An "Ideal" Outfit

This morning I wore an outfit that made me feel very Italian, Milanese in particular, which happens less and less these days (probably because my wardrobe is chock-full of JCrew). Well, I had on a pair of Tods lace-up booties that I bought while I was in Italy (actually a gift from my mom, who to this day still loves to buy me Tods shoes), so maybe that's why. The Zara coat with its clean lines also contributed to make me feel, well... an Italian in NY. I had already wore the exact same outfit for a stroll with my husband and daughter on a Sunday afternoon and I remember feeling very (effortlessly) chic. The only thing different is that today I wore my new merino turtleneck in vintage navy (love the color, BTW), while the first time I had a Gap cotton one (by the way, the vintage navy color is very similar to Gap's true navy). I love the merino turtleneck this year because it is long and slimming (wearing my usual XS and it fits perfectly):




And with the coat on:



But a true Milanese wouldn't be caught dead with cords on, that must be an effect of the American melting pot on my sense of fashion.

Anyway, as soon as I went outside I realized that it was too cold for my Zara semi-open coat today. Too late, we were late for ballet class and it was a special one where the parents were invited to take pictures of their little ballerinas (my trusty old Jcrew cashmere ribbed scarf and my Juicy earmuffs kept me warm enough in the wind).
In the afternoon I changed my Zara coat for my much toastier Moncler puffer and after dropoff I was wandering on Madison Avenue when I was struck by the poster advertising the current exhibition on the latest works of John Currin at the Gagosian gallery. I won't lecture you on Currin (for more information click here and I have to say that I am not sure if I like all of his work (definitively disliked some of the paintings in the exhibition) but this portrait of Constance Towers (the actress?) mesmerized me and lured me in:



It had on me the same effect that the Monnalisa must have had on her first uncorrupted audience (before becoming material for modern art jokes a la Duchamp and cheap souvenirs): that of a singular beauty that is hard to define but keep us looking at her.
But even more than the beauty of the woman, what really struck me in this painting is the perfection of the outfit that she's wearing, masterfully rendered by the painter: the white shirt, the double-strand of pearls, the red skirt, the belt. It looks like the quintessential outfit to wear in one's portrait, the Platonic form of an outfit (which is kind of ironic because Currin's women are generally naked and engaged in a form of sexual activity).
Which leads me to my closing question (and I am really, really interested in reading your answers): what would you wear if you had to pose for your own portrait? And would your ideal portrait be a sublimation of yourself or a true to the subject rendering (maybe in your everyday clothes)? I'm going to let you know what my ideal outfit for a portrait is: a dress, not superfancy but strapless and probably in a nude/tan color, with a strand of pearls, and my hair in a bun (not too tight). And I would be reading a book, because that's what hasn't changed in my life when everything else has changed.

Your turn now...

La Dolce Mini Two Ways

Just before leaving for Italy I bought the Dolce mini. At that time it was an in-store only item and I didn't want to risk that it would sell out while I was away as it is one of the most beautiful tweeds that I have ever seen. Interestingly enough, the name on the receipt is "Lacroix tweed" mini, so I wonder if the same tweed has been used by Christian Lacroix for some "couture" piece. Maybe it has nothing to do with that Lacroix but it would be a strange coincidence, don't you think?

As usual, the website pics don't do this skirt justice. I know that many are turned off by the length of the skirts this year but this one is not "that" short and this shape works better as a mini than the bell shape IMO. I mean, if you could bear the length of the felted wool bistro mini, you should bear this one. I happen to have the felted bistro one in the same size (bought this summer on a popback), so I took a pic for you to compare (the grey felted wool is less than an inch longer):



I find the felted bistro to run larger than this one so you can easily size up for more length.

While I was in Italy I couldn't wait to come back and wear it. I like it THAT much and it makes me happy seeing it when I open my closet every morning. I am honestly puzzled that this beauty hasn't sold out yet. It's expensive for sure for a mini but so are many other things that sell out in days. One sure thing is that it is much more striking in person and they didn't do much for it on the website.
For example I don't know why they have picked a grey sweater to show on the product page pics, as the skirt has in it a plethora of yummy colors mixed with golden threads:



In my opinion grey is one of the few colors to avoid completely (as probably navy and all the reds), as it tones it down. Plus, there are so many colors to pair with it that a neutral like grey seems lazy to say the least. It's like a concentrate of those JCrew colors that many of us love so much: the yellows, the pinks and the beautifusl greens. Speaking of green, look at the forest green lining:



I know what you are thinking: we could have lived without the the gold-zipper pockets and absolutely speaking I would have preferred this mini without those zippers that I found initially very ugly. But then they grew on me and I am now convinced that they actually add a modern touch to it, so it can appeal to the younger customers (as tweed generally doesn't). The thing is, you can still wear this skirt a la "old JCrew", if you can wear a mini.

So I want to show you these two different ways to wear it. Modern and aggressive (with the right shoes) and pretty-sophisticated, like in one of those beloved old JCrew catalogs that some of you treasure.

For a modern look you need a pair of shoes with an edge, to echo the zippers. While I was in Italy I splurged on a pair of lace-up peep-toe stiletto-heel booties by Sportmax (the younger line by MaxMara) that happen to do just that, they echo the zippers. I have been wanting a pair of shoes with a WOW factor for a while and these are just what I was looking for (they are also incredibly easy to walk in):







So, the rest of the outfit could be a long cardigan and a tee, like this:





Or a simple turtleneck. During the 20% off sweaters promo I ordered two merinos turtlenecks to try specifically with this skirt, one in black pine and one in paradise blue. Both colors are present in the skirt (the darker threads in the skirt are not black but dark green), but I preferred the black pine for a turtleneck. If you have never see this shade IRL, it is a very dark forest green, more unexpected than black (it comes across a little bit lighter than it really is in this pic):



I am going to show you the pairing with the paradise blue color, even if I had to crop this pic and I am going to return the sweater because I would wear it only with this skirt:



Now for the "pretty" version of the outfit, I picked an old cami that was screaming "me, me" from my closet as I haven't worn it in a long time. For the life of me I can't remember the name of this one but I am sure that it was Fall 07 as I bought it for as part of my "back to work" attire after my maternity leave (I went back to work in August). I am pretty sure that the color is the beautiful honey glaze, that is back this year. The advantage of this top is that it's long enough to cover the zippers. I have paired it first with a cashmere crewneck in a similar hue (the warm maize from last year) and the crystal colletto in dusty blossom (as for the shoes I would go for flats or a mid-heel like the Juliet):




And for a total "candy effect", with the Michelle cardigan in dark rose. A darker gold glitter-y belt or a mustard-y one would be better than this pale gold one, but this is what I have:



You can also wear it with a little cardigan, even if in this case you will see the zippers. Two example, with the same warm maize cashmere cardigan and with the Jenna in black (here in s S):





What do you think? Which way do you prefer it? Would you give it a try now? If not, why?

PS
I spent a lot of time to take the pics for this post and I am kind of curious to know if you like the skirt or not, so I appreciate anything that you have to say!