In CASE of Rain

On such a gloomy rainy day like today, we all need a little afternoon pick me up. In Paige Russell's case this is a portable picnic! I saw Paiges DIY on Design Sponge and thought it was the cutest thing ever. Imagine going into the cafeteria at work and opening up your briefcase to a grass included picnic with a scenic mountain view minus the bugs and dirt, how FAB! You too can make your own personal travel picnic by following Paige's simple steps and it will only cost you around $25 if you shop vintage and flea markets for the briefcase. I will post pictures once I make my own picnic-case!

May I Have A Discount?

In the month of May there is no need to ask "May I have a discount" with a site like the Outnet you can get designer clothes at bargain prices right at your fingertips. The Outnet is basically on online outlet where clothes and accessories from seasons past come to be sold at a reduced price. Brands on the Outnet range from Anna Sui to Zac Posen and Mui Mui to Luella, you can find anything you want on this website including the crocodile suede hobo bag from Jimmy Choo from two seasons ago that you went on the hunt to find but came back with no croc in tow. Yes you will find it here! The Outnet is my new style fix that I don't even have to get out of my pajamas to shop at!

Live Long and Prosper

I am officially a trekky! I saw the new Star Trek movie over the long weekend and am now in love with Chris Pine (Total Hottie!), who plays Captain James T. Kirk. I highly recommend that you go see this, even if you haven't watched any of the other Star Trek movies before; its easy to follow and has lots of action and adventure! Not only is it a great movie but it has great style! J'adore the matching uniforms in different colors, such the style of the future! Hop on the trekky train and go see Star Trek!

S'adore

S'adore is what I am fixated on, in love with and raving over! Currently I'm all about Mambo; A surf and skate brand from Australia with the tag line "putting art on anything that can be worn, hung, ridden, driven or played." Mambo is all about having fun in style and never taking yourself to seriously!

Here's a pic of Sarah rocking her "Vague" mambo tee! So Cute!

Everyday Icon

Samantha Wasserman
PR Director at Alexis Bittar

Likes... Patrick Swayze, racist antiques, Comme des Garçons, watching an offensive amount of reality TV in one sitting, little old couples holding hands, documentaries about anything and everything (especially ones on child molesters and maximum security prisons, don’t ask me why haha), LANVIN, the smell of skunk on the highway, late night pow-wows on our roof deck, high fives, drunk slip n' slide on Shelter Island, taxidermy, Epic moments, Poloroids, sleeping in, firm handshakes, planning my wedding, bear hugs, crushed ice, and my soon to be husband Mr. Ian aka “Porkchops” Shaw!

Cheap thrills... Vintage finds on Etsy, Pop Ice (I am beyond addicted...I actually go through withdrawal when I don't have them in my freezer), kisses from my fiancé Ian (who says nothing comes for free?!)

Can you often be found wearing... I think I own every single headband that Jennifer Behr has ever made- they have kind of become my signature, oh and my super high-waisted spandex trousers from American Apparel- I call them my 'Grease Lightening' pants as I like to call them because they make me look like Sandy in the final scene of Grease...I'm all "tell me about it...stuuuudddd", haha. But seriously, those pants are god's gift to womankind...it's impossible to not LOVE your own body when you’re in em. Oh, and of course- I'm always decked from head to toe in Alexis Bittar... he's my boss as well as my own personal hero- he is a true innovator and his creativity and sheer talent never cease to amaze me!

Fashion secrets... Well if I told you then they wouldn’t be secrets now would they, ha. Hmmm, let me see- well, one thing I say is go for CUT first above all else. Know what shapes look best on your body type and stick to them. I think a lot of people get these ideas in their head like- "oh no, I don't do high-wasted" or "I don’t do yellow...yellow looks bad on me", and so they automatically filter out anything they see that fits these characteristics. For me personally, I don’t love red on me, but I just found this skin tight, bright red Michael Kors bandage dress that totally changed all the pre-conceived notions I had about the color before. Once I put that puppy on...I was a believer. If the cut is right for your body type- the rest will follow...so I guess my advice is just to be open minded...you never know what could surprise you.

I've also always been a risk taker when it comes to fashion. I try to think outside the box a bit when it comes to my fashion sense. I like off-beat vintage pieces mixed with beat-up basics and designer staples. I find myself drawn to androgynous, slightly masculine shapes that I can then mix with something feminine or sexy...I'm all about the mis-mash of hard & soft, tough and pretty. But at the end of the day, it's not as much about what I wear, but more about how I'm feeling that day. I'm a firm believer that you can wear almost anything if you have the confidence to go with it. It's you who sells the outfit, not the other way around.

In terms of actual items I consider to be my fashion 'secrets' or 'must haves', here are a few things I think every girl should have in their bag of tricks...

o Wolford's Satin De Luxe Tights- they're a bit pricey but trust me, they are worth it! They give you legs for days.....

o Etsy.com for vintage finds. Etsy kicks Ebay's ass any day! Plus the prices cannot be beat. One of my favorite things to do is buy vintage dresses- even if they are 5 sizes to big-...I'll buy some amazing dress for like $6 and then I take it to the tailor and for about $20, I have it custom fit to my body. You end up with a $26 one of a kind dress that no one else on the planet has!

o Jennifer Behr headbands. She is simply the best...I'm officially obsessed.

o American Apparel 'Disco Pants'. Tell your boyfriend I say "you're welcome".

Face to Face

I am head over heals for these zip-ups. I NEED the Marilyn Monroe hoodie! Headhoods makes hand printed face hoodies for only $49.99. Who's head do you want to try on, Mr.T, Audrey Hepburn or Micheal Jackson?

The Bandal

Hello how cute are my Bandals (Sandals/Booties)!!! I picked these up from LF and have been getting rave reviews from all my friends and even strangers on the street. I have been seeing Bandals everywhere lately, they are deffinitly a summer must-have. What do you think about this trend? Would you rock the Bandal?

Would you rock the Bandal?
	Yes! I already own a pair!
	No! This trend is a little too crazy for me.
= see results =

I'd Like to Order the Shrimp Cocktail Toes.

Did I mention I was quoted in the NY POST? In all the frenzy, I forgot to share it with you. Here some pics I took of it! Interesting...taking pics of a newspaper! Well the media world has become strange! Here's a link to the Page 6 and the original article in Forbes Woman, written by the perennially chic, Lauren Lipton

Inside the Looking Glass

Here are some more photo's of the rocking apartment that we shot the Working Mother Cover in last week. The apartment belongs to Meghan Boody, founder of Looking Glass Labs-Interior Environments.

Model Mayhem

I can't sleep, so I decided to do something productive. That includes eating the rest of the strawberry ice cream my gentleman caller brought over this weekend and posting pics of models! Here are a few snaps from the Way...J. Song fashion show I styled in her showroom. This is Mel Rose from Tyra's, America's Next Top Model. S'adore her Miu Miu bag. I've got to have that.

Mary, Are These Your Shoes?

Hail Mary,

I remember you telling me about a pair of shoes from Pat Fields collection at Payless. It keep's slipping my mind to ask you in these are the shoes. To remember, I'm posting a blog about it.

Can you confirm if in fact these are the shoes you have? The gunmetal, chunky salsa shoe? My dream would be to have my own Sarah Shirley/Mersur line at Payless. Let's hope they read this post!!!

x0,

sarah

The Box, Part Deux

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Box

Some pics from the benefit I went to at The Box for The Old Vic Theatre in London. Yep, that's Kevin Spacey.

Play Dress Up Often

Photo by Bryan Helm, Model, Amanda at Elite, Stylist, Sarah Shirley

I believe in playing dress up often. A favorite past time of children is to "play dress up," then why is it adults never do it anymore. To many, playing dress up is the chore of putting on a dress or a suit and going to an event you really would rather not.

Think back to all the fun you had as a child putting on a long white skirt slip and cinching it with a belt to create a wedding dress. Add some fur, long gloves, layers of jewels and your grannies blue-to-pink fade sunglasses and you've got a look. Well my cousin Rickey (he's not a poof) created this very same image during one of our famous dress up sessions in my grandmother, Elaine's house. She's been long gone but this woman had so many clothes, shoes and accessories, she could live forever and still does in style spirit.

Imagine your "get ready ritual" to that of "playing dress up" and I guarantee you'll have so much more fun. Think playing dress up is just for kids? I challenge you to invite over a friend or two, open some champers, ( preferably pink) play some house music and well, get going. Try on all your clothes and make new combinations from old duds! Reinvent the fashion wheel.

Don't forget to take pictures. Send them to me and we will post them. contact@sarahshirley.com

Working Mother

Last week Sarah styled the Working Mother August/September Cover shoot. We shot in the most outlandish/freaky/amazing apartment in Tribeca, the apartment owner was an artist with fabulous taste! The model Anna was a real life mother of two and a teacher! She is definitely one hot mama! Check out some more pics from the shoot below.

Made good? Made fair? MADEWELL!!

Today while shopping in Soho, my friend gave me a ringski to tell me that Madewell was having "Real People" Model castings for their website. I strolled over, (I would never pass up an opportunity to have my picture taken) and wound up falling head over heals in LOVE with their clothes! I didn't think I would like the store based from its parent company J Crew, but boy was I wrong. Their clothes are much more edgy and dare I say hipster, I walked away with a killer double wrap studded belt, a crop top and a vintage wrangler jean button down. And to top it off I got 20% off for trying out to be a model! Keep your fingers crossed that I land the gig, and definitely check out the Madwell store on Broadway and Broome.

Add A Character Piece Or Two

Most recipes call for a dash of salt or a pinch of cayenne pepper. Add some zest to your style by adding a character piece or two with a bold bracelet, earring or necklace. When I wear an epic earring (think 5' Alexis Bittar smoked lucite earrings encrusted w/ crystals) with a white t-shirt, I feel instantly chic. S'adore the idea of wearing something so bold and high-end with a white tee that I pick up at Kmart (Hanes) or the Gap. Just because it sparkles does not mean it's reserved solely for evening. A red carpet or evening piece can be introduced to the day time and add a bit of sparkle to your cardigan!

Want to have a legendary fashion moment this weekend? Turn it out by adding an epic earring or a statement necklace to your weekend wardrobe. Below are some clips from recent press previews to give you and idea or two. Also, cruise antique stores, second hand shop or even your local Salvation Army for costume jewelry. You will find unique pieces that are one of a kind like my set of gold cuff bracelets I found at Over The Bridge Antiques in my hometown of Hammondsport, N.Y.