Such a pair of boots

With the chilly temps and dreary skies comes the time of year that fashionistas anxiously await...tis the season for boots! Booties, peep-toes, riding boots, leather, pleather, suede or vinyl...fall and winter provide the perfect canvas for footwear that can be stylish, functional and completely on trend. No matter your budget or taste, there is a boot waiting for you, snug inside a shoebox and ready to be shown off around town. Some of my faves:

1. Frye boots - admittedly a spendier choice, Frye has been the hottest boot this season. Frye is the oldest shoe maker in the U.S., and is known for their Harness boot as well as their iconic 60's-era Campus boot, an example of which is in the Smithsonian. Pick up the Harness for versatility with jeans or with dresses for the office.

2. Steve Madden Midory Peep-Toe Bootie - I agree, it's difficult to get used to looking at a bootie and seeing a little hole cut out in the toe. The first time I saw these babies in a magazine, I cringed in horror. Now? I think they are a perfect example of "looks better on". Go for purple, since purple jewel tones are on the season's palette. For the unsure, yes, you can wear them with tights or au natural, but at this point, I'd nix any thought of wear them with socks.
3. Fabulous Fashionista by Crocs - Shocked? Me too. Tacky footwear proprietor Crocs launched a line called You by Crocs and these sexy black vinyl boots are one of the highlights of the collection. As with all other Crocs, these boots won't torture your feet, which lends them perfectly to late night dancing and clubbing.

4. Mirabelle by Abaete Studded Boot - As mentioned in an earlier "Such A Redkatblonde" post, Payless is carrying designer footwear lines by some of the most well-known designers on the market. Laura Poretzky for Abaete brings us this gem. A flat sole mean 100% comfort, so these would be great for downtowners making the long trek from a distant parking lot to the office, and doing it in style. As a note, with any Payless shoes you order online, you can have them shipped to the store for free. If they don't fit, they handle sending them back. Many local stores don't stock the designer kicks, so order online to avoid any retail frustration.

5. Sugar Shoes - Pin Party Tartan Plaid Boot - For my vegan friends out there, I bring you the most unique boot I've seen. Sugar Shoes offers up these quirky plaid boots that fasten at the top with a large gold safety pin. Pick them up at Alternative Outfitters, a fabulous online vegan boutique.

Just remember to take care of your boots, and for leather and suede, treat them with the proper polishes and protectants. For zippers, remember that a little candlewax rubbed on sticky teeth will help zippers pull smoothly. Lastly if your feet hurt, for goodness sake invest in Insolia inserts to go from limping in pain to striding in style.

Such a last-minute costume!

It's Halloween Eve, and horrors upon horrors...you have no costume! Never fear, here are some easy (hopefully) ideas for splashy, stylish costumes that you can create from what you have in your closet. The added ingredients? Whatever is left at the costume store, which is generally the hats, accessories and oddities. Work them and be the hit of the party!

1. Red Devil - If you have a red bridesmaid dress, a red sheath or any sexy siren red cocktail dress, go as a demon diva. Pick up a pair of devil horns, or make your own. Skip the sewing steps and use fabric glue for all the time-consuming work. Hot!

2. Fairy Princess - Again with a bridesmaid dress, but this time pick one in green, brown or something earthy. Grab a pair of fairy wings, or buy 9-gauge wire and make a pair of mod, twisty wire wings and leave off the fabric. Flirty!

3. Cruella DeVille - Everyone's got an LBD right...a little black dress? Take that little black dress, and add a faux fur stole. A few yards of white faux fur from the fabric store will do the trick too. Paint on black spots for effect, then add long opera gloves which can be found at any Claire's Boutique, black stockings and voila. For bonus points, find a black and white wig, or go old school and spray your hair half black, half white.

4. Naughty School Girl - Overdone sometimes, but so easy to pull off. Plaid skirt, white oxford cloth shirt, knee highs and black mary janes. For effect, carry a backpack and chomp on gum. Vamp it up and tie the front of the shirt in a sassy knot. Be sure to put your hair in pigtails too!

5. Miss America - Another bridesmaid dress? Another costume. Any color will work. Simply take a piece of white silky fabric for a sash, iron on the letters MISS AMERICA and add opera gloves. Add sparkly fake jewels and if you're channeling the winner fully, add a tiara. All accessories can typically be found at Claire's Boutique.

6. Sexy Librarian - Super easy. Take a pencil skirt in grey or black, add a white button down shirt, add a pair of glasses and pull your hair into a messy bun, secured with a pencil. Unbutton a few buttons of the shirt to give the look a bit of sass. To finish it off, add fishnets or thigh-highs and carry a couple books.

7. Pirate Girl - Find a dark-toned flowery sundress, add a belt around the waist, and take a couple of small pouch bags and hang them from the belt. Tie a bandana on your head, and do super black rimmed eyes, a la Captain Jack Sparrow. Huge hoop earrings, 2-3 beaded necklaces and tall black boots. If it's chilly, wrap a shawl around your shoulders in a drapy fashion. Done.

8. Vampiress - This can be pulled off with any vampy dress you may have. Pull on the dress, add fishnets, and pick up vampire fangs at any costume store or Walgreens. If you have a black dress you can sacrifice, slit it up your leg for more punch. Powder your face white, and add blood red lipstick. Drama queens can add a few red drops of "blood" at one corner of your mouth.

9. Sexy Cat - Either take your LBD or any leopard-print dress you may have and don it along with a pair of kitty ears. Make your own or pick some up at the costume store. Pick up a catnip toy to carry with you. Meow! Thanks to @amyscalia for the great idea.

10. French Maid - So incredibly easy. Take a black dress with a flair skirt, add a white apron, pin a lace handkerchief on your hair and carry a feather duster. Add sass with black fishnets and black stillettos. Oh la la!

If all else fails, there are literally thousands of ideas available online. Just do a quick Google search for "last minute costume ideas". Happy Halloween!

Such a writer!

In case you missed it, I did a fab article on O'Bryonville that ran in Cincy Chic this week. Check it out, and if you have any Cincinnati (or within an hour or two) shopping districts you'd like to see reviewed, contact me!


A Break from the Same-O for Local Fashionistas

Such a dating game

Just what is the formula for success in the dating game? After a thought-provoking conversation with a friend one night, this calculation was offered up as a common rule of thumb to determine age/dating potential:

DATING EQUATION: (Your age / 2) + 7 = youngest age to date

Am I the only one who has never heard this one? I’m guessing so, considering I found an entire website dedicated to the actual math of this formula. In fact, this equation is more commonly known as The Standard Creepiness Rule or The Rule of Seven. I'll go ahead and say this rule seems to apply more to men than women, especially since it's in the Wiki Man Code (which I guess is the same idea as the Miller beer Man Laws, Men of the Square Table). In a pinch,there is a handy Creepiness Calculator so that figuring out what's non-creepy is done automatically - simply enter the two datees birthdays. This might come in handy during those late nights out on the town where figuring out what anything numerical, even your own phone number, is a challenge. For a Hollywood spin on the Creepiness Rule, consider that both TomKat (Katie 30 in December, and Tom Cruise 46) and Demi and Ashton (44 and 29 respectively) fit the equation...just barely.

The Creepiness Rule isn't the only theory on age/dating math that I found. I posed this question to friends via Twitter and Facebook to see what other equations and rules were out there. Keep in mind that this is an extremely unscientific poll, done specifically for the purpose of posting the results to Such A Redkatblonde. Only some of the answers are posted, as there were quite a few duplicates.

QUESTION:
What is your dating math? How much older/younger will you go?

ANSWERS:

Older women.

Older: 10 yrs
Younger: 6yrs

(Your age * 1.3) + 2 = oldest age you can date

I won't date anyone under 20, so the count of younger will increment by 1 every year until I am 30. At which point older and younger will be equal at 10 years.

I TRY to stick with the 10 year rule.

I would only date someone like a year or so younger. The older I get, the wider a gap I would be comfortable with. As for older, I'd say about ten years.

I am 32, so I would maybe consider a 30 year old guy (if he was mature, b/c I have had bad luck w/ guys who were slightly younger) and would go all the way up to 48 (as long as they were a young 48).

If you have a different formula for determining dateability, post it as a comment...I promise that someone out there will use it.

Such a way to think pink - Part 2

Thinking pink this October isn't limited to wearing a pink ribbon on your lapel. You don't have a pink ribbon pin? You're in luck since you can get one free from the Breast Cancer Site Store.

Beyond the pin, more and more retailers are helping their customers show support for the cause through purchase of special pink ribbon products. With each purchase a portion of the proceeds going to breast cancer research and prevention. I am a firm believer in shopping for the cause (and volunteering for the cause, so consider donating your time as well as your money) so here are options for great finds that give back.

Locally, here are just a few of the places to shop and show support:

• Alternative Motive - Local t-shirt makers Alternative Motive have an entire line of t-shirts called Choose Your Belief, where 5% of the profit goes to a designated charity. Check out the Cure 3.0 hoodies and t-shirts. Proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen.






• Baskets of Nature - Mt. Orab-based Baskets of Nature create special gift goodies for your pets. They will donate 25% of the proceeds from the purchase of a Basket with A Cause. This basket includes treats for your pooch and a bandana for you.

• Fit For The Cure - Who hasn't had the fleeting thought that maybe, just maybe your bra doesn't fit like it should? There's never been a better time to remedy your lingerie dilemma - Wacoal and Dillards have partnered for Fit For The Cure. Receive a complimentary fitting in a Wacoal or DKNY bra and for every woman that particpates, Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Another $2 goes to charity if you buy the bra. How much easier could it be? Be sure to decorate and donate any of your misfit bras to Bras with Flair on the Square!

October 6 - 1-6pm Dillards Tri-County
October 7 11am-5pm Dillards Northgate
October 8 12-6pm Dillards Westside
October 9 12-6pm Dillards Eastgate
October 10 10am-4pm Dillards Kenwood

From a few of our national retail friends:

• White House/Black Market Hope Key Ring - WHBM has created a glittery limited-edition key ring, complete with glass pearls and bead, charms and ribbons. It's perfect for a purse decoration and is a steal at $22. This key ring is only available the month of October and 100% of the proceeds go to Living Beyond Breast Cancer.



• Glitz Watch by Relic - Relic, a division of Fossil, has crafted this statement watch speaks to both your support for breast cancer awareness, and also of fashionable wristwear. With a stainless steel wristband, Swarovski crystals encircling the dial, and featuring a Susan G. Komen pink ribbon on the face, this watch is true style. 61% of the purchase price supports the mission to save lives and end breast cancer.


• Pier 1 Komen Floral Blossom Candle & Reed Diffuser - Pier 1 has been a longtime supporter of Susan G. Komen for th Cure, and this year debuts the Komen Candle & Reed Diffuser. With a sweet blossom scent, the candle looks great anywhere, and also makes a great gift. $15, and 25% of the sales price of all items sold goes to benefit Komen and supports breast cancer research with a minimum guaranteed donation of $250,000.

If you don't want to shop for a cure, donate directly to Susan G. Komen Cincinnati and show your support for early prevention and detection of breast cancer. And be sure to screen yourself, their site will show you how.

Such a way to think pink - Part 1

October brings the start to National Breast Cancer Awareness month...a month devoted to increasing the awareness of breast cancer, and highlighting the importance of early detection. Do yourself a favor and download a handy self-exam card post-haste. Then, consider stopping by these great events to help raise awareness and raise money for the cause.

Be quick and ask your boss if your company can take part in the Lee National Denim Day on October 3rd. Donate $5 to the Women’s Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundations (EIF) and wear your cutest jeans to work as a reward. Donations will fund groundbreaking early detection and treatment research for breast cancer and support community education services nationwide.

Also on October 3rd, stop by Fountain Square at lunch to help kick off National Breast Cancer Awareness month with American Cancer Society’s Paint the Square Pink. Fountain Square will play host to local celebs, food, drinks (non-alcoholic since it IS lunchtime) and oh yes, will be decorated in nothing but pink.

Not busy on Saturday night, October 11th ? Happen to have a TV star, movie start or cartoon character costume lying around? Then you definitely need to get yourself to Costumes for a Cure. Hosted by Custom Distributors, prizes are awarded to the best costumes, so channel your inner Wonder Woman and be there. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Greater Cincinnati Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Tickets are $35/person or $6o/couple. Ticket includes food and drinks.

One of the highlights of Breast Cancer Awareness month is the Making Strides for Breast Cancer walk on Sunday, October 12th. Walkers and runners meet at Yeatman’s Cove for the five mile jaunt through downtown and Northern Kentucky. Registration begins at 8am, so break with weekend rules and set your alarm… especially if you had a late night at Costumes for a Cure!

Finally, whether you are artistic (or not) grab your Bedazzler and a bra for Bras with Flair on the Square 2008. Bras with Flair on the Square, hosted by Cincy Chic, raises awareness of breast health through decorating, you guessed it, bras. Decorated brassieres can be dropped off at any local Panera or at the Havana Martini Club. From Oct. 23-24, from 11a.m.-1p.m. and 4p.m.-6p.m., the decorated bras will not only be on display on Fountain Square, but they will also be up for grabs with a silent auction to benefit Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure.

Part 2 of "Such a way to think pink" will include tips on where to shop pink. Check back on Friday for details.

Such an Emmy fashion trend

Jewel tones, statement earrings and necklaces, beading and lace and soft messy up-dos...these are just a few of the hot fall looks spotted on the red carpet at Sunday's Emmy® awards. You don't have to go to a swanky affair to be able to incorporate these trendy touches into your fall wardrobe.

Redkat's Emmy Trends:
1. Purple - purple is huge this fall. Try a deep plum sweater dress like this one from Mod Cloth.
2. Lace - lace accents on everything from dresses to shirts. If actual lace isn't your thing, a shirt with a lace-like pattern can work, so visit Hippy Chix shop and give this shirt by Vanilla Sugar a look-see.
3. Beading - beaded trim is showing up on jeans, t-shirts, and even vests. Vest are very big for fall, so why not combine beading and vests into one great piece. Topshop (a UK fashion treasure) has just the vest.
4. Statement earrings and necklaces - both necklaces and earrings that pack a punch are cued up for fall but fashionista beware! Don't wear them at the same time -- too much is too much. Forever 21 always has great statement earrings for $3.99 and up. For necklaces, try Flutterby for the Australian take on jewelry (note: be sure to switch the currency from Australian to US when pricing products)
5. Metallics - Gold, silver, copper...they're all big for fall. There's no limit to how you can work metallics into your fall wardrobe, but if you're shy about too much bling, how about a belt? Create your own at Steeltoe Studios.

No matter how you incorporate the Emmy fashion trends into your fall look, keep in mind that whatever you do, make sure you make it your own and it works for you!