BRIDGING THE GAP

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18th

WHAT TO WEAR TO HOLIDAY PARTIES, PART 4

THE SCENARIO: Your third-wave feminist hipster friend who resides in Williamsburg but also makes fun of people who reside in Williamsburg is throwing a holiday party in her studio apartment (or was it micro-loft?) Her friends will be arriving in matching leather jackets and some type of Biggie or Metallica t-shirt (brownie points or a glass of wine for the chick that wears both at the same damn time!) so you want to wear an outfit with a preppy undertone that stands out in the crowd.

THE CORE ITEM: Gap's flannel shimmer roll-sleeve henley

As a wee young lad, it wasn't visions of sugar plum fairies that danced in my head. It was GAP sweaters, emblazoned proudly with the logo. They would stare at me from the window of the stare, taunting me with their beauty and seemingly calling my name. Every Christmas, a GAP-branded gift was bestowed upon me. A baby blue ringer tee with black GAP logo. A cherry-red sweater with a cream GAP logo. A grey hoodie with a patriotic American flag print GAP logo (this one, fyi, was my absolute favorite - the epitome of high fashion!)

And while the GAP logo still speaks loud and clear to me from varying t-shirts at my local store, I'm here to direct you toward more fashion-forward staples, and this outfit of head-to-toe GAP magic nails that.

The subtle hints of Lurex shimmer peaking through this traditional plaid make this a wardrobe staple for seasons to come (and it's only $54!) The denim skirt pairs pretty with plaids and looks cuter than a baby's ass with black suede Chelsea boots.

Because the weather outside is getting frightful, let's toss in a wool-trimmed parka (this one is GREAT) and some tights. Top it all off with the red beanie pictured and you're good to go, girl. PLUS, DID I MENTION EVERYTHING IS UNDER $100!

Methinks you should wear this to your cool Williamsburg friend's Christmas Eve party. So what if those hipsterz scoff at GAP - you were born and raised in New York City before those assface transplants even knew what Brooklyn was.

Rave Onwards

Ok, you are not a college student on Frat Lane and you admittedly had to Google what Molly was last summer when it was buzzing around the town. But what-the-fuck-ever, you're still cool. Sorta. How to be cooler? Dress like the high-fashion incarnate of a ravegoer. While these chix are known for skimpy clothing, ridiculously fuzzy boots and the ever-so-often pacifier (see this inappropriately-titled Tumblr to help you decipher what the hell I'm talking about), you can bring the rave to your cubicle. Just keep blastin' Steve Aoki from your Frends headphones as you skip through midtown. After salivating over the recent spring shows which were floraly, ginghamy, stripy and fringy (read all about it at the good ole' Refinery), I found my favorite trend which was no trend whatsoever was the habberdashery styling and joie de vivre of some of the collections. DKNY was a moshpit of cool shapes and wild colors, Coach was all fuzzy-wuzzy pastel pretty, but then things just climaxed at Burberry Prorsum in London. I clicked-through the show and shed one or two tears. It may have even been three.

When a collection is good, it's gooooood. And while the critics weren't the biggest fans of Burberry this season, I loved its hyper-eccentric take on the classics. Christopher Bailey is a god amongst men and I should bow down but am currently wearing white jeans so therefore I won't. Anywhoo, his Burberry collection was all punch and pizazz with no holds barred. At times, I felt like my Iced Latte with Almond Milk that I had been guzzling was laced with LSD. Yup, that good.

Pailette sequin skirts? Check. Denim jackets that looked like mutated chickens? Double-check. Trench coats that looked like they had been painted by someone actually on LSD? YUP! Anywhoo, I was inspired by the rave-y and colorful world he had spun this season. It was a happy collection and cheerfulness is something we could all use in our daily grind! This look was inspired by that carte-blanche approach to dressing: the color, the spark, the quirk, the use of denim as a neutral when getting wild. Shop it here:

Jacket by GAP, $22  / Skirt by Cynthia Rowley, $275  / Clutch by Need Supply Co., $51  /  Lipstick by MAC x Proenza Schouler, $22 /  Shoes by Sophia Webster, $695

The New Normal

The Gap ads had me feeling a whole lotta perplexed last night as I made my way to their gridlocked, tourist-trapped trenches on 34th Street. I work on 26th so this GAP felt like a hop and a skip, without the jump. I went looking for the perfect denim jacket at the perfect price but ended up scratching my head a thousand and one times. The tagline to 'Dress Normal' emblazoned proudly across the glossy ads, featuring the likes of Anjelica Huston and Michael K. Williams.

Dress normal? Why in the world would this be their new attempt to capture ADD-ridden consumers in the digital age? No shade to Gap as I've spent a pretty penny there unearthing hidden treasures in their Sale section but these campaigns just seemed dead wrong. It's 2014. Who wants to be normal? We have Man Repellers skating around the city in clod-hopping shoes and garments that scream with style. We have street style stars unabashedly adorned in the most zany of zany runway looks without the blink of an eye. We have Lady Gaga for Christ sake. This is the time to dress with unapologetic pizazz. This is the time to dress with the same fearlessness as Katniss Everdeen. This is the time to piss off grandma.

From a style and marketing standpoint, I didn't get why Gap would be pushing this message. But then I did my blogger due diligence and found this on AdWeek : "'Dress Normal' boldly instructs individuals to shape their own authentic, personal style—and intentionally challenges every one of us to dress for ourselves." It took me a minute to process and then EUREKA! Gap is actually championing every sentiment I am exploring in this blog post. They are pushing an idea of redefining what normalcy is and capitalizing on how an individual can explore themselves through their clothes and their vision of 'normal.' It's really quite genius. I squealed like a drunk guinea pig and simultaneously gave them a Standing Ovation. It was awkward.

This idea of redefining normal is the basis for today's Outfix (your daily fix of outfit inspo, in case you so forgot). Nix the done-a-zillion-times LBD and opt for a jet-black skirt and a rustically-charming cargo jacket for a night out. Pair with a sensational DANNIJO sparkler, a neon YSL bag that screeches 'look at me! I am fashion!' and strappy heels that could remove the eye of an aggressive cat-calling construction worker. You're welcome. Shop below:

Jacket by Barbour, $623 (similar for under $70 here)  /  Skirt by Isabel Marant, $505  / Necklace by DANNIJO, $770 (similar for under $50 here)  /  Handbag by Saint Laurent, $1,490 (similat for $120 here)  /  Heels by Zara, $60