November always strikes the season for the festive party circuit. Mine includes a zillion house parties, and not all of them involve totally dressing up. I like wearing more festive tops with plain, casual bottoms. As a bonus this Banana Republic red jersey top is a good spark of color (and this season’s hot color). Take a big, knubby cable knit scarf and get a stylish and adaptable look like this (right)…
For another totally adaptable option - picture this Banana Republic outfit (left) with a skirt rather than jeans. I have this top in brown and wear it with everything dressy or cas’. The wool blend isn’t itchy, it’s just enough to give it a richer texture than all those t-shirts we live in. And don’t ignore the big bag find hanging on her arm.
It’s already that time - time to start dropping hints for the Christmas "it." I love getting that thing that you can’t quite justify spending on yourself, and so you covet from afar. Here are my three:
Coach Purse:
Big bags are hot - and are here for the next few seasons. Come spring you might as well add water because they’re only bigger. This Coach Soho Braided Leather Tote (love the braided detail) is a ‘just right’ size that won’t look obnoxious when the trend fades. Or for a little smaller and more classic - Legacy Signature Top Handle Pouch.
Acme Laptop Bag:
It’s pricey compared to other options - but my eye always, always catches the Acme Bags. It’s like the Kate Spade of laptop bags. Their designs are sleek and prints very stylish, but a classic fav is the grey flannel which looks very luxe. The Slim bag is almost a sleeve, holding nothing but your laptop. It’s ultra-minimal design allows you to put your laptop in another bag. Friends highly recommend the extra spend for the Slim Cargo if you need a bit more storage.
Prada Sunglasses: Prada’s feel so good on your face and the big shades give you instant glam’ privacy. These are my favorite two - the classier Prada 01HS (aka pricier) in tortoise shell/clear and gold. And while the Prada 09GS are more trendy I have to note the picture doesn’t do justice to them. They’re this bronzy chocolate color and there’s a sleek white keyline on the outter face (very hipster). PRADA SUNGLASSES Model: PR 09GS
Style Bites has some fantastic guidelines for getting ready for chill season. She dishes some really good tips. Pay particular attention to rule #2 - The New Rules for fall and winter dressing.
Still looking for that last minute and very hip costumes. Le-Fashionista’s blog has some fun (and some are pretty easy) ideas that you still have time to toss together. Marie Antoinette, Brad Pit and Angelina Jolie/ Celebrity Couple (fun &aeasy!), Geisha, Deal or No Deal Model (briliant!), or flapper.
I have to echo the sentiments of Shopaholics Anonymous - although I don’t yet own any Coach I have been coveting their shoes. Check out these: Keira Slingbacks - $228 USD and the Randie Boots - $598 US.
Not a fan of legwarmers, but arm warmers are a whole other story. Especially when they mean that I can wear the season’s cute short sleeve tops (abundant despite the chilling weather). It’s probably part of the layering trend - and I found the most cuddly, stylish pair at Urban Outfitters.
The super-soft long knit armwarmers have a thumbhole and large opening for your fingers. The grey ones have a button tab cuff at the top, while the olive ones I picked up have a cuff at the top finished with a row of 3 brass buttons.
Armwarmers aren’t new, but these are more hip than plain acrylic ones that started last year. I’ve even noticed some nice Juicy Couture versions popping up.
P.S. I noticed online the Urban Outfitter ones I bought are listed only as acrylic - wrong. They’re a nice blend of acrylic, mohair and wool = soft.
Celebrity lash-fever has spread all over the world. 
Madonna’s personal makeup artist Gina Brooke, who helped create the singer’s disco-inspired look, is credited with setting off a false eyelash frenzy by commissioning a pair of Shu Uemera mink lashes for Madonna.
Oprah ordered 200 pairs of the real fur lashes. Let’s not forget Madonna’s other commission fluttering 1.2 carats of diamonds at $10,000 a pair. The latest false eyelash creations of Mr. Shu Uemura are in dramatic colors and materials, such as feathers.
Shu Uemura launched Tokyo Lash Bars (or buy online) to gain access to exclusive designs that draw attention to your optical assets. Make-up using false eyelashes is regarded as "make-up with motion"- it gives dramatic impact with a bat of an eye. You wear different accessories to match your clothing, why not put on different false lashes to match your fashion? A fashion statement for your eyes.
P.S. I’ve also heard that Shu Uemera’s eye lash curler is "worth every blessed cent." Lucky mag calls it "revered."
I hate Halloween. Why? Maybe my core group of friends embraced the ‘costume change’ at our theme parties and it’s lost the novelty. Maybe mixed childhood memories of fluffy bunny costumes that took weeks to sew, but only minutes to be teased at…or the year mom put cocoa paste on her face and went as Aunt Jemima (so politically incorrect) and escorted me trick-or-treating. Maybe it’s that I got sick of going as a witch four trillion times.
In the last few years I’ve been warming up a little as I appreciate the creativity of people letting out their inner bunny or vixen. Let’s talk about vixen – I get it that Halloween represents “… a night when even a nice girl can dress like a dominatrix and still hold her head up the next morning,†said Linda M. Scott, the author of “Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Fashion and Feminism [via New York Post].â€
Hey, the only original costume I’ve done in my adult years was dawning a teal blue slip and putting on a name tag that said: Freud. 80% didn’t get that I was a Freudian Slip, but I got to wear my negligee in public and not be a witch for once. Good luck figuring out your perfect costume that won’t get you called out as jail bait or get you frost bit.
My what a colorful week this is. I’ve highlited you on the pink, splashed black on your nails and now it’s time to rehash about the red. Product Red that is.
The blogosphere is still buzzing about last week’s Oprah episode launching Bono’s (Red) campaign. Bono and the talk show queen took part in a shopping spree on North Michigan Avenue’s famed Magnificent Mile. And funny – they kept ‘bumping’ into celebrity friends like Kanye West and Christy Turlington.
Oh Oprah! The power of the O. I swear everywhere I’ve been this week I’ve heard red talk. I even caught myself berating my man for having bought the black iPod Nano rather than the limited edition (Red) one. Now I have to give due credit to The It Lists – because I originally told you about this news back in August. But since it really is a worthy cause it’s worth the ink to bring up again.
Product Red project raises money for AIDS research by encouraging well-known companies like Apple, Armani, or Converse to release special products and donate a portion of the proceeds from those products toward the purchase of AIDS drugs for victims of the disease in Africa. So buy a t-shirt and change the world. Okay as cheeky as I’m being, I do admit feeling emotional as Bono story told about the woman selling the African mudcloth used for the (Red) Converse Chuck Taylors.
Remember Chanel’s Vamp – circa 1994? Meet the reincarnated polish (if you can find it) - Chanel’s Black Satin.
The black polish was released in July and has been more scarce than a Chloé Paddington bag. Black nails are no longer reserved for the doomy goth gals, this new black is shinier and more complex with undertones of purple, silver or red. It’s super glam and even corporate babes are wearing it to the office. How hot is it?
…Sarah Michelle Gellar swiped someone else’s bottle during NY fashion week. Nice going Buffy!
…The average price on eBay is triple the retail price.
…Hundreds of names on waiting lists, and now salivating as Beauty Addict busts out that there is finally a new shipment hitting stores this week.
Can’t wait? The New York Times shares some black nail polish alternatives:
- OPI Lincoln Park After Dark
- OPI Black Onyx
- Shu Uemura ME083 (a gun-metal black)
- Mac Nocturnelle (pure creamy black)
- Essie Wicked
Bonus! The end of summer always means the end of my healthy long nails. Thank goodness the shade de semaine actually looks best on shorter, squared nails. And here’s a tip from Glamour: Devise an anti-chip strategy. Use ridge filler as a base to stop bleeding; keep polish off your cuticles and refresh your topcoat every third day.
Spring Trend Alert: Chanel is creating a black with blue marine tones for Spring 2007.
Image [source]
Evan Agostini/Getty Images
If you don’t like pink than you better RUN from the malls as October celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness in a big pink way. There’s still time left to shop for the cause - here are some of the it lists’ pink picks.
- DuWop Power Kiss – Lip Gloss w/ Case
- Estee Lauder Pink Ribbon Compact (& Pink Collection)
- Clinique In the Pink lipstick
- Goody Pink Ouchless Brush
- Pink Inno XM Satellite Radio
- Guess Sporting Pink Watch
- Nine West Pink Ballet Slippers
- And honorable mention for the best accessory - Tic Tac turns pink too!
Celebrity pink can be found on eBay as Goody Comfort Meets Cause auctions off pink ouchless autographed by Hilary Duff, Carmen Electra, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez and more. Here’s the auction calendar.
I never used to care much for Kate Moss. Ok, maybe I was a bit fascinated by what Johnny Depp saw in her during their tumultuous relationship, but mostly I was very confused with the attention given to the waif of all waifs.
Ever since Kate’s life exploded in Sept 2005, when she was caught "powdering her nose" with an illegal substance, there seems to be more depth to her. She was dumped by H&M and other major contracts, but a year later the waifish style icon’s comeback has seen her profile reach new heights. Her annual income is believed to have risen to about $45 mill USD working with Rimmel, Agent Provocateur, Virgin Mobile, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Stella McCartney, Bulgari, Chanel, Nikon, Versace, Calvin Klein Jeans and Burberry. Now she’s set to start designing a new collection for UK’s TopShop (read more Couture in the City).
Here’s a fashionista that doesn’t need a stylist (ala Rachel Zoe) to set her look. Moss takes risks Read More »
Your drapes don’t match the rug? Are you a true blonde? Finally, a home coloring kit…for the hair down there.
Triangles’ tresses (or little Brazilian landing pads) can now go auburn, blonde, brown, and black, and if you want an original way to celebrate breast cancer awareness month – go pink! Check out the ‘roots’ of this Betty story.
I’m back! A bit of absence for the last few days while I flew home for some Canadian Turkey.
Luckily Thanksgiving also meant extra time grazing the malls for new trends that I’ll be posting thru the week.
First enjoy this little guilty pleasure: Check out Umbra’s One-of-a-kind Tassa Teacups designed by Michelle Ivankovic. Hand-dipped in liquid latex, these vintage ceramic teacups and saucers come in an array of candy colours and are a modern riff on old-fashioned tea time (and turkey time).
Who’s behind Mischa, Keira, Lindsay* and Ms. Richie?
This latest generation of (albeit anorexic) starlets don’t hesitate to disperse what their secret weapon is: star-stylist Rachel Zoe, Rachel Zoe, Rachel Zoe.
Love her or hate her she does have a knack for picking "it" and creating "it" lists’s not her fault her followers start looking alike because they can’t add their own personal zest to "the look."
It’s not uncommon for Zoe to dress her girls out of her own overstuffed closet, full of free clothes given to her by designers in hopes that she or one of her clients will be photographed in them. Since most of us can’t afford our own stylist we’re left to be satisfied by tips.
Revolve Clothing has released Part II of Rachel’s Fall Style Guide which allows us to get a glimpse of some of her favorite outfits. This is a much better alternative than her fee of up to $6,000 per day! *Let’s not wrongful give blame to Zoe for some of the 6am walk of shame outfit combos.
Before you bloat on turkey - inspire yourself to skip the stuffing so that you can dazzle in that cute little dress you’re going to wear thru the Christmas party circuit. First you have to get the dress, right? - so start looking now!
One of my best purchases was a moss green chiffon number from Rampage. I spent $90 and I wore it to a ton of parties by just messing around with accessories. I’ve got a handful of cheaper stores that are 90% hoochie (or maybe I’m just too old to shop there) and 10% gold mine: Rampage, Heart Moon Stars, Hot Kiss, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe and Zara.
The trick to buying from cheaper stores: the material and detail in the right places. Chiffon, crepe, lace, and shiny can be more forgiving. Budget finds are often simple in the back and save the detail for the front, but if you’ve got an expensive pashmina shawl to wrap - does a plain back matter? (retorical question). Here are two perfect examples of great deals on little black dresses that you can add your luxe touches to:
Bonus: One more dress here. It’s not a dress, but here’s a cute top at Hot Kiss that falls into the 10% goldmine category! Scoop Neck Lace Top.
Want it.
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