Do You Wear: Style Steals: luckymag.com

A Do or a don't? Studded boyfriend blazer

1:29 PM, June 23 2009 by Elise Loehnen

I'm feeling a wee bit comatose today, which might explain why I've

been staring at the Express homepage for a good 20 minutes. Normally I make pretty snap judgments on style, but I feel totally stymied by this one. On the page in question is this boyfriend-style blazer—neatly cut in a way that looks super flattering—with studded lapels. I can't wrap my head around whether this ornamentation is a good thing or a bad thing. I think the black on black version has its appeal too, though the bejeweled pockets arguably take it too far. Both are just under $100 (as are all of these dresses). What do you guys think?

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Rediscovering a classic

9:56 AM, June 02 2009 by Elise Loehnen

I've been going through my wardrobe, because I'm convinced that my over-burdened closet rod is about to snap... again. And it wasn't fun to live with the contents of my closet all over my bedroom the first time around while I was waiting on a replacement. Anyway, as I was exploring the closet's depths trying to lighten its load, I unearthed a denim jacket from Levi's, which had been shoved into the very back by some aggressive hangers. And it was a thrilling discovery, since I forgot I even owned it. It's a little short in the sleeves (which means I've been rolling them up even more), and perfectly cropped—the whole effect is more like a cardigan and less like a coat, which means that I can wear it at my desk as an extra layer without looking like I'm on my way out the door. Since it was lost before, it's now getting preferential treatment and a spot on the hook by the door. Meanwhile, I need to figure out how to manage my closet inventory. Maybe for every one thing that's added, one thing gets kicked out. Or, as loathe as I am to do it, it might be time to invest in a storage unit. How do you guys manage overflow?

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Style inspiration: Oak shop girl

10:07 AM, May 21 2009 by Elise Loehnen

Speaking of Oak, when I was surfing the racks at the Williamsburg, Brooklyn location the other day, I couldn't help but admire one of the super cute salesgirls, who was wearing pants very similar to these, a cropped top of sorts (she was pretty tiny, whereas I would probably pick a longer blouse and tuck it in), and super-high high heels. And she looked amazing and very sexy. High waisted and cropped seems like an unlikely combination—and definitely a husband/boyfriend/general guy-confusing maneuver—but well worth test-driving. Have you guys tried it out?

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Are you with me here?

10:01 AM, May 08 2009 by Elise Loehnen

I had to laugh when I saw the Thursday Styles Section in The New York Times yesterday, because it was an extensive story on Norma Kamali. As you might well know, I love Norma Kamali. In fact, she made my very favorite spring coat, which I happened to be wearing yesterday. And I was really only wearing it because my boyfriend was out of town. He HATES my Norma Kamali jacket because, he claims, it makes me look both mean and fashion-y with a capital "F." (It's true, it has an unreasonably intensive collar). Now girls, on the other hand, LOVE my Norma Kamali jacket. They also seem to love my fluorescent Sperry topsiders, which I own in green and orange, and my Red Engine boyfriend jeans (in regards to the former, Rob thinks they're insane; for the latter, he doesn't understand why girls feel so comfortable changing their entire silhouette via pants, a point which I had never even considered before). Now in Rob's defense, he doesn't balk when I wear said offensive items anyway and he's not all that vocal about his dislike, but it really does beg the question: What do you all love that guys hate? Or more specifically, what do you all love that guys just don't understand??? Meanwhile, I'm buying this really pretty top from the Biba collaboration at Topshop even if it might be deemed "shapeless." (My affinity for maternity-esque tops gets questioned a lot, too.)

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Flattering or not?

12:41 PM, May 07 2009 by Elise Loehnen

We've made no secret of the fact here at Lucky that defining the waist—with a belt, with a pencil skirt, with a full-skirted dress—is one of the biggest boons you can do for your figure. Which is why I'm always at a loss when I encounter a skirt like this. It has a waistband, but it's gathered (which means there's extra fabric). This also means that it doesn't need a belt. Flattering or not? I think it's really, really cute, but I'm loathe to buy anything that makes me look thick around the middle. Your thoughts please? And on the subject of spring florals, check out our under $100 guide—lots and lots of cute options.

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This is why we think Kyung is a genius

3:50 PM, May 01 2009 by Elise Loehnen

It's arguably getting tiresome, but all of us here at Lucky love to wax on and on about Kyung Lee of Albertine boutique. The reason why is that she's always on hand to offer brilliant tips on making everything look better. Case in point: I am a bit of a moth to a flame when it comes to sequined vintage tops. And said tops are often way too costume-y to actually wear out of my apartment. (But while vacuuming? Why not.) I brought one piece—a standard butterfly top in black, silver and red, which you can snag at almost any vintage boutique for about $30—to Kyung, and she took some shears and unceremoniously cut it right down the front, transforming it into a cardigan. She didn't hem its rough edges and it's not even straight, but it looks amazing. Intentionally undone and haphazard, in a very cool sort of way. There's lots to learn from Kyung, really. The primary nugget being that clothing shouldn't be precious—feel free to modify until it works for you. Do you guys have any great off-the-cuff tailoring tricks?

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The sexy dress debate

3:48 PM, May 01 2009 by Kendall Herbst

My friend and I are locked in a debate over this black American Apparel dress. We both love the sheer top portion, the sweetheart neckline, and the $46 price tag. However, more comfortable being bare, my friend argues that worn with opaque tights, it would be quite flirty and cute as a bar-hopping outfit. Whereas, I’m leaning towards writing off this piece as a little too much of everything: see-through, short, tight. At least for me. Can you guys settle this? Sexy or trying too hard to be sexy?

—Kendall Herbst, Fashion News Editor

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On the prowl: Animal head rings

3:18 PM, April 24 2009 by Elise Loehnen

I have a fetish for rings that feature the gaping maws of various animals. I have a lion with a small diamond in its mouth and ruby-studded eyes that I picked up at a car dealership in Missoula (the owner of Bitteroot Motors sells vintage and estate jewelry out of a back office, which is awesome and hilarious) and I have a huge ram's head ring that I bought for $2 at the Lagunilla flea market in Mexico City (if you're ever there, it's definitely worth the trip even though it's in a slightly sketchy neighborhood). I get tons of compliments on both, and am thinking about making this some sort of trademark thing, if only because I love to start collections. Do you guys know of any secret resources? Obviously, if money were no issue, I would buy this ring, from 1stdibs.com. But it's out of my budget. Shopthelook.net, which is an excellent spot for super-affordable, on-trend jewelry has this option.

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One ticket to the tropics, please

2:00 PM, April 24 2009 by Elise Loehnen

I've never, ever felt comfortable in a strapless dress (any tips for holding them up guys?) but I think this Hawaiian-print is kind of irresistible, so if you all can pull it off, by all means. Meanwhile, I love this ikat-y shift. It needs a bit more of a waistline, I think, so I'll definitely be adding a belt.

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What are your five wear-to-death items?

12:00 PM, April 22 2009 by Elise Loehnen

Most women, if asked, can rattle off a list of their top five, constantly-in-rotation pieces, from their most butt-flattering jeans to their perfect cashmere boyfriend cardigan. I have three pieces that always make my list, regardless of season: a watch my parents gave me, an awesome black blazer that I bought at the discount department store Century 21, and my worn-in, slightly skinny black jeans. But as the weather gets warmer I have some noticeable gaps. Like spring jackets. My friend (and fellow blogger) Emily Hsieh collects overcoats and jackets the same way that I buy lottery tickets, but I think if you asked her to distill her collection down to her favorite, it would be a cropped khaki trench. Which makes me think that a khaki trench could make it onto my list of favorites, too—I like the crisp quality of this one, from JCPenney. So what items are on your top five?

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