Happy Birthday to My Virtual BFF, Edie NOT Eddie.

Today is my pink fuzzy heart with glitter LYLAS friend EDIE'S birthday! And I need to make a confession. When Edie first started commentin on my blog I was FREAKED out cause I thought it was Eddie cause I don't read all that well. And Eddie's who say lylas and kisses and spirit hands made me sweat. But now that I know she is a SUPER cute cheerleader at heart, she is my virtual BFF. And in honor of her birthday I asked her to share some words of wisdom about FASHION for us. Cause I still like parachute pants and mall bangs. So listen up to Edie and ya'll will be as cute and hip as she is.

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Hello, my name is Edie and I love clothes. Hello Edie.

I need a twelve step program for the many obsessions in my life. Not the least of which is clothes. I love books, lamps, exercise, monogrammed towels, eye shadow, theology, lip gloss, children, dogs, photography, gardens, flowers, C.S.Lewis, coffee, knitting, historic anything, old hymns, vintage fabric, diet pepsi, and I could go onandon. But because it's the New Year and it's my birthday, I'm gonna give you my fashion rules (or lack thereof) for how to use what you have in your closet to make visually interesting 'looks' for the new year.

And before I start, may I say a big thank you to my friend Country Girl….for making me laugh, think, cry, consider buying Dr. Pepper lip gloss, and perfecting my queso cheese dip. We need each other. All of us. For a million different reasons.

1. Layering the dress.

I love this trick. It makes almost any dress more interesting. It’s infinitely easy in the winter time….with scarves, sweaters, coats, jackets, . But even in the summer, consider adding layers to your dresses with ¾ sleeve shirts, belts, and summer sweaters. It makes everything look a little less ‘preachers wife’…not that there’s anything wrong with that. But mix it up a little. I’ve worn almost every color shirt imaginable underneath this button up dress which I bought at TJMaxx on clearance for $20. I like to wear it with boots but gray tights with black wedges….oh yeah, baby.

2. Letting color shine.

I have a closet full of black, white, khaki, and gray. And that’s good. Lots of neutrals allow the few pieces of color to shine. And don’t be afraid to mix colors that don’t technically ‘match’. Take this red summer dress. Your first inclination might not be to put chartreuse and gray with it. But it works and adds so much to the look. Notice that since the dress has a print, I layered it with a solid shirt and solid sweater. Mixing patterns is sometimes good but you have to be careful. Look through your closet and find some cute wrap dress that you can totally change the look of with a ‘layer’. Everyone that I have helped over the years with a wardrobe ‘makeover’ will say, “Well, that looks good on you, but…..” To that I say phooey. You gotta own it, girl. 3. Layering the necklace.

I love necklaces. For the past couple of years, I find two that I like, that work well together and wear them together everyday. Then, in 6 months, when I’m tired of that, I find a new combo. There are many great choices. I love Silpada. And pearls. And silver. And monograms. Find what you love and layer it. Then for a special occasion, add a longer one like the cross necklace in this picture. Oh and try necklaces doubled as bracelets…..like these pearls that I’m sporting in this picture. Pearls make everything better.4. Layering the shirt.

I sound like a broken record now. I admit it, I love layers. And I love gray. This gray mock turtle from Target is my favorite shirt of winter 2008. Here’s how it could play out at my house: I put the shirt on in the evening with my boyfriend lounge pants from VS with bedazzled PINK on the rear. I sleep in this combo. In the morning, I shower and get ready for church by putting said gray shirt back on and layering it with previously shown black dress. I come home and change into this outfit to go to a birthday party. One shirt. $12.90 Endless layering possibilities. Priceless.5. Layer with a belt.

Belts can add so much. Don’t ever underemphasize the power of the belt. A belt would have looked cute with the flirty red dress above too. Even on the outside of the sweater. Sho ‘nuff.6. Losing the inhibition.

I show you this ensemble to encourage you to pick one item with ‘flair’….a scarf, boots, a belt….and let that piece of flair ‘shine’. Here I picked muted neutrals for the top and then let the scarf and boots have a party. And the fashion rule that I use to decide if I’m gonna tuck the jeans in the boots is…….(drumroll please)……..if it’s raining. I hate wet socks and wet feet. So if it rains, I tuck in. K? K. You can make your own ‘tuck-in’ rules. And let me say that if you are looking for one thing to invest in, it has to be ‘good’ jeans. Really good jeans. Like more than $100 jeans. But here’s the thing; you’ll wear them all the time, you’ll pick ones that flatter your figure. And stretch is king. No stretch. No can do.And this is where my children, who have been helping me with this community service project, leave me for dead. So bear with this self-portrait. I’m trying to show you one more option for the gray mock turtle. And a must have for every wardrobe. A lacy sheer black shirt to wear over almost everything. It instantly dresses you up. It says ‘playful’ and ‘fun’ and ‘I know how to dance’. And in the summer, wear it over a white tank top and it says ‘I can still do a swan dive’. It rocks. Find one. Pronto. I got my four at Forever 21. Or somewhere just as cheap.
Lounging in style. I’m gonna let you in on a little dirty secret. I wear black lounge pants 75% of the time. So what do I do to keep people from calling What Not To Wear on me? I pair it with a black wool pea coat and the largest cutest purse I can possibly find. And then beg my daughter to take one more picture. In summary, layer everything. Use color wisely. Always accessorize. Buy good jeans. Gray or navy is the new black. Black is king. Create your own style. Own it. Wear boots liberally. Don’t be afraid of dresses. Never do a guest post with 47 pictures. Especially if you email on a fourth grade level. And remember, if all else fails, a good pea coat covers a multitude of sins.

I wish you lots of love and layering for 2009,
Edie

Seriously, how could you possibly not love her? Edie, I shower pink glitter upon you on your 23rd birthday. Muh Wah!