Wear This Trend: The Varsity Jacket.

I've been thinking a lot about varsity jackets and the unlikely trend that's been forming around them.  There's nothing I like more than conquring a a tricky trend and this one tricky to say the least.  My advice to those brave enough to dig out their Dad's old letterman, is to think of the jacket more like a cardigan sweater.  I love it with a pencil skirt and loose sweater, or go for broke and drape it over your shoulders while wearing a frilly dress.  And if you never made the Varsity team, or you played one of those non-sport sports like golf, don't fret.  Rag and Bone and Stella McCartney have made jackets that are cooler than anything we would have had to run wind sprints for.  Score!

1. Sweater, Kain. 2. Varsity jacket, Stella McCartney. 3. Skirt, Carven. 4. Shoes, Christian Louboutin. 5. Bracelet, Isabel Marant.

1. Varsity Jacket, Rag and Bone.  2. Dress,  Rebecca Taylor.  3. Oxfords, Church's.

Peacock Escapes from Central Park to Shop FW11!

I love that a peacock got loose from Central Park yesterday. It seems like the beginning of a delightful children's book. I imagine she just wanted to do a little fall shopping on the UES. In honor of this great escape I've selected a few items I thought she might like. Unless, she's over the whole feather trend...

Rag and Bone.

Isabel Marant. Available on Net-a-Porter.com

Isabel Marant. Also on Net-a-porter.com

Shorts for Fall, Fall Short.

Some might say they're an alternative to skirts, another way to flash your gorgeous gams, but in the land of fall fashion I think they're an ill fit.  Shorts were all over the Fall 08 runways, from Alexander Wang's demolished denim to pintuck pleates from Philip Lim and Rag and Bone.  But adding shorts to your fall rotation posses a major problem.  Do you risk hypothermia and go bare or don a pair of tights and risk looking well, just plain silly?  The Jodpher shorts by Rag and Bone are especially troubling, combining two bad trends in one.  The questionable equestrian look we mentioned a few weeks ago and the slightly winterized shorts.  Good luck unloading those ShopBop, we'll see you on sale!  Which ironically, will take place when it's almost warm enough to wear shorts again!

A Horse is a Horse, Unless it's Fashion of Course.

With Olympic fever sweeping these here United States many of us are wistfully thinking back to the day when we took part in competitive athletics.  For this blogger, there once was a time when all I could think about was horses.  I used to scoff at fashion ( believe it, it's true) and focused completely on riding and training my horse, Sargent Pepper, into a blue ribbon winning machine.  Because of this equine time of my life, I still chuckle a bit when I see "Equestrian Style" trying to stake a claim for fall.  This season it seems to be trying harder than ever to find a place in my closet, but I stand rooted to my claim that this look is stronger in it's natural state.  Don't get me wrong,  I love shrunken blazers, tall boots and skinny pants, but I find this is a case when the parts are stronger then the whole.  Below see a few of my picks and suggestions on how to take the reins on "Equestrian Style" without looking like you just came from the barn.

Rag and Bone blazer at Shopbop.com shown here paired with skinny jeans if fine, but why not try a pair of high waisted wide leg pants to shake things up a bit.

These skinny pants from Vince are great and worn with heeled sandals as shown makes the look more rocker chic than horse-y.

These Steve Madden boots look like they could easily worn in the show ring.  Look for a boot with a slightly higher stacked heel and less rounded toe.