get the look: new year's eve

Still need some outfit inspiration for New Year's Eve?  Check out these two photo boards, along with some fictional backstory to get your creative juices flowing:



For a downtown rooftop party

The girl who rocks this look may be (or may want to be) a Brooklyn transplant.  She'll probably put this together while listening to TV On the Radio or the tUnE-yArDs.  She'll take the subway to that rooftop party, and intends to do some booty-shaking when she gets there, so she'll need to be comfortable while looking sexy and badass.

click image to enlarge

Distressed bomber jacket, Forever 21.  Tiger Eyes henley, Free People.  Pleat Tectonics pleated fuchsia maxi skirt, Lulu's.  Jules biker boot, Allsaints Spitalfields.  



For an uptown cocktail party

This girl is a little preppy, a lot playful, and is probably ringing in the new year at an art gallery or a lounge.  She'll be listening to Dwele and Frank Ocean while she gets ready.  She'll look modern, elegant, and shimmery while channeling a flute of bubbly in this tribute to grapes, stars, and confetti.

click image to enlarge

Celine blazer, Nasty Gal.  Silk taffeta Kristin dress, J. Crew.  Nali star clutch, asos.  Dejavu gold glitter platform pumps, Steve Madden.  Sins earrings, Aldo.    

last-minute holiday gift ideas! woo!

I'm going to put off the Birchbox unboxing post one more day in order to address a far more pressing issue: last-minute holiday shopping!

If you're anything like me, you're bound to leave shopping for at least one holiday gift for the very last brain-addling, nerve-wracking, beyond-express-shipping second, and end up compromising for a trusty but trite store gift card or something equally predictable.  Not that there's anything inherently wrong with a gift card, because, let's face it, who doesn't like a windfall and some no-strings spending cash?  But if you're looking to jazz up your seat-of-the-pants gift giving this year, check out some of these alternative goodies.

● Gift subscription to a box-of-the-month club

People have necessarily resorted to experimenting and innovating to stay afloat in this economy, and as a result we've seen forward-thinking entrepreneurs come up with all manner of new business models.  One of the newest and fastest-growing is the subscription box service.  There's a flavor of box for absolutely every taste and budget: Glossybox and Birchbox for beauty product fanatics, Barkbox and Pawalla for animal lovers and pet people, goodies.co (which, sadly, doesn't offer gift subscriptions as of yet) and Love with Food for foodies and the snack-inclined.  For the lifestyle mavens and Renaissance ladies in your life there's, of course, the PopSugar Must Have box, which you might've read about in my last post.  You really can't go wrong with these boxes: it's the gift that keeps on giving for as many months as you want it, and it totally recreates that Christmas-morning feeling for your recipient every time it arrives in the mail.

● Voucher for a virtual personal styling service

 

I can't imagine any busy modern girl who wouldn't love the opportunity to take the occasional break from clothes shopping, have a quick personal style consultation, and receive custom-selected outfits mere days later.  Services like Stitch Fix, which sends you a shipment of clothes and jewelry picked for you based on style and budget preferences you detail in their online questionnaire, make the luxury of personal styling super easy and affordable.  If you're looking for a personal styling service for your man, check out Trunk Club or LookCraft

● Homemade treats

Everybody loves food, so unless you mix up your sugar with your salt while whipping up a batch of homemade goodies, you're guaranteed a well-received present.  And all the time, care, thoughtfulness and effort you expended on your creation is so much more meaningful than the typical manufactured, store-bought present.  And the possibilities are endless: you can go the homemade baked goods route (try these decadent Nutella-stuffed brown butter and sea salt chocolate chip cookies or these elegant, New-Year's-Eve-ready sparkling champagne cupcakes), or you can go a slightly more adventurous route, like I plan to do this year: check out those vodka-spiked gummi bears above!  A brilliant coworker made a batch of those babies for our office holiday party, and I can't imagine a more fun, festive treat to share with (alcohol-inclined) friends.  Plus they're super easy to make -- you just need a couple of days to let them sit in the fridge.  Click here for a good, quick tutorial.

● Festive plants

Yet another thoughtful gift that keeps on giving and that I'll guarantee will be well-received, unless you have a rare plant hater in your life (in which case, ignore this section and refer to the other above-cited options).  Make sure you get a live plant, and not one of those tacky 80s Palm Beach retiree fabric monstrosities, please.  You can choose a little tabletop pine or fir tree, which you'll find everywhere from grocery stores to roadside Christmas tree tents this time of year, and decorate it with a small string of lights or holiday ornaments; or try a lush, fiery poinsettia, which is so gorgeous it doesn't need any extra adornments.  If you want to go a more unconventional route, try a potted cactus or succulent, both of which are edgy and low-maintenance and incredibly beautiful.  I received the amazing terrarium (from Plant the Future in Midtown Miami) you see pictured above from my Mom as an early Christmas gift, and my guy and I decided to decorate it in place of a Christmas tree.  I think the result is just as lovely, and definitely more eco-friendly, don't you think?

I hope this post was helpful, that it sparked some last-minute gift-giving ideas, and that it relieved some retail-induced holiday stress.  What other down-to-the-wire gifts have you found yourself preparing this year?

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Some of the links included in this post are referral links.  If you use them, I might receive points, credits, or other small perks from the referred merchants.  You absolutely don't have to use my referral links if you'd prefer not to, but I'd love and appreciate it if you would help me by clicking them. I am neither affiliated with nor receiving any kind of compensation from the brands mentioned in this post.  Views and opinions expressed herein are mine and not necessarily representative of theirs, &c. 

Gummi bear and cactus terrarium photos © Sense and Style.  All rights reserved.

unboxing, december edition: popsugar must have

I'm embarrassed to even acknowledge how long it's been since I last posted here: over a year! Trends have come, trends have gone, links have broken, and I've been nowhere to document and/or fix them.  But a new year is upon us!  So I've decided to take full advantage of the whole "forgetting old acquaintance" brand of amnesia that comes with the new year, and begin again with Sense and Style.

I don't know about you, but I've been borderline-obsessed with subscription boxes this past year.  You know the ones: you sign up for a membership, and each month you get a box of mystery goodies delivered -- makeup, makeup samples, clothes, food: you name it, a subscription box tailored to your interests is out there.

One of my favorites so far is the PopSugar Must Have box, curated by the editors of the excellent lifestyle site PopSugar.  Each month, you receive a selection of their favorite products, generally arranged around a theme or set of themes: holidays, entertaining, seasonal trends, ...  The monthly subscription will cost you $35, but out of all the various and sundry boxes I've tested out, this one gives you the most bang for your buck by far.  Each delivery includes five or six full-sized products, ranging from of-the-moment books (J. K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy was a recent selection) to DVD movies and workout tapes to nail polish to room scent diffusers to caramels or chocolates or baking mixes to scarves.  The combined value of the goodies in each shipment usually far far exceeds the subscription price, and I've honestly never been disappointed to date.

Check out the contents of my just-arrived December box:

Clockwise from top left: ● The December box!  Freshly opened, still sealed in pretty pink tissue. ● Jabonería Marianella Face and Body Bar in Dama de La Noche (aka Lady of the Night en español -- oh my).  The scent of this generously plump, beautifully packaged body bar perfumed my entire box!  According to its wrapping, the soap is crafted "with essences of Apple, Lemon, and Dama de la Noche" which, apparently, is a flower as well as a woman of questionable repute (yes, I just Googled the phrase).  Intoxicating. ● GoSwype touchscreen wipes, which will come in handy for my ultra-manhandled iPhone.  I love that they purportedly get rid of up to 98% of (ick) touchscreen-dwelling bacteria.  ● Opening the MiniMergency Kit box revealed this insanely cute and portable toiletry bag, filled to bursting with on-the-go necessities like lip balm, nailpolish (!), hair spray, deodorant wipes, a tampon, and a sewing kit, all elegantly packaged so as to make a girl almost hope for hygiene and wardrobe malfunctions.  Also, that gold-toned wishbone zipper pull is amazing.  ● The December box, freed from its tissue wrapping, waiting to be torn into.  ● Chocolate-covered peppermint swizzle sticks (by Bogdon's)!  YUM.  One of these fine specimens will be swizzled into my coffee tomorrow morning.  ● These Bodum double-walled glass bistro mugs were a highlight -- I've been coveting these beauties forever!  Their super-smart, minimalist design make you feel like you're drinking out of a work of art.  So yeah, I'm going to have one hell of a cup of coffee tomorrow.  ● The second highlight!  This Tea Forté tea assortment is intensely aromatic and, judging by the Jasmine Green variety I just sampled, smooth and delicious.  And its infuser bags are total design porn: shaped like pyramids and topped with a tiny leaf on a string.

That's the Jasmine Green Tea Forté steeping inside the Bodum bistro mug.  Pretty, no?

Oh!  Along with the above-pictured treats came a --wait for it-- a $50 gift card to online designer dress rental site Rent the Runway!  Granted, using the card involves making a purchase and dropping some cash, but if you're in the market for a party dress but are, shall we say, ballin' on a budget, $50 is a steep discount. Not bad!

So if your curiosity's piqued now and you'd like to try out the PopSugar Must Have subscription, you can click here to sign up.  Use discount code REFER5 and you'll get $5 off your first box.  If you decide it's not for you after you give it a whirl, you can cancel easily -- I canceled around September and went on a two-month hiatus, to economize a bit, and quitting was a breeze.  (By the way, I'm still kicking myself for missing out on September's Brokedown scarf.  Oh well: you can't win 'em all, ladies.)

And that's the Sense and Style comeback post!  Woo!  Check back tomorrow for the unboxing of December's Birchbox.  To be continued...

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All photography included in this post © Wesner Fleurima, Jr.  All rights reserved.

Some of the links included in this post are referral links.  If you use them, I might receive points, credits, or other small perks from the referred merchants.  You absolutely don't have to use my referral links if you'd prefer not to, but I'd love and appreciate it if you would help me by clicking them. I am neither affiliated with nor receiving any kind of compensation from the brands mentioned in this post.  Views and opinions expressed herein are mine and not necessarily representative of theirs, &c. 

virtual mood board: fall 2011

We've been reading our September issues (and October, and November by now; but no matter) diligently, I'm sure, and can probably all recite the big trends for fall and winter of this year: jewel tones, stacked-heel boots, edited 70s-boho, Yves Klein blue (!), etc. etc.

That's all well and good, and a springboard to be sure, but I thought I'd put together my own list of inspirations for the fall, some of the pieces and people and ideas that make me excited to get dressed this season.    

• Tailored shorts with tights.  Also warm, buttery tans and browns paired with gray.

Wedges by L.A.M.B.
Hosiery by Falke

• Prince's snow-white coat in his video for "The Morning Papers," massive shoulderpads and all.

• Bone- and skeleton-inspired jewelry.

JewelMint

Rings by Low Luv x Erin Wasson
Necklaces at Endless.com

• Lake Bell's character Rachel in How to Make It In America, for her hip-nerd, thrown-on chic.

  

Birdcage bangle and Hayden necklace by JewelMint

TopShop shorts from Privé sample sale

Dinosaur Bones cuff by nOir

on menswear (but for ladies)

All Saints Lawrence raw scoop tee

Yes, I'm at work, and yes, I should be watching my spending by this time, at mid-month, but I couldn't resist buying this gorgeous tshirt.

I spied it in person while browsing the All Saints men's section at the mall this past weekend.  The original sticker price was ludicrous ($55 for a dude's tshirt?  Really?), but I fell hard for the part-goth, part-Victorian, marine- and newsprint-themed design, and that deep raw scoop-neck, and that faded boy's-closet feel.

So when I found out (this morning at work -- ahem) All Saints was having a 50% off sale, I had to snap it up.

I plan on wearing it with dark skinny jeans, a cardigan or linen blazer, and either teetering and totally impractical heels, or flats, depending on mood and need for mobility.

I think scouting pieces in men's sections is going to become a new hobby.

trend score: woven leather bags

I've been seeing woven leather bags everywhere lately.  Such an effortlessly elegant look is best carried slouchy, so the construction doesn't render it too stuffy or severe.  You can splurge on a lambskin designer bag or spare your wallet and opt for a faux-leather beauty: whatever your preference, you'll look amazing and modern rocking this trend.

Want in on woven?  Check out these three options for three different budgets:     


Trust Fund ( $$$$ )

Veneta by Bottega Veneta

Lambskin with suede lining.  $1,580.

 
Savings ( $$ )

Decker by Deux Lux

Faux leather with satin lining.  $128.

Debit ( $ )

Bergamo by ShoeDazzle

Faux leather with fabric lining.  $39.95.

on shoes and saving

So the global economy's in a slump and your personal finances aren't faring any better, but winter demands a new shoe wardrobe for your chilly, sandal-strapped feet. What's a stylish, financially-challenged girl to do?

Sample sales are generally my go-to cure-all when I'm low on funds and retail therapy belts out its siren song. But sometimes even sample sale prices are a bit too steep: sure, a 75% markdown on a pair of $400 boots is one hell of a deal, but it's a deal that'll still cost you a crisp $100 bill. Luckily, we still have stylish and far more affordable options available. To wit:

Monthly subscription-service shoe clubs

Both ShoeDazzle and JustFabulous operate similarly: You create an account, take a style quiz, and, based on your quiz responses, receive monthly shoe and handbag selections tailored to your preferences that you can view at your own online boutique.  Everything, absolutely every single selection, will cost you a mere $39.95.  The only catch across both sites is that, if you choose not to buy any selections during the first five days of any given month, you have to click a "skip this month" button, or you'll be charged a $39.95 credit (that you can later use towards any boutique selection).  It's not too much of a catch, as long as you're good about visiting your boutique at the beginning of each month.  Another bonus: shipping is totally free. 

Daphne

Deseo

As you can see, both sites offer trendy, fashion-conscious merch so you can dress with the season and not feel too awful about possibly not wearing your monthly selections beyond their fashion moment.  Another sort of catch, which should be fairly obvious, is that, at $39.95 a pop, the shoes and bags offered by these services aren't exactly works of craftsmanship.  Materials are inexpensive, and the finished product can look cheaply made.  This applied to the single purchase I've made so far, an irresistible black, purple and gold platform sky-high-heeled pump offered some months ago at ShoeDazzle.  I don't regret my purchase because the shoe is still gorgeous (especially from a slight distance, and peeking out from under jeans), but the constructions definitely leaves something to be desired, the materials are flimsy, and the side panels gape out a bit.  But again: the shoes are gorgeous and, hello, $39.95!  Again, I've only had one experience with these services, so I can't vouch for quality across the board.  I'd love to read your take on or your experiences with either of these subscription sites if you want to leave a comment.

(Certain) Youth-oriented boutiques 

Another excellent source for stylish, of-the-moment, affordable shoes is Alloy.  Don't let the site's hip-teen-girl-oriented exterior fool you: tucked inside the belly of the beast is a great little online boutique full of trendy clothes and, most importantly, wallet-friendly foot candy.  Unlike other online youth-targeting boutiques, most of the shoes offered here feature sky-high heels and fashionable details that are most definitely not for little girls.  Witness Violet ($36.90) and Isla ($36.90):

Violet

Isla

Check out the Cuban heel on Larissa ($46.90) and the detailing on Bisquit ($59.90), below:

Larissa

Bisquit

Don't expect leather and suede from Alloy, either, but do expect good construction and jaunty, sophisticated style at a reasonable price.  Pretty good deal, if you ask me.

All right, I think I've done my part to help you kick off a productive weekend of financially sound retail therapy.  Let me know what you think, and feel free to share your own sources for fabulous and affordable shoes in the comments.

style spotlight: Da-Nang

I confess: I have a tremendous fashion crush on Da-Nang.

Day Dresses by Danang
Casual Jackets by Danang

Maybe it's partly due to the military-wear moment we're having this season, and partly due to my fixation on beautiful and comfortable clothes, but this crush is pretty serious.  Serious as in full-blown batty.  As in hide my wallet and credit cards now.

Da-Nang is rooted in a sort of minimalist, found-fabric aesthetic, coupled with a feminine sensibility for embellishment.  I'm no fan of bedazzling, but Da-Nang's painstakingly-crafted, sensibly-applied embroidery and studs and sequins elevate their designs from basic to artful.  The label takes its inspiration from East Asian and Vietnamese art and culture (Da Nang is actually a port city in Central Vietnam), from military apparel, and from a sort of romanticized vision of backpacker/explorer wear.  In practice, this translates into loosely but lovingly tailored, well-fitting, lush and comfortable haute-casual pieces.

All that attention to detail and cut also means pretty steep prices in the $75 - $300 range.  Luckily for us, sample sale sites (love!) are all over Da-Nang lately: I've seen Da-Nang sales on ideeli, Rue La La, and Hautelook, off the top of my head, over the past few months.  At sample sale prices, this brand becomes pretty affordable, with their gorgeous henleys, hoodies, and jackets in the $30 to $100 range.  I've recently scored a Da-Nang cropped bomber jacket, an embroidered brown hoodie that cost $40 and looks about a million bucks, and an embroidered silk shirt thanks to the wonder of online sample sales.  Be on the lookout, ladies: this brand is worth it.

style soundtrack

Vanhove

If Aldo's strappy, sexy, 80s-graphic Vanhove sandal were translated into music, or if it decided to commission a theme song, it would sound like this: