The right way to do winter outerwear (a few weeks too late)

With the Washington weather so completely unpredictable - hello, I didn't wear a coat yesterday and it's snowing today - it can be somewhat understandable for the politicos not to don the appropriate outer coverings all the time. But, your average winter coat is timeless and classic, and if you don't have one at least hanging in your closet (like Greta, most likely), there is absolutely no excuse.

For the not-so-cold days, check out some of these options, but for the frigid days of late, it's not too late to get bundled up - and this is a perfect time to buy a wonderfully warm wool jacket as sales are in full force. So, without further ado, here are some of my choices for Capitol-appropriate winter attire, and these are more about the shape and style than the actual piece (especially since these are all way out of my price range):

Marc by Marc Jacobs Solid Wool Felt Coat ($548)
Unique color in a simple and basic shape - and the double button/military-style is so the rage right now. I just love how it's classic yet totally different from everyone else on the street.

Cinzia Rocca Long Wool Coat ($1,125)
Wonderfully classic in hunter green!

Burberry Exploded Glen Check Coat ($1,295)
The black/white/camel check is very fashionable this season, but more importantly, it is classic and can withstand the test of many seasons to come. The spread collar looks great popped and the black leather belt flatters any waist.

Andrew Marc Dream Herringbone Coat ($795)
Oh so Jackie O! The mock belt and double buttons are what make the jacket and then what makes it Capitol Hill is the color and length. It's just timeless.

Mackage High Collar Coat ($550)
The asymmetry is fantastic on this coat - which throws you for a loops in Midnight blue - plus I love the belt, the slight puff sleeve and the big collar.

Alice + Olivia Fox Collar Coat ($587)
Red is just the quintessential winter color. I love this shape, it's almost like a dress, and would flatter just about any shape.

Catherine Malandrino Jacquard Dots Cape ($795)
Taking the classic cape and making it the silhouette of the season! I've seen this style in many store and colors, and just love it. This particular choice has the double-breasted look I love and the texture is just to die for.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Textured Wool Twill Coat ($628)
A-line, slight flare, asymmetry, amazing neckline - what's there not to love.

P.S. There will be an interview with me commenting about my love of winter coats posted soon on DC Goodwill Fashionista's site. Check it out!

P.P.S. And don't forget to keep your hands nice and toasty. Here are some great suggestions from the epitome of what D.C. fashion should be.

Project Beltway weighs in on the flats vs. heel dilema

Because there is no real politics going on in Washington right now (sense the sarcasim?), a political newspaper decided to write about a pressing issue: High heels on the Hill. (OK, I know it's the pot calling the kettle, but I'm at least up front about the fact that this is primarily a fashion site...) At least they quoted blogger Rachel Cothran from Project Beltway. So, here is an excerpt from the earth-shattering, breaking-news report:

For the woman who works on Capitol Hill, high heels can present a fashion dilemma. Does she slip on a pair and risk the discomfort keeping up with her tall boss while walking down those marble hallways? Or does she sacrifice style and scrap the pumps? ...

... “I’m a heels gal, even though it’s risky when your boss is a fast-walking Marine,” said Jessica Smith, deputy spokeswoman for Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.). ...

... Rachel Cothran, creator of Project Beltway, a D.C. fashion blog, has mixed feelings. “I love and hate heels all at once,” she said. “While they do make your legs look longer and inject a tried-and-true dose of femininity to your boring Hill outfit, they can literally be a pain.

“There’s nothing worse than limping through the Hart [Senate Office Building] hallways with five Band-Aids flapping around your ankles. And I will never understand why those cobblestone walkways were installed outside of Union Station, of all places. That being said, I know plenty of women who say they simply don’t feel pretty or in charge in flats.” ...

To read the entire piece, click here...

Well, Rachel continued her thoughts on her blog:

I’ve found a happy medium to be a wedge shoe, which provides height without sacrificing comfort. I find curvy, more feminine styles as opposed to chunky ones most flattering—there’s already a lot of shoe going on. You wouldn’t want to look like you have a brick attached to your foot.

For a while there, I swore off heels completely. However, once I realized that height wasn’t really the problem but rather the construction of the heel, I was a believer once again. Well-made shoes can really be an epiphany for heels, and well-made does not necessarily have to mean expensive. I love stacked heels and conical shapes have a retro vibe. They’re all over the retail stores, but you could easily look in vintage and consignment shops. Skinny heels often look too dainty for everyday outfits, and if you’re like me, you wear out the heel tips in less than five wearings. ...

... Hillrats needn’t be afraid of color or of showing toes, says an anonymous PB spy, who saw Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) wearing “the cutest open-toe green heels the other day…lime and kelly-green, maybe two-inch heels.” They should just steer clear of what the anonymous Hillgoer called stripper heels: “never okay.”

Then she goes on to give some examples of Hill-appropriate shoes - most of which I dislike, and some of which I feel aren't Hill worthy - but it's a good go. But her list of shoes made me want to do my own list. I am not including any flats, because I don't think they're appropriate (even though I wear them all the time), nor anything with too high of a heel because I'm trying to be realistic here. And for some real-life inspiration, keep an eye out for Condi and usually Laura's peds. So here are my picks for walking the marble come this fall, and "they're the coolest kicks in the cave," as Kelso would say.

Classic in-between flat pump
AK Anne Klein Sportella ($79)
A comfortable 2-inch heel
* I just bought these and they're great

Suede round-toe with a slight metallic edge
Taryn Rose Suede Pumps ($495)
A sleek 2 1/2-chunky heel

A suede wedge with a perforated twist
Dolce Vita Ferrera 2 ($105)
A 2-inch plastic heel
* Also available in cranberry, but most pols can't get away with that

Penny loafers for the 21st century
J. Crew Katy tumbled-leather heels ($178)
A sturdy 2 3/4-stacked heel

Sassy sweetheart detailing on simple pump
BP. 'Lavender' Suede Pump ($59.95)
A lofty 3 1/2-inch sturdy heel
* Also available in patent and my favorite-for-fall color, gray

Suede and patent come together
Kenneth Cole New York True Love ($195)
A not-as-steep-as-it-looks 3 1/2-inch heel

Logo medallion vamped
Tory Burch Betty Suede Pump ($295)
A platform sole, so the heel isn't all that high...

A matte satin mishap waiting in muggy D.C.
Bettye Muller Norell ($400)
A modest 3 1/2-inch heel

I plan on doing some sort of suit-fashion piece soon - with lots of examples for the female fashionistas working those Capitol steps - defintely before the end of recess, so Hillary, keep on the look out.

Suiting men for summer's heat

The Politico delivered a fun (though poorly written) piece on men's fashions and grooming for the sweltering, muggy days of Washington in a piece entitled, "Guys, are you suited for a D.C. summer?" (I put in the title because I really like how suited was used as a double entendre.) Here's a a good bit of it:

... "We went through a real period of men who stopped wearing suits and ties to work, and now that whole trend has reversed. They're back to dressing again," said Craig Fox of Wm. Fox & Co. on G Street Northwest.

Fox says seersuckers aren't the only option for air-conditioning-minded Hillers, because the Southern standard is rarely Kentucky Derby dapper - more like old-fashioned ice cream salesman chic.

Khaki suits made with a silk and linen blend - something light and breathable - are acceptable substitutes, said Fox. (His aren't cheap - around $1,000 - but there are less expensive options out there.) Linen suits should be relegated to cruise ships or celebrity weddings on the beach.

"Washington is a city of blue and gray suits," said Fox, who observed that style comes from the top down. In the early '80s, some of his regulars wanted to wear brown - like President Reagan did. "Now it's enough for me to say they're wearing suits again," he said.

Lauren Rothman, of fashion consulting firm Styleauteur, suggests custom suits with "side vents" - vertical slits on the right and left sides - with patterned lining for flair.

Plus, "sea-foam mint is the new pink this season," said Rothman. It might sound scary, but if a man can pull off pink, he's got to be able to pull off light green.

A no-no in the heat, Rothman said, is casual khakis. Banana Republic has plenty of other options, with a seemingly endless supply of flat-front cuffless pants (perfect for guys seeking the illusion of increased height and reduced pounds) for the coming season. And please resist every urge to flip your polo shirt collar.

"We're seeing a lot more higher-end fashion stores for men like in Tyson's Corner and Georgetown. We're just the cherry on top," said Matthew Caraballo of the Grooming Lounge.

Lobbyists, lawmakers and other "spotlight" men call the Lounge home for an hour or two during the week. ... During the summer months, the Lounge does about 10 to 20 back waxes a day, so in terms of sheer numbers, you have to assume that some members of Congress are having their own "40-Year-Old Virgin" moment in the back rooms. ...

... "Also, it was universally agreed by everyone interviewed that back hair for anyone younger than your grandpa has gone the way of the unibrow and ear hair - it's gotta go, dude," The Washington Post reported recently. ...

... All this advice could fall on ears deafened by too many of the Hill's familiar old standards. "You'll still see the guys with the blue suits and red ties," Caraballo said of the District's lack of diversity, but with a little work, we can effect some real change, people, "one man at a time."

Men, heed the advice! I've seen too many males on the Hill in the past couple weeks wearing totally inappropriate attire. To read the entire piece, click here...

– Façonnable Contrast Stripe Classic Dress Shirt ($135) at Nordstrom.com

Discovery: The tie clip is an endangered species

Thank you Paul Devlin (and Slate for allowing him to go on this aside) for showing us a male in the media that understands the need for appropriate accessories and for the importance they hold.

I do not always wear a tie clip, but I feel they are appropriate for certain occasions, especially situations in which it may be necessary to stand up frequently, lean across a table full of food (to say nothing of votive candles), and shake hands. A tie clip is useful for keeping your tie out of your bouillabaisse.

When I set out to find a replacement, however, I made a disturbing discovery: The tie clip has become an endangered species. ... For a moment, I thought Beyoncé might help. In her single "Upgrade U," she sings about outfitting a lucky gentleman with "silk-lined blazers," an "Hermes briefcase," and "Cartier tie clips." Wow! But Cartier doesn't sell tie clips, either, and has not for two decades, according to one of their knowledgeable-seeming sales clerks. ... How did this accessory, once a menswear staple, fall so precipitously from favor?

To read the entire article (you should!), click here...

Wristful Thinking

Brad Pitt once designed jewelry but wished he was architect Frank Gehry. Now Gehry’s pulling a Pitt and designing bracelets (like the one at left, $350) not buildings. These and other Gehry accessories are available exclusively at Tiffany & Co. (5481 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-657-8777; tiffany.com).

Dressing for TV: Bright colors and no armpits

Just in time for the live-camera debates, The Hill staff gets and gives advice for dressing for the camera. An excerpt:

The key, says Megyn Kelly, co-anchor of Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom,” is bright colors. She and other Fox correspondents have a style department that oversees their ensembles. “I was a corporate lawyer and my entire wardrobe was black, brown, navy and gray,” Kelly recalls. That might be acceptable in a courtroom, she says, but for TV, “it’s dull and not interesting to look at.”

Now her wardrobe is bursting with “reds, yellows, purples, pinks and oranges.”

As A.B. Stoddard, The Hill’s own TV personality, notes, “Turquoise, purple, red and orange may have gone out of fashion 15 years ago, but they are still the most flattering on television. Banana Republic Beige and chalk-gray are hip but can add several years or make you look nauseous.”

Men have to get it right, too. They “can’t wear a suit that’s purple,” Kelly says, but a purple necktie or one with patterns is good. A blue shirt looks exceptionally good on TV — Bill Hemmer, Kelly’s co-anchor, “has about 30 different shades of blue for ties and they all look great,” she says.

... You can go too far, though. On last Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” Richard Perle, former chairman of the Defense Policy Board, wore a blinding orange tie with a matching leather watchstrap. Didn’t work.

Too shiny is also a no-no. “On women a silk blouse does not usually work,” Kelly says.

And forget about going sleeveless. “I object to seeing any armpits on air. I don’t need to see that.” Who does?

To see the whole article, click here...