We have been obsessed with those slouchy ankle socks from Prada since we first started seeing them in ‘08. We cannot for the life of us find what collection they are from and are starting to think that maybe they weren’t Prada after all. The only thing we’re sure of is that we saw them. Somewhere.

It never occurred to us to actually invest in them. I guess we both thought, they’re just socks. We can get socks anywhere. Well, little did we know what a task we had tasked ourselves with! For the past year and a half or so, we have been searching high and low for the perfect slouchy ankle socks. We’ve been to Target, to American Apparel, to Bloomingdales, H&M, Urban Outfitters… We’ve bought countless pairs of socks and tried to DIY our own Prada slouchy sock, but to no avail.

Then, we were at Bloomies looking for tights for an upcoming shoot and came across these little guys from Betsey Johnson…

We definitely were not looking for pink glitter Betsey Johnson socks, but they were seriously calling out to me. So we got them. And they’re perfect…

Mason anorak, Gar-de Penn henley, Opening Ceremony high-waisted skirt, Betsey Johnson socks, 1st season Louis Vuitton pumps

Since starting on this post, I’ve done a lot of research in my quest to find that elusive little slouchy ankle sock and my search has unearthed some of the internet’s most stylish ladies rockin’ all kinds of socks. So, thought I’d collect a few of them and give you a tribute to the Sock.

Susie Bubble with her collage from Prada’s SS07 collection along with some shots of her DIY version

The Aldridge ladies, Judy and Jane, sporting a variety of sock/shoe combos…

Alix, the cherry blossom girl…

Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere…

and our new friend, Erin, doing a delightful job of mixing her colors…

Long live the sock!!

images via Style Bubble, Atlantis Home, Sea of Shoes, The Cherry Blossom Girl, and Cupcakes and Cashmere.

Has anyone seen the new Hermes F09 advertising?  As if our love for the ultimate accessory, the scarf, wasen’t deep enough!  This campaign certainly needs to be seen over and over again (possibly even hung up in our closets!) just for the style inspirations alone.  Here their ode to the scarf…streetstyle.  Genious!!!

many many more looks via Hermes insert via Jalouse Magazine

It’s no secret to those who know me well that I’m a big, big fan of Queen Michelle from Kingdom of Style (not to overlook the fabulous Queen Marie, of whom I am also a very big fan). Queen Michelle is a crazy risk-taker. As she puts it, “ I like the challenge of pushing a piece of clothing to its limits, particularly for someone my age.” And pushing limits she does indeed.

One of today’s posts (It takes a lot of visits to keep up with those crazy blogging Queens!) was all about her new kitty mask. That’s right, you heard me — kitty mask. She talks about her love of playing dress-up and all it takes is one look at these images to know she’s having the time of her life. Thank you, Queen Michelle, for starting my week with a smile. 

To see Queen Michelle’s post in its entirety, click here.

We recently decided to add a new section to our website where we have a fabulous friend from the blogosphere style something from our shop. We are thrilled to unveil this little project with our first guest stylist, Sarah of Public Personae! We just adore Sarah. We discovered her a number of months ago when she was in the midst of her 30-day challenge. We were so impressed not only by her fantastic sense of style, but also by her sheer courage. She is a force to be reckoned with. She consistently brings new things - designers, trends, bloggers, artists, stores, and even cat photographers - to our attention. We love her smart, unique, yet practical take on fashion and are always interested to see what she’s into next. 

Here’s Sarah…

And here’s the item she styled for us…

One of Sarah’s takes…

See the rest of Sarah’s styles here. And don’t forget to check out her blog, Public Personae. She’s always up to something good! Thanks, Sarah!

I really love dresses. And tunics. And shoes. Basically, anything drapey that I can throw over jeans, pants, tights, or leggings and kick up a notch with a fabulous shoe is what I go for. I’m posting a pic, but please be kind. I’m new at this! Arlene and I have been consistently taking pictures of each other to a) try and get comfortable in front of the camera, and b) warm up to the idea of putting ourselves out there for all to see (it’s scary — someone actually called Susie Bubble a “butt-ugly loser!”) Anyway, for me the dress/tunic is the epitome of effortless dressing. I mean, seriously, what’s easier than a dress and a shoe??? In my opinion, nothing. Which is why I work this look day in and day out. Be warned: you might get bored soon

dress: Behnaz Sarafpour, jenas: Found Denim Symone, shoes: Rupert Sanderson, security blanket: Faliero Sarti

Arlene and I are suckers for a great street style blog, so imagine my pleasant surprise when I stumbled upon copenhagenstreetstyle. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure, please do check it out. There’s a giant Acne logo on their page, for crying out loud, so they’ve definitely got some street cred. They’ve also got a whole lot o’ wacky going on, but these Scandinavians definitely know a thing or two about cold-weather style.

There’s way more to see… check it out here.

So, I actually posted this blog earlier, but I had an internal battle with my confident self and my unconfident self — the unconfident me won and unpublished the post. I received a lot of flack from my business partner, Arlene, and our amazing intern, Amanda, who both pointed out that what I personally find most alluring and stylish is confidence. I have an intimate and intense struggle with confidence. I definitely am willing to put myself out there, but a picture of me putting myself out there… well, that’s a different story entirely.

I seem to have a lot of arguments with myself.  About myself.  Apparently, according to me, I am not thin enough, I’m a little weird, I’m overly perky, and I have no sense of style.  We fight about other things, too, but these are the big ones. I also seem to always be in the middle of one of those pesky identity crises. But through all of this confusion and these unending bouts with my self-esteem, I have come to realize that the only person I can be is me. So, here I am. In all my glory…

Arlene would call this look “everyday fashion/Monday”

I am certainly no Anna WIntour, but I have learned that I do have a sense of style. I am a woman who knows what she likes, knows what looks good on her, and isn’t afraid of a little attention. I live my life playing dress-up and it makes me the happiest girl on earth. My motto is Be Yourself. I mean after all, isn’t that the only thing that separates you from everyone else?

hat: Goorin; sweater: See by Chloe; dress: Vanessa Bruno; jeans: Loomstate; shoes: Loeffler Randall Margo

So, most of you who follow this blog are undoubtedly familiar with the uber-stylish Jane of Sea of Shoes. We love Jane, but after reading Jane’s blog for some time, we have really become taken with Jane’s mom, Judy Aldridge. Judy should be the poster child (woman?) for twentythirtyforty.net. She wears what she loves and loves what she wears. She is not afraid to take risks and clearly dresses solely for herself. She rocks out every single outfit she dons with the utmost confidence and commitment. Just look at her in this shirtdress with piles and piles of accessories and good old-fashioned geek glasses.

Good, no? Judy has a long and prestigious history in the world of fashion (former model & boutique owner, now online purveyor of style), so it’s no surprise that she’s such a style maven. You’ll definitely want to check out her online vintage shop, Atlantis Vintage, as well as her fantastic blog, Atlantis Home(where she always posts about newly added shop items). Judy loves her some vintage shopping and she has a very keen eye, so things in her shop move quickly. Don’t wait too long or that YSL silk shift will be gone like McQueen on Gilt Groupe! 

It’s difficult as a woman over 40 to stay hip, stylish, current and age-appropriate. Somehow, Judy Aldridge always seems to get it right. She’s just down with who she is and that’s reflected in her impeccable personal style. I think what always gets us about her is how completely effortless and cool she always looks. We love those Olsen twins (haven’t talked about that much, but we do), but THIS is the style icon that we aspire to be.

Gotta love a woman who understands the power of a great shoe and some fabulous accessories…

And Judy’s style isn’t just about Judy: check out the skirt she made for daughter, Carol (this one bakes, by the way. such a creative and talented group of ladies!)

Thank you, Judy, for inspiring us all to take some risks, wear what we love, and embrace who we are.

more fashion, more Giovanna…

What can I possibly add??  That is some serious style.

Many thanks to Garance Dore, The Sartorialist, Allure Allure, jak & jil