FALL FOR FASHION–

           FALL FOR PURPLE!

     

Fall 2008 trends are in and they are bold and sexy! We’re seeing goth touches in the form of velvets and lace and fur pieces and trims on accessories like hats, gloves, coats & bags.  Also huge this fall: the cardigan, which is making a quasi-comeback and being worn every which way it can. My way to wear a cardigan? I do the knee-length version, buttoned all the way and belted (a skinny belt looks best) and worn as a dress–super sexy, especially with dark opaque tights and high-heeled ankle boots.

As the designers renewed our fall fashion repertoire with new, saucy selections, they also renewed our fall color palettes as well using lots of purples in their collections. The runways were clad in all hues and shades of purples from violet, lavender, eggplant, and my favorite–deep, rich plum. The purple trend has also emerged in the cosmetic world as well, making its way onto eyes, lips and nails. 

 So if you wanna be a Fall Fashionista, get out there and get purple, people!

Patricia Field, the funky and fabulous costume designer for Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada, is bringing her eccentric style to the HSN from September 23 through 27. She has a limited edition collection, DESTINATION STYLE(TM) NEW YORK, and it consists of 50 pieces that include clothing for any occasion( day, night, fun, fancy, sporty, sexy) and accessories such as belts and handbags. (We all know about Ms.Field’s belts: Carrie’s Studded Belt from the Sex and the City: Movie.) She will also be dolling out fashion tips and dishing about her work on SATC.  Oh, oh, oh! I’m so excited!

Ms. Field said about her debut on HSN:

“Teaming up with HSN is perfect for me since TV is my home. My collaboration with HSN represents an exciting, new organic step… a new way of exploring and aligning storytelling with lifestyle and fashion.”

“DESTINATION STYLE NEW YORK is about having the perfect pieces for wherever your life takes you, to work, to a party to a night on the town. It’s about expressing your personal style, which is the key to always looking great!”.

Prices for her pieces range from $39 to $199 and will be available on both the HSN channel and on their website. HSN will broadcast the New York Fashion Week runway show of the designs before making them available for purchasing. HSN will allow pre-orders around September 7-12.

To see some of Patricia Field’s pieces, check out page 36 of the September 2008 (current issue) of People Style Watch.

When you think “Gothic”, words such as glamorous, trendy or fashion aren’t necessarily first to come to mind. It’s usually words more like emo, witchcraft, and darkness that come to mind. But yours truly is here to show you how to make yourself “Gothic chic” by playing up your dark side in a totally sexy way. Not all fashion has to be in the form of floral prints and maxi dresses. No, no no! Think dark! Think…tutus.

That’s right, I said tutus. I’ve always been a lover of Carrie’s pink tutu outfit in the opening credits of the Sex and the City series. But like I mentioned above, I’m going goth on ya today. Avril Lavigne punk? No way! I’m thinking sexy rocker chic. My inspiration? Lauren Conrad’s current cover of CosmoGIRL! magazine. I took one look at her outfit and fell in love instantly. The black tutu Lauren is wearing is from Betsey Johnson for $300. I’ve come up with some less expensive ones below that I think are pretty chic. When paired with a sexy cami, peep-toe heels, a studded belt and chunky jewelry, you could rock that tutu so hard you’ll have the emo girls hatin’ on ya!

Wondering where to wear this look? Nights out on the town are best–such as a concert or out dancing your butt off. Don’t be skerred! Think outside the box when it comes to style and expand your fashion repertoire! If you’re still not sure, check out this post by College Fashion from one of my Sweet Links about How To Deal With Fashion Haters.

 

Gothic Lolita Mini Skirt $29.99

  

 Gothic Revival $27.80

 

 

 DARK STAR BLACK GOTHIC / FAIRY GOTH

 

  

  Betsey Johnson $215 (not the one pictured on Lauren Conrad)

 Every so often in the fashion world a trend comes along that seems off-beat and eccentric.  Many of the items worn in high-fashion runways shows are for entertainment value and usually aren’t made for every day wear in the real world.  But there are times when a peculiar trend makes it off the catwalk and becomes all the rage.  For example, the gladiator sandals that buckle at the ankle are a classic item that have always been in style (Hello! Rome, 500 B.C.) and maybe always will be. However, the evolved version of gladiator sandals that buckle all the way up to the knee are not so much a classic style in the making as they are a passing fad (in my opinion).  I see us looking back at them in the future in a “what was I thinking wearing those” kind of way. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think they’re terrible, I just don’t see them with much of a shelf life.

I got to thinking about some of the other questionable styles out there–many of them by top fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton.  Are they really must-have styles or just  money-making fads? Would you wear them if they weren’t made by a famous designer or seen on an A-List Celebrity? Below are my picks of high-fashion fads.

Marc Jacobs Reverse Heel

  

  

Louis Vuitton Jokes Handbag

 

Chanel Half-Tint Sunglasses

 

High Wasted Jeans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stella McCartney Pantsuit

In my opinion, Old Navy is one of the greatest clothing stores ever opened. I see it as a huge warehouse filled with inexpensive versions of the latest trends in fashion.  And I know, I know–some of the clothes that come from Old Navy can be pretty cheaply made, but that is usually what can be expected from mass productions of clothing made overseas.  Regardless of this, I still do plenty of my shopping there.  I love that every time I go to Old Navy I can find something that I like and want.  (I can usually find lots of somethings I like and want!) 

Below are my ideas of fool-proof summer outfits from Old Navy.  

 

 

 

                  

I’m a subscriber to so many beauty/fashion magazines–Glamour, Allure, Lucky, Marie Claire, W, Cosmo, People Style Watch–these are the ones that I have stacked up on my bedside right now.  Magazines are awesome because they are everything a Fashionista like myself could ever ask for: monthly updates on clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, make-up and hair advice, and so on.  I always find several pages in each of my magazines to bookmark because it’s a style or product I want to try out; however, when you get six or more magazines in the mail every month, they start to pile up. So I decided to create my very own beauty bible out of the magazine clippings. Not only do I now have an organized way to keep up with the clippings and get rid of the magazines, but it’s also a great creative outlet that allows me to incorporate my love for fashion and beauty.

I keep all my clippings in a shoebox until I’m ready to put them in the notebook. Instead of buying a regular school notebook to glue to the clippings in, I bought a spiral sketchbook at a craft store because of its thick paper (the thicker the paper, the better it holds up to the gluing).  Also, because I’m a crafty kind of gal, I bought some scrapbook paper and design-edge scissors to jazz it up a bit.  As far as organization, I took the random approach so there’s really no rhyme or reason to where I glue things in. I just kinda fit them around like a puzzle.

I like to take my beauty bible with me when I go shopping to find the products I put in it.  Otherwise, I keep it on my make-up vanity table in case I’m in the mood to try a new look.  

Check out my beauty bible below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I do not imply that my ”beauty bible” is at all a reference to a religious book. Dictionary.com states the number 4 definition for bible to be: “(lowercase) any book, reference work, periodical, etc., accepted as authoritative, informative, or reliable: He regarded that particular bird book as the birdwatchers’ bible”.

Ever seen something on the runway and thought WTF?  Well, thanks to The Fashion Police, you can relax knowing that you are not the only one who thinks a well-known designer might have eaten ’shrooms before sketching up a collection. 

The site is pretty cool; they have a few different themes for the unfortunate mishaps in fashion, such as Ugly Prom Dress of the Day, Wear or Die, and Crimes of Fashion.  Along with the sad and unwearable, they also have the Dress of the Day which is the daily doughnut for the Fashion Po-Po. 

Even if you don’t really care about fashion, it’s quite entertaining just to look at.  Here are a few of my favorite train wrecks below:

Society of Rational Dress

Alexander McQueen

Sigerson Morrison