happy memorial day weekend...

wishing all of you a safe and happy memorial day weekend...

fabulous finds is officially on vacation weekend mode...
won't be back till tuesday...

men's corner: shine it on...

i've always been a little envious of seeing men getting their shoes shined at the airport (or hotel, or even on the streets of san francisco...) it just seems like such a nice treat...but one that i never consider doing myself...it seems like such a 'guy' thing...

well...looks like you don't have to wait for a trip to make sure your shoes look their absolute best...here are some tips (courtesy of gq) on how to get that lustrous look to your shoes:

* first...clean the shoes well...antonio (of jim's shoe repair in ny) recommends fiebing's spot remover...use an old toothbrush to clean the welts...

* next...condition with meltonian leather balm...or another high-quality brand of your choice...

* apply the wax (kiwi, what else?) in small, tight swirls, using your first two fingers wrapped in an old tee-shirt...by the time you've applied the wax to the second shoe...the first will be ready to buff with a horse-hair brush...


* the second coat of kiwi can either be applied with the cloth lightly watered...or applied to the shoe then lightly sprayed with water...and then buffed to a 'spit shine' with a clean cloth...

voila...nothing puts together an outfit better then a nicely shined pair of shoes...

how to incorporate color in your wardrobe...

just as color can be the distillation of complicated moral messages...virginal white...mournful black...sexual red...color can also camouflage...think of the sea of navy and grey on the floor of a stock exchange...

color in clothes can be regional...the beige and pastel tones of the south versus the blacks and subdued tones of the urban north...

it can denote seasons...we tend to wear darker colors in the winter and brighter ones in summer...

it can create optical illusions...light colors make us look larger...dark colors make us look smaller (although if the fit is wrong...doesn't matter...light or dark...the illusion will be wrong...just plain wrong...)

color can be powerful and confusing...especially when it comes to clothes...the bottom line? unless you feel comfortable in a rainbow of different hues and can mix them like an alchemist...your best bet is to build a wardrobe based on a neutral palette...back, white, grey, navy or beige...it will help you decode your wardrobe and create within it...and make it possible to add color in accent pieces without feeling overwhelmed...

so how do you incorporate color into your wardrobe?

8 simple closet tips...

i am sure there could be a lot more tips to add for the cleaning of a closet...but...i say...since for some this task can be quite overwhelming...the simpler the better...

consider shelf life: if you never wear it...apply the twelve-month rule...and recycle (or consign)...if you must...allow yourself a few exceptions...

discern: be ruthless...or bring in a ruthless friend...preferably one whose style you admire...

document: borrow a camera and document outfits you come up with...

fill gaps: list what you need...and buy accordingly...

organize: redesign your closet so you can see everything...and group things...whether by size...color...or use...in a way that makes sense to you...

restore order: make your closet a haven of order and function...there can be method to the madness....you just have to impose it...try on outfits in front of a full-length mirror...weed out what no longer fits...determine what you reach for daily and give it prime real estate...

recycle: keep a box on the floor for thrift-shop donations...

party: when the purge is finished...invite friends over for a give-away...it may help to know that someone you like is wearing a beloved item...

and if this truly is something that is overwhelming...and you find yourself avoiding it at all costs...it may be well worth the money spent to bring in a consultant to help you make sense of your closet again...i can assure you going forward...you will be happy your closet is in order...

say it isn't so...

my shoes tend to be opposite extremes...i am either wearing stilettos...or flats...no in between...although that probably wouldn't be a bad idea...it is just not what i gravitate towards...

so yesterday...i read an article in the wall street journal...letting me know that kitten heels are making a comeback...and well...stilettos - are so two years ago...

i don't know how i feel about that...i noticed first lady michelle obama wearing low heels this last week...looking quite fabulous i might add...and i didn't think much of it...since she tends to wear lower heels...but then i started thinking back on some of the runway shows...and yes...lower heels were shown...

here is the thing...i always say...wear what makes you feel good...don't wear something because it is in style for the moment...we all know...trends come and go...heels come and go...however...this stiletto wearing girl...will continue on...in her fabulous stilettos...

how about you? are you thrilled that heels are getting lower?

an unscientific survey of the precipitous rise, and sudden decline, in high-end designer heel heights...
photo credit wsj

what is behind your closet door?

you know it's time...opening the door...where to start...think of it as culling in fashion...

the bad news?

it's painful...even if you wouldn't be caught dead in it...can you bear to part with your ex-boyfriend's ratty college sweatshirt?

it's also time-consuming...you'll have to try on the contents of your closet and your bureau...maybe two or three times...yes...it's depressing if you've outgrown your lucky jeans...

the good news?

sometimes...a hard look at your wardrobe reveals whole new ensembles...and you won't have spent a penny...you may find a reason you're not wearing a particular dress is simply that you've neglected to buy stockings that go with it...purge your closet before embarking on a big shopping trip...you'll have a better idea of what you really need...

fashion funnies: the scale as your friend...

i finally figured out how to weight myself...i can't believe i was doing it wrong...

may your weekend be fabulous!