Fall 2010 Must Haves

Fall is here. It’s official. Leaves are falling, the air is getting cold and crisp, pumpkins are everywhere… mmm, fall. I’m tempted to say it’s my favorite season. How can you not love the readily available pumpkin spice lattes, cranberry scones, hearty stews? And in addition to the great weather and great food, I absolutely love fall fashion. Fashion and hot, hot weather don’t generally go hand in hand – the need to beat the heat often takes priority over any layering or stylish accessories. And the winter is a great time for sparkly party dresses, but so much of our time is spent bundled in heavy winter coats. That brings us to fall – the season of sweaters, scarves, boots, hats. Cold enough for creative layering, not so cold that our creative styling remains hidden by our practical coats. So with that, I’d like to name my 2010 Fall Must-Haves.

A classic trench coat. It’s timeless, endlessly stylish, and goes with anything. Plus, when worn with the collar turned up, with a little red lipstick and sky high pumps, it makes you feel like you’re a heroine in a classic detective movie. Belt it and button it, and you’ve got a chic dress. Invest in a good one – you’ll have it forever.

Boots. I love boots – unfortunately, boot makers and I don’t always get along. My Viking calves do not always fit into the beautiful, buttery soft leather and I am often relegated to “booties.” But I am not a quitter! I try and I try, and I even have one go-to pair of brown boots that I can’t live without.

A scarf. I love scarves – skinny ones, chunky ones, silky ones. Floral print, geometric, bold, subdued… I love them all. And as you may know, fall is the season of neutrals. Don’t let yourself get lost in this sea of neutrals, and add a pop of color to any outfit with a great scarf. It will elevate any basic black long-sleeve shirt and jeans. Throw on the aforementioned trench and boots, and you are one stylish lady!


Most of us have jean styles that we live in. Personally, I’m a fan of skinny jeans and hippie-esque flared jeans. Not for everybody, I know. But regardless of your body type, skinny jeans can work! I’m absolutely convinced of this fact. And they’re so autumn appropriate – you can tuck them into boots (there’s those great boots again!), wear them slouchy with some fun wedge booties, throw on a great big chunky sweater over the top and some flats. The styling options are endless.

Perhaps these aren't the most practical, but they sure are fun!

If you’re a dress girl like I am, tights are an I-can’t- live-without-them-item. And I love tights. I admit to being a little afraid of patterned tights – I’m worried about them stretching out in weird places – but I take them for a spin nonetheless. I absolutely love a girly, slightly summery dress worn with dark tights and dark accessories. It instantly stretches the life of those summer dresses, while giving you an “I took and aced Fashion 101” cool girl look and attitude.

I have heard/read/watched that this season is all about the leopard print. But you know what? Leopard print is, in a way, a timeless accessory. It’s a constant cool girl touch to any outfit. If leopard print isn’t your thing, try any other animal print. It’s always fun, stylish, and a little sassy. This season, I’m partial to my animal print scarves (yes, leopard included). I’d love a great leopard print clutch, but my wallet doesn’t allow for that. Go ahead. Give the animal print trend a go. You might be pleasantly surprised. As my mom always says anytime she has any animal print on, “Ooooh. I feel like a wild lady.” Go wild.

Finally. My last fashion must-have of Fall 2010 is a red lipstick that matches you perfectly. Red lipstick looks good on EVERYBODY – not the same shade of lipstick, of course, but there is definitely a great red lipstick that looks good on you. The funny thing about red lips is that they seem to always be in style but you almost never see anybody wearing them in real life. I admit, red lipstick is a little irritating – you have to reapply constantly, worry about getting it on your teeth, regularly check for bleeding. But you know what? It’s worth it. I love the inner vixen it brings out in me.

And there you have it. The great thing about all these pieces is that they can all be worn together for one very stylish outfit. 

Great Vintage Find!

I dream of have heard that it's possible to find a great vintage designer piece with a tiny price tag. I've scoured little shops in New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, Portland... and I've found some great things, but I have never found one with such a tiny price tag. But lo and behold! I went into an antique store in little Salem, Oregon yesterday. My eye saw a cute little black saddle bag, and I thought "Eh, must be a cheapy. Why else would it be here?" But the $15 price tag kept me interested, and I had to admit that it did seem to be a well-made bag of genuine quality leather. I had a $20 in my wallet, pulled it, and decided to purchase it. I did, after all, need, yes need a saddlebag, after seeing this picture:


among other pictures of the rich and famous (and gorgeous!) women with cute, cool saddlebags. As I may or may not have mentioned, I am a Trendoid. I love the classic style of the bag, the way it adds an "I'm cool and don't need your approval" attitude, the leather finish, and its easy breezy carryall functionality.

Turns out, I got myself a great little bag! I admit to liking it immediately, but I (hate to) admit that I absolutely loved the bag when I found out it was from luxury brand from Australia called Oroton. I found it on Ebay for $200 and a new one retails for over $500!

Cute, right? It's cuter in person, and yes, it does need a little shoe polish to buff out some of those scratches. But still!

Have you ever gotten a really great vintage find? Any favorite vintage or antique shops? Share!