I hope you all will forgive me for the short post today and that you can each find something of interest to read in the collection of links below.

With Halloween just a day away, now is the time to rush and find the perfect last minute costume. Spoiler alert: it's already in your closet. Take a look at these easy costume ideas and you'll be ready to DIY your way to a great look: http://bit.ly/1ajfQt0

Yesterday I came across an article about dress codes for women in academia. This blog exists because I had helped my sister revamp her wardrobe when she was starting a new job as an assistant professor and one of her female colleagues expressed the desire to have her own style consultant to navigate the tricky dress code. This article discusses the challenges that women face when dressing for a work environment that is predominantly male: http://bit.ly/1zhPuXZ

With cooler weather officially here, it is time to embrace the fashion of the new season completely. I have to admit that I was still wearing sandals yesterday and saw a few others doing the same (one was even in shorts!), but with November here it is time to put them in storage. For cold weather style inspiration, check out my Pinterest board: http://bit.ly/1yJ52kE

Today we are moving onto a new letter of the alphabet in the review of Genevieve Antoine Dariaux's book, A Guide to Elegance. An introduction to this series of posts can be found here and previous posts can be read here. The first entry in the Cs is chic. As always, these reviews are meant to compare past fashion rules to today and see if they still apply. Leave your thoughts in the comments!

This section is all about whether or not you are chic. Madame Dariaux does not give an exact definition, only examples, but hints at how you might determine if you are chic:

Although she later writes that being chic "has no relationship to beauty nor to wealth" (pg. 20), it certainly sounds like both of those greatly improve your chances of being chic. Reading this section makes me wonder if the idea of chic is too limiting for the modern woman. Busy lives mean that leisure time is high demand and for many of us, there are more profitable ways to spend it than on our external appearance. We simply cannot commit to the pursuit of impeccable outfits, hair, and makeup without missing out on time with friends, family, or hobbies. Our clothing should enhance our lives, by making us look and feel good, but our lives should not be run by our clothing.

Since Madame Dariaux's standards are high, yet vague, I can confidently say that I will never be chic in her eyes. She sees Greta Garbo and Lady Diana as examples as women who "had chic," but dismisses Rita Hayworth and Elizabeth Taylor with little discussion. In fact, the whole thing seems incredibly subjective so attempting to become chic in one social circle may be for naught if you ever decide to move locations or make new friends. 

But this is not to say that we should not make an effort to dress well. Instead I think it is more important to be thoughtful about what occasions you put your time and energy into. Attending a wedding or gala benefit is a great time to spend a bit of extra leisure time tending to your appearance so you can look elegant and sophisticated. Going to the grocery store or to watch your kid's soccer game? Not so much. Looking stylish doesn't need to be hard if you realize that different events require different amounts of effort and if you accept it is unlikely that anyone will mistake you for Greta Garbo, no matter how chic you may think you are. 

Dariaux, Genevieve Antoine. A Guide to Elegance. New York: William Morrow, 2003. Print.

When I first started this blog it felt like I was just adding another drop of water to an already full reservoir of fashion bloggers. I reasoned that if someone was going to check out a blog for style advice, they had plenty of options and there wasn’t much I could add to the conversation that wasn’t out there already in some form. However, I have learned over the past two years that many women who are interested in upping their style game are intimidated by fashion blogs. For someone who is not yet confident in their sense of style, it can be confusing to see featured outfits which, to be blunt, look rather frumpy.

A couple days ago, I came across a short post on one of the popular fashion blogs that made me do a double take. It was suggested that the perfect weekend outfit was an oversized sweatshirt, a pair of baggy pants, and unbrushed hair. The accompanying photo was of a slender woman wearing said outfit and strolling confidently down the street. She looked great and suggestions to recreate the look were all expensive, designer pieces, but all I could think was that it would be quite difficult for most women to pull off or feel confident in. One of my mom’s favorite phrases when she thinks a style is too young for her is that she doesn’t want to “look like mutton dressed up as lamb.” However, that is not necessarily the worst-case scenario. The normcore fashion movement has made traditionally frumpy looks a stylish alternative for the young and fashionable which are pretty much impossible for anyone over the age of thirty-five to wear successfully.

In fact, another post on the same site suggests leaving these fashionista pieces at home when going on a first date because they warn that most people won’t “get” the look. Unless your friends are also fashionistas, they won't be able to tell if your pants are baggy because you got the wrong size off the sale rack at Target or because you spent $350 getting a pair that was thoughtfully designed to look like you just rolled out of bed. And therein lies the danger of high fashion. For most of us, our everyday life takes us into the realm of the non-fashion elite where sweatpants worn with stilettos will not receive compliments.

So, how do you look stylish and embrace trends without accidentally veering into unflattering territory? A good option is to choose tailored pieces in bright colors or bold patterns. This allows you to add your own personality without sacrificing fit. A coral blazer, floral pencil skirt, or polka dot shirt all give a stylish twist to classic pieces. Even though cutting edge fashion may not always translate well into our everyday lives, we can still be fashionable without looking frumpy.