how to wear skinny cargos

{barneys.com}

I'm still looking for styling ideas to help me get more use out of my army green skinny cargos ...

Barney's has a style guide on their website called 11 Ways To Cargo that shows dressy and casual styling ideas. I noticed lots of tucked-in button-ups and lace-up flats, but I preferred the looks with contrast like pairing with a lace top and ankle boots or a sequin cardigan and black heels...

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work pants for fall

{crisply pleated trousers}

I am on the hunt for some new work pants for Fall and I love all of these interesting new styles that stray from the boring ole suit pant that re-appears every year (you know the lined wool pants that I'm referring to...). These have interesting details like high-waists, pleats, tapered ankles, paperbag waists, and cropped lengths.

And it seems that they would all look amazing with another favorite Fall trend...ankle boots!

All of these are available at anthropologie.com.

{after five trousers}

{paperbag crops}

{seamed & slouched crops}

found my camel coat!

{michael michael kors double-breasted overcoat}

Of course Michael Kors would have lots of camel for fall! Why didn't I think of it before? According to Michael's style guide, Fall 2010 is all about cashmere, camel, and fur...

I found my lovely new camel coat at the Michael Kors store...and it's exactly what I've been looking for! It's not super edgy, but it is a classic that I will keep in my closet forever. It's a dark camel (the picture really does not do it justice) in a double-breasted trench style with shiny gold buttons and a thick waist belt. It will be great for day or night and I see myself wearing this everyday...

I think this coat might only be available at Michael Kors stores because I haven't been able to find it anywhere else online...

{j.crew wool cashmere icon trench}

Thanks to Tippy for this gorgeous cashmere camel trench find at J.Crew...definitely another great option...

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discount on ugg boots for fall...and knowing when to wear them

{whooga short grey sheepskin}

Everyone loves to hate ugg boots, but if you have ever lived anywhere with bitterly cold temps then you have to admit that they are the absolute greatest invention ever! They might not look super fashionable, but they are basically like wearing clouds of softness and warmth on your feet.

Whooga offered me a pair of boots to try out and I chose these fabulously cozy short sheepskins in a lovely shade of grey that I have already been snuggling my feet into on these cool Northern Cali nights. If you're a little tired of the "UGG Australia brand" and want to find a more budget-friendly option for warming your winter feet, Whooga let me know that they are a real Australian company who uses real Australian merino fleece for creating authentic ugg style boots in the traditional design. You can read more about the superior ability of their sheepskin on their website...

Even though I'm one of those who have loudly proclaimed myself as an ugg-hater in the past, after living in New York for four years I'm willing to admit right here that yes, I do wear uggs. If you live in a city with a winter season and you don't own a pair of uggs then you are seriously crazy!

The secret to staying fashionable and enjoying the ridiculous comfort of uggs is knowing when to wear them and when not to. Use them in the way that they are intended...to treat your to feet to warmth and comfort!

Tips for wearing your uggs:
Wear them on your commute, but put your beautiful uncomfortable heels on when you get to work. Wear them with your sweats and your fleece hoody for walking the dog, picking up your take-out, hanging around the house, or heading home from a workout.

Whooga is nice enough to offer a special discount of 10% off to all Hello Kelli readers! Use the discount code 325KELL when you make your purchase online...it will be available for the next two weeks.

Thanks Whooga!

dreaming about handbags...

...proenza schouler PS1 leather satchel ...alexander mcqueen knuckle duster clutch
...chloe marcie bag

{images: net-a-porter.com}

fashion trend vocab... descriptive or annoying?

What are your favorite trendy fashion terms that are just way overused but somehow you find yourself still using? Do you love them or hate them??

I even annoy myself when I write a post and use these terms that don't always describe exactly what I want to say, but I know that some designer or blogger has already coined the term and it's gone viral and everyone will know what I'm talking about. If you looked any of these words up in the dictionary the actual definition would have nothing to do with the fashion trend they are currently associated with. And if you looked up the original fashion trend, you might find that it has nothing to do with what it has evolved into. The more the word is used, the more the meaning is stretched and the less descriptive it becomes.

Are those jeans "loose fitting, destroyed, worn in, rolled up, roomy in the thighs, skinny at the ankle, cropped, with an oversized waist"? Or are they just "boyfriend"?

I want to call myself out right now and admit that I really hate these words because they're used too much and become less and less descriptive with each use, but I will continue to use them because we've gotta describe trends somehow, right??

annoying fashion trend vocab:

• boyfriend
• slouchy
• skinny
• gladiator
• military
• boot-cut
• high-waisted
  

Boyfriend and slouchy are my big ones...I feel like I use them in every post and read them in every fashion magazine. Will the last couple years be described as boyfriend, slouchy, and skinny??? Maybe I need to be more original...

everything i know about japanese digital perm

I have gotten so many questions about my digital perm that I've decided to do another post to try to offer interested perm enthusiasts some more info. Please post any more questions you have that I might not have answered and let me know if you have any Japanese salon recommendations in the U.S.!

I don't know why this type of perm isn't being done everywhere, but unfortunately it's not, which means that it's still pretty difficult to find a salon that offers this service...

Q: Can I wear my hair straight after I get a digital perm?

A: Yes, definitely! If you want your hair straight, really all you have to do is brush it. The curls are so loose and bouncy that they can easily be brushed out to straighten them. If you want super straight hair, just use a flat iron and your hair will be straight until you wash it again.

Speaking of brushing, I actually don't own a brush anymore since I only wear my hair in loose curls. I use a good strong conditioner, finger comb it when I first get out of the shower, and then no more brushing because they will pull the curls out...I actually love it!

Q: Where did you get your digital perm done in Japan?

A: I had my first digital perm ever in Harajuku in Tokyo at Anny Hair, although I'm sure that most salons on the same street will have talented stylists who know all about the digital perm. I recommend flipping through their many magazines to pick out an image that shows exactly the level of "curliness" that you want in your hair since the digital perm will be designed specifically for your style. The stylists I worked with at Anny Hair is no longer there, but I still recommend it!

Q: Where can I get a digital perm in the U.S.?

A: In New York, I used to go to Tany at Kiwa Salon (234 W. 27th St, 212.620.3846)

In San Francisco I go to Mr Kudo at Arty Salon (1680 Post St, 2nd Flr, 415.931.4405)

If you don't live near NY or SF you should find a Japanese or Korean hair salon in your area and call to ask them if they do digital perms. If they don't, they might have another similar perm service that works well on Asian hair that could have a similar look...

{Mr. Kudo and his assistant at Arty Salon}

Q: What type of hair does a digital perm work on? Does it only work on Japanese hair?

A: I asked Mr. Kudo at Arty about this and he said that he has tried the digital perm on a caucasian client and wasn't able to get the perm to work. According to Mr. Kudo, the digital perm was invented by performing experiments specifically on Japanese hair and the entire process was designed around this. I am half-Japanese and Mr. Kudo had some difficulty on my first visit because he had to adjust the design of my perm to work on my type of hair. You will notice that analysis of your hair is a very important part of getting the digital perm.

So the bad news is that unfortunately I haven't heard of any salons being able to master the digital perm on non-Asian hair...but hopefully there are some experiments in the works...

Q: How do you style loose curls and what products do you use?

A: Every girl with a digital perm probably has mastered her own special technique for getting her curls to look perfect. Here is my daily method that I learned from Tany in New York:

• When hair is wet, apply some sort of anti-frizz serum and finger comb through hair. I use Kerastase Oleo-Relax. Like I mentioned before, I don't actually use a brush or comb because I think it pulls out the curls.

• Separate the hair into about 5-6 sections and twist using your fingers (in that ditzy schoolgirl kind of way...)

• For a naturally curly wavy look, I just apply a curl enhancing gel and let it air dry. I don't really have a favorite curl gel yet (give me recs if you have any!), but right now I'm using Garnier Fructise Curl Shaping Spray Gel and it seems to be doing the trick without being too sticky or stiff. I found a list on Elle.com of the Best Products for Curly Hair, so I will probably try some of those next.

• For a loose bouncy curls look (I call it my "Hills hair" because I feel like those girls always have professionally curled bouncy hair at all hours of the day) I blow dry the twisted sections. Start by drying the roots of your hair for just a few minutes and then blow each section dry while constantly twisting the hair around your fingers to keep the curled shape. I also twist the hair and then cup it in my hand (like a squished spring) and blow dry that way for awhile. Try to keep twisting the hair to keep it curled while also separating the sections a little to dry all the hairs in the section.

• To finish off the bouncy curls I use Nigelle Contrastmove Wax, but any fiber wax will work. If you haven't used a fiber wax before it's more like clay than regular hair wax and it's not greasy. Rub the wax on your fingers and then use it to shape the curls, especially the ends.
  

Q: How long does the perm last?

A: I get a perm probably about twice a year, but I think the hair stylists recommend that you come in every 4 months. The perm is fairly pricey ($150-$250) and takes a good chunk of time (3-4 hrs), which is why I stretch it to 5-6 months. Even though the perm starts to straighten a little after awhile, I would say that it never really goes away like the old perms did. The reason I end up going back to get a new perm is more because my hair has grown out than because my hair is straight again. But if you get sick of the wavy hair, you can always just brush it out and it will be straight.

Q: What if I don't want a layered haircut?

A: Then you shouldn't get a digital perm. The stylists who perform the digital perm treatments consider the specific haircut that is paired with the perm as a very important part of the process. If you don't want your hair greatly thinned out and layered, then you probably want to talk to the stylist about getting a different type of perm. I was very nervous about the massive amount of thinning the first time (I am used to having tons of hair and suddenly my ponytail was super skinny!) but it works perfectly with the curls and ensures that you don't get an 80's style frizz puff ball triangle head.

Any more questions?? Let me know...

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