Equals Chic

Fashion, like all great endeavors in the great history of greatness, often broils down to a set of equations. This top + these jeans + that bag = a look but that top + these jeans + this bag = a GREAT look. Especially on a Monday morning when you feel as if you will need seventy shots of espresso to get through the day without bitching at your poor doe-eyed intern for no apparent reason again, you need that equation. And this my fabulous readers (thank you again for checking The Outfix - I'm indebted to you for reading and excited to keep giving you fresh content to feast upon!) is the equation for that polished chic look that seems unachievable after one-too-many margs over the weekend.

The top and skirt have such a high-gloss, expensive look that is guaranteed to up the ante of any accessory and shoe choice you pair it with. You can wear it together or as delightful seperates (the top with some boyfriend jeans, the skirt with a navy merino wool sweater).

This look has that equation - this shirt + this skirt + these perfect ankle-strap shoes equals chic. And when you equal chic, you're life ain't bleak (ok, no more rhyming, sorry about that...).

Shop this Outfix (and look how dang good it looks in da below)

Top by Reiss, $150  /  Skirt by Reiss, $170  /  Shoes by Club Monaco, $279

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