Fab Kids : Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, Andre Leon Talley Baby Costumes

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I figured this may be the last year that Juliet would let me dress her for Halloween so I wanted to have some fun with it.  Through the Fab Kids and Their Stylish Moms Facebook network and my following on Instagram @fab_kids, I threw (and sold out) an Haute Halloween themed costume party where kids (mostly toddlers) were encouraged to dress as their fashion icon.  Being that I…er I mean Juliet adores Anna Wintour, I started scheming months ahead to put together a Vogue triplet team consisting of (Asian) Anna Wintour, a Karl Lagerfeld and Andre Leon Talley.   Here was my inspirational shot that led me to this crafty planning.

minifashionistas

Obviously these costumes are more for the fashion-obsessed parents than they are for the cute toddlers. But what fashionista wouldn’t go gaga over these images?  Off to work I went finding mini Anna Wintour’s outfit.  I knew I wanted her to carry a Vogue magazine so I pulled out my signed September issue from Fashion’s Night Out and made a miniature copy, half the size of the actual magazine.   Tip – make two color copies and glue them 1 on each side to a piece of cardboard (I made a cut out from a box to make it super sturdy). That way, no matter which way the toddler carries it, it won’t bend, and will always show the front cover.

Pictured here are also some Anna – like jewels (that my husband mistakenly removed from baby before arriving to the party argh!)

vogue magazine

Here is Anna with her signature jewels. Pretty nice match for just $1 a necklace, right?

andre leon talley anna wintourI’m still so mad that I never got to get pictures with Juliet wearing them…   Here’s the rest of Juliet’s mini-Anna look without the dollar store black sunglasses that I had her wear.

anna wintour costume

I found the tweed Cream and gold fleck cardigan at Zara  – so Chanel – looking!  And I couldn’t resist buying a matching sz 13/14 for me to wear with her.  The tweed ballet shoes are from Old Navy and the skirt is from Target.  I did scour the web (for months) for the perfect Anna wig but I simply could not find anything similar at or near her size.  In the end, I gave an adult sized wig an Anna haircut but there was no way this toddler was going to keep it on.  So I reluctantly wore it myself and bought myself a Vogue tee to wear under the Zara cardigan.

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Days before when I had given up on her ever wearing the wig, I bought her her very first real haircut and felt defeated not being able to find any way to color her hair Anna’s blondish brown (without actually having to permanently color her hair).  You should have seen the stylist’s face when I asked him to make Juliet look like the picture of Anna that I brought in.

anna wintour and Karl lagerfeld

Juliet was so enthralled with the whole hair cutting process that she sat patiently and as still as any determined minifashionista would.

Anna Wintour

Karl Lagerfeld’s signature look was easier to replicate.  All you really need are a:

  • Chanel shopping bag
  • White cat
  • black suit
  • brooch and/or necklaces
  • and a children’s white wig
  • black sunglasses

Juliet’s friend, Mosi got it spot ON!

karl lagerfeld

karl lagerfeld costume

One little trick to keep a kid-sized wig on a toddler is to add an elastic band under the chin.  You can barely see it here but it allowed for Karl to run around music class without ever shifting his perfect platinum hair! IMG_1717

Did you notice his CC shoes?  They actually say “Chanel on the inside.  Fab!!  You can get some just like these here.

Speaking of fab, it doesn’t get more fab than Andre Leon Talley, editor-at-large of Vogue Magazine.  He’s stately, he’s acessorized to the nines and he commands attention everywhere his giant fur-caped self goes.

andre leon talley

Andre Leon Talley’s costume should include:

  • a cape
  • fur
  • necklaces
  • grey hair
  • a fab suit
  • Vogue magazine

Our little Andre refused to wear his fur cape but kept the rest of his accessories on including a Chanel brooch!  His shoes came off for dancing…

andre leon talley

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Here are Asian Anna Wintour and Andre sharing an actual rather than an air kiss!  I’m soo glad that mamarazzi caught this on camera!andre leon talley vogue

And finally, our little Vogue trio together.  What do you think?

vogue magazine

For more pictures from the party, visit the FB page and check out the entire album!  More on the rest of the party SOON!

 

 

 

 

 

How to Spot a Fab Mom on a Playground Near You

fab mom There’s definitely a set of moms, who even after having a baby are determined to be as fabulous and stylish as they once were pre-baby.  Channeling their fashion expertise into impeccably dressing their kid(s), they scour the web in search of the perfect shoes and accessories to complete their child’s ever-changing wardrobe and organize closets not as a non-stop chore but rather with a passion, as if Karl Lagerfeld were about to do a final inspection.    I am guilty of being one of these moms and finding other (crazy?) fab moms like me has become one of my new mom goals.

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I’ve developed an eagle eye for spotting these women.  Read below and you’ll soon be able to spot a fab mom at your nearest playground:

  • We wear faux fur to the playground with our ripped jeans and movie-star sunglasses.
  • Leopard.  ’nuff said.
  • We refuse to wear sneakers outside of the gym (unless they have a trendy wedge heel).
  • Others curiously wonder how our kids always look like they just stepped out of a catalog
  • Our diaper bag is designer
  • We accessorize with Chanel despite it being completely inappropriate for the setting.
  • Matching outfits. Yes really.
  • Our kids live their lives in front of our cameras and on social media

Note how I say “we”.  I can poke fun at all of these unusual characteristics because I have exhibited every one of them, I’m sure.  9.13

Surely, you stare at us out of the corner of your eyes and wonder all sorts of things about our lifestyle, our choices and simply how we got out of the house looking so polished.  You might secretly hate us.  We know.  We see and feel those stares.  And we know we don’t fit in everywhere we go.  And yes we know we look ridiculous to you at times.

Rest assured, sometimes we hate ourselves too. It takes extra time and energy to care this much about how things look.  My husband nags me and tells me to relax when I have rare moments of downtime.  But instead, I race around the house trying to make everything look more presentable than need be, and can’t stop my perfectionism when it comes to my passion – fashion.  I’m often found sewing or crafting something for Juliet’s wardrobe.  Or I’m cleaning out our closets, editing things we have outgrown and /or haven’t worn.  I’m making sure that: all the hangers are facing the same way, that clothing is steamed, that outfits are planned, that sales are not missed.  If I didn’t care so much, I could actually take a breather and soak in the tub listening to Sade or something.

So while it may be simpler and more comfortable to slide into yet another pair of yoga pants and call it a day, I am in a skirt, blouse and ballerina hair bun.  (I will admit, I have actually forgone the high heel in exchange for flats..something I never thought I’d do)  But I have yet to give up my old wardrobe.  I figure if it still fits, celebrate it and wear it!  So what if my old fashion PR NYC wardrobe doesn’t fit in with the workout wear / mommy uniform I’m usually surrounded by?  I feel better, more like myself in my old wardrobe. Comparatively, yes, I’m dressed up at classes and play dates where I show up and I’m the only one accessorizing with something other than a diaper bag.  Sometimes I get asked if I’m going somewhere special that day.  (No, I think.  I just wanted to wear the pretty clothes that are sitting in my closet.  I’m just off to school drop-off like you.)

I don’t need an occasion anymore.  My child’s music or art or ballet class has become my occasion.  After all, what else does the stay at home mom usually get to leave the house for?  I dress to please me but I know better than to attend in something like a pencil skirt that would hinder my ability to chase after a toddler and sit on the ground during circle time.  Therefore, I have learned to tone down my fancier pieces with laid back jeans and perhaps a wedge sneaker thrown in as a nod to all the sneaker-ed moms in the room.

And I’ve started a new FB page for us fashion-obsessed moms.  Like Fab Kids!  And follow @fab_kids on Instagram where every Monday a #fab_mom and her child are featured.  Recently, I’ve started hosting NYC themed play dates and parties.  They involve fashion themes like our white party or back to school nerdy book exchange  or Haute Halloween for instance.  And they allow for fab moms to meet, network, and play with their little ones in the comfort of their Manolos.

 

 

 

 

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