Inspiration From Across the Pond

I was having a minor freak out when I learned that I had to wear something other than a t-shirt and yoga pants to class while studying abroad in England, Summer 2006. You see, we Americans are used to the t-shirt and lounge pants look as perfectly acceptable school attire. Well guess what? Other countries actually dress up a little bit just to attend class. This meant my mom and I were on a hunt for comfortable yet put together and classy apparel. My experience in Newcastle Upon Tyne, located in the far North of the country, has influenced my fashion desires now and transformed the way that I look at styling myself.

An anecdote: I quickly befriended a girl from Sheffield, England. She and I decided to get out the first Friday we had and I was quickly to my closet searching for some great outfit. I felt confident and great in my tan peep toes, boot cut jeans and nice v-neck brown top with a belt that wrapped into a bow in back. When I met up with her, I felt like I was dressed to go to a BBQ alongside her, who looked like she was straight off the runway. She was wearing a graphic tee, leggings, bright red booties and accessories to the max. I don't know how it looked so dressed up, but she made it work- she made everything work. I could not get over her bright red booties, like ones left. My point is, to me, she was fashion forward and I loved her glamorous, yet effortless, look.

Let's fast forward 1 year and some months ahead. . . . while living in Newcastle with my fiance (who I met that Friday night), he and I wandered the city centre frequently. On this one occasion, I stopped dead in my tracks as I noticed a family of 4. Mom, Dad, daughter and son were all in jean shorts, white socks above the ankles with sneakers and sweatshirts from some Universities. This screamed "I'm an American tourist" just as much as a man wearing a baseball uniform, carrying the Star Spangled Banner and eating a hot dog does. Now, I know we are not all like this because we have some hugely stylish people knocking about this massive country. On the flip-side we have plenty of white sock sporting, 90 jean shorts and sweatshirt wearing families.

Moving swiftly to my point, again: I have been inspired to always look towards the English (and Europeans) for some style sense and to ensure that I am living in fashion forward ways (to a degree). Some websites I visit often for inspiration are reiss.co.uk, tedbaker.com and topshop.com, (I always click on the UK flag so I get their styles). This summer I am after a jumpsuit, or as it is often called across the pond, a playsuit. This one I found at top shop, I am in love with and hope to find. Paired with these Ted Baker shoes, I would feel edgy, elegant and oh so stylish. Whatever you do, do NOT wear white socks above your ankles with sneakers and jean shorts that give way to the camel toe- yes, I said it. Research styles/trends online, be inspired by what you like and keep this in mind while shopping.

Back In The Swing Of Things

Oh My! I knew that it had been a while since I wrote on my blog, but I did not expect that it had been a little over a month. It's a disgrace. My initial intentions were to write on my blog at least once a week. That, fortunately, turned into something like 2 posts a week, which just happened naturally. THEN I had a career change and found myself working and sleeping with a lot of sick time in between leaving zero time for anything else. Phewwy. I am now, finally, getting into a new groove and routine. I hope I find more time on a weekly basis to update my blog. If you're reading this, THANK YOU!! Oh and so you know, I am the new Selling Department Manager at Antrhopologie. I'm loving it!

Anywho, on to business, as they say. We are 3 weeks from the first day of Summer. Unbelievable, if you ask me; that means we are half way finished with year 2010. Where does the time go? As Summer approaches, new styles are revealed and new trends emerge. Designers have recently presented their Fall/Winter collections which is then followed by Resort Wear and we are refreshed with some new ideas for fashion. For those of you who don't know, Resort Wear was first designed by upscale designers for the affluent folk who would more likely than not take a post Winter Holiday vacay away, sometimes on a cruise, as it is also named. Resort Wear is presented at a time of year that bodes well for those of us looking for some inspiring looks for our current season of Summer (although the styles are meant for the Winter season vacation).


The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) just last week presented their awards to celebrate the tremendous talent we have here, living in the 'Land of the Free.' The ever so talented, Marc Jacobs was honored with The Womenswear Designer of the Year Award. So I thought it appropriate to highlight some of his Resort Wear 2011 to be a little bit re-inspired as we ease into the Season of sun and beach.

His collection was full of charming femininity. Many of the looks seem to combine an early 60s feel with a vintage YSL nod incorporated with some oh so very classic Chanel signatures.

Most skirts are mid length or shorter and have flirty hemlines- either wavy or flowy or sequined. If the hemline isn't unique they showcase extreme feminine detailing such as lace or sequined applique. A-line skirts showcase as well.

Suits debut with a military inspired cut- though the fabric and color add a fresh edge and beachy feel. Short and skirt suits mainly.

Colors are pastel. Pinks, yellows, greens and some blues appear in jackets, suits, hats, tops and skirts. The pastel colors are perfectly positioned with his feminine chic designs.

When shopping this Summer look for these pastel colors, feminine touches of lace and flowers on tops and dresses, short skirts that aren't skimpy and all things flirty and girly. You'll be yacht bound in high class and charm. Effortlessly chic indeed. Congratulations Marc Jacobs! You're at the top of your game and we're so lucky that you provide such charming designs and style. Images gathered from WWD.com.

Womanly Curves The New Thing On The Runway- FINALLY-But Is It Here To Stay?

There is no denying that the obsession with women's body size has surged in the past few years. Models on the runway were stickly and sickly thin. Then celebs graced the covers of our magazines with headlines exacerbating their weight loss. Who's the skinniest became a competition much like 'keeping up with the Joneses' from the 20th century. Some and it is really only a handful of industry execs decided to create a minimum healthy weight that would be accepted. Only some fashion houses took this on while others continued their hunt for the bone thin models.

Paris Fall/Winter 2010 Shows showcased something very different than what we became overtly obsessed with. Could we finally be looking at the next trend on the runway consisting of healthy and dare I say voluptuous models?? Maybe. Here's the latest scoop.

The Paris Fall fashion week starred models who had bosoms. Victoria's Secret model types danced the catwalk in place of skin and bone models Paris is particularly known for. Designers embracing the curvy bodies that women should be embracing themselves were Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton who opened the show with Laetitia Casta, filing after her were full busted women over filling their corsets and then ended the show with Elle Mcpherson {right}. Other designers following the chesty trend were Giles Deacon, Stuart Vevers at Loewe, Peter Copping for Nina Ricci and the most surprising of them all were the model picks by Miuccia Prada. She casted Victoria's Secret Angels including Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio and Miranda Kerr. I can hear the angels singing now. Hallelujah!!!!!

The Council of Fashion Designers of America, the CFDA, has clearly had an impact with their health initiative. Fashion insiders including ex models, show producers, designers' stylists and critics alike agree that it's time to rejoice in the natural curves of a woman. Peter Copping (Nina Ricci) says "there's no point in denying it. Women have breasts." Deacon promises us that "the chest is yet to come." I can't say I see the trend catching on quickly, but the progressive thinking seems to be contagious and sexually pleasing in a sense perhaps acting as a real catalyst in this movement.

It's about damn time we change our sick ways. To ensure the next generation of girls has confidence in themselves and know that their bodies are beautiful in their naturally female ways is up to the media in a sense, which has the, sadly, heaviest influences over what we deem beautiful. As Victoria's Secret models and Sports Illustrated Magazine prove curves are sexy and sex sells.

Source: Harper's Bazaar May 2010

Jeans+Leggings=Jeggings

Who remembers sporks- the infamous spoon/fork we were given by the cafeteria ladies in funny hats as children? Who remembers the skort, that was an absolute must have in any elementary to middle school girls' closet? Oh the objects that merge together to create something essentially better (at least at first thought).

So fast forward to now: 2010-- Jeggings? What? Yes, that's right these are jeans and leggings combined. For the past year and some, Europe has been sporting the jegging trend, especially in countries such as England. Thanks mainly deserved by TopShop who coined the term. When we think of the fashionistas in the world we think of those who are always stylish, ever so chic and dressed to the nines whenever they step foot out of the house. At the top of that list is Victoria Beckham, who has been seen in jeggings looking oh so fab for over a year. Trends take some time to journey across the ocean to the Americas and now the trend is taking America by storm at long last. Keep in mind that you don't have to wear the trend. It is meant for only some and you have to feel comfortable in them. If you want to experiment a little bit, here are a few tips to successfully making jeggings part of your wardrobe.

1. Pair jeggings with an over-sized light weight sweater or knit top and a super chunky heel.

2. Throw on a flowing white blouse with some detailing and buttons and finish the look off with some flat sandals and maybe even a fedora if you're the hat type.

3. Find a long, at the hip, nearly fitted tank top in a bright color and pair it with a dark denim jegging. Your next step in finishing this look would be to find a great scarf that matches well with your complexion (pinks for the olive toned, greens for the darker skin types, and browns or light blue for the paler skin tones). A mid to tall heeled caged sandal will top it off.

4. To dress it up, put a pair of dark jeggings with a cami and a fitted blazer. Add a few metallic chains and a heel to finish it with some class.

BONUS: With the sun shining brightly it is so very simple to look chic and stylish by completing any of the above looks with a great pair of shades a la Victoria.

In the end, to say that the jegging look is for every one is oh so very wrong. It is a great look that can be pulled off by those who want to take that risk and who feel comfortable doing so. For others, the skinny jean is just enough of a push outside of their comfort zone and still an amazing way to look current. But don't worry if even the skinny jean is uncomfortable. We all have our own style and comfort zones that thanks to the realm and nature of fashion allows us to experiment in our very own ways. Whether you're testing the jegging trend or not, have fun with your wardrobe this Springtime.

Jennifer Aniston Launching Own Fragrance

It has been too long since I posted anything on my blog. I have been a busy bee. I thought about this blog every day though and have a lot of things in my head that I want to share. I am really looking forward to shopping the racks for this seasons wonderful fashion trends. I have to first find some caged sandals, then I will look for a blush colored top and then a little white dress (the LBD for this season) and. . . and. . . and. . . so very excited. Something else to get excited about is what I have just discovered: Jennifer Aniston is launching her own fragrance called Lovalie. I Cannot wait.

In my personal opinion, celebrities usually get it wrong when they attempt to add a fragrance to their brand (image). They seem to always fall a little short of something spectacular, to put it nicely. I have a feeling, however, that Jennifer Aniston's fragrance will be up to par with the fragrance geniuses, e.g. Chanel, Givenchy, Viktor and Rolf, the list goes on.

She describes it as flowery, but not too flowery. "I am not a big perfume-y fragrance fan,"Aniston explains. "I want people to go, 'What is that? You smell great!' But most of all, I wanted it to smell natural." Sounds perfect for me. A clean fragrance that's feminine sounds perfect.

She was involved in every step of the fragrance design, from the scents and notes selected to the ad campaign, Jennifer Aniston had a hand in it all. I think we can all agree that her style is impeccable and always in good taste, I would bet this fragrance follows suit. It will be first introduced to the UK via ads in fashion mags. Side note: how come nearly everything special is introduced to Europe first???? So not fair to us classy fashionistas that got it going on. So we must wait patiently (or make a special trip across the pond) before spritzing Jennifer Aniston's 'Lovalie' on our wrists and necks.

Athletic Gear for Less!!

Have you ever walked into Target and left empty handed? Think about it. This is THE store that once I have one foot through the door, my shopping list grows and grows; I am guaranteed to walk out of there with at least a total of $75 well spent. I think you all know what I'm talking about. I love a good deal and am a sucker for them. This generally turns into an easily justified $5 purchase and then another and another and another until they amount to $100. But they were such good deals!!! OH how I love you Target.

I am a runner. One thing that means is that I will spend a good amount of money on a pair of running shoes that will give me the support that I need-- there are no substitutions. But for running tops, bottoms, bras, hair bands, etc. Target has got it all and at wonderful prices. I love Under Armour and do have quite a bit of it in my athletic wardrobe, but when working with a slim budget it's ridiculous to spend $30 on a tank top that I am really just going to abuse anyway. The tank pictured is my FAVORITE running top. I have the tanning lines to prove that I wear it every day. It costs $14.99- that's half the price of the highly sought after Under Armour apparel. It's got the built in bra, the amazing fabric that wicks away the sweat and the stretchy material that's just right. Check out Target for your athletic gear. Whether it's yoga, walking, hiking, or running they have it all and best of all it fits the bill.

Webbed Shoes- are we kidding?

I really don't understand why comfort means sacrificing all things remotely attractive. The other day I was shopping around town. I noticed a lovely couple that definitely had their own "free hippie spirit" about them. I am cool with that. It does not bother me that some people find the hippie look stylish- to each their own, as they say. But what really bothers me is when these people don't bathe and think it's cool to be individual to the extent that what they look like is hideous. Back to this couple. . . I look down and glance at their footwear (as I always do because I am obsessed with shoes-- this is sometimes dangerous as living in a beach town in San Diego means some people think it fine to walk around barefooted); anyway, I lost the ability to speak as I almost threw up in my mouth. He was wearing the webbed shoes. WHY? What is this about? I am so confused. I think they do have a purpose- in the freaking water. It was plainly obvious he did not come from the beach, his head was dry, his clothes were dry and he was clearly in street clothes- hippie linen pants and top, the girl was in jeans and a flowy top. It wasn't the first time I had seen them either. I just don't get them. Why do people wear them? And the excuse, "because they're comfortable," is crap. I will take you shopping and show you that other shoes can be just as comfortable and look alright. Even white socks and sandals would look uber stylish compared to these Donald Duck shoes.