Have been feeling a little post shy lately and have also been a little preoccupied. Sixth child and youngest daughter turned thirteen this past weekend, second daughter leaves for Spain in a few weeks, and second son moving to Boston MA to study I’m not sure what. Oldest daughter in town for barely 48 hours and oldest son starting third year of law school. Fifth child, daughter, she’s pretty easy, but still likes her time. Where are we going with this? Not really sure.

Anyways, we all need good clothes for all the running around we do. This combination, white shirt and black skirt gets taken up a notch by the skirt being leather and then right down with the white shirt being a tee. The skirt is so special with the chiffon pleats that it could have gone anywhere; black tie, cocktail, uptown. As we are every day dress, wear the good stuff all the time, pairing it with a low brow tee makes it easy for more casual times. Added from the closet a red quilted Chanel bag and Chanel sandals, sweet bows, both probably at least five years old, and white shirt and black skirt were good to go.

Post shy as in this blog is personality based, always sharing with you the up close and personal, not ever really sure it’s all that interesting. Intent is to inspire women around me to feel good in their skin and to wear their good clothes now. Yes, I know all about when I lose the ten pounds, when I start to exercise, when the job gets less stressful, when the kids go back to school. Feel good now, dress like it matters today.

Every day dress does white shirt, black skirt. Would love to see/hear your white shirt black skirt look. Always a classic.

Black Leather Pleated Skirt | Worth New York Fall 2013

Basic White Tee | Club Monaco

Bag and Sandals | kind of old | Chanel

ps. even though you might pay big time up front for Chanel shoes and bags, they last forever, can make anything at all look great, and guaranteed the women in your life, daughters perhaps, will always find a place for them, no problem.

Saw these pants in the Fall 2013 line and just couldn’t resist. Never in a million years did I think I would ever wear Camel Skin Print Velveteen Pants. Are you kidding? Turns out I couldn’t be more excited, ran to the door when the UPS man arrived late this afternoon and knew I had to put them on then and there for dinner out. While contemplating them several weeks ago twenty year old second daughter took a look and said, ‘oh, no, you are not wearing those out with me.’ Well, wear them I did, and with her, and she now thinks they are kind of great.

Thinking that the trick of pushing it with the wardrobe is that when you wear a stand alone statement piece, here camel skin print pants, that most of the time the rest of the outfit should stay kind of quiet. Kind of like too many voices speaking all at once in a small room, way too distracting. So much more effective to listen to one at a time.

Every day dress is kind of pushing it with the so on trend this season of skin print pants. So many women could have so much fun with this pant. Skin prints have become so classic they could almost be considered neutral, much like your favorite jeans or black pant but so much more interesting. Couldn’t wait to wear it out even before it was shortened. If you are thinking of adding this kind of thing to your wardrobe, go for it and don’t look back. Skin print pants will make you smile.

Paired these with a Manolo Blahnik single sole pump from the back of the closet worn years ago while working in professional fundraising. Kind of thought I would never wear this conservative shoe ever again, was keeping it in the closet strictly because they were Manolo’s. Good thing. Turns out the shoe is feeling quite fresh.

Pushing it a little with the wardrobe is fun. Heck, they’re only clothes. 🙂

Camel Skin Print Velveteen Quinn Pant | Worth New York Fall 2013

Flannel White Doubleface Pullover Jacket | Worth New York Spring 2013

This time of the year, even the dogs need grooming. Five women in the family and not one of us has had a haircut all summer. Manicure and pedicure here and there but honestly it was mostly do it yourself. We were all busy; working, playing, traveling, loving.

Now, it’s time for polish. That back to school thing when you want some new shoes and a new look. Time to drop the summer fun weight by moving more and eating less. Increase the cardio and decrease the lovely glass of wine or two. No problem here putting in double weekend sessions of ninety minute hill training but can’t seem to let go of that nightly red. Such a pleasure of daily living.

Every day dress knows it’s time for polish. Shown here wearing an Adam Lippes dress from several seasons back before his recent relaunch in 2012. Done nails but undone hair, trying to get those last swimming pool laps in.  Always a work in progress. Really need to schedule all those haircuts.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Sure, it’s always great to make an effort and make things nice for friends and guests. Even more important is putting forth the extra push when it’s for the family.

I know we all get this. It’s just that life is so busy and moves so fast that at times you can feel like giving in and getting through quickly, without maybe the water and the wine glass and the cloth napkins because everything will just be easier.

For the family the extra effort is so incredibly worthwhile. It’s the doing it every day stuff that counts big time. On a Thursday night in August for dinner with two sons and husband, had dinner on the lower deck, a spot that we usually when friends and guests are over.

This intimate gathering of four is what good memories are made of. By doing this kind of thing in the every day living, not only for special times, you create something that is bigger than simply having dinner.

Every day dress takes a deep breath and does the extra effort on a Thursday night in August. Share and show the love. For the family.

A few flower and fashion notes: Cut a little Queen Anne’s Lace for the small table bouquet. Some think this is a weed, some not. Worked for us. Potted petunias in whisky barrels were planted dark with a small amount of white in the geraniums. Love black and white clothes, why not black and white flowers. Pots by the pool are in their late summer glory but like the summer clothes, feeling a change is needed. With upcoming sweater weather the pale pink cascade petunias will be put away for the season and out will come the mums. Hermès blanket wrap? Love that thing. Gives instant casual luxurious warm style to anything at all. Lends a little extra style credibility to jeans and a v-neck sweater. Wardrobe classic.

If you are anywhere in the northeast you are probably trying to grab the last couple weeks of summertime 2013 that you can. Couldn’t agree more. Even though we are working and thinking fall clothes here at every day dress, there’s still time to do a white on white look. We are all trying to get it all in.

Ordered four fall items in all black today, black leather skirt, black leather pant, black fur vest, and black one shouldered sweater. Two of them will ship, two will come in mid fall. No problem, two to wear now, two pieces on order, it will come, we’ll get it all in.

Every day dress wears all white with third daughter in mid August and constantly works to get it all in.

Happy Summer 2013. Hoping you get it all in. Wear your white stuff right this minute. Soon enough, when the temperature drops, won’t feel quite right.

 

Wearing a kind of tough love look and feeling a little of the tough love women have for themselves. Every day dress wrapped the first of the Fall 2013 Trunk Shows today and has helped women with their bodies for as long as I can remember. Started as a fitness instructor, crazy aerobics dance class, remember those, thirty some years ago. Have always craved a fitness fix, as I’ve said here before helps the mind and the body. Have always loved clothing too, started dressing women at the local mall while still in high school along with the fitness thing.

Here we are, at forty-eight, still dressing women and still moving the body. Have met with over two dozen women the past ten days and as women we are so darn tough on ourselves. Would love to help us all shake a little of that tough love feeling off. Sure, strive for excellence, stay in the game, set goals, but also let’s all enjoy where we’re at. Ten pounds up, ten pounds down, let’s love us now. Anytime I get anywhere near a complaint husband reminds me that it’s over when it’s over so love some of the tough stuff now.

Every day dress moves through a busy day in all black and ponte and leather. Tough love look indeed. Love that it’s easy, love that it’s black. Tough is not so tough. 🙂

Couple of fashion notes: leather vest purchased probably five years ago, Harley pant new this season. Actually bought two, one size up, one size down. That tough love thing you know. With a shorter length on top, want a little extra room. When wearing something longer and looser, kind of like wearing the tighter ones. Inside tip: actually spot clean the leather vest with baby wipes. Yes, every day dress keeps a tub of baby wipes on hand to quickly and gently clean leather shoes and leather garments.

Four week recruiting blitz starts tomorrow, Wednesday. Who do you know that loves clothes, likes to move and be busy, and help women feel confident with what they wear? For the right woman, it pretty much doesn’t get better than that. Every day dress. We believe all women can have and wear beautiful clothing. Ten pounds up or down. Let’s not even get going with ten years up or down…

If I had to choose one single outfit to wear each and every weekend, it would no doubt be blue jeans white shirt. Unimaginative, yet classic and great. Would choose too to cook simple food, the best in arm’s reach, and to set the table for family and friends with what’s at hand. Add some time to read, walk, sleep in past nine, heaven on earth.

Grounded the outdoor table for Saturday night’s dinner with a blue-green quilt. Saw mums at the farmers market and while we didn’t make the purchase, table setting is turning to the next season. Small coffee mugs with fresh-cut flowers, added basil and rosemary from the garden, love mixing fresh herbs on the dinner table, and Saturday night slipped into a lovely Sunday. Fresh coffee, sleep in a little, cut back the day lilies and the overgrown apple trees, depend on what’s only in the closet, blue jeans and white shirt, weekend is very good.

Actually read two books, one fiction, one not. Like to spread it out. The Good House, Rework. Both great, highly recommend.

Hoping you all had good thoughts on the weekend. Every day dress.

 

Cuff bracelets in today’s and last post were purchased while traveling and are all about seeking balance.

Here goes: favorite silver cuff was purchased at Albright-Knox Art Gallery gift shop and love wearing it as one statement piece. Always kind of wish I had two of them. Kind of really like the idea of symmetry. While traveling in AZ for work and pleasure spotted this great silver jewelry in an art gallery in Sedona. Immediately went for the widest cuff I could. Asked the gallery clerk if she had another, think she thought that a little strange, not sure, and bought both. Told her I generally dressed in easy simple clothes and that I liked to accessorize usually with a single statement piece, in this case I wanted two, an equality, a balance.

Youngest daughter, almost thirteen, think they look a bit like handcuffs. Oldest daughter, twenty-three, thinks they are great in tandem and twenty year old daughter borrows one at a time. Fourteen year old, seemingly not at all interested. All in balance.

About the Friday work outfit? Once we hit mid-August can’t really do the summer look anymore. Pulled on this season’s Harley pants, loving the rocker chic mood, last year’s printed silk blouse, and shoe boots purchased last fall in some tiny town in Tuscany. Liquid silver cuffs, a pair, finished off the look. Felt right, could move through a full day of work, a drive out to the country, and through Friday night dinner with the family. Thinking we’re all a little about balance and when your clothes can move with you through your entire day, it’s a very good thing.

Every day dress.

Liquid Metal Bracelets | Pandora | Liquid Metal Jewelry

 

As Summer 2013 starts to slowly slide away, it’s feeling like it’s time for a change. Happens every year, summer clothes no longer seem fresh. Looking for something new and working on that, Fall 2013 Trunk Show happening all this week.

In the meantime, there’s always essentials: fresh-cut flowers, white denim jeans, black basic t-shirt, sneakers and dark nail color. Can always count on those to get through the day with a little style. Leather and wool, not quite happening yet but can’t wait. New York Times reported today that leather jackets were seen on the street, yippee, had mine on last week Thursday.

So if you too are feeling like it might be time for a change, enjoy all these summer days and nights, they slip away quickly, default to your closet essentials, have a look around the Fall 2013 fashion landscape, and, every day dress.

Black Tee | Club Monaco

White Jeans | JCrew

Sneakers | Chanel

 

 

Every day dress chooses to simply wear the runway for Friday night dinner out with two women friends. Super easy and easy is good.

When the skirt shines no other accessories are needed. Small watch, modern clutch, high heels, all set.

Currently working Fall 2013 runway looks. If you too would like to simply wear the runway and make your fashion life easier, email me here, rebecca@everydaydress.com. Happy to help. Easy is good.

Skirt, Sweater, Clutch | Worth New York

Shoes | Christian Louboutin at Neiman Marcus