Ask Tracy

Q:
Dear Tracy,
What's the deal with peep-toe and patent shoes? I always thought they were for Spring/Summer, but I am seeing them for this Fall. How do I wear them and make them look appropriate for colder weather?
F.G.

A:
Dear F.G.,
You are right - peep-toe and patent shoes abound in this Fall's shoe collections! Mary Janes, ballet flats and pumps with chunkier heels are also popular styles. (Check out the pictured Valentinos that encompass 3 trends in 1 shoe!) Wear all with stockings or, even better, opaque tights (I love Hue's variety and quality). Just make sure that when wearing peep-toes you choose sandalfoot tights, so that there is no visible seam at the toe (or just tuck the seam under your foot). The truly fashion forward can choose trendy footless tights while the weather permits.

Stylishly yours,
Tracy

Required Reading for Men

Back by popular demand, the editors of Esquire have created an all-new guide for men who want to live stylishly. The Big Black Book 2007 (yes, they know it's red) is filled with almost 200 pages of useful information on everything from martini mixing to grooming to bespoke suits (if you don't know what that means, even more reason to buy this issue). A perfect bathroom read (we women still don't understand what you DO in there...), pick up a copy at your favorite bookstore or magazine stand. Just having it in your house will up your style quotient! $9.95

Ask Tracy

Q:
Dear Tracy,

I just saw you on Fox and so glad I can ask someone this!! Is is too late in the year to wear a halter top? I purchased some heavy sweater halters and dark-colored sleeveless tank style tops, but just feel like it is October, hello, so too late to wear them! My pants stay dark, my wardrobe consists of black, khaki, brown and tan. I had a little girl tell me at my sons daycare "you wear the same clothes all the time!" Everything I wear looks the same! HELP!!

Thanks,

D.R.

A:

Dear D.R.,

In warmer climates such as the Deep South, perceived fashion “rules” can and need to be bent a bit for comfort and practicality. Halters are fine – year-round, in fact – just as long as they are seasonal when it comes to color and fabric. For example, you don’t want to wear a halter in a light cotton or pastel floral print, but a richly colored silk or rayon jersey is great. The wool blend halter by Elijah (pictured left) and the silk jersey version by Sky (pictured lower right) are good examples. Even chiffon can be worn if it is a Fall-inspired print, like the D&G leopard print halter pictured. The heavy sweater knit halter you described sounds perfect for the cooler seasons. When considering color, think richer, deeper. warm hues - amber, chocolate brown, sage or olive green, eggplant, peacock blue.

As for your being in the all-too-common rut of "wearing the same clothes all the time," consider a Closet Re-Vamp! We will go though your current items, create new outfits, and decide what you need to liven up your wardrobe (and show up the fashionista pre-schooler at your son's school!)

Stylishly yours,
Tracy

Good Day Alabama Appearance

It was a chic Columbus Day on Fox 6! Responding to the question many of my clients are asking, "How do I dress for Fall when it is still hot outside?", this morning on Good Day Alabama, I showed casual, transitional pieces that can be worn now, then layered with other items once the weather turns cooler. Fashions were from Manhattan South, a new boutique in the Highway 280 shopping area next to Whole Foods, and models were provided by Real People Agency.

On the left - Joy is wearing Fortune Denim jeans - a Southern California denim fit and wash with an Eastern design details. 12 Swarvoski Crystals surround each button and an individual fortune is sewn into the back of each pair. Her screen-printed thermal top in grey (THE color of the season) is by Born Upon The Tide. Hand drawn designs. Her necklaces by Dillon Rodgers have been seen on rock stars and celebrities all over the world, featured on Access Hollywood, Friends, Coke commercials, and The Bachelor to name a few. ALL items are exclusive to Manahattan South!

In the middle is Rachel, sporting a fun tulip-shaped
Orion of London dress, a contemporary print driven line. Shoes are by Oh Deer Shoes, reversible ankle tights (they are charcoal grey on the opposite side!) are by Spanx. Her black-patent clutch is by Heather Hawkins Clutch - seen on celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon and the Desperate Housewives.

On the far right Leyla looks glam in a Jully Kang knit dress - I love this dress! So comfortable and easy to wear yet so chic! Could also be worn with a wide belt (they have some great ones at Manhattan South) and with leggings. Her Christian Louboutin look a-like platform peep-toe punps are identical to the real deals, but instead of $800, the Oh Deer versions are $70!

Following my segment, friend and makeup artist Jestina Howard of Aware Cosmetics (http://www.awarecosmetics.com/) gave a Fall Beauty update.

If you missed the spot, you can watch it online at http://www.myfoxal.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=55BA8032F77139E1CFA1B84AAB953FED?contentId=4574705&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

Something CHIC has arrived on the net!

I am very excited to be launching my website, www.chicmadesimple.com!

Fashion has long been a passion of mine. At the age of three, when asked by my Montessori teacher about my summer plans, I responded, “This summer I am going to wear a shirt without sleeves.” A few years later, when all of my female classmates signed up for Brownies, I, not bearing to don the brown-and-orange pinafore that was the required Brownie uniform, signed up for ballet instead, much preferring the cornflower-blue leotard and pink tights. (A great example of what I tell kids during summer Fashion Camp – being stylish is not about looking like everyone else, but about being authentically YOU).

Always seeming to be the go-to girl for friends with burning questions such as “What color hosiery should I wear with this?” and “Do I have to wear a tie to that?”, in the year 2000 I made doling out fashion advice a full-time endeavor, and chicmadesimple was born. What I offer is a fresh approach to traditional fashion consulting that caters to, among others, what I believe to be an underserved group: style conscious yet budget-savvy and time-constrained individuals. Although they realize the importance of a look that reflects their lifestyle and individuality and thus bolsters confidence, these individuals most likely don’t seek assistance in the process of putting it all together, concerned that it would be cost-prohibitive or tedious. Because I believe our outward appearance is a palette on which we paint our individuality, I feel we owe it to ourselves to develop a personal style that makes sense for the way we live, and most important, makes us feel good - not because it is en vogue.

I consider myself a seer of sorts – a “style swami” if you will – helping individuals discover and then demonstrate their own personal style. For those clients who tell me, “I have no style” - balderdash! Everyone has a sense of what they like and don’t like – some are attracted to cool colors, some to warm…some like to dress up, some prefer a more casual mode of dress – putting this all together equals personal style. My goal is to help clients decipher these style preferences and to educate them on key style principles and elements so that they can make better decisions regarding that age old question, “What to wear?”

And what about trends? They exist, for certain, and rest assured I make myself aware of them every season via hours of Style TV and pouring through the glossy magazines that serve as a style swami’s trend tarot cards. But at the same time I appreciate the philosophy of one of fashion’s greats, the late Gianni Versace, who said, “Don’t be too into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide who you are and what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live.” So while I may inform you of the season’s “it” color, that doesn’t mean you have to wear whatever "it" is. Again, it is all about finding and embracing your personal style – some lean toward trendy, others classic. Either way, you want to look fashionable and put-together, not like you hit every sale rack this season.

Thank you for your interest in chicmadesimple. I invite you to peruse my services and consider what your style aspirations might be. I would love to hear about your style needs and hope that my “passion for fashion” can help you incorporate a little chic into all areas of your life!

Tracy Robinson
Fashion Consultant & Stylist