the curious case of so many buttons

i leave for italy in just a few days and i'm moving into a new place just a few days after i come back...busy month! in preparation, i am trying to pack up as much as i can this weekend. going through my stuff further proves my extreme shopping habit.

indication #1 that i have a shopping problem: i found 58 "extra" buttons in my drawer, and those are just the ones i happened to keep from the past year!!

i think it's time to head to a consignment shop and possibly hold a yard sale...and maybe a re-visit to my 12 steps in heels program soon...

what to where: italia edizione!

ciao bella!

i leave for italy in just one week from thursday, and since i haven't decided what to pack yet, much less where i am staying or what i am doing when i get over there, it was a nice surprise to find this waiting for me on my desk from my boss yesterday...

even though i can't afford most (ok, fine...any) of these items suggested by travel + leisure, i was happy to notice the suggested blazer in the piece because it looks just like one i purchased for only $34 - marked down from $88 - from gap on friday.

i also plan on bringing the khaki military-style jacket i bought at gap the same day, along with a checkered scarf, my favorite skinny pants, slouchy gray boots, purple converse, a few pairs of tights and several dresses and tops in black black black for mix-and-matching purposes, but please comment with any other suggestions on what i should pack for my 10-day trip to milan, lake como, the cinque terre, florence, sienna & rome!

clothes for bros: wedding wear

i received this question on twitter today from @myPBC (follow me @pretaporterpb) and thought i would take to the blog to answer:

"question: wedding invitation says dressy/casual ? what is that? blazer with shorts no tie? thx"

short answer...i'm usually against shorts, unless it's a beach wedding, then we can potentially re-consider! and though i love love love caddy shack, i must also steer him away from going to rodney dangerfield's character for fashion advice. great idea for a themed party, but definitely do not wear this to a wedding!

long answer..."dressy/casual" and any attire ultimately depends on the location, time of year, time of day, and the couple getting married. if the couple has a wedding web site - on theknot.com, for instance - you may want to check it out to get a feel for their theme.

it's hard for men to go wrong with j.crew...

all that being said, i think for a dressy-casual wedding it's safe to go with a pair of khakis, a collared button-down shirt and tie. a good idea is to bring a blazer with you (navy is a good, casual color that goes well with khaki), which you can opt to wear or leave in the car once you get there if it looks like it's not necessary. if it's a beach wedding like many in palm beach county, go with sandals, but if it's anywhere else, go with a pair of casual dress shoes....and guys, remember, match your shoes and belt...no black with brown!

want more ideas? check out the knot's wedding dress code cheat sheet.

12 steps in heels: step 3

think jessica mcclintock, bright orange fading into watermelon pink, rhinestones, black and white color blocks, red hair dye, big silk flowers, and pink polka dots mixed with tons of tule. ya...those would be the memories of the ghost of wellington prom's past...mine to be exact. needless to say, i liked flashy fashion, even back then.

so even though it made me feel old, i couldn't have been more excited or proud when my lovely younger cousin told me she was going prom dress shopping a few weeks ago. we searched all around the mall at wellington green and she probably tried on 50 dresses, but in the end, she went with one of the first dresses she tried on. and i had so much fun shopping with her the whole time.

all this brings me to my next step to kicking my shopping addiction...

step 3 ~ if you need to get your shopping fix, head with a friend to help her or him shop for what they need...and only what they need.

in case you're wondering, here are the two she was deciding between...which one do you think she went with?

i'll post pics of the lovely prom princess and the dress she chose soon. and if you're lucky, you might even get to see some pics of my past prom days...