May-jah Friday ('80s as inspiration edition)

With all the recent contention as to how worthwhile a contribution stereotypical '80s style has made to the current fashion landscape, I thought it only appropriate to dedicate today's May-jah Friday to the ten years that, in my opinion, yielded the most indulgently enjoyable music, movies and television.

And some of the most fun albeit not so universally flattering color schemes and cuts.

Inspired by one of my favorite songs, one of my all-time favorite cinematic scenes (those shoulders!) and one of my favorite groups of gorgeous cartoon sass-kittens, here is veritable proof, like it or not, that the 1980s are still very much with us.

Enjoy.

"Missing you" (John Waite)

Boyfriend blazer by Elizabeth & James
($395 at saks.com)

Rolled collar blouse by Cynthia Rowley
($275 at shopbop.com)Sleek jean by Rich & Skinny
($160 at ronherman.com)Daran peep-toe pump by L.A.M.B.
($335 at eluxury.com)

"Flashdance" (Jennifer Beals' best moment)

Bib-front top with bow by 3.1 Phillip Lim
(£245 at brownsfashion.com)
Pencil skirt by Teri Jon
($180 at nordstrom.com)'Wink & Whisper' seamed fishnets by Victoria's Secret
($15 at victoriassecret.com)
'Corta' patent pump by Christian Louboutin
($675 at saks.com)

"Truly Outrageous" (Jem & The Misfits)*

Fashion star earrings
($4.99 at shopintuition.com)Convertible tunic by Shelly Steffe
($144 at shopbop.com)

Lamé leggings by American Apparel
($40 at americanapparel.net)

Tri-color stiletto by Alessandro Dell'Acqua
($585 at shopbop.com)

*while running into someone in DC wearing this get-up would surely give me the giddies, the answer is a resounding no, I, myself, would not wear any of its components, save for those delicious Dell'Acquas.
**this marks my 1,750th post - I sincerely thank all of you for your continued readership and er, colorful commenting!

May-jah Friday ('80s as inspiration edition)

With all the recent contention as to how worthwhile a contribution stereotypical '80s style has made to the current fashion landscape, I thought it only appropriate to dedicate today's May-jah Friday to the ten years that, in my opinion, yielded the most indulgently enjoyable music, movies and television.

And some of the most fun albeit not so universally flattering color schemes and cuts.

Inspired by one of my favorite songs, one of my all-time favorite cinematic scenes (those shoulders!) and one of my favorite groups of gorgeous cartoon sass-kittens, here is veritable proof, like it or not, that the 1980s are still very much with us.

Enjoy.

"Missing you" (John Waite)

Boyfriend blazer by Elizabeth & James
($395 at saks.com)

Rolled collar blouse by Cynthia Rowley
($275 at shopbop.com)Sleek jean by Rich & Skinny
($160 at ronherman.com)Daran peep-toe pump by L.A.M.B.
($335 at eluxury.com)

"Flashdance" (Jennifer Beals' best moment)

Bib-front top with bow by 3.1 Phillip Lim
(£245 at brownsfashion.com)
Pencil skirt by Teri Jon
($180 at nordstrom.com)'Wink & Whisper' seamed fishnets by Victoria's Secret
($15 at victoriassecret.com)
'Corta' patent pump by Christian Louboutin
($675 at saks.com)

"Truly Outrageous" (Jem & The Misfits)*

Fashion star earrings
($4.99 at shopintuition.com)Convertible tunic by Shelly Steffe
($144 at shopbop.com)

Lamé leggings by American Apparel
($40 at americanapparel.net)

Tri-color stiletto by Alessandro Dell'Acqua
($585 at shopbop.com)

*while running into someone in DC wearing this get-up would surely give me the giddies, the answer is a resounding no, I, myself, would not wear any of its components, save for those delicious Dell'Acquas.
**this marks my 1,750th post - I sincerely thank all of you for your continued readership and er, colorful commenting!

She done grown up so quick!

It was 12 short months ago today that I planted my bum in this very chair, donned these same oversized high school sweats, popped handfuls of these identical salty Dutch licorice bits and came to the decision to pass on "Earn it First" and "It's a Privilege, not a Right" and

anoint my new DC fashion interventionist endeavor, "A Serious Job is No Excuse."

Though I've admittedly strayed more often than not from its original mission, I'm still quite pleased with the uniquely focused but not too focused niche I've carved out for ASJiNE. Not only am I pleased with how acceptant you all have been of my desire to bring celebrity shenanigans into the fold, but I'm additionally jazzed you've allowed me a forum in which I can freely wax poetic (and occasionally not so poetic) about the few loves of my life outside of - or only tangentially related to - the fashion world.

You may not agree with my super-structured, high-neckline obsession, my death-to-flats attitude or my staunch belief that bigger is actually the opposite of beautiful when it comes to backless, strapless, sleeveless or waist-less; you may think I take dog fawning to an unreasonable, unhealthy level; you may want to reach through your screen, shake me and scream, "I subscribe to your blog, not your issues, bitch!" every time I not so subtly hint at how heartbroken I still am.

Contentious views aside, at the very least I hope we can all agree on my early-stated-and-still-true belief that the adoption of the following three principles is critical for any woman at any age of any size in any setting:

1. ALWAYS dress to flatter your figure - unless you have a body like JenConn's that can wear anything well, you must approach every item of clothing with complete honesty and the willingness to accept the fact that yes, your calves are too big for ankle booties, yes your bottom-half is too pear-shaped for purple skinnies, or no, your back is not sufficiently in-shape to pull off a plunge that deep. Wearing something just because you like it is fine for a five year old but not for a grown woman.

2. Remember your audience when choosing that day's ensemble. Are you giving a briefing in your office? What about in an office that conducts itself more formally than yours? Are you lounging at home? Is there a possibility that your significant other's much more senior colleague might drop by to pick up a document? Are you attending a dinner party with mostly younger people? Mostly older people? Being 100% aware of the environment into which you will be entering is key in making a good first - and lasting - impression.

3. Wear what makes you feel most confident, not most comfortable. Unless your day is done and you're snuggled up tightly between your pup/boyfriend/husband and the fat arm of your cushy couch, feeling comfortable should never trump feeling confident. Sure, there is the sexy white t-shirt that fits your bits just right and the university-emblazoned booty shorts that make your ass look as high-and-tight as a new Marine's buzzcut, but obvious exceptions aside, there are very few wardrobe components that fall under both the "comfiest thing in my closet" and the "damn, I feel powerful" categories. Giving into one or the other exclusively will change your life -- but only the latter will do so for the better. Anyone who tells you differently is either in denial or Jeanne Bice.

I'm not sure how regularly I'll be posting in the next few days given the drop-dead deliciousness of my six-month old niece's presence in our thankfully-now-at-76-degrees home, but I think you know me well enough that if you check back once a day, you'll probably find a little something from me under the tree.

To B, C, E, K, L, L, M, R, T and the rest of the devoted ASJiNE readers who have helped make 2007 the best year of my life, please strap on your Strawberry Shortcake party hats and join me in blowing out my baby blog's first candle.

love,

J

She done grown up so quick!

It was 12 short months ago today that I planted my bum in this very chair, donned these same oversized high school sweats, popped handfuls of these identical salty Dutch licorice bits and came to the decision to pass on "Earn it First" and "It's a Privilege, not a Right" and

anoint my new DC fashion interventionist endeavor, "A Serious Job is No Excuse."

Though I've admittedly strayed more often than not from its original mission, I'm still quite pleased with the uniquely focused but not too focused niche I've carved out for ASJiNE. Not only am I pleased with how acceptant you all have been of my desire to bring celebrity shenanigans into the fold, but I'm additionally jazzed you've allowed me a forum in which I can freely wax poetic (and occasionally not so poetic) about the few loves of my life outside of - or only tangentially related to - the fashion world.

You may not agree with my super-structured, high-neckline obsession, my death-to-flats attitude or my staunch belief that bigger is actually the opposite of beautiful when it comes to backless, strapless, sleeveless or waist-less; you may think I take dog fawning to an unreasonable, unhealthy level; you may want to reach through your screen, shake me and scream, "I subscribe to your blog, not your issues, bitch!" every time I not so subtly hint at how heartbroken I still am.

Contentious views aside, at the very least I hope we can all agree on my early-stated-and-still-true belief that the adoption of the following three principles is critical for any woman at any age of any size in any setting:

1. ALWAYS dress to flatter your figure - unless you have a body like JenConn's that can wear anything well, you must approach every item of clothing with complete honesty and the willingness to accept the fact that yes, your calves are too big for ankle booties, yes your bottom-half is too pear-shaped for purple skinnies, or no, your back is not sufficiently in-shape to pull off a plunge that deep. Wearing something just because you like it is fine for a five year old but not for a grown woman.

2. Remember your audience when choosing that day's ensemble. Are you giving a briefing in your office? What about in an office that conducts itself more formally than yours? Are you lounging at home? Is there a possibility that your significant other's much more senior colleague might drop by to pick up a document? Are you attending a dinner party with mostly younger people? Mostly older people? Being 100% aware of the environment into which you will be entering is key in making a good first - and lasting - impression.

3. Wear what makes you feel most confident, not most comfortable. Unless your day is done and you're snuggled up tightly between your pup/boyfriend/husband and the fat arm of your cushy couch, feeling comfortable should never trump feeling confident. Sure, there is the sexy white t-shirt that fits your bits just right and the university-emblazoned booty shorts that make your ass look as high-and-tight as a new Marine's buzzcut, but obvious exceptions aside, there are very few wardrobe components that fall under both the "comfiest thing in my closet" and the "damn, I feel powerful" categories. Giving into one or the other exclusively will change your life -- but only the latter will do so for the better. Anyone who tells you differently is either in denial or Jeanne Bice.

I'm not sure how regularly I'll be posting in the next few days given the drop-dead deliciousness of my six-month old niece's presence in our thankfully-now-at-76-degrees home, but I think you know me well enough that if you check back once a day, you'll probably find a little something from me under the tree.

To B, C, E, K, L, L, M, R, T and the rest of the devoted ASJiNE readers who have helped make 2007 the best year of my life, please strap on your Strawberry Shortcake party hats and join me in blowing out my baby blog's first candle.

love,

J

A may-jahly May-jah Friday

In lieu of my usual Friday feature, I decided today - in honor of this, my 1,500th post - to take you on a 12-stop guided tour down memory lane.

In no particular order, below you'll find the 12* posts I consider to be the best ambassadors for spreading the message(s) of what ASJiNE is all about.

My National Honor Society, if you will.

Enjoy.

- I read this post to remind myself of the anticipation, the romance and the glee of Manhattan memories past.

- Ask any of my friends where I meet most of the men I date, and without hesitation they'll tell you, "on the street." Thus far, one has left me permanently heartbroken while the rest have left me confounded as to why I even stop to take off my headphones anymore. I hope the encounter I described in this post led to a more successful relationship.

- Whenever I start to think, "Georgetown isn't that bad," I hearken back to the day I wrote this post and recalibrate accordingly.

- The post to which I will refer my Mother when the inevitable "You spent how much on those boots?" line of questioning comes up over Thanksgiving dinner.

-Though resoundingly endorsed by the subject herself, this post still doesn't adequately capture the white-buffalo rarity of my friend K's perfect breasts.

- I was so proud when I published this post, because the idea behind it had been brewing in abstract form in the back of my mind for years; even more impressive was that I was able to get it all down in a lunch hour with room to run to and from Cosi for my favorite make-your-own salad.

- This was one of the few posts that had no premeditated beginning, middle and end -- I wrote it completely by instinct and ended up learning a lot about from where my sense of style came during its construction.

- I audibly sigh the title of this post every time I see a photograph of her.

- Now that a few months have passed, I feel comfortable in admitting to you all that what went down in this post *totally* turned me on.

- Whenever someone hurls the "style/fashion/clothes/appearance aren't important" barb at me, I think of these posts, smile to myself, and walk away confident I know something they probably never will.

- Out of a personal attack was borne my favorite post of them all.

*I tried to stick to 10 but just couldn't - my apologies if your lunch hour runs an extra few minutes today

A may-jahly May-jah Friday

In lieu of my usual Friday feature, I decided today - in honor of this, my 1,500th post - to take you on a 12-stop guided tour down memory lane.

In no particular order, below you'll find the 12* posts I consider to be the best ambassadors for spreading the message(s) of what ASJiNE is all about.

My National Honor Society, if you will.

Enjoy.

- I read this post to remind myself of the anticipation, the romance and the glee of Manhattan memories past.

- Ask any of my friends where I meet most of the men I date, and without hesitation they'll tell you, "on the street." Thus far, one has left me permanently heartbroken while the rest have left me confounded as to why I even stop to take off my headphones anymore. I hope the encounter I described in this post led to a more successful relationship.

- Whenever I start to think, "Georgetown isn't that bad," I hearken back to the day I wrote this post and recalibrate accordingly.

- The post to which I will refer my Mother when the inevitable "You spent how much on those boots?" line of questioning comes up over Thanksgiving dinner.

-Though resoundingly endorsed by the subject herself, this post still doesn't adequately capture the white-buffalo rarity of my friend K's perfect breasts.

- I was so proud when I published this post, because the idea behind it had been brewing in abstract form in the back of my mind for years; even more impressive was that I was able to get it all down in a lunch hour with room to run to and from Cosi for my favorite make-your-own salad.

- This was one of the few posts that had no premeditated beginning, middle and end -- I wrote it completely by instinct and ended up learning a lot about from where my sense of style came during its construction.

- I audibly sigh the title of this post every time I see a photograph of her.

- Now that a few months have passed, I feel comfortable in admitting to you all that what went down in this post *totally* turned me on.

- Whenever someone hurls the "style/fashion/clothes/appearance aren't important" barb at me, I think of these posts, smile to myself, and walk away confident I know something they probably never will.

- Out of a personal attack was borne my favorite post of them all.

*I tried to stick to 10 but just couldn't - my apologies if your lunch hour runs an extra few minutes today