In Heaven, Masculine Meets Feminine

I remember when I was in the third grade, a boy named Corey wore a purple corduroy skirt to school.  It completely baffled the entire class. The third grade world was all a'twitter before there even was Twitter. It was all anyone could talk about. When asked why he wore a skirt to school he simply said, "I wanted to.  Why can only girls wear skirts?"  Wow!  So simple. So true.  Out of the mouths of babes as they say.  Fashion has always reflected the climate of the world; politics, art, technology.  Coco Chanel is credited as making it acceptable for women to wear pants.  Now 80 years later Marc Jacobs, one of today's most recognized designers, can often be seen sporting a dress.  The times are a changin' and the hard and fast rules of what women and men can wear, from fabrics to colors, to shapes have gone out the window leaving a veritable fashion playground, and this season women are like kids at recess!   Mixing feminine and masculine can be a fun way to dabble with your personal style.  Combining looser fits with more figure hugging silhouettes can create a more interesting look than just the expected.  Big trends we are seeing this season are men's oxford style shoes and smoking slippers being paired with softer hues and feminine lines.  Put on an over-sized sweater with your skinny jeans.  Don a tough boot with a frilly flirty dress (Frye boots have been a long time "go to" for this look. (now available at Williams Shoes).  For some much celebrated inspiration in this vain check out Diane Keaton in Annie Hall.  One of the things I personally love about this style is it portrays a confident woman who isn't afraid to challenge the traditional idea of femininity or masculinity for that matter.  A woman who knows not everyone is going to approve of the look and doesn't care is a woman I care for. It can be comfortable and stylish and so easy to make personal.  This season in fashion heaven:  Masculine meets feminine!