Weather Vain: Santa Fe, New Mexico - 91 and Partly Cloudy
Just cause you’re hot doesn’t mean you can’t look cool. Right? RIGHT?! Here, how to show The City Different what you’re made of. —erica
Clockwise from top left:
+ A sleeveless collared shirt from Boy. by Band of Outsiders—as classic as a blue corn burriot lunch at The Shed.
+ So sleek and cool—this VPL bra would fit right in at the Photo Eye book store (even if nobody there sees it).
+ These Illesteva shades—to literally view this steamy Monday through rose-colored glasses.
+ Carry this Acne bag by the handle, and spare yourself at least some of the sweatiness.
+ A Lucy Folk bracelet that can hang with the wares at the Railyard Artisan Market.
+ Elizabeth and James flatforms—so you can stand in front of that Georgia O’Keeffe as long as you’d like.
+ Pull on this Friend of Mine skirt for a fancy-schmance dinner at Luminaria; pass out in your bed at the attached Inn and Spa at Loretto right after.
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Weather Vain: Detroit, Michigan - 72 and Partly Cloudy
There’s some coolness happening in Detroit right now, and a downright lovely day like this one is the perfect time to explore it. Here’s what to wear to get down with The D. —erica
Clockwise from top left:
+ An M.Patmos silk tee cool enough for Corktown.
+ A warm-hued Annie Costello Brown cuff that will look appropriate next to a scotch Crimson Dynamo cocktail at Sugar House.
+ The sort of jumbo Steven Alan tote ready for a camera and some time at the Motown Museum.
+ Elizabeth and James flats—kick ‘em off and tuck into bed at the way-cool inn Honor & Folly.
+ Tiny studded Tom Binns hoops that feel very Rock City.
+ A Haute Hippie blazer that dresses things right up for dinner at John D.
+ White MiH jeans—because the weather’s totally asking for ‘em.
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Next Level: Black Waistbands
Stacy and Clinton would probably have something to say about how a black band across your belly has a slimming effect, and while we absolutely care, we also just think it looks damn cool. Four ways to have at it. —erica
LEVEL I: The dash of darkness gives this 10 Crosby Derek Lam skirt an easy, transition-to-spring vibe. Wear it with a striped shirt, and BAM.
LEVEL II: Suddenly, a white mini—this one by Elizabeth and James—seems a hell of a lot more approachable.
LEVEL III: No, leather shorts aren’t easy, but the neutral motif of these A.L.C. guys would go so exceedingly well with a slim white oxford.
LEVEL IV: Printed crepe Helmut Lang pants?! OH, why not.
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Weather Vain: Dallas, Texas - 82 and Partly Cloudy
This week, we’re headed to TX. When we land, it’ll feel more like spring than summer, but here’s what we’d want to wear if we were hanging around Big D today. —erica
Clockwise from top left:
+ An Acne shirt ladylike enough for perusing the racks at Forty Five Ten.
+ The sort of Iacoli & McAllister necklace that perfectly suits the up-n-coming Dallas Design District.
+ Paige jeans, ready for a long night of margs at Mattito’s.
+ Slim little Elizabeth and James flats fit for a stroll on Katy Trail.
+ Warby Parker shades as classic as the downtown Neiman’s.
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Next Level: Neoprene
Neoprene is not exactly an EASY material, so trying it is all is definitely taking a leap. But on the rainiest days, its slickness becomes even more tempting. Here, four ways to go that won’t make you feel like an extra in The Life Aquatic. —erica
LEVEL I: Phillip Lim’s answer: Go with a belt. Put this on with the closest LBD, and you nail not only the neoprene thing but also the black-and-blue look.
LEVEL II: The color and fabric of this Tibi dress are tricky, but the so basic, super-flattering cut makes up for that big-time.
LEVEL III: Alexander Wang gives the bomber an extra hit of coolness—as if it needed the help.
LEVEL IV: Yes, there’s a lot going on here, but what if you pulled this Elizabeth & James floral situation on with a big, fluffy gray sweater? Now, there we go.
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Emerging Thing of the Week: Ditto
Ditto has the potential to be, as Claire put it, “the Sephora of eyewear.” And while the selection that the brand-new (we’re talking weeks-old) site carries is stellar—Elizabeth and James, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Jason Wu, Westward Leaning—its fancy fit technology is even more stellar. Ditto takes video of you moving your head from side to side, asks you to put a Visa, gym pass, or anything else that fits in a wallet’s credit card sleeve up to your forehead for scale, and then makes a “ditto” of you so can see just how crazy/awesome you look in a pair of blue-and-orange Selima Optique frames. —erica
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Next Level: Drawstring Pants
The hotter it gets, the less you want to have some stiff waistband rubbing up against your skin. The solution: a drawstring situation with some give. And we’re not talking a slimmed-down sweat pant you wear for a coffee run—I think we’re meant to call those Saturday pants now?—but rather something you can wear to the office…or at least a drinks outing. Here are four pairs to tie on (loosely!) now. —erica
LEVEL I: Think of this Chinti and Parker pair as a jean stand-ins, and wear ‘em with your most graphic footwear.
LEVEL II: Snakeskin’s easy when it’s in neutrals. Just top these Elizabeth and James guys with a white or black top, and you’s set.
LEVEL III: Leave it to Rachel Roy to do a drawstring that can handle a board meeting. The creased, cropped cut—and rusty orange color—are chic to the nth.
LEVEL IV: Yes, this Clover Canyon pattern is a little wild, but look at it this way: Since there are so many hues in the mix, you no doubt already own something that would mesh perfectly.
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How to Dress Like Ann
Four lessons from the designer, including how to never wear a winter coat again.
Every time we see the warm, smiling clothing designer Ann Yee, we walk away wanting to look a little bit more like her. She’s not one of those women who wears the most amazing nine-inch heels or has the most awesome asymmetrical haircut: She just has a way of wearing things in unexpected, undeniably cool ways. Here are four things to rip off—until summer hits, get ready to layer the sweaters.
Piled-on knits: “I just think that layering is so much more interesting than wearing a plain jacket, and I actually had my first job in fashion in knitwear, working at this small private-label company Lauren Hansen. This camel sweater is one I did for Elizabeth and James. It’s one of the first sweaters they ever did when they launched the label. It was supposed to have antique nickel snaps—and only half as many—but the factory in China loaded them on. And we loved it.”
Shocking pink lipstick: “I wear number 36 by Make Up For Ever every day. Now every time I go out and don’t have it on, I feel like I look awful.”
Jumbo rings: “I’ve been wearing this amber one a lot lately—it’s from my parents—and I wear this sort of squared-off gypsy ring every day. I got it at this jewelry shop Sun Wind on Grand that has all of this Tibetan jewelry. The lady who works there is really quirky. The smallest of the three rings is from Vermont.”
Open-toe wedges: “I’m a fan of a heel like this because it’s a lot easier to wear. My favorite pair are the ones I have on. They’re from Coclico, which makes the most comfortable shoes in the world.”
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Ann Yee
At the end of 2010, Ann Yee took the leap. The New York designer, whose parents moved to Michigan from Hong Kong in the seventies, quit her full-time gig to work exclusively on her own label, which is anchored by wispy, architectural pieces that can have a girly vibe or a menswear one, depending on who’s wearing them.
