Having recently entered into my third decade, I have been surprised by the little Hello Kitty alarm clock sounding off in my head as I routinely gravitate toward the cute, the over the top hearts, the unicorn hoodie and wonder, seriously, am I too old to wear this stuff? Even if Vogue says women over 25 shouldn’t wear anything above the knee,  in my heart of hearts I believe we women should wear whatever we want whenever we want (assuming we wear it right haha). That said, I am slightly terrified of becoming one of those women who just stopped adjusting her wardrobe and is stuck in baby-tees and LEI jeans because that is what was cool when she was in high school. I don’t think I am at any serious risk for this, but let’s face it, I have a thing for knee socks and petticoats. And I am thirty.

If you are similarly afflicted with a penchant for glitter, red patent leather Mary Janes, and remember when inflatable furniture was cool, here are a few style tips I am working on as I feel this all out- it’s definitely a work in progress.

• Tone down those pink tights with the red glitter hearts by wearing something basic (and black), preferably long-sleeved and to the knee.
• Instead of wearing the triple heart barrettes, consider a statement ring. I found a big, plastic white heart ring that does just the trick.
• Don’t interpret the whole Strawberry Shortcake and ponies thing quite so literally. Look for the barest of  details - a bit of lace here, a velvet ribbon trim there is less…it’s severe while still hearkening back to your Jem and the Hologram roots.
• Man up - offsetting a really feminine piece with something bold and masculine like a pair of wide legged trousers or a blazer turns girly into almost unintentionally seductive. almost.

I really love this Lolita bunny t-shirt because I think it accomplishes the cute while still being completely wearable by women of many ages. Paired with the super cute (couldn’t resist) Siwy jeans, I could wear this on the weekend like hearts and bunnies are no big thing. What do you think?

In a few months you’ll be wearing this… or something like it…

Image by karpov the wrecked train

Shopping this time of year is tricky. Of course, it’s officially ‘Back to School’ season, so we’re hardwired to pick out our clothes for the year around now. But oddly enough, it’s still hot out! And September, as beautiful as it is, is no ice fest either… so what do you wear? I am a huge fan of layering, particularly in the Autumn months when layering makes sense. It’s also a great season because it’s not so extreme as Summer and Winter. One of my favorite things to do is to layer a frilly dress with opaque tights, and cotton jersey shirts underneath…  Here are some pieces that will look great layered when the Autumnal winds start blowing in…

• The Amanda Uprichard Penny Dress: The perfect dress to wear with a blazer all year round, and that happy blue will cheer you up on the gloomiest of days.
• The Anlo Felicity Dress: We tend to think of oranges and browns in Autumn, but purple is a great compliment to the seasonal color scheme.
• The Anlo Silk Romper: This is romper is an ideal candidate for layering up, with a blazer, a cardigan, a light-weight sweater underneath… there is just so much versatility with this!

Here’s an example of one of my favorite silk dresses that I wear all year around…

How do you cope with the summer-fall transition?

Any Dave Chappelle fans out there? For those of you who are fans, you understood the title of this post and maybe even laughed a little. For those who didn’t get it … Who cares! The real focus here is this amazing bag by JJ Winters (as seen on stars like Vanessa Hudgens, Hilary Duff, Paris Hilton, Blake Lively, Miley Cyrus, Sienna Miller and Lindsay Lohan.)

This zippered hobo combines the softness of suede with the edginess of exposed zippers (and lots of em.) Of course the zippers aren’t completely functional, but really what is truly functional when it comes to fashion? Don’t answer that. The zipper trend doesn’t end at this bag for fall 09.  You will be seeing zippers on jewelry, jeans and pants, dresses and more. In fact, I did a little trend alert about zippers a few months back.

So, if you are convinced of the trend and this bag, but are unsure of how to wear it … check out this outfit idea:

Leather jacket by Mackage

Dress by Lauren Moshi

Bracelet by Vita Chiave

It is no doubt that 90s grunge is back in full-force! Just check out the current collections from Dsquared to Alexander Wang, the influence of grunge is everywhere! Looking unkept yet nonchalant is the general aesthetic of grunge which makes the look dead-easy to achieve.

Here is an easy grunge-inspired look that would work well on casual fridays.

As it is only an inspired look, I’ve chosen some cool purple jeans by Blank Denim with studs to update the grunge look with some colour. The Fluxus Bias Wrap Cardigan in heather grey would not only make a great wardrobe essential but is a great lazy piece to slouch around in, going well with Astars Faded Black with Worn-out Print Shirt which has a great relaxed fit. And don’t forget to roll up your cardigan sleeves to reveal this gorgeous Swarovski studded Pyramid stud bracelet by CC Skye.

Now, grab your old Doc Martens or Chuck Taylors and you’re ready to roll!