U: Underwear

/ˈəndərˌwe(ə)r/

Synonyms: Panties, thongs, bikinis, that stuff you wear under your clothes

Definition:

Having your laundry done for you really puts life in perspective.

I was home for my first post-graduation holidays this past week, and lucky me, my mom was washing my clothes for me — including my delicates.

One day, she came into my room, solemn.

“Tal,” she said, a grave expression on her face. “I think you need some new underwear.”

2010 in review, or, Maybe I Should Finish The Alphabet in 2011

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 3,800 times in 2010. That’s about 9 full 747s.

 

In 2010, there were 14 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 23 posts. There were 31 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 18mb. That’s about 3 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was February 17th with 64 views. The most popular post that day was M: Mackage (Proper Noun).

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, thestylesaurus.com, twitter.com, taliaralph.wordpress.com, and obama-scandal-exposed.co.cc.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for derek lam, gucci bag, anna wintour fur, anna wintour office, and feather mini skirt.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

M: Mackage (Proper Noun) February 2010

2

A: Anna Wintour (proper noun) September 2009

3

F: Feathers (plural noun) November 2009
2 comments

4

G: Gucci (proper noun) December 2009

5

D: Derek Lam (proper noun) November 2009
2 comments

T: Tote (Noun)

Synonyms: Carry-all, summer beach bag, better-than-a-backpack

Definition:

I’ve never been a backpack kind of girl. Even when I was a kindergartener and themed knapsacks were de-rigeur, I could never quite pull them off. I was always small, and the size of my book-stuffed backpack would overwhelm me. When it was hot, it would stick to my back. No matter what, they always made me feel, well, nerdy – like someone could push me into a locker at any moment and it would, in some twisted way, be totally deserved.  

The messenger bag was a revelation. One strap, cross body, begging for patches and brooches and pins? It was perfect. I carried some version of a army-esque messenger all through high school, and my latest camel-colored-canvas version is still in heavy rotation.

But for the girl (or guy!) who needs to carry it all – gym clothes, lap top, ipad, breakfast/lunch/dinner, etc. – there’s the tote bag, a classic for all classics. Defined quite literally by Handbags.com (yes, this is a real website):

The standard blueprint for a tote bag includes one large pocket, occasionally with dividers or small inset pockets. All incorporate some type of closure, typically a zipper, tie or magnet, at the top opening. The handle is short and simple, provided for carrying with the hands or casually on the lower arm.

Most totes have a long enough strap that they can be slung over your shoulder, making them great for carrying half your life with you in style.

The be-all-end-all of tote bags (or rather, the begining) is the L.L. Bean boat bag, released in 1944 and built for the New England prepster. Perfect for a day on the yacht or on the beach, their versatile, durable tote was an instant hit. Today, totes come in all shapes, sizes, and fabrics, from madras patchwork cotton (my personal summer tote of choice – its the perfect amount of beat up) to classic camel leather (a keep-forever gift from my nana that’s perfect for weekend packing). (And yes, I know I have more bags than the average person needs).

The classic itself: the L.L. Bean boat bag in white and navy.

What about you, darling readers – whats your bag of preference? What are you throwing in your totes this weekend?

Footnote: Check out these mind-bogglingly awesome tote round-ups from Matters of Style and Refinery 29 – there’s a bag for everyone!

S: Style spotting (verb)

Synonyms: Snapping street style, stealthy trend spotting, stylish stalking (try saying that five times fast)

Definition:

You know the moment.

You’re standing there waiting for the T/subway/bus/limo, fighting the urge to bust a move to your favorite Talib Kweli song, and suddenly, like the flash that happens when the island moves on Lost, you see it:

The dress you wish you’d put on this morning.

The bag you’ve been searching high and low for.

A hat that makes the look.

In fact, you probably see more than the outfit. You see a beautiful person. You want to be friends with them, or date them, or look like them. You certainly want to have access to their closet.

I do this all the time. But pair that instinct with a keen eye, serious talking-to-strangers charisma, and the shooting instincts of a National Geographic photog in the heart of the Amazon rain forest, and you’ve got the art and science of style spotting: simply put, taking pictures of amazingly dressed people on the streets of [insert awesome destination here].

It’s much easier said than done. I tried stylespotting last summer on my family’s trip to Israel and Spain, and came up with these  very stalkerish results:

Beautiful Spanish women rocking looks I’d love to emulate (chic sculpted sandals, an effortless LBD, summer sweater vests, rose-colored suede sandals, super-cool head-to-toe-white): check. Good photography? Debateable.

There are some stylespotters out there, however, who get it right, every time. Some of my favorites?

• Scott Shuman of The Sartorialist
• Garance Dore of Garance Dore (and Scott’s girlfriend – talk about a stylish power couple)
• Facehunter
• Glamour Magazine’s Do’s and Don’ts (as far as I’m concerned, the original style spotters)

What about you, darling readers? Where do you go for your style spotting fix? Got any street shots of your own? Send ‘em my way in the comments!

R: Rain gear (noun)

Synonyms: second skins, Boston necessities, rubbery rain repellants

Definition:

I don’t know about you, darling readers, but when I think summer style, I think of airy sundresses, sweet little sandals, paper-thin t-shirts and rolled-up shorts that let the sunshine beat down on my perpetually pasty legs.

After living and working in New England for as many summers as I have, however, I’ve come to begrudgingly make room for another summer fashion staple: rain gear. Because for those of you that know, the weather patterns here are unpredictable at best and humid, stormy, and sweltering (all at once, sometimes) at worst.

My rain gear picks are slightly more practical (but no less chic!) than this.

So, what’s a stylesaurus to do? How do you look dashing and stay dry without breaking a sweat? Well, here’s a start.

Cute Wellies are KEY. There’s nothing worse (or grosser) than soggy leather flats or heels. Be practical and stylish with these adorable short lace-up booties from Hunter, the master of all things waterproof. Bonus: they won’t be as sweat-inducing as the classic, tall style, which I have (and love) in sunny yellow but refuse to wear past April.

Hunter original lace-up wellies, $125

The(style)saurus supports: Stone and Sterling

Hey beautiful readers!

If you’re looking for gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, locally-crafted jewelry, then you HAVE to check out Stone and Sterling on Etsy — it’s some of the most original and affordable jewelry we’ve come across, and it still manages to be unique and of the highest quality.

Stone and Sterling will actually be at SOWA Open Market on their opening weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 15th and 16th, as just one of the many incredible artisans and antiques dealers that flock to the South End every Sunday of the summer (just another reason why spending my summer in Boston is quickly becoming the most exciting prospect EVER).

Expect a gushing post about the market in the near future – I once found a gold leather Salvatore Ferragamo skirt with the tag still on it for fifty bucks there! Amazing. There’s nothing like supporting local businesses while getting pretty things, so I hope to see you all there.

Happy shopping!

Q: Queen, Save The (Proper Noun)

Synonyms: n/a (there’s nothing quite like it)

Definition:

Some articles of clothing, like your first pair of “cool jeans”, or your favorite boots, or oh, I don’t know, your wedding dress, are just a big deal. When you wear them, they become entwined with the when, the where, the why of putting clothes on. It becomes not just about what’s trendy, or comfortable, or required, but what you WANT to wear.

Though I’m not big on any one designer or brand, Save The Queen has made two of the most beautiful pieces I have in my closet, and they’re both among the most special articles in my personal fashion history. I wore one of their dresses to my middle brother’s Bar Mitzvah, and another to my high school graduation. I’ve worn them again and again to job interviews, summer concerts, formal dinners: they’re so unique and intricately crafted, and still, they work for anything.

The company, which was started by Marco Fantini and his wife Elena in 1985, has boutiques all over the world, and is almost above the trends of the season. The clothes march to the beat of their own drum. Don’t believe me? Check out some of these looks from the spring/summer 2010 collection, which is inspired by flowers, leaves, and wild animal prints.

See, I told you – nothing quite like it.

P: Prints

Synonyms: Patterns, the more the better

Definition:

Formerly known as a one-at-a-time phenomenon, like big bites of a delicious meal, prints are making their comeback in a no-holds-barred, all-you-can-eat-buffet kind of way. Layer them, mix-and-match them, and most of all, have fun with them!

a little inspiration - really, ANYTHING goes. aren't you having fun just looking at these?

If you’re a little less print happy then, say, the ladies pictured above,  or get dizzy at the sight of Givenchy’s spring line, here are a couple guidelines:

1. Stick to what you know – if you’re a striped-tee-shirt kind of girl, branch off of that. Try a seersucker blazer over your tee, or grab a dress with a bit of a bolder stripe. Play with what you’re comfortable with.

2. Keep it in the family: the color family, that is – If you’re into the print on print but don’t feel like rocking the whole “I got dressed in the dark and I LOVE it” look, try to keep your prints in the same color family. Some particularly chic, safe bets include black and white (as always), neutrals like greys and beiges, or navy, red and white for a nod to nautical.

3. Start small – Smaller prints are more subtle and can keep your outfit from looking too out there. Try some tiny polka-dots in the form of a chiffon blouse, or a delicate floral on a blazer.

Happy print-ing!

O: On your mark, get set, go!

Synonyms: Runaway brides, a fashion triathlon

Definition:

Every year, Filenes basements hosts over 2000 bargain-hunting brides at their wedding gown blowout event, The Running of the Brides. Dresses that usually retail for in between $900 and over $10,000 are discounted to $249, $499 and $699 — an amazing deal on one of the most important fashion purchases of any woman’s life.

This year, The(style)saurus jumped into the fray to see what the fashion world’s version of Pamplona is all about.

N: NYFW (Abbreviation)

Synonyms: The biggest and baddest Fashion Week

Definition: Yea, there’s Paris. Milan. London. But it could be argued that New York’s seven days of fashion, which kicked off this year’s four-week-long fall fashion spree on february 11th, is the mecca of fashion meccas. One day, the(style)saurus will be there, teetering alongside all the other fashion editors, bloggers, and buyers. But until then, here’s some of my favorite coverage of the collections.

1. The Daily Beast’s Media Gallery

The Daily Beast’s day-by-day galleries make you feel like you were front-row center all week long, even if you were shuffling through the Boston snow in your Sorels.

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The Daily Beast's stunning photos take the cake.

2. Refinery29′s Top 10

We all know the real point of oogling fashion week coverage is to figure out what YOU want to wear next season (or rather, the season after that.) Refinery29 shows you how to rock the runway looks in a uncliched, original way.

I can't decide which outfit to rip off first! Photo courtesy of refinery29.com

3. The New York Post

No one does New York Fashion like the New York Post. Their catalogue of show reviews by designer is a resource that puts the(style)saurus to shame.