Good afternoon, Friday. It's a beautiful day in New York- warm sun, chilly air. Perfect.
I've been thinking lately of how often I like to switch up my look, though as I get older, I tend to go with the tried and true because I'm too tired to explore- but really more because I have a fairly good idea of what works for me and what I like. However, there's always room for a style curve ball, and I've a few thoughts on how to get out of my comfort zone this holiday season and beyond. Wondering what you are all thinking in terms of switching it up? Here's a few I thought of trying to keep things fresh:
Red lipstick- I've written about red lipstick before, mostly because it confounds me. It's so hard to get it right and because I tend to prefer well done eyes, I tend to go more spare on the lips. But I just found a great way to do red that's not SO RED and I love it- it's from Lipstick Queen's Seven Deadly Sins gloss collection, and it's called Lust. (Of course it is). I love how a gloss can give you that red look without the hyper pigmented lipstick thing- plus it fades nicely and doesn't feather and keeps your lips moisturized, a big issue with reds and me because they tend to be drying. And it's not really such a shiny red either- just a lovely amount of color. I may be all about red lips this winter- a new one for me but a nice change, and always a classic.
Men's oxford- I have a real love/hate when it comes to wearing a mannish shoe- I love the look on other people but on me I tend to feel a bit frumpy/dowdy/clunky. I still think they work best on the tall and willowy, but I'm coming around to the idea of one- particularly with a cropped trouser or with tights and a short dress. I may have to go there and embrace my fear of mannish feet. They do look very badass- particularly fond of the offerings from Church's (the classic English brogue purveyor) or the cool ones from Brooklyn favorite Rachel Comey (she's not from BK, but girls who live there love her geek chic vibe). Hmm. Perhaps. Very French too, if done properly so cute.
White tee shirt- I know this one seems ridiculous. But my default every day tee shirt is black. Full stop. Muscle shirts. Short sleeves. Long sleeves. Crew necks. V necks. Always black. I need a good white tee in my life- and spotted a perfect one by Raquel Allegra the other day, as well as some nice ones at Rag and Bone. I may have to go there- it's a nice lift in the winter around the face when my wardrobe is anything but bright.
Losing the specs- I've been wearing glasses for a minute and I'm kind of over it. As much as I love my outsized Celines, I'm kind of in the mood to be lens free. And since contacts and I do not get along, I may pony up for some Lasik love. I'd like to be able to not wear glasses, particularly on nights out, or experience the joy of buying cheap sunglasses without worrying about a prescription. Yes please. I'm sure this will more than change up my look- hopefully I won't miss them.
Growing my hair out- Sigh. This one is always tough. I love my hair short so much but part of me really wants to grow it out. Not long. But maybe collar bone length, with long bangs, like this girl. Long hair is way out of my comfort zone, not to mention my skill set. I suck at doing my own hair but maybe I'll give it a whirl. Funny for most chicks it's quite the opposite- but short hair is my lazy default. (This will no doubt be my biggest challenge because hacking at my hair is more tempting than any vice available to me. I just can't help it).
Sure in the grand scheme these changes are not a big deal in any way. But sometimes I like to switch it up, and it's all about baby steps to get there, one white tee shirt or mannish shoe at a time. Cause that's what's up this constantly evolving kind of Friday in the 212. Yours, in style shifting. XO