wouldn’t expose my midriff during a first date (shocking, coming from the queen of crop tops), but how much fun would it be to go to the bathroom and return with the dress reversed? Answer: Very.

It had been quite some time since I’d actually cared enough to purchase something new for a dude. Typically on a first date, I’ll strategically wear red lipstick to send the surefire signal that there is absolutely no shot in hell that his tongue will ever know what my molars feel like. Ever. But in this instance, he was not only worth a new dress, but also new shoes. In my mind, it was bashert. And sure this sounds like it’s all about to end happily ever after, but what fun would that be and I’m sorry, have we met?

A couple of hours before I was to meet my future man friend for dinner at Narcissa, my illness or antibiotics sent me into a tailspin and I knew that I was certainly in no shape to be sitting at dinner spreading germs to my fellow diners. Besides, this also meant I should not be kissing anyone but Smitty and that was going to be far too difficult. As to not be selfish, I called to cancel. I was almost shocked at how understanding he was, but we spent the rest of the evening texting about our would be date. On Saturday, he called to check on the sickling. We talked for a while and I assured him we would see each other soon enough.

Then a funny thing happened… I didn’t hear from him again. Turns out, New York dating is a lot like New York real estate. You wait too long to put in an offer and someone else will scoop it up. I haven’t decided whether I’m on or off the market again, but I suppose I’ll entertain any interesting offers.

dress: Wilfred Free, jacket: DVF, shoes: Sam Edelman, bag: Malini Murjani

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: If At First You Don’t Succeed…

By Kirsten|June 5th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

A few weeks ago, the day came that I declared I was finally ready, willing, and able to dip my toes back into the dating pool. So, I did. It was funny that once I let it be known I was going back on the market, an interested buyer presented himself. I had met him before, but because he kept complimenting my hair, I figured he was either gay or a hairdresser, possibly both. When I ran into him again at a theme party one fateful Friday evening, he let our mutual friend know that he would be holding me captive and we spent the rest of the night attached at the hip… or maybe his hand/my butt… logistical technicalities. In any case, we’d spent a fun PG night together and deemed ourselves a perfect fit. And just like I mentioned, once I started to get exactly what I wanted, I freaked the eff out. He wanted to hang out that Sunday, but I was busy filming How To Tuesday and being fed hot toddies downstairs at Bakehouse in an attempt to fend off the oncoming and imminent flu. As expected, I woke up the next morning feeling as though I had swallowed an entire carton of used Bic razors. After a trip to the doctor (who complimented my dedication to still looking presentable when I felt less than human), I was diagnosed with a case of acute pharyngitis, aka, physical hell. That benched me for the next week with ten days worth of antibiotics. I let interested parties (okay, party) know my verdict and though disappointed, I promised I’d be well enough to see him the next Friday. Like any good nurse, he checked in on his patient every day until then and made me feel slightly less miserable. When Friday finally rolled around, the anticipation was at an all time high, but most importantly, what would I wear?

dress: Wilfred Free, jacket: Andrew Marc, similar here, bag: Alexander Wang, boots: Frye, scarf: similar here, ear cuff: similar here, necklace: similar here

To be continued… xx, WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Daisy Duke

By Kirsten|May 13th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

April showers brought May flowers… and more showers. So, when there were a couple of consecutive days of actual sunshine last week, I was certain to take advantage of them. When the weather warms up, habitually angry city dwellers suddenly become jovial, relaxed, and if you look very closely, you may even see some of them smiling. The West Village is prime for people watching. Restaurants expand their dining rooms out onto the sidewalks and seats outdoors become prime real estate. Spring in New York reminds us all why we suffer through bitter cold, slushy streets, and near hypothermia. It gives us just enough to fall back in love before cursing it again during sweltering summer months.

hat: (similar here), bodysuit: Forever 21, shorts: Brandy Melville (similar here), bracelets: Alex and Ani, bag: vintage (similar here), shoes: Steve Madden (similar here)

xx,

WhyDid

Photographs by Brian Schutza

Why Did You Wear That: Distressed Done Up

By Kirsten|April 24th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

When one thinks of shredded jeans, I assume that most file destroyed denim under completely casual. To be honest, I treat some of my destroyed denim like my own version of sweatpants. A particular pair that reign as queen bee of my cluttered closet and are often the first thing I pull out for morning dog walking duty also happen to be the very same pair I pull out to wear with a tiny top and high heels for an evening out. So, you see, distressed denim truly can go from day to night. I’ve never worked at a job where I had to wear a “suit” (that’s the beauty of the fashion industry, kids), but when I worked in a sad grey cube at Henri Bendel, we were supposed to follow a few simple guidelines like, I don’t know: don’t look like an asshole or wear flip flops. One of the clauses when distressed denim became one of our biggest sellers in store was that we could wear it… so long as it was one of our vendors… and most certainly not with flip flops- not even Havaianas. So, full circle: destroyed denim can be both very downtown as well as totally dressed up.

blazer: Dian von Furstenberg, blouse: Philosophy, jeans: DIY (learn how here), bag: Rafe, shoes: Carlos by Carlos Santana, sunglasses: Ray-Ban, bracelets: alex and ani, necklace: Maya Brenner

xx,

WhyDid

photos by Brian Schutza

Why Did You Wear That: April Foolishness

By Kirsten|April 3rd, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

Every time I check the weather on my iPhone and start to feel optimistic about the above 40 degree temperature and lack of rain icon, I’m smacked in the face with reality when I check it again fifteen minutes before leaving the house to see that the temperature has taken a nose dive and the icon may as well be a middle finger. It’s as if my weather app is playing an elongated and twisted April fool’s joke on me and it’s the only one laughing. Getting dressed during this time of year is also a joke because one never knows when Mother Nature will snarl and decide she’s bored with the sun and would rather toss out a hailstorm to liven up your otherwise mundane Tuesday.

And while I may look like a delicate spring flower in these photos, I certainly navigated the April showers (along with the ever patient, Brian Schutza) to capture them. A wet fire escape in five inch stiletto Jimmy Choos? Child’s play. I like living on the edge and 6+ years navigating the treacherous cobblestone streets of the West Village qualify me as a pro. I found these pants in a thrift store in Bushwick, and I knew I needed them because they fall in between the categories of pants and maxi skirt and isn’t that kind of like getting the last seat on an overcrowded L train? While these pants are beyond comfortable, I had to be very careful with the way in which I styled them, because they could very easily be mistaken as pajama pants– something I discovered when I wore a similar pair to brunch at Bubby’s one lazy Sunday. When wearing pants with an elastic waistband (yikes!), be sure to keep the other elements more tailored (adding a belt is a good way to add refinement to an otherwise casual style). Take that, Mother Nature.

Don’t forget to learn how to milk maid braid to avoid rainy day hair calamities.

kirsten smith nyc