The four way test

The other day one of my favorite email sites, net-a-porter, sent me a seasonal trend email. I love this shopping site and if you aren't familiar you should definitely check it out. They carry all designer (so the prices are high) but they've also got top notch trend forecasters and editors working to encapsulate the newest, best and brightest of the season.

In any event, the subject of this email was "How to wear one pair of heels four ways." Oh goody I thought as I clicked on the message. This type of breakdown on fashion is one of my favorite features in magazines like Lucky and Marie Claire. As a stylist myself I love the idea of creating something original from one select item. It's challenging but obvious as we all have a "top" something we want to wear with everything.

For net-a-porter the item of choice was a pair of smashing Jimmy Choo studded heels. Take a peek here. They break down the outfits by categories like urban, beach, work and weekend. From dresses and capris to short shorts, they provide a great assortment of options with endless possibilities.

Which leads me to my own version. Lately I've become obsessed (I use this term often to mean I can't stop thinking about said item) with Rebecca Taylor's amazing collections. Nearly everything she designs (for both spring and fall) has the appeal of wearable, everyday glamour. Definitely check out Fall/Winter 2007 collection for further examples of what's to come.

For my "ode to net-a-porter" I've chosen her sweet denim runway cropped jacket with gold buttons from the spring 2007 line. I realize picturing these options without a direct pictorial will be hard but bear with me as I'm going to list all the links and hopefully, with patience you'll be able to piece it together.

Let's begin with look #1. Cropped jackets are quite popular right now because they're versatile (in style) and can be worn with a variety of dresses, skirts, pants and tunics. I especially love this one because of the color and collar. The look is unique and contemporary while still being simple and cool. And for the first ensemble I'd definitely go with a dress. For me an ideal pairing would be the jacket and this Lux mélange, bright tube dress from Urban Outfitters. The style is a bit boho in color and pattern making the jacket stand out as a statement itself with it's solid stance in hue.

Following this option I'd pair it with a casual top and shorts. Last year I bought a pair from Paul and Joe's line at Target and though they'd be perfect, they're no longer available. Instead I've found these from their new GO star Patrick Robinson, which are equally chic and affordable. Pair them with this top from Splendid and the look is casual and fun with a bit of glam thrown in.

For the third look I'd definitely do jeans. Tight, skinny, gray cast jeans. As with any type of cropped jacket you have to be careful with the pant leg. Skinny seem to work well when balanced with a loose top. A recent favorite of mine are these level 99 Chloe jeans.

Finally, I'd do a skirt a la Rebecca Taylor's own styling for her show in which this jacket was featured. Her look is fantastic but I also like this quirky paper bag tulip (it really does resemble a paper bag btw) 3.1 Philip Lim skirt. The white color will accent the denim nicely adding a bit of a sailor meets hip chick on dock while on break from the high seas. Love it.