Spring has officially sprung and the sun is out but the weather can still be unpredictable, which can make outfit planning equally uncertain. One minute the temps are in the 70s and you’re eager to show off your legs, and the next day the wind chill is down to 30 and you’re seriously considering pulling your down coat back out of the closet. That’s when those timeless, transitional wardrobe essentials come in ultra handy helping you look styled, on-trend and more importantly, appropriately dressed for whatever mother nature throws at us.

Read on for the essentials that will take you through the coming season in style and click here to go straight to my favorite pieces.

TOPS

The Chambray shirt

The ideal transitional piece, a chambray shirt (aka the denim shirt) has some weight to it so you can treat it like a lightweight jacket over spring dresses, wear it with your white jeans over a tank or tee, and in those days when the temps drop, wear it under a sweater.

The Spring Sweater

Ok so the sun might be out but there are still days when it’s freekin’ cold, especially in the mornings. That’s when an open weave, lightweight or shorter length sweater will come in handy. Wear it over a tank, a spring dress or, when it really warms up, take it to the beach to wear over your swimsuit.

JACKETS

The Trench

If you don’t own a trench, now’s the time to invest. It’s ideal for spring showers but it’s light enough to be your go-to spring coat rain or shine. I’m a big proponent of building a classic wardrobe and sprinkling in a few seasonal trend pieces. The classic Burberry trench is one area where I say splurge.

The Cropped Jacket

A cropped jacket pulls the whole outfit together. The shorter look accentuates your waist and elongates your legs, so whether you need extra flair with your jeans, a modern pairing with your pencil or midi skirt, or something lighter than a coat to throw over your party dress at night, a cropped jacket will be worth it’s weight in gold. 

BOTTOMS

Jeans

You’re always going to have too many choices when it comes to jeans – from flare to boyfriend. But the only three you really need to get you through summer are white skinny jeans to wear with you strappy sandals and loose free-flowing summer tops, skinny dark wash in a lighter weight than your usual fall/winter dark jeans to wear with white linen shirts and to dress up when you need to, and a pair of colorful or pastel lightweight jeans.

The Midi Skirt

Pleated, pencil, or A-line—midi skirts have entered the scene with fervor and are the perfect lady-like addition to your spring wardrobe. If you’re a jeans kinda gal, this is going to push you out of your comfort zone. Go for a deep hue, a fun print or a micro pleat. Mix yours with a T-shirt for casual days, a silk blouse when heading to the office, and a sexy camisole for late-night dinner and dancing.

SHOES

Pointy-toe flats

This is the year to invest in a pair of pointy-toe flats — yes you saw them in 2015, but this year shoe designers have really figured out the fit that make them comfortable and chic. I particularly love Stuart Weitzman’s selection for both comfort and style. Whether you opt for an ankle strap, lace up detail, metallic toe-cap, a slight heel, or the simple slip-on-and-go, this season’s selection is casual enough to sport on the weekends, but dressy enough to style with a party dress or wear to that important meeting.

Classic White Sneakers

When it comes to casual wardrobe staples, the sneaker is a keeper, and this season the all-white sneaker is king. Worn the right way it will give you that effortless sporty-spice style and it will give your feet a break from flats, heels and sandals – all of which, when worn too often, can wreak havoc on your poor feet. For 2016, the look is bright white in a classic, almost retro style and shape with a little something extra – an understated accent or texture. Wear with your cropped jeans and turn them up at the hem. Go sockless and always show an inch of ankle.

The Mule

Whether it’s a chunky heeled mule or flat, the mule has become an undeniable favorite for 2016. The chucky heel – much in tune with the block heel pump – is more edgy than your traditional heel and can easily take you from day to night. Slip into your fav pair with a pencil skirt and blouse, or use them to dress up boyfriend jeans.

ONESIE

The Jumpsuit

This one-piece is a no-brainer for running errands and weekend brunches, but in the right fabric and style it can also be a classy and elegant alternative to the LBD for a party, or a smart and sophisticated alternative to the traditional suit. Because it’s an all-in-one it really makes a statement – and there’s a style for every body-type. Throw on your cropped jacket and you are set.

BAG

The Cross Body Bag

Oh cross body bag, how I love you, especially in the spring when I might want to ditch the subway and hop on a citibike, buy a ridiculous amount of veggies at the farmers market, or just have my hands free for whatever comes my way. And because they are small you can have some fun with them and incorporate this season’s trends, whether it’s fringe detail, a circle shaped bag, a pop of pastel, or a structured mini-bag.

Check out my spring essential shopping guide HERE

And to get your spring wardrobe in top form, ask me about my Sort, Shop & Style. 

This weekend I was fortunate to attend the TEDx Talks in Navesink, NJ. My friend and client John Stepper, author of the book Working Out Loud, was selected to give a talk on The Making of a Movement.

It was an incredible experience for many reasons. The speaker’s topics were so varied, ranging from working with homeless teenagers, finding the key to successful relationships, the brain’s reaction to spending time in nature, to the rebuilding of Ashbury Park. I learned a ton and felt so inspired just being in the presence of these people.

But what made this such a cool experience was that I got to see and be a small part of the preparation that goes into giving a talk like this. John’s message is already ingrained in him – he’s written the book on it and he’s living the “Working Out Loud” life everyday, inspiring others to form peer group circles to get more out of work and life and make their own luck, and helping organizations create a more open and connected culture by spreading the movement, but he still had to fine tune and practice his eight minute speech to make it as smooth and authentic as possible.

He also had to think about what to wear. And that’s where I came in. Actually I started working with John at least a year earlier when his book was about to launch and he knew he’d have several speaking opportunities coming up. He knew he wanted to look presentable and feel good standing in front of people and sharing his message, but he wanted to stay true to who he is, not feel “dressed up”.

I started with my signature sort, the wardrobe edit – evaluating what he already had for fit, style and wear, I came up with a strategic plan, we shopped and then I put the looks together in a manageable way, documenting them in a lookbook with notes on what to wear and when.

For this Ted Talk John wore an ink blue suit – brighter than a traditional navy - custom made by tailor Ian Rios - a crisp white perfectly fitting shirt, no tie and a white pocket square peeking out, with brown shoes and a brown belt.

When I saw John on the stage I knew we had got it right. The color was perfect under the lights, the fit was impeccable, he looked sharp but not too buttoned up, but mostly he looked comfortable and confident, and I knew he felt that way too. After all that preparation and rehearsing he hit the ball out of the park with his talk. The fact that he looked awesome doing it was the icing on the cake. 

There is nothing more handsome, classic and festive than a man in a tuxedo for the holidays. Whether it’s for a big New Year’s Eve blow out, an end of year gala or a winter wedding, it’s often this time of year that people get excited about dressing up. And no I’m not referring to the tuxedo that’s been hanging in the back of your closet for ten years. I’m talking about a well-made, perfectly styled, classic yet modern tuxedo or cocktail blazer that fits like a glove. You know, the one that will make the ladies swoon.

So if you don’t have a go-to tuxedo or formal blazer, then now is the perfect time to indulge. Read on for tips on how to be the best-dressed man at the party.

Black, blue or white?

“When guys come in looking for a tuxedo they want to go traditional as they know this will be the only tuxedo they will need and they want it to last,” says Cory Sylvester, VP of Operations at Michael Andrews Bespoke. “They generally think they want black, which always looks good, but I like to remind them that midnight blue is also a very classy option.”

Actually the first tuxedo ever made was midnight blue, not black, when it was first commissioned by Edward VII way back in 1861. The reason it looks sharp is the subtle contrast of the black satin lapel against the very dark blue, which gives an incredible depth of contrast that photographs well.

And then there’s always the option of a white dinner jacket, for a very Sean Connery James Bond look.

The style details

The majority of Sylvester’s clients opt for a peak lapel and he suggests they go for a slightly fuller, wider lapel than they might wear with a regular suit. The lapel itself can be a smooth duchess satin, a slightly textured grosgrain, or velvet which looks very distinct during the holiday season.

The jacket should always be single button (unless you’re going for a more fashion forward, slim-fitting double breasted like Zack Posen), jetted (aka straight) pockets with no flaps – which are too casual for formalwear.

As for vents at the back of the jacket, while the most classic look is ventless for a tuxedo, two side vents is often a more flattering look. It creates a higher leg line and is more functional and comfortable for a slim fit.

Below the belt

A light break is preferable when it comes to formal trousers (meaning the trouser leg just hits the top of your shoe). If you’re wearing a tux there’s a good chance you’ll be getting your picture taken standing up, especially at a wedding, most definitely if you are the groom, so you never want to see the trouser leg bunched up at the shoe.

The cocktail blazer

If you want to dress up but want to take an alternate route to the traditional tux, then you can’t go wrong with a cocktail blazer. Alex Wilcox, owner of the quirky and luxurious Lord Willy’s in Soho, offers a different, limited edition formal blazer around the holidays each year and his clients love the opportunity to stand out from the crown. This year it’s a dark navy plaid cocktail jacket.

“I suggest that the gentleman wear it with a classic dinner shirt, a midnight-blue bowtie and black or navy pants,” says Wilcox. “The look allows the man to be extroverted in his style, while still maintaining the rules of a formal affair.”

And the best part is that once the holidays are over, the blazer can be worn in more casual setting with grey trousers.

The Extras: Shirts and shoes and bowties

The most modern but still classic look for a tuxedo shirt is a white textured fabric, classic semi-spread collar and always French cuffs – no bibs or pleats necessary unless you really want to remain traditional. You can opt for four stud holes or, for a more minimal look, a covered placket where a smooth strip of fabric covers the buttons completely.

Ferragamo makes an excellent formal shoe in black velvet or patent leather – patent leather is a more year-round and versatile look.

And for bowties, hand tied, please, but you knew that already, right?

Today I’m thinking about holiday style, and how to take your outfit from day to night for a holiday party. Often holiday drinks are right after work, sometimes you hop from one to another and you don’t have time to go home and change first -- you just need to take things up a notch.

Work with What You’ve Got

The first thing I suggest is to go through your closet and look for what I call holiday colors and textures and put them all together in one end of your closet that way you won’t keep wearing the same gold sparkly top to every single holiday drinks or get together you go to this December – who’s guilty of that? I know I am!

Do this when you have some free time, so that if you get a call for a last minute party you can go straight to your “Party” section.

Go For the Gold

Look for gold, silver, glitzy, shimmery, sparkly, anything with sequins, anything red, green, in jewel tones like royal blue, deep pink or turquoise. Don’t forget leather and lace too. Anything that’s regal, sparkly or luxurious says holiday. Then play around with them, incorporate them into your daily looks because for a lot of those textures, especially sequins and glitzy fabrics this is the only time of year you can wear them.

Make a Statement, No Make Two or Three

Usually you know you’ve put together an outfit well if you have one great statement piece – whether it’s a stunning necklace, a gorgeous jacket, a bright colorful handbag, or a scarf that just pulls the whole look together. For holiday dressing the one statement rule does not apply, take it up to two of three.

For example, if you wore a simple black dress to work you could wear red lipstick, which instantly makes you look festive, add some sparkly dangly earrings, and carry an all over sequin clutch. Or if you wore a suit to wear with a sensible shirt under the jacket, replace the shirt with some lacy lingerie, a blinged-out cuff on your wrist and some killer high heels.

Basically keep this in mind for holiday dressing: if you can wear your holiday outfit to work and have a meeting with your boss or an important client, you haven’t amped it up enough.

The Exception

There is an exception to this rule: if you are wearing a “holiday dress” in red or green, or an allover sparkly something that already shouts Christmas, then you’ve already made your statement. Accessorize with delicate jewelry and subtle make up. While you do want to look sexy and festive, you don’t want to look like you’re competing with your Christmas tree or Santa.

If you need style advice for any occasion reach out here. 

Are you coming up blank when it comes to holiday gift ideas? Join the club! So many people go out to buy the perfect gift and realize that they’re just buying presents for the sake of it. You end up buying something gimmicky or overly expensive because you don’t know what else to get. Don’t do that. Don’t fill their closets with things they don’t need.

How about buying your loved one an experience, a luxury, something that will actually help them make use of the things they already own, declutter and organize their wardrobe and strategically shop only for the things they really need.

Why not gift your husband, wife, Mom, Dad - even your best clients - with the Gift of Style. Here are three ways to be the best gift giver ever:

1. The Ultimate Wardrobe Revamp

• Work with me, a personal stylist on the ultimate luxury styling experience.
• I will come to your home and help you organize your clothes and accessories for an exclusive closet styling.
• Working with the pieces that you already own I'll bring a fresh perspective to create new looks and outfits for your lifestyle, or for a specific upcoming event or vacation.
• I'll take pictures along the way and will provide you with a mini look book of all your new outfits that will help you recreate them with ease. 
• I'll also provide you with a personalized list of clothing, footwear and/or accessory recommendations to add to your wardrobe, completing your ultimate wardrobe revamp.

$550*

2. The Sort, Shop & Style

• With the most popular Harrison Style package, you’ll receive everything listed above with the Ultimate Wardrobe Revamp PLUS your very own personal stylist will do all the shopping for you, finding you the exact pieces you need to complete your wardrobe for the season.
• Everything will be laid out for you in a dressing room so all you have to do is show up and try on.
• On the third day you’ll experience a personalized style session back at your place putting together numerous outfits for every occasion from work, to play to fun, using both your existing reorganized clothes and your new purchases.
• You’ll receive a complete look book of all your new outfits with guidelines on when, where and how to wear them.

$1495*

3. The Works – Style 365

• This is for the man or woman who needs to keep their wardrobe sharp and updated year-round - every 90 days - with customized styling support in-between. This person needs to look good for work, business trips, work dinners, vacations and weekends away, but doesn't have the time (or desire) to dedicate to his or her wardrobe. Or maybe this is a busy mom who makes sure everyone else in the family is taken care of but needs someone to keep her style on track year round.
• With this most exclusive package, you’ll have the luxury experience of a Sort, Shop & Style (above) in Spring and the Fall with a Shop & Style session for winter and summer too. Every 90 days your very own stylist will be re-styling and re-stocking your closet according to your lifestyle, needs and upcoming events or trips.
• You’ll have a personal stylist on call to give advice on packing for trips, special occasion dressing or What To Wear melt-downs!
• As a Style 365 client, you’ll get to chose from a photo shoot to capture your consistently awesome style (you can use images for social media, work headshots etc.), a grooming consult with a hairdresser who will come to your home and tell you the best style for your hair, face-shape and lifestyle, a make-up artist consult who’ll tell you what you’re doing right, what you’re doing wrong and will give a lesson on achieving the perfect day and night make-up, or, for guys, a skin care consult on the best products to use for your skin type.

$4500*

You can go ahead and book any of these style packages today and I will get a Gift Certificate in the mail to you right away. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give me a call at (917) 684-0557, or shoot me an email at [email protected]

*Does not include the cost of clothes.

I’m wearing a dress everyday in December, even on the cold days, even on the rainy days, even on the days when my son is off school sick and all I really want to wear is a sweatshirt, leggings and my Ugg slippers. Why? Because I’m joining hundreds of other women around the country in a collaborative effort to support the Dressember Foundation – an organization that raises awareness and funds to advocate for women enslaved by human trafficking around the world. Human trafficking and sex slavery is a crime that that is estimated to enslave 35 million people across the globe, of that number 50% are children and 70% women.

Let me tell you why I'm participating in Dressember for the first time this year. As a personal stylist, a writer and mom to a six-year-old boy living in NYC I’m busy shopping for and styling my clients, or writing about the process. While it feels great to make a difference in peoples lives, careers and self-confidence through how they present themselves to the world each day, there’s always that nagging part of me that wants to do more.

It’s easy to feel too busy to do something that could make a difference, but when I saw this Tedx Talk by Dressember founder Blyth Hill on How a Dress Can Change the World that really got my attention.

I’m wearing a dress everyday to get the conversation about human trafficking going and I’m posting the pictures on Instagram – if you don’t already, please follow along @harrison_style for tips on how to style a dress in all kinds of crazy ways. And if you would like to donate to the cause you can visit my fundraising page HERE. Anyone who donates any amount will receive my very first ebook - 31 Days and Ways to Style a Dress - for free at the end of the month. (If you’re a guy you can gift it to your girlfriend, wife, mother, or friend). All the money raised by Dressember goes to the International Justice Mission (IJM) and The A21 Campaign, committed to abolishing sexual exploitation and forced slave labor (A21). Please check out these sites for inspiring stories of hope and rescue. 

Here’s how you can help:

• Donate any amount toward my goal. The process is fast, easy and secure and every dollar counts. You can do it HERE. 
• Share this page on Facebook and Twitter. Send an email to friends who might be interested and include a link! Here's the LINK
• Join the movement and participate yourself. It's fun, it forces you to get creative and wear things in your closet you'd forgotten about, and it's for a good cause. 

Thank you!!

The weather in NYC has been strangely and unseasonably warm. But it’s the East Coast people, the temperatures will inevitably drop and the best way to handle that reality is to master the art of layering.

Layering makes an outfit look complete. Layering says you’ve put thought into what goes together. It’s not only functional (you can peel off layers as you warm up and still look put together), but it also lets you incorporate more colors and textures into your outfit which immediately takes your style up a notch.

Done right layering can extend the “Fall” season and allow you to wear your lighter-weight clothes longer - just choose your layers wisely. The last thing you want is to look like the Michelin man!

So how do you bundle up and layer like a pro? 

Here are a few rules to go by:

1.     Each layer should be wearable by itself.

2.     Let your layers peek out a little – if you’re wearing a tee under your chambray shirt, leave a few buttons undone to let it show. If you're wearing a sweater on top of that button-down shirt, let the shirt cuffs or collar show. The whole point is to show all your layers.

3.     Keep your inner most layers thin and lightweight. Save chunky knits or looser clothes for the outermost layer.

4.   Add one more. The third or even fourth layer is what makes your outfit look complete. And that final layer can be a thin scarf. It doesn't mean sweater over sweater over sweater!

Here is one of my favorite layered looks that guys can wear now:

Start with a dress shirt, add a wool or knit tie, layer on a lightweight ¾ mock-zip sweater and a non-bulky vest. Wear this with dress pants, brown shoes and a coordinating brown belt and you'll be looking sharp. For cooler days (before you need your big winter coat) add a sportcoat and scarf as your outerwear.

Click HERE to shop a few of my favorite men's layering basics. 

And for the ladies?

This season it’s all about the button down shirt for women, whether it’s cotton plaid, a silky pattern or a plain white shirt. Try it underneath a funnel neck or three-quarter-length sleeve sweater so that the collar, cuffs and hem peek out. Wear with skinny or leather jeans and booties, then top with a jacket. Don't forget to layer short and longer necklaces too.

Stylist tip: Ladies wear a tank top over your shirt and under your sweater - it adds an extra layer of warmth and keeps the shirt from looking bulky under your sweater.

The key is to experiment and play around with what works. Click HERE to shop a few of my favorite women's basic layering pieces to add to your collection and give legs to what you already own. 

For my first blog post of 2015 I wrote about Pantone’s color of the year “Marsala”. When the color was announced social media was abuzz, with some bashing the color choice as ugly. Everyone’s entitled to their opinions, of course, but as I said back in January, I thought it was an excellent choice and a great color to add into a Fall wardrobe. I had visions of tweedy sport coats, knit ties and ox-blood leather oxfords for men and burgundy knee-high boots, merlot colored cashmere hats and to-the-elbow gloves in the rich, decadent hue for women.

I’m bringing this up now because the Fall season is in full swing and I have never seen a “color of the year” be taken so literally and embraced so much by the fashion world. It is everywhere and it looks amazing.

A walk through the streets of Manhattan and you’ll see that in every store window the color is prominently displayed. Vince, Theory, Michael Kors, Salvatore Ferragamo, Intermix, Rag & Bone – from handbags to winter coats to wool pants, the color Masala is definitely making a statement.

What I love about this deep, rich red-wine-like hue is that it’s a great alternative to black – which we New Yorkers revert to a little too much, especially when the really cold winter months hit.

So take a peek in your closet and see if you have anything in the dark red, burgundy, or masala range. And if you do, wear it while it’s hot!

To read more about how men can incorporate this color into their wardrobe check this out: Menswear in Marsala  and if you need help working Fall's hottest hue into your wardrobe feel free to call or send me an email. 

I recently stumbled upon a really cool jewelry designer in Tribeca, NYC, and though I kind of want to keep this one a secret, I feel compelled to share. Her name is Cass Lilien and she has a teeny-tiny 60-square-foot store with a large window that looks out onto Harrison Street.

The robot charm necklaces, gold snake earrings, and a pink tourmaline ring were the pieces that first caught my attention, but when I peeked through the window and saw Cass working on her jewelry inside the miniature location I had to go in and get the scoop.

She’s particularly skilled at mixing vintage repurposed pieces with a contemporary flair (I’m coveting the Edwardian lingerie pin cast in 14K gold and paired with a chunky chain necklace). But probably the most unique pieces – and the most gift-able if you’re looking to really knock someone’s socks off – are the morse-code strands using beads, diamonds and dash-shaped pendants to spell out everything from Led Zeppelin to completely customizable personal messages.

.-.. .. ...- . / .... .- -. -.. ... --- -- . .-.. -.-- / .- -. -.. / .-.. .. ...- . / -.-. .... .. -.-.

(That says Live Handsomely & Live Chic)

Summer is still in full swing and unless you’ve been lucky enough to spend your days at the beach and “work” on the go, then you still have to get dressed, look presentable and get into work mode, despite the heat. 

Women, actually, are the often the worse offenders when it comes to dressing appropriately for summer in the city. While men generally stick to the lighter slacks and a shirt uniform, when it comes to the ladies I’ve seen dresses that are too short, too strapless and too sheer for the office.  It’s tough to know what to wear when you're hot, sweaty and all you really feel like wearing is shorts and a tee-shirt or a summer dress and flip flips, so we’ve put together some easy breezy, but fabulously stylish looks that will inspire you to be chic and keep your cool at the same time. 

A bright, bold yellow dress is perfect for the summer. Layer it with a light green cardigan and white sandals and you are dressed for both the air conditioned office and the hot city streets. 

A white blouse and black shoes elevate a bright magenta skirt. A red bag adds an unexpected pop of color to the outfit and keeps it from looking too simple. 

A light top paired with white trousers gives off an easy, relaxed summer vibe. The dark blue flats contrast with the lighter, toned down colors and the nude bag gives the outfit a polished vibe. 

The color orange is always given a bad reputation for being difficult to pair, but color blocking orange with blue makes for a unique summer look. This look paired with a white cardigan and nude flats helps town down the dramatic look. 

--AC

This month I worked with my youngest client yet. Jake is about to move from Southern California to start college in Connecticut and his Dad wanted him to have a makeover and whole new wardrobe for this new chapter in his life.

Since Jake, his Dad and his cousin planned to be on the East Coast for college orientation, it was the perfect opportunity to meet him, get to know his personality and style and to start shopping.

I wasn’t sure what to expect – would he be reluctant to work with a stylist, too cool for school, bored out of his mind or frustrated with his dad for interfering? I was pleasantly surprised to find that Jake was not only very open to the idea but he actually really enjoyed the whole process.

By the time we were done he was geared up with a wide range of clothes for college – shorts, pants, tee-shirts, hoodies and sneakers for going to class, as well as new jeans, tees, shirts and sweaters for going out, and, at dad’s suggestion, a few dressy looks too.

The next day I took Jake to my favorite hair stylist at John Allen for a haircut and manicure and then we delved into the clothes we bought the previous day and I showed Jake all the different ways he could put his new looks together. 

Jake was such a sweet, fun, polite guy and I got a real kick out of knowing that he was about to start this new and exciting chapter of his life looking and feeling really good. 

Are you going through a transition? In need of a style upgrade for the Fall? Now's the perfect time to consider a Sort, Shop & Style. Learn more here...

Sporting the red, white and blues can be patriotic and fun heading into the long weekend, but you don’t want to look like a walking American flag. Whether you’re at work or at the beach, here are a few ideas to show your American pride while keeping it classy….

A white dress with a blue neck scarf gives a 1950's, super American vibe.

Pair these blue patterned pants with a simple white or red blouse. For a more relaxed vibe during your picnic, wear them with flat sandals.

Blue jeans and a white shirt are as American as James Dean. Tuck a white T-shirt into a pair of Levi's. If its excruciatingly hot, trade in the jeans for cut offs and your basic white tee and sandals.

A red skirt with a blue belt blends two bold colors in a subtle fashion.

Classic stripes will last long after the holiday weekend.  

- AC