Molly Bloom knows style

This classic dress from JCrew is rocking my world. I may have to buy one. In an age of billowy and babydoll, this dress is trim. It’s made of wool, not jersey, and it has a waist. I love the pockets and neckline. It’s poorly accessorized here — everything is boring, especially her hair. With some bold additions and a dash of red lipstick, this dress would pop. So versatile, love it. Available in sizes to 16.

“Fashions fade, style is eternal.”
- Yves Saint Laurent

*Third Sin is a category for clothes that I cannot live without but cannot afford.

There is something fantastic about this handbag. It’s larger than the purse I carry but would be great if I were commuting. This bag has room for reading materials or maybe a knitting project and big, padded handles to make carrying it less of a drag.

You can get it at Pink Mascara and if you’re extra sweet I’ll give you the coupon code for 20 percent off anything (it’s AC20 and expires in a few days).

As if trying on clothes at an outlet store isn’t scary enough, a Liz Claiborne discounter in Indiana had to burn their merchandise due to an “infected employee.” The article doesn’t say what sort of infection the employee has but said that a test for drug-resistant staph was negative.

It’s enough to make you want to shop online for the rest of your life. But that’s irrational because somewhere along the distribution chain people are sewing, folding, stacking and shipping all clothes, whether you buy them on Maiden Lane or online.

When I was a kid a friend of my mother’s told a story about a lady who bought a ski jacket at K-Mart, took it home, wore it and got bit by the snake that had been sewn into the sleeve “because who knows what kind of places they make these things in.” I’m sure it’s an urban legend but it was the most awesome story I’d heard by age 8.

(thanks Carl for sending!)

New York Magazine ran a story called “Ugly Shoes: A Brief History” and I’m guilty on four counts.

Crocs, check (although I think at this point they’re only appropriate for outdoorsy water activities)
Doc Martens, check, worn throughout college
Birkentstocks, check, now retired
Dansko clogs, wearing them as I type this (pictured above)

Interesting that the shoes on the NY Mag’s list are all comfort models. Maybe that’s why the these styles caught on with the public. I cannot handle sore feet — it makes me angry and want to go home. I like wearing supportive, comfortable shoes. Somewhere there is a photo of me headed to junior prom wearing flats.

Sometimes style means taking your own path. I love the goddess-inspired drapey looks that are in vogue right now but it seems everything is made out of jersey. So I’m thinking… a tailored look for after-seven is bound to make an impression.

A tuxedo shirt for women! Adorable! The tie is meant to be worn open. This would be so cute with a pair of slim ankle-length pants and luxe flats, maybe some diamond stud earrings. And what about adding a menswear-inspired hat?! You can’t wear one of those with a dolman-sleeved empire-waisted number.

Perhaps this silk tuxedo-esque shirt from Ralph Lauren is more your style.

This button-front shirt has a great silhouette and this season’s happening bell sleeves. It’s low-cut so you get to show some skin and showcase a lovely necklace, but buttoned-up enough that you can wear it with pants and not feel dowdy.

The internet business is killing men’s style in this town. It’s startup- and event-swag overload in these parts. From one faded logo to the next, dudes do not need any more free T-shirts.

This T-shirt plague is blotting out some really creative guys and dulling them down. Want to stand out in the field? Wear something that didn’t get handed out to 200 people in that same field. A wise man sitting on my couch earlier tonight said, “A Firefox T-shirt? Really?” That made me laugh.

I’m not the only one who’s concerned about the state of the city. Ted overheard someone Twitter that she hopes Mad Men will influence the fashions of the tech crowd. You can take any page from that book and look good, gentlemen.

I understand that you want to support your friends’ endeavors or show your support of BarCamp. That’s cool. It’s just when it’s every day, when it’s all you got, when your wardrobe consists of handouts, that concerns me. I feel the same about guys who only wear rock shirts, but that’s less of an industry-wide problem and more of a stoner/refuse-to-grow-up sort of thing.

Quick. Before you forget how. Shop. Shirts with collars. They’ll get you laid.

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Bonus SF shopping quickie: Therapy on Valencia Street has a small, well-curated selection of hip casual menswear. Ted Baker (80 Grant Ave. near Union Square in San Francisco) sells delicious collared shirts that will run you $100ish (what?! don’t give me that — you can so afford it, you haven’t spent money on clothes all year). And stay away from H&M if you’re an infrequent shopper. Their stuff isn’t made to last the hundreds of wash cycles you’re going to put a shirt through.