Dolling it up….Kentucky Derby Style

The Kentucky Derby is a time honored tradition and there will no doubt be an abundance of viewing parties this weekend.  Whether you are attending a party or one of the lucky ones who will be at the actual derby, you must be outfitted accordingly.   

The San Francisco Guardmen are throwing a fabulous derby inspired soiree called “Run for the Roses” on May 4th from 1:00pm-6:00pm at 1 Fort Mason in San Francisco. Guests of this private soirée will enjoy a delectable spread of appetizers and traditional southern food, while all proceeds will go to benefit at-risk Bay Area youth.

There are a several routes you can take apparel wise, but we all know that it’s all about the hat. Wide brimmed solid hats, adorned hats, fascinators, and fedoras are all solid choices.  Choose the one that compliments your personality best. We suggest picking the hat first and building your outfit around it.

We found two great collections of Kentucky Derby hats, one from JenniferDawn84 (pictured above) on Polyvore and another on PatterPulp.

A wide brimmed floral adorned hat with a solid color dress and spectator heels is sure to be a crowd pleaser. 

If you opt for a floral dress, we recommend keeping the hat simple and solid. For a gender bender twist (and our favorite!), try a seersucker shorts suit paired back to a panama straw hat.  

Need some derby day inspiration for your guy, we love this photo from the art of manliness.

If you don’t feel like heading to the Guardsmen party, throw your own last minute festive soiree in your backyard or apartment complex pool-side. Southern Living has some great Derby inspired ideas and delicious recipes to play with. 

Call  your best girls over for either a girlie day with hats, heels, and mint julep drinks or get consider getting creative having each of them bring a single guy as their guest. Dolly as they say….let the races begin! 

Written by Camilla, celebrity stylist for Tog + Porter with creative dating ideas from Amy Andersen of Linx Dating.

 

Weekend Getaway with the Beau!

When your beau asked you to meet his parents, butterflies rumbled in your stomach….you were excited, a little nervous, elated, and the sound of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons flooded your mind…a wedding in the future perhaps?

Luckily you had the perfect ensemble to wear thanks to Tog + Porter’s Meeting the Parents style guide. Classy, feminine, and lady-like. You nailed it and remembered that the most important thing in preparing to meet the parents is to simply be yourself. Brunch with his parents was delightful and so fun! He was at ease, his parents down-to-earth and excited to meet you, and you felt like a princess.

The following day he shared that his parents absolutely loved you and have invited the two of you up to their Lake Tahoe lake house for a weekend getaway. An invitation to spend more time with his parents and immerse yourself in their world seemed to be the absolute perfect timing. How lovely!

The week leading up to the lake getaway you pamper yourself with pretty ballet slipper polish for a mani/pedi, waxed in all the right places, highlights and a cut, and a spray tan for any time spent on the lake. The Mr. shares to pack casual but said there would be a lakeside BBQ oyster shucking party with his parent’s neighbors the first night, boating on the lake the next day, followed by an intimate dinner at the house and dominoes fireside with after dinner drinks.

Casual isn’t really in your vocabulary and as much as you love your walks in nature, heading to “the woods” isn’t necessarily as easy as it seems for a city girl! Channeling your inner Carrie Bradshaw you put on the episode of Sex and the City where Carrie visits Aidan’s country cottage. 

You hope to fare better than Carrie did when she visited Aidan’s cabin. Clearly, comfort is key, but you don’t want to compromise your keen fashion sense that he has grown so fond of.

Not only do you need to plan some cute outfits but you also want to bring his parents a nice little gift to say Thank You for the lovely invitation and weekend at their lake house. What to get them that is a kind gesture but still not trying too hard?

And considering that you don’t know what their lake house is like at all or his mother’s discerning taste, the pressure is on. You do know that his parents are East Coast types who moved out to San Francisco ten years ago for his father’s job in private equity. Like father, like son. His parents definitely are on the more conservative side and money no object.

You also want to surprise your beau with a little something unexpected…. afterall, it is your 6 month anniversary that Saturday! We understand how any girl can feel a little overwhelmed by this scenario, which is why we sent an S.O.S. over to our friends at Tog + Porter for some outfit ideas. Stylist Camilla Basse broke it down for us and gave us suggestions for each activity on the trip.

For the oyster roast, she suggests your favorite and most comfortable pair of boyfriend jeans, a classic white button-down and a cozy sweater.

On day 2, a chambray button-down, your beloved go to denim shorts and metallic boating shoes for the boat excursion. Wear your new summer bathing suit (and sunscreen) underneath she says.

For dinner, Camilla says you can wear the same chambray top from earlier back to a white cotton or lace skirt or go for sleeveless plaid or tribal print top with your denim shorts. 

She also says one statement piece is always a good idea. And, nothing says statement piece like a beaded shirt toned down and made cabin appropriate with denim.

With your packing list complete, it’s time to set out on what is destined to be one weekend to remember.

As for the gifts, you know him best, but us gals here at T+P think a picnic basket tote from Brookstone for his parents would make a useful, yet thoughtful gift for future boating trips. If they already have something of the sorts, a monogrammed Pendleton wool blanket is always a winner.

Need help packing for an upcoming getaway? One of Tog + Porter’s amazing stylists would love to help you. You can even schedule an appointment with Camilla by simply clicking here.

Meet The Parents | What To Wear

The time has come to meet your honey’s parents.  You’re both thrilled and petrified. Although we’re sure they’ll love you as much as he does, you want to put your best fashion foot forward on this momentous occasion.  We teamed up with style experts Tog + Porter to show Linx readers how to look fabulous for this huge occasion.

The first step in deciding what to wear is to find out what the setting is. Are you gathering for a casual brunch?  Drinks?  Dinner?  One thing is certain, no matter the setting: keep your look polished and demure.

Tog + Porter stylist Camilla Basse says a floral dress with strappy sandals and a solid cardi or white skinnies with a silky top in a soft tone are winning combos for a brunch date. 

For him:  jeans with a casual button up and blazer.

For cocktails or a more formal dinner date, we suggest a lace dress with neon heels or classic black heels if you get the feeling they’re a little more on the conservative side. A flirty floral dress with long sleeves is another option for a more covered up approach. Pair back to striking strappy metallic heels to add some wow factor.

For him: a pair of slim cut trousers, a button up and blazer OR a killer suit, which like Clooney never goes out of style. (Yeah, we totally stole that line from Sex and the City)For killer suit inspiration, have your man borrow a page from Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s GQ spread.If you need help prepping an outfit to meet your beaux’s parents or friends, you know where to turn. You can now book your face-to-face skype session with a Tog + Porter stylist online here.