How do you make a dress look cool? Here's how:
Marc by Marc Jacobs Exeter Printed Silk Crepe de Chine Dress : If there's one designer who you can rely on for “sweet with a twist,” it's Mr. Jacobs. I still own my first “big girl' purchase: a frayed denim miniskirt and pinstripe blazer from Marc by Marc's firt collection back in the year 2000. (Have you any idea how many babysitting jobs that took?) Actually, it's about time I pull those out and put them back into rotation... In the meantime, let's talk about this dress. It's got all the cheekiness of a slip and the unexpected fabric play (irridescent silver panels) of a MJ collection/Vuitton confection. And it's on SALE.
Ann Demeulemeester Leather Open-Front Ankle Boots : A few years ago, you couldn't walk from your desk to the bathroom without walking by at least two girls wearing some version of Ann D's clunky, chunky sandal/heel. They've since been knocked off left, right, and center but there's still something spot-on about the real McCoy, especially when paired with a girly dress. They're the perfect way to toughen up while still giving a little bit of height. After all, those legs gotta look good.
Illesteva Frieda Round-Frame Matte-Steel Sunglasses : If, like me, you have your sunglass “shape' figured out and don't want to stray from the path that best suits your face, I urge you: mix it up. Try round. Just try it. (Abbey Lee Kershaw, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I swear.) Like changing your part, it could make you feel like a new woman in the best way possible.
Chantecaille Lip Chic in Rose Délice : A Barneys “makeup guru' turned me on to Chantecaille's Lip Chic (in Tea Rose) back in 2012, which I slowly wore down to a tiny nub and eventually lost, but it's since been replaced by the slightly more punchy Rose Délice. It's not quite a lip balm, not quite a lipstick, and though the color calls to mind the look of your mouth after several layers of Benetint, it's definitely not a stain. It's kind of like... a light layer of just-tacky-enough-to-stay-put moisture, with a magically skin-tone-enhancing tint.
OPI's When Monkeys Fly! Nail Laquer : It's always a pleasure seeing W beauty director Jane Larkworthy backstage during fashion week, but I was especially excited to bump into her at Rodarte in February. “WHAT is on your nails?,” I asked, taking her hands in mine and holding them closer to my (wide, hungry) eyes for closer inspection. The polish, which she wore layered over her gray manicure, is less of a polish and more of an arts-and-crafts project made easy: giant octagonal gold paillettes, medium opalescent specks, and barely-there silver glitter suspended in a clear base that you have to sort of art direct as you paint. I know because it's taken months to track down a bottle, and I just painted my own nails (and two of Nick's) to a round of applause from the office. That nail polish thrill of discovery is a real thing of beauty, isn't it?
—Emily Weiss
