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Why Did You Wear That: Crop Top Ya Don’t Stop

By |August 15th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

crop top day to night how toWe’ve all awoken as the morning sun manages to creep through the black out shades rendering us nearly blind to the startling realization  that the water glass on the nightstand is empty and that nightstand is not our own.  The second pang of panic comes barreling through shortly after groggily recalling that what we deemed appropriate attire for a late evening dalliance may not exactly translate to daytime, let alone during the morning commute with other responsible, gainfully employed adults.  I was not a Girl Scout, but I am always prepared.  98% of the time, there is a pair of sunglasses stashed safely in my bag (I painfully learned this lesson during that other 2% of the time).  Sunglasses are essentially a real life force field.  Whether they actually prove to disguise your appearance from curious onlookers or not is irrelevant so long as you feel like they do.  As you carefully tiptoe your way to the restroom only to discover that your previously perfect blowout more resembles Bob Marley’s dreadlocks, you breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you have a hair tie on your wrist and a collection of bobby pins in the bottom of your bag.  This is when when a top knot comes in handy (tutorial here).  The only problem left is somehow making that tiny crop top look less Pretty Woman and more Carrie Bradshaw.

One of my favorite outfits and favorite shoots (which you can see in totality here) is a perfect example of something that would garner compliments post sunset and could attract clientele come morning if you’re seen standing on the corner too long awaiting your Uber.  Whether your evening prior to sunrise had been raucous or rather innocent, sometimes you’ve got to borrow from your boy’s closet to save some dignity, but how does one do so without looking like a total shacker?  In this instance, wearing a belted pair of shorts with your crop top and pulling your hair into a squeaky clean top knot will certainly fool any innocent bystander into believing that you did, in fact, wake up like this.

whydid blog nyc kirsten smith

kirsten smith whydid blog

kirsten smith why did blog

kirsten smith whydid blogtop: American Apparel, shorts: Hurley, belt: similar by Rag & Bone, shoes: Jimmy Choo, bag: vintage, similar by Barney’s, sunglasses: Ray-Ban

xx,

WhyDid

photography by Michael Stiegler

WhyDid or Why Don’t: The Rest Is a Little Scrunchie

By |October 16th, 2013|Why Did or Why Don't?|

Alright, when I said the 90’s revival was something I could get behind, I seem to have forgotten about one trend that probably should stay tucked safely inside that decades’ time capsule.  The scrunchie.  Ah yes, that fabric covered hair tie of school days past.  Be it in your hair or on your wrist, you were nobody without a color coordinated scrunchie.  Despite the upside of the scrunchie (less stress on your tresses), I’m not sure it’s one hair trend that I want to see resurrected.  And isn’t that why they invented these?

As Carrie Bradshaw so adeptly stated in an episode of Sex and the City:

“Okay, but here’s the thing. Here’s my crucial point.  No women who works at W Magazine and lives on Perry Street would be caught dead at a hip downtown restaurant wearing a scrunchie!”

But alas, designers like Vivienne Westwood, Ashish, Missoni, and Marc Jacobs sent looks down the catwalk accessorized with this beauty throwback (you can buy a $95 Missoni one here).  Even “it” girls Fearne Cotton and Cressida Bonas have been seen keeping stray strands at bay with the aid of a scrunchie.  Former “it” girls all over the trend?  Lisa Turtle, all three Tanner girls, and, gasp, even Sarah Jessica Parker herself.

 

xx,

WhyDid

 

image via

Red Carpet Recap: Requirements Were Met.

By |May 7th, 2013|Celebrity Style, Red Carpet Recap|

Julie Macklowe in Zang Toi, Zandra Rhodes, Madonna in Givenchy, Sarah Jessica Parker in Giles Deacon

Since 1948 the Metropolitan Museum of Art has hosted the Met Ball (also known as the Costume Institute Ball) to fete the opening of the fashion exhibit at the Costume Institute.  Every year, the event has a theme that attendees are encouraged to channel with their chosen attire.  This year’s theme was deemed Punk: Chaos to Couture and that got the fashion world in a bit of a tizzy.  A stripped down rock starting between 1974 and 1976 characterized by DIY principles and sub-culture rooted in anti-establishment and rebellious youth, would fashion’s elite really relate to the theme seeing as some of them hadn’t even been conceived when punk was present?  The red carpet proved to be a bit of a crap shoot, which was made especially apparent when Hailee Steinfeld referenced Avril Lavigne as “punk.”

Some ladies played it subtle by simply accessorizing with studded jewelery or faux-hawk coifs.  Dramatic dark smokey eyes and deep berry lips were also favored on the red carpet.  But the real stars of the red carpet were the women who really went for it.  Anne Hathaway went full blown blonde, SJP sported an exquisite mohawk headpiece by Philip Treacy, and Madonna said, “to hell with pants!” in Givenchy.  Rooney Mara, Nina Dobrev, and Minka Kelly were the perfect mesh of modern and punk embracing the look in sexy lace and smoldering makeup.  While Blake Lively, Taylor Swift, and Amanda Seyfried were stunning, they veered to the side of safe.  Which can’t be said for some like Coco in Emanuel Ungaro, a tie dyed Elle Fanning, and a seemingly confused Olsen twin.  And I’m left wondering if some of these ladies didn’t get the memo or are just party poopers who simply ignored the theme altogether.

So, who got punk and who got punk’d?

Perfectly Punk:

met gala 2013 red carpet best dressedDonatella Versace, Anne Hathaway in Valentino, Rooney Mara in Givenchy, Lauren Santo Domingo in Dolce & Gabbana, Minka Kelly in Carolina Herrera

Miranda Kerr in Michael Kors, Emma Watson in Prabal Gurung, Dakota Fanning in Rodarte, Carolyn Murphy in Nina Ricci, Allison Williams in Altuzarra

Punky Pants:

Kristen Stewart in Stella McCartney, Nina Dobrev in Monique Lhuillier, Jaime King in TopShop, Jessica Biel in Giambattista Valli

How Supermodels Do Punk:

Karolina Kurkova in Mary Katrantzou, Gisele Bundchen in Anthony Vaccarello, Anja Rubik in Anthony Vaccarello, Cara Delevigne in Burberry, Brooklyn Decker in Peter Pilotto

Punk Princesses:

Julianne Hough in TopShop, Taylor Swift in J. Mendel, Blake Lively in Gucci, Gwen Stefani in Maison Martin Margiela, Amanda Seyfried in vintage Givenchy

Pretty, but not Punk:

Gwyneth Paltrow in Valentino, Anna Wintour in Chanel, Kate Upton in Diane von Furstenberg, Kate Beckinsdale in Alberta Ferretti, Heidi Klum in Marchesa

 Pieces of Punk:

Jaime King, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Lawrence

Emmy Rossum, Sienna Miller, Jessica Alba

You’ve Been Punk’d:

Ashley Olsen in Dior, Elle Fanning in Rodarte, Miley Cyrus in Marc Jacobs, Nicole Richie in TopShop, Nora Zehetner in Marchesa

Coco Rocha in Emanuel Ungaro, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Gucci, Christina Ricci in Vivienne Westwood, Beyonce in Givenchy

Who were your favorites?

xx,

WhyDid

 

Monday Mashup: MET Madness

By |May 3rd, 2011|Monday Mashup, Red Carpet Recap|

The gorgeous and well groomed came out to strut their stuff down the red carpet for the MET Ball this evening.  Where most red carpets are a bit of a bore, the Costume Gala always proves to be  more interesting seeing as it is thrown by the fashion elite (you don’t see Anna Wintour at the Grammy’s).  Each year, the gala is themed and this year was “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.”  Talk about one hell of a week for McQueen creative director, Sarah Burton.  A royal wedding followed by the year’s biggest fashion fete.

Above Tory Burch and Taylor Swift (in J. Mendel) slipped into their red carpet best and while both look absolutely beautiful (thanks for ditching that side swept ‘do, Taylor!) they look uncomfortably similar.  These dresses look like they could have been cut from the same cloth (oh yes, pun intended).

Tory and Taylor weren’t the only lookalikes this evening.  Quite a few starlets, and style icons were seen wearing similar get ups.

Ginnifer Goodwin in custom Top Shop, Barbara Walters

Too easy.

Rosie Huntington Whiteley in Burberry, Brooklyn Decker in Michael Kors

Two blonde supermodels, one color. I love Rosie Huntington Whitely.  She’s absolutely beautiful and I do love Brooklyn’s dress.  I just wish they could have swapped outfits.

Kate Hudson in Stella McCartney, Jessica Alba in Ralph Lauren Collection

No, this is not season 4 of Teen Mom Goes to Prom.  These are just two very pregnant actresses dressed in prom gowns for the gala.

Dakota Fanning in Valentino, Fergie in Marchesa

Speaking of teens… why is Fergie dressed in the same outfit as seventeen year old Dakota Fanning (who is very much age appropriately dressed)?

Sarah Jessica Parker in Alexander McQueen, Renee Zellweger in Carolina Herrera, Gwyneth Paltrow in Stella McCartney

Seems that slinky metallics were all the rage for the over 40 set.  I can’t help but think these dresses look awfully similar to Anne Hathaway at the Golden Globes

Freida Pinto in Chanel, Janelle Monae, Anna Dello Russo in Alexander McQueen and egg hat

Three perfect examples of why women should stick to womenswear and stay away from menswear.

Chrissy Teigen in Chris March, Beyonce in Emilio Pucci, Lucy Liu in Vionnet, Christina Hendricks in Carolina Herrera, Demi Moore in Prabal Gurung, Kirsten Dunst in Chanel

These six sexy black widows actually all ended up on my worst dressed list… just mere coincidence that they’re all in black.  Preparing for their fashion funeral perhaps?

Gisele Bunchden in Alexander McQueen, Dianna Agron in Michael Kors, Saorise Ronan in Rodarte, Kristen Stewart in Proenza Schouler, Emily Browning in Marc Jacobs

I’ve organized these ladies in red from “red hot” to “red not even kind of a little bit. uh uh.”

Diane Kruger in Jason Wu, Christina Ricci in Zac Posen, Bar Rafaeli, Ashley Greene in Donna Karan, Lily Aldridge in Ralph Lauren Collection, Leelee Sobieski in Vionnet

These six stunners got their red carpet looks right.  They are each wearing one of the above trends or themes that were so popular at this year’s MET, but they got it right rather than oh so wrong. These beauties were able to separate themselves from the savages.

xx,

WhyDid

 

Photos via JustJared & Huffington Post

Beauty Buzz: The Root of the Problem

By |January 6th, 2011|Beauty Buzz|

So I’ve been sporting unintentional ombre hair.  It is “unintentional” because I haven’t had my hair highlighted since June (that’s 7 months, folks) my beloved hairdresser returned to her hometown in eastern Europe and I’m a lunatic when it comes to letting just anyone touch my beloved locks.  So, until I find someone who can properly  handle my strands of gold, I will allow my natural hue to emerge from my scalp.

While at times I want to punch my own reflection in the mirror, there are a few upsides.  One being that I’m allowing my hair a little bit of recovery time.  It isn’t easy being highlighted and flat ironed and tugged and pulled.  The other being that I’m apparently not alone in this hairy situation.  Celebrities from Whitney Port to Alexa Chung and Jessica Biel have been showing off a little root.

The first person I ever recall sporting roots and making it look cool was Sarah Jessica Parker back in the Sex and the City days.  I remember thinking, “She is so cool She can even make hair growth look good!” So what is ombre and how is it created?  Basically the top of the hair is left darker or in some cases dyed a bit darker while leaving the lower (middle to bottom) hair a few shades lighter.  It is supposed to be a subtle transitional look as to not channel “trailer park blonde.”

I actually really like the style on several celebs when it is done correctly. When the color is drastically different, I think it has a tendency to come off as more of a mistake than a choice.  Ombre hair looks best on brunettes and blondes who have naturally light hair.  Otherwise you may look like this:

Rather than looking like this:

Oh… I just realized another upside to ombre hair… I’m saving money!  While some may have to pay up to get the look, mine is as free as can be.  So what do you think? Would you rock the ombre hair trend?

rooting for you…

xx,

WhyDid