Dress Up

True confession: I showed up to a spring break trip in Puerto Rico with a suitcase full of pretty sundresses...none of which were suitable for a spring break club scene. I actually don't own anything that qualifies as a party dress, save an American Apparel number-turned-Jigglypuff costume. If you weren't aware, a Pokemon-themed outfit is less welcome at a club than a full-length muumuu.

My birthday is in a week and, in my frenzy to find something besides a drop-waist dress that I've worn for three previous birthdays (...I'm a girl of habit), I've come across the perfect style for Girls Who Only Rage on Rare Occasions—a party dress, not too short and not at all tight, that can nevertheless hold its own on a dance floor. Do you know what's sexier than an up-to-there hemline? An exposed back. Proof:

Is this not the most clever way to get a cheeky look without having to wriggle your dress down every five steps? (Seeing as we're on the topic of cheeky, anyway). An open-back dress is unexpected, and the sexy factor doesn't hit you over the head so much as whisper in your ear. It's gamine, not garish; think Audrey, not Marilyn (modern day translation: Marion Cotillard, not Kim Kardashian). I could go all day with this. The electric-blue hue of the Free People dress ($118; freepeople.com), bottom right, keeps the lace from looking too saccharine.

In this case, less is not more, but just enough.

Photo credits: Blair Edie/Atlantic-Pacific and La Lune

Spring Escape

I've handed in my last final for winter quarter and now I'm frrreeeeeee, free as the wind free! For the next week and a half, at least. Tomorrow morning, I'm heading off to sunny (it'd better be sunny...) Puerto Rico to sip mojitos by the pool and go salsa dancing with my friends. I'm excited to return back about fifteen shades darker (even with sunscreen), because I tan easily and my skin tone in the winter resembles jaundice. We also had the luck to schedule our trip for the same weekend as a festival, aptly named "A Taste of Rum" (my parents weren't too pleased to hear this). Olé!

In the meantime, I have a SPECTACULAR line-up of guest bloggers, featuring Alison of Long Distance Loving, Carly of The College Prepster, Ashley of a {little} dash of ash, and Roxy of A Cup of Te! They're all fantastic and deserve a huge thank you for covering for me while I'm away. Have a lovely weekend (and a mojito, because livers need exercise too)!

[photo cred to Free People and Cooking Light]

To Fringe or Not to Fringe

Let's talk about fringe. Am I a fan? Not really. Plus, I'm self-aware enough to understand that if I were nervous, I'd be inclined to pull on the fringe and break it off. I don't wear boots with spurs and I don't wear cowboy hats (neither of which are even acceptable north of the Mason-Dixon line), so why oh why would I fall for fringe, however reluctantly?

Rule one: In order to reel in the nutso factor of fringe a bit, the fringe should be the exact same color as the piece. And I mean perfectly camouflaged. I cannot stress this enough. Compare these two little Free People chickabidees:

The fact notwithstanding that the model on the right looks like she's just finished up 150 years of chainsmoking, the black top works. Disregarding my natural bias considering I'm currently wearing said top, the fringe isn't garish or obvious upon first glance. They accent the neckline of the top instead of stealing the show entirely, and convey a vibe that's more "a top with fringe" than "BEWARE of fringe thicket." Now, a perfect example of the latter would be the maroon shirt on the left - same cut and material, but the fringe is a noticeably different shade than the base. The viewer's eye immediately zeroes in on the fringe, in the way that you can't help noticing a snaggletooth or a blue giant mole. Hence, exhibit a, why the fringe must match exactly; for fringe to work, it can only be an accessory, a back-up dancer to your Britney of an outfit.

Rule two: the fringe stands alone. This means no rhinestones, no studs, no garish shades, no daring patterns, and no odd textures throw in. Why?

That's why.

Rule three: the fringe cannot be as long as your hair. After a certain point, it crosses into Cousin It territory and leaves stylish far, far behind. Fringe shouldn't be the focal point of any outfit, even as a purse. Case in point:

It becomes a whole new creature. Where have you tethered your horse, Eva-Pigford-of-America's-Next-Top-Model-my-favorite-show-ever? It lacks tastefulness and refinement and ends up looking rather cheap. Perhaps this is a matter of preference, but shorter fringe tends to look more demure and delicate (as delicate as fringe can look). With the fringe this long and even layered, you take the chance of getting your watch lost in it. Or you run the risk of looking like you've recently swaddled your newborn baby, who has just been thrown into a paper shredder. It is OVERKILL. The bottom line is, bigger (or longer, in this case) is not necessarily better, it just depends on how you use it. Just like everything else.