sibling rivalry

it's a story as old as time--little sisters forced to live in the shadows of their older, more accomplished, big sisters. while the big sister may be taller, stronger and more worldly than her younger counterpart, we'd like to celebrate the little sisters out there who have triumphed over the fame and notoriety of their elder siblings. sometimes, the little one comes out on top!

serena versus venus williams: big sister venus may have been the first to burst onto the tennis scene and claim wimbledon as her own, but younger sister serena soon overcame the mental block of giving venus a good old-fashioned butt-kicking and currently leads the sisters' head-to-head match ups at 8-7.

nikki versus paris hilton: paris may be the one who became famous simply by becoming famous, but she did it by dragging herself and her family name through the mud. the tabloids are even tired of reporting on paris' escapades. little sister nikki, however, has stayed relatively low-key and will ultimately be the shining star of the pair.

kim versus kourtney kardashian: big props to little sister kim who rules the kardashian klan [sic].

stormy weather

on sunday it was 65 degrees...three days later we find ourselves back in the low 40s with yet another day of soaking rain on the horizon. as we're entranced by the sound of rain beating the tin roof above us, we find ourselves wishing time forward. not to summer, but to fall where we'll find this adorable anorak from one of our favorites lines--rag & bone:




we love the camo; we love the juxtaposition of plaid as the handwarmer; we love the neutral palette and classic campy shape of a jacket that feels right at home whether worn by a boy scout on a camping trip or eastern european model on the runway.

sail away

in the fashion world where we're constantly waiting for "the next big thing," one thing has become predictable over the years. just as sure as fleet week invades manhattan every spring, nautical looks take over the pages of fashion magazines as navy striped tee shirts arrive in stores. this classic spring look was first inspired by queen victoria in 1846 when she dressed her son albert in a sailor suit to wear aboard the royal yacht. since then, the sailor look has been interpreted and re-interpreted by classic designers such as chanel and ralph lauren as well as mavericks vivienne westwood and john galliano. from the golden age of hollywood when jean harlow and bette davis owned the look to the runways of today, nautical fashion is nothing if not a spring statement.a high-waisted, wide-leg pant may be a little too fleety for you, but the look is easy to acheive without appearing over-styled or costumed. stick with a simple palette of navy and white stripes in the form of a dress or tee shirt/tank paired with white (or simply blue) jeans. for the more adventurous out there, we've seen everything from phillip lim's anchors to derek lam's stars adorning spring fashions. and if you want to take it up a level, throw in a red accessory, straw bag or something roped--like the lizzie fortunato "spirits for sale" necklace at poole shop.

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seeing double

call it the guido tuxedo; call it the canadian tuxedo; whatever you say, double denim is back in a big way. jessica biel graces the cover of vogue's february issue showing off the look in a fashionably 80s ralph lauren sort of way, and the style has migrated from the runways to the streets in new york city. while the ultra-cool can pull off the style seamlessly, poole shop has some tips for the regular folk out there who don't want to look as if they just stepped off the dude ranch.

double denim do's:

- mix and match your colors and textures. a soft grey denim legging pairs effortlessly with a chambray or heavier denim shirt in a true blue.

-the term double denim doesn't have to be taken too literally. the look can easily be achieved by adding a denim accent, such as a slouchy hobo like heidi klum, to accompany your daytime boyfriend jean.

- the more daring and fashion-forward should go for an actual denim shirt tucked into an actual pair of jeans. in case you think this screams "guido tuxedo," we've checked our sources at urbandictionary.com where the guido tuxedo is defined as denim on denim; namely a denim jacket coupled with denim pants. with a bit of confidence and swagger, you can own it.

double denim don't's:

- who could ever forget the fashion faux pas of the 90s when pop power couple britney spears and justin timberlake strolled hand-in-hand in coordinating denim ensembles? everything about this interpretation of double denim is wrong: don't ever repeat it in any way.

- wait. this looks to be a case of triple denim! sorry, jennifer love, but there can be too much of a good thing.

not your mother's shoulder pads

shoulder pads are back on the runways this spring, but don't bring your dynasty frocks out of the closet just yet. when styles come back around, designers give their own personal spin by re-interpreting an outdated look. so your blazers from the 80s will still look like blazers from the 80s and not something worthy of fashion-forward balmain. on the other hand, don't disregard a fashion statement simply because you've "done" that look before. check out these celebrities and their new spin on an old favorite:

if you do embrace this look, just be sure to know your boundaries and recognize there can be too much of a good thing (see lady gaga).

high contrast

a classic color combo, black and white is back in a big way this spring. from casual street styles to dressier affairs, it's amazingly easy to start with two simple colors and make the look all your own. for daytime take a cue from cameron diaz by starting with a basic white tee and top it off with a black blazer, or funk it up a notch by adding a moto jacket in leather or jersey--like the one from kimberly ovitz that just arrived at poole shop ($365). for night we love the look of a sculptural white dress paired with black booties a la michelle williams (below). whatever you do, don't take the look too seriously and have fun by playing around with endless combinations.

weather advisory

for all of you out there getting walloped by this winter weather, we've come across the ultimate splurge for those who are dying for some (fake) rays: tom ford's $450 tortoise shell tanning goggles. the price may seem extravagant, but after three feet of snow you're vision is surely clouded as cabin fever takes its toll. although tanning is a major faux pas these days, sometimes a girl just needs a little sunshine in her life.