- Share This Post
- submit
- 2
-
Sparkle (0)
It's fall -- time to update your closet! And it's fashion week, which means that it's hard not to think about what you might buy.
I'm seeing lots of interesting things on the runway for spring: Metallic clutches, for one, and crisp, origami-inspired detailing, and far too many harem pants (let's just say goodbye to the MC Hammer look, please). In keeping with the still-slow retail economy, the looks are conservative and sleek; sportswear is in while evening wear is out.
How do you make all that work for you? Try a trick that designers and stylists use: Create an inspiration board for yourself. I have one, in my closet -- a rectangular bulletin board (the kind that is covered in fabric and relies on criss crossed ribbons to hold photos and swatches on the board). I use it to store pictures of any and everything that strikes my fancy. Right now it's sporting photos of a couple of J. Crew looks, a skirt from Ann Taylor Loft, a Timex watch, a floral print chair, and a shot of Jean Seberg in Breathless. The inspiration board is a way to gather all the lovely things I am coveting together in one place. When I shop, I think about the pieces and looks I was drawn to include in my inspiration board.
It's the next best thing to having a personal stylist.
My favorite online inspiration boards are at Style Me Pretty, and while they are all wedding boards, they are still an excellent example of what you can do with this medium. Each virtual inspiration board is a tiny window into the kind of wedding these women want -- the tone and colors and attitude they are binging to their event. You can use that same idea for your wardrobe board, to really solidify what you hope to find in your closet one day.
Looking for easy ways to keep up with what's on the runway in New York City this week? Style.com ("the online home of Vogue magazine") offers a great iPhone app that allows you to watch slide shows of each designer collection; the photos are crisp and clear and the reviews are spot on. Every designer showing in the Bryant park tents this week is represented -- I encourage you to check out everything; you never know what you might see.
I'm also using Twitter to keep up on the shows; I'm following ChicTV, Women's Wear Daily, and Lucky Magazine for my Fashion Week fix. The AP is also tweeting the shows, at AP Fashion.
Curious who's hanging out in the tents this week? Well, Rachel Zoe, of course -- click through the gallery to see who else is there (and what they're wearing, of course).
Susan Wagner writes about style at The Working Closet and chic suburban living at Friday Playdate. This week, she's hosting a live chat at The Motherhood, too! Mark your calendars.
