Spring Fashion,
Layer by Layer

Here in the Northeast, the bits of the year that fall between the major closet relocations (i.e., summer and winter) can be quite a sartorial challenge. You stand in front of your current closet, realizing that the skirt you want is in the off-season closet, then once you return to the mirror, you remember the short-sleeved blouse is ALSO in the other closet. Then when you're all dressed and you turn on Katie and Matt while you're wolfing down your Kashi, you discover it's going to be twenty degrees colder than yesterday's forecast told you it would be. Back to the drawing board.

There ARE ways to avoid the morning boots-vs.-peep-toes debacles. Unfortunately, it means following your mother's advice: dress in layers. (Darn her, she's always right!)

1. A modern twinset lets you strip off a layer when you're inside, and cover up when you're out in the breeze. Or start with a darling jacket, with a cotton shell underneath that's presentable should you heat up.
2. Awesome boho dress looks like a tank and a skirt under a jean jacket with cowboy boots, but ditch the denim and add espadrilles for sunny days later on.
3. You can do quite a bit with a white shirt and jeans; fresh flats make it a clean modern look for spring, but you won't stick out like you would in Lillys and thongs.
4. Unbelievably adorable suit buttoned up with pumps now, open over a bright cami with springy open-toes later.
5. Sassy Tencel wrap skirt works just as well with boots and tights as it does with ballet flats; great gauchos work just as well for more casual days.
6. Cashmere is warm when it's cool, and breathes when it's warm - perfect for those iffy-forecast days. Black-and-white stripes hit the b&w and nautical themes.
7. Cropped stretch cotton cigarette pants make a perfect transition piece; come on, do ankles really get cold? Tough it out for fashion. Get a pair in every color.
8. Closed-toed shoes in bright springy colors keep your toes warm while hinting at brighter days to come. Add them to a super spring skirt once the weather turns for sure.
9. Store your boots right for the summer season (after polishing, of course!).
10. Get yourself a good t-shirt-smooth bra to wear under sleek knits now that warmer weather's coming. Make sure your VPL is taken care of before you wear any of your new lighter spring clothes; it's just inexcusable.

Keep your wits about you: you should never find yourself out without a coat and an umbrella, because it can change in the blink of an eye, but the ultimate in chic is staying fabulous no matter the weather. Spring's coming!

Oscar Review

I'm confused. I couldn't decide last weekend whether to stand up and cheer, avert my eyes in disgust, or fall asleep; the fashions on the red carpet and in the audience of the 78th Annual Academy Awards were so wildly inconsistent I got couch spins. Bright colors, pastels, neutrals, and so much black! Some of my old faithful fashion stars crashed to earth, and some who have missed the target in the past nailed the bull's-eye this year. At least it was so unpredictable that I couldn't get up to head to the kitchen for high-carb noshing during the procession. Below are some of the images that kept me awake, in admiration or bewilderment.

Jennifer Garner: Violet's how old? Garner looked amazing three months post-partum in her sparkly gold Michael Kors plunge-neck empire dress and loose waves. Breast-feeding did amazing things for her décolletage. Bonus points for best wipe-out avoidance: after tripping on her approach to the microphone, she smiled and said, "I do my own stunts!" 96%.

Hilary Swank: subtle but outstanding black stretch satin with sweetheart neckline to oomph her considerable bosom, and precisely placed shirring to disguise her considerable hips. She looked wasp-waisted and elegant, but simple hair and Chopard jewelry were too subtle for a plain black dress. 89%.

Reese Witherspoon: I was so hopeful that she'd do something sexy and sleek for her big night, but ::yawn:: she went conservative again. That librarian bun just leaves me cold. Her Dior dress was pretty but so vanilla, even silver-re-embroidered vanilla. Lovely vintage diamond-and-coral earrings, but the ensemble was so predictable! I know she's just a simple Southern belle from Tennessee, but jeez, once in a while couldn't she be a young Hollywood hottie for a few hours? 83%.

J. Lo: Closer than she's been to old-school elegant in a long time: her avocado draped Jean Desses chiffon dress was a lovely color for her skin, and the shirring was in all the right places to complement her, um, assets. But I didn't like her too-tight formal up-do, too much Terracotta, and she should have chosen dangly earrings or the diamond necklace; didn't she hear earrings are out? 78%.

Naomi Watts: Such a gorgeous figure, and all covered up in shredded "suntan" pantyhose. She really missed in this Givenchy number - the rose on the ribcage covered her slim waist, and the sash around her hips made her look poochy and sloppy. And that color blended right in with her skin! At least her asymmetrical deconstructed chignon and David Yurman earrings looked good in head shots. 63%.

And speaking of Aussies: Nicole Kidman looked otherworldly in her ivory Balenciaga Basque strapless with encrusted beading. Her porcelain skin glowed against the color of the dress, and her long straight hair was a simple complement to the elongated silhouette. I would have liked a little more jewelry, though. 99%.

And speaking of white: Uma's cap-sleeve chiffon Versace dress was beautiful; we should all be given bodies and bosoms like that at the onset of puberty. But who gave her two black eyes in the limo on the way over; wait, is that Lucy Liu ducking around the corner? 90%.

Freak Show of the Night: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham-Carter, channeling my best friend from Prom '88. What on earth were they up to? It had to be a joke--right? And isn't she married to Kenneth Branagh?

Keira Knightley: I was so excited to see what she'd wear; she's always daring and cutting-edge. I loved the aubergine Vera Wang asymmetrical dress, with the intricate diagonal tucking and mermaid hem. I loved the 1960s-vintage Bulgari bib necklace; she's tall enough to carry such a magnificent piece. But why couldn't she spray her bangs back out of her face? It looked like she just jogged off the football pitch. 98%.

WORST: Heaven help me, Charlize Theron. When I first saw her in the audience, I shouted, "Eva Gabor!" The huge bouffant up-do, the overpowering forest-green mousseline vintage Dior dress with Star Trek hip detail; I was so disappointed. She's usually sexy and natural and elegant, and this look was so formal and stiff; I know she was going for Brigitte Bardot, but she sure missed. 43%. (Close second: Michelle Williams in Daisy-Buchanan-y pumpkin-colored chiffon. Ick.52%.)

BEST: A tie: Salma Hayek, in peacock one-shoulder satin Versace, with the most unbelievable body in Hollywood , and asymmetrical hair that counterbalanced beautifully. Did you hear her presentation? She just oooooooozes sexy out of every pore. And Jessica Alba, a golden goddess who should have been the model for the statues last night. Golden Versace net-and-lace dress that fit like a glove, enormous pear-cut canary diamond earrings, and the most perfect wavy, sexy golden-streaked up-do. Her skin glowed, her smile glowed, and I actually caught her reapplying her gloss - she's human, too! Flawless. 100% each.

Be sure to check out the homepage for updates from She She Me. Also, don't miss the great girly merchandise in our Chic Shop.

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