Maxi skirts and dresses are a summer staple and not something I normally wear in the colder months, but the other week the temperatures rose and we had a few days of delightfully warm weather here in Los Angeles. Suddenly my black maxi dress, which had been in winter hiding, felt like the just the right thing to wear. I thought it might look good with my biker jacket, and it did. I wore this outfit about three days in a row, and felt like one of the cool girls the whole time. Continue Reading →
Tag Archives | Maxi Dress
Evening at the Bonaventure
The Bonaventure hotel is one of LA’s most iconic buildings. Its been used as a location for dozens of movies many of which are proudly mentioned on plaques placed around the hotel. When it was built in 1976 it was the tallest building in downtown Los Angeles, but now it’s dwarfed by a number of skyscrapers. Over thirty years later the futuristic architecture is still very cool, and the elevators are as fast as an amusement ride, only with a better view.
No, I’m not the view. My husband took these photos as we made our way to the famous rotating bar on the top floor. Over my shoulder you can see the lights of the city. The glass elevators start in the lobby and then shoot up past the ceiling to fly along the exterior of the building.
Wait, did I just say ROTATING rooftop bar? Why yes I did. If you didn’t see enough from the elevator head to the top floor, order yourself a drink, and take in a 360 degree view of the City of Angels. When I was young my parents would take me to the Bonaventure to ride the elevators. Later I’d order a Shirley Temple and watch as the world slowly spun around me. Now I order a Cosmopolitan instead.
The Bonaventure simply oozes 70′s glamour. At the time it must have been the hight of modern cool. Now it’s slightly faded and rather dated but it’s still a lot of fun. I couldn’t help but want to dress up in 1970′s inspired evening apparel including a swirl print strapless maxi dress, short fur coat and mile-high orange platforms.
Wearing:
- Maxi dress – Veronica M
- Short fur coat – Gallery purchased at Nordstrom
- Snake bracelet – Gilt.com
- Platform sandals – Charles Jordan
Like the look? I picked out some similar items on Lyst. You can see some of the items below. Please let me know what you think!
$168
$39 $25
$225
$48
$170
$200
$288
$695 $209
Are you familiar with the Bonaventure hotel? Any stories you’d like to tell? What do you think of the glam 70′s look? Would you wear it yourself?
How to look chic during a fall heatwave
If you read any fashion blogs written by denizens of the South-Western states you’ll know that “how to wear fall-inspired clothing in an area where fall weather is more like summer weather” has been a popular topic of late. It’s prudent in a warm climate like the one we enjoy here in Los Angeles to never remove ALL your summer clothing from one’s wardrobe in the autumn months. My closet is miniscule, so I have to change things around from season to season, but I always leave in a few warm weather pieces that look like they might belong in autumn. This maxi dress is a great example of the sort of thing that’s good to have tucked away for when the weather warms up, and oh has it ever! It’s mid-October and it’s been in the 90′s all week. As I write this it’s slowing creeping up to 100 degrees farenheit outside.
I wore this outfit for an afternoon barbecue party in my mother-in-law’s back yard. It was a glorious warm day, but I added a little scarf around my neck and wore my brown kitten heel sling-back sandals to add a bit of fall flair. In the evening it started to cool down so I threw a big red shawl over the ensemble.
Tips for looking great during a fall heat wave
Be forewarned. If you live in an area where the autumn months are warm, keep your eyes open in the spring and summer for lightweight dresses and separates in colors and prints that will take you through fall. This spring the “tribal” trend was hot, and it would look just as good in October as it did in March.
Be prepared. Even if you like to update your closet every season the way I do, always leave a few lightweight dresses in the mix so you don’t swelter on days the thermometer goes through the roof. Back in June I wore this maxi dress for the post “My Favorite Things” , but the colors work in autumn as well.
Consider non-traditional options. Don’t despair if you have nothing to wear and all you can find at the stores are coats and fur vests. Consider picking up some knit camisoles in fall colors, or even check out the nightgown area for cute, lightweight, knit “dresses” in this season’s colors that can be worn right now. (My “Missoni for Target” nightgown has been one of my “go to” dresses this week. It’s lightweight and the colors are perfect for fall.) Although I find them to be a tad picked over at this point, you can always try shopping the sales to see what you find.
Accessorize for fall. It might be too hot to wear tweed, leather and fur on your body, but you can indulge in the colors and textures of autumn with your accessories. A brown leather purse thrown over your shoulder will make you feel like it’s October not July. Wear sandals in the colors of falling leaves. Tie a chiffon scarf around your neck for a bit of the layered look. Choose jewelry with smokey stones and dark metal.
Update your nails. Try one of the fun new fall colors for your nail polish. Taupe was all the rage last year but it still looks unusual in an elegant way. Dark orange, deep red, dark blue or green all say “I’ve fallen for fall!” Since I’m still wearing sandals pretty much everyday I treat my feet as nicely as I do my hands, scrubbing them with a pumice in every shower and keeping my pedicure fresh with a new coat of polish every few days. Sonia Kashuk makes a collection of long wearing nail polish in trendy colors. Check out her new fall collection including this fun blue “taunting teal” and dark red “Stop Whining”.
Wear minimal makeup. When it’s too hot for foundation wear a nice tinted moisturizer instead, with SPF of course! (I love Neutrogena’s Ageless Intensives® Tone Correcting Daily Moisturizer SPF 30.) Dab a little concealer under your eyes, define your eyes with some waterproof mascara (I like Maybelline’s The Colossal Volume Express waterproof mascara.) brush on a peachy blush, and set it all with a bit of powder. For a very soft look finish with a dark pink gloss, or add some drama with a red or berry color lipstick.
Seek out air-conditioned buildings. When I was little my mother’s favorite heat-wave activity was a matinée and any movie theatre. When I was a teenager I would head to one of the many indoor malls for some window shopping during the hottest time of the day. Now I’ll often spend time at the library looking through books in the cool, air-conditioned environment. Be sure to pack a pashmina in your purse to wrap around you if it gets too cold!
This maxi dress works equally well in spring or fall
An embellished scarf makes me feel like I’ve done a bit of fall layering.
Dark green and bronze earrings add a touch of autumn
I always carry a pashmina to wrap around me if the evening is cool or the AC is overwhelming.
- Pashmina – a gift
- Earrings – Target
- Sunnies – Fendi
- Dress – Hale Bob
- Sheer off-white scarf – Nordstroms
- Purse – Thrifted
- Bracelets – Power Band (They’re supposed to reduce stress and improve energy.)
- Sandals – Nine West
What do you wear in a heat-wave? Do you have any tips I didn’t mention?
My Favorite Things: Maxi Dress and a Denim Jacket
Here I am back at my parent’s house modeling my favorite, actually my only, maxi dress. I purchased it a few years ago to wear to a party. Not only was it a hit at the event, it’s still one of the most exciting dresses in my closet, and gets taken out whenever I want something a little splashy.
There’s this street in the nearby city of Artesia full of fabulous Indian restaurants, stores selling beautiful Sari, and jewelry boutiques. The area is called “Little India” and the most wonderful things can be found there. I went there years ago with some friends and found this necklace. It was on display amid a number of beautiful gold necklace and earring sets, but I fell in love with the interlocking rings and tiny flower shapes in this silver one. It’s very heavy. For a long time I didn’t wear it often because it felt like “too much”, but now that big “statement” necklaces are all the rage this feels remarkably delicate.
This dress felt very long when I purchased it back in 2007, but now it looks a bit too short. Maxi dresses are really maxi now! I’ve seen them trailing on the ground behind their wearers. As for the jacket, it’s new and so has “the correct” shape of the moment. I still have a denim jacket from the late 90′s in my closet and it looks too wide and and falls at “the wrong” spot.
I found the purse at the local “Out of the Closet”. I can’t imagine why anyone would part with it. It’s so much fun! But someone decided they didn’t want it anymore. I wonder why.
Isn’t if interesting how changes in fashion can change your perception of things you’ve worn and loved for years?
Glasses – Fendi
Earrings – made by yours truly!
Denim Jacket – Tommy Hilfiger
Dress – Kale Bol
Necklace – unknown make, purchased in “Little India” years ago
Purse – unknown make, thrifted
Sandals – Cole Hann
Do you have anything in your closet that you’ve owned for years and still looks current? How about a piece that looked “wrong” for years but now looks “right”? Have you fallen out of love of anything when it stopped being fashionable, or are you loyal to your favorite pieces?
