I HATE Being Cold

Ok, FINE. It's winter. We get it. I was wondering when it was going to start getting ridiculously cold.

Let me put it you straight: I am a born and raised, dyed-in-the-wool, biscuit eatin', moonshine drinkin' Southern girl. Transplanted to Northeast (and sometimes central!) Ohio does not agree with me during this time of year, which is why I was so pleased when our Indian summer became a later and later fall (hello tailgating in flip flops...what could be better than that?) I guess it just goes without saying that I'm one of those girls who is constantly freezing. I have never understood how people could wear the skimpiest fall jackets, capes that bare your arms, and short peacoats (excuse me girlfriend, are your legs not freezing?!).

I'm here to tell you ladies, that wool is the answer. And not just any wool. It's the "they just don't make 'em like they used to" wool from your favorite vintage consigner! Wool, if taken care of appropriately, can last a VERY long time, and the mecca of vintage, eBay, has just released a fashion app that makes shopping for your mod favorites even easier!

With scrolling functions that allow you to search by decade, I was enchanted by wedding dresses from the 1920's, floaty florals from the 60's and 70's, and AMAZEBALLS vintage jewelry and bags from Hermes to Halston. And the coats!!!

My new winter coat is from the 1960's: dark, heavy, navy wool with an asymmetrical closure. This is the warmest coat I have EVER owned (I'm looking at you, JCrew) by far, and it's so unique and stylish in a throwback way. I love the fact that it's super long and super comfy, but I also cannot get enough of the fact that it looks slightly Russian in a way. Now all I need is a fur hat and I'm set for a Cleveland winter!

How do you stay warm and cute during the long dark winter?

Target Begins ReSelling Best Sellers from Designer Collection

I for one have NO SHAME when it comes to buying cheap clothes- in my opinion, fashion is where ever you find it, whether it be the girls (or boys!) department, a thrift store, or the retail mecca for all things value and design-based: Target.

Target recently re-released their designer collections in which designers ranging from Temperly, Erin Featherston (die!), Zac Posen and Proenza Schouler developed dresses for the discount retailer. If you remember, these dresses caused mass panic last year as every fashion and budget-conscious chica hightailed it on over to Tar-jay to trample one another for the last coveted Rodarte.

Clearly I've been living under a rock, because even though I knew the textiles were being re-released, I didn't have a release date. Imagine my disappointment when I walked in to Target to find the selection picked over. Panic-stricken, I immediately sent a mass text to my army of shoppers- girlfriends, sisters, sisters-in-law, and basically every female in my rolodex. I HAD to have the green/aqua Thakoon shift dress! Sold out online, I quickly went into panic mode.

THANK GOODNESS for my sister-in-law, Maria, who was able to score the frock at her local story (thank you Mar!). Let me just tell you- this dress is everything I hoped it could be. Paired with my nude Dolce Vita wedges, it looks mod, modern, and just right for spring. Now all I'm missing are the perfect accessories (looking at you, Marni!)

Were you able to snag any of the re-released dresses? How do you plan to accessorize them for spring?

Hat Attack

I must admit, I'm kindof having a hat moment. It's spring, the sun is shining, and we're planning to go to the Kentucky Derby this year (very excited for my first foray into everything Derby). My vision of relaxing in the stands as a perfectly groomed southern belle sipping my mint julep has made my search for the perfect hat go from happy shopping to borderline obsession...

Sidebar: Some girls maintain that "I just can't wear hats," "my head is too small" and "they just don't look right on me." I actually used to feel the same way, but as time has gone by and I've gotten more comfortable with myself and how I look, I've come to realize that ANYONE can wear ANYTHING. You just have to have the confidence and the attitude to make sure that YOU are wearing the hat, and that the hat is not wearing YOU.

I began my search for the perfect hat with the king of all millinery, Phillip Treacy. You simply can't talk hats unless you include his couture designs- worn by the likes of only serious fashionistas (see: Sarah Jessica Parker, Lady Gaga). From cooky to haute, I envision the woman in a Phillip Treacy hat strolling the streets of Paris or on her way to a major gallery opening like le Centre Pompidou.

Not wishing the good folks at AMEX to begin harassing me for my first-born child, I continued my search onto something a little closer to my price range. Note to future Derby attendees- anything called a "derby" hat is immediately $200-$300 more expensive than it needs to be. I knew I wanted something with an extremely large brim- you gotta own it!- and I mentally referenced the large brims as seen on Kim Kardashian in the opening frames for Kim & Kourtney Take New York.

Just taking a peek into some of the high end shops in our town featuring my coveted Tory Burch flats led me to a gorgeous hat- sleek, large-brimmed, black and decorated with flowers to match my dress- not old lady looking at all, and very chic. All for the low low price of $325. DISLIKE.

At first I was hesitant to buy something without trying it on (my head really IS small), but since I was not pleased with any of the local options, I hit the web. www.hatagories.com had some fun, affordable options, but as I continued my search, I quickly realized that I couldn't allow myself to buy something so pricey I could only wear once - cost per wear is a mathematical barometer that I live by! Eugenia Kim is another favorite hat designer of mine, but her expertise is city-chic fedoras and newsboy caps, not the oversized, lady-like look I was going for.

I finally settled on a plain black number from zappos.com for a very reasonable price (inset). My plan is to head to Michaels for ribbon and flowers and to use very strategically placed pins so that after the derby, my new favorite hat can double as beach protection. Now all I need for the derby is the perfect open-toed black shoes, gloves, and clutch! Check back for a future post to see the entire look!

But now that I've opened Pandora's hat box, I'm a woman obsessed- cadet hats, skoodies, fedoras, even the classic sporty ballcap for Saturday afternoons running errands have entered my vernacular. What are some of your favorite hat styles for spring?