libby. edelman

April 22, 2011

Ines de la Fressange

I try to read the New York Times every day. But most days, I just skim the pages to see what’s happening in the world. While I’m skimming, I get usually get caught up in every shoe and handbag ad and I love the dining section—great recipes. The Home section is also great for decorating ideas. But my favorite every week (every Thursday, especially) is the Style section.

This week was no exception. There was a fabulous article on Ines de la Fressange, a beautiful Parisian woman in her early 50’s. I grew up watching her model and eventually become the face of Chanel, muse of Karl Lagerfeld (Chanel’s designer since the 1980’s) At one time, Fressange even had her own store on the Right Bank of Paris that showcased her key picks and trends for each season.

Today, her book, Parisian Chic: A Style Guide, is in available in bookstores in the United States. I wanted to share some of her guidelines to look “parisienne”. When I travel to Paris, I feel so underdressed in comparison to some of the incredibly chic women I see on the streets—partly because I’m getting dressed out of a suitcase instead of a closet. And quite often, the weather in Paris is not what I’d hoped for. So without further ado, here are some of de la Fressange‘s jewels of fashion wisdom. Très chic and très parisienne!

1) Wear jeans with gem-encrusted sandals, NOT with sneakers

2) Wear a pencil skirt with ballet flats, NOT with heels

3) Pair an evening dress with a straw handbag, NOT a gold clutch

4) Try a chiffon print dress with battered biker boots, NOT brand new ballet flats

5) Wear a sequined sweater with mens trousers, NOT a skirt

6) Wear a tuxedo jacket with sneakers, NOT stilettos.

7) Never use soap on your face

8) Never wear pink on your lips

9) Always wear makeup, even on the weekends

10) Buy short-stemmed flowers

Ines de la Fressange’s choices of footwear for her outfit choices are unexpected—and fabulous. She’s a rule breaker and today, there are no rules in fashion. She is quoted in the New York Times article saying, "It doesn’t matter what you wear, as long as it suits you, and as long as you feel pretty." Such a true statement. When I feel comfortable and pretty in my outfit, the day is always a beautiful one.

April 08, 2011

What I wore this week…

Have you ever gotten dressed first, and then found you just don’t have the right shoe to go with it… and you have to start all over? I am always telling my customers to get dressed “feet first”—choose the shoe and go. It will make their lives so much easier (or at least getting dressed in the morning easier). If you pick the shoe for your schedule that day, then you have endless possibilities in your wardrobe—almost like shopping in a new store.

Monday: I was traveling really early in the am from sunny, 80 degree Florida to cold NYC. Unlike most days, I planned my outfit the night before because I knew I didn’t have extra time in the morning for outfit changes if I wanted to sleep later and make my plane. I picked my black suede booties by Sam Edelman because they go with everything, and I wore them down to Florida on Thursday night. I paired them with black, flared high-waist pants, a long sleeved black dressy tee, and short black blazer. I was instantly pulled together and warm, not only for the plane, but also ready for the cold weather in New York.

Tuesday: I grabbed the same pair of black booties, but paired them with heavy opaque tights, my favorite short, white sequined skirt, and a long sleeved, boat neck knit sweater. Voila! Pulled together, with a bit of flash for the office, but ready to go out to an important business dinner. The white skirt made it special….

Wednesday: I so want spring to be here, so I picked my Libby Edelman leopard Kendras, which are peep-toe flats with a big, flirty bow. I picked my chalk stripe, full leg pants from Alice and Olivia (I’ve had them for two years-- who knew this would be such a trend this year?) And to take the edge of the seriousness in the pant, I picked a springy pale gray floral top. Since it is still cold here, I put on my favorite Rick Owens short leather jacket. My outfit was a yin/yang of soft/feminine with tailored coolness.

Thursday: I had special editor meeting to showcase Libby Edelman ready-to-wear. Again, I was hoping for spring weather. I knew that I wanted to wear my suede Libby Edelman Mary Jane wedges, so I grabbed a pair of standard black pants with a wider leg, and paired them with a crisp white shirt that crisscrossed in the front. I tied it all together with a sharply tailored black and gray short blazer. This outfit was professional with a bit of sexiness and was ready to go right out to a restaurant that night.

Friday: I knew that I was traveling to Alabama to be with Sam for his personal appearance at Belk. I wanted to be comfortable and warm, but stylish. As usual, I started with my feet! My shoes were Sam Edelman taupe suede booties with a fringe tassel on the side. I pulled on my stretchy cargo pants, a long sleeved t-shirt in white and a chestnut colored leather jacket. I got off the plane warm, as there was still a chill in the air in Alabama. I felt stylish and pulled together. At dinner later on with everyone from the Belk store, I put on black dressy top with black pants with Libby Edelman navy patent studded high heels.

So that’s my week. A variety of shoes—flats to booties to high heels. I wore more pants this week because it is still so cold… is spring ever coming to visit?

March 23, 2011

March Hot List

The hot new snack is the colorful macaroon

Try out the new high waisted pant— you can tuck in a shirt and add a great belt, or let your shirt hang out

Wear one of the new wedges, like Libby Edelman “Rose” leather wedge!

A lace tunic is a great addition to your wardrobe

SunTegrity is a great new moisturizer with sunscreen

Prive Concept Vert Rejuvenating shampoo— a little goes a long way

Sula paint and peel nail polish— Peel it off as soon as it chips, so you don’t need the noxious removers

1000 mg of fish oil will strengthen your nails

Blues are strong and mix the blues… don’t let them match!

Find some candy-colored lacey underwear

Still loving leopard in shoes, belts and clothing

Color your life… wear it!

Try this new dessert— PB&J Brownies!

February 28, 2011

Spring Trends

Spring is so liberating - it’s a time to shed the clothes that you are tired of wearing during the winter months. This spring has many trends that can work nicely together with your current wardrobe…or you can go all out and wear the trend from head to toe.

My favorite trend for spring is florals. Some call it “garden party,” but I like the florals that are more muted and have an antique or vintage feel. I call this trend “Liberty” after the famous Liberty of London. Dresses in florals will take you anywhere you need to go – shopping, lunch, meetings, dinner, and dancing. During the day the dresses can be soft and flowing and paired with flat, bare sandals. At night, the floral dress becomes draped and sexier and a heel dresses it up. And because everything in fashion is more feminine and ladylike now, find a soft floral blouse and pair it with the new wide leg trouser or your favorite pair of jeans. Give your leggings and skinny jeans a rest!

Nautical has come back strong this spring – or maybe it just never went away. Navy pants with the front button closure are back in fashion and white, white, and more white is key! Pair either with a navy and white striped top. A great way to blend these two trends would be to pair a nautical navy and white striped tee mixed with a floral maxi skirt…trust me. It will work. There are no more rules! Stronger than ever are clean, simple silhouettes for skirts, tunics and pants. Tan and brown bottoms paired with crisp white tops need a pared down shoe – wedges and platforms with simple lines are key to make the look work. Libby Edelman is always about jewelry for your feet and this spring collection will not disappoint – jeweled thong flats, jeweled wedges. They will be your key shoes for every day, because isn’t it fun to look down at your feet and see your jewels?

February 11, 2011

February In-Flight Musings

Hi friends! I spend so much time on airplanes traveling around to make great shoes and that gives me plenty of time to think about all sorts of things. I’m going to be putting my thoughts together to share with you from time to time. Hope you like!

February is such an intense month for so few days…so many things are jam packed into it like The Grammys and Oscars - what fun to see all the dresses, actresses and hair styles.

Valentine’s Day is our day to stop and think of our loved ones. A gift is just a small part of the experience- it is a celebration of your heart! Speaking of our hearts, February is American heart health month. Please be kind to yourself and your heart – heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America. Not everyone knows this so spread the word.

And speaking of spreading the word- I have a favorite shoe called the Kendra. She is sweet, flirty, fun and you just have to love her! She is a dressy peep-toe flat with the biggest flirtiest bow I could fit on the upper. She is to be worn lovingly but easily with everything you have in your closet. She even dresses up a pair of flared pants -that bow just loves to peek out and show itself off! The Kendra comes in all sorts of fun colors for spring – see below for a sneak peak at my favorite, leopard and blush combo.

Your girlfriends will smile when they see them and then (I hope) they will run to the nearest store to find them. Be nice and let her in on where to buy them.

Libby used her fashion experience to translate “runway to reality,” for women whose desire for fashion blends seamlessly with their normal everyday lives.
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