What to Wear in Palm Springs

One of the secrets to a still hot relationship after 14 years: weekend getaways. I planned a quick jaunt to (scorching hot) Palm Springs for Mr. Diabolina last month.




Knew we were both in dire need of some R&R.




 Plus I've been dying to stay at The Parker since our first visit in 2009 during one of the BEST couples' weekends ever.

(Forever 21 dress, Prada sunglasses, Tory Burch purse) 




Our Jonathan Adler, poolside digs did not disappoint.



Neither did our must-visit, nom-nom-nom spot in Palm Springs, Las Casuelas Terraza.




The machaca was the perfect way to kick off the weekend

Just look at this pig...I mean happy baby :)

A side benefit to planning romantic weekends for your man:
he actually encourages you to shop during the trip.

Made sure to hit the Trina Turk store.

With all the retro prints and breezy shapes, it's the quintessential Palm-Springs-in-its-Rat-Pack-hey-day brand.

Adore the kitschy vibe of the swimwear.

And the glorious caftans.  I plan to live in caftans when I retire.

Found quite a few things I liked but narrowed them down to these two on sale.

Another reason I love Palm Springs: Men are so thankful to be in air conditioning that they will remain relatively still and quiet while you try on clothes.

Want to live by a pool in this short caftan but alas it was a size too big. It also looks a little too much like some things I already own. NEXT...

Loved the idea of this little asymmetrical number but not the reality of it. Didn't do much for my short waist and the silky material would last about an hour in my klutzy, sweaty world.  The color is killer though especially with a tan and my hot pink sandals. Got them at Tar-jay for $24 but don't they look exactly like THOSE $120 DV sandals everyone is wearing this summer???

At the boutique next door, I fell in love with these Marc Jacobs sunglasses. But $400! For barely there frames? 

Wasn't feeling spendy so settled for these $10 Prada knock-offs at some random little souvenir shop.
Adore.



Spent the rest of the afternoon poolside in my new Target hat catching up on magazines and trying to finish Andy Cohen's "Most Talkative" (don't judge me.)

Mr. D eventually lured me out of the pool with dinner plans at Mister Parker

It's a chic, sexy spot but OY is it dark in there! You know you are old when you are coveting a fellow diner's keychain flashlight.  Not sexy.

Found out the menu will be getting retooled by the new resident chef soon. Hope they don't get rid of the short ribs. They are heaven on a plate.



We started with the beet and grapefruit salad.

And the lobster stuffed filet 

With the gnocchi and brussels sprouts. 

Perfect amount of food and the wine recommendations were BEYOND.

Roamed around the resort after dinner like giddy kids and then took an evening dip in the 24-hour pool as night fell.

(H&M caftan, Zara clutch, Target sandals) 

Then we may or may not have ordered a bottle of wine to go with our room service dessert. #piggiesonvacation

Let Mr. Diabolina sleep in the next morning and was in the pool by 8 am.

(Target beach hat)

Mid-morning we hit Norma's for brunch. 

I had the crab omelette

Mr. D did the mango crepes.

Spent the rest of the afternoon – you guessed it – in the pool.  Side note: I got the WORST sunburn of my life in Palm Springs when I was 7. Went with my god-parents and fell asleep by the pool. You should have heard my mom GO OFF on them when her brown baby came home beet-colored. 

(Rogan shorts, Tory Burch sandals, Dior sunglasses, The Webster for Target top and Target sandals) 

Ended the trip with a stop at Cabezon, where Mr. D said thank you for whisking him away for the weekend with a little something :)

Another secret to 14 years together: Prada gifts.

How to Style Tucker Prints

I can't believe it's been nearly THREE years since a blog reader last hired me to do a wardrobe consultation! So when one of my favorite fellow BLOGGERS emailed me and asked me to help her revamp her wardrobe, I was a little nervous but mostly thrilled to dive back into styling. Here's her "Diabolina Styled Me and I Liked It" story.

***

Diabolina and I first “met” when I used to have a fashion blog, The Style Rules, and we would frequent one another’s blogs. The first time we met in real life was at a Tucker sample sale in 2010. I loved D’s style: how it was a mix of polished and pop with some fearless accessories and fancy shoes thrown in. So when she started doing styling and wardrobe consultations back in 2009, I knew I had to enlist her help.

Fast forward a few years, and I’ve just graduated from law school and am in dire need of a wardrobe revitalization. I used to work in fashion PR, and going from that creative environment to the seriousness of law school discombobulated my sense of style, to say the least.

I found myself shopping and shopping but never taking the next step to wear most of my purchases. And when I did, I did so with little effort and began wearing the same outfits for the same occasions over and over: Tucker blouse, skinny jeans, 5 inch heel, repeat. Worse, when I was in class (which was much of the week) I would stick to basic tees and jeans for fear of looking like “the fashion-forward girl” in a class full of academics.

I knew D would be able to help me navigate through my closet and find new outfits waiting to be worn for both play and business alike. Since I will be an attorney soon in either public interest or family law, I needed D’s help to find outfits that could be serious and modern, but with a hint of pop thrown in.

I was shocked at how D was able to take all of the things I had already purchased and mix them in ways I had never thought of. My favorite outfit of the day was my Theory blazer (which I had only ever worn paired with its matching wide-leg slacks – boring!), a polka dot top, skinny black pants and, for an added pop, a bright orange necklace and Miu Miu leopard print heels. 

 I loved how mixing and matching unexpected pieces turned into an outfit that could be worn from a lunch meeting to drinks with my girlfriends. The whole look made me feel so confident – and it didn’t look crazy at all, given the mix of patterns and textures. D also gave me great casual options that didn’t look too put together, but just put together enough to show I had some style. The kind of style that reads as effortless – love that! 

D was great at offering objective advice on what worked on my body. She told me what to focus on and what to stay away from, which made a huge difference and is something I had never really noticed before.  D  pointed out that I was buying sizes too big for my shape – something I had always done thinking it made me appear thinner. Also big and long lapels and jackets that hit at the thigh = BAD on my frame!

Jackets that hit closer to the hipbone = better, more proportional.





D also suggested adding some colored shoes to my collection as well as some polished flats instead of my go-to flip flops. Also more structured tops. Unbeknownst to me, I had been solely buying shoes of the black and brown variety.  And I did not own ONE structured top. All I had in my closet were billowy Tucker blouses or loose tanks.

Included in my wardrobe consultation was a lookbook that D put together for me with all the pieces she suggested I purchase to round out my wardrobe. It also included inspirational pictures of my favorite stylish celebs (Lauren Conrad, Nicole Richie, Rachel Bilson) wear the pieces I need in my closet. It was like Christmas morning and I can’t wait to purchase some of those pieces to go with my newly revamped wardrobe!




D was a pleasure to work with and be around – like a friend I’d known forever. I felt completely comfortable with her, even when discussing things like what looked best on my body and the negative feelings I had associated with attention. As D eloquently pointed out, “Not all attention is bad attention.”





Thanks D for getting me excited to put together beautiful outfits
as I begin my journey as an attorney in the months to come!

***

How gorgeous is this honey child, right? Loved helping her identify the gaps in her amazing Tucker-filled wardrobe as she prepares for a big career shift. But particularly enjoyed giving her a boost of confidence to realize that standing out doesn't have to be a bad thing. Humbled by the opportunity to hand yet another lovely lady that bit of sartorial wisdom.