Jaded by Jeggings? Sock It to 'em.

Cutesy terms make you want to barf in your face? Blame the marketers, not the merchandise.
We've got you an option.

This right here is what is known in markety/retailing circles as a "jegging." The etymological smashup of "jeans" and "leggings," certain salesy types apparently thought the article itself was not enough of a sell on its own. (It is, but more on that in another post.) Thus, coin a cute name and let fly!

Can we sidebar for a second? Why are we always contracting everything? Why are we always coming up with names for things that already have names? (Shooties, anyone? Glittens?) What? Point the finger at ourselves? Guilty as charged. We are both pot and kettle when it comes to contributing to the degradation of our mother tongue. But, hey, they said the same thing about Chaucer. He got into the Canon and contributed nary an emoticon.

Can we sidebar from our sidebar for a second? You've gotta admit a language that can build an emotive sub-lingual shorthand out of its own punctuation is pretty clever, if not in the process cannabalistically sabotaging its inherent inventiveness and eloquence. :-/

OK! Basta! The point of this purpled prose is that we hate the name, not the thing. However ... some of you might also hate the thing. So we're going to scrap all this and talk about socks. Socks! This humble, oft-overlooked aspect of our wardrobe is coming into the forefront as a compliment or replacement for leggings, denim or otherwise.

They understand this in London.

With strappy or open shoes and peeptoes, the sock provides warmth in winter but, more importantly, a much desired visual element. Sparkles, patterns and bulk (think thick men's Army numbers – a favorite). These aren't some grungy pair of athletic socks. The socks of 2010 possess a casual chic, a je ne sais quoi hiding in the quotidian. An alternative. We like having choices.

So if leggings and their markety permutations are't in the cards for you, reach for the sock drawer. You just might find a new look in that forgotten corner of your bureau. :-)

Ribbed for her pleasure. This image ripped from Vogue.co.uk.

Free Knees

Last Sunday was a day of unprecedented fall beauty here in Chicago. That, or a cruel joke as the rest of October has proven to be a dreary, overcast and chilly experience punctuated with a pervasive drizzle as if the sky, too, were crying. In other words, typical Chicago.

We here at Lori's are of the "lemonade from lemons" school, so we're making the most of inclement weather by sugaring the pot to giving you more. Buy any pair of all-weather boots like UGG or La Canadienne and we will give you a complimentary pair of HUE black, flat-knit knee socks, a $7 value.

Even leaden clouds have a silver lining. Buy some new boots and we'll throw in a knit one. Offer ends Saturday, October 31, 2009. Enjoy!

Offer is good for online orders placed before midnight, October 31, 2009 only. Not valid in any stores. Does not apply to previous orders. Other restrictions may apply.

A Penny for Your Thoughts

School's in and so are collegiate fashions as preppy looks score high marks this fall. This is fine by us. There's something about the classically conservative styling of Ivy League-inspired togs that's so ... workable. These time-tested styles are a great foundation on which to build an outfit and capitalize on fall trends. We've picked some fall college-inspired styles for you to work with.

The Penny Loafer
Pop quiz: How cute is this shoe? Answer: (a) supercute. Continuing the menswear trends this fall (spectators, workshoes, kilties, oxford and wingtip details), the penny loafer by Jeffrey Campbell has an adorable rounded toe with a short vamp. Sawtooth edges, patent finishes and snakeskin patterning add a more feminine feel. Or not: Enzo Angiolini's Mendoza is a sober penny loafer straight out of the men's department and perfect under a subtle windowpane plaid wool pant for the office.

Wear with dark and neutral leggings like steel greys, chocolate browns or a deep aubergine or burgundy. (Check out HUE's palette.) For the globally engaged college look, accessorize with something a little less conservative, like square fringe scarves in neutral plaids with kiffeyeh styling. For cooler days bundle up with a heavier weight cable-knit scarf in classic ivory.

The Mary Jane
The Mary Jane pump is a great fall trend and the O, Please by Gentle Souls with its clean lines, rounded edges and leather-covered button is a great example.

We threw in some cashmere tights by B.ella, an aubergine day bag by Pietro Allesandro that folds into a large clutch for after-school events and topped it off with a slouchy, plaid engineer's cap by San Diego Hat Company. The tights and bag will dress up the shoe, the cap adding a cool riff on the overall color scheme while tapping into this season's plaid addiction.

The Campus Boot
Frye's Campus boot has been a hot commodity ever since the Civil War, though we associate it more strongly with college life in the '60s and '70s. The buttery caramel color of this stacked heel boot is eye-catching without being blatant.

We've paired it with a Mod engineer's cap in a wide, woven herringbone that picks up the boot's color. The grey of the cap works back to the Sterling silver in Wendy Culpepper's Louie organic shape necklace and HUE's knee socks in cobblestone blue. A Carla Mancini shoulder bag and a cute bird keyfob by Livishy add fun period touches.