You're so transparent.

I love being naked. I may masquerade as a clotheshorse by day, but if I’m lounging around in the privacy of my apartment, I can’t get out of my clothes fast enough. I’m not a cavewoman - I’ll throw on a robe or a pair of booty shorts out of respect for a roommate who may not be as into my body as I am - but when I live alone, there’s a good chance I’ll eat, sleep, crack my knuckles, read and re-read Harry Potter, check myself out in Photo Booth, practice my Beyoncé booty shake and do all of my other embarrassing secret behaviors in the buff. Going au natural makes me feel more in touch with my body and holds me accountable to not, you know, eating entire jars of rainbow chip frosting in one sitting (don’t judge. These things happen, y’all). Nudity can also provide a devilish confidence boost for those sure-to-be-awkward phone calls (I once nailed a job interview wearing only a watch).

It may come as no surprise, then, that when law or common decency require me to be clothed, I tend to gravitate toward body-skimming styles that hug my so-called curves. I have the kind of proportions – little waist, long legs, childbearing hips – that sound great in theory, but don’t take to clothes nearly as well as they do to hypothetical male fantasies. Loose-fitting, androgynous styles do me no favors. The more I conceal, the bigger I look. As such, this whole sheer moment that's happening right now is particular exciting for me: I get to wear the high necks and the loose, blouse-y shapes that would otherwise send me on a one-way trip to Frumpsville without concealing the shapely silhouette that lies beneath (yep, I love me). But as I rifled through my sheer-shoaled wardrobe, I couldn't help but wonder: how does one bring spring and summer's floaty fabrics into fall?







This Alexander Wang chiffon sweatshirt is DY. NA. MITE. The daring can wear it over an art deco bra à la the above photo, but a bodysuit or ribbed undershirt is a swell full-coverage alternative for the wallflowers/professionals/people who occasionally eat entire jars of rainbow chip frosting in one sitting. If you choose to go the exposed tummy route, you'd better love yours, and you'd better be pretty damn sure everyone else is going to love it, too. I've also seen knockoffs at Urban and Topshop with mesh or chiffon insets on the sleeves instead of the torso, eliminating the question of whether or not to reveal the inner workings of your gastrointestinal system to the world.

Regardless, you'll want to minimize the gap between your hemlines. Opt for a high-waisted skirt, perfectly fitted jeans (muffin tops need not apply), languid cargo pants or - whaddya know! - leather shorts. I also recommend balancing the peekaboo sex appeal of a sheer inset with a pair of flat boots or chunky platforms.

This is the part where most bloggers would make a crack about this look being "sheer brilliance." But I'll save you the forehead slap and the drum solo. You need that energy for shopping.

La Parisienne.

I love everything French. (Okay, not French dressing. I’m actually morally opposed to salad dressing. Don’t get me started.) I took five years of Spanish in middle and high school after being told it would be more useful in the "real world" (attention to all those with aspirations in a fashion-related industry: this is a lie), but I’m one-eighth French and exceedingly proud of it. When it comes to design, food and general worldview (okay, maybe not military tactics), there’s no denying that the French know best.

No surprise, then, that I spritzed on my YSL Parisienne perfume this morning and left my apartment feeling decidedly fierce.





If I'm going out, I usually strap on a cute balconette bra under this dress and embrace the cleavage buffet approach. For work, I layered it over a lace tank to make the ensemble a tad more office-appropes. Even Condé Nast has its limits.



If you're into this look, you would die over Paris-based Denni Elias's blog, Chicmuse. She's all about the legs, lips and massive platforms (and even heart-shaped sunglasses in her latest post). Her charming, quirky style is one of my favorite pools to dip into when I need a little style inspiration. Or workout inspiration. Those legs. No homo.

Tank: Kimchi Blue.
Dress: Kimchi Blue.
Shoes: BCBGirls.
Sunglasses: H&M.
Bracelet: Gifted.
Ring: Inherited.

Floral terrace.

Just as I was emotionally preparing myself for a summer of awkward lurking in Bryant Park, it dawned on me. I have a balcony. Well, a fire escape. I've always had a thing for fire escapes. They're this magical fusion between two of my favorite things: cities and being outside. So suck it, haters. It's a balcony. This girl's got a room with a view.

Today was a day for gray-on-gray and floral hipster glasses.







It took a while for the fashion industry to sell me on sweats as a fashion statement, but it happened. Much like how I'm now slowly but surely developing an affinity for clogs (blame it on Miu Miu). These H&M high-waisted jersey harem pants were the straw that broke this camel's back.



The white, yellow and rose gold bracelet in the middle is my all-time fave. Delicate and feminine, yet subtly unexpected.



Bodysuit: Forever 21.
Pants: H&M.
Shoes: Deena & Ozzy.
Glasses: Street vendor in East Village.
Watch: Casio.
Earrings, rings and bracelets: Gifted or inherited.

Highlight 'er.

After doing some serious thinking (and I mean serious. I am well aware that I possess neither a model-thin body nor an impressive designer wardrobe), I've decided to try my hand at outfit posts. As fun as it is to talk about fashion, sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words, and there's no way to illustrate your style without...you know...an illustration. I'm sure I'll chicken out in a week and be all NOPE, NOT CUT OUT FOR THIS. But until that day, feel free to judge me.

So it turns out it's really hard to subtly take pictures of yourself in Bryant Park. I kept at it for about a half hour before putting my tail between my legs and scampering home to Queens. I failed to get a quality full-body shot because in all my sneakiness and inexpertise passersby kept wandering into the frame, but since the high temp in New York City today was 102 (really too hot for anything other than a simple skirt and t-shirt), I was all about the accessories anyway.







This t-shirt looks yellow in these photos, but it's really more of a chartreuse-y green. It's ridiculously soft. I'm stockpiling $5 Forever 21 tees and tanks, because I wear through my nice ones in a hot second anyway (not trynna put sweat stains on no Alexander Wang). Buy them small, because they lose their shape fairly quickly.



Note the aforeplugged gray nail polish. Also, I've taken to wearing a tangle of mixed-metal chains on my watch hand so that I can wear my old school Casio (obsesh) with gold or silver accessories.



My tattoo (on the inside of my left wrist) says "this is it." It's not a Michael Jackson homage, just a reminder to be present in every moment of my life. I liked that it was three small words that only had meaning because I gave it to them. It's in my handwriting.



This guitar pick ring is one of my favorites. My mom got it for me in Italy.





I love, love, love these crazy boots. There was one pair in Urban Outfitters (a return) and it was my size. I had to have them. The wedge makes them relatively easy to walk in (I once hauled ass from Times Square to SoHo in these babies), and the bandage detailing adds a little edge to what could be a deeply uninteresting nude shoe.





Yeah, that last one was just my lunch. But it was exceptionally delicious.

T-shirt: Forever 21.
Skirt: Forever 21 (you can't really see the detailing, but it has understated ruffle gathering and a zipper across the front and actually fits beautifully. A rare F21 win).
Purse: Zara.
Shoes: Deena & Ozzy.
Sunglasses: Lou Lou boutique in Middleburg, VA.
Earrings: Forever 21 (this is hilarious. I usually hate this store).
Watch: Casio.
Necklace, chains and rings: Inherited.

New at Urban! Or, Fashion Week for the broke.

As amusing as it is to click through endless runway slideshows on Style.com, and as tantalizing as it is to live vicariously through personal style bloggers and their insane designer wardrobes, and as thrilling as it is to know that streams of fancy fashionistas have descended on Bryant Park Lincoln Center (I will never get over this) for Fashion Week...sometimes a girl needs a fix that's a bit closer to her own reality.

The Urban Outfitters spring catalog has arrived. Talk about catharsis. So much has been written on the subject of seasonal depression that I'm hesitant to add generic fuel to the fire, but having spent three months feeling chubby, pasty, and depressed, I'm thrilled to welcome airy sundresses - or at least trenches and open-toed shoes - back into my sartorial psyche.





I saw these two dresses and instantly knew I had to have them. My back is my favorite part of my body, so rear cutouts, scoops and detailing have become a mainstay of my personal style (see here and here). I've been waiting to debut them once the weather gets a bit more cooperative/my body deflates from three months of hibernation, but just knowing that they're hanging in my closet makes life - wait for it - a little sunnier.



Boyfriend khakis have catapulted to the top of my spring shopping list. I'll probably try my luck at Village Discount with somebody's real boyfriend's cast-offs first, but the slim cut and lack of baggy crotch on these has me sorely tempted.





Stripes. They somehow manage to be classic and quirky all at once. It's the combination of a gamine print in a feminine cut that makes these two cardigans so appealing.





High-waisted skirts are timelessly pretty and flattering for all body types. And for the tomboys among us:



Flirty shorts present an alternative perfect for sprinting down the beach. Love the vintage-inspired clutch, too!



This is what I imagine Carrie Bradshaw wears to bed.



A camera case that isn't masculine, utilitarian, or both?! You could probably fit your lip gloss, license, and keys in there, too.





Much like this season's clothes, this season's bags are slouchy and neutral. Soft leather, linen, and canvas reign supreme.

And every girl needs:



A French terry pullover.





A breezy white camisole.



And a fabulous khaki trench to wear year after year.

Season's greetings!

Baby got back.

So who else thinks backs are, like, outrageously sexy? Having a perfectly toned rear view has become one of my new life goals (she wrote, polishing off a chicken fajita), up there with running a marathon and joining the mile high club.



I'm really into the peekaboo sex appeal of this Silence & Noise dress. What's more, I trekked over to Urban to try it on this afternoon and the material is thick enough to go braless (at least if you're a C cup or below; my apologies to the more curvaceous ladies, I have felt your pain and it scared me onto a treadmill). I'm all for visible bra straps, generally speaking, but they would ruin this. Even Carrie Bradshaw would agree. Any item of clothing that lets me show off my lats but not my high beams is a winner in my book.

Quizically yours.

I skimp when buying:
...Tights? Let's be real here, I'm not much of a skimper.

I splurge when buying:
Underwear, perfume, make-up, high heels. Any clothing item I can justify to myself. So everything, really.

I always break this fashion rule:
Wearing black and brown together. Wearing black and navy together.

I never break this fashion rule:
Wearing a Canadian tuxedo that matches my significant other's.



Must-have item for Summer 2009:
Metallic gladiators, navy men's blazer, multi-chain necklace, tons of v-neck t-shirts. Jersey dresses in every color of the rainbow.

Favorite store:
H&M. Urban. American Apparel. Any boutique or vintage shop.

Style icon:
Carrie Bradshaw (not to be confused with Sarah Jessica Parker).

Most cherished accessory:
Gold necklace with tiny sun charm, cubic zirconium stud earrings, emerald and citrine cocktail rings - all courtesy of my late and terrifically elegant French grandmother, Jeannette Cavalier.

Favorite item of clothing:
Red Keds, watercolor Matty M top with braided neckline, any of my 1950s prom dresses from eBay.

Favorite "fashion-y" movie:
The Devil Wears Prada.

Guilty pleasure:
Black high-waisted skirts. I own at least four.

Describe your personal style:
Girly and eclectic.

I feel best wearing...
A day dress with platform heels.

Personal style quirk:
Wearing a broken watch.

Most overrated item:
Crocs. I don't care how comfortable they are: you look like a dumbass.

Most underrated item:
A great skin-colored torture thong.

Most stylish city:
Paris.

When I was high school I wore...
Freshman year: Pretty minis, my cropped jean jacket and a side ponytail with a hair ribbon.
Sophomore year: Lots of sparkly clothes that were in retrospect entirely inappropriate for daytime.
Junior year: Victorian tops. Preppy classics. Cowboy boots.
Senior year: Vintage dresses with black footless tights and ballet flats.

Shine your own shoes?
Never. But I've colored scuffed toes with a Sharpie.

Favorite fashion magazine:
Harper's Bazaar and Elle.

Perfume:
Betsey Johnson for spring and summer, Tocca "Stella" for fall, and Lolita Lempicka "L de Lolita Lempicka" for winter. All of which are composed of some combination of orange and musk/praline/vanilla. At least I'm consistent.

I always dress my best for...
Whenever I know that cameras will be present.

April showers bring May flowers...

...So here's a little wish list to get us through monsoon season.



I bought one of these bubble umbrellas from Urb's last year and rattled on and on about how precious it was - until the Chicago wind tore a nice, neat rip in it the very first time I took it out. LAME. Despite the fact that this parasol is better suited to misty garden strolls than gale-force gusts, the seafoam color is springy and inviting, yet neutral enough to complement any outfit.



Also topping my spring wish list: this princess trench from Kenneth Cole Reaction. Only $99 on Bluefly.com, it brings a feminine (yet not overwhelming) touch to a rainy-day classic.



And what wet-weather ensemble would be complete without a pair of Hunter wellies? Cut slim enough to flatter but roomy enough to house a foot clad in your standard ballet flat or sneaker, a pair of rain boots is a beautiful alternative to soggy toes and tired mukluks. No better place to experiment with color than in the item of clothing more likely to see April showers than clash with May flowers - the boots are available in everything from hunter green to sunny yellow, but this red strikes the perfect balance between punch and panache.