Molly Bloom knows style

This is first in a series about New York Fashion week.

I have copied two of my haircuts from Milla Jovovich, lifted them straight from the pages of Mademoiselle magazine, to great success. She has acted in two fantastic movies, Dazed And Confused and The Fifth Element. She has an interesting life story and is someone I would have over to dinner (if only she called). So Jovovich-Hawk, the line she founded with Carmen Hawk, was an easy first choice for my totally biased and not even scientific survey of New York Fashion Week.

Jovovich-Hawk pictorial

Maybe it’s post Labor Day seasonal malign and I’ve been looking at wispy, granny-influenced clothes for months and maybe it’s because summer in San Francisco started only yesterday, but I’d like to see a bit more coverage. Strappy is the easy way out. Let’s see some shape — sleeves, neckline, collars, back accents.

While the prints are lovely, I’d like to see more color. There are too many beiges and dusty roses and general potpourri in this collection. The designs are strong enough for red, so why be shy?

But, oh! The models! They’re standing on white-clothed tables! I like it.

I also like that the designers are designing for themselves. It’s their style, they know it best and it works. This strategy built an empire for Donna Karan (speaking of, I adore this coat). Of course we’re going to want to buy their clothes, so long as they look like their clothes.

The polka-dot pieces are my favorites. Especially the assymetrical kimono blouse, which is shown over jeans with a bikini top. I’d wear it more modestly, as a wrap top and with expensive shoes and probably pearls.

I’ve been following the runway shows for New York Fashion Week. More on that later. Feel free to come along.

shirt dress - A dress cut similar to a man’s shirt with buttons down the front.

There are a few fashion points on which men tend to err on the side of laziness. If you don’t have to do something, you often don’t. But this one is so easy: tuck in your shirt. Tucking in your shirt makes you look more polished and it makes you more sexy. You may not have $10K for a new wardrobe but you do have half a minute. Nothing works for everyone, but try it out — all you need is a mirror. Fear not Ed Grimley.

For starters, tucking in your shirt will make you appear taller and your legs look longer. It’s visual trickery (in the same way vertical — and especially narrow vertical stripes — make you thinnter) but it works. Some guys leave their shirts out to hide their middle, but for most people defining the area is actually slimming.

One key to tucking in your shirt “just so” is having the right fit on top and bottom. Most people wear jeans or pants so they are about an inch under the navel. This is where you should take the waist measurement as well. Try going up or down a waist size or different cuts to determine which looks best. I know dude’s hate the dressing room, which is why when you find a pant that fits well you buy more than one.

And for dog’s sake don’t blouse out your shirt. I see guys who took the time to tuck in their tails and put on a nice belt, but who pull the shirt almost all the way out so poufs out. Shirts shouldn’t be snug (unless you’re into the Castro scene) but they should be slender through the waist. Note to self: dress shirts and rugby shirts do not fit the same.

Not tucking in a T-shirt or athletic-style shirt is understandable (although I must point out that baseball players tuck those cute jerseys into tight pants). But if that black T-shirt is transitioning into night, it probably looks best tucked in and belted.

And that trick of wearing your pants lower and lower to accomodate for your beer belly without going up a size in Levi’s? It’s not fooling anyone. Clothes look best when they fit right and are comfortable. Promise.

One dear reader recently emailed that she receives compliments when she wears a boatneck top, but that she rarely wears it because her bra straps show. While I zealously applaud her vigilance in keeping undergarments under wraps, I’d like to point out that not all bras are built the same. If a certain top doesn’t work with your bra, that means it’s time for a new style of bra. Don’t hate the neckline, hate the bra.

I have a thing for bras. I am convinced there is a bra for any outfit that flatters a woman’s body. This does not mean there is a brassiere that will make a 44DD look good in a one-shoulder disco dress. But if the top is flattering to your figure, don’t discard it because that one style of bra you own doesn’t work underneath.

Flimsy mall store lingerie trends come and go, but what the twins need is foundation. In the case of the reader who wanted to wear a boatneck, she should look for a bra with the straps set out on the shoulders. Little safety pins or sewn loops inside the shirt will hold the pins just outside the neckline. I’m a big fan of double-sided Hollywood Fashion Tape.

When was the last time you were measured? Don’t be shy. Let the kind woman with the measuring tape help you. You’d be surprised what going up a measure or cup size will do for your curves. In short: the number part of your bra size is the measure of your rib cage directly under the bust. The cup size represents the number of inches added by the bust. So if you are a 34 D, that means that your rib cage is 34 inches and your fullest bust measurement is 38 inches, or 4 inches larger.

I like to try on lingerie before buying. I like to see how it looks under my clothes, check for strap placement and visible seam lines. If I’m shopping for an undergarment to wear with something specific, I take that dress with me into the changing room. For those who like to shop online, a great resource is Bare Necessities, where they let you shop by size. Parfait.

And readers, feel free to leave a comment in the comments section of a certain entry. I read them all! I love getting email too, but if you leave a comment everyone can hear you.

For those who’ve inquired about the title of this post, a nod to parody.

Recently I came across this great how-to article about hemming jeans without losing the original finished look. It’s easy and do-able for beginning sewers. You could also take these directions to your alterations place. Short girls can wear designer jeans after all.

Last call for summer whites and gin and tonics. It’s Labor Day. Onward, to Fall.