It's Better in Red

Well, hello there!  Happy New Year, of course!  I hope you all got to celebrate with a nice dinner and a toast of bubbly, whether at home or a crazy party.  We enjoyed dinner with friends at Masa, a great upscale Mexican spot here in Minneapolis.  After that, we cabbed it over to our friends’ home in time to ring in 2011 with champagne and an impromptu dance party.  There was Depeche Mode.  There was Pet Shop Boys.  Plus some bhangra and Beyonce, just to mix it up.  It was the biggest workout I’ve had since, um, awhile.  Yeah, let’s just say “awhile.”

Anyhoo, it’s January.  As you know, those darn retailers are already flaunting their resort collections.  While I look forward to at least two more months of snow, ice, and looking like a pizza roll in my down coat, everyone from Neiman Marcus to the Gap seems to be showing off happy-looking models prancing around in sandals, bikinis and sundresses in vibrant hues.

They’re surrounded by sunshine and sand.  I’m surrounded by ice dams and a whole lot of the color white.

So, this posting is dedicated to some recent online finds in my favorite color:  red.  It's the color of some of my beloved clothes (Susana Monaco tops, Eva Franco dress), my choice of wine (carmeneres, malbecs and big, ol' cabs please), and probably my face after standing outside for 5 minutes these days (Eh?  You said my husband claims it's not the cold making my countenance burn bright, but my Irish temper?  Psssht, ignore him ;)

Thanks to my poor Grandmas, who gave up on trying to figure out what to buy me anymore, I do have a little bit of Christmas spending power.  I’d love to add something bold and fiery-colored to offset the total winter blahs which taunt me everywhere I turn.

As I might have mentioned before, I’m a big fan of Shopbop, the successful online appendage of the Madison, Wisconsin-based store called Bop.  Here are some new offerings that caught my eye:

Simple but fun, from Alice + Olivia...

Here's a beautiful, drapey dress from Issa in a rich plum-red color, although probably too short (without pants) IMOFO*:

Slinky little number from Elise Overland:

 Cute shorts from Alice + Olivia:

 And howzabout this great leather shift from Jenni Kayne?  Love it.

Revolve is also one of my go-to sites.  Check out a couple of these items:

Great wrap dress from Winter Kate:

 Great deep red top courtesy of Velvet (I'm also diggin' those sweet shorts):

I really do love Trina Turk dresses!  This color is a bit more "tomato-ey" but I appreciate how bright it is without crossing over into neon-world.

For a dose of cute AND warmth, you could snap up this fun See by Chloe hat from the Outnet:

And, stupid Saks has to send me one of those "Just For You" emails with these drop-dead fabulous Jimmy Choos.  I rarely covet luxury labels (as in, it sure is pretty, but I'm not dropping that much cash).  However, this one makes me think about crossing over to the dark side, even if for a moment:

Even the emails from retailers look all snazzy, like this one from Bergdorf Goodman (yes, that's Lanvin):

I am happy to say I own the following, which perk up my wardrobe nicely:

Got this gorgeous Theory top on sale recently- score!

Also snagged this Biba dress on sale a couple of years back.  I wear it constantly, summer and winter; it fetches quite a lot of compliments.

Here's the dress on an actual person**:

It may be winter for the next few months, but I’m determined to try and strut through it just like those “I’m-in-Miami/the Caribbean/anywhere warm-and-you’re-not-HAHA” models; no slogging around, head down for me!

Before I return to my online retail stalking, tell me...  what color cheers you up most during the winter?  Any hue in particular this year that you’re especially coveting?

Wishing you a wonderful new year,
Maggie






*  What's "IMOFO?"  In My Old-Fart Opinion.  I ain't a 20 year-old college kid no more :)

**  Why does the "actual person" lack a head, you ask.  Um, because that's me, and I'm kinda camera-shy.  I thought it would be fun to show some of the items I own on a regular gal instead of relying on perfectly-poised website models.  Quite frankly, I'm still trying to figure out how to strike the right balance of personality and privacy on here.  More on that later...

Photos credits: 

First batch - Shopbop (as noted)
Second batch - Revolve (as noted)
See by Chloe hat - the Outner (as noted)
Jimmy Choo heels - Saks Fifth Avenue (as noted)
Lanvin email - Bergdorf Goodman (as noted)
Theory top - Shopbop
Biba dress - Revolve, my own photos