Po'gue

What’s hot this season?

2006-08-29T05:58:00.001-07:00

Trends with restraint: Embracing the 80’s without letting them have their way with you and still being able to respect yourself in the morning…

What’s hot? What’s not? Just because Kate is wearing something, should I? It may be time to accept that, while cigarette pants may create a silhouette on some, there’s not even a handroll that will make them work on me. Easing my way into a new trend, while keeping it at an arm’s length. Not letting the trend own you, but rather, owning the trend—and only in the form you want.

While we all need to face it, the 80’s are back, my advice to all Po’guettes everywhere is to embrace with restraint. As we readily embrace new friends, new men and new fads, we have to consider that just because it’s there, doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

If leggings are fashion’s new fling and you want to see about a roll in the fray with them, go ahead, but remember that they might not fit as well as you thought they would. You thought they’d jive with your layers, but before you know it, your hair is in a right pony and your shirt is tied to the left. One day you look in the mirror and realize your fourth grade class picture threw up in your living room and left you a victim once again.

A victim of the fad. While fads and friends and men are great, sometimes we need to take a step back and ask ourselves, is this really the road we’re heading down? Once you’ve held that baby doll dress out at an arm’s length, you might realize that while you like the style, the polka dots just aren’t going to cut it.

Sometimes asking yourself if you’re ready to do the legwork to outrun an overzealous guy is better than jumping onto the track unprepared. And, whether you like it or not, not everyone you meet is going to fit—you learned that with jeans, it’s time to live it in life. Take Cyndi’s advice and accept that you might just wanna have fu-un.

Before you lay that plastic down and let Madonna, H&M and a 15-year old tell you what to wear, hold it out, think again and remember what’s right for you. Without your perspective it’ll probably just look like a rumpled mannequin knock-off and not like you at all.

Examine new things with a clear head, a trained eye (you know the diagonal stripes always end up in the back of your closet, do you really want to try again?) and know your limits. Once you’ve dipped your toe in 1985’s fountain of fringe, you might want more, but, while it’s always easy to go back for another fix, we all know that return policies can be a nightmare. Buyer beware, it’s a might harder to claw your way back to hippy chic from full-on Debbie Gibson than it is to mix the two to create your own version, harkening back to your past, embracing your present and getting ready for the future.

If you're considering embracing any of the 80's influences, make sure to do your research:
What, exactly, are they?
How the heck should you wear them?
Where on earth can you get them?
Oh, and you might try here, too

XOXO Bebe

Traveling in Style

2006-07-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

How to carry yourself when you're bringing everything you own along for the ride.

How do you carry your life with you as a commuter? How do you have it all—with you, when you need it?

They (whoever they are) say that people in L.A. have nice cars because they’re always behind the wheel. To imagine spending anywhere from two to four hours a day, inching along the road in a heap is comparable to wearing an unflattering sack dress, destined to be both uncomfortable and frumpy.

If the same holds true everywhere, then it would be logical for me, who carries my world on my shoulder, to an unbelievable gym bag. That combined with a nice, deceptively small purse would be like having a fully-loaded Pilot. If you don’t know what I mean, then let me paint a picture for you…

Every day is like a race against forgetfulness. I cannot tell you how many times an overlooked pair of socks or coffee has started me off wrong. Each morning, before I leave my house, the entire day must be constructed in my bag. Do I want to read on the Metro? Stow the book or stare blankly out the car window.

What about lunch? Just one more thing to lodge it between my wallet and book, but not too close to my iPod—condensation wreaks havoc on your electronics. All of the unmentionables hiding in the recesses of women’s handbags should probably stay that way, but you catch my drift. Morning coffee in hand, I still have to make sure I have what I need for the gym. Will I go before or after work? Whether I woke up on time or am cutting it close, I’ve got to pack all of the necessities into a bag that, for lack of a better word, blows.

A conference freebee, I am constantly getting questions, “What’s ‘Alternative Behavioral Solutions.’” I’ve thought about saying “Weed,” in response. No, instead I launch into something that can only be described as jumbled. Something about a conference and half-way houses, don’t ask.

Now, to reward trips to the gym and ward off further questions, I will begin my search for something more. A bag that won’t embarrass, annoy or spark open confusion from bystanders.

So, here I am. I’ve found the bag, it doesn’t look much like a gym bag. But, honestly, in the age of locker rooms with plastic baggies for your sweaty cast-offs, I’m not overly concerned. It’ll breathe just fine.

After sifting through some bad Kate Spade knock-offs at Eastern Market, found a classy, dark brown piece that looked made for crisscrossed running shoes. There was even a convenient place for my lock (I’m sure whoever was copying Marc Jacobs wasn’t contemplating my gym lock, but nevermind that).

Without a second thought, I snap up that bag and can’t stop myself from gazing at it throughout the day. I’m not sure if this bag will make my commute more bearable, but it will certainly keep my mind on the travels and my head in the game.

Places to go, bags to see:

Ebags Find everything from gym bags to funky laptop bags.
Sew Pretty It's like adding a sunroof to your ride. These pretty pieces pull it all together mixing new, vintage and everything in between.

Bebe XOXO

Cutting Hair & Cutting Mustard

2006-07-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

While I may not have Laura Bush’s status or money, those incidental details will not prevent me having fabulous hair. The newest of my personal proclamations was decreed the Sunday following a summer Mariachi party. It was decided: I am calling Andre Chreky.

Rewind: three days before the Mariachi Party and still no a word from the illusive hairdresser who held the secret to layering my hair. While many say this should not be challenging task, it seems I am incapable of translating the language of my hair to any trained professional. Being aware of this shortcoming, I did not want to try out a new hairdresser two days before the party. In the end, I had no choice. I went out on a limb and made an appointment with a stylist at a nearby salon in Old Town.

Whenever I find myself in the uncomfortable position of being a "new client," I bring a mini portfolio of what I want done with my hair. Despite my preparation, I knew the minute I saw this stylist, she couldn’t be trusted.

I ask you, what would you do at that point? I honestly contemplated excusing myself, explaining that I didn't put adequate change in the parking meter. Then I would make my escape. Obviously, this is not the most mature move to make, so I settled in to that lame axiom: “never judge a book by its cover” and let the woman do her job.

Fifteen minutes later, she spun the seat around. There before me was the most listless haircut I had seen since the bowl cut of the 1980’s. I fought back my irritation realizing it was probably my fault for not being clearer.

So, my friends, here is where I pause to give permission to judge that book. Let's all just finally agree that the cover of the book can tell much of what you want to know... Having said that, judge away! If you think the stylist cannot “cut it,” you are probably right.

This damned haircut reminded me of adolescence: awkward and uncertain. Despite my disappointment, I went on to the party and had a perfectly grand time. During that evening, I watched my friend stand up, turn around, and walk to get a drink. Her hair was incredible! With every step, her hair moved in synch with her body -never against her. The color she is just blessed with, but the highlights; those were different; they were strikingly new and funky. To say the least, this girl had a hip do!

When she finally sat down, I leaned in and said, “Who the hell is cutting you hair?”
Her answer: “Andre Chreky.” Then in a low whisper she added, “You know, he cut’s Laura Bush’s hair.
“Well," I answered, "I haven’t taken a long look at her hair in a while, but your hair is amazing!”

Andre Chreky the salon spa

This is why we rely on our friends for recommendations; if ever I felt uncertain about Andre Chreky's abilities, all I had to do was visualize my friend’s gorgeous hair. Needless to say, I made an appointment the following Monday.

While I have seen decent color jobs purchased inexpensively with kits from drugstores, I have my doubts about inexpensive haircuts. After this whole experience, I have realized that while I may be “po’gue,” I refuse to “cut” corners on my hair. If my mother is correct in her belief that a hairstyle serves as the frame for our personal little masterpieces, then wrong frame could really damage every girl's personal work of art.

XOXO Coco Wintour

Has the world lost its head, or is it just that a head lost the world…

2006-07-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

Cup. We’ve got a world full of chaos and impulse to the extent that the World Cup is clinched for one team by the other’s impulsive acts of violence. How, in all of this disarray, can we find some continuity from season to season?

Toes have gotten rounder, pants slimmer and shirts longer, but I can’t find a skirt anywhere. The 80's are back and with them leggings, layered under mini's and bad hair. But the classy skirt is gone.

Ladylike. Feminine. Comfortable. Flattering. Gone. All cancelled out by the willy-nilly introduction of the gaucho. Followed by the trouser short. What’s next, I ask? The coolotte, perhaps. Striking down perfectly acceptable skirts simply because you’ve begun to enjoy long shorts is really just shooting yourself in the pointed toe.

Sure, the peasant skirt of last yeah boho’ed us out. Granted, the annoying bohemian flow flounced right out of our hearts and into Goodwill. Yes, the reaction to that is something more streamlined, more slick, less billowy. But what about the pencil skirt? Something slim, with a clean line and high waist (isn’t the high waist back again, anyway?).

Whether your morning walk takes you past L, Penn or King, no one will be wearing a skirt with newly cut tags. The true Poguette is always looking, however, so where will you find the skirt of your dreams?

• In your own closet—a few updates to things you knew and loved, will make them good as new.

• Hidden deep within the Hecht’s rack recesses—sometimes you just need to dig a little deeper into the racks to find that random treasure. Stay away from the aisles! That’s where they want you to look. Challenge yourself to dig.

• Fun, flirty websites like:
GoJane —good cheap deals
Target —don't buy it all, but you can find a treasure
Sodafine —if you’re in the Brooklyn area, visit Sodafine Boutique in Fort Green for unique one of a kind items that will supplement your gauchos, trousers and coolottes all the way home

Mix it up, buy a gaucho, but always keep your head and your roots (even if you choose to cover them). Accept the new, bring the old out and seek out the old-new.

Bebe XOXO

Getting the Less back in "Fab"

2006-07-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Getting the "-less back in Fab," I fear, may be as difficult as getting the funk back in Motown. With no money, no resources, and no talent to rip the seams out of those trendy Bermuda shorts, sewing them back into my favorite style A-line, is as mind boggling as transubstantiation, don't you think?

What's left to do you ask? Well, before you saddle up for a bumpy ride down Bad Credit Blvd., consider this: Vintage?

As I wandered through a mall with fellow p’oguette, Bebe Wintour, I was left baffled! What the hell happened to color? ...better question, what happened to the skirt?

I felt myself screaming out for Betsy Johnson. Sadly, on a neophyte professional’s salary, Betsy's fashions are a bit out of reach.

Strolling past a store window displaing the trends for the pre-teen adolescents, I said to Bebe, "You know you're getting old, when things from your youth are making a come back!" ...and then it hit me! Where do most desginers go for inspiration? Who are her muses?

Ding Ding Ding... The classic trendsetters who have relinquished their treasure troves to the consignment and thrift stores in cities near you. If fashion always comes around again, than who's to say that your best era is not tucked away in a small consignemtn shop in NW?

I invite you to save the 5 dollars on Vogue and perform a Google Image search of different stylesetters. For me, I love Gwyenthn Paltrow, Diane Keaton, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. For you, it may be different. Regardless, look at what they are wearing, adopt it to memory, pick a rainy day, and find that thrift store. Choose the era that you want to embody –Run wild it!

Fie on the fashion editors that set the trends! Cultivate your own fashion path and move forward into your own style -determined by you & worn by you!

Coco XOXO