Get your jumpsuit on!

One garment that I never get tired of is the jumpsuit. On a hot summer day, a tery or denim playsuit (yeah, the short version!) is a great alternative to a boring sundress, and at night there is nothing better than slipping into a silk or jersey romper for drinks and dinner. I am thrilled that there were jumpsuits all over the Fall '09 RTW runways, since that means I don't have to put mine in storage just yet!

Also, and more importantly, it means we are spoiled with countless jumpsuit trends to get inspiration from when styling our own looks, from day to evening to late night. Some of my catwalk favorites are below (pics from Style.com):

Layered outerwear look: Chanel Iman for Lacoste, Alina Ismailova for Marc by Marc Jacobs, Karolin Wolter for Lacoste.










Colorful prints: Charlotte Pallister for Ossie Clark, Lakshmi Menon for Tibi, Alyona Osmanova for Topshop Unique.

Boho look: Lily Donaldson for Chloe, Anja Rubik for Isabel Marant, Raquel Zimmermann for Chloe.









Sheer materials: Linnea Hellbom for Maison Martin Margiela, Tatyana Usova for Malandrino, Raquel Zimmermann for Stella McCartney.










Draped look: Eniko Mihalik for Balmain, Maria Babikova for Marchesa, Jeneil Williams for Zero + Maria Cornejo.










Metallic look: Tasha Tilberg for Dior, Lily Donaldson for Gucci, Angela Lindvall for Stella McCartney.










Denim look: Isabeli Fontana for Diesel Black Gold, Jessica Stam for Miss Sixty.











Ruffles: Dorothea Barth Jorgensen for Anne Valerie Hash, Julia Shvets for Erin Fetherston, Alina Ismailova for Ossie Clark.










Embellishments: Karmen Pedaru for Givenchy, Anna Kuchkina for L'Wren Scott, Sigrid Agren for Miu Miu.










I usually tend to favor the shorter playsuit, since it is so easy to wear and, depending on the material, works well for both day and evening. Wear it with flats and layer with a tee and a scarf during the day, and glam it up with jewelry and heels (just don't go overboard!) at night. On the right is an old picture of me in a denim Miss Sixty jumpsuit - I liked it so much I actually purchased it after the shoot! I love pairing it with a turtleneck (as in the picture) and flat boots during the day, and I can easily have it take me from day to evening just by losing the tee, maybe replacing it with a sequined tank, and adding some jewelry. Staying with solid gold or silver is recommended... you don't want too much crazy stuff going on at the same time, especially if you're bold enough to wear this ensemble with heels. This fall I am considering getting one of those fur vests that are hot right now to deck out my denim romper with - BB Dakota has a cute one for about $80: I've seen it everywhere in the fashion mags and I'm sure you have too!

For options slightly more affordable than the runway looks above, check out some great finds of the moment here below. On the left is a denim playsuit, a smocked strapless romper and a belted Harem jumpsuit, all from BabyPhat ($44, $19.99 and $69). Usually, Kimora Lee Simmons's designs are a little bit too ghetto fab for me, but I could definitely see myself in that Harem romper! I like how the powder pink breaks up all the black, and yes, with this one you definitely want to wear your highest, strappiest stilettos!

Further below are some adorable designs from Chloe, Maje Kiona and Missoni. I love the silky materials and the drawstrings on the former two: silk falls nicely on most shapes and the drawstring helps avoid an overly poufy look. Needless to say, I can't write this blog without including some knits, and the Missoni Fortaleza is definitely on my wishlist for the fall.











For a total steal, be sure to check out this really pretty blue draped playsuit from TopShop ($74), a stud-belted playsuit from Wet Seal ($26) and a woven romper for the evening from Forever 21 ($25). If you're not entirely sure about the jumpsuit trend, but just want to wear it once or twice for a night out, get one of these fabulously cheap suits and instead splurge on shoes and accessories to achieve a rich look.











Last but not least, don't forget to check out your local vintage boutiques for some cool retro jumpsuits. I wore this 80s vintage pink tery stunner on set for Step Up 3-D and it was the saddest moment of my life when I had to return it to the wardrobe stylists at the end of the day. Note the sparkly scarf and the drawstrings in the waist and around the ankles!

The skates are mine, though - I got them from Modell's for almost nothing. We can all use some more disco in our lives, right? Now get your jumpsuit on and have fun with it!

xoxoxoxox