What you wear in VEGAS...goes on facebook

Facebook is one of the main reasons I buy new outfits like ALL the time....It's the common person's paparazzi. Secretly each group photo is a competition of who can look the most like a celebrity. DO NOT PRETEND you don't know what I mean. I untag any picture I deem unfit for my page and I love the 'candid' shots that could be on TMZ if I was famous, and so do you. Being that I am not the prettiest (let it be) or the most photogenic, I always want to be wearing the BEST outfit. 

I am going to vegas for my birthday and I am already planning out my outfits. Just thought you should have a sneak peak... 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...your fashion

Question: What kind of Bay Area-nites (new term?) would we be if we didn't try to help the environment? 

The correct response is: not good ones. (very clever response by the way)

Here are a few ways you can follow the 3 R's and spice up your wardrobe without spending all your playtime money.

1. Alterations: take that hideously boxy shirt from the 90s that you have and get it taken in! Then put it under a cute jacket and Tada! You have a new outfit! Same thing goes for your jeans, skirts, dresses and jackets. Take the things that are not a total loss and pay the $25 to get them sewn into a socially acceptable and flattering style. It is worth your time and money! Hell, just tear those worn jeans into shorts or put a belt around your old dress and cut the hem down; layer that short shirt with a longer one underneath and leggings. Get creative!

2. Exchange: Take your clothes to a used clothing store/exchange like buffalo exchange and find something you're excited about. It doesn't have to fit you perfectly because you can get it altered (DUH!) 

3. Exchange Party: Invite some of your good friends over (the ones that aren't morbidly obese, as tall as the friendly green giant, or the ones with a taste for heinosities (also a new word)). Have these friends bring their cute designer clothing that they either grew out of or are bored of and make a party out of it. Bring out a little champagne or maybe cocktails and some cheese and crackers and try on the clothes! It is so much fun and you can often find a little diamond in the rough from it. 

4. Generosity: Give your clothes to goodwill, the salvation army or Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America. 

5. Future: Keep a few well sewn and cut pieces from each decade and put them into storage to save for the next time that trend returns...and believe me, it will return.

6. Repair: Shoes, accessories, and jewelry can allll be repaired before you give up on them. I wore out the heels of my pumps and got them repaired to better than new and got many more miles out of them. New years I spend the night walking the streets of SF (not soliciting men, don't worry) and I only had to spend about $28 to get the soles redone. 

Same thing goes for jewelry: get it repaired! A lot of jewelry stores can repair jewelry that didn't come from their designs and its way cheaper than buying new pearl earrings!

Sunglasses: Go to your optomitrist's office and bring the designer glasses. They usually can service or have a company that can provide the service. I had my Prada glasses fixed (the arm fell off) for $30!

Right now I am not seeing anything very creative coming out for spring. It's nothing we haven't seen before so hold tight to what you have and accessorize, cut, sew, and layer into cute new recycled outfits!

Dancing my pretty little feet off or dancing the pretty off my little feet

Club Attire almost always includes heels...I mean who wants to look like they have short stubby legs? Especially for facebook pictures (Am I right?!) I hope I am not the only one who goes out wearing beautiful stilettos and ends up with blisters and sore feet from dancing or walking too much.

Why can't heels be comfortable?!

Don't you DARE respond with "Then stop buying cheap shoes," because I don't. (umm hello! Look at me!) From my Kate Spade patent leather pumps to my Stuart Weitzman strappy gold stilettos, they all cramp my style by the end of the night.

Here is my winter solution: BOOTS!

You can wear basically flat boots that are absolutely adorable and dressy and don't contribute to your 1 am limp home. I have an adorable pair of Coach boots that fulfill my needs, no big deal.

Spring/summer solution: KITTEN HEELS and kitten WEDGES.

Cut down that heel by a few inches and your dance moves will vastly improve (along with your balance) and you won't be the drunk girl stumbling around the club (Though I do not guarantee this). Also, there will be no excuses like "I can't. I cut my foot and my shoe is filling up with blood" to the 'wonderful' male specimens that you encounter out on the town. (That was a Romy and Michele reference, nbd)

If you are worried what you will look like in your pics that you take for facebook, (Don't lie, we all think about fb) put on your heels while you pre-party and then substitute them with the wedges before you leave for the night.

I have found that all of my favorite designers make a stiletto and a kitten heel for the same or similar style shoes.

Have you found a good pair of heels for going out in the city?

SHOW ME!

post them in a comment on this blog!

New Years New Gear: The Outfit Countdown!

I have learned a lot about San francisco and my most important lesson learned is that you don't dress like you do in Lalaland (Los Angeles). In LA we always dressed more...sexy, with a touch of slut. Its very true! I mean in LA everything was skin tight and mini, There was bling everywhere, the make-up was obvious, and the designer branding was ostentatious. Here in San Francisco, when you go out, what you wear is more subtle or actually, less flashy and also a lot more sophisticated. You will see more flats (footwear) or flowy tops/tunics with belting, more earth tones and less glitz.

Here is my disclaimer: In LA I would only really go to hot club spots like MyHouse, Kress, The Standard, Les Deux, Cabana Club...BUT in San Francisco, which I have started to explore in the night hours, I have been going to wine lounges and trendy bars of that nature. When I did go to a club (Ruby Skye) the crowd was dressed in similar attire, but I digress....

What am I supposed to be writing about? Oh yes, the highly anticipated New Years and the big debacle: What am I wearing?!

There is always a ton of fuss about New Years...What are you doing? What are you wearing? Who is going to be there? How much does it cost? Where will you sleep?

Ahhh! And with the added stress of others' expectations of you, it can be a serious let down/heart attack waiting to happen! Lucky for me, I get to count on my wonderful friend linda to provide me with my itinerary.

But my expectations of her are low and easily surpassable. Basically doing ANY activity will rise above my previous experiences/expectations because my last New Years Eve I spent alone. sleeping before the ball dropped in NY. in my parents house. alone. Did I mention I was ALONE?! (I might as well have a big L stamped on my forehead!)

So this year I decided I WILL GO OUT! I now have an active social life (everyone clap for me! Thank you, thank you) So I will be in the city...aka San Francisco. My plan is to go to a house party and then play it by ear...(?) But how do you dress for that?

Here are a few ideas about what to chose based on your plans in the bay area:

1. MINI LENGTH TUNIC with TIGHTS and BOOTIES

if you are going to a house party that is full of urban dwellers who pride themselves on their urban-ness, then wear a loose shirt/tunic shirt with interesting tights that are sheer and have an embroidered design and booties that are the same color as your tights or leggings but have some sort of 'urban' embellishment like zippers. The shoes, provided that they have enough of a heel will make your legs look like they go on for days while the mini tunic dress will hide your girlish figure. This paired with a leather or knit jacket and a messy mop will complete your "I'm not showing off, I dress like this all the time" look. (and you can eat all you want without fear of that holiday belly showing! eww...)

ACCESSORY! MJ style fingerless gloves are SO in right now. If you can find some, wear them and they better NOT match your shirt.

Here is the pairing I was thinking of!

Try to imagine it together...it would be HOT! The colorful embellishment on the gloves makes the outfit nice and festive!

This particular paring of pieces is super expensive (I have good taste) but for a normal person without thousands to spend on an outfit ( I really need to be rich when I grow up!) you should check out the online sales at some of your favorite department stores like Macy's, Nordstroms, Barney's, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales. ALSO: go to Bluefly.com for that designer product at a low price or keep your eyes open for the sample sales on (Websites) Gilt, Hautelook, ideeli, ruelala, shopbop etc.

Lastly, if you have great taste and want to look absolutely fabulous and know that you can't justify buying 'that dress' if you only wear it once, then go to:

renttherunway.com

no joke, Rent The Runway is the best idea ever. I think I might get a dress from there because it costs btween $50-200 to rent a dress there (and you get 2 sizes) and it is for 4 days AND you can get crazy expensive and unique stuff!

Ok so I think because I have so many ideas for the PERFECT NEW YEARS outfit, I am going to post one a night (give or take...lets be honest) until the fated night! Then, I will post a pic of what I actually wear!

My name is Michaela and I am an addict!

Hello! My name is Michaela and I am addicted to half-priced designer retail...

Everyone has a deep, dark empty void in their heart that can only be filled with one thing---love. And if you can't get enough of that from your jerk boyfriend, parents, friends or domestic pet, then there is only one thing that you can do...find an ADDICTION! I cover the loneliness/void with adorable layers, the softness of silk, the sweet smell of italian leather and the soft shimmer of metallic accents and beading....*sigh* my happy place...

It's funny though because there is a fine line between a having a healthy interest and an addiction. This is how you know you have crossed the line:

Do you lie about where you are going/are when someone close to you calls when you are out shopping?

Do you ever skip class or other obligations to hit the mall?

Have you ever answered "What? this? I have had this for like, forever!" (and secretly tuck in the tag) when asked when you got that adorable and expensive looking dress?

Have you ever lied about how much the clothes you just purchased cost (making it sound like you got a better deal than you did)?

Have you ever justified going into your savings or cut food out of your monthly budget in order to get those fantastic trendy boots you just saw?

Do you belong to those one-day sale websites like ideeli, Hautelook, or Ruelala?

Do you look down your nose at certain department stores? AKA JC Pennys, Sears, Mervins, and Kohls?

IF YOU HAVE ANSWERED YES to a majority of these questions then you are a RETAIL ADDICT! (and probably also a bit of a label snob)

In my blog I am going to show you all the cute outfits I make and talk about my shopping experiences and the trends I forecast or see already on the floor and share how I am dealing with being young, underpaid and addicted to retail.

KISSES!