Molly Bloom knows style

Another Project Runway contestant has launched a fashion line. Alison Kelly, the cutie-pie blonde from last season, has a line of dresses and tops called Dahl. The pieces are urban/sweet. I’m not feeling a coherent collection yet, but it’s early in her career. I would like to see some color — shoulderless off-white numbers are hard for even 25-year-olds to wear. It’s quite an achievement to go into production with eight garments. Later this year I’ll be creating a line as my final project in school and it is a daunting and exciting prospect. Carry on, Ms. Kelly.

What will you be wearing under your heavy coat when it’s time to peel off the layers?

Shirts are lightening up for spring — lighter fabrics and lighter colors signal an end to winter while decorative touches celebrate the season.

Translating from women’s wear are lighter fabrics and embellishments. Embroidered shirts are set to replace the striped trend that’s been happening the past several years. Somehow the embroidery makes these shirts more casual than the striped variety, so unless you work in a hipster den these shirts aren’t office-casual. Besides, no need to stink up your cool shirt at work; keep it fresh for evening outings and jeans.

Short-sleeve shirts are big for spring. I love the eastery colors and nature prints, even florals. Some of the best shirts are solids. The crisp and lean cuts play the starring role. Some au currant touches such as snaps, epaulettes and pocket design punch up otherwise simple shirts (see the divided breast pocket and hidden button placket on the Diesel shirt pictured above).

Fit is key to spring’s shirts. Too small and the buttons are bulging and shoulder movement is strained. Too big and they loose their now-ness. Be sure the shoulder seam hits just at the edge of the shoulder, before it turns into arm. Lowered shoulder seams are for bad bowling shirts. Misplaced shoulder seams can also make you look round-shouldered — so not hot.

For men’s wear, slim on top requires slim on bottom. Pants that bow out at the knees clash with trim tops. Look for flat-front, straight-legged pants and trousers.

There is an epidemic in this country, a style virus that has affected so many women. It’s making them wear cropped pants.

Cropped pants make you look bigger around the middle. They visually shorten your legs and create a neon arrow to your problem areas. Apple-shaped women and pear-shaped women are equally vexxed by the cropped pant. If you’re hevy around the middle, showing off your trim ankles only accentuates your girth and shows how thin you could be were it not for that gut. Cropped pants also emphasize the hips because of the shorter-leg phenomenon.

I don’t understand how cropped pants became the “easier” alternative to regular pants. They don’t pull themselves up. The four inches of fabric that’s missing doesn’t make them any cheaper. They’re not dressy, as in “Let me take off these shorts and put on something nicer so we can go to the Olive Garden.” No, cropped pants are the girlfriend who says you look good in hopes that she looks better standing next to your dowdy shape. Cropped pants are a bitch.

You should get up from your computer right now and march to your closet with a pair of scissors. Slice a leg on each pair so you absolutely can’t wear them again, not even during laundry crisis. If you’d rather donate the pants, swear on a stack of romance paperbacks that the pants will stay in the Goodwill bag.

So long 1990s cropped pants. So long.

A photoset of geek shirts at South By Southwest, courtesy of Smith mag. You may see someones you recognize.

This post applies to men’s and women’s sizing. Because I reported on hats as a trend for men at South By Southwest, I made this a Guy Friday.

Before getting started: Find a cloth or flexible tape measure, not one of those contractor-grade metal ones from the hardware store. You want something intended for use in garment-making because they’re made to measure curves. They cost maybe $2 at the drugstore or fabric store and you should own one anyway for sizing your inseam, waist and other measurements when shopping online.

There is an excellent step-by-step guide to measuring your hat size here. One thing to consider is the amount of hair you have. If you just shaved your head but normally have a lot of hair or if you have a lot of hair and are considering cropping it off, remember that hair takes room in that hat and could change the size by a half-inch or more. If you will be wearing a wig with this hat (you know, like Napoleon or a drag queen or whomever), measure your head wearing the wig.

A tighter hat will stay on in the wind but a looser hat is more comfortable to wear as well as merciful in warmer temperatures.

If you already own a hat that you think fits great, take a tape measure and rest the bottom edge of the tape against the inside of the hat, aligning the base of the tape with the base of the hat. You should also take a measurement of your head to make sure it’s not vastly different from the hat. If they are your hat is probably too big (I cannot imagine anyone enjoying a tight hat). A better fitting hat should have a more proportional shape for your head.

photo by Scott Beale/Laughing Squid

I just returned from South By Southwest Interactive in Austin. Geek conferences aren’t known for fashion flair but a few trends stood out:

- Guys in hats, mostly fedoras and a few top hats. I am pleased.
- T-shirts with geek slogans that mix start-up branding and hipster irony. The Bloom Award for Best T-Shirt of SXSW goes to Consumating for “nice_tags,” modeled in the above photo by Marjorie Case. Runner-up: “Wearing My Twitter Shirt.”
- Girls in glasses.
- Free stickers applied to inappropriate places. Upcoming, indeed.
- If underwear are given away at a party, people will put them on over their pants. Again, I am pleased.

I wrote a column about what you can score in the junior section. You should read it.

grommet - An eyelet that is reinforced with metal or plastic that can be used as a durable closure or simple decoration (as pictured above).

Girdles are strange contraptions. The ones at the vintage stores are downright menacing, with their straps and elastics and all-rubber cinchers. Support garments went out of vogue when styles changed and sportswear came to the forefront. But new technology has brought them back. Today’s undergarments are designed to smooth lines, tighten jiggles and make you more comfortable in your clothes. And they look nothing like that picture above.

The hurdle for most women is the idea of buying a support garment. There is no shame, ladies, in buying shapewear (unless you are trying to fit into clothes that are too small and then for shame, for shame). Buying a smoother isn’t admitting defeat. A dancer friend who has a terrific figure wears them. Recently someone said they’re too self-conscious to wear such items because their boyfriend might see it. If you’re super-worried, ditch it in the bathroom when you get home. Undress with the lights off. My husband has no idea (until now) that I wear them because they don’t show through my clothes and I’m crafty.

One line that is blowing up right now is called Spanx. They have revolutionized this market with wearable and comfortable shapewear. Their garments are seamless and made from compression yarns. One of their best-sellers smooths the waist, back and bottom and attaches to your bra. Genius. Spanx footfless tights and pants are popular for holding in the thighs and smoothing at the hips and derriere. They even sell maternity sizes.

Most women have visible lines and indentations on their blouses caused by bras. There are seamless cups and such to create smooth lines up front, but even a well-sized bra can create bulges along the back. Solution: a camisole or other garment that covers from the bra line to the waist line.

You can do a lot better than that tiny thong for hiding panty lines. Thongs are basically crotch covers and provide zero support. I wish so many women didn’t wear the wrong thong — when you can see the shape of a thong through your dress or sticking out the top of your jeans, you’re wearing the wrong drawers. One great way to avoid visible panty lines are to wear boy shorts or even longer footless tights. Some women are addicted to capri-length footless tights.

Wearing a shaper can also make clothes easier to wear. Scratchy waistbands or clothes that ride up are solved. Clothes drape better over smooth surfaces. Fashion’s fine knits and jersey dresses are a continuing trend through spring and both are body-conscious looks. Just try one. Trust me.

My favorite all-time sneakers are Tretorn Nylites. I have owned at least a dozen pairs since the sixth grade when a visiting family friend showed off hers. She lived in a different world as an East Coast preppy with the perfect no-flyaways bob. I was living in Indiana with my long frizzy hair plated into two braids. I felt unsophisticated in my matching shorts set that featured an all-goose rock band (although there are probably some Vice magazine hipsters who would kill for my ensemble these days). I had to have the shoes. There was something about them. Call it an early style awakening.

Tretorns were the first luxury sports shoe. Professional tennis players wore them in the 1960s and ’70s, hence their prep school appeal. They are cushy and feel great on my feet. Tretorns went off the market about a decade or so ago. The ’90s weren’t kind to white shoes or preppy looks. About six years ago I was buying a lot of vintage preppy stuff. I decided to bring back Tretorns. I went on the hunt and finally tracked down a pair in New Jersey. I wore them out dancing one afternoon at 111 Minna and every East Coaster of a certain age talked to me about them.

Now that everything old is new again the shoes are back in production. Tretorns also work for guys who are looking for that classic deep preppy summer look. They don’t work with dark denim or tight pants and they look best bare-legged, sans socks. They are stunning with the right casual skirt or even preppy shorts. I have a pair of ancient khakis that are rugged and snipped off at the bottom for clam digger length that are perfect for Tretorns. Just about anything from Lilly Pulitzer looks great with Nylites. I call the look Haute Preppy. Here’s to spring!