LE CATCH

Over the weekend at my niece's 4th birthday party I spent some time hanging out with a childhood friend of mine Lulu de Kwiatkowski. You may be familiar with her vividly colorful, nature-inspired line of fabrics called Lulu DK (which can be found throughout my house, like here and here). Like the textiles she designs, Lulu manages to be both natural and elegant. She barely wears a stitch of makeup. Her long blond hair is always perfectly undone. And she consistently has this opulent sun-kissed glow that looks like she's just spent a week in the Bahamas. While all those traits still captivate me every time I see her, this time it was her new watch that caught my eye. It was a Timex, of the chunky dive-style tomboyish variety with a nylon band. It was sporty. No-fuss. Old-school. Forever-chic. Unexpected. So enchantingly cool. So Lulu! (P.S. How cute is the pic above of Lulu with her twin boys in their LA home.)

Photo: Lonny Magazine

$57, forever 21

Weeks ago I lamented the break-up with my faux fur-trimmed parka. Today I am happy to report that I have found its official replacement--and I am looking forward to wearing it with...

1. Dorothy Perkins fringed sweater, $59, dorothyperkins.com
2. Made Her Think Swarovksi-encrusted knuckle ring, $150, shopbop.com
3. Forever 21 fur-trimmed parka, $57, forever21.com
4. Topshop jeans, $80, topshop.com
5. Marc by Marc Jacobs cross-body bag, $328, shopbop.com
6. Madewell suede ankle boots, $198, madewell.com

You may recall that I am new to skiing, and thus whenever I travel to the mountains I feel a bit like a foreign exchange student visiting a faraway land. Everything is so new and different: the (dry, frigid!) air, the snow-blanketed terrain, and of course the frost-defying fashion. As you might expect, in addition to learning the art of getting down the mountain alive, I spend some time studying my surroundings, surveying the customs, and scouting for women with ski fashion mastered. From the proper way to carry your skis to what to drink apres ski to how to work a Michellin-man-like-jacket, there is much to learn. Last week I was in Vail, where on some mornings it was 20 degrees below zero. I was freezing, parched and, to be honest, a bit style challenged. Fortunately, I was at least in the game since while packing for my trip, I happen to find a Vogue story on Aerin Lauder, shot in Aspen (outtake above). It inspired me to bring some key items, including a fur trapper hat, like this, along with a bevy of cute print sweaters, similar to this and this. Being in Vail with my friend Annie, a French Canadian who grew up skiing in sub-zero temperatures, also advanced my cause. She ended up loaning me a warm puffy jacket, like this, that stood up to the cold (and the chicest girls on the chairlift lines), and her uber chic and summit-worthy Alexander McQueen wool turtleneck sweater prompted me to hunt down some lookalikes like this and this. She also gave me this lip gloss to keep my lips from getting crazy chapped. I am getting there, but am still a work in progress, so if you have any insidery styling tips for the ski-life, please let me know!

Photo: Francois Harland for Vogue

$89, nine west

It's rare that I come across a shoe that is both distinctly chic and outright practical. It's a winning combination, especially with...

1. Joseph striped sweater, $465, netaporter.com
2. Camilla and Mark wool vest, $629, shoplesnouvelles.com
3. Reed Krakoff bag, $1490, forwardbyelysewalker.com
4. Nine West leopard loafers, $89, ninewest.com
5. Current Elliot jeans, $228, netaporter.com

For those of you who missed out on Stella McCartney's damask print pieces from Fall 2012 (above), this cotton sweater from Dorothy Perkins (below) can fill the gap. It's kind of hard to resist at $69!

Photo (top): Pamela Berkovic

$64, topshop

My chic friend and Glamour magazine editor Gretchen Gunlocke Fenton successfully demonstrates how to pull off head-to-toe winter white here (P.S. how amazing is her $39 Joe Fresh sweater??)--and I am thinking this skirt, with its cute moto zippers, will be a good starting point.

1. J.Crew wool turtleneck sweater, $69, jcrew.com
2. Helmut Lang shearling biker jacket, $1850, netaporter.com
3. Lanvin crossover bag, $1515, forwardbyelysewalker.com
4. Alice & Olivia snakeprint leather pumps, $295, shopbop.com
5. Topshop wool zipper-trimmed skirt, $64, topshop.com

Back to work. Back to basics--and the indispensable black blazer. It's highly employable, no matter where you are going, works overtime, and there's no easier layering piece. I swear by these from Helmut Lang, Stella McCartney, and Madewell--all of which will be forever good.

$10, old navy

Throw this little leopard print beanie hat on to look up-to-the-minute stylish and keep the dead-of-winter cold at bay.

1. Warehouse black coat, $169, warehouse.andotherbrands.com
2. Old Navy leopard print hat, $10, oldnavy.com
3. Chan Luu cashmere scarf, $120, netaporter.com
4. Super Sunglasses, $148, shopbop.com
5. Nars lipstick in Flair, $24, saksfifthavenue.com
6. Rag & Bone suede boots, $495, shopbop.com

Happy 2013 ! I am looking forward to a new and exciting (LE CATCH-filled!) year. I have several fashion and beauty aspirations for the new year, some of them high (and perhaps unattainable) goals, like honing my figure to look like the one above, and some that are very much within reach, such as finessing my wardrobe, which I thought might be of interest. For starters, I'd like to invest in more jewelry. I don't wear a lot of it, but I know a few more sparkly earrings, like these from Fallon, and a standout choker necklace, such as this, will go a long way in finishing an outfit (see below for proof). I also want to start wearing dressier statement shoes casually during the day; the juxtaposition just looks fresh and smart to me right now (like the last pic). These Givenchy heels with some distressed jeans would be ideal. I also want to wear more head-to-toe white, more head-to-toe black, and the two of them together. And just back to the picture, above, at least I can pick up a similar striped bikini (on sale for $20!) and imagine I look as hot!

$134, warehouse

Stripes dominated the spring runways, and already they're appearing every where you look. Here, they lend graphic edge to a zipper-trimmed coat that you can wear now and later.

1. Alexander Wang cotton terry sweater, $185, netaporter.com
2. J.Crew cashmere hat, $44, jcrew.com
3. Fallon classic choker, $325, shopbop.com
4. Warehouse coat, $134, warehouse.com
5. Madewell brogues, $165, madewell.com
6. Rebecca Minkoff bag, $295, shopbop.com
7. Frame jeans, $174, netaporter.com