A lot has been written on handbags … and on women’s love for handbags … and on what women carry in their handbags … and on how much women can carry in their handbags.  In fact, there’s so much commentary out there that the title of this post refers to body bags (and not handbags) because I was afraid that any semi-clever intro that I devised would probably have been so overused that it would’ve been DOA.  (Get it?  Yeah, I groaned a little too.)

So, rather than covering old ground,  I’m going to jump right in.  After I had a kid, my handbag needs changed.  No longer did I need to carry just a wallet, keys, phone, sunglasses and lipstick.  Now I needed to carry all that PLUS snacks, my kid’s diabetic kit (since he’s Type I), some toy cars and planes and perhaps some extra socks and a shirt.  Oh, and I needed to have my hands free.

I used to go for the backpack, but let’s be honest, how stylish can a backpack be?  Sure, we all one-shoulder it and tell ourselves that’s cool, but at the end of the day, it’s still a backpack .  And then I discovered Mansur Gavriel bucket bags.

I love these bags for a weekend out with my son or on vacation.  The standard-size versions hold almost as much as a backpack, but they are incredibly stylish (you can even choose different interior colors (like red or silver) to offset your exterior color (like black)).  In addition, they can be worn cross-body like a messenger bag so you can easily reach into them to grab something.  And after you’ve reached in, you can just tie it back up.  No confusing zippers or buckles or snaps.  Best of all, in the world of handbags, the prices are relatively reasonable — $595 for a standard-size bucket bag with attached wallet.

I have a few colors of these bags given how useful they are.  I recently got this navy patent leather version from Moda Operandi (http://www.modaoperandi.com).  I really like the patent leather because it’s durable but adds a little bit of glamour, even to a weekend running around with my son:

I was reading an article about Prince shortly after he passed away that said he used to say his secret to looking young was that he stopped keeping count of his birthdays.  If only it were that easy!  We’d all love to find the Fountain of Youth, but until we do, at least we have cosmetics …

Unlike Prince, I have not stopped counting my birthdays (after all, without birthdays, there are no birthday presents), so I know I’ve celebrated 41 of them.  I sometimes get the same question as Prince (which ALWAYS flatters me), and I tell people that one of my many secrets (because, let’s face it, it’s better to have an arsenal to fight aging) is this Dallas pressed powder by Benefit that I got from Sephora (http://www.sephora.com/dallas-box-o-powder-blush-P133173?skuId=892406&icid2=products grid:p133173).

I think you’ll always look younger if your skin is luminous, and this powder does the trick.  It’s a rosy bronze that adds a lot of radiance to the skin, removing any dullness that can make you look tired or older.  And because it’s sheer, it can blend with a lot of different skin tones.  Every morning after I put on all my make-up, I sweep it on my eyes, cheeks and nose, concentrating more heavily on my nose because I think a stronger glow there gives my nose slightly more definition (interestingly enough, nose contouring is something I picked up from that Steve Martin movie Roxanne, the Cyrano de Bergerac update where he had the gigantic nose — if you haven’t seen it in awhile, you may want to check it out because I think it’s one of those comedies that actually holds up over time).

Dallas comes with its own brush, but I usually substitute brushes that are provided with ones that I’ve found that really get the job done.  In this case, the Optical Blurring Brush from Urban Decay, which I also got from Sephora, is perfect (http://www.sephora.com/optical-blurring-brush-P410551?skuId=1847706&icid2=products grid:p410551).  Before and after pics are below.

Before Dallas:

After Dallas:

It’s U.S. Open time, so New York City is infected with tennis fever that only a trip out to Flushing Meadows can cure.  I caught it too, and even though I don’t follow tennis generally, I was thrilled to go to the women’s semi-finals this evening.

First, the bad news.  Serena Williams lost.  This is actually the second time I’ve see her lose, having been at her epic match against Roberta Vinci last year that ended her Grand Slam bid.  I know in some weird sports juju way of thinking I could be her bad luck charm (especially since these are, like, the only tennis matches I’ve been to in my entire life), but more likely she probably psyched herself out with memories of last year.

Now, the good news.  When I first went to the U.S. Open last year, I had no idea what to wear.  I even Googled “what to wear at the U.S. Open” to get some ideas.  But, thankfully, I think I landed on a great selection this year.  I picked a vibrant green Altuzarra dress and Sam Edelman espadrilles, both of which I got on Net-a-Porter (http://www.net-a-porter.com).  I think a dress is always a good call for a tennis match, and I thought the fitted top with the pleated skirt definitely had a tennis vibe (abeit A LOT less revealing).  I know a number of people think “tennis whites,” but even the players are shaking it up and adding big splashes of color, so I did that too.  And the espadrilles are amazing.  Closed-toe with a little bit of height, and so easy to walk in (and there can be a lot of walking around).

AND I felt totally validated because Ms. Vogue herself, Anna Wintour, was sitting four rows in front of me and was wearing something similar … a colorful, midi-length dress (it looked like Carolina Herrera).  Of course, she was wearing heels with hers, which I did last year and really don’t recommend.  Believe it or not, there are limits to how uncomfortable I will be for fashion.

Here’s a closer look at the dress and shoes:

 And, just for fun, a picture of Serena serving:

You know last Friday’s post “Day-O” about songs that get stuck in your head (also mentioned were Bette Midler’s “The Rose” and Murray Head’s “One Night in Bangkok”)?  Okay, let’s add to that list the chorus of “Rocky Mountain High.”  Why?  Because, as I write this, I am sitting in a hotel room in Denver, Colorado, and the chorus of John Denver’s 1972 single (which, fun fact, was named the second official state song of Colorado in 2007) has been driving me crazy since I landed here.

But I am here, and it’s been a crazy day.  I woke up at 5 am in Los Angeles, worked until 2:30 pm, headed to the airport, arrived here at 7:30 pm, and then went straight to a business dinner, only to finish up at 11 pm.  It can be difficult to figure out the right thing to wear for work, travel AND dinner, but I think this dress from Preen by Thornton Bregazzi that I got off of Shopbop (http://www.shopbop.com) was perfect.  (I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised since Preen was my recognized designer of last week’s “Kick Ass and Take Names Tuesday.”)

I think a black dress transitions effortlessly from day to night, especially if it has details that give it some added elegance.  Not only does this dress have slightly puffed sleeves and a ruched skirt that give it both a professional and cocktail vibe (depending on the context), but it comes with an optional diamante brooch that can be added to the belt after work to add a touch of glamour.  In addition, the fabric is mid-weight and non-wrinkly, so I can walk off the plane looking ready to go.

Dinner was great, and I felt I looked the part even though I had already been up for something like 14 hours.  But that’s what I love about fashion.  No matter how tired or down you may feel, you can put on something amazing, and it’s the best pick-me-up.

There’s this link that’s been circulating on Facebook recently of a “Musicless Musicvideo” of David Bowie and Mick Jagger doing their 1985 cover of “Dancing in the Street.”  I think it’s pretty awesome because it highlights for me that these guys dance EXACTLY how I do if I’m totally into the music and just having a great time and not caring about what other people think.  The dancing is not good by ANY stretch of the imagination, but it’s totally fun.  If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a link to check it out:

http://theawesomer.com/dancing-in-the-street-without-music/283117/

So that got me to thinking about fun outfits to wear to go dancing.   And frankly, I think the flappers in the 1920s who danced the night away to the Charleston definitely got it right (so much so that now I can’t imagine a “Dancing with the Stars” season without it) … fringe is *fantastic*.  It shakes along with your body and can make even the most uncoordinated movements look hip and fashionable.

There are a lot of different types of fringe out there, but it’s the delicate, all-over fringe that I think works best for dancing.  Marco de Vincenzo has done a lot of pieces in fringe during the last year, and I was thrilled to get his combination halter top/fringe dress from Farfetch (http://www.farfetch.com) during the Memorial Day sale.   I think the silk halter top balances well with the fringe, which is patterned in bi-colored polka dots and moves amazing well.

I ended up wearing this to Jimmy’z, a night club in Monte Carlo.  And though the music was a far cry from the Charleston or even “Dancing in the Street,” this dress still gave me some killer moves on the dance floor, even if all I did was jump around.

Do you guys remember that movie Fight Club with Edward Norton and Brad Pitt where Brad Pitt is shirtless and wearing pants that fall, like, ten inches below his waist?  Well, that last part doesn’t have much to do with this post (it’s just that when I reference Fight Club, I can’t NOT think about it), but what DOES relate this post to Fight Club are the Rules of Fight Club.  You know, the first rule of Fight Club is that you don’t talk about Fight Club, and the second rule of Fight Club is that you DO NOT talk about Fight Club … and then you forget all the rest of the rules, even though you probably shouldn’t.

I think the Rules of Dressing for a Wedding, which are definitely out there, are kind of like the Rules of Fight Club.  I know the first rule is that you don’t wear white to a wedding, and the second rule is that you DO NOT wear white to a wedding, and then I sort of forget everything else.  And every time I’m staring into my closet with a wedding invitation in my hand, I know I should really remember them.

So I struggle and I stress, but when I land on something I think works incredibly well, I recycle it like crazy.  That’s what happened here with this Nanette Lepore dress from her Spring 2012 collection.  It’s lilac lace over a neon orange shell (see the full image below), and I think the effect is romantic and joyful and unique without being too loud.  Indeed, I think pastels and lace are always a good call for a wedding.  And for this wedding in Provence, I paired it with a lilac fascinator I got off of Etsy.

So if it’s not already on the Rules for Dressing for a Wedding, I’d add, “When you find something that works, don’t be afraid to hang on to it and re-wear it to other weddings.”  After all, it can be that “something old” that’s supposed to represent continuity.

And if some guy who looks like Brad Pitt wants to show up shirtless with his pants hanging off, I’d be okay with adding that to the rules too …

Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head for days?  It might not even be a particularly good song or one that you know all the words to, but a couple of lines or a whole stanza can haunt you when you’re in the car or brushing your teeth or, God forbid, trying to concentrate.  There’s this bartender at one of my after-work happy hour places who makes a cocktail called “The Rose,” and if anyone orders it, I’m stuck with that Bette Midler tune (“Some say love, it is a river”) for at least 24 hours.  Ugh.  And when I was in Thailand, my inability to recall anything more than, “One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster,” but have it go through my head a gazillion times, drove me so crazy that I ended up finding a computer café (this was back in 2003) so I could look up the song and familiarize myself with more of the lyrics.

So what ended up happening to me when Dolce & Gabbana rolled out their banana-leaf print this season?  As soon as I saw it, “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” by Harry Belafonte got totally stuck in my head.  The only words I know to that song besides “Day-O” are “Daylight come and me wanna go home,” but thankfully that line is repeated, like, twenty times.

It should come as no surprise that with this constant reminder of the banana-leaf print in my head, I ended up ordering two of the pieces.  This blouse and skirt combo I got from MatchesFashion (http://www.matchesfashion.com).  Dolce & Gabbana always does an incredibly lady-like and flattering cut, and these pieces are no exception.  The shoulders of the blouse are slightly puffed and then fall to an elbow-length sleeve, which provides a nice shape to offset the midi-length pencil skirt.  And the color is incredible.  It’s such a vivid green that’s highlighted all the more by the black band of the skirt.  Dolce & Gabbana has done a lot in the banana-leaf print this season, but this was one of my favorite looks.

Of course, when I wear it, I still think of “Day-O,” which is a little annoying.  And after this post, you may too.  If it drives you crazy, I’m sorry.  But better than “The Rose,” right?

There’s this game that women play called the “Desert Island Scenario.”  It’s very straightforward — if you were stranded on a desert island and could have only one beauty product with you, what would it be?  This hypothetical question controls for hygiene and health care products, so you won’t get distracted with practical answers like sunblock or toothpaste or contact lens solution.  The idea is to find the one item that makes you feel the best about yourself, even if there is only a volleyball named Wilson around to appreciate it.

Most women say mascara, which I totally get.  I used to joke that my eyes are virtually non-existent if I don’t have mascara to open them up.  But then I discovered Eyeko’s Brow Magic Brow Boost.  This stuff is A-MAZ-ING.  Not only does it make your eyes pop the way mascara does, but it structures your whole face.  The product is made of very subtle fibers that add thickness, as well as color and shape, to your brows.  It’s so much better than a brow pencil, which can be hard to blend, not to mention match to your brows.  Brow Boost uses a softer applicator and can be brushed along your brows as soft or heavily as you want to achieve a more natural look.  And if you mess up, it’s easy to clean up with a Q-tip.

I used to ignore my brows, but after using Brow Boost, I felt my face was a lot more polished and refined.  Not terribly surprising given how important we’re told eyebrows can be (after all, can you imagine what Cara Delevingne would be without hers), but eye-opening to me nonetheless.  I ordered my first bottle off of Net-a-Porter (http://www.net-a-porter.com), and when I went to get a second bottle, I discovered it had sold out in my color (light to medium), so I searched everywhere and got three bottles from Saks Fifth Avenue (http://www.saks.com) and one bottle on back-order from Nordstrom (http://www.nordstrom.com).

Now I’m ready for a plane to crash-land on a desert island …

  Before Brow Boost

  After Brow Boost

Newsflash (okay, maybe not so much since it should be fairly self-evident by this blog):  I have waaaaaaaay too many clothes and splurge A LOT on them.  If I were to describe it in comic book terms, fashion is my kryptonite.

I get that not everyone has the same weakness.  I think designers realize that too, so a lot of them have done collaborations that are significantly more affordable (so you won’t get home feeling like your wallet has been attacked by Lex Luthor).  In the past two years, Target has done collaborations with two of my favorite designers, Peter Pilotto and Altuzarra.  And who can forget last year’s Balmain x H&M collaboration, which crashed the Website and sold out within a day?

One of my favorite collaborations has been Born Free, where 22 designers partnered with Shopbop and Vogue to create pieces that benefited a global initiative to end mother-to-child HIV transmission.  I got this Carolina Herrera shirtdress patterned in a print designed by Kenyan artist Wangechi Mutu on Shopbop (http://www.shopbop.com) for about 1/10 the price of a typical Carolina Herrera piece.  It’s not only a fabulous dress at a fabulous price, but it supported a great cause.

So even if you’re a lot more rational than I am about fashion but would still love to own a piece by a top designer, keep your eyes open for these collaborations. Just a couple of additional tips to be a total superhero here:

• Pieces may be tough to get.  Collaborations are marketing campaigns, after all, and building anticipation is part of the process.  It’s good to know when the products will be posted online and be on the site beforehand.  If your size sells out online, call around to local stores first to see if they have any inventory left.  Sometimes people order online and then return to the store.  You can also try Ebay.  Even with a mark-up, you’re paying a lot less than a typical piece.
• The fit is not going to be as good given the production process, so I always encourage a little additional investment to have your pieces tailored.

Oh, and take that, kryptonite.

Up until this point, my blog posts have consisted of me using various designers to illustrate some of my observations or advice on fashion.  Now I’m going to do something a little different.  Today is going to be “Kick Ass and Take Names Tuesday” where I focus solely on a designer who I love, who I think season after season is getting it totally right.

So Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, you are one of the best!!!!  I think I got my first Preen printed column dress on sale off of Net-a-Porter (http://www.net-a-porter.com) a little over three years ago (in fact, I was on vacation in Tahiti over Memorial Day weekend and I had to search desperately for an Internet connection at the resort so I could access the sale).  I’ve been hooked ever since.  The prints are amazing, and every cut is so flattering … from the jersey dresses that have just the right amount of shape … to the more romantic, flowing dresses that have fantastic details and don’t swallow you up … to everything in between.

Here, I’m wearing Preen’s Aurora silk-chiffon dress that I recently got off of Net-A-Porter.  I think the cobalt blue print is gorgeous, and the asymmetric, draped hemline makes it a little more interesting than your typical wrap dress.  I also think the neckline is great because you can either button it and have a keyhole opening or, as I did, leave it open and have a banded collar feel.

And to top it all off, I think Preen is great for work.  The dresses are classy and elegant, but have a little bit of edge.  I’m always looking for alternatives to suits or button-down shirts and skirts, and Preen hits it out of the park.  So virtual high five to you guys!  I’m so glad I discovered you.