A Balancing Act

"OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW"

That's what the New Year is all about anyway, right? Right!

Now, don't get me wrong - its not all about change. Change is absolutely lovely - when it comes in waves...not a huge crash all at once. So keep holdin' onto those essential pieces - and if you are any decent fashionista at all [which I believe we all are, at heart] - and you can transform your entire look for the new season with a bit of mix-and-matching, as well as picking up something new here or there to add to your existing wardrobe.

Even if you aren't from the South, you can still walk the walk. And walkin' the walk requires wearing the boots. I know, I know. They can seem... unsettling. What do I wear them with? What are the rules? What are the DO's/DON'T's? Well trust me, you are not alone. I'm 21 years old - born and raised in Texas! - and I just purchased my FIRST pair of cowgirl boots only TWO years ago, for $9.99 at a vintage shop. (Unless you count my little red pair of cowgirl boots I wore at the age of 5.)

But here's the secret....
THE RULES OF COWGIRL
are the
SAME.

That's right:
The same rules apply. Especially with ........... my TOP #3 trumps-all, hands-down fashion faves:
     1) Be Comfortable
     2) Be Yourself
     3) Be Creative

However, here is THE key to success. Balance. Just as one wouldn't want to be dripping from head to toe in Chanel, Prada, etc. - entirely (unless its Fashion Week), you don't want to look like you just stepped off the farm. Pick favorite pieces (as many as you want) that really appeal to you at the specific moments while getting dressed and lay them out. Later, with a pair of fresh eyes, you can select pieces you can see blending; that you can see flowing through your clothes, adding and accenting your outfit rather than overpowering and sticking out like a sore thumb.

So get out there, use your quick wit and imagination, and intertwine some thought and care to put some YEE-HAWt into your look.

xoxo,
double c

Why Do So Many Women Ignore the Brilliant Advice of Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel?

I spent the morning at University of Houston waiting for my class, sitting on the steps (the top one - of course! Any fans of Gossip Girl out there?) while sipping my Chai Latte and chain smoking cigarettes. As I sat there, waiting for a friend, I couldn't help but observe my fellow students. I'm a people-watcher. But honestly, who isn't? Naturally, being as into fashion and couture, I mainly observed the female passerbys - utterly in shock at the sight of their chosen outfits (which, by the way, most appeared as if they had stumbled into a dark closet full of second-hand clothes, moth-eaten sweaters, XL University tees, and *CRINGE* - sneakers!).

In comparison, I sat, knees crossed, on the top step decked fully in a pair of black Aldo patent leather 6-inch heels adorning my size six feet, Free People skinny jeans slim on my legs, an adorable black & white plaid Marc Jacobs tank covered with a lightweight Vera Wang sweater settled on my shoulders, matching Chanel earrings and necklace dangling; my face made-up with my favorite brands - Urban Decay liquid liner and shadow in 'Strip', DiorShow mascara, Nars blush in 'Orgasm', a $50 foundation I can't pronounce - let alone spell - and Chanel's class red lipstick painted upon my lips.

As Chanel says, "It's best to look as pretty as possible for destiny."

So my question is: when did people stop caring?