Girl’s Guide to Going Green

There is no help for it. We women like to shop. Unfortunately, this means we consume a lot of resources and put out a lot of waste. Even if you donate the bulk of your old items to thrift shops and Goodwill you still burned through a lot of natural resources. The book "Green Chic" contains numerous ideas on how girls can streamline their lifestyle and cut back on their consumerism. Besides helping the environment, it assists you in cutting back on your spending habits in our current economy. It is one of those cases of splurging on this book now, to help you later. The book has a lighthearted conversational tone that makes it easy to read. Go and be enlightened!

AUGH!!! Big Fashion No-No

My eyes were visually assaulted the other day by tropical fish clearly stolen from “The Little Mermaid” hanging from someone’s earlobes. I am quite certain Flounder is missing his cousin something fierce and would like him returned. I only wish I had the technological know-how to return the poor little fish to his home.

Fish motifs are popular in tropical places. They are a favorite of tourists and residents alike. I am not particular fond of them when they are hanging on the walls, but under no circumstances should they be worn on your ears like some sort of trophy! Especially, when they are the size of a small battle cruiser and hanging from your lobes to your shoulder in colors bright enough people around you are going blind from the glare. The colors don’t match anything but tacky tourist clothes anyway. You would be much better off investing in some cute (small) sand dollars or starfish made of gold or silver. They still have that tropical flavor but without the vulgar flair of cheap neon plastic.

Permanent Ink

I’ve seen some tattoos that I thought appeared pretty darn neat. The problem is permanence. What if you decide you don‘t like the design? Or if you gain weight and get stretch marks through it? It can go from nifty to nightmare. So, if you are going to get tattoo, try and get it somewhere you can cover it if you desire.

Some tattoos you want to show. The permanent make-up kind for instance. You can have your lips and eyes outlined. It would certainly save you some time in the morning. Your eyeliner would never run and your lip liner would always be flawless.

On a cautionary note, be sure to get it done in a normal color. If you had your eyes lined in a blue or green you run the risk of it clashing with numerous outfits. Black and brown are your best options.

Lip liner color can also go wrong. If you get a permanent lip liner tattoo done in a dark shade of maroon and decide you want to wear a light pink lipstick you will have to go to a lot of work to cover it up. Red lip liner and bright shades run the same risk. It is easier to cover a light color than a dark color. Pick a neutral tone. That way your daily lipstick will match. On special occasions, your permanent lip liner won’t be wasted because it will help you flawlessly line your lips with a darker shade. Advantageous as permanent make-up may be, remember you will be stuck with it and getting it done will likely be painful as your face is a very sensitive area.

Study Guide

I don’t subscribe to the theory that fashion is something you can learn from a book. It is a sixth sense you develop through practice and experimentation. But practical experience can be helped on its way with some professional advice. Nina Garcia wrote a book called “The Little Black Book of Style” that I feel fits this criteria better than any other fashion magazine or book I have ever read. It covers a wide variety of subjects within from the basic must haves, to a break down of fashion from numerous decades. As the editor of Elle magazine, she has the background to make her book trustworthy. If you feel inadequate to the task of tackling fashion on your own, this is the guide for you.

Spend or Trend

Styles come and go. Some people argue that they work in cycles. Whether or not this is true, there are some items you should invest in. They will always be in no matter the current trend and for that reason I encourage you to purchase them even if they are expensive. It will be worth the extra money to get top quality items that will hold up under a few years wear.

A nice pair of black slacks should be at the top of this list. A myriad of tops in various colors and cuts can be paired with them over a long period of time. You should worry most about purchasing a pair that fits well in the hips and waist. Length can be taken care of by a good tailor. Additionally, pick a pair without a lot of fancy stitching and details. This insures their longevity in the style department.

The same basic rules apply when picking out a black suit. Forego intricate and head for simplistic. This way your blouse and jewelry can change with the times and your suit will remain a classic. Try not to get a skirt that us either too short or too long. Just above or below the knee remains the best length.

The Little Black Dress is perhaps one of the most important pieces in a ladies repertoire. It can be worn on a variety of occasions and rarely does it look bad on anyone. Style and material don’t matter. Just locate one that creates a flattering figure on you.

A good pair of jeans remain an investment. Boot cut is best because no matter which way fashion swings (toward flare or straight leg) they are a close enough fit to be stylish. A dark wash is the best color.

Shoes are always a good investment, but if you are looking for one particular kind to purchase on a budget you need a pair of sturdy black pumps. They are versatile and comfortable. Like all necessary wardrobe staples should be.

Wake up to Make-up

Burt’s bees lip balm has become one of the best buys for lip care. They come in numerous tints, some light and some dark. No matter the color they stain your lips a nice shade and keep your lips moist for a long period of time. Those moisturizing ingredients keep your lips from having to reapply as frequently as you need to with other glosses. The all natural ingredients used in the product also mean you can go green at the same time you get softer lips. Burt’s lip gloss is not as expensive as many other green products. They don’t cost much more than any other brand name lip gloss and they are cheaper than Victoria Secret’s. It’s a topnotch balm anyway you spin it.

AUGH!!! Big Fashion No-No

I have finally located the worlds ugliest (and creepiest) pair of shoes! I don't care how desperate you are for a great werewolf costume on Halloween (let's hope that is the only reason anyone would consider these shoes!) they are beyond hideous. In fact, I think I would prefer to lose toes to hypothermia than slip my feet into these suckers. Without a doubt, this is my biggest fashion NO to date!

Cinderella

I seriously wonder if something like a love of shoes can be an inherited trait. My grandmother and I compete to see who owns the most shoes. I have yet to win. She owns over 100 pairs and beats me every time. I realize she’s got a few years on me, but I feel the gap should be closing. Despite my incredible tendencies to buy shoes, I have only managed to keep the status quo. My sole consolation is due to the fact we wear the same size. She still owns some darling spike heels I am only to happy to borrow whenever I visit. Only to make sure the shoes aren’t consigned to live the remainder of their days in a box of course! I’m thinking only of those poor shoes and the miserable existence they could be stuck with. Now that Grandma is in her 80’s, she decided she wants to escape the possibility of a broken hip and retired a small pile of shoes. Though she retains ownership, I get wearer rights. That is a serious perk to our friendly competition. I knew some good came from the gene pool.

Work It or Cover It

Bra straps show. There is no way to keep them from peeking out from time to time even if you buy a bra whose straps can be criss-crossed or turned into a halter strap. Although, Victoria Secret’s 100 hundred way bra comes pretty dang close. One way to solve this problem is to implement bra-straps into your look by making it appear as another layer by wearing bras in bright colors. White should only be worn if you are wearing a t-shirt that has a 0% chance of a strap peeking out. Replace your white bras with those in nude tones if there is the slightest possibility of a sneak appearance. Remember, color is your friend.

Song Sung Blue

Jeans remain a staple clothing. This popularity is due to their comfortable and versatility. For casual daily wear, you can throw on tennis shows and t-shirts. When you want to dress up, you can simply put on nicer shirts and heels with dressier jewelry. The ease with which jeans turn from one style to another is an advantage easily implemented. Trouble arises in finding pairs that fit your body type.

The material your jeans are made of does make a difference. Dark jeans make you look slimmer. Light jeans while they don’t add weight, don’t do you any favors. Buying a pair with a little spandex added to the denim means when your weight fluctuates you can still wear your pants.

Lucky magazine declared a dark wash flare jean to be the best pick for the majority of the population. Make sure you choose a low-rise waist because a high-waist looks too 70s. The jean should be tight down to about your knee and the flare should not be any wider than eight inches. That isn’t much wider than a boot cut jean so you should be able to buy one of those as a substitute if it fits appropriately everywhere else.

Skinny jeans became all the rage recently. They are particularly tricky to wear because you have to be in the perfect weight bracket to pull off the look. If your hips are too slender, they decrease your curves and they add ten pounds if you do have hips. If you want to pull them off, wear a shirt that goes 3-4 inches past the trouble spot.

White- The New Black

The Little Black Dress is definitely one of those pieces that every woman should invest in. If you don’t already own it, I recommend going to the stores and hunting one down- now. If you have bought a LBD, I recommend buying one of this summers trendy pieces: a white sundress. They come in numerous shapes and styles and no particular one is better than any other. The only set detail is the color.

Mr. Toe

Summer begins soon. With it comes sandals and flip flops. That means your toes are going to be on display. Time to buff and polish each little piggy. I recommend doing the work yourself because pedicures rack up the expenses.

When you paint your toenails, use 3- 4 coats and a top coat to seal it. Make sure you let each coat dry before adding the next. This gives you a look closest to that you would get from a professional salon. It does take longer to do your toenails this way, but the end results are worth it.

Doing a thorough job eats up time. That means you need to be choosier about color. You won’t want to, or be able to, switch colors as often as you could when you used 1-2 coats. Assess your wardrobe and find a color that works with the majority of your clothes. Most people do not have two weeks worth of blue and yellow clothes. A French pedicure or shades of pink are usually your best bet. Red and black can also be neutral on your toes. Darker colors stand out more and show mistakes more easily. They also take more coats to get the desired color. Whatever color you choose, make sure you like it because you have to wear it. If you go shopping for a new color, Opi is one of the best brands of polish.

AUGH!!! Big Fashion No-No

I am begging you, no matter how cold your feet get do not wear socks with your flip flops. Only my grandfather could get away with that. The elder generations should not manage to addlepate us so severely we begin to wear their styles. Toe-socks do not give you an excuse either. I know they make it easier to wear socks with flops, but they don't make it look any better. Toe socks are great for lounging around the house. Just take them off when you go out. If you must leave them on, cover them with a pair of tennis shoes.

Ecstasy of Purchase

Is shopping on the internet cheating? There is none of the size search or the rifling through sales racks. Instead, you just run searches on-line and then with two clicks you've bought yourself the item you'ce been looking for. Sometimes, it takes months to locate that one perfect piece to complete your outfit. Now the inernet can help you locate it in a matter of minutes. For me it takes the fun right out of it. Shopping was not meant to be a sport done while sitting on your couch.

Make It or Break It

Accessories, while not a necessity, contain the potential to ruin an outfit. The wrong accessories can completely ruin an outfit, but they can also be an asset. Depending on your shoes, bag, and jewelry, you can dress up or dress down jeans or a dress. Beachy jewelry and flops make your jeans and t-shirt look summery. Wearing ballet flats with a dangly necklace paired with a beaded bag with that same outfit can make it a good look for an evening out with friends.


Remember when accessorizing keep it simple. The adage less is more, was written with fashion in mind. The more you wear, the more you run the risk of your jewelry distracting from your overall look. You don't want people to stare because you are dripping with ice and your jewelry should not turn you into a backdrop. It is equally reprehensible to have your outfit become unnoticable due to strings of necklaces and bracelets up to your elbows. The idea is to enhance your natural assets not replace them.


One of the trickiest rules of jewelry is whether it is o.k. to mix gold and silver pieces. Some people say yes and others, no. My solution is to invest in a watch that has both silver and gold on the band. That way, whichever you wear you can still sport your watch. It also operates as your tie-in piece if you do decide to blend your silver and gold jewelry.


There is no doubt that accessorizing is one of the trickiest areas of fashion but it also one of the most fun. It can either rescue your outfit or condemn it, and you, to fashion hell. Despite the danger, make sure you experiment every once you've gotten your feet wet. Some of the most original outfits come from taking a chance.

Mr. Sun has Risen

I love my father, I really do, but he has had the same style of sunglasses since the 80's. I can't ever remember seeing him in another style. I know they broke occasionally. So apparently, he bought them in bulk. I used to moan and groan and tease him about those sunglasses that I considered ridiculous. Until a few months ago, when suddenly aviator sunglasses were back in style along with bomber jackets. Before I knew it, I found myself swiping my dad's sunglasses behind his back. Not only were they stylin' but they were vintage, so much the better. There is nothing more fun than authenticity. Then, to my dismay my father discovered where exactly his sunglasses had disappeared to. I became the victim of the jokes and I found myself without my newfound shield from the sun. Fortunately, poetic justice is alive and kicking because his glasses broke within a week. As it turns out they were his last pair. Tragic. But it certainly proves that fashion does run in 20 year cycles. I don't think I am ever going to get rid of anything ever again. It is all going in boxes to be stored in the garage. With any luck, by the time I'm fifty, I'll save a bundle on clothes or at least accessories.

And the Winner is...

I could not believe that Christian won Project Runway! Granted, Mr. Fierce did manage to put together an incredibly cohesive collection, but it was so dark. Almost all his clothes were black and dark brown. He used a light tan as an accent. Even the judges felt that all the black was overwhelming and that anyone from the third row on back would miss all the details of his clothes. Personally, I felt that he had the same hang-up as Chris (who was eliminated) and that his line bordered on costume.

However, I did feel there existed a couple positives to his work. His look had the androgynous nature of Goth while also putting in feminine touches which make it fall into the romantic category. To achieve both of those simultaneously is no easy feat. Christian's feather work on all the shoes of his models were nothing short of amazing. And his final dress was coated in the same detail.

It was Jillian I was desperately rooting for. Each clothing item she presented was gorgeous and feminine and her work was unique. Everything she made showed her unique perspective on fashion while still paying homage to history. Some of her sweaters I had never seen the like of before. The culmination of her collection was the most gorgeous dress. The way it floats and flows around the body of the model makes it airy despite its darker style. I wish her collection as a whole had been as strong.

Unfortunately, I agreed with the judges when they said her line as a whole lacked the cohesion of her competitors. Each outfit individually showed more skill, but collectively, they lacked the foresight of the other designers.

Never Run with Scissors

Hair cuts remain one of those nebulous areas that is just so hard to get right. You can walk in with a picture of something you think will look great and walk out looking like Albert Einstein. Here are some tips and tools that I hope will make your next haircut a success. Believe me, a seriously bad hair experience takes time to fix.

Take my last hair fiasco. I have really fine hair, and to compound the problem, I hate spending time fixing it every morning. After a lot of consideration, I decided a body perm was the answer to my problem. It would save me a lot of time in the mornings. I would no longer have to even blow dry my hair, never mind, anything else. In my idiocy, I refused to wait until my regular stylist could do it. Instead, I went to a friend of a friend and made it quite clear I only wanted a little volume by adding a few large loose curls. I exited looking like a poodle. Since then, I have spent copious amounts of money slowly cutting off my icky (and exceedingly curly) hair.

I made a last ditch effort to keep some length a month ago. It looked great when I left. All my hair was magically straight and silky. Of course, even when I was willing to expend the effort to straighten my hair the humidity kinked it back up in record time. I tried, tried, tried, tried, tried, again and again to get my hair to stay straight and finally had to admit defeat. The end result after a year of being terrorized by my hair was the short haircut I had long avoided.

Now, while you have zero control over your hairstylist, you do have some control over what you request. That's not to say whoever you end up with can do what you like. I highly recommend shopping around until you find someone who does your hair well and then stick to them like glue. That usually requires good tipping, but you really don't want to screw over someone who uses sharp objects on your head anyway. Just make sure once you find 'the one', you dn't go to someone you've never met. That's what got me into trouble. I will never cheat on my hairstylist again.

I discovered a couple sites that let you scan in your picture and try on various haircuts and hairdye. My favorite is a site which allows you to experiment with celebrities haircuts as well as makeup and other accessories. You can see how sunglasses and hats would look with the new haircut you choose. This is convenient because you can save the money you might have to spend on new accessories if they all clashed with your new do. The second site displays haircuts and you can also scan in your own photo but it lacks any extras. Whichever you choose, it moves the possibility of a good haircut further into the realm of possibility.

Carpe Diem

Tired of seeing the same things hangin in your closet every winter, but you can't afford to buy a new heavy coat? The best time to shop for your winter wardrobe is in the spring. That means now. The reason behind this is simple- sales. By now, any jackets and sweaters should be hanging on the 75 % off rack. Now the pickings may be slim, but that just offers a challenge in persistantance. Just be careful that you don't buy just to buy, because the prices have dropped so low. You still need to be selective.

Goin' Green

I admit it. The first time I saw an article on going green with your underthings I thought someone out there had lost their mind! Then I had a reality check. Do I really want a bunch of chemically treated cloth on sensitive areas? No, no I don't. So now I have reconsidered. I think going green with your underwear is one of the best ideas since the invention of shopping malls.

Before you panic, they do have some that remain fashionable. You certainly don't want to trade in style for organic. If you would, you are a better woman than I. I want both. Fortunately, women are a large consumer force and someone anticipated the fact many women won't go green unless they can still be fashionable. My favorite pairs come from figleaves.com . They are dyed bright colors and are eco-friendly. But the best part is they are fun.

They all use thermo-chromatic inks, so as the fabrics heat up against your skin, the prints change.

Nifty, huh? Good for you, good for the planet, and entertainment to boot!

AUGH!!! Big Fashion No-No

I know plaid and checkered clothes are making a comeback. There are even some that I like. But checkered pants that make it seem as if you stole someone's tablecloth, because Yogi and Boo-boo already got the picnic basket, do not look attractive on anybody. I guarantee people are not looking at you because they admire your fashion forward way of dressing. What they want, is to know if you have any fried chicken and deviled eggs left over. If you remain oblivious to that, at least acknowledge the trail of ants behind you.

Smaller checks are preferable but please avoid any that make you look like you came from Gilligan's Island or Oz. The easiest way to avoid that is to watch the cut of the dress, the kind of fabric, and your accessories.

Drum Roll Please...

I finally got to see the last two episodes of Project Runway. I missed them when they aired and I was Psyched to catch a re-run.

Tim Gunn traveled to the homes of the four finalists and we got a sneak peak at their collections. What I saw worried me. Two of the four finalists put together collections based on the Romantic Goth style. It gave me flashbacks to the season three finale when two competitors both created their lines around a safari theme. This time around I wanted more originality out of the designers. Christian, who was doing Romantic Goth, was already part of the final three, but there was hope that Chris, who was using the same theme, might still be eliminated.

Rami and Chris each showed three looks. The left two above are Rami's and the two on the right are Chris's. You'll notice that despite the fact that Rami did not do his entire line in a gothic style he still showed the judges the dark clothes from his collection.

Chris created his looks with odd material. He made an overlay on a skirt and the necklace out of safety pins (shown top). I thought that was creative. What disturbed me, was the use of human hair as a trim on the coat (also shown top). I considered that use of material creepy.

What bothered me about Rami was that he once again relied on his skill at draping. To be fair, he did try some new techniques, but after numerous complaints from the judges I was surprised he sent a dress out that was so reminiscent of ones he had done throughout the show.

In the end, Rami won the last spot at Fashion Week. The judges said that Chris made costumes while Rami designed clothes. Because the line between the two is so thin, I'll leave delineating it to the experts. I was just glad I wouldn't be inundated with two lines of clothes all done in black. Well, in all fairness, I was more than a bit relieved not to have to watch models strutting down the runway with human hair decorating their clothes, too.