Why Did You Wear That: Seeing Red

By admin|September 22nd, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

It can be tricky trying to decide what color to wear with red. When I was younger, I had an incredibly strong aversion to wearing black with red. To me, it came off as a little cheap. I don’t feel as strongly about it now as I did when I was sixteen, but I still prefer other options over basic black when accessorizing with bold red. Well then, what options is one left with when black is eliminated? You could opt for luggage colored brown, or even a soft taupe. Another great option is grey (also a fall trend). In this instance, I had forgotten I even had these deep oxblood Pour La Victoire boots hidden beneath my bed (that’s how we store shoes here in New York). As soon as I’d wiped away the dust bunnies, I recalled that I also had a vintage bag from my mother that was of the same shade. Once a complete faux pas and something only worn by women donning their Sunday best for morning mass, I threw caution to the wind and got wild by matching my shoes to my bag. Another option right on trend would be to wear a leopard boot or carry a leopard clutch (thous in this instance, I’d opt for one or the other). It may seem a little bit “The Nanny” but I actually believe despite what men say, that leopard is sort of a new neutral. Besides, did Fran not get her man?

Speaking of my man and matching, Smitty celebrated his eighth birthday and one of his doting aunts was sweet enough to bestow him with his own scarlet sweater. She pays attention to fall trends too. Pretty much Smitty and I became this fall’s Justin and Britney, Katy and Riff Raff. Sure, my sweater is just about the same size as Smitty’s and technically it’s just an oversized jumper as opposed to an official frock, but it’s not the first, nor will it be the last, time wherein I wear something not as it’s intended.

coat: Michael Kors, sweater: Zara, similar by 6397 here, bag: vintage, similar by Oliveve here, shoes: Pour La Victoire, similar by Opening Ceremony here, dog: Smitty, Smitty’s sweater: handmade, similar by Ralph Lauren here, lips: Benefit Benetint

xx,

WhyDid

Photos by Michael Stiegler—-> have you check out his interview with Skinny Says Relax?

Why Did or Why Don’t: Braidy Bunch

By admin|August 27th, 2014|Beauty Buzz, Somethin for the fellas, Why Did or Why Don't?|

We have already covered the man bun/mun/male topknot (feel free to weigh in), which does not seem to be going anywhere if this week’s awards shows have been any indication. Just look at all the fuss over Game of Throne’s, Kit Harrington’s, perfectly executed updo from Monday night’s Emmy Awards. But all the man buns in the world and even Jared Leto’s ombre mane couldn’t compete when True Detective’s director, Cary Joji Fukunaga, took the stage to accept the award for Outstanding Director. I, for one, audibly gasped at this handsome man, but it wasn’t just his cheekbones that sent the internet into a tizzy. It was his hair. At first glance, he looked clean cut, but as he described his coiffure, “For tonight, I just thought business in the front, party in the back.”

Though Cary was a pleasant surprise in a room full of familiar faces and stuffy industry types and his hair seemed to be a fresh interpretation for man coifs worldwide, he’s not the first to be seen sporting man braids. As a matter of fact, the night before rapper, Riff Raff, clad in denim had a head full of braids and is probably asking today, “Dafuq?” Even before Riff Raff, there was David Beckham, Axl Rose, and let us never forget Kevin Federline.

I, myself, spent a sunny Saturday afternoon in Amagansett this summer lackadaisically braiding cornrows into one of my man bun wearing guy friend’s head. We thought it was kind of funny and for him, the look actually worked. I even taught him the importance of patting his head when it started to itch as to avoid creating frizz. So, back to Cary’s internet sensational hairstyle and potentially the next wave of hipster hairdos (Slate created a pretty genius rendering). It may have something to do with the fact that he’s terribly good looking, but the only part of his hairstyle that truly bothered me was his (unintentionally) crooked part which The Cut got a close up of. You see though, I’m quite dextrous and great with a comb, so Cary, call me next time you’re you’re looking for some Poetic Justice.

What do you think about men with braids?

xx,

WhyDid

Red Carpet Recap: MTV BMA’s

By admin|August 25th, 2014|Celebrity Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

Last night marked MTV’s 31st Annual Video Music Awards and also the fact that I’m way too old to be watching it. My friends and I kept exchanging puzzled looks as one unrecognizable (to us) tween took to the red carpet after the next. I had never been so excited to see Gwen Stefani or Jennifer Lopez as I was last night. Phew! Somebody we knew. It became quite clear as to why E! has cornered the market on red carpet pre-shows. As I quickly found myself on the brink of a melodramatic meltdown, I yelled at my TV, “Sway, WHO ARE THEY WEARING?” After having cooled my rage with a glass of prosecco, the actual show began.

Within seconds of the opening act, I was concerned that Nicki Minaj had somehow pirated the entire event as there was much more booty on stage than on any ship. She became this year’s Miley while pirouetting her posterior to her current single, “Anaconda”, which left me hoping Sir Mix A Lot was somewhere wiping his own rear with all the royalty money he received from that song. She then joined Jessie J. who forgot her pants and Ariana Grande who appears to have a perma hairstyle for their song, “Bang Bang” complete with wardrobe malfunction. She later joined Usher for his song, aptly named, “She Came To Give It To You.”

Right around the time I’d given up on humanity and started Googling how to obtain an Australian work visa, Miley Cyrus shocked audiences again. This time, however, it had nothing to do with flagrant twerking or her wayward tongue. When she won the VMA for Video of the Year, instead of accepting the award herself, her handsome mystery date took the stage. He identified himself as “Jesse” and proceeded to deliver a touching speech revealing that he, himself, had grown up homeless which was hard to imagine as he looked like far less homeless than the boys of Five Seconds to Summer in his well tailored suit. He encouraged viewers to learn more about My Friend’s Place and to get involved by visiting and donating on Miley’s site.

But (with a capital “B”) Queen B., herself, Beyonce, was not about to be outdone. Bey performed for a solid fifteen minutes in a stunning jewel encrusted leotard before accepting the Video Vanguard Award from her husband, Jay-Z and the absolutely adorable Blue Ivy. If all those divorce rumors do have any merit, she should have picked up an Oscar as well.

The other big “B” for last night had to be for Balmain as Jordan Dunn, Chanel Iman, Joan Smalls, and Kim Kardashian all wore the label. Pro-tip: Do not show up to an awards show wearing the same thing as a supermodel. While Katy Perry and her date, Riff Raff, gave a nostalgic nod to Britney and Justin, everyone’s favorite good girl wore a romper so short, she could have been a Minaj backup dancer. Black was a red carpet favorite, but all renditions from sheer paneling to leather pants felt fresh and innovative rather than basic and boring. Red, pink, and blue were the other colors that were most prevalent, mainly in jewel shades. While everyone looked “nice,” I didn’t feel floored by anyone in particular… except for Amber Rose, that is.

Ban-Do:

Jourdan Dunn in Balmain, Miley Cyrus in Alexandre Vauthier

Anything but Basic Black:

Kendall Jenner in Alon Livne, Kylie Jenner in Alexandre Vauthier, Chanel Iman in Balmain

Power Couples:

Ireland Baldwin in Roberto Cavalli and Angel Haze in Helmut Lang, Adam Levine Behati Prinsloo

Sister, Sister:

Beyonce in Nicolas Jebran, Solange Knowles in H&M Studio

Fulfill Your Destiny:

Kelly Rowland in Kaufman Franco, Michelle Williams

Soft and Subtle:

Kesha in Johanna Johnson, Jessie J in vintage Halston

Silver Lining:

Iggy Azalea in Versace, Jennifer Lopez in Charbel Zoe

Animal Instinct:

Nicki Minaj, Charli XCX in Moschino

Red Alert:

Rita Orain Donna Karan Atelier, Demi Lovato in Lanvin

Double Trouble:

Kim Kardashian West in Balmain, Joan Smalls in Balmain

Pink Ladies:

Gwen Stefani in L.A.M.B. Couture, Chloe Moretz in Louis Vuitton

Cobalt Queens:

Sarah Hyland in Kaufman Franco, Julianne Hough in Emilio Pucci

Singing the Blues:

Katy Perry and Riff Raff in custom Versace, Taylor Swift in Mary Katrantzou

You’ve Got Chainmail:

Wiz Khalifa, Amber Rose in Laura Dewitt

xx,

WhyDid

Setting the Mood: … And Break.

By Kirsten|March 4th, 2014|Setting the Mood|

Your definition of “spring break” doesn’t necessarily need to include a wet t-shirt contest and well tequila shot from a super soaker into your already inebriated mouth. Sometimes the best kind of spring breaks are those spent with close friends in low key locations. Sure, during my years as a co-ed I visited the obvious and oh so exotic locales of Aculpulco, Cancun, and Panama City, but never did I appear in a Girls Gone Wild DVD, nor did I awake in nothing but plastic beads. I did, however, misplace my purse and nearly face a lifetime spent in Mexico without government ID. But alas, UPS delivers to all of Northern America and I was returned home safely to two less than impressed parental units. While my behavior south of the border was less than stellar, let’s just remember that I was far from bikini clad, AK47 holding, Riff Raff groupie, so I call that a “win.” And why should we ditch the tradition once we’ve earned our undergraduate degrees? Maybe, much like naps, spring break is a tradition that should span on throughout all of adulthood.