Wearable Fashion Trends 17: Military Precision

Stand to attention, for classic army and navy styles are a surefire hit for the next season.


Runway: With officers' coats and double-breasted pea jackets on offer, be ready to push Sgt. Pepper throughout fall.

Reality: Make a seafaring impression in a navy wool number with gleaming brass buttons. Look out for collar details too, like stiff lapels, round necks and stand-up styles. Pick a coat in olive green, navy, charcoal or red and team it with chunky boots or patent platforms. You can also layer up in khaki tones or take a bold stand in sharp cuts decorated with buttons and braids. Glitzy embellishment gives the peacoat a Seargent Pepper spin.

Sources: 1, 2

Beckhams: Vanity Fair Magazine's Best Dressed Couple

The annual fashion poll by US magazine Vanity Fair said the Beckhams made the list "because the whole is greater than the sum of the parts".

Joining them in the top ten are other celebrity couples including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher.

The complete sixty-eighth annual Best And Worst Dressed List will appear in the September 2007 Style Edition of Vanity Fair, featuring supermodel covergirl Gisele Bundchen.

Source

Nicole's CHANEL bags

Pe langa gentile Hermes si Balenciaga, pe care le are in diverse culori, Nicole Richie adora Chanel.

Victoria in Pucci

Pentru o plimbare in Los Angeles cu cei trei baieti, Victoria a ales o rochie Pucci, Hermes Birkin bag si ochelari din colectia proprie. Inca o tinuta impecabila, 100% Posh style.

Picture Postcard - Prince

Hey Eliza,

Well as Prince is in town (Laaaaandan town that is) I just couldn't resist talking about him and his style. These are just a few words that the little man himself had to say about style 'Style is not a lie, style is a man that cries, style is the glow in a pregnant women's eye...' (The rest of the words can be found here if you are interested, he even says that 'style is puppy breath.') Whatever you think about Prince he certainly does things his own way. Ever since 1977 when, at the age of 19, he signed a three-album deal and blew the budget for all three albums on the first one (which is very similar to how I spend my wages), and this after insisting that he play all the instruments himself, record all the vocals himself and produce it himself. I'm not convinced about his style though and would like to know your thoughts. He's not a style icon of mine but he does give all short men hope of being seen a sexy (despite the fact that he is extremely short he does wear well fitted clothes which helps his stature) and he certainly uses colour (to varying degrees of success). What can we salvage from the below images?

I like the colour combination but wouldn't wear such a block of colour personally

I like the cut of his suit and again his use of colour

But what do make of all this you this?

Good evening stranger!

You're lucky to hear from me this evening- had the house to myself for a while and was almost sucked in by bust a move on the wii. Still, I have freed myself for long enough to take a look at Mr Squiggle. I LOVE Prince. Don't think much to his new album, but love his weirdness. Who could ever resist those cheekbones?

I really like these pics, even if I don't love these clothes. Sunglasses indoors? No! Is he even wearing a shirt under the first suit? And yet... Look how well the colour of the first suit, well, suits him. You so often hear women's mags talking about dressing in flattering colours, but I can't remember the last men's mag I read saying the same thing. And that guitar... talk about customisation. It might seem naff with another rock/pop star, but he does it with such conviction that it just works.

I love the line and fit of the second suit. I'm not sure what it is that makes him look taller than he is (not standing near anyone perhaps?), but I think it might be the single, high up button. I really want to know if he's wearing matching pale blue shoes. I think, if it was me in that suit, I'd have a different, patterned pocket square and some white crocodile skin type shoes. I think I may just be having a Vegas day.

Did I mention the hair? It slays me. I wish he had more facial hair going on. Ok, I'm definitely having a Vegas day.

Rock on

EJ

Brand watch

YMC: Having returned from Manchester not too long ago I noticed this label in a number of shops. This type of look seems quite popular with the locals and this has kicked me into action to talk about them (I have appreciated them from afar for some time now). The following blurb comes straight from their site and I have quite blatantly stolen parts from it, but this brand knows all about stealing...the name comes from a soundbite from Raymond Loewy (pioneer of American Industrial Design) who reasoned that "you must create your own design style." What I like about this brand is that they attempt to provide the solution for intelligent clothing that is both wearable and distinctive. This is a brand that helps to satisfy the demand for stylish, functional, modern clothing which of course is important and is all the better when it gives a nod to the past in the process.

Their recent S/S collection as shown above and here takes inspiration from the spirit of '69 British youth culture when the hard mods became 'suedeheads'. It was a movement of anti fashion at its best embracing the anti racist movement and the music culture of ska and reggae. I love their mix of modern and traditional materials and at times superb detailing.

Raf Simons: His shows are a mix of fashion, youth culture, music and performance."I don't want to show clothes,I want to show my attitude, my past, present and future. I use memories and future visions and try to place them in today's world." He has often criticised the rigid and dictatorial stance of the mainstream fashion system (a view that I at times support). The message from Raf is 'pride in individuality'. In 2005 he created his second line , Ray by Raf and this line has found its own feet. In a recent interview with Dazed he talks about his second line and how he doesn't "want to be ruined, like other people have been, by their second line" and on recent evidence he certainly won't be! What I like most about him was this sentence in the aforementioned interview "In the beginning, my dream was to bring tailoring to a young audience" which is one of my dreams...now where did I put that course application...

Amerie's shirt dress

Amerie, la Londra, a purtat o rochie camasa de la GAP, pantofi bej Christian Louboutin si Balenciaga motorcycle bag.

Paulina Rubio

Paulina arata cool imbracata in pantaloni scurti, top largut, bolero. Tinuta este completata de accesoriile albe - palarie, geanta, ochelari, care ii dau un aer fresh.

Wearable Fashion Trends 16: Grey Matters

It's a fashion cliché but it's true: this season grey is most definitely the new black. Many designers showed it head to toe.


Runway: Whatever you wore with black before, this season wear it with grey. Grey is the contemporary navy blue of fashion.

Reality: Grey will be a fabulous substitute for khaki, this neutral shade has a soft sophisticated edge. Evoke the 1950s cocktail era in a little gray dress, team gray with brown for luxusious look, or inject a dash of drama by mixing gray with canary yellow or red. An embellished little gray dress is a glittering day-to-night option. Slink into a slouchy sweater dress for off-duty chic. Contrast the pared-down hue with bright colored accessories or elegant box-clutch.


Photo Sources: 1, 2

Sarah Jessica Parker's Covet Fragrance Ad

Sarah Jessica Parker is using the release of her new Sex and The City Movie to gain publicity for her new perfume, “Covet”, the second scent she’s developed.

The ads feature Parker in a jail setting while movie will be based on the hit TV show. Taking her power to influence trends, SJP utilized the opportunity to launch Covet.

Now that smells like a trend setter! Check out a couple of ads from her campaign.

Photo Source

Hilary's fashion obsessions

In numarul din august al revistei "Seventeen" Hilary Duff vorbeste despre obsesiile ei in materie de vestimentatie.

Last Purchase Before Vacay!

That's right, I'm off to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where I'll be in tennis pinks when I'm not lazing on the beach. (I believe we're playing at the local high school, not some fancy country club). Check out my new gear:



Nike "Serena" tennis skirt, $36.99. Flouncy!

I also have this hilarious hat/visor/headband creation, which I purchased for $2 at some crappy store's going-out-of-business sale. It makes me giddy with happiness, simply because it is soooooo ridiculous. See?



Have a good week, bingers!

FB gets a little smaller...

And that's because todays post is coming to you courtesy of the modern miracle of mini internet in your hand, also known as my new (albeit soon to be returned because it's just a tester) blackberry. It is both new to me and the new model. Since I've got nothing to compare it to, I am still hung up on the amazing fact that they managed to make the innerweb so adorably wee! 1999 never looked so small! Anyway since its taking me the better part of a day just to type this graph alone- this after one post was accidentally erased after I confused back page for backspace, I must make a few important announcements. First I'm soooo sorry I've been awol from the binge. I'm sure a. You've noticed and b. You've missed my acerbic wit and overuse of the non-word "morts." My absence has been due, y'all, to the fact that I've been seeing my fare share if the clock striking 9 then 10 and even 11 -- p.m. That is -- at work lately. While work does often allow me to indulge in fashion blogging (for money! w00t!), its left me no time for fashion bingeing. Wah! Anyway now I am sitting in o'hare airport - the crown jewel of chicagoland airports! - awaiting a flight to magical, magestical michigan, MK is en route to somewhere in the southland that involves golf carts, tennis whites and, uh, prolly lotsa white people. That means we're on a small binge break until the middle of next week, when we'll be back with a mind-melting, brain-busting vomitous vengeance! So binge hard in our absence and think of us as we paddle about in the pristine pools of the northwest Midwest and or sip spiked sodas with our non-legally bound in-laws in some southern country club somewhere. Toodles poodles!

Beyonce's LV bag

Foarte mandra Beyonce isi etaleaza poseta Louis Vuitton tribute patchwork, de 42.000$

Still smoking tee

Lindsay Lohan si Jennifer Lopez, purtand tricouri identice. Una, la iesirea dintr-un club, cealalta in campania de promovare a noului ei film. Tricoul Hysteric Glamour costa 110 $ (www.80purple.com)

Summer chic

Hayden Panettiere, desi te duce putin cu gandul la Scufita Rosie, arata foarte sic.

Fall Color Theory

Whether daubed over a shoe, bag, belt or dress, fast forward to fall by injecting a bright bolt of color to your look. Seek out hot citrus shades of lemon to burnt orange and spicy red, and make a stand-out statement in floor-sweeping dress with a vibrant tangerine stripe or intense red strapless minidress.

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What Inky Beast Are You?

Fashion is all about the latest trend of dressing, cosmetics and jewelry. We can't deny the fact that there is a great trend of tattooing art.

Tattoo marks can be temporary or permanent. There are different types of tattooing designs like tribal tattoo designs, natural pictures designs, romantic designs, religious designs, dragon design and butterflies. Tattooing symbolizes the glamour world. Tattoo marks can be black or multicolored.



And so Yahoo, checked on the menagerie of animal body art and they were able to have the top 20 animal tattoo searches.

1. Butterfly Tattoos
2. Dragonfly Tattoos
3. Koi Fish Tattoos
4. Scorpion Tattoos
5. Tiger Tattoos
6. Dolphin Tattoos
7. Lion Tattoos
8. Dove Tattoos
9. Sparrow Tattoos
10. Eagle Tattoos
11. Ladybug Tattoos
12. Frog Tattoos
13. Wolf Tattoos
14. Turtle Tattoos
15. Snake Tattoos
16. Cat Tattoos
17. Panther Tattoos
18. Hummingbird Tattoos
19. Horse Tattoos
20. Bear Tattoos

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!

Summer has come and gone. Now, Fall will take over. Take a look at Net-a-Porter's hottest trans- seasonal trends: pre-fall top 10 ready-to-wear.


1. CHLOE - PARIS MATCH: The black wool and silk embroidered miniskirt, gray mandarin blouse and ankle boots
2. MIU MIU - COOL MINT: The mint velvet empire-line dress
3. STELLA MCCARTNEY - CLOSE KNIT: The cable-knit short-sleeved cardigan coat
4. BURBERRY PRORSUM - BELT UP: The taupe wool coat with oversized lapels and leather belt
5. MISSONI - TRUE BLUE: The blue jersey minidress with knot-front detail
6. CELINE - STRIKE A CORD:The tweed peacoat, cream turtleneck and corduroy straight-leg pants
7. TIBI - IN BLOOM: The paisley floral print dress with balloon sleeves
8. OSCAR DE LA RENTA - COFFEE BREAK: The coffee bean-print silk chemise with paillette embroidery
9. MATTHEW WILLIAMSON - BUBBLE AND CHIC: The long-sleeved beaded black babydoll bubble dress
10. ROBERTO CAVALLI - ART SCHOOL: The black and green abstract Van Gogh-print empire line dress

Still on Harry Potter Trio...

Whether it's on screen or on the red carpet, the Harry Potter trio know how to work their magic. Check out how their style evolved through the years.

Photo Source

Price-Slashing at Steve Madden

What are people's experience with Steve Madden? I have a pair of ballet flats from several years ago that are very comfy and my favorite ever, nice soft leather, etc. But I've tried on some Steve Madden shoes that were horrifyingly painful the second I put them on my feet, and have since stayed far, far away. So. But some of these shoes are quite nice...and very much on sale. Clearance, in fact. And amazingly, the prices are getting lower BY THE HOUR. Read on!



Love the shape, the color, the heel height -- indeed, everything -- about this shoe. Including the price! Which by the way was $60 more this morning when I started this post! How low can you go, Steve Madden? Steve Madden "Laidback" pump, $29.99 (down from $189.95!).



Funky! And is that navy piping I spy with my little eye? Steve Madden "Weekend" patent flats, $29.99, down from $209.95 (!!), and down even further from $69.95 when last I checked!



Cute and sophisticated: Steve Madden Twillo flat, $39.99.



Steve Madden "Business" flats, $39.99. Yes, you do need another pair of flats, especially if they're this cute.



Modest heel, cute color combo, slingback: can't miss, right? Steve Madden "Devyn" slingbacks, $39.99.




And here's a kicky Mary Jane in a fun color that I bet I'd wear the shit out of if I ever purchased it, which I probably won't: Steve Madden "Helgaa" pumps, $69.99.



Last, and frankly least (in more ways than one), some cheapy, casual flats: Steve Madden "Sayler" fabric flats, $19.99.

As always, your thoughts and advice appreciated, in los comments.

Marketbag

Desi seamana cu o geanta pe care o porti la piata, aceasta este "the next must-have". Poate fi personalizata si costa intre 85-115$. Celebritati ca Reese Witherspoon, Eva Longoria, Vanessa Minnillo, Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, sau Jessica Simpson se declara deja fane.

Nicole, sexy doll

Fie ca este prea cald, fie ca a confundat strada cu scena Nicole Scherzinger de la Pussycat Dolls a imbracat o rochie alba foarte transparenta. Ce-i drept, nu arata deloc rau!

Should I or Shouldn't I?

A problem has come up: I actually like a Brooklyn Industries bag! It's from their new Heritage Collection. Don't ask me what that means. I don't think they look particularly like grandma bags.





Heritage H bag in Circles, $68. (UPDATE: You can get the "large H" bag for ten bucks more, but as I discovered in the store tonight, the smaller version is plenty roomy. I recommend it over the bigguns, especially with such a large print. Also: After inspecting this bag in person, I think I'm totally going to purchase it. Yay!)

So, I love the pattern (all of the patterns, actually, but especially the circles), the shape, the general fun vibe of it. And so many useful pockets and stuff! But is it worth $68 to see every fifth girl on Smith Street with the same bag? Your opinion, please, in the comments!

And the also-ran patterns and shapes:



Lexy bag in Stripes, $60.



Tote bag in Draft, $56.



H bag in Geo, $68.



Lexy bag in Squares, $60.

Made for each other

While I'm aware that it's about time I did proper post for this place, I'm afraid that birthday fever has taken over and my tiny attention span is even shorter than normal. I thought that I'd just post quickly about a couple of articles that have caught my eye lately: this one about bespoke shirts and this one about bespoke shoes.

I love the idea of having all my clothes made just for me, but have reconciled myself to the fact that this is not possible just yet. I think what is interesting about the first article particularly is what he discovers about how clothes are meant to fit (as well as learning the terminology). It is shocking how many men you see walking around wearing clothes that are completely the wrong size. A friend of ours thought that- despite being extremely skinny- he was a size large or extra large simply because he was slightly taller than average. The fact that the shoulders of his t shirts hung close to his elbows and that his body was just swamped with excess fabric (and not in a trendy, deliberate way) did not trigger off any thoughts in his head that maybe- just maybe- these clothes were 3 sizes too big. So many people, myself included, will also sacrifice decent fit because they like something so much they're desperate to MAKE it fit. With me this just means I wear the item a couple of times, feel incredibly uncomfortable because it doesn't look or hang right, then shove it in the bottom of a drawer with a vague sense of guilt until the next charity shop clear out. Well no more! I say.

Don't worry, I'm not about to say we should all sacrifice our social lives and food budgets for half the year to afford four bespoke shirts (£700 seems indecent, but then I'm not wealthy) but it's time we stopped compromising on fit. Do it today! Go to that wardrobe and drag out anything that doesn't fit quite right. Trousers particularly are easy to fix- I would hope that the waist is right or, really, what were you thinking? If they're too loose, make sure you have a good belt that suits them, if they're too tight, chuck them, they look crap anyway. Look at the length: if they're too long, seriously consider getting them shortened. By and large trousers should break once on the shoe, not pool around your ankles- I'm sure you all know that by now, so why are we putting up with anything but perfection when it is so easy (and relatively cheap) to get them altered? Be ruthless too with your tops. I am aware that it's not so easy to get these altered and I know that a man's bond with his favourite shirt or his favourite t shirt is sacred but call me sacrilegious, looking really good is more important than a material posession if said material posession just isn't working. If you love the fabric of a shirt too much to get rid of it entirely, try using it in a different way, perhaps tearing it up to make hankies (sorry, pocket squares), patches or if you're really handy with a needle and thread, to line the inside of another shirt's collar and cuffs.

Hmm, I seem to have gone off topic a little here. I did warn you about birthday fever though.

The glory that is my 21st birthday cake- check out the long hair!

Buzz On: Abejas Boutique

I got the nicest card in the mail from Texas boutique Abejas this weekend. I bought a jersey scarf from there, oh, must've been at least three years ago, and here they are writing me a handwritten note thanking me for supporting their store. And offering me a coupon code for $25 off my next purchase, no less! Can't resist that, now can I? You too should check out the shop. If you've got a few hundred or even thousand dollars lying around, you'll find some stuff to spend it on. Luckily, they have a few affordably priced items as well. Starting with...



Kiwi leather flip-flops, $49. Pretty much the exact thing I've been looking for. Simple brown leather flip-flops. Perfecto! Yay for coupon code web236!



Abejas recylced bee tote, $45.



Bee tee, $35. "Abejas" means "bee" in Spanish, see.



If money were no object, I would totally go for the Shelly Litvak hobo bag, made of ostrich leather. It's $4,500. Dayum!