"Leave the Sewin' to the Women; You Go Get Some Trimmin'!"

Right now my aunt and mom are working diligently to fix up my sisters' bridesmaids dresses. I'm hoping that it is going a little something like this.

Project Runway: Get the Winning Look for Less

On this week's episode of Project Runway, winning designer Althea Harper combined a voluminous gray cardigan with a strappy tank top and black dress pants with a paper bag waist for a luxe, fashion-forward style.

This look was designed as a companion piece to her earlier winning design, a feminine suit with paper bag waisted shorts.

You can imitate Althea's designs with these retail pieces.

For an affordable alternative to Althea's over-sized cardigan, try this more tailored version from Target.

Another great option is this wrap from Victoria's Secret, pictured here in a light gray, but available in a rich charcoal. The wrap can be worn at least six different ways.

This option, also from Victoria's Secret, comes closer to the volume of Althea's look, but is only available in black and a soft, winter white.

An expensive luxury item, this little beauty is from Juicy Couture, available at Bloomingdales's.

Moving on to the distinctive tailoring of the pants... It was hard even to know what to search for, but here is my surprisingly close match!

If you would like to imitate the shorts from Althea's first style, look no further than these.

To imitate the runway look's strappy tank top, try this staple available from Amazon.com.

This camisole from Victoria's Secret has a lot of visual interest in the back, just like Althea's.

I hope you enjoyed these suggestions. Please email me at sophisticatesguide@gmail.com with your own suggestions!

Project Runway Auction

This little dream of a dress, designed by Althea Harper and made out of newspapers, is on sale now on Project Runway's auction site. It's chic, it's wearable, it's innovative. And the highest bid right now is $55.

But is it Fall Ball chic? Is it October wedding wearable? Probably not. So it will remain just my little dream of a dress.

But I bet the shipping would be cheap.

Maybe I'd get it media mail.




(Images reproduced without permission from projectrunway.com).

Fashion Friday: University Park Mall

You can do a lot of things at University Park Mall. Most of them you probably shouldn't.

Here are some of the things that the Boyfriend and I did at the mall:
-tested our blood pressure
-drank some orange julius
-rechecked our blood pressure
-marveled at the restorative properties of orange julius
-looked for a stockpot for the upcoming Lobster Adventure
-rejected all stockpots as too small for the doomed lobster
-smelled things with "lemongrass" in their titles at Bath and Body Works

Here are some of the things we did NOT do at the mall:
-got massages from "Chinese Massage"
-jumped on a trampoline/swing apparatus (had my Girl A been there, this item would have appeared on the previous list)
-visited a strange "Mini Spa" with pulsating club music emanating from its shadowy interior

I didn't buy any clothes, but I sure did some shopping in my mind. Some items that caught my eye at the mall:

This lovely, winter white, trench-inspired wool coat at Express:



A fierce combination of a bright, ruffled halter top with a lightweight, menswear-inspired jacket at Charlotte Russe.




This delightful little miracle from the good people at Bath and Body. I love the Mentha lip tints, which Santa puts in my stocking each year, so I was extremely excited to see what looked like a GIANT mentha lip tint. I would never have to bother Santa again! When I looked more closely, I realized that the Mentha people have created a line of body products, still with the peppermint oil that makes the lip tints so wonderful. Check out this luscious-looking Body Buffer:



And lastly, something I want to eat: this white stilton with ginger and mango.



But, for now, I am very happy with our simple purchases from the grocery store which the Boyfriend expertly whipped up in the kitchen while I wrote this entry.

Bon appetit!

Article of the Day: September 13, 2009

I like to buy shoes from Zappos. Or, at least, I like the idea of it. I didn't know that anyone thought Zappos was a cult.

Very busy weekend. But since no one wants to read about how much writing, editing, and reading I've done this weekend, instead I will tell you:

I am back in the game!! This weekend I made a delicious "Chocolate Crackle Cookie" recipe provided by the Roomie's mom. Also, the Boyfriend revised the lemon meringue recipe from last week. This time we used a glass bowl instead of plastic, added cream of tartar to the recipe, adjusted the oven temperature and cooking time, and let the cookies sit in the oven overnight. Success!

The cookies are so good that now we are out of milk.

Fashion Friday: Chicago Style

The Model: Today's Fashion Friday feature comes to us from an art student living in Chicago. She says her day-to-day style varies widely from sophisticated to punk. Here she is getting ready for a night on the town.

The Look: She pairs a sculpted, voluminous shirt with straight leg dress pants. This look's deep v-neck flatters the model, opening up her features and giving her petite frame extra length.

Steal This Look:

The model wears:
-cotton/silk blend top from the GAP
-chocolate brown corduroy straight leg pants from the GAP
-simple Celtic knot on sterling silver chain - made in and from Ireland, gift from her parents

Are you stylish enough to be featured on Fashion Friday? Nominate yourself or a friend by sending an email with a photo attachment to sophisticatesguide@gmail.com, subject line "Fashion Friday."

Celebrity Style: Rachel Bilson on Project Runway

Last week Rachel Bilson sported a white, ruffled blouse, black shirt, and textured tights while serving as a guest judge on Project Runway.

I mimicked the look for less than 25 dollars. Here I am, imitating Rachel's style, in a shirt from the Miley Cyrus/Max Azria line for Walmart ($12). That's right, I said it. The textured tights are from Target ($6). The skirt was something I already owned; I think most women can reach in their closets for a black skirt.







If you would like suggestions on how to imitate a celebrity's look for less, email sophisticatesguide@gmail.com, subject line "celebrity" with a photo of your favorite look.

Fashion Friday: London Chic

Our first Fashion Friday feature comes to us from across the pond.

The Model: My Girl A is a London sophisticate, tax expert, and athlete. She enjoys learning foreign languages, eating lemons, and visiting cameras obscura. Having lived in many cities across Europe and the United States, she has developed a keen sense of style with many influences.

The Look: My Girl A models her everyday career look. She pairs chinos with a classic crisp white shirt. She then adds a bright blue vest to complement her eye color. The vest takes the outfit from simply classic to chic, by imbuing a men’s wear idea with feminine tailoring, a trick that European designers such as Burberry and Yves St. Laurent have employed for years. My Girl A completes the look with classic jewelry, pearl studs and a Tiffany’s pendant of her initial “A,” and Ferragamo mary jane flats purchased at Portobello Market in Notting Hill.

Get this Look: For a wide variety of chinos, try JCrew. These are especially good. Crisp white shirts are a staple, available almost anywhere. Some of my favorites are these no-iron shirts from Brooks Brothers for an “investment,” or try Express, the Limited, or Ann Taylor Loft for a less expensive alternative. For a vest similar to My Girl A’s, try this almost exact replica or this ultra-feminine version. Until we can all shop Portobello Market for designer shoes, try Zappos for a wide selection of affordable shoes. Return shipping is free, so order the same shoe in multiple sizes, find the best fit at home, and then ship your rejects back for free.