STYLE
Naughty and nice
By William C. Altreuter and Catherine Berlin

We’ve made an end-of-the-year list of things that have popped, are popping, or might pop. Some are worth begging for, a few completely beyond sanity, and others likely to invite a spat with your temporary life partner. If you’ve been very good you deserve the best, and even if you haven’t been that good, you’ve probably been pretty good. Enjoy the trends, the fads, and the fashion forevers—or, at the very least, enjoy the debate.
A Brahmin Wallet
from Lord & Taylor
A Good Wallet
A great bag deserves a great wallet. They have always been a team. They don’t have to match; they just have to be lovely. This smart Brahmin is from Lord & Taylor.

CB: It shouldn’t be stuffed like a club sandwich. A slim silhouette requires at least the semblance of order.
WCA: Throw all your receipts in your Jimmy Choo shoebox at the end of the day.

False Eyelashes
They are everywhere, along with YouTube clips to show you how to put them on. Insist on natural hair.

CB: For the natural look. Even if you’re not in the Ballet Trocadero de Monte Carlo or the line-up at Club Marcella.
WCA: So not necessary, and kinda unnerving.
Bric luggage
Carry On Luggage
Next time you are at the airport, stop at Monarch. Have a look at the Dooney & Burke collection, drool over the Prada bags, and head straight to the Italian Bric luggage. Lightweight and looking like suede, the pounded cotton can handle more wear.

CB: It’s on my list.
WCA: I have a rule. If you can’t lift your carry on over your head, check it.
From Clare Tough’s 2009 Collection
Crotcheted/Embroidered Pieces
Handmade knitwear is bubbling to the surface at Fashion Weeks. For inspiration, and to avoid frumpy, proceed with caution, and first stop in quality shops, like Karma Knitting on Main Street in Williamsville.

WCA: Are we talking afghans, or little skimpy see-through pieces? I’m okay with the latter.
CB: Monitor Clare Tough. If she’s doing it, it’s a fashion do, do, and do it again.

Stacked Bracelets
and Big Hoop Earrings
M.C.L. Design Jewelry (photo by Christopher Smith, New York Times)
Very seventies gypsy and late aught’s African, as by David Yurman and ABS, and with new, thicker ethnic stylings by MCL and Alex Bittar.

CB: It’s been a great time for bracelets. Very feminine and bold. Expect to see this look reproduced on the ankle.
WCA: Just make sure your toddlers aren’t likely to poke their fists through a hoop and tug.

A Ginormous Cocktail Ring
Big baubles are just the thing for the New Depression.

WCA: Preferably inherited.
CB: When you find them at Fantasy Land in Disney World you know (1) you are in the wrong place, and (2) the fad has passed.
Kevan Hall Couture
Evening Glam Dresses
Two looks are headed our way: Greek Goddess and Old Hollywood glam. So channel your Hayworth, Garbo, Aphrodite, and Chloris and get ready for dresses that don’t really need you. To see how your fans respond to a look without spending the baby’s candy cane cash, try the formal gown rental service, If Only For One Night, at rentadresstonight.com.

CB: I love dress-up parties. There should be more.
WCA: Wait, did part of you get stuck behind at Fantasy Land, princess?

A T-Shirt Dress That You’ve Had Since You Were Twenty-Two
Faded, soft and comfortable, this is the clothing equivalent of comfort food. You should have one; nobody needs to be told that they should have something like this in the back of the bureau.

CB: As a belly shirt?
WCA: No, for washing the car, I think. But I agree that it’s sexy.

Little Black Leather Dress from NOIR
Leather Apparel
Everybody’s wardrobe should have something leather in it, and a jacket is the easiest.

WCA: If you can carry off leather jeans, you go, girl, but shop for them with someone who will be brutally honest with you.
CB: No matter how supple, leather always feels too stiff to wear and too thin for real warmth. Leather takes away more than it gives back. It takes away lightness. It takes away freedom of movement. And what does it give back?
WCA: It gives back leather. What guys like on women is skin.
CB: I’d go with a belt from Suzn O’ or a Danish NOIR dress, but enough about hides.

Wigs
Versatility and a chameleon-like ability to change your look is a big part of what fashion is going to be in the months to come.

WCA: Because sometimes you want to rob a bank? I suppose I understand the impulse, but I don’t want to run my fingers through it.
CB: Does a wig say, “whimsical and unabashed” or does it translate “crazy and self-obsessed”?

Vintage Chanel
It’s a no-brainer and hotter now than ever.

CB: Explore cmadeleines.com, riceandbeansvintage.com, or eBay), or if you are in an unChanel mood, almost anything Pucci from chelseagirl.com. Lower-cost reproduction-types at redressshoppe.com.
WCA: I said “right” first.

Pearls
Classic, and the perfect accessory with your vintage Chanel, or jeans and a sweater.

WCA: I love to see a woman in pearls. Preferably inherited.
CB: I fell for demure double strings when I saw Tea Leoni wear them in character. Then I was crestfallen to hear some fashion overlord say, “Only for youngsters!” I’ve learned to ignore stupid since then, and now I really don’t care if I look more like Barbara Bush than Leoni.

White Corduroy Pants
Soft, fine-wale corduroy fabrics are everywhere, blended with spandex or angora. But not even Tory Burch’s touch can make a white corduroy pant look inviting—or slimming.

CB: A great jacket or Italian slacks on a guy I love, or something from the Benjamin Bixby line is very hot.
WCA: Why this? Because corduroy jeans looked so great on us as undergrads?

Beret
Not just for bad hair days, hats are hot; we need hats here, and berets offer options. Urban Outfitters has a button, a popcorn, and a calyptic beret this season.

CB: Which beret are we talking about here? The stiff military kind, the slouchy octopus, or the rasta?
WCA: It’s a hat that is not a baseball cap. I have one, and I don’t look like a fool in it. Go figure.
Carley and Me Thermal Wear

Thermal Underwear
Fashionistas may snicker at the phrase, but with leggings and camis, there’s already a crossing over. Chili’s (available at Buffalo Fleece) in great colors, Belle di Notte (belladinotte.com.) as pretty as possible, and cuties like Carley and Me (carleyandme.com) have us all, well, covered.

CB: I’ve heard thermal described as the new sexy because it beats goosebumps, but once I add the matching bottoms, I feel like John-Boy’s sister and nobody can work with that.
WCA: I associate “thermal” with “missing at least one front tooth” but the Italian line is sexy. Still, not to bed, please.

Naturalizer’s Women’s Boot
Work Boots
Doc Martens, or chick it with Fryes or Timberland Nubucks. For street play, the faux patent Naturalizer or hunt for a Wellington liner. For snow fun, moonboots or Valenkis. On guys, mix it with an Oxford, but keep both clean.

CB: Unless the boots weigh more than the rest of you, good luck. Amazingly warm, and the felt part can be worn inside as socks.
WCA: Doc Martens? Cool if you’ve got a pierced nose, pink hair, or a job at Squeaky Wheel, but I’m not rooting for it to go big.

Parkas
66 North Esja Parka
A fashion statement that we can make here that those in less fortunate climates cannot.

WCA: I like any snowbunny look. Something about a gal in an oversized guy-ish coat works for me.
CB: The trick with these is to go as big and as freeze factor as you can.

A Vintage Dress For Being Trashy In
WCA: Not an essential after twenty-seven.
CB: Did he say “trashed” or “trashy”?

Footie Pajamas
Despite all the Hollywood cuties and their guy pals showing up in the ads, we can’t take this fad seriously. It’s too straight out of Dr. Seuss. Instead, go for cotton or silk jammies, with a Kinross cashmere or Barefoot Dreams chenille robe or cotton quilted pristine white Damask smoking jacket, all from Malabar, or high-end slacker pants from VeroniqueBranquinho.com.

WCA: Footies? Ok for lounging, I guess, if I’m not in the house, and for goodness’ sake, don’t even think of coming to bed in them.

The LCD
Has the Little Black Dress (LBD) been replaced by the Little Colorful Dress? Maybe not, but a little color can be a head-turner.

CB: These are supposed to be worn short, so if you feel uncomfortable, then add a knee-high boot, a patterned stocking, or a pair of boot flare liquid latex or spandex pants.
WCA: For your dream date with Humbert Humbert, I suppose. Be sure to accessorize with a lollipop.

Girl’s Dress Coat
DKNY, Juicy, Marc: they’re all doing it, along with everyone else who doesn’t have a label or associated price tag.

CB: Every girl needs a coat. It’s a part of learning how to dress.
WCA: Are we talking about kids? Do they even get cold?

The Classic Umbrella
You just can’t beat an Allegri, designed by Viktor & Rolf for impressing the ladies or your clients.

WCA: A man’s umbrella is a must. Close it up in the wind, put your hand on hat, turn your collar up, and walk.
CB: Chick magnets. Oh, and golf umbrellas with business attire? Un-magnets.

William C. Altreuter and Catherine Berlin are attorneys in Buffalo.


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