Fashion Blog » 2009 » August

Last night, the 2009 daytime Emmy’s took place and, of course, I was more focused on the evening wear than the awards themselves. I mean who watches daytime television anymore anyway. The following are a few outfits that I thought were particularly notable.

First up, Tyra Banks won the first ever award for most informative talk show.

For a notable fashion icon, Tyra’s red carpet look wasn’t as appealing as I thought it would be. The top doesn’t seem to  be supporting her chest at all and the biggest problem I have with this outfit is the fact that her hair is the same awkward, pale color as her dress. The beige doesn’t flatter her skin tone because it’s far too light and makes her appear washed out. The bottom beaded train is really pretty but the rest of the outfit just kills it.

This Clean House star Niecy Nash wore a lovely yellow fitted dress that really flattered her overall shape over body. This dress is perfect because it hugs her in the right places without revealing too much. Also, I’m absolutely in love with yellow on dark skin! It’s such a radiant combination.

I don’t care how old you are, but it’s never okay to have wings coming out of your top. Jeanne Cooper from Young and the Restless looks like she’s pitching a tent on the red carpet.

Kassie DePaiva from One Life to Live’s outfit was probably my favorite. For her age and the occasion, this white, stylish dress is both flattering and modern. In 90 degree weather, this was a very smart choice and she looks great in it.

Image source: omg photos on yahoo.com 

This is the face of the most powerful woman in fashion.

Anna Wintour, 59, has been editor-in-chief of the US Vogue Magazine since 1988. She’s seen it all, done it all and has more experience in the fashion industry than any other living woman in the US. Even the most extravagant designers, such as Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren, run some of their designs by her.

It’s Anna Wintour who decides when green is the new black.

She’s notorious for her icy stare and tyranny in the workplace. Who can blame her right–the fashion industry is one of the most fast-paced, stressful environment and she reigns over it all. Even the higher ups in the fashion will do anything she says at the drop of a hat. She’s just THAT powerful. So how does one exactly deal with that much power?

Now, we finally get the  chance to observe a slice of her upscale, fast-paced life. She agreed to a camera crew filming her production of the 2007 September issue of Vogue and two years later, director RJ Cutler has finally finished the final cut.  It’s not a reality show–Anna’s too classy for that. It’s a documentary to show viewers exactly what goes into producing a full issue of Vogue.

Her assistants are the writers of the hit film Devil Wears Prada, of which Anna is undoubtedly the inspiration. We finally get to really see all that goes on behind the cat walk in a real life Devil Wears Prada.

I really respect all of her talent and experience–but I just can’t help but notice–if she’s such a powerful icon head, why has her look and style failed to change over time? She’s always seen wearing her Chanel black sunglasses and hasn’t changed her bobbed hair cut with straight-across-bangs in several decades. I guess it’s her signature mark, but I’d get kind of sick of that rut really fast if I were her.

Here’s a homage to the fashion queen that was printed in French Vogue , which I guess is a pretty classic look:

And in case you are wondering who will inherit this empire, her daughter Katherine Shaffer is following Anna’s very larger-than-life footsteps:

She is one lucky girl!
She’s currently a student at Columbia University and is likely to be a fashion icon in the near future.

Image sources: papermag.com, nycfashion.com, thebargainqueen.com

I have found that lately, I’m not only having writer’s block, but a shopper’s block as well. I can’t seen to find anything that I’ve been lusting over lately. I don’t know whether its that I’m working in a clothing store again and I’m on shopping burnout mode, or that my personality has just began to value shopping for my home over shopping for my wardrobe. I cannot stop buying things for the house! It’s my latest vice and has been this last year of living in my new apartment. I’ve completely indulged home-wise, splurging on backyard plants and cacti, bedding and fabric for curtains I made myself, and today…my latest binge? New hand towels for my bathroom, lovely soaps, a lovely sea foam green chenille bath mat, and of course…smelly candles in pretty vintage jars. What can I say. I am a sucker for home stuff. Deals? Sure, on some of it. But clothing deals are what I should be on the hunt for. When out at the shops recently, it wasn’t clothes I was pulling at and pricing, it was shoes. I’m good on clothes right now, it’s shoes that I almost need…and of course, want. Besides, right now is the weird in between time when it’s not quite end of summer, but not quite beginning of fall. The transitional time with weird color schemes and styles that are almost too warm to wear right now. Instead, we’ll focus on feet today. As usual, I found two pairs that I liked. One will be an instant hit, the other will take some thought and consideration. Now, at a first glance, this shoe may seem really hideous to many of you…

Gentle Souls ‘Dancin’ Jazz Oxford on sale for $133.90

But when you give it some thought and really try to picture it on your foot, it’s not so bad. I wasn’t sure about the ’slingback’ look on an oxford style shoe, but they are a great color, a classic color. Envision this shoe, with no socks, and a pretty floral dress. Mixing feminine with boyish looking pieces has been a hit all season and isn’t going away any time soon. I would actually wear these with some shorts, and and silky camisole or blouse, something delicate on top for balance.
My second faves were these chunky heels by BCBGirls…

BCBGirls ‘Edmund’ Sandal on sale for $64.90

I chose these sandals because I first off immediately liked the colors. The mix of nude and carmel brown is sure to match most dresses and color schemes, and the open toe would be fun to pair with black tights and a miniskirt.

Shop through a variety of women’s shoes at Smarter.com.

Ashley Olsen is a classic example of why celebrities should not be entitled to their own fashion line–just because they can.

In July of 2009, Ashley Olsen was quoted in an interview saying that she’s giving up acting for fashion.

She told Hamptons Magazine: “I used to be in the entertainment industry. And now I feel passionate about the fashion industry. I understand what it takes to make a brand and to have an eye for product that sells.” 

It’s only been a few months since she switched to becoming a full time fashion designer and Ashley says that now she doesn’t know how long she’s going to stick it out in the fashion industry, according to the NY Fashion Magazine.

Sure it was cute when she and her sister had their own line of practically everything that a pre-teen girl would buy. From hair straighteners with their twin faces on them to glittery jeans–that was all fun and games. Now that Ashley’s had some experience dealing with the real high fashion industry with their new adult line “The Row,” Ashley said she doesn’t like how cutthroat the industry really is.

Ashley told NY Fashion Magazine:

“(In the fashion world) everyone is just really looking out for themselves. I don’t know if I’ll be designing this collection forever. A couple of years from now, I’m sure I’ll want to do something else, and I’m not going to shy away from that.

“What if I just want to be an artist, or if I want to go back to acting? Which is not in the cards, but what if I wanted to do that?”

What a flip flopper.

If you look at her new adult line, it’s really altogether boring and obviously trying to be adult. You can tell that they made a strenuous effort to step out of their pink little girl shells and tried to come up with “grown up” clothing. They’re really not up to par with real, professional designers. The following are some pieces from Ashley’s adult line. Check ‘em out before Ashley throws in the towel:

Her pieces all have a weird Gothic yet professional flare to them–and that combination doesn’t really work.

Image source: theinsider.com, collegefashion.net

Anyone who is a fan of eco-friendly, reworked vintage clothing, the following may excite you:  Many months ago, probably years, I was reading the magazine I too often refer to, NYLON, when I came across a little blurb about an up-and-coming independent clothing line called Taxi CDC. It was prior to me moving back to Los Angeles, so I thought finding any pieces from the line would be a difficult task to feat. Almost one year ago, upon moving back into the City of Angels, I was perusing my new neighborhood–Echo Park–when I came to discover that the actual Taxi CDC boutique was right here in my new hood!

Located right off of Sunset near the firestation, Taxi CDC calls a teeny-tiny boutique home. I’ll be honest, I’ve never set foot inside the place, only because I’ve written it off as too expensive, probably. It’s wrong of me to assume, and to my surprise the prices are typical indie boutique prices. After driving by the place almost every single day, I was sad to see when it was getting cleared out. It looked as though the poor place was going under, but I found out on Sunday that it is merely undergoing a renovation. Phew. I can still redeem myself and go shop come next paycheck. A mini-market taking place in the parking lot of my work had several vendors this last weekend, one of them being Taxi CDC itself. Racks of reworked, well tailored vintage dresses for reworked prices ($45 each). Oh, how I wanted to grab two and go, but not this week unfortunately. Instead I thought I’d spotlight the cute label and their goodies…

Originally a Mexican mumu, this fabric was cut into a feminine strapless dress, $96

A western plaid men’s shirt fashioned into a comfy and forgiving tube top, with an elastic band near the bottom to add some volume. You can totally find a version of this at a lot of contemporary clothing stores right now, but this is a handmade piece that has better detail and quality, $60.

Many of their styles consist of these redesigned 80’s vintage dresses. Not a look for everyone, but definitely something fun for the more adventurous. I would wear this with a structured jacket, a sweater would be bad since the sleeves have a flutter to them, $92.

All dresses available at taxicdc.com.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop through a wide variety of women’s dresses.

FocusOnStyle.com reports that Naomi Campbell doesn’t always wear underwear but those sexy Parisianistas sure do! Read French Chic Tip #2: Wear Nice Underwear, and exactly find out which are the right brands of French lingerie on every budget.

Is it long & lean love? new jean fits at the gap have Girlawhirl and her super pals swooning.

SheFinds adds the best new skinny jeans to their wardrobe.

StyleBakery.com shows how to easily transition your summer wardrobe into fall.

Image Source:  Urbanoutfitters.com

Along with every other throwback to the 80’s, crop tops have made a comeback believe it or not. Neon is another one, but that is probably my least favorite trend that’s been forecasted for the upcoming months. Checked out a Marc Jacobs storefront lately? Neon everywhere. I guess I’m just too into everything earthy to embrace those brights. They just don’t feel fall to me…I think Fall and I think warm knits, cozy corduroy, and soft scarves. Perhaps that’s just the hopeless romantic in me…the hopeless romantic is also wishing I could slink around in one of these crop tops with no qualms about revealing my stomach, but that’s not the case. Instead, I thought of some other creative ways to wear this without having to look like I just stepped out of an episode of “Saved by the Bell”.

We The Free Lace Back Tee $29.95,

This lace back top normally retails in the store for $58, and it’s new for fall. Suddenly it’s on sale for $29.95 which I think is a much better price for such a small piece of clothing. The cotton is a washed black so it looks very 90’s, very grunge. And with that ivory lace on the back? It’s good 90’s, cute 90’s that can be layered in a million different ways and worn really well. This top comes right above mid-waist and looks perfect underneath a high-waisted jumper, which will cover up the rest of your stomach and reveal only the tiniest bit of skin in the back. Unless, of course, you are a fan of sit-ups and like revealing yours, than I encourage you to embrace that of course. This top would look great with high-waisted jeans of course, but even those won’t cover up the excess skin, especially those with a longer torso. Okay, so experiment with the high waisted and crop top, but don’t forget that this top would look great underneath a stretchy black dress, over the knee socks, and boots or platforms. I saw a cute gal last week in a pair of harem pants and a crop top just like this one. She had her stomach revealed and looked great, but she was tiny and toned. She topped with a little hat and sandals. This top can also be worn over a tank, or tube, and paired with some skinny cords and ankle boots. Whichever way you decide to layer it, this top is something fun and a little more daring than your average knit.

No, seriously. That is actually the breaking news about Michelle Obama right now. In fact, there are more headlines and discussion about Michelle’s fashion sense than there are about her agenda as the first lady altogether.

Forget about her agenda as first lady to promote nutritional lunches and support for military families. Let’s talk about how it’s a big deal for her to show a little leg on her trip to the Grand Canyon.

I‘ve read a lot of short news blurbs this morning about how “people” are upset about her shorts, but I haven’t figured out exactly who these people are. This leads me to ultimately believe that this is just bad journalism–a ploy to gain more readers interested and cause controversy over nothing. This story is not a story.  This might have been somebody’s opinion and somehow her outfit caused her to land in the news because some “people” are upset about it. It’s sad that credible news sources like MSNBC and the LA Times are blogging about her fashion sense. They aren’t a fashion blog so their priorities seem to be a little backwards.

But this is. So let’s discuss Michelle’s outfit.  Honestly, not only is her outfit completely appropriate, but it is also understandable–it’s scolding hot in Arizona, I’m sure. Even though they are very similar to her daughter’s shorts, neither of them are wearing anything worth dropping your jaw about. In fact, they’re both wearing comfortable khaki shorts, perfect for trekking along the grand canyon. Khaki shorts are always suitable for places of high heat–the light color doesn’t attract the sun and the loose fit allows air to flow and cool her off.

Michelle Obama is a Harvard Law School graduate and also our first lady. Her fashion sense is fine, have some respect.

Image source: LaTimesBlog.com 

My personal pick this week is actually a collection and the designer behind it, hailing from New York City, Chrissie Miller’s Sophomore. Miller herself, a New York native, started in 2003 creating t-shirts for friends. But after some “overnight success” as her site calls it, and some hype from uber-trendy NYLON Magazine, among others, Miller realized the potential in her baby collection and moved forward with new designs. With the help of former Proenza Schouler designer Madeleine Von Froomer, the two conjured up a contemporary sportwear line–Sophomore.

Inspired by her own surroundings on the Lower East Side, Miller couldn’t help but take note of the fact that styles from the L.E.S. in the 1970’s looked a lot like the styles she was seeing now in the modern day. Taking her cue from this, she’s created three collections now that are very 70’s and 80’s inspired, easy-to-wear and looking somewhat comfortable. It is sportswear after all. Another inspiration for Miller I’m sure was young P.Y.T. Cory Kennedy. Infamous for being a hip Hollywood photographer’s modern day muse, Kennedy burst into the limelight a few years back and was labeled the new “it” girl after appearing on the cover of NYLON. Not to just call out NYLON, Sophomore has received press bits in all the offbeat pub’s–including iD, Paper, and even a shout out from that cornerstone called the New York Times.

The designs aren’t groundbreaking, but I don’t think they were meant to be. This collection is basic, somewhat colorful, playful, and fun of course. Above are my favorite looks from the Fall 2008 look book, they seemed to be the most exciting to me. I did also like the graphic tees she included in this collection. Miller did a Spring ‘09 collection, but I’m unsure of what’s in the works for this coming fall. She is pairing with Urban Outfitters in Hollywood this week and launching a mini pop-up shop where some of her designs will be available I’m sure, hopefully at an Urban Outfitters price. I would expect to find leggings, graphic tees, and some cute dresses. Bonadrag.com carries Sophomore as well, but don’t bother looking, they only had one dress and all of their other stuff was sold out…such a tease. Definitely keep your ears and eyes peeled if you liked what you saw here, I’m sure a new collection is in the works and you’ll be able to find it at a store near you in the near future.

Image Source: sophomorenyc.com

MTV will be airing a new reality TV series tomorrow that will feature Jazmin Whitley–the youngest fashion designer ever to be showcased in New York fashion week. 

The point of the show is to give viewers a first-hand insight about what it actually takes to make it into the fashion designing industry.

The show, entitled House of Jazmin, will follow Jazmin’s life as she learns to cope with being only 20 and handling the duties of her own clothing line, “Li Car.” She describes her line as “sophisticated, chic, and versatile.” 

Jazmin was a girl who turned her dreams into a reality. She’s accomplished more in just a few years than what thousands of aspiring designers hope to accomplish in their entire life.

At age 17, Jazmin showcased her own fashion show at her high school and later began creating pieces for socialites. Soon, her talent was recognized and she showcased her 36-piece line at an LA fashion week show in 2006. According to her official website, Jazmin showcased her spring summer ‘07 line at the age of 19 and continued to tour between LA and NY. She’s been featured in countless magazines and attracted top socialites including Christina Ricci and Mandy Jiroux.

Now she has her own reality show.

I’m excited to see her try and deal with such a high-profile career. This has potential to be really useful for those of you who are heavily interested in the fashion industry. The show will also star Jazmin’s mother who is also her manager, who, of course, has a hard time separating her two roles. I think this show has potential as long as it strays away from focusing on her life as a 20-year-old and more towards her actual talent and acquisition.

The show will air at 10:30 PM Tuesdays on MTV.

Image source: mtv.com, jazminwhitley.com