A dress made of Skittles, washable headphones, J.Crew opening two stores in Paris, and other news from the style trenches this week.

• This rainbow dress made of approximately 3,000 Skittles will be auctioned off for charity. 
• British-born shoe designer Paul Andrew is the 2014 winner of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.
• Good news for European J.Crew fans. The American retailer will open two stores in Paris next year. 
• Anna Wintour will receive the Outstanding Achievement Award for her contribution to the fashion industry during next month’s British Fashion Awards.
• Washable headphones anyone? Urbanears has teamed up with Marc Jacobs for a line of headphones with fabric elements on its headband and ear cushions that you can throw in the washing machine.
• New company Qcut is launching a Kickstarter campaign to make jeans that will be available in about 400 sizes.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that Russian-born French artist Erté also created a limited edition bottle collection for cognac brand Courvoisier. The bottles, featuring his characteristic art deco illustrations, show the different stages of the cognac-making process, from distillation to maturation. The eight and final of the bottles, containing Grand Champagne cognac, were released and sold in 2008 for 10,000 a piece.

This ensemble was inspired by your appreciation of equestrian looks. My goal is to create outfit options that are less authentically equestrian so that you don’t feel like you’re waiting for your horse when you wear them. So I’ve added urban details to make the combinations feel like you could wear them on a regular day, just like another casual outfit. 

The equestrian integrity is for the most part created by combining a tailored tweed or wool blazer with sleek bottoms and boots. It’s that easy. From left to right, here are three variations on the theme.  

Column of Colour & Moto Boots

Create a column of colour by pairing sleek black Ponte pants or jeans with a black tee or sweater. Choose a sweater or tee with a neckline of your choice (it does not need to be a turtleneck). Wear the top untucked or tucked with a black belt. Top with a tailored wool or tweed blazer. Finish off the look with tough black moto boots instead of tall black riding boots for a more urban vibe. Add a haute cap for a little jockey-esque fun, and select a bag that tickles your fancy. 

Glitzy with Tweed & Jodhpur Boots

Metallic disco jeans paired with countryside tweed creates urban flair and is a fun juxtaposition. Layer a basic sweater or tee under the equestrian jacket. Leave the top tucked or untucked. Add a belt that matches the colour of the boots for extra outfit cohesion if you’re going to partially tuck the front of the layering piece. Finish off the look with short jodhpur boots, or a similar style that is simple and sleek. A clutch adds a further non-equestrian touch. 

Jeans, Texture & Riding Boots 

Combine a pair of blue skinnies with a tailored plaid blazer, and layer a sweater underneath that works with the colours of the plaid. Tuck the skinnies into tall riding boots, which do not need to be black. Finish off the outfit with urban accessories like a woollen beanie, fingerless gloves and shopping tote for a textural touch. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired. 

Feel free to mix and match the footwear I selected for each outfit, and use any colour palette. I deliberately left out white jeans as a bottoms option because they are the most equestrian, but by all means throw them in. A blouse can work instead of knitwear if you tend to run warm. Here’s a great rendition of #3 on Pinterest. 

I recently wore a version of the glitzy rendition with one of my Smythe equestrian jackets, black turtleneck, gold jeans and cognac booties. So far, it’s one of my favourite outfits for this Fall. I will be repeating it a few times over. 

Now that the days are getting shorter, it’s time to start thinking about how to remain visible while working out after dark. Refinery29 discusses a number of Night Running Safety Gear Tips and Tricks. Lululemon’s reflective line is also designed to keep you visible during workouts.

In other Lululemon news: their male customer base is slowly growing, and this Fall the brand will open its first men’s store in New York City.

Racked does a roundup of Ten Exercise Jackets Perfect for a Fall Jog.

Under Armour’s Spring 2015 line will include items made from Under Armour Sun Block material, “a Skin Cancer Foundation-accredited fabrication that comes in both UPF 30 and 50s.”

Fab Links from Our Members

The Wall Street Journal agrees with Angie that white is great for Fall and Winter. Joy enjoyed the photos of their picks… lovely statement pieces.

Faribault Woolen Mill has been producing woolen goods in southern Minnesota since 1865. The plant closed in 2009 but reopened under new owners in 2011. Laurinda informs us that this year they launched a collaboration with Target to sell made-in-the-US woolen goods.

HiggsMistress reports that in this Ebola suit design challenge, wedding dress designer Jill Andrews says there are similarities between a wedding gown and personal protection devices.

As a big fan of both his music and his style, milehighstyle (Linda) found herself smiling at this slideshow of Prince’s fashion through the years.

Sally mentions that Static Guard works well, so give it a bash if your skirts and dresses are clinging on to your tights. Angie adds that she assumes it will work well for static knitwear too. 

Angie also wanted to share this gorgeous photo. She says: “One of the best casual street style pics for Fall I’ve seen all year. White jeans, stone booties, olive parka, and a very stylish poodle who matches a silver bag. This is style.”

La Belle Demimondaine wasn’t really interested in the Alexander Wang for H&M Collection… until she saw this post. That scuba-style sweater has her attention, although she’s not sure about the “WANG” printed all over the sides.

Laura (rhubarbgirl) enjoyed this article on The Bizarre History of Women’s Clothing Sizes.

Macy’s at Herald Square in Manhattan is undergoing a 400 million dollar renovation, and at its centre is an enormous shoe department — complete with digitally-equipped “runners.” You can also read the original article announcing the opening of this store in 1902. Suz loves the detail that if the floor planks were placed end-to-end they would go from New York to Detroit and 75 miles beyond.

If you’re a stay-at-home-mom, or if you work from home most of the week it can be challenging to create casual outfits with sufficient pizzazz to suit your style persona. It’s much easier to amp up an outfit with a pair of shoes, a coat or jacket, or a scarf, handbag, hat and chunky jewellery when you head out the door. But you don’t need these items indoors, so you need to find other ways to make a stylish statement.

The trick is to create outfit drama and stay comfortable at the same time. Here are six things I suggest to my clients in this situation.

1. Dramatic Hair: Make your hair a more dominant feature of your style. Add rainbow streaks. Go asymmetric. Highlights. Lowlights. Create spikes. Create more curl. Braid it. Straighten it. It needn’t be high maintenance, and it has a big impact.
2. Dramatic Eyewear: Be bold with your specs if you wear them most of the day. Make them the focal point of your outfit, and don’t play it safe with classic styles. A fun pair of fashion forward or retro specs will make an outfit of simple wardrobe essentials look special.   
3. Lighten Up: Wearing wardrobe items in shades of white, tan and oatmeal can be as dramatic as black, ink blue and dark grey. Lightening up a colour palette feels particularly fresh for Autumn and Winter when our tendency is to wear dark clothing to match the cold grey weather outside. 
4. Statement Knitwear & Tops: First, make a statement with colour, pattern and shine. Do not underestimate the dramatic effect of a vibrant colour, a bold pattern, or daytime sparkle in a simple silhouette. Second, look for tops and knitwear with interesting silhouettes and design details if solid neutrals are more your thing. Think beyond basic. 
5. Dramatic Pants: Again, think colour, pattern and shine. Essential blue or black jeans are not your only option. Plaid pants, jacquards, metallics, waxed and coloured denim are great alternatives. Wear upscale track pants and leather leggings. I have a pair of bright yellow tartan pants and gold jeans that I wear year round — both out and at home. They provide ample drama on days when I’m working at home and feeling bored with regular jeans. 
6. Lippie & Finger Nail Polish: Wear make-up, even if it’s just a bit of mascara, eyebrow pencil and lippie. A little extra facial polish goes a long way to making you feel more pulled together and looking a little brighter. And if you like, have fun with nail art. There are ways to prevent the colour from chipping if that’s your concern.

Of course, none of this is free, so you need to give yourself permission to invest in pieces that you will wear at home. But this is your life, and you have just as much of a right to feel pulled together and fabulous when you stay at home as someone who gets dressed up for a business casual office each day.

Plus, dressing well might help you to be more effective. We all accept that the way we dress affects the way other people perceive us. But studies have shown that the way we dress also affects our own performance. This is part of a growing field of psychology called embodied cognition. Simply put, if we dress the part, we play the part better.