Fashion Blog

The Great Fellini 8 1/2 movie masterpiece is being re-imagined by the director who brought us Moulin Rouge. The black and white grit and ominous imagery of the 8 1/2 original is going to be bumped up with glitzy colors, show tune romps, and a lot of star quality. With a rock out cast that’s too powerful for words, this meta re-imagination of the movie industry is either going to be the greatest money blunder or the best film of the year. We don’t need another Chicago, but we’re always hungry for another Fellini–it’s whether or not it can be pulled off by a contemporary that’s the trick.

To get ready for your own movie premiere, here are some clothes to wear to the theatre in honor of the glitz and glamour that will glitter this screen:

Robert Rodriguez Glitter Strapless Dress: $594.00

Pleaser USA Thigh High Boots: $69.00

Shop for affordable women’s boots and women’s dresses.

Rise and shine!!! Metallics and mini dresses are back with a vengeance. The trend this season is sexy shine. As pictured Kim Kardashian and Elisa Dushku are showing us great examples of this trend done right. Forever 21 and American Apparel have some great alternatives we can all afford.

When choosing metallics there are a few things to consider:

1. The type of material of the garment:  Fabrics with shine if not chosen wisely can come across as low quality (cheap). To prevent this, try the item on first. Is there a stretch to the fabric or do you just look like roll of aluminum foil?

2. No Shine Overload:  I am all for glitz but sometimes there can be too much. If you are going to incorporate shine into your ensemble, please use discretion. Do not ever wear this fabric as a top and bottom. The fashion police will be called immediately. Choose one garment and stick to it.

3. Have Fun:  Metallics are all about fun and making statement. So OWN IT AND BE FIERCE.

Metallic Dusted Dress-Forever 21: $19.80

Foil Print Nylon Spandex-American Apparel: $48

Photo Credit: People.com

It’s becoming almost a necessity to have some sort of electronic Internet device on your body at all times. Usually that means something more compact, like the iPhone, BlackBerry, or a cell phone in general, but most people find that they need to do significant amounts of work on the go, and they need to bring their laptop with them. But you don’t need to carry your laptop around in the Plain Jane black cover you got to protect it from bumps and scratches! And it’s certainly hard to find the right size back to hold your laptop in, considering it’s long and thin shape. So here’s some sleek, fashionable bags designed just for laptop carrying. Brought to you at the best of prices from Smarter.com:

Bramble & Brown Cheltenham Ladies Laptop Case: $179.00

McKlein USA Limited Edition Glenview Leather Ladies’ Laptop Case: $128.00

Shop for affordable laptop bags at Smarter.com.

Alice and Olivia, a chic little design company with fun geometric shapes, has their fall collection for sale on Net-a-Porter.com. Reasonably priced in comparison to many Net-A-Porter.com design companies, Alice and Olivia still delivers a quality product that will make you stand out.

Here are some of our top choices:

Sequined Tank Top from Net-A-Porter.com: $390.00

This glittery masterpiece is perfect to pair with skinny jeans and a pair of black pumps.

Beaded Silk Blend Tunic Black Dress from Net-A-Porter.com: $485.00

This is a knockout dress that stands on its own. Pair with some glittery strand earrings and keep it simple and elegant.

Shop for more Alice and Olivia clothing at Smarter.com.

Andy Warhol, the Pop icon that changed a generation of hippies to hipsters with bright colors, silkscreens, tights and mini jumpers, stole our hearts with Edie Sedgwick and the uber-hippness of his designs. I always sigh a little, inside, when I think about how much I would have loved to work in The Factory, Andy Warhol’s famous atelier, or help produce the famous silkscreens that hang in art museums today. But now you can have a little piece of the magic, with Andy Warhol wrist watches. Big, bold, beautiful, just like Warhol’s design, and all neatly packaged around your dainty wrist. Enjoy!

Andy Warhol Double Feature Campbell’s Soup Shot: $150.00

Andy Warhol MidSize Banana Graphic Watch from Amazon.com: $120.00

Find good deals on Andy Warhol watches at Smarter.com.

Fashionista that you are, you live on the edge. Life is about glitz and glamour and fabulous clothes and jewelry to match. While we all drool over the latest Louboutin shoes and Marc Jacob’s jeans, why not create our own small fashion statement that is more personalized? Look into the throwback style of the charm bracelet. Whether you make your own, alter a store bought, or buy from your favorite designer, the charms you wear are the charms you bear, and you can’t bear to let this fashion statement pass you by.

Top charm bracelets on the market for you to check out:

Armani Exchange Charm Bracelet from ArmaniExchange.com: $34.00

For the luxe life upper east sider, Armani is the only way to go. Make your statement with this fashionable, haute-couture piece.

Prime Art Heart Charm Bracelet: $29.95

Wear your heart on your wrist with this stylish understated look. A thin chain keeps this charm bracelet from being too bulky, but you can certainly add your own twist to the design if you like! There’s definitely room.

Find more affordable charm bracelets at Smarter.com.

Why only play dress-up for Halloween? There are plenty of ways to change your costume everyday and be a little more glamorous, a little more edgy, a little more provocative–and it doesn’t take witchcraft or a bag full of candy to get it done! Take a look at some of these fine costume jewelry pieces I’ve been hunting down to go with my own costume this holiday weekend. They’re not ghoulish, but pleasing, their not sleazy but classy. Am I getting a little too into the holiday spirit? Maybe…but you can too with some of these inexpensive costume pieces! Everyday can be Halloween, if you want it to be.

Costume jewelry and accessories are fun because they impersonate the really fancy jewelry but cut the price! What’s not to love?

Here are some of the top costume accessories on the market:

Antique Goldtone / Topaz / Rhinestone / Lead&nickel Compliant Metal / Pendant / Angel / Necklace from BlueBellWholesale.com: price and sizing shown when you create a free account.

This website is a goldmine! Sign up for your account and find out how you can purchase beautiful items like this, and many others!

Black Flapper Headpiece from PartyCity.com: $4.99

Party like it’s 1925 with this stylish headpiece.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s look-alike glasses from ecrater.com: $14.95

Who doesn’t want to be Holly GoLightly with her gorgeous pearl necklaces, little black dresses, and beehive hairdo?

Shop for affordable costume jewelry at Smarter.com.

We all love the knee high boots from last year’s style, I personally still wear them to the bone. But what about the fashionable bootie that’s making a statement this fall, even without your help? Here’s how to get in on the best new fashion footwear, the ankle boot! There is a plethora of designs and colors and shapes and heel sizes for the ankle boot, but you want to make sure you get the boot that fits your lifestyle and your wardrobe. Here are some tips:

Ankle Boot Shopping List:

• Go for a heel that’s going to make the ankle boots as wearable as your knee high flat-heeled boots from last year. That means no stilettos, girls. Remember, boots are cold weather footwear, meaning you should at least be able to consider wearing them through a little residual rain and snow or ice. Make sure it’s a boot that can take it, even if you maybe don’t want to put it through the trauma.

• Go for a color or design that’s knockout! No plain Janes around here. Buckles, colors, cuts, you name it. Just make sure that the cutoff for the boot doesn’t make you look like you have a cankle. Some of the boots are just a little too wide at the top, and drift to the side of unattractive.

Some top boots to consider:

Bloomfield Booties from ModCloth.com: $42.99

The color and little ankle tie on this boot are so cute!

Mudslide Boots from ModCloth.com: $49.99

The suede is a bit of a risk, but look at that stylized heel! So chic.

Find discount ankle boots at Smarter.com.

Winter in the Midwest is no joke. If your feet get wet and stay cold, you can easily cause damage to your skin. Last year I tried to get away with not buying decent boots, but that was a huge mistake. This year, I’ve wised up and I am getting real winter boots. I could get some sweet moonboots ala Napoleon Dynamite….

But I think I like these instead:

Sporto Women’s Patch Winter Boots $88.95 Free Shipping!

This is a great price for nice winter boots! They would look really cute with skinny jeans.

Not only will the Patch go great with your favorite outfit, it will protect you from all the elements. It features a rounded toe design as well as a suede upper. This boot is waterproof and features Thermolite construction which provides warmth and comfort without weight, even when wet. It’s the lightweight fabric that provides heavy-duty performance because it’s fabric made with hollow-core fibers that trap air for greater insulation. It dries 20% faster than other insulating fabrics,and 50% faster than cotton.

Salomon Uma Softshell Winter Boot $129.95

These are great, they’re really unique but they’re totally functional. Nice!

Zip up the Salomon Women’s Uma Winter Boot after a day of skiing in Jackson and hit the town. The softshell upper on these boots retains the sleek look of leather while protecting your feet from rain, snow and mud. Try wearing your leather high-heel boots out into the snow and at best you’ll get ruined boots, at worst a twisted ankle and ruined vacation. A ribbed back panel stretches to fit around your calf so snow can’t sneak in, and the Uma W boot’s grippy Contragrip sole gives you traction on slippery sidewalks as you head to the bar. A fleece lining keeps your feet warm during the brutally cold nights.

Shop for more affordable women’s boots at Smarter.com.

At first glance, eShakti seems too good to be true. Fabulous clothes with unique boho flair, handmade, in sizes 0-26W…..and affordable….AND custom. That’s right, if you order something and want a sleeve shortened, the hem lengthened: they will do it for you with a minor fee.

So who is eShakti?

“eShakti makes distinctive designer clothes for women. We offer custom-size as well as standard-size. And our custom-styling option makes it truly unique - you can make a top/bottom shorter or longer, change the sleeve length or the neckline, the way you want it. We are based in Seattle, USA and Chennai, India.

Our design team creates magic. They work at the details; a lot of the designing is hand-crafted. In some, hand-working starts with the weaving. In others it is the fabric texture, detailing, hand-block printing, or embroidery. We like cotton, linen and silk, but also use some man-made fibers. Our clothes are comfortable to wear – customizing helps this further. ‘Comfort and workmanship’ is our design philosophy.” (read more)

I’ve read a lot of reviews online, and the majority is very positive. eShakti is very popular with plus sized women because they offer such wonderful customization and styles that aren’t always available in plus sizes.

I’m putting an order together for myself, check out the cute stuff that is about to find a home in my closet:

Smooth cotton satin top is designed with precise pin tucking along the front and back yoke that releases at the waist and finished with leafy print at the hem and cuffs.

Pintuck trapeze top $39.95

-Cloth covered button-and-loop front closure.
-Three-quarter length sleeves with banded cuffs.
-Mid-thigh length.
-Side slits at hem.
-Cotton satin; machine wash.

This would be so cute with jeans!

Pleat front kimono silk top $34.95

High-sheen, drapey silk shapes a gorgeously subdued top with an easy cut through the body. Pleated layers on the front offer a structured contrast, while curved side panels cleverly convert to floaty flutter sleeves.

-Center back zip.
-Curved hem.
-Hip length.
-Silk; dry clean.

This is a sexy top! $34.95 for 100% silk?! WOW!

Shop for affordable plus size clothing at Smarter.com.