When I lived in Lyon, France, I made a bee-line for the ridiculously overpriced and underwhelming “gym” (yes, that word should live in a serious set of air quotes, because it essentially consisted of a poorly ventilated room with a couple of old, rusty cardio machines adjacent to a dance studio with horrible overhead lighting and a noticeable B.O. problem) in an effort to stave off my homesickness…and any potential weight gain from the fantastic French fare. Initially, I would slip into my gym gear at home and walk to the two blocks to the gym, but I resolved to pack my clothes after more than my fair share of eyebrow raised looks of confusion {based on the reception my get-up received, I would guess that wearing gym clothes outside of the home was tantamount to wearing your pajamas to Church or something, according to les lyonnais} and one particularly strange incident that I have puzzled over for years. As I was walking down the street in my Nike spandex and windbreaker, a man leaned out of the window of his car and yelled, “Tu es sportive!” He didn’t look particularly menacing or lewd; his delivery instead suggested that he was saying something along the lines of “Hey, you dropped your keys” or something of comparable neighborly kindness. And “tu es sportive” translates to: “You look athletic”/”you are sporty.” ?! What was that?! A cat-call? Most random pick-up line ever — sorta like yelling, “You have red hair!” or “You’re wearing a green shirt!” Strange. Now Mr. Magpie and I will exchange faux “cat calls” along these lines every now and then — “you have really brown hair”; “you look sporty“; “you’re wearing running shoes!” You know, things that sound like they might be compliments but actually achieve nothing.
All of this is a long wind-up to justify the title of this post, which came to mind after thinking about how much I’ve loved the slightly athletic/sport-inspired looks I’ve seen all over the runway. I’m not into anything that’s literally akin to athletic gear {I don’t think I’ll ever get into the surfer girl styles — sorry, Proenza Schouler}, but certain color combinations (black and orangey-red) and smart cuts achieve the overall aesthetic.
For example, love this combo dress in the perfect racing colors (Sandro, $320, Net-A-Porter) alongside that fab J. Crew bubble necklace ($150, Net-A-Porter):
Ideal paired with these funky shoes (Vionnet, $925, The Corner):
And this perforated Givenchy tote ($1,445, Barney’s):
Or, how about this chevron-print button-front dress (Tucker, $380, Net-A-Porter), which lives in the same sporty color family, with a tasseled necklace (on sale for $319, Ten Over Six):
Oh-so-chic with some funky booties (Maison Martin Margiela, $895, Net-A-Porter):
Or, check out this perforated leather tote (affordable! — $89, Truvow):
Alternately, a boyfriend blazer ($78, Urban Outfitters) with a statement necklace ($88, Max & Chloe), black skinnies, some mah-jor boots ($605, Antik Batik):
Perfection with this geometric tote ($89, Rachel Roy):
Or, consider this silken muscle tee (3.1 Phillip Lim, $195, Otte) with a simple beaded necklace ($130, Ben-Amun) and black leather trim skirt (on sale for $180, Oxygene):
I’d wear it with this bucket bag (~$115, Mango) —
— and these ankle-strap heels ($120, Mango):
Or, a maxi dress (A.L.C., $795, Shopbop) with a lariat necklace ($88, Max and Chloe):
with some wedges (MyMu, on sale for $178, Les Nouvelles) and a tasseled clutchski ($128, Lulu Clutches):
And, in closing — a special treat for y’all: a giveaway for the most fab statement necklace…ever! Get ready: Dawn Biddlecomb, an independent stylist for Stella & Dot, is treating one lucky reader to the Marrakesh Bib necklace seen below! All you have to do is like Dawn on Facebook and leave a comment on this post telling me what the best or worst cat-call you’ve ever received is! A winner will be announced this Thursday!
Woot woot!
Being single in DC brings about a lot of great pick up lines. I think my favorite has to be one that every guy living in the District starts the conversation with:
Bar Bro: So… what do you do here in DC?
Me: I work at a law firm.
Bar Bro: Well thats convenient. Cause I’d love to court you.
He was probably hoping I worked at a consulting firm. I’m sure he has that one on lock down 🙂
I sinceredly wish I had the spunk and confidence to ‘dog-call'(for a lack of terminology) back to these enamored members of the male species! My recollection of cat-calling experiences seem to be bland, however, my perfectly curvaceous girlfriend had quite the ego boost this summer. She was sunning on the beach in Ocean City in her tiny bikini when a spry young buck whistled and ‘Heyy Baay-bee” ‘d her! Being the ripe young age of 37ish it made her day….Only to have her tire deflated after he approached and muttered under his breath that she was an old lady!
I was blessed with beautiful redhair, however this is a direct target as a child (carrot tops) and as an adult well…. There is the obvious cat call that I have recieved so many times. Does the carpet match the drapes? But I had one fellow who took it up a notch….Hey Baby does the carpet match the drapes or do you have hardwood floors?
oooh I temporarily deactivated my fb so I can focus on studying for the LSATS (and of course here I am… way too in love with this site) so I hope that doesn’t count against me! L<3VE Stella and Dot what a gorgeous necklace I DIEEEE
The worst catcall I have a ever received was from Halloween a few years ago, from an imbecile dressed as a Catholic Priest. The guy yelled a number of religion-related one liners at me, including, but not limited to: "Let me in you and we shall find Christ together" (EWWWWWWWWWWWW) and "You know I won't make you abort it, baby." YEAH. LITERALLY could not look at a man for about a week. I cringe writing this. HATE HIM. Love you though. YAY.
Love this statement necklace! The most awkward cat-call occurred in December when I went downstairs to my office building’s cafe. I was wearing a bright red silk shell and a black pencil skirt that day. The middle-aged gentleman who makes my sandwiches said, “Lady in red! If I saw you on the street, I would pull over and say – Lady in red!” After that encounter, I decided to opt for salads, instead of sandwiches, which can be found far away from the sandwich station.
Amazing necklace. The nicest cat-call I ever received was from a older gentleman who was working outside of my office. After I returned from an errand, he said, “Wow, is this some kind of modeling agency?” He was kind and non-threatening, and it was a nice compliment.
Love the necklace! I liked Dawn on facebook.
The most recent cat call that comes to mind was last weekend while waiting for my boyfriend outside a restaurant. A possibly homeless man rode by and offered me a ride on his bike. Ugh!
While living in New York one summer, a homeless guy on the sidewalk said, “I’d take you home with me”, while sitting on a broken office chair in front of a 10′ pile of trash bags, presumably his “home”…
The worst cat call that I have received was at a mexican restaurant, while devouring chips and salsa. While eating, the waiter came behind me and whispered in my ear, “Me love you long time, baby!” I was eating with my brothers and was mortified!
The worst cat call I received was “Hey, purple! The things I could do with you!” while I was walking down the street in a purple dress with my Dad! I was mortified, and needless to say, so was my father (and slightly mad too, haha).
I absolutely love that bib necklace! I just liked Dawn on FB and personally I think all cat calls are bads!