It starts with the inability to pair the right piece of jewelry. A mad rush in the morning, the effort to accessorize is abandoned and you’re forced to face the day bare necked, wristed, and lobed. Stage 2? Leather goods in which “good” is the last word used to describe — the bag bought just last season garners cold stares; shoes, the same. In the most severe of cases, you walk out the door furious at your entire ensemble: a ratty dress, heels in desperate need of resoling, a haircut riddled with split ends.
The Cause? Wardrobe weardown. The Solution? Shopping, natch.
Wardrobe weardown usually hits right about this time of year, when chilly days give way to balmy temps, change is in the air and you realize you're in desperate need of breathing new life into your ensembles. Lucky for you and me (trust me on the latter, last week was a doozy), inspiration abounds. Hopefully, my colorful picks below are just the medicine to cure what ails you: 1) I'm feeling like it's gonna be a preppy spring, perhaps after previewing the Tommy Hilfiger Prep World pop-up in Meatpacking last week. Between badminton and backgammon sets, I spotted this cheerful cardigan, perfect for layering over an equally sunny sundress.
2) Keeping on the Preppy trend (little Zack Morris joke for you), this Proenza Schouler messenger pouch from Opening Ceremony fits the perfect bill. I sometimes have dreams about holding hands with Clinton Kelly on What Not To Wear and having a $5k credit card to ONLY use at Opening Ceremony. Too much information? Oh well, it’s true.
3) We can't wax poetic on warm weather without addressing shades and it’s safe to say I'm obsessed with these Carreras. If you don’t have a Solstice Sunglasses boutique near you, they offer FREE shipping both ways (a fact I learned recently, to the detriment of my FedEx guy).
4) My hometown of Chicago is buzzing with excitement, as the latest outpost of Topshop begins building its new home on Michigan Avenue. The 3-story behemoth will feature Chicago-exclusive designs, but the brand’s latest offering of colorful kicks certainly satisfies in the meantime: How adorable are these two-tone espadrille wedges?
5) Fine, it’s probably going to get dirty the second you sit down on the subway, but I feel strongly that I need this Patterson J. Kincaid dress in my closet. I met the Creative Director, Chelsey Santry, a few months ago and fell in love with her designs — peruse ShopBop for five minutes and tell me if you don’t agree…
6) Finally, can we just talk about this snakeskin skirt from Rebecca Taylor? I mean…
xoxo, Julie
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The Fashion Spot's Editor-at-Large, Julie Bensman, is also the Entertainment Editor for Niche Media, whose titles include Gotham, Hamptons, Ocean Drive and LA Confidential. Closed Set is a collection of her musings on all things fashion, from an editor’s desk to your desktop.
