Phobia: a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it.

I have an irrational fear of "Mom Jeans". While I have no idea where it came from, I am terrified of the high-waisted, 10 mile long zipper, unflattering butt pocket jeans. Where is the flattery in wearing a pair of light denim jeans that go all the way up to your boobs? I have yet to find a guy that looks at this picture and says, "what a beautiful group of ladies".

I call this a phobia because I am nowhere near the age of being a mom. I have yet to find a guy, so there is no need for me to cower in fear of the all-encompassing selection of mom jeans found in any department store.


POP QUIZ: Which do you prefer? the left or right?

I can't even look at the jeans on the right. The tapered ankles, the elastic waistband, the denim color doesn't even look like denim! It terrifies me. I am not joking.

This lead me to another point of frustration: WHY does the mom jean even exist? Fashion designers should not continue to market and sell the mom jean. Women who are mothers that have not lost the "last 5 pounds" of their pregnancy weight should not throw in the towel, so to say, and purchase a pair of mom jeans, feeling the need to submit to whatever little selection of clothing works. Moms should boycott mom jeans and demand for a denim line specifically tailored for moms. If no one else does, I will. Just you wait.


I will not tolerate wearing mom jeans ever, yet I am still afraid. I have convinced myself that I will not do a lot of things, and then 4 weeks later I'll find myself doing the very thing I told myself I would never do. So, I am afraid. What if, 1o years from now, I find myself sitting in front of my blog wearing *gasp* mom jeans?

"A carefree, sexy spirit." -Ralph Lauren

On occasion, I get an excited feeling from within as I walk from my garage down the driveway to the mailbox. Sometimes this infinitely giddy disposition is due to a letter from a faraway friend I know I will receive. Sometimes it is when I know a check with my name on it will be arriving. Sometimes it is awaiting a Hallmark card around a holiday or birthday from a relative. Yet, more frequently I go absolutely crazy when either Anthropologie's or Free People's catalog arrives through the mail.

The catalogs are in no way any comparison to the store's themselves, but every time I receive a catalog in the mail, I know I will find something I love. The two pictures I posted are from the newest catalogs. Each brand specializes in clothing, shoes, and accessories that are unique, creative, and imaginative. Whenever I purchase something from either brand, I know I will treasure it, and wear it until it breaks, if possible.

There is something so carefree and at the same time positively structured in the layout of the catalog. Each page looks like a work of art. There have been many catalogs torn apart with an exacto knife that I have saved for inspiration. I am convinced that someday my clippings of the clothing from Anthropologie and Free People will be of some use.

I highly suggest that you check out my two favorite catalog's sites: http://www.freepeople.com/ and http://www.anthropologie.com/ . There you will be dazzled with chic dresses, discreet but practical handbags, and jewelry that appears to be a priceless antique, but for a fraction of the cost.

I love the carefree spirit of the clothing. The effortless ability to pull off an outfit beautifully without it looking like it took two hours to get ready. Hopefully I can spread my giddiness on to you. In the meantime, I'll be waiting for the mail.

“Once it starts to look like it's matching your other clothing, it's a problem. The whole secret is not matching.” Lance Lawson

This picture is over thirty years old, taken just after my mom and dad got married. I always find myself taken aback when I see old pictures of my mom because to me, she looks so classy. While I admire such fashion icons like Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, and Coco Chanel, my mom is my fashion guru, I talk to her all the time about suggestions of what to wear for certain events. From her shoes to her gloves she always matches perfectly. I try to do the same.

Yet, can I match too much? According to Lance Lawson, I can. Is this a flaw that my mom has passed down to me? I mean....purple gloves? Did she really need to find purple gloves to match her outfit? Do I really need to wear a yellow necklace and yellow earrings if I wear a shirt with yellow on it? Sometimes I wonder.

It takes just the right amount of creativity to get away with watching. I mean, what's so creative about wearing green flip-flops with a green shirt? I have to admit, those purple gloves are pretty creative.

So, do I match too much? Maybe. I try to limit myself to three matching accessories at once. Is this weird? You will never, however, find me matching brands together. Nike shoes and socks? Nah, I prefer Addias socks and Puma shoes. I am a rebel, I know. (Don't tell mom)

"It's not easy being green" Kermit the Frog

Yes, this is a picture of me. Yes my blog is called "Fashionable Farley" AND I believe that I have a lot to write about regarding fashion. Yes I used to think I dressed cool. Yes, I wore a green shiny shirt and LIKED it. Now that we have these facts established, let's move on.

It's so awkward/funny/amusing/sad/etc. to look back on old photographs especially from middle school. What an odd time. That's all I have to say. When I was in middle school, almost overnight I went from being a care-free kid not worried at all about what I wore... much less whose fashion label I was wearing...to being so preoccupied by what my friends thought was cool. Let me just say right now that whoever told me this outfit was "cool" must have been an enemy in disguise.

Yet, this picture means a lot to me. It symbolizes my first school dance, my first outfit that I remember being excited to wear, the first time I actually cared about fashion and my role in participating in being "cool". ( I hate putting words in quotes, but in this case find it completely necessary)

Anyways, who would have thought that I would ditch the short brown hair and shiny green shirt? Can you really blame me though? Looking back, I almost find it hard to see the real Jamie. Or is it the other way around?

Either way, I am glad I change almost as much as the fashion industry. It keeps me busy.

"Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new." Henry David Thoreau

Top Eleven Fashion Disasters I worry about....on or off Campus...

1.PANTYLINES. Can you see the outline of my underwear when I wear these jeans? I don't know how many times I have asked my friends/mom/person I just met/etc. this question. There is nothing more noticeable to me than the outline of underwear. It makes me paranoid and I try to avoid it at all times.
2. Black and Brown. Personally, I don't think these colors go together. Especially brown pants and black shoes. Or a black belt with brown pants. Or a brown shirt with black pants. Basically, any combination with the colors black and brown worn at the same time make me a little sad.
3. Slippers are not shoes. Printed PJ's are not pants.
4. Sometimes, when I go to work, I wear flip flops before my shift starts and then change into heels. Yet, I never have worn sneakers to work with my work clothing on. The trend of wearing sneakers on the commute to work while wearing business clothes is something I think looks funny, even if doing so saves a couple blisters in the process.
5. Scrunchies. I am not sure why these are still worn, but they bring me back to the days of the 90's. Today, there are so many hair-ties that are less in-your-face and don't take away from the clothes you wear. Headbands are also a great option.
6.Baggy Clothing. Wearing bigger clothes makes you look...bigger. Or like a little kid trying to play dress-up. Or self- conscious that if you don't hold onto your baggy jeans they might drop around your ankles.
7.Spandex anything. I guess my only comment to spandex is: Why?
8.Mixing Prints. Stripes with plaid. Leopard with Zebra. Polka dots with floral. OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but mixing prints confuses me. I don't think that prints are bad at all, but when wearing them I pair them with a solid color, like a zebra print skirt with a black top.
9.Mesh. If you wear mesh, you might as well not wear any clothes, I have the same feelings with #7 on my list as well.
10. Statement T-shirts. "Team Aniston" & "Mrs. Clooney" & shirts that state "I'm with Stupid" areTMI. While you may care about pop culture, you don't have to broadcast it across your chest.
11. Toe-socks. They hurt a lot and are a pain to put on and no one can see all the hard work it took you to put them on in the first place. Unless you show everyone you see that you are wearing toe-socks, which would be weird. Maybe not if you are younger then 7 and are a girl at a sleepover.

SO much more than a part-time job

" If a woman walks into a room and people say, "Oh what a marvelous dress", then she is badly dressed. If they say, "What a beautiful woman," then she is well dressed." Coco Chanel.

This is so much more than a wise quote, it is basically my motto whenever I go to work. As a sales associate for White House Black Market, it is my job to make women of all ages feel beautiful. For some reason, clothes have the great capability of making you feel fantastic whenever you put on a specific article of clothing. At White House Black Market, which...go figure....sells clothing in shades of white and shades of black along with shoes, accessories, and jewelry every piece of clothing is designed to be that piece of clothing that you go to in times of need. Last minute invite to the New Years Eve party? No problem. Need business attire for a job interview? Check. Want to look amazing on vacation? We have clothes that don't wrinkle! As you can see, I love my job, and believe that the clothes I sell are classic, timeless pieces that I can wear casually or dress up. It is a perfect concept for me, as a college student who doesn't want to spend a ton of time on an outfit, but still wants to look decent in class.

I thought I would just let you know about my job, and how it has impacted the way I regard fashion. Working in retail has shaped the way I dress. I am so aware that everything I wear is an expression of who I am. So, working at a store that allows me to not just sell a "Great dress" but instead makes the customer feel great about herself is so rewarding. I'll let you check out the site yourself... http://www.whitehouseblackmarket.com/

My only complaint? I LOVE COLOR. I often find myself wearing bright hues on my days off, if only White House Black Market opened a store that sold their same products but in color....oh man! What a concept...

"Come with me and we'll attend their jubilee/And see them spend/Their last two bits/Puttin' on the Ritz" Irving Berlin

Tonight is the 3rd annual Fashion Rocks television special on CBS. It starts at 8PM and is hosted by Jeremy Piven. At first I was shocked that Piven would be the host because his personal style is more Abercrombie and Fitch than Marc Jacobs...But, his character on Entourage is very fashionable, in my opinion.

The show should be interesting as music performers like Aerosmith, Fergie, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, and Maroon 5 will play live at Radio City in New York City. Today, it is so common for artists to go beyond music and start their own fashion lines. Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, and P. Diddy are just a few artists who have influenced the fashion industry. Their personal style, after all, is what makes them unique and so imitable. People want to experience the "IT" factor that these artists possess, and what better way to do so then to purchase an article of clothing designed by them?

What might be more exciting than the Fashion Rocks special is the fact that it is kicking off the start of the 2007-2008 fashion week in New York City. Fashion designers get the chance to make their statement and show what they feel people should wear this fall and winter. Many celebrities get front row seats to attend the fashion shows during fashion week, but I am just as content flipping through the fashion magazines that will come out shortly showing the highlights of the highly chaotic and exhausting week.

If you are also excited about fashion week and interested in the designers and celebrities attending, I highly recommend checking out this blog: http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/

"Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months." Oscar Wilde

Ever since I can remember, Labor Day was specifically dedicated to packing away every white short, linen pant, high heels, purses, etc. If it was white, it got packed in a container labeled: Summer Clothes. This tradition, which my mom had started, seemed very important to her. I wondered why my mom thought wearing white after Labor Day was so taboo, but she never elaborated...she just cringed instead. Her phobia of wearing white during the fall and winter has passed down to me. This might sound crazy, but the week before Labor Day, I try to wear all the white I haven't worn for the summer, in a last attempt to prolong my clothing options. I did a little research (A.K.A. Yahoo Answers) and found that this "fashion rule" was established primarily for white shoes and purses. Also, wearing white during the winter was assumed that it would make one colder, since white reflects light making the temperature cooler.

Over the years, more people have accepted wearing white all year. The term "winter white" has become a part of the vocabulary in fashion magazines which show models wearing white in heavy winter fabrics like wool and angora. It is as though fashion designers are taking this so-called "fashion rule" and breaking it in an attempt to show that in fashion, rules are made to be broken.

I can't bring myself to accept this new take on wearing white all year. I look forward to the different seasons along with the different clothing options for each one. Just knowing that the next time I wear my favorite white denim jeans will not be until next summer is something I look forward to. Go ahead and wear all white if you want. Just pay attention to fabrics. Linen and eyelet and other lighter materials won't keep you very warm in the chilly fall months...especially in the Midwest.

While I believe that some rules are meant to be broken....this time, I'll stick to the rules.