August 2009 Archives

Elle's September issue included (p. 265) "The Elle Fashion 25" trends for Fall:

1. camel coats

2. capes

3. toggle coats

4. coats with robe style ties

5. mini dresses

6. neon

7. grecian styles (draping)

8. one sleeve looks

9. deep v-neck blouses

10. lace blouses

11. white shirts

12. optical stripes

13. menswear trousers

14. draped skirts

15. leather shorts

16. legging pants

17. embellished biker jackets

18. tuxedo-inspired styles

19. ruffles

20. chalk stripes (pinstripe)

21. over-the-knee boots

22. day clutches

23. drawstring pouch style bags

24. buckle boots

25. treaded soles

"True art cannot be encompassed in a handbag, no matter how oversize, or over-pimped said handbag may be."

Something to think about!  Excerpt from 'Vuitton Bags The Big Shots' by Amy Thomas, New York Times Magazine

Here are the Fall trends as per In Style:

- ladylike luxe

- lace detailing

- ornamentation (shine, sequins, chunky jewels, fur)

- legs (tights, overknee boots, leggings, minis)

- country/equestrian

- city (motorcycle jackets, zipper details, chunky metal necklaces, studs, grommets)

- structured tailoring (coats, jackets, suits)

- dark sparkle (sequins etc. with black and dark gray)

- draping (goddess looks, draped dresses, tops)

- fur accents (vests, scarves, wraps)

- bright coat or camel coat

- cardigan

- day dress (sheath dress, etc)

- romantic shirt (white w. ruffles, lace, bows or pleating detail)

- leather jacket (motorcyle, zippers, punkish)

Blake was out Tuesday night in New York wearing Kate Moss for Topshop.

I'm usually not a huge fan of Kate Moss' collection for Topshop, but this dress is nice and it looks great on Blake.

The dress, All-Over Beaded Shift Dress, was selling for $560, but is on sale now for $160!  I wonder if she got it on sale?

I received my September J. Crew catalog in the mail yesterday.

Here are my picks:

pg. 8 - Metropolitan Suede Ankle Boots, $250 (made in Italy)  They have a 3 5/8" inch heel with a 3/8" hidden platform.  I wish they were a little higher, and I would also prefer them in regular leather.  Otherwise, they're a great option for Fall's bootie trend.

pg. 16 - Wool Herringbone Professor Blazer, $198. This is a great jacket to wear with skinny jeans and chanel flats... or any jeans for that matter.  Or if you're really skinny you could wear it with leggings and tall riding boots.

pg. 27 - Destroyed Denim Short, $98.  In Marie Claire's September issue, the "Model Spy" showed several models (on their own time) wearing denim shorts with black tights.  These would work perfectly for that look to carry them on into the Fall.  The problem with these though is that the smalles size is 26, and they run quite large... that size was way too big for me.

pg. 36 - Italian Cashmere Shirred Popover Sweater, $178. I like the feminine look of the shirred boat neck collar. This looks so comfy.

pg. 42 - Chunky Gem Jewelry, various prices. Virtually every magazine is showing chunky jewels for Fall, they have the look in bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

 pg. 57 - Silk Tiered Cami, $88. This is a cute, flirty top that would be great for going out, wear with skinny jeans and some tall heels or booties. I like the black, aubergine and toffee. I suppose if one wanted to participate in the "neon" trend, then the autumn sun and bright papaya would be good.  (I'm opting out on that one)

Here's what Bazaar is saying for for Fall 2009:

"Secrets of Effortless Style - Fall's Key Pieces" (pg. 227)

- strong shouldered blazers

- sequins (dress, jacket or tee)

- tailored evening shorts

- microminis

- cropped baggy jeans, paper bag jeans

- neon vest (ugg, really?)

- doubled up cuffs

- statement necklaces (bib, etc)

- tough chic booties

From further on in the magazine, looking through the editorial pages here are more trends:

- dresses - one-shouldered and lady-like tailored styles

- jackets - collarless, leather (motorcycle), boyfriend

- pants - cropped, skinny, pleated

- 80s retro / menswear mix

- brights (including neon)

- ladylike suits

- leopard

- metal (studs, grommets etc)

- fur

- chunky jewels

- red

- nudes

- booties and over the knee boots

"LET THE GAMES BEGIN ... Style as we sometimes forget, is really about fun, plain and simple. You can feel it in the air in Manhattan in September: the irrepressible red-lipstick laugh, the up-tempo sidewalk rhythm, as the world's most beautiful women walk out in their new clothes..." - Vogue, Point of View, September Issue (p. 463)

Gwyneth's line for the French brand ZOEtees (known for their chic jersey basics) goes on sale Monday.  It will be sold exclusively online at the UK site matchesfashion.com.

The collection inlcudes jersey dresses, vests, slouchy jumpsuits, leggings, blazers etc. Prices begin at about $165.  The bummer though is that shipping to the US from the UK site is 30£. Yikes, that's about $50!

I love this dress though. It's chic but also looks SO comfortable.

Proceeds from sales will go to the charity, Kids Company, a London based organization that helps inner city children.

Here's what Marie Claire is talking about for Fall 2009:

Biker Jackets

Statement Colors

Chunky Jewels

Leather + Denim

Fur

Misc:

Model Spy: Cutoff denim shorts worn with black tights

Fall Wish List: The Bootie (showen below Louboutin Ni Toi Ni Moi Ankle Boot, $1195)

Hhmmm, this is a tough one.  On one hand it's quirky and cute, on the other it's some hideous thing pulled out of your weird aunt's closet.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Flights of Fancy Shopper Tote, $428

It's made with pebbled and croc-embossed leather with an owl, heart, mouse, racoon, apple tree, bird and cloud. The interior is lined and has a zip pocket and two patch pockets.

I'm not sure on my verdict. I'm going to mull it over.

Every fashionista's favorite time of year is coming up - - Fashion Week. The New York shows are September 10 - 17.

You can preview the full schedule here.

Also during fashion week this year is Fashion's Night Out on Thurs. Sept. 10th.

Tons of special freebies, treats, meet the designer opportunities etc. will be going on at hundereds of stores accross the city.  You can view the participating stores here. Details of what each store is offering is explained...  looks like fun!

Shopbop is sponsoring a fashion week trip giveaway.  I live in the city, but I would still LOVE to win this.

I think it's so fun to stay at a hotel in your own city!  Enter here.  I went to a show at the Bryant Park tents only once, it was several years ago, and it was some obscure designer I had never heard of... but it was so fun and the goody bag had good goodies!!

This Colin Stuart Devon Boot from Victoria's Secret looks suprisingly decent...

They're showing a lot of the over the knee boots for Fall.  This one is good because you can wear it 3 ways: pulled up high over the knee, folded over, or scrunched in the middle.  The heel is 3-3/4", which is a little bit low, but okay.  The price is $149... so I suspect the quality is dubious at best.  But they are real leather...

They might be worth checking out.  It's always good to have some junkers that look pretty good, but that you don't have to worry about if you get caught out in the rain or snow with them on.

Here is Neiman's list of Fall trends:

None of this seems very exciting or new.  It seems, in fact, that they say almost the same thing every Fall, hoping that since it's been a year we will have forgotten.  (by "they" I just mean the fashion world, not Neiman Marcus, per se)

I'm going to be re-capping what each fashion magazine's September issue says the exciting trends are, and then when they've all come out have a big comparison.  Fun. fun.

J.C. Penney has opened a store in Manhattan at Herald Square near Macy's. They are the new anchor store at the Manhattan Mall. I belive the anchor space had been empty since Stern's closed up shop there in 2001. The New York Times Critical Shopper article, 'Playing to the Middle' by Cintra Wilson on the subject sums it up quite nicely: "J.C. Penney has broken free of its suburban parking area to invade Herald Square, and the most frequent question on New York's collective lips seems to be: Why? "

(image: Donna Alberico for The New York Times)

Ha! I totally agree. Part of being in Manhattan is getting away from terrible places like J.C. Penney. Perhaps I am biased because I grew up in a rural place with only J.C. Penney, seriously there wasn't even one Gap store. I remember very well the tedious selection of run of the mill styles at pretty reasonable country-folk types of price points.

The NYT article seems to agree with me, stating that "a good 96 percent" of the inventory is made of polyester! And the racks are short on size 2s, yet 10s, 12s and 16s are aplenty. And that "it has the most obese mannequins I have ever seen".  Well good luck to them.  I guess the only positive is that the area they opened in is very heavy on tourists and b&t-ers thanks to its proximity to the Empire State Building and the PATH train.

Anyway, my verdict is hideous.

Here are J. Crew's creative director Jenna Lyons' fall picks.

If you want to learn a bit more about Jenna there was a great interview/post on Huffington Post back in July.  It has some good photos and stuff about her personal style and current inspiration...

Neiman Marcus is offering a really nice gift with purchase for Estee Lauder right now. With any $55 purchase you get a gift set that includes:

• Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lifting Creme, (deluxe 14-day supply)
• Re-Nutriv Creme Cleanser
• Deluxe Golden Fluted Compact with Estee Lauder Signature Silky Eyeshadow Quad in Truffle and Pure Color EyeShadow in Cinnamon, Honey Drop, Tea Biscuit, Copper Penny, Mocha Cup, and Mink
• Estee Lauder Signature Hydra Lustre Lipstick in Apricot Sun
• More Than Mascara Moisture-Binding Formula
• Black tote and cosmetics bag

When I was younger I was an EL fanatic...  I used everything including all of the anti-aging products in college! Fruition, Advanced Night Repair, etc. etc.  These were the old days before the internet and there were limited brands available in the hinterlands of Vermont.  These days I've branched out into other brands too, but I still love EL, always will.

A great way to qualify for the gift is the big 1.7 oz. size of Advanced Night Repair, $74.50. This is a fabulous product that's loaded with antioxidants that help restore skin from past damage and protect it from future damage. I think anyone over 30 should have a bottle of this in their arsenal!

I am also curious to try the Jasmine White Moss EDP from the EL Private Collection of fragrances.  This is one of Aerin's creations, started from a fragrance her grandmother had worked on in the late '80s. Aerin tweaked it and now it's been released. It's supposed to be "a fresh, vibrant, sparkling scent, with an opulent white bouquet surrounded by delicate moss, rich woods, and pure natural fragrance Absolutes". The EDP spray is $80 for 1 oz.

I LOVE the bottle for the Parfum Spray, 1 oz. $325 (shown above, right). It's encrusted with real semiprecious stones.  But I always prefer the lighter EDPs.

It's SOOOO hard to find inexpensive shoes that are styled nicely... you know, it seems like something is always off, design-wise...  Well these BR suede hidden platform pumps aren't perfect, but they aren't bad either.  And for $120, how can one complain (that much anyway)?

'Gaby' Suede Round-Toe Pump

They come in wild berry (red), T moro (brown, shown above) and black.  The stacked heel is 4" with a 3/5" hidden platform.  Suede with leather lining and synthetic sole.

Not bad, right?  But here's what I'd change to make it perfect:

1. can the suede.  suede is actually quite horrible, get caught in the rain and you're done. leather just looks better, and wears better

2. not loving the shape of the round toe, should be slightly more round

3. the vamp is cut a bit too high.  should be slightly lower more like the classic Louboutin pump

4. sole. sorry, but I prefer leather soles

5. no... actually I think that's it.

So.... how much do you think all that stuff would raise the price by? #s 2 and 3 are design issues and should cost nothing if they had just done it right to begin with, but #s 1 and 4 would def. add to the cost of the shoe.  BR has to keep a certain price point... grumble, grumble.

But I think these are worth trying on anyway.  They may look much nicer in person!

You can check out VF's 2009 International Best-Dressed List on their website.

I don't know... it seems kind of random.  I mean what are Renee Zellweger and Lapo Elkann doing in the "Hall of Fame" section with Catherine Deneuve?  Why aren't the President and Michelle Obama listed under the couples section... and seriously, do they deserve to be on the list at all?  (he just got in trouble for wearing dorky jeans and please... despite all the press saying otherwise, we all know that Michelle wears a ton of frumpy, boring and sometimes garish clothes - - granted, along with a few real winners).  And how about Alicia Keys and Anne Hathaway, huh???  Anne can only dress when her stylist picks her clothes out for her.

Anyway, take a look at the slideshow.  It's interesting.

Chanel is releasing a new version of the Cristalle fragrance: Cristalle Eau Verte. The new creation is supposed to be lighter and fresher (to me, that's always a good thing).

There's a very good review of this scent at the now smell this blog. The review isn't that favorable but I think it's always good to make your own decision since everyone smells things differently and has different preferences.  I am always a sucker for "green" fragrances so I'm looking forward to smelling it.