GLADIATORS June 13, 2008

Sandal by Steven MaddenSandal by Nine West

Gladiators are the shoe of summer 08. They come in all forms, shapes and sizes, colors and brands. They complement perfectly your daily summer dress (flat is better), your summer evening dresses (flat and a long airy dress is fabulous when you are on beach vacation, heels and a sorter dress is perfect for the city), and they can go to work (add a little sexy gladiator with slouchy and manly pants).

Avoid them when you are attending a wedding (too sexy or to casual depending on the sandal for that), when you are interviewing for a job (too much foot showing), or when you are meeting his parents (too fashion victim).

Here are some fun ideas. Stay cool…

Enjoy the April showers March 29, 2008

< Marc by Marc Jacobs bag. Burberry rain shoe, both at neimanmarcus.com

April showers bring May flowers. When dressing for spring remember that you should always be prepared for a spell of rain, or -even more fun- a rain storm. A smart girl is never caught up by the weather when wearing water resistant fabrics, which happen to be amongst the hotter and must-have items on any savvy fashionista’s shopping list. Watch out to not wear the waterproof trend from top to bottom. Keep it to a couple of items each time. You may spoil the whole look.Check these out these ideas.

Shipley & Halmos trenchbarneys.com Rain Hathatagories.com

An umbrella is optional but a hat is a must. Happy shopping!

A dream wardrobe March 23, 2008

I don’t usually comment on other blogs, but this time, I want to share with you this video. Pat Field you’re the wizard of clothes! I want this wardrobe. Enjoy!

LONDON CALLING February 16, 2008

Warehouse dress

I was in London last week and that was a fun trip. I love NY for many reasons, one of them being fashion, but London fashion has this understated cool vibe, this je ne sais quoi… London fashionistas really know how to mix and match trends – no offense New Yorkers! So, while strolling the streets of London I spotted some cool looks that need to be shared:

- Punky 50s: Girls in London mix and match the hot trend of 2008 – the 50s inspired frocks, like the one featured from Warehouse, and skirts but add punk elements to it. Pair a 50s dress with an edgy leather jacket - slim and cropped and studded pumps, or wear your romantic 50s inspired skirt with a fitted top & a wide belt and keep the hemline shorter.
- T-strap shoes. They were everywhere and in all colors of the rainbow. My favorite ones were primary colored patend ones
- Slouchy trousers with cropped jacket + girlie flats and an oversized statement bag. Your boyfriend would never think of that combo.

Happy weekend.

New York Fashion Week - Women: Fall/Winter 2008/09 February 3, 2008

NY Fashion Week is in full blast. Too many shows, too many new designers and a lot of fun has been the motto of the tents. Trends that are hot now will be hot next winter too and there are some trends in the making. Feminine, girlie, sweet and preppy seem to be the way that designers want us to dress and we are moving slightly away from the 30s and 40s inspired fashion, but not too much.

Trends worth keeping in mind:

-         Hats: fur hats, fedoras and anything chapeau can dress up any outfit. Not crazy for the ‘sock hat’ as seen at Alexandre Wang, but who am I to say that?! J

-         Rich, jewel tones and colors are here to stay: rich blues, mauves, purple, and greens all made their appearances on the catwalks of Abaete, Rock & Republic and Vervier among others.

-         The cocktail dress reins. That is something you should look into investing NOW!

-         Metallic hues on clothes and accessories are so hot

-         Dresses do not resemble tents anymore – they actually show off your shape.

-         A nice tailored suit will get you a long way. Some fantastic ones were seen at the Rock & Republic show

-         Aim for the just above the knee length for this season. Sexy but flattering and you can wear it to work too

Trends for the more risqué fashionista:

-         Zippers are in: on boots,  shoes and tops

-         Romantic petticoats peeping from under your skirts: this is such a sweet yet sexy detail. Seen at Abaete, and Sari Gueron

-         Geometric patterns on tops and dresses. Everybody had a version of this trend

-         Tulip shaped skirts and dresses. But, if your hips are wide, forget this trend as it is not for you.

-         One shoulder evening gowns and tops

-         Sheer blouses and a bit see-through. They will instantly update any old skirt or pantaloon

Looks to adopt right this instant:

-         From the Rock and Republic show: pleated skirt + fitted leather jacket + red flats

-         From Alexander Wang: Brown cigarette line pants + white T + black best + boots + fedora. Beautiful

-         Buy a nice cocktail dress in a jewel color and wear it for 2 whole years

-         Wear black opaque tights with everything. This trend is still going strong

-         A nice tailored pant suit. In black and fitted please.

  

More trends to follow as the week goes on. Happy Shopping!

Happy New Year and why BLUE is the color for 08! January 14, 2008

Happy New Year our beloved readers! Our website just celebrated it’s first year, and thanks to your regular visits it has been growing stronger and stronger. We look forward to an exciting year of fashion for ladies and gents, personal shopping tips, fashion trends and mostly your ideas and feedback.

Louboutin Pumps Cazabat MJs Urban

Just the other day, I was shopping for a client’s spring wardrobe. While I was browsing and thinking of those spring clothes, I constantly thought of shoes that would look fresh and would work not only with new stuff, but also with what my client already owned. I needed a solid color, not too flashy, versatile, which is easily paired with jeans, a new flowery skirt, navy slacks or a tulle pastel skirt for example. BLUE! That’s it! Blue is the new neutral color for spring.

Check out these lovely Louboutin pumps (Barneys and Saks carry them), or these Cazabat mary janes for a 30s look, or a pair of moccasins. They all resemble the fresh, flower scented breeze of Central Park in the springtime, while the color tone is so easy to pair with your stuff, you’ll go out and buy a second pair. That’s what my client decided to do, so I am now shopping for more blue shoes!

Winter equals Coat December 6, 2007

Kenneth Cole Toca

Winter and coats go hand in hand. Stepping out in style and staying toasty is possible, as long as you invest in a good and warm coat. Endless options and crazy coat sales everywhere make this an easy task for the girl who is now shopping for a new coat.

If you want to differ from the pack, I recommend that you don’t buy a black coat this year. I know… black is versatile and easy, and never looks dirty – a factor that you must keep in mind, if you are living in a big city like NYC. I am all for these things too, but I honestly think you can get all that from another color i.e. like this brown/grayish Toca coat, or this Andrew Marc one, which is black, but has some serious fur detailing.

Andrew Marc

White is also versatile and easy to wear, provided that you are not a sloppy person and that you have a good relationship with your local dry-cleaners store. It is so chic and urban, I am putting it on my list for Santa this year. I really like this Kenneth Cole one.

Stay warm!

How a fashion no-no, can become a statement of style October 7, 2007

A look from TopShop

I remember my grandmother, who is one of the most stylish ladies I have ever met, telling me about all the fashion rules that I should know, in order to make the right combinations and always to be considered among the well dressed crowd.

There were a few, but the ones that I always remembered were:
- Don’t wear black tights with white shoes
- Never pair stripes with stripes or other patterns
- Have your bag match your shoes

At circa 2007, all these rules have been broken. We see black tights paired with white shoes, stripes and patterns are happily paired together, and bags don’t match shoes necessarily. However, there are some tricks to make these former fashion faux-pas to fashion statements:

Black tights with white shoes: If you are 25 or younger go for it. It is an age to experiment and wear extreme fashion, however, keep things simple by wearing greys, crèmes, black or similar shades to avoid the carnival effect. If you are 25 and older, go for the combination of dark tights and lighter shoes, but not too light. This season, I particularly like the combination of charcoal grey or midnight blue with dark red pumps.

Stripes on stripes or patterns: you can do this, if you mix and patch stripes of similar colors or complimentary ones. For example you can pair a horizontally blue & white striped boat-neck T (or red or yellow) with a pair of blue trousers with a slight white vertical stripe. Avoid polka dots, paisley designs and anything too busy when you go for this look. You’ll make everyone nauseous.

Your bag doesn’t have to match your shoes anymore. Well yeah, but that doesn’t mean that anything goes. You shouldn’t mix seasons, i.e. thong sandals with tweed bag, or purpose of accessory i.e. evening bag with your favorite sneakers and try to keep colors complimentary. If you are not sure what colors are complimentary, check out this link.

Try these tricks and even my stylish grandma will be pleasantly surprised.

September Calling August 26, 2007

Wrap Cardigan, anthropology.com
I can’t believe we are almost done with August and that school starts in a week. How did summer pass so quickly? I love summer, however there are so many things to look forward to in September.

First is Fashion week, starting on September 5. EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!!! That will keep us in summer mode all those cold winter months ahead of us. Stay tuned!

Second is SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!! That will always get me excited regardless of the temperature out there. However, not all of us have budgets that can buy whole new wardrobes every season, so SMART shopping is the trick. And that is stretching out your summer wardrobe into fall with a few key pieces. This is how you do it:

- Your summer dresses: These can be really versatile and you can wear them as long as you like. Pair light colors like cream, white or soft yellow with black opaque tights, a cardigan, and booties to create this 30s look gone 2007-8.Buy a ballet style cross over cardi which will work well with the full skirted dresses that we are all wearing this summer. For a ‘tougher’ look, pair your summer dress with a biker jacket, knee length boots and a newsboy cap.

- Colored denim: wear your colored denims or white ones with boots and a cute bell shaped jacket in charcoal grey or toffee brown, for a funky fall look.

- Skirts: it is all about pairing and mix-matching this season, so you could wear your soft, bubbly skirts with a buttoned down white crisp shirt and a vest, or a cute sweater. If the skirt has a pattern I would pair it with a solid color on top, or black or cream, and rider boots. If the skirt is a solid color, you can do a patterned top. Just make sure that the colors complement each other and it you’re not sure, go the neutral way.

Questions or ideas are welcome, send them over. Happy Shopping!

Vivre le Vest July 29, 2007

Akris vest at Saks Fifth AvenueVest at Urban Outfitters
Give your wardrobe a new vibe by introducing a vest this season.

The vest has as a very special place in the heart and closet of every fashionista, because it can dress up or down any type of outfit in just seconds. This year, with the 30s and 40s inspired collections, the vest is a must-have item.

There are many different types of vests anything from funky-disco like this urban outfitters style to classic-retro looking one like the AKRIS vest featured above.

If this is the first time you buy a vest, I recommend a classic style, at a nice anthrax-black or dark olive color. Wear it over a summer day dress and a belt to make the look more pulled together, with your work pants and a white shirt so you can skip the suit jacket, or with jeans for a more sophisticated yet relaxed look.

Happy shopping!