Happy 30th Anniversary to one of my favorite fashion designers, Michael Kors!  Kors, a recent winner of the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, is celebrating 3 decades of success in the fashion industry.  Kors has always been my favorite judge on Project Runway.  Since he is actually a designer himself, he pays extra attention to detail and can envision how REAL women can wear (or not wear in many cases) the runway looks.  This fashion icon is clearly still at the top of his game.  Nobody does “sporty chic” better than Michael Kors.  Kudos to Kors for being one of the few top fashion designers who produces his line in petite sizes.  Michael Kors Petites can be found at Macy’s, Nordstrom, and zappos.com. 

I am a big fan of seasonless  petite clothing – clothing that you won’t put away all year.  These are the priceless pieces that you can layer up or down, depending on the weather.  Fabric is the key.  The best seasonless fabrics are rayon, poly-rayon, wool gab, wool crepe, jersey, denim, and silk.  Here are five seasonless pieces that could be the foundation of a year-round petite wardrobe:

1.  A cardigan

2.  A black pencil skirt

3.  A great-fitting pair of denim jeans

4.  A silk blazer

5.  A Little Black Dress in matte jersey

There has been a ton of hype leading up to the launch of 5′4″ Madonna’s new clothing line “Material Girl.”  The collection debuted at 200 Macy’s stores on August 3.  I finally made it to my local Macy’s yesterday to check out all the fuss.  Here are my observations.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of merchandise offered at the suburban Orlando store.  Although the ”Material Girl” collection was definitely designed for the teen/tween market, I found that there was something for everyone.  I would definitely wear the short black jacket with organza floral pin ($36), ballet flats ($19.95), and studded tank tops ($22).  Correction – I would wear these items if they FIT, which they did not.  The line is clearly cut for a tall, slender build, not a petite frame.  The sleeves on the jacket were inches too long.  However, my 5′8″ Madonna-loving friend Yvette looked great in the olive capri pants.   

There is no doubt that “Material Girl” is a Junior line.  The prints are very youthful – hearts, stars, and skulls.  The clothing features lots of metal studs, hook and eye closures, lace, and fishnet trims.  No one over a certain age is likely to wear the lycra bandeau tops, stretch tank dresses, studded leggings, pleather bike shorts, or “Who’s that Girl” inspired netted tutu skirts.  The quality seems a bit cheap but so are the prices, ranging from $5 to $36.  You get what you pay for.  Overall, Madonna’s new line is edgy, fun, and flirty just like the Material Girl.

Franceska and the Material Girls

My mother-in-law’s fur muffler has been carefully packed away in a storage trunk for years now.  After reading the Personal Style column in the August issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine, I realized what a fabulous little fashion accessory I had in hiding.  I was inspired to pull that furry little pelt out and wear it this fall.  

An identical fur muffler was featured at #5 on the list of top Fall trends.  The Harper’s Bazaar article featured a Ralph Lauren muffler for $795 and a Dennis Basso muffler for $1250.  I had no idea that I was hiding such a valuable family heirloom.  A snuggly, furry wraparound scarf will fight off the winter chill and update any outfit with just one single swoop around the neck.  As an added bonus, a muffler makes the perfect petite accessory because it keeps the focal point high on the petite figure.