017. The long-awaited review: High-waisted denim.

Unlike some fashionistas, I don't own a lot of denim. Although I do respect high-quality, high-priced jeans, they are not top priority for me. You can only get so creative with denim, because it's only one type of material. I prefer to spend my money on unusual tops or dresses.

When the high-waisted jeans fad broke onto the fashion scene, I reacted with dismay. Let it be known that I do not have the body considered ideal for high-waisted jeans, primarily because I have no waist. I am an apple shape, so my body is a straight line down. No hourglass figure to be accentuated by high-waisted items here. But after the panic subsided, I grew apathetic. I began to doubt that the style - rather extreme in nature - would catch on. And in truth, it hasn't. I've seen a moderate amount of people wearing high-waisted jeans, and pairs have appeared in a number of stores, but it hasn't affected style as drastically as I expected (at least where I live!). And so I let the thought of high-waisted things slip my mind.

But just the other day, I entered a store, saw a pair, and decided to give it a try. After all, why not? My reflection might break the mirror, but at least then I could give a critique based on actual experience.

In reality, they looked adorable! I tried a nautical-inspired pair, with buttons in a boomerang curve where the pockets are usually located, a zipper on one side. There was no bulge where the zipper usually would be in the front (my stomach always causes a slight jutting-out), just unhindered smoothness. In shock, I realized the high waist was a success!

For me, though, because I don't have a small torso, I cannot do with huge flares or baggy pants; they make the smallest part of me look oversized. Boot-cut or skinny leg jeans are best. Keeping this in mind, I did a little bit of shopping online to see what I could come up with:


"Eternity" high-waisted jean, $95
SilverJeans.com
I really like the zigzag cut at the top of the jeans. It's cute and is probably copied from of the Miss Sixty high-waisted pair that I've been unable to locate online. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of dark-wash denim (I prefer black over dark blue) and the quality of the jeans is questionable. Plus--it's sold out!


"Squeaze" high-waisted jean, $170
Diesel Online Store
I'd like to think you can't go wrong with a pair of Diesels, but there's a bit of a weird bulge effect around the waist. I'm not sure if that's due to the shirt being tucked into a very tight pair of jeans or what. On the other hand, the stirrup-bottom of the jeans has a nice effect and the tailoring looks very nicely done.

Here are two other sources of high-waisted jeans I'll have to check out outside the Web:

Sass & Bide
Superfine London

Sass & Bide have a wonderful stretch to their denim that doesn't cause them to become too loose, but keeps you comfortable, making high-waisted a yes; and Superfine is a superb purveyor of unique denim fabrics (besides that, the photo campaign on their website is gorgeous and has unequivocally seduced me).

Happy hunting!

006. Shades of gray.

Style.com
Fashion news flash: apparently the "it" color for the season is gray. (Another set of hues also rumored to be big this fall: metallics, but I ask you, when have metallics ever not been big? Gold and silver will never go out of style. Duh.)

At first, I was baffled - no, dismayed - by the extensive amount of gray flooding the scene. There were gray dresses, gray shoes, gray scarves, gray handbags en masse. And quite frankly, I freaked. Because gray is not exactly my color. In fact, I don't even consider it to be a color. It's gray, for god's sake. Gray is what you associate with obsolete, ancient black-and-white films. It's the epitome of drabness, even more so than black. Black is sexy. Gray is...well...boring. And it washes you out! I scoffed at the idiocy of the trend.

But I kept on looking. (I couldn't help it; everywhere I went, I saw gray.) And slowly, I began to come around. I began to notice the subtleties of a single color. Gray can be warm or cold, metallic or misty. It has been proven that once you've been subjected to the same thing repetitively for a long period of time, the mind attempts to find variety, to keep itself sane. And so I began to notice the variety that a color I formerly considered so drab could possess.

Here are just a few of the gray gems I've been lusting after recently:
Botkier Bryant Large Hobo
Marni Sleeveless Dress
Diane Von Furstenburg Ungaro Dress in Multi
Morphine Generation Script Hoodie in Night and Knit Vest in Steel
Pedro Garcia Daimi Suede Pumps

The key to working the gray this fall is moderation and contrast: balance gray with more vivid colors, and don't wash yourself out by overdoing either.