Some of you saw my Twitter post the other day. My grandmother passed away last week. She was an amazing lady who suffered with Alzheimer’s for over a decade. Hers was a long decline that was painful to watch. Though I’m glad she’s at peace, it’s still so difficult to say goodbye to a loved one. Especially when they were as inspiring as Grandma. I have tons of stories and could write many posts sharing those with you. But, this is a fashion blog and in the interest of staying focused, I’ll limit myself (maybe a post later about Grandma’s fashion sense?). First though, let me tell you about the craziness I’ve experienced in the last 48 hours. Through a fashion lens, of course.

What to wear to the airport

The funeral is on Saturday. I wanted to be around family and help my mom out as much as possible, so we caught a flight to Vegas on Monday. Spending time in the Austin, Denver and Las Vegas airports, I started noticing what people chose to wear on their trips. I wasn’t just looking for what was fashionable–I was also noticing who was comfortable.


When you travel, there’s no reason to be less than your regular stylish self. It’s true that sweats are quite comfy (and even sweats can be done well) but they’re not super stylish. If done too slovenly, sweats can look tacky; like you just rolled out of bed.
On the other end of the spectrum, there’s also no reason to dress like you’re off to meet the Prime Minister. It’s easy to find an in-between.

Shoes:

Airports can be quite huge and you never know how much walking you’ll have to do. Thus, wearing stilettos is not recommended. Instead, wear a pair of cute, comfortable flats and bring your stilettos in your carry-on bag.

Jeans:

You’ll be sitting for quite a few hours. Jeans that are too tight or restricting are not a very comfortable option. If you decide to wear jeans, opt for your most comfortable pair (probably a boyfriend jean).

Layers:

Planes can be super hot or super cold. Even if you’re flying from a super hot or super cold location, these temperatures can vary. Wear something short-sleeved and bring a coat or shawl that will easily fit in your carry-on.

Example

The Vegas Little Black Dress

We arrived in Vegas late Monday night. After checking into our hotel, we walked through a couple of casinos. It was that time of night when the first round of clubbers were stumbling to their rooms and the second round was just getting started. After seeing just a few girls, I began to notice a trend. Almost every girl headed to or from a club was wearing a super tight, super short little black dress. The girls on their way to the club were still sober enough to be aware of their dress length. But the ones stumbling away from the club had given up or forgotten that their too short dresses might ride up a little and gave quite a show. I’m not talking about one or even two girls here–this was the case with almost every drunk girl we saw. Seeing this spectacle made me ponder how wearing this ‘uniform’ could be done tastefully.

Fit:

One of the main issues in buying the same type of dress as everyone else is that you’re not taking what fits best on you into consideration. If you find something that is flattering on you, you will look much more stylish than if you choose a dress like everyone else’s that doesn’t fit you well.

Length:

Short dresses are great. They’re fun, flirty and sexy. But, if you have to adjust the dress all night, it’s not the right dress for you. This goes back to fit. Find a short dress that fits you well and stays put.

Example

The girls who looked the most striking and stylish were the ones who strayed from the uniform a bit, found dresses that fit their bodies well and wore them with confidence because they weren’t self-consciously adjusting all night. Here are a few examples of stylish little black dresses. Of course, whether they’re right for you depends on your unique figure.

Shown: Lace Tube Dress, One Shoulder Dress, Tiered Strapless Dress, Nicole Miller Matte Jersey Dress


If you’d rather skip the short hemline altogether, Nordstrom has pretty much each of the dresses pictured in a longer hemline. Search their Little Black Dresses for more options.

Admiring Fall Collections

The next morning, my mom picked us up and we headed to the Fashion Show Mall to outfit Mom for the funeral. We found her the perfect dress and shoes in a relatively short amount of time. While helping Mom, I fell in love with two new Fall collections.
The first is Bobbi Brown’s new cream shadows. They are all metallic, glittery and outrageous!

My other new love is pretty much the entire Fall shoe collection at Nordstrom. My three favorites:

Shown: Michael Kors Booties, Steve Madden Boots, Steve Madden Blue Suede Pumps

The Fiasco

After all of our shopping fun, we returned to Mom’s car to find it had been broken into and our luggage stolen. All of my makeup, toiletries, clothes and shoes for the week were taken. We did the obligatory freak out, the piecing together of what must have happened and the completion of police reports. And then, we went out to shop for clothes, shoes and toiletries to get us through the week. My parents live 2 hours away from Vegas, so we needed to get everything done in one day (well, actually in half of a day). This included things you wouldn’t even think of like makeup brushes, makeup bags and an actual suitcase. My husband and I were frantically rushing through stores in the mall, trying to find clothes suitable for a funeral and a week in the Nevada heat. Any other time, such a shopping spree would be fun. This was a nightmarish marathon.


I shopped for the funeral first, buying a suitable dress and a cute pair of shoes. I restocked my makeup and face lotions. I bought the necessary intimate apparel. Then, I set out to buy some outfits for the week. Banana Republic’s sale rack was luckily stocked with many great finds in my size. Then, I hit H&M and Old Navy for some inexpensive essentials, DSW for everyday shoes and Target for toiletries, travel bags and suitcases. I was (still am) exhausted and completely overwhelmed.


While it’s nice to have a plethora of new clothes, I keep remembering things in my suitcase that I’m now without. A favorite pair of JCrew trouser jeans that were blessedly long enough (which are no longer available). A yellow polka dot bikini from Victoria’s Secret which was quite flattering. My eyeglasses. The amazing black cocktail dress I had planned to wear to the funeral. Sky high red strappy heels that made me every bit of 6′4″. An amazing makeup bag made from recycled billboard material purchased in a tiny town on the Oregon Coast. My favorite boyfriend tees. Hundreds of dollars of makeup. It all can totally be replaced (except for those jeans). It’s just so frustrating to have it taken and know that since it holds little value for anyone but myself, it will most likely end up in a dumpster somewhere. Double boo…


So, that was my Monday and Tuesday. Phew…thanks for listening (reading).
I’m planning to write this week, but if posts are inconsistent, know it’s because I’m spending time with my family, helping with preparations and remembering a sweet, sweet lady.


Your comments, stories and suggestions are always and especially welcome.