What I'm Wearing Now: Iro, Westward Leaning and Zara.

Remember when The Secret was trying to make itself happen?  The idea that if you put something out in the universe it will happen?  Well, I said the Kenzo tiger sweatshirt would be mine a few posts back, and although it didn't magically appear at my doorstep I found its cousin at Zara and brought him home with me.

Also in the picture are my Westward Leaning sunglasses, which if there was paparazzi photo spread of me saying "Gillian really loves her..."  it would be with my Westward Leaning sunglasses.  The jacket is Iro and even though I probably needed another jacket like I need a hole in my head, this one is very light weight and is perfect for that odd transition time between winter and spring.

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.

Coat Conundrum! A First Look at Fall Outerwear

It's the worst time of the year.  In just a few weeks we will say goodbye to summer Friday's, outdoor seating and lazy weekends at the beach.  So what's a girl to do to keep her spirits up as the barometer is falling?  Shop for winter coats of course!  Here are just a few favorites that are hitting stores now. 

The perfect classic trench from A.P.C. $440

A throwback to the camel coats of the 70's. DVF $725 at Net-a-Porter

A great escape from the sea of black.  See by Chloe $875 at Net-a-Porter

Love the origami like detail in this oversize coat. 3.1 Philip Lim $725 at Neiman Marcus

No wonder we're mad for plaid. Wool duffle coat from A.P.C. $420 at lagarconne.com

FitFlops: The Experiment: The Grand Finale

My good friend Catlin was in town this week and we have a long standing joke about how sometimes I choose comfort over fashion and wear as she puts it "orthopedic shoes".   And when she saw me in my FitFlops she screamed "What are those?!" and erupted in fit of giggles. 

I think that proves two things:  1) My dear friend is not reading my blog.  And 2) These things are really ugly.  

Do you remember when Uggs were on every third girl who walked down the street and all people could talk about was how ugly they were?  Well, I think FitFlops definitely have Uggs beat in ugliness department. Even my very neutral pair of beige flops stick out like an unappealing outfit anchor.  But I must admit this is really the only bad thing I can say about them.  As much as I wish I could say I regret ever buying them, I kind of secretly heart the FitFlops.  They're really the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn and what I love most is that the thickness of the sole keeps you above the ground and out of the subway muck.  Havianana's can't say that. 

In terms of their claim of being a workout in a shoe, I have to call shenanigans.  I really haven't seem much if any improvement in my legs however, I have started telling people I have.  I like to tell people I used be 20 to 50 lbs heavier (depending on my mood) and that I have FitFlops to thanks for my weight loss.  I think it helps me justify the fact that I'm wearing small Sloops on my feet.

So Catlin, my darling, I say to you "Eat it!".  I only have a few more months until the weather gets cold and I retire the FitFlops for good.  Also, I seem to remember a boxey pair of white and purple skater shoes that you used to wear on occasion, and you know what they say about glass houses.  Don't throw a shoe!

My Boyfriend's Back... in Jeans!

I've never been one to steal clothes from my current beau.  Besides the occasional t-shirt to sleep in or a pair of boxers, I never made it a point to collect a graveyard of hats or sweatshirts that represent the ghosts of boyfriends past.  But maybe if I had been able to get my hands on a pair of my mans well worn Levi's I wouldn't be so fixated today on the next big trend in denim, the Boyfriend Jeans.

Making a strong case for the distressed dungarees is a new line called Current/Elliot and after several seasons of super tight and stiff skinny legs, we can all finally exhale.  With a slightly higher waist, wider leg and a couple of holes to boot, these jeans offer a fresh take when rocked with a pair of platform heels an old school sweater or both! 

I tried them on a few days ago to give them a test run for you and I suggest going down a size (which they were sadly out off) as their roomy fit makes for some seriously baggy jeans. 

Lindsay Makes Leggings, YSL Rolls in his Grave

Lindsay, Lindsay, Lindsay... girl, you crazy!  We forgave your numerous trips to rehab, your undies amnesia, even your Mom's ridiculous reality show. We'll even look past your faux bi-curious-ness, that's your prerogative.  But when you start trying to make us look bad, well then you've gone to far.  That's the only way I can explain Lindsay Lohan's new line of leggings, she wants us to start dressing badly so that she'll look better in comparison.  Similar to that mean friend in high school that told you "a perm would amaaazing on you", Lohan has put her name on a line of leggings surely meant to sabotage your style.  My favorite is the fingerless glove-knee sock hybrid (available for $42), because nothing says style quite like half a leg full of leopard print.  Not to be out done are the leggings with built in knee pads, being sold somewhere for $132, I guess.  Perhaps, LiLo needs extra padding for her knee area for all the time she spends *insert dirty joke here*.  But I think most of us were doing just fine without them.  Help me prevent tween-age girls everywhere from  being a walking fashion disaster, send this post to friends and family and show them that you care about what they wear.  Because that's what real friends do!

FOUND: American Apparel Brings HyperColor Back!

Yes, it seems my prayers have been answered.  A few posts back while waxing on about my RayBans I mentioned my fondness for the HyperColor T-shirts of yore.  Well, American Apparel must have heard my musings because hitting stores near you are AA's Technicolor T's.   The same heat sensitive fabric we loved is back and available in a selection of colors that are ripe for the wearing.  I can hear the pick up lines being formed as we speak:

Dude in Technicolor T-shirt: Hey, want to see how hot you are?

Girl: huh???

Dude: My shirt can measure your hotness, but I think you're pretty sexy already.

FitFlops: The Experiment- Week Two Review

WEEK TWO

I have made good on my promise and have been wearing the FitFlops a lot more over the course of last week and I even went so far as to measure the circumference of my thigh so that I can note any changes. However, don't think I'm going to be telling you the before and after measurements, I'm only going to divulge the difference if there is any at the end of the experiment. 

I do have some findings to report which I will list below under pros and cons:

PROS

1) These things are comfy.  Not the most scientific analysis but, if you want science go somewhere else.  I really am enjoying wearing these suckers, they are so squishy and supportive that I feel like I can walk all over the city without my feet getting tired or sore.

2) I'm not 100% sure but, I think I might be feeling the slightest reactions in my leg muscles during wear and after.  I think it's safe to say that my muscles are slightly more engaged when I'm walking around in the FitFlops then in regular sandals or flops. Again, if you want science you're at the wrong blog.

3) Not sure if this is a pro but, I was chatting with another FitFlop wearing woman in a store the other day who was pregnant and even though she didn't think they were working to tone anything, she thought that they may be giving her better support for her lower back than other shoes.

CONS

1) They are not cute.  As much as I am enjoying wearing them, it's a little annoying to be running around NYC with small floatation devices on your feet.

2) They styles for men are really not cute.  My boyfriend has totally abandoned the experiment because he found the flops so unsightly and he's not one to fret about what he wears.  He claims that since he has to wear dress shoes to work every day the FitFlops aren't really something that he can work into his wardrobe.  I understand this fact but, I still think they look more normal on his wider man feet then my dainty little lady feet.

3) I still want more wobble.  I wish these things were a little trickier to walk in, maybe if they had weighted soles or weights you could slip into the soles after a few weeks to pump up the "effects".   It would be nice if you had a way to "graduate" to another level of intensity for further results.

Stay tuned for more on FitFlops as the experiment continues and let me know how your own home tests are going.

Mayle Sale

Mayle is having a sale and I am now poor.  That's the text I sent my friend as I was leaving the Elizabeth Street store on Saturday.  DON'T GO whatever you do!  Or at least don't buy things in my size.  See you there, I'll probably be back again tomorrow.

WHO: Mayle

WHAT: Fab Summer Sale

WHERE: 242 Elizabeth Street, near Prince

Chillin' in My Nundie Pants

I've never been very good at math. So when faced with the equation of white pants + panty lines = a bad rear view, I might need a tutor. I know, I could wear a thong but I just don't like them and even my reliable Hanes Perfect Panties (see Panty Perfection) can fail me when a curve hugging pair of white pants or jeans are the common denominator. So this weekend I gave Nundies a try. A slightly odd concept, Nundies are a disposable liner that are applied to the inside of your pants so that you can skip underwear all together. And if you've ever tried to go commando in your tightest pair of jeans and experienced the dreaded Attack of the Seams, you need Nundies. Easy to apply and after a few minutes I completely forgot I had them on. Not to mention, their super sticky adhesive side squashed my fears that they might come loose and tumble out a pant leg. Which would have been only slightly mortifying considering I wore them to my boyfriend's father's 60th birthday dinner. Nundies come in 3 colors black, nude and a pack of assorted colors and are $15 for 5. You can purchase them and test them out yourself at www.missoops.com.

Summer of Jump

Remember the shoes that were built like a shoe but acted like a sneaker?  I like to think that jumpers or jumpsuits (as they're also know) are built like a dress but act like shorts.  Who doesn't love the ease of slipping into a silky dress and instantly looking fab with such little effort?  I certainly do, and jumpers are basically a dress in disguise.  So give a jumpsuit a chance this summer, the two options posted here are by Loeffler Randall and T bags, respectively and can be found on the ever dependable shopbop.com.

FitFlops: The Experiment

WEEK UNO

"The flip flops with a built in gym!" is how FitFlops are described and with the promise of a tighter butt and thighs how could I resist making FitFlops my first product to review for The Tonnish.  I have always been interested in the the higher priced MBT shoes that make a similar claim but FitFlops are slightly less bulky looking and only $39.99.  They also claim to relieve the lower back and joint pain my boyfriend suffers from so, making this a "joint" test was also  appealing. 

There aren't very many rules to the test, we will wear the Fitflops as much as possible and report weekly on the results (or lack there of) for one month.  We aren't changing what we eat or how much we exercise (me: very little, him: more frequently), we're just wearing the "revolutionary" shoes.   Why should I work out when the FitFlops are doing it for me?!

The arrival of our FitFlops was coincidentally the same day as our departure for a long weekend with my family in Cincinnati. "That's perfect!" I said, to my boyfriend.  "We can wear them all weekend, even if they're ugly."  Shoes not being a major point of interest in Cincinnati, I intended to wear the FitFlops all weekend, rain, sleet or nice dinner be damned!

What I expected to feel when  I first slid "the shoes with a built in wobble board" onto my feet was the sensation that I was walking in sand or on a balance ball but, the results were not quite that dramatic.  They definitely felt slightly different the my other flip flops or sandals but, I'm guessing that's because Christian Louboutin hasn't integrated the wobble board into his shoes yet.  I expected them to be a little heavy to acted as little leg weights while I walk but, no such luck- they are light as air.   They are comfortable I will say that, they have a squishy sole that rivals Crocs (which I tried but, abandoned due to their unsightly-ness) however, they do give off a look that is something like small yachts strapped to your feet.  Apparently, they don't come in narrow. Plus, I didn't get a single blister after my first time wearing them which happens even with other brands of rubber flip flops.

I haven't noticed any soreness is my legs (except after swimming laps in my my parents pool) or decrease in the squishy-ness of my tush after one week but, I'm still hopeful.  Maybe I just need to amp up the amount I'm walking everyday to feel an improvement.   My boyfriend is still complaining about his back so, I guess he hasn't noticed any big improvement either.  So, as the next week of the experiment continues the only change I will be making is to try and walk more in the FitFlops, I'll keep you posted!