How cool does she look? I love the straightforward sweater tucked into this patterned skirt that's not so long that it looks like it needs to stay at work, but not so short that it looks like it only can go to the club. Like a t-shirt, but a little more interesting and fall appropriate. The pattern is eye-catching and the whole outfit is just easy, but much more elevated than the sweater would be with jeans, which is also easy for fall. A clutch instead of a handbag make this even more stylish and the hat punctuates the look with a statement that offsets the femininity of a tight, short skirt. I wish we could see the shoes, but it's maybe for the best that we can't because this look would work with so much. Combat boots, riding boots, pumps, sandals, chelsea boots, interesting flats, sneakers, booties--depending on where you're going, this look invites a selection of footwear. A statement necklace or scarf could also work with this, but sometimes simple is best. I definitely want to go to lunch AND after work drinks with this girl.

Most guys know not to wear white socks with anything other than sneakers. Or they should. But today's more stylish men take the dress sock a little further. If your pants are the right length, your socks will be visible to the world once you take a seat, so why not invest in a little interest? Whether you're wearing a suit, just dress pants, khakis or really any other kind of pant with a sock-required shoe, some sock fun might just be what your outfit needs.

Some guys don't get to have too much fun with their workwear, and many don't have the confidence to go crazy with their clothes. This small, only sometimes visible detail of an outfit can make all the difference when it comes to style and personality.

For some industry expert tips on getting in on this trend, consult GQ, Mr. Porter and Details to get started.

I often long for occasions where I can wear a good tulle skirt. They don't come around very often, hence I don't own one. But THIS stylish fashion week go-er knows how to work this skirt without looking like an adult 8-year-old. Let's start with the foundation. Pairing this voluminous skirt with just a plain long sleeved t-shirt was a great start. I love how she went monochrome with it. It's an understated almost neutral gray-blue that adds some modernity and sophistication. She keeps it light and fun with accessories, though. The pink candy wrapper clutch and large charm statement necklace are perfect complements to an otherwise simple outfit. She could have gone any number of ways with the shoes. Flats with a skirt that length threaten to stunt legs, and crazy heels might have been a touch too much. She went an unexpected yet delightful route with sneakers of the extremely bright variety. Sneakers are pretty random, and might not have worked with this, but the ridiculousness (in a good way) of the color kind of demand that they just work. This skirt can go twee or costume in so many ways, and she just owns it. Well done.

I saw these pants and instantly wanted to buy them, but I was already buying a cotton fit-and-flare dress in the same pattern, so I held off. I went home in June to find these on sale for $10 (!!!!!) and snatched them up. They are so obnoxious and great, they beg to be worn with bright colors, but black obviously goes just as well. I first wore these on the plane home from that same trip with a simple black racerback tank, denim vest and plain black sandals. I next wore them with a red-orange tank and black sandals later in the summer. 

I was loving that color contrast, so for fall I'm switching to a closed-toe option in my beloved kicks, which I think are so striking against the neutral colors in the loud pattern. Because the shoes are so....neon, all I need to finish off this outfit is a black top, but peplum to keep things interesting and a little dressy. In keeping with the dressy on top, sporty on the bottom theme, I'll throw on some bold black and gold accessories to make sure and maintain some femininity. 
-E

Welcome to "outfit lab," something new that my desire to stare at outfits has taken to a new level! Here I will post an outfit from any number of photo genres--street style, celebrity, editorial, etc-- and "dissect" the look (get it? lab, dissect..ha ha..anywayyy). Today we alliterate with menswear!

Today we have a casual fall look that is pretty easy to duplicate. Though this brooding, city strolling model is wearing head-to-ankle Club Monaco (pretty sure he's wearing Vans sneakers), this look can be patched together by any number of brands. Let's break it down. We have a standard collared shirt at the base of things, worn under a sweater quarter zip. With black jeans (also would look great with traditional blue!) and sneakers, this potentially professional or semi-formal look is toned down to what annoying people refer to as "smart casual" and it's an easy polished outfit, a great start. But THEN, this baseball jacket situation really takes it up a notch. 

The jacket is a non-traditional choice in a great combination of neutrals. Instead of a blazer or a pea coat, this option is unique while still on trend, masculine, casual and cool. Especially for fall, baseball jackets are a great choice to have in the outerwear arsenal for those transitional not-too-cold days. If you're spending a lot of time outside, it makes for an upgraded look no matter what's underneath, and thoughtful layering, forgive the pun, knocks it out of the park. Baseball season might be ending, but this jacket is a great investment for fall AND spring.
-E 

The last time I dramatically cut my hair, I was a junior in high school and I was donating it. I donated a traumatic 13 inches which left my hair shorter than I expected and it took forever to grow back. The last time I had bangs was my sophomore year of college. As part of my plan to intern in New York City the next summer, I thought I'd do my part and get a "metropolitan" hairstyle to go with my new fabulous intern life (LOL). I had bangs for about a year and then decided that I wanted "mermaid hair" and a center part and to just leave it alone. So that's what I've done for the last few years. 

I've been itching for a change for a little while, but I had yet to see a style that I really wanted to commit to. My hair is thick and curly, and if I'm going to have to put a lot of effort into maintaining a style, it's gotta be one I'm happy to deal with every day. I saw this style in a magazine my mom brought back from a trip to the UK as the after component of a makeover story, and I just knew it was the one. I took it to The Drawing Room upon a recommendation from Stephanie, and now I have a spiffy new 'do. Thanks, Stylist!

I've never been attached to my hair. It grows back, and a lot of times I'm just annoyed with it, so cutting it has never been a big deal. However, a lot of people don't know how to negotiate curly hair in a way that makes it look normal styled and somewhat natural, so I get nervous going to a stylist that is different than my trusted-since-fifth-grade stylist at home. After I found nothing but praise for The Drawing Room, I decided I better just go for it since it was time for a change, so here it is! I couldn't be happier with the service at the salon, even though it was definitely an NYC price, something I've never indulged in before. It was worth it, though, when I didn't want to walk away unhappy and stuck with a bad haircut.

UPDATE: Now that I've worn this cut both straight and curly, I can confirm that he did an excellent job cutting my hair since it holds shape when it air dries. Many times with curly hair, it just looks like a house, so I'm happy I can just let it go (once I deal with the bang situation) when it's wet now, and I don't have any Liz Lemon issues.

About seventeen years ago, my mom became a breast cancer survivor. Four years later, she became a double survivor, very thankfully. Since that time, the breast cancer cause has been one that's very close to me, whether it's contributing through races and donations or really any other type of support possible. This is why I love the fashion industry and the "girl power" attitude that comes with it. Over the years, many fashion and beauty brands have come to participate in the cause, so it's very easy to get involved or contribute money through various "pink" efforts. Now, so many national companies are on board, not just in fashion and beauty, but food, tech, activewear and many other genres of business. I'm so thankful that such a large number of companies get on board so that more people struggling now and in the future can have success stories like my family's. I love you, mom, and I'm grateful every day for your fight.
-E

food
Chop't salads, Panera bread and Crumbs Cupcakes are just a few food outlets that contribute to BCA efforts, both with financial contributions and specialty food items and containers that signify the cause.

beauty
Tons of beauty brands participate in BCA efforts with different pink beauty offerings the contribute to the cause. Amongst them are popular brands Essie, Ralph Lauren, Bobbi Brown, Bumble and Bumble, Clinique, Estée Lauder and Paul Mitchell.

fashion
Fashion brands are also quick to get on board with the cause. Big names like White House Black Market, Rebecca Taylor, Ann Taylor and LOFT, Lilly Pulitzer, Van Cleef & Arpels and Coach all have clothing, accessory and jewelry offerings as contributions.

bonus: sports! love from the men

what it is: Kenzo Paris "graphic" sweatshirts
why I love it: It's finally sweater weather, and as much as we all love a chunky knit or the feeling of soft, warm cashmere, sometimes it's fun to go a little edgier. Just like the equally sporty baseball hats, sweatshirts are really having a fashion moment. Brands and designers are veering away from the plain, oversized, fleecy variety for more made-for-women types with interesting designs that work just as well with jeans and cool boots as they do with a mini or maxi skirt and heels. These Kenzo varieties, which are favored by street style stars, are a little more aspirational in price, but the French brand does an excellent job of utilizing fun colors and designs that work well with both very styled as well as cool casual looks. One of these is definitely on my wish list. In the meantime, it's not hard to use these as inspiration when shopping for one in a more practical price range.
where to get it: Kenzo.com, prices vary
-E

Thank goodness for Converse. My mom bought me my first pair, of the low-top black variety, when I was in seventh grade. I still have these, frayed shoelaces, drawn-on soles and all. Since that initial pair, I've added a pair of white low-tops and off-white high-tops. I can't say enough good things about them. I know there are other sneaker options out there, I personally have my beloved neon kicks, and Supergas are having a big moment, Keds have been around forever, Vans, I get it. But there's something so classic and sharp about punctuating an outfit with a Converse sneaker that no other sneaker variety seems to offer. It's like the shoe that's there when no other shoe quite works. And for that they are owed some positive reflection.

When I only had my one pair, Converse were just starting to shed their association with the "goth" crowd in middle school, and my 2003 self felt that I needed to prove my distance from that group's classification, wearing the black low-tops with slightly flared jeans and a velvet blazer ("business" on the top, casual on the bottom). I wore them with shorts and skirts and just about any outfit you wouldn't expect a sneaker to go with. When I went for my white ones, they were meant to be more of a statement. They were intentional. I paired them with white jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt and dresses that called for a much more formal shoe. I stumbled upon the slim-soled high-tops sometime in 2011, and stalked them for a while. I waited too long and they stopped making the off-white kind, so I just went for the original, and I'm so glad I finally gave in. 

My high-tops offer more variety than I could ever expect. From chambray shirts with jorts and sweater/shorts combos to rolled up skinnies with lots of layers to a leather skirt with my new Boom sweatshirt plus swingy dresses, maxi skirts and just plain keeping it casual (on gameday, go Wildcats!), they're shockingly versatile, but in a way I also anticipated (which is why I stalked them for so long, I guess). 

Converse are the best. There's almost nothing they can't go with outfit-wise, and sometimes just the prospect of wearing them with an outfit gets me excited. I thought they deserved a shoutout.

Okay, I just have to vent for a second. I know that the whole jacket over shoulders "look" is a "trend" but it's getting out of hand. Jackets are made to keep people warm with SLEEVES. I get toting a jacket along in case you get cold or if you're worried you might not go home before nighttime and the temperature drops (and mayyybe so it's easy to see an outfit under it in a picture), but seriously, if you're not WEARING your jacket, sleeves and all, please don't drape it over your shoulders. It looks ridiculous and must only work for pictures because how does it even stay on when you're moving around like a human? Can we please stop this as a "thing" and choose? Jacket or no jacket, it's not that hard! Just like half sheer maxi dresses, this needs to be OVER. Also, I promise you'll be warmer if you put your arms in the sleeves!
-E