StyleWhipped

Running With Heels: Alison's Fashion & Style Column

Feel like you need something a little more "exotic" in your wardrobe? Check out my latest Running With Heels column, "A Leopard with Modern Spots" and you might just find what you're looking for!

~ Alison

Daily Devotion: VaVa Skipper Stripe Dress

It seems like every Spring/Summer, like clockwork, we see "nautical" as a big trend on the retail floors. There are boatneck tees, rope belts and embellishments, high-waisted shorts and pants with the sailor button fronts, everything in shades of red, white, and blue, and of course...stripes! I don't personally love the nautical look, but I do love a stripe and tend to like individual pieces. And on this day, I'm loving the  VaVa by Joy Han Skipper Stripe Dress.   

With its navy stripes, belted waist, and just the right amount of ruffle in the right places, this is a fun and flattering summer dress. It manages to look both classic and trendy, and will take its cues from whatever shoes and accessories you choose to pair it up with. So, do try a bit of nautical. Just maybe not all at once!

- Cindy

Daily Devotion: Beyond Vintage Scalloped Lace Top

When one hears "lace top", they instantly tend to complete the image with a high collar and pearl buttons. The words "dainty", "fussy", and even "prissy", come to mind. Not so with Beyond Vintage's Scalloped Lace Top! Complete with batwing sleeves and a banded hem, this lace top is all modern.

What I really love about this is that it takes a formal material, lace, and pairs it with a contemporary and more casual silhouette. This makes it super versatile. I could wear it to client meetings paired with a pencil skirt or sleek trousers. I could throw it on with a pair of skinny jeans and heels and be ready for a night out on the town. Or I could even wear it with distressed, faded denim for a boho chic look. I'm all about pieces that can go a long way, and this piece proves that lace can be practical and multifaceted.   

- Cindy

Daily Devotion Update: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment, now in Rose

Last Winter I sang the praises of Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment on StyleWhipped. I'm so happy to share that Fresh has come up with an alternative with a bit of sheer, buildable color-- Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15. It's gorgeous color with all of the fantastic hydration and protection of the original Lip Treatment. Right now, it's available exclusively to Sephora Beauty Insiders. Not a Beauty Insider? No problem. Signing up is easy and you get to take advantage of great exclusives, perks and rewards. Enjoy!

- Cindy 

Daily Devotion: Leifsdottir 'Abbey Rose' Silk Dress

One of the things I love observing when shopping with friends is what makes them feel glamorous. Sometimes it's a stiletto heel, sometimes it's big statement jewelry, and sometimes it's a shade of red lipstick. The only thing that is certain, is that there are many many interpretations of what glamor is.

One of my dear friends has mastered the art of vintage glamor. She always looks chic, even when casual. And she happens to have that perfect, willowy, narrow body that looks so right in vintage clothing. I've always admired her style, but never really thought it was for me. That is, until I saw Leifsdottir's 'Abbey Rose' Silk Dress. The combination of the colors, the print, the silhouette-- for me it was like playing dress up. It was fun, but more importantly, it was flattering! I instantly wanted t-straps, a clutch, and a pop of red lips. Now if only I could get those perfect pin curls in my hair...   

- Cindy

A New Favorite Silhouette

I love (love, love, love) maxi dresses. But I also love showing a little skin, especially in summer. So for those of you who feel the same way, I have the perfect silhouette for you. Strapless and with a nipped-in waist, these maxi dresses allow you to show off your figure without compromising the whole concept of "maxi"...

From 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent, this is the purest example. And with an ethnic-inspired print in a soft, neutral color palette, you can opt for a bright pair of heels (I personally would rock my yellow python platforms with this one)...

Another, from Daughters of the Revolution (one of my new favorite lines), adds a fabulous ruffle detail covering the bodice, and with its dark ikat print, is perfect for evening. A stack of jeweled gold bracelets is the perfect accessory...

A more casual (but still glam!) choice comes in this jersey number from T-Bags. With a contrasting, brightly-colored rope belt, this can be dressed up for dinner, but also works with delicate flat sandals and an oversized bag for a day of shopping in a beach town...

Lastly, from Single we get a slightly different neckline, but one that still shows off the shoulders you've been working so hard on! In a bold floral, its tropical colors demand gold heels and a matching little clutch...

By the way, each of these are $350 or less. So go ahead, no guilt required...

~ Alison

Running With Heels: Alison's Fashion & Style Column

Thanks in part to Cindy's inspiration, I dedicated an entire RWH column to fringe this week! It's also a follow-up to last week's profile of the boho-chic look...read it here: "On the Fringe"...

~ Alison

Eat at Cosi...but not until tomorrow at 5pm!

As you probably already know, I have recently gotten involved with an amazing non-profit organization called Hearts of Gold. HoG helps homeless mothers and their children, and has been doing incredible work for many years. And this week, they are lucky enough to have Cosi restaurant helping them! At eight locations throughout Manhattan on Wednesday the 24th, Cosi is donating 10% of all proceeds from the dinner rush (5pm-7pm) to Hearts of Gold! So check out the list of participating Cosi locations below, and go have dinner to help some deserving moms!

Participating Cosi restaurants include 8th & Broadway, 6th Ave between 22nd & 23rd, 42nd & Bryant Park, 44th & 3rd, 45th & Madison, 51st & Broadway, 56th & 3rd, and 77th & Broadway. So don't forget to stop in for some of their yummy food between 5pm-7pm on Wednesday...you'll be eating well and doing good!

~ Alison

Daily Devotion: Giles & Brother Tiny Moustache Earrings

Yes, I am absolutely laughing as I write this. To be completely honest, I have no idea if I'd ever actually wear these Giles & Brother Tiny Moustache Stud  Earrings, but I'd totally give them as a gift to certain friends. Sure, they may not wear these either (who knows, maybe they would!), but they will appreciate the same reaction I had when I saw them-- a big, welcome, laugh straight from the gut. Come on, they're hilarious!

I have friends who take fashion so so seriously. That's when it starts feeling like a burden to me. While I always want to look good (and often, even fabulous), I also believe you should have fun with it. I have a list of things that instantly pick up my mood when I wear them. Whether it's a top in a bright shade that's pushing obnoxious (but balanced out by the rest of your outfit please), a piece of jewelry from a loved one, a dress purchased on impulse while on a much needed vacation, or yes, even earrings in the shape of little moustaches, fashion can indeed be good for the soul. So go ahead, buy that neon silk camisole you've been eyeing.  It's good for you.

- Cindy

Back down to (shoe) earth...

Yesterday, I gave you the amazing, fantasty, $3,000 Christian Louboutins below. Granted, they are probably my most favorite shoes I've ever seen. But they are also (again) $3,000, and maybe not all that practical (just maybe...). What we do need, though, are summer shoes that are affordable yet still fabulous, that look like their price tag is missing a zero or two, and that are actually comfortable...

Enter the XOXO 'Negril' sandals. Yes, that XOXO! When I first saw these emerald green phython sandals in person, I wasn't only shocked at their $59.99 pricetag, but I was also pleasantly surprised that XOXO had put them out. With shiny gold hardware and a mirrored gold 1/2-inch heel, these are the perfect summer sandal. The smooth footbed is easy to slide into, and the not-totally-flat silhouette is both flattering and better for your body than true flats. Perfect for the beach or the city, I would wear them with this season's hot-once-again destroyed denim or my favorite white sundress. They add a great pop of color, and at that price, why not get two pair? And lucky for you, they're also available in black, copper (my other favorite), ivory, orange and yellow...all of which you can buy directly through the XOXO website.

~ Alison