The Closet Coach

This week for Fashion Beauty Friend Friday, we’re talking about trends for spring, next fall (!) and beyond.

 Your turn

• How would you answer these questions?

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My Halloween costume, circa 1977. Except picture it made from a sheet by my grandma. And I was about 4 years older.

Boo! For today’s Fashion Beauty Friend Friday, we’re talking about Halloween and all things costume and dress-up.

1. Do you have plans for Halloween? What will you dress up as this year?

My plans for Halloween are the same plans I’ve had for 7 years now: taking my daughter trick-or-treating! The only thing more fun than being a kid going around the neighborhood on Halloween night, is accompanying your kid while going around the neighborhood on Halloween night. :)

2. Where do you go for costume and makeup inspiration?

I’ve long since stopped dressing up for Halloween myself, so I don’t really look for any costume and makeup inspiration, especially now that my daughter is old enough to have her own opinions about what she wants to wear. And believe me, she has opinions! (For the record, this year’s costume is Ballerina.)

3. What was the best costume you’ve ever donned?

One year for a friend’s Halloween party, my husband and I went as Sonny and Cher, complete with long, black wig for me and thrifted ‘70s attire for both of us. We were pretty impressed with ourselves and our creativity. And then we got to the party and met the other couple dressed as Sonny and Cher …

But as a child? My grandma used to make my sister and I fantastic costumes. She loved dressing up and helping us dress up. So my best costume has to be a tie between the year I was Wonder Woman (red and blue bathing suit, gold lame belt and cuffs, gold lame cord for the rope–and falsies, which my mother refused to let me wear) and the year I was Princess Leia (white gown made from a sheet, silver belt, hair done up in two buns, and a flashlight light saber). Yes, I am a child of the ‘70s.

4. What’s the most creative costume you’ve ever seen?

This wasn’t actually for Halloween, but a friend of mine hosts an epic Oscars party every year and for a while, she incorporated a costume contest. The year Catherine Zeta Jones was famously pregnant at the Golden Globes (2003), one of the partygoers came in a similar long black dress with a bike helmet underneath, perfectly simulating Miss Jones in all her mother-to-be glory. It was so realistic that many people at the party were shocked to see her drinking!

5. No holds barred: if you could dress up as anything, what would it be?

Honestly? Probably Lady Gaga. Because if you’re going to dress up, why not DRESS UP? She’s a walking Halloween costume gallery!

[This post is part of Modly Chic’s Fashion Beauty Friend Fridays.]

Your turn

• Are you dressing up for Halloween?
• What’s your all-time favorite costume?

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(Want to get more shopping tips and fun insider stuff? Join The Style List. It’s like a secret club in your email inbox! And when you join, you’ll get my free email series, 7 Days to Better Shopping. It’s my gift to you!)

This week for Friend Friday, we’re mixing it up a bit and doing a visual post, hosted by Iris of 260 Days No Repeats. Today’s theme is The Quintessential Fall Outfit containing the items we consider our perfect fall look.

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For today’s Fashion Beauty Friend Friday, we’re talking about fads, trends and being part of the “in” crowd, inspired by the wild popularity of the Missoni x Target line.

1. Do you ever see a fad hit the stores and immediately dislike it? Has that fad ever began to grow on you?

On a regular basis! I definitely have a certain aesthetic, so I tend to react less favorably to anything that deviates wildly from that.

Having said that, I have changed my mind over time, especially as I see how others have incorporated the pieces in ways that suit my taste. I didn’t initially love skinny jeans and bright colors, but both are now staple parts of my wardrobe.

2. Has the popularity of a certain piece of clothing or line ever convinced you to try on something (or purchase something) you dislike?

Yes. Not because it’s popular per se, but when I see so many others wear or rave about a particular item, I wonder whether all of these people know something I don’t!

At that point I feel like I should at least try the item and see if my opinion changes. Sometimes it does, and sometimes my initial opinion is confirmed. But if I still dislike it, I don’t buy it.

Right now I just can’t get on board with the super high platform pumps that seemingly grow taller by the passing week.

3. Have you ever changed your mind about a trend after seeing it around for a while?

See above :)

4. Do you feel a certain pressure to have specific items in your closet because ‘everyone’ else does?

Not so much to own them, but to consider them.

When it suddenly seemed like every woman here in DC was wearing a pair of Hunter boots on rainy days, I’ll admit I felt a twinge of envy. But then I stopped to think about what style of rainboot or shoe is most practical for what I wear and a knee-high boot just wasn’t it. I wound up buying a pair of low-calf Bogs instead. (And now I’m on the hunt for shoe style waterproof footwear; I’ve tried a couple of different Crocs–NOT the clogs–but neither fit.)

5. Be honest, what do you think of the Missoni line? Did you grab any items? Is it worth the eBay prices?

From what little I could see of it, it was relatively well made and did an excellent job of translating the label’s aesthetic to the Target price point and market. I think this is a large part of why it was so overwhelmingly successful–that and its instant recognizability.

However, I don’t think paying double the cost on eBay makes any sense; if you keep an eye on the sample sale sites you might be able to find some “real” Missoni for that same price point. In fact, I just picked up a Missoni scarf on Gilt for $89. Why would I pay that amount for one of the ones from Target?

As for the Target line, I was only able to buy some things in children’s sizes (mittens and socks), so at least my daughter can be a bit cheap chic ;)

In general, as I mentioned in the Friend Friday posts on Spring and Fall trends, the key to trends and fads is looking for items that work well on you and with what you already own. A fad for the sake of a fad will soon lose its appeal.

Your Turn

• What trends do you love?
• Which ones do you regret?

[This post is part of Modly Chic’s Fashion Beauty Friend Fridays.]

Share the love

Thanks for reading. Did you like this post? Please leave a comment or share it with someone else; just use the handy sharing widget below.

(Want to get more shopping tips and fun insider stuff? Join The Style List. It’s like a secret club in your email inbox! And when you join, you’ll get my free email series, 7 Days to Better Shopping. It’s my gift to you!)