Today's jam, and an announcement.

If you've been following my Twitter account and/or my personal Facebook, you already know. But, officially and on the record, CCS supports Occupy Wall Street.

I'm working as quickly as I can on a line of products. Nothing too fancy, T-shirts, a hoodie, some stickers, that kind of thing. And 100 percent of profits will go to the cause. It's already getting chilly around here, let alone in NYC. They're going to need donations to keep warm. To accompany the official release, probably late this week, I will be posting some DIY tutorials on how to pretty up your statement shirt. Bling it, sew it, cut-and-tie it, use your mind and your hands to make something good beautiful. Yeah, we're talking liberation fashion. Politics getting into fashion is nothing new.

Stay tuned for this launch. I'm totally going to see if sherpa-lined warm hoodies are available, and if so, if I can bulk-discount them if the buyer is sending them to the occupiers in NYC, Chicago, etc.

How to support, via The Nation.

If you'd like to donate directly, click here.

Mailing address:
The UPS Store
Re: Occupy Wall Street
118A Fulton St. #205
New York, NY 10038
Money orders only please, cannot cash checks yet. Non-perishable goods only. We can accept packages of any size. We're currently low on food.

Let's go fall-trend shopping! Beloved blouses edition.

Gosh, can you believe it's already almost October? Craziness. The breeze is starting to bite in the evening, and it's time to finalize those winter clothing buys and figure out, again, the best way to transition our duds from fun-in-the-sun to snowbunny.

I'm loving so many trends this year, it's going to prove impossible to keep them all into one post. There will be another boot post, like last year's popular post where I broke down some cute but practical winter boot offerings. I'm happy to say that, based on what I've seen so far, this year it will be EASIER to find a boot that looks GREAT, keeps your feet dry and warm, and has enough traction so you won't suffer a butt-busting wipeout on the ice.

Now it's time for zee shopping!

Let's get all up on some chiffon tie-neck blouses.

Collage time! Clockwise from top-left: Graham and Spencer at Neiman Marcus, Eyelash at Kohl's juniors, Milly at piperlime.com, Halston Heritage at Nordstrom, Vince Camuto at Nordstrom, Eyelash at Kohl's juniors. Click the pic to see it larger.

I'm LOVING these right now! I'm not sure why I'm so enamored with something I'd surely have found grandmotherly in the past. I have a couple of these right now: a blue silk printed thrifted Charter Club blouse, and this one I got with my employee discount at Kohl's yesterday. It's lovable for a few reasons. The porcelain is a good neutral shade, so it will play well with a variety of colors. The dot pattern adds interest, but in a subtle way that will mix with other patterns. I can see it layered with little jackets, a vest, cardigan or pullover sweaters, peeking under just the right cape, and pairing with everything from jeans to dress pants, skirts, even adding a soft touch to some leather. It's INEXPENSIVE, which is not bad when dealing with a trend item. You know the general rule: Splurge on ageless classics, not on the trendy stuff. My only complaint is that it seems to attract static a bit too easily.

I also enjoy this find on piperlime.com. The floral print is abstract enough, and in warm enough tones, to also evoke a memory of autumn leaves, making it nice to think of for fall with leather or tweeds, and its light texture can carry over for next spring if you pair it with airy, linen or cotton separates. Wardrobe multitaskers are one of my great loves.

This ruby-toned Vince Camuto sleeveless version of the tie-neck blouse KILLS ME. I love it. I CRAVE it. You could sexy it up for a night out, put it with a blazer or cardi for workwear, just cuddle it because it's so pretty... and it looks stunning with the animal prints that are so popular right now. *squeal of glee*

And this Halston Heritage heart-printed tie neck blouse. I mean, really? If it were any sweeter, I'd have to see a dentist.

This Graham and Spencer blouse reminds me of brush strokes on a canvas. It's matter of fact, yet slightly-muted patterns like this that have helped me break out of my past habit of strictly buying solids because they felt safer. And it looks like it'd feel soooo silky and luxe to the wearer.

Finally, this VERY assertive number by Milly. I just get that phrase from the Double Rainbow guy when I look at this one. So bright and so vivid! And yes, it's a lot of in-your-face color and a lot of ruffle. If you've got the attitude to back it up, you CAN wear it. Vivid red looks especially good on raven-haired ladies, based on my experience. The north-of-$300 price gives me some sticker shock, but I actually managed to thrift a similar looking piece, though lacking in the tie-neck, about two weeks ago. And not only does it work, but it's rather versatile. I like it with my trouser-style jeans, black fitted menswear vest, and classic nude or black pumps.

Rejoice! It's a style that's wearable, comfortable, and available at pretty much every price point, from luxury lines $1,000-plus, to twenty-buck department store versions. And bargain hounds, rejoice! You might just luck out like I did and find one or two while thrifting.

What trend pieces are *you* jonesing the hardest for this fall-winter season?

Ode to hats (a.k.a. Things Indy needs more of)

 OK, I started working on this post, and then the big hoop-dee-lah royal wedding happened today, so now I have even MORE fodder for my point: Click, die of sartorial glee.

Does Prince William's new mum-in-law know how to ROCK a hat, or what?

I've been on a massive hat kick lately. Buying, making, and decorating hats and fascinators has become my new pastime. I now have a gigantic wicker box and an oversized tote bag full of the things. You'd expect the wearing of these confections to be looked at somewhat strangely in Vincennes.

But in Indy? We're on the up-tick toward becoming quite the fashion-zone. And yet I barely even see enough fedoras! And besides, fedoras are EVERYWHERE now. Innovate, y'all! I hereby propose that we need to wear a lot more hats along the way.

My current passion is the bowler. Think of Sally Bowles, maybe Alex from A Clockwork Orange (one creepy fellow, but his sartorial wits were the ONE thing he had in the right place), oh, and this guy:

Oh, yes.

A fine affair, indeed. Rawr.

Give me one good reason why not. It's flattering, versatile for a range of ensembles from professional to flamboyant, and it can be decorated with a variety of colored bands, feathers, and such. Must HAVE one.\

I've already extolled the joys of a nice, big floppy straw hat in a previous post.

I also really like this new, steampunk-esque take on the classic tophat.

via Tom Banwell, available on Etsy. (this statement not endorsed by the hatmaker)

The tophat is such a classic. I've become enamored with the thought of creating all kinds of hatbands out of things not designed to be hatbands, ever since I saw this delightful picture:

Found via Antique_Dolly

I can't wait to get my own decorated hats, miniature-hats, and flower, feather, and lace fascinators onto people's heads. If you think you're not a hat-person, you probably just haven't found the right one(s) yet. Take care; it can become an addiction.