The Perfect Party Jeans

Those super-tight black pants (appropriately titled "bitch pants") are so out. Nowadays no one wants to be overly dressy when going out (you don't want to come across as trying too hard), and so denim is being worn all over the party circuit.

But not just any jeans will do for your night on the town. And while they don't have to be designer, there are some key elements to pulling off wearing denim after dark.

First, make sure that the top you select is denim-appropriate. This should be easy, because jeans are so versatile - what looks best in the evening are form-fitting jeans layered with a mini dress, or a sequin-studded top.

Second, as a rule, the darker the jeans, the dressier they look. Save lighter shades of denim for the daytime and wear your indigo hues (like the Diesel Rame Jeans , $78.19, or James Jeans Dark Night Denim Trousers , $82.45, featured here from Bluefly ) at night.

And third, wear your jeans with stilettos. Because no matter how casual-chic the trends may become, nothing will ever be sexier than wearing heels.

-Ali

Walking the Line right

Friday some friends and I went to see Walking the Line with Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix. The biopic was about, The Man in Black Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash. If you’ve never heard a Johnny Cash song ( how could you not have) or were even remotely interested in him, his wife, or country music, I would still encourage you to see this movie. The performances were amazing and Reese is Legally Blonde no more, she stole the show. In true PD fashion, her dresses were extraordinary.

Gap looks like it’s making a comeback

I remember being in high school and begging my grandma to take me to the Gap instead of the department stores, and countless times in the late 90’s getting those now famous $6.99 deals. I also remember when the Gap was on almost every corner in New York City and of course my years as a visual merchandiser for the store.

The Gap has had its ups and downs from falling into it to falling sales. Pina Ferlisi the current sportswear designer will soon be the former designer, but has once again brought the company back to fashionable standards that we have grown to love from the Gap. The spring line will probably be released in January or February (I will try to find the exact date). Those Gap Glory year basics are back, and jeans, which are way soft by way of the left-weave technique. (Fabric is woven from left to right). Hopefully with the so very cute holiday pieces and the new spring collections we’ll all want to “fall into” the Gap a little more.

Harper’s Bazaar and Elle 1 year, for the price of 1 issue

Thought I’d pass along a cool deal from Best Deal Magazines. Don’t know how long this will last, but for the price of 1 issue, you get a years subscription to either Harper’s or Elle.

Harper’s $4.69 (1 year)

Elle $5.95 (1 year)

-Eva

Update Your Style for $2 and some Needle and Thread

Yesterday I embarked on a project I’ve been meaning to get to for some time now - I took a blazer that fits me well, but seemed a bit bland style-wise, and gave it some edge by replacing its buttons with woven leather ones that I picked up at the local fabric store for $2.75. The new buttons give the blazer a completely different look - more unique and more, well, me.

Buttons are a little accesory that pack a lot of aesthetic power - you can transform a standard jacket or coat into a military style with rounded gold or knitted buttons, or add some ethnic flair to a blazer with buttons made of shell or horn… or even wooden toggles for a coat. All for a few dollars and half-an-hour of your time.

Just make sure they fit the button holes for the item you will sew them onto (take it along to the fabric store with you) and that you sew them on securely, in the same place where you removed the previous buttons from.

Check out As Cute as a Button for a variety of button styles (included those featured here).

-Ali