mixing high and low...

one of the fashion tidbits that i post on my facebook and twitter pages is:  'don't be afraid to match high end & low end clothing & accessories...the trick is picking low end that looks high end...' i would say that the best description i can give of this was at the oscars...remember when sharon stone paired a valentino skirt with a black gap t-shirt?  the next day...it was the talk of the town...and she made it look effortless...actually come to think of it...she did it again...when she paired a beautiful lilac vera wang skirt with a gap button down shirt...tre chic...no?

which it can be...the cost of an item is really not that important...what is important is that the garment looks great on you...fit fit fit...don't i always get back to fit?  so what i usually tell my clients...spend the money on the classic pieces...the ones you know you will have in your closet for years to come...you want to get what you can most afford...and then the fill ins...this is where you get creative...

pair a fabulous jacket with a t-shirt from your favorite low-end store...mix your grandmothers pearls with a few less expensive necklaces...are you getting the idea?  after all...a label is a label...besides...who really sees the label?  if a garment looks good on you...it is a keeper...

when shopping at low-end stores...do take a look at the stitching and such...while the garments won't be as intricate as a higher designer garment may be (although i've seen some that could be questioned...) if the garment looks "cheap" pass on it...you can find less expensive items that still look like you paid a little something for them...

photo source

you can't beat a white classic shirt...

think of marlene dietrich, katharine hepburn, marilyn monroe, jackie o, and audrey hepburn...all embraced the cool, crisp elegance of the classic white shirt and made it their own...today, fashion icons like sharon stone, uma thurman, gwyneth paltrow and angelina jolie continue to honor the timeless chic of the classic white shirt...

some favorite ways to wear a classic white shirt...

*with a pencil skirt and a pair of statement heels...

*with a pair of tailored pants, a wide belt, stilettos and an animal print scarf...

*under a navy blazer, dark jeans, a belt and fun loafers...

*loosely over a pair of capri pants and ballet flats...

*tucked into a pair of wide legged pants, skinny belt and brightly colored scarf...

*tucked into a pair of tuxedo pants, collar up, and black satin stilettos...

remember...if you don't like white against your face, make sure the jewelry or scarf you add at the neck is in your color...you can opt for a "white" shirt in "your white" to achieve the same classic look...

are you a fan of the classic white shirt?

black velvet...

what do you really need to get along in life? air, water, food, shelter, and some black velvet...yes, black velvet...along with a nice crisp white shirt...

it was a sultry actress and torch singer marlene dietrich's basic outfit - a ruffled white blouse and black velvet pants...

this go-anywhere, do-anything outfit has been reinterpreted every decade, from twiggy in the sixties to a new ralph lauren variation every season...

just years ago, sharon stone caused a sensation at the oscars when she put together a long black velvet skirt, her husband's white shirt, and a diamond-encrusted lizard pin on the back of the skirt's waistband...now that is a memorable look...

with black velvet pants or a black velvet skirt and a stark white shirt, you can go anywhere on a moment's notice...no need to fuss over what you are going to wear because, like the air you breath, it is already there...