November is here and Thanksgiving is the next holiday on the radar, but a few roommate friends had a HallowAutoVember (Halloween-Autumn-November) party on Friday as a belated Halloween and also just an excuse to have a party (not that they need one). Costumes were optional, but thankfully almost everyone who attended went for it. Running off of a fascination with the movie Spring Breakers, two friends and I opted to go that route. They were the spring breakers, and I was James Franco's character, Alien. You know, the redneck, but also wannabe ghetto rapper from St. Petersburg, Florida. I brought along my SLR and the pictures were too good not to share some of them.

what it is: Isabel Marant for H&M
why I love it: It's now pretty obvious that I'm a fan of designer collaborations. I mean, it's designers at a discount, so...obviously, right? Well, Isabel Marant, famous for colorful, patterned knits and jackets and the original popular-izer of the wedge sneaker is coming to your neighborhood H&M this month, and I'm excited. The look above is my favorite of the looks that have been released so far, but in the collection is one of her famous blazers, as well as a lot of other really cool relaxed, patterned, slightly hippie inspired (but not so much that you feel cornered into that style) items. As the weather starts to turn for-real cold, these cozy cool items are being released just in time.
where to get it: H&M starting November 14, prices vary

This special, unplanned post brought to you by Scandal and its dropping a black tie event on us when we least expect it. NO SPOILERS AHEAD! I'm not sure when Olivia Pope has time to shop for black tie gowns, but we've seen her wear a few of them, and she never repeats. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised given the fashionable spin she gives to everyday workwear. And we know she has the money. We've also almost only seen her go formal in black tie, except for the one time her and Fitz...you know, in the oval office post-inauguration, and another time she opts for a short dress in preparation for a night out (we see her in her room, but I think she gets interrupted and never wears it outside? I might be wrong). Lyn Paolo, costume designer on Scandal has been quoted saying that the use of black and white in costuming represents the uncertainty of good vs. bad and who fits which description when, and nothing is more notable about the color palette than its consistent presence in Olivia's gowns. 

Her first formal appearance in season one, episode 3 (my favorite look she's ever worn) has her in an all white, halter-neck, backless number that shows what a fashion player she is, considering this is in her closet or someone is on call to get this for her. She surprises Fitz by showing up at a state dinner, and I think that dress works as an excellent vehicle for a strategic surprise. I wish I knew who designed it.

The next time we see her in a gown is in season 2, episode 7 on her way to Fitz's 50th birthday "bash" that he doesn't want and doesn't end up going to. The gown is Jean Fares and is from a previous season than when the episode was airing. By the next time we see her dressed up, it's at a fundraising gala where she's on call for a client later in season 2 (episode 15). Lines have started to be blurred at this point, and we can tell because she's in black and white. Fitz also attends this gala. Jealousy ensues. I also love that this Escada gown with a sheer lace back is reminiscent of her inauguration dress.

And since that gala, it's been a while! Until last night, season 3 episode 5, Olivia was back at it, and she really upped her game this time. This time Olivia is at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and she goes for a structured bodice Rubin Singer dress, also in black and white. And she goes with gloves to accessorize as well as a fancy hairdo. It's actually not one of my favorites by comparison, but it makes a statement and it's part of a formal dressing evolution Olivia's character is continuously going through. And it's inarguably a beautiful gown. I'm glad they stayed with the black and white theme. Going back to all white would have seemed weird at this point. And color? No. I wish there was a full length picture of her wearing it because there were several in the episode, but I can't find one as of now and Hulu isn't formatted for stealthy screenshots. If you want to be just like Liv, you can buy this dress right now at Saks and Neiman Marcus. That is, if you have 3,000 dollars lying around.

It's obviously possible to endlessly analyze Olivia Pope's wardrobe choices, but I think her formal style is interesting. Most people don't get to go to black tie events...ever, so it's interesting now that we've seen Olivia attend four different ones at different times in her situation with Fitz and other surrounding life events. Kerry Washington and Lyn Paolo do an excellent job at keeping it realistic when it comes to Olivia's income, style, personality, event and the way she usually approaches getting dressed. I love seeing what they come up with. I just still have to wonder if she has these hanging in her immaculate closet (where the clothes she wears actually hang! and they repeat them!) or if she has a personal shopper friend/former client at Saks or Barneys or some such that pulls these out when she needs them. That season 1 gown was very last minute, after all. 

A new month means more closet gaps to fill, and I've got plenty to go around. The weather has cooled down considerably, so here's what I'm on the lookout for as fall eases more and more into winter, and the cozy holidays approach. AND, it's my birthday month. That means that all purchases can be justified, right? Again, as told by street style.

It's officially November, which means that soon we're going to have to seriously start bundling up. The pleasant transition weather in October begins slipping into almost-winter territory right around now. Enter this amazing sweater (the amazing whole outfit comes later). It's Friday which means 1) it's Friday and 2) almost saturday, so this sweater looks pretty much as welcoming as it gets, and she wears it well. Now that it's actually humanly cool enough to wear leather and not be considered a little crazy, these slouchy leather trousers, which are just a little oversized, pair well with the extremely oversized sweater. It's a possibly dangerous look with so much slouch, but the asymmetrical hem of the sweater, sloppy tuck (which helps define the waist) and cuffed ankles give the silhouette some shape. Simple black pumps with interesting detailing were a great, feminine choice to finish off this outfit and add some structure and a bit of refinement. Now go and consider the many options for this sweater while I go get one for myself.

The rise in popularity of menswear over recent years has led to an interesting suit trend, one that becomes very evident when the peacocks come out for Pitti Uomo and fashion weeks. We pretty much know that the suit isn't only for formal events and suit-required office environments anymore, as a trend in people electing to wear suit for fun is in an upswing. But this doesn't mean donning your Sunday best for Sunday brunch, necessarily. An interesting appearance of what I'll refer to as the "day suit" helps classify exactly what is formal and what is recreational suit wearing.

Recreational suit wearers often belong to the bare ankle club, cuffing their suit pants to reveal sockless feet in any number of shoe varieties, or when it's cold, exposing crazy sock patterns artfully crumpled around the ankles. These suits are more fitted and often more stylized, sometimes more colorful, usually have a pocket square and definitely don't require a tie. Shoes from sneakers to oxfords can be worn with this kind of suit and if you're feeling adventurous, mixing and matching the tops and pants is common practice. Just like girls have "day" dresses and "day" heels, now the guys get to play, and it's a pleasing trend to discover. 

How do you tell the difference between a suit for fun and a suit for formal? Well, I guess they aren't always so different, but you can kind of tell. Tie (bonus points for tie bar!), and formal shoes finishing off a fully suited look, toned down colors and a limited color/pattern option for the shirt underneath are all telling signs. Oh, and if the pants are the deemed "appropriate" length, meaning no ankles in sight, you're probably looking at someone with a place to go.

Bridal fashion week ended not too long ago, and though I'm light years away from actually having to choose a dress, I can't say I don't like to look, especially in the spirit today's topic of dressing up. One of the most striking things I usually take away from the week of shows is how many different styles of dresses there are, and how much I would want to wear some of the dresses to other non-wedding fancy events (considering I'm only planning on wearing a wedding dress for a wedding one time). Though white dresses always threaten to be "bridal" on a red carpet or at other formal events, I love white in a sea of black and red party goers. If a white dress is styled right, it's easy to forget that looking bridal is a possibility in the first place. Below are some of my favorite dresses from the season that just showed to wear outside of a wedding, or, I guess, ones I'd love to see walk a red carpet. You know, in the event that red carpet invite comes in the mail. I guess we can always leave that for the celebs.

All images via TheCut.com and Brides.com (these photos are also watermarked). 

I've been pretty into dresses over shirts lately because I've seen it done well around the interwebz. I can't help but catch a little of this holiday buzz, even though I try to fend it off until after Thanksgiving (one holiday at a time, please). That's why this sparkly dress caught my eye. It's something I'd probably pick up on my own, and would be perfect for pretty much any holiday party, but it looks so good over this unassuming gray turtleneck, too. Add some tights and biker boots and this look becomes daytime cool. Pair it with some pointy (but not too pointy) black pumps with an oh so skinny heel, and it's a not as dressy but extremely interesting night look. I mean, if you're going to be wearing this between now and spring, why not make yourself more comfortable and add some sleeves?

Happy halloween! Hope you have a happy, spooky, scary, fun, candy-filled holiday!

At this point, I don't think it's a secret that I'm a fan of costuming in shows and movies, and I notice it as much as whatever is happening on screen. Which brings me to Edith Head, one of the absolute greats in the business. She won 8 oscars for her designs and was the mastermind behind some of the most iconic movie looks in the history of film. Google had this lovely doodle for her birthday yesterday, and Honestly WTF did a roundup of some of her designs, which invite you to stare for hours. So, go on.

Update: catching up on reading, and The Cut has arelated slideshow, too.