What to wear to a work holiday party

I’m lucky enough to work at a company that goes all out for our annual holiday party where there is plenty of food, drinks, dressing up, friends, and dancing.  Most of the girls wear a cocktail dress and guys wear suits.  For some reason this year, I didn’t want to wear a dress.  I didn’t want to wear a dress I had already worn and I didn’t feel like spending money on a new dress, so I decided to work with what I had to put together this outfit:

I already had in my closet the skirt, shoes and necklace.  All I needed was a sequin top.  After going to H&M, Ann Taylor Loft, TJ Maxx, and Marshall’s, I finally found what I was looking for at Forever 21 – for only $12!  While I was there I also bought a pair of earrings..and a belt..and a scarf..  What did you wear to your work holiday party?

Top – Forever 21

Skirt – Rodarte for Target

Shoes – M by Marinelli (from DSW)

Necklace – from Filene’s Basement (it was my back-up necklace for last year’s work holiday party outfit)

Earrings – Forever 21

What do you wear to work?  Send me a picture!  2 outfits is even better!  kristen@theclothingmenu.com

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My 2012 new years resolution

My mom’s going to be so happy.  My new years resolution is to finally learn how to cook!  I’ve been lucky enough to have a mom who cooked for our family most days growing up and who continues to cook meals for me to take back to my own apartment.  I’m also lucky enough to have a boyfriend who likes to cook.  So with 2 people cooking food for me, it’s been hard to get myself motivated to try it out on my own.

But now that I’ll be living with my boyfriend in an apartment with a nice modern kitchen (my old apartment’s stove was literally 20 years old and before that my NYC apartments had no counter space), I figure I should a least contribute by cooking some times.

Again, my mom is going to be happy to know that the first dishes I want to learn are the types of meals she cooked for my family growing up and now – greek dishes.  She has mastered recipes that have been passed down over generations, originating in Greece.  The meals, like spanikopita (spinach pie) and gryo, take time and preparation, but they are recipes unique to my family that I’d like to be able to cook for other people!

(My attempt at making spanikopita with my mom a few years ago.)

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My 5 favorite Christmas gifts this year

How was your Christmas? I had a great Christmas with plenty of food, A Christmas Story, an annual yankee swap, and time with my family!  I’m moving into my new apartment this weekend, which happens to be a great time of the year for it because many of my gifts were for the new place.  Here are my 5 favorite Christmas gifts from this year:

1) Go to BrooklynThread.com – I love every piece of jewelry on that site, including this necklace, which my sister got for me.  (I found out about Brooklyn Thread from another blog..I forget which one..but thank you for writing about them!)

2) It’s a little black apron!  Isn’t this so cute?  I plan on cooking more in my new place – this apron is perfect.  Thanks mom!

3) A nice set of pots and pans!  Now I can get rid of the ugly worn pots and pans I’ve had since college!

4) I’m looking forward to having friends over at my new place..so these cute trays and recipe book will come in handy!

5) I like this olive oil bottle and dipping bowl.  Cute, huh?

What are your favorite gifts from Christmas this year?

 

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What to wear to work: pink!

My co-worker, Jaime, pretty in pink!

Corduroy pants – New York and Co.

Sweater – The Gap

Necklace – Ann Taylor

Shoes – Off Broadway Shoes (She got an amazing deal on these. They were on sale for 60% off – she got them for only $8!)

What do you wear to work?  Send me a picture!  2 outfits is even better!  kristen@theclothingmenu.com

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Leaving a 9-5 job to pursue a dream job in fashion

(photo credit: Ted Ancher)

That’s what Vienne, founder of luxury hosiery brand VienneMilano, did.  She had been in the corporate world for 5+ years, mostly working on launching new software products. Last winter, she was talking with someone (who is now her business partner) about her desire to start a business on her own someday and how hard it was to find hosiery in the U.S. that she learned to like after traveling in Europe and experiencing thigh-high hosiery.  After that talk, Vienne realized her idea of starting her own luxury hosiery fashion brand could be something.  When thinking about acting on it, she said to herself, “Why not?”  She’s not married, no kids, no major responsiblities; she had nothing to lose.

And that began a very busy year!  Since last winter, Vienne came up with the brand and positioning for VienneMilano, visited Italy twice to find a factory and then check on her products, built a website, found a fullfillment warehouse, photographed and styled her products, managed casting sessions, and launched her brand at a runway show on 11/11/11 that she produced!

It’s only been a few months, but VienneMilano has been successfully bringing the luxury hosiery that is popular in European fashion to women in the United States.  Think thigh-high hosiery is just for Halloween costumes and sexy Valentine’s Day gifts?  You’re not alone.  But after talking with Vienne, she opened by mind to think beyond those perceptions.  Yes, the hosiery can be sexy, but it can also be elegant and professional enough for the office.  It’s more hygenic than pantyhose or tights and VienneMilano’s are top quality.

Try them out for yourself!  Check out the VienneMilano website where you can find hosiery by the occassion that’s right for you – work, play, party, or love. Vienne is even nice enough to offer the clothing menu readers a 20% discount off her products (enter the following code at checkout: clothingmenu)! I’ll be buying a pair to tell you what I think of them – buy a pair too and let me know what you think!

PS – if you do buy, sizes are based on height.  If you are under 5’4″, buy a small.  If you are over 5’4″, buy a large.

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What to wear to work: stripes

Here’s another one of my co-workers, Jaime.

Pants – Macy’s

Shirt – Ann Taylor Loft Outlet

Shoes – Anne Klein

Rings – from her husband of course!

Nail polish – Opi louvre me louvre me not (isn’t that a great name?)

What do you wear to work?  Send me a picture!  2 outfits is even better!  kristen@theclothingmenu.com

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5 last minute gift ideas

Hey procrastinators!  If you’re still looking for Christmas gifts and don’t want to dare step foot in a mall, here are some last minute gift ideas that you can put together with a quick trip to the grocery store.

1) For the beauty junkie – a magazine, like Elle or Lucky, nail polish, nail polish remover, nail files (thanks to Punky Style and her yankee swap gifter for the idea)

2) For the foodie – a collection of your favorite recipes and some ingredients to start

3) For the host/hostess – a bottle of wine with some DIY wine charms (like these from Thursdays)

4) For the traveler – gather colored paper, envelopes, ribbon, colored pens and create a unique journal for an upcoming trip (this journal from The Creative Place is really pretty)

5) For your boyfriend or husband – custom beer bottles with thoughtful messages and designs (I love this idea that Design Sponge posted last year)

Do you have any other good last minute gift ideas?

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What to wear to work: comfy & stylish

Here’s my co-worker, Blanca, again.  I love that she is stylish and comfortable all in one!  Perfect for work.

Cardigan – Victoria’s Secret

Cami – H&M

Skirt – H&M

Boots – Arden B

Diamond necklace – gift from her boyfriend (again, lucky lady!)

Bracelet – Stella & Dot

What do you wear to work?  Send me a picture!  2 outfits is even better!  kristen@theclothingmenu.com

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Behind the scenes at fashion photoshoots

Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes at a fashion photoshoot?  Here are 3 views into what happened before the ads or catalogs were sent out.

Diesel - this blog post from 5 inch and up includes photos and an interview with the Diesel design team

Armani – a look at a recent shoot with Rihanna

Free People – how lucky are these models and photographers + crew for getting to travel to places like Santorini, Greece? More from this shoot at the Free People blog.

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