Catherine Deneuve, classicly beautiful at 64 and starring in the new Louis Vuitton ads. Now that's aging gracefully.
I was in Banana Republic today, minding my own business, and this dress spoke to me. Here's what it said:
I don't post much about beauty products, mostly since they confound me! (But more on that at some later date.) But I will never buy L'Oreal products again. It seems they have banned "non-white" women from promoting their shampoos, in particular Garnier (which I use religiously, mind you). BeautySnob has all the details of the lawsuit and L'Oreal's racist recruitment campaign here.
Those fabulous Christian Louboutin shoes that were designed for Roland Mouret's recent RM fashion show have been knocked off by Steve Madden. Compare and contrast...
Christian Louboutin Emily Shoe Boot $925
Steve Madden Chap $149.95
Is imitation the greatest form of flattery? Or is it the best way to profit off of someone else's talent? I can't say for sure. I think we all know that when you purchase a knock-off of a designer shoe, you may have something that looks like the real thing but won't be made with the quality of the materials and the craftsmanship of the original. But the reality is, how many of us can afford a $925 Christian Louboutin shoe? And Louboutin has so taken over the shoe world recently that it seems like everyone is knocking him off. Those stunning heels you're wearing right now could be a Louboutin knock-off and you don't even know it. I will leave it up to you to decide based on your budget and fashion needs what you will buy.
I've never been pregnant but God-willing I will be by the end of this year! My friends with children have all told me about the many changes that happen to a woman's body during pregnancy. One that I am not looking forward to (since I have a pretty extensive shoe collection), is that some women's feet grow an entire shoe size by the time they give birth. That would explain why moms-to-be Isla Fisher and Naomi Watts chose to wear super-comfy Birkenstocks while out in Hollywood.
Birkenstock Gizeh Sandals $100
I'm not a Birkenstocks woman, so when I'm looking for comfort in a shoe, I gravitate towards something a little more glam like this:
Beverly Feldman White Leather Sandals $215
Who says comfort can't be fabulous?
I was looking through this week's Life & Style Weekly and had to do a double-take. I had read about the Louis Vuitton Tribute Patchwork bag many months ago, but had yet to see someone photographed with one. It appears Beyonce owns that most heinous of over-priced, "I just want the world to know I'm rich," status bags. As the article mentions, only 24 were made and thank God for that. I would hardly consider this Marc Jacobs' finest work for Louis Vuitton. In fact, the Tribute Patchwork was referred to as "the Frankenstein monster" by the British press when it first appeared on the runway for the Spring 2007 Ready-to-Wear show. I would say it looks more like a bad arts and crafts challenge from Project Runway than a luxury accessory worth what some people make as an annual salary.
Here is a lesson that should inform all accessory purchases in the age of the $52,000 handbag: Just because something is expensive, doesn't make it elegant or chic.
Photo credit: Life & Style Weekly, 7/30/2007
Best. Fashion. Magazine. Layout. Ever.
The life of Gianni Versace is celebrated in Milan with a dancing gala on the 10th anniversary of his death.
Meet the fashion bingers.
Sack, trapeze and baby doll dresses all allow for maximum circulation of air to the body on those hot summer days. But they can also make you look pregnant if you're not super skinny.
The shoes from Valentino's Fall 2007 Haute Couture are a thing of beauty.
Jazz shoes are back? I'll be skipping that trend...
Is Christian Louboutin giving these peep-toe Mary Jane pumps away? If so, I seriously need to get on his gift list. Add Jamie-Lynn Sigler to the list of Hollywood starlets with the "it" shoe. Jamie-Lynn wore her pair (also in black! Does it come in other colors???) with a Dolce & Gabbanna dress to the ESPY awards. That brings my count of starlets with this shoe to six!
Emanuela de Paula was discovered on the streets of Pernambuco, Brazil. She was born in 1989 in the small Brazilian port town of Cabo de Santo Agostinho. Emanuela can attribute her stunning, exotic looks to her biracial background; her mother is white and her father is black.
She was booking catalog and runway work in Brazil until Jennifer Lopez cast her in the Fall 2005 Sweetface runway show and brought her to New York City. Since then she has done ads for DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, Sephora and Saks Fifth Avenue. She has also walked the runway for Baby Phat, Catherine Malandrino, Bottega Veneta and Diane von Furstenberg.
Here is Emanuela de Paula serving you hot fashion!
If you all haven't guessed, I tend to spend a lot of money on clothing and accessories. I'm budget conscious about certain items, but with others I'm willing to spend a little more. For example, I tend to lose all sense of reason when it comes to Marc Jacobs handbags. What is YOUR weakness?
As you may remember, I've been contemplating purchasing a Bulga handbag for a few months now. I just wasn't willing to pay $600 or more for one. In the hierarchy of labels that exists in my mind (Marc Jacobs being at the top of that hierarchy), Bulga is just not a brand I am willing to shell out major cash for. I think Bulga makes lovely handbags but they have not established the brand cache in the fashion world that would make it justifiable to spend that kind of money on their accessories.
Although I had been invited to the Bulga Sample Sale, my schedule was so hectic that week that I wasn't able to attend. But lo and behold, a few weeks ago I was doing one of my daily checks of my favorite online stores' sale pages and I found the Bulga Double Strap Pocket Satchel on sale at Neiman Marcus and ShopBop! Wahoo! Both stores had the bag on sale in all colors for $446. While this was a good deal since the bag was originally priced at $638, I still thought that was a little high. So every morning I would go back and check both stores and hope that the bag would go down in price a little more. Miraculously one morning, as I was sipping my coffee at work and trying to get ready for the long day ahead, I clicked onto the Bulga brand listing on ShopBop and saw that the Double Strap Pocket Satchel had went down to $319! I wanted to spin around in my chair, shake my cubicle-mate and shout, "The Bulga bag I want is HALF-PRICED!!!!" But she wouldn't have cared and I would have looked foolish. I contained my excitement and went ahead and ordered the bag.
My purse came in the mail about six days later and I love it. The leather is buttery soft and it's the perfect size for all my essentials (wallet, make-up kit, Ipod, Blackberry) as well as a good book to read on the subway ride home from work. And, of course, there's nothing as satisfying as getting something you want at a bargain price. The peculiar part of this story is that the bag I bought is back to full price on ShopBop. That just goes to show that being a power shopper and finding a good deal requires vigilance, determination and just a little good luck. Happy shopping!
I love to look for style inspiration in old movies. Whenever I watch a movie from the 1950's or 1960's, I feel like I've stepped into another world. It's a world where women wear hats and gloves and people dress up for traveling and when they go to the theater. These days, it seems that jeans have become appropriate for almost every occasion and it's refreshing to imagine living during a time that was less casual.
West Side Story is one of my favorite movies for the story line and for the fashion. It's full of women in voluminous A-line dresses with cinched waists and low bodices. The clothes are feminine and they move beautifully with the film's choreography. Rita Moreno's arm raised as she begins her mambo and asserts her territory at the dance at the gym (about 3:30 minutes into the video below) gives you high drama and shows off her beautiful lavender frock to maximum effect.
For a modern take on Rita Moreno's look, try this:
Janey Cotton Dress from J.Crew $295
And of course, make sure you have a fabulous club or party to go to where you'll be able to dance in this dress. Imagine how you'll stand out from all the women in jeans!
Check out Chanel's Fall 2007 shoe disasters here. (Although I think the black d'orsay pump with the white camelia is kind of cute.)
Valentino celebrated 45 years in fashion in Rome last week.
40% of models suffer from eating disorders.
Giorgio Armani brought a rocker vibe to the Fall 2007 Couture shows in Paris.
Everyone is talking about the return of Roland Mouret!
Discounted designer labels are here to stay.
Alber Elbaz talks about the new Lanvin fragrance "Rumeur." If you haven't tried this fragrance, you MUST! It is my new favorite.
While I can appreciate the beauty of Christian Louboutin's shoes, rarely do I feel the urge to actually buy a pair. With prices upwards of $500, I simply can't afford them. But I have become obsessed with his peep-toe Mary Jane pumps since all of hot young Hollywood seems to own a pair. What has me especially curious about these shoes is that they are 4-inch stillettos, which is a style I have found to be cripplingly uncomfortable. But many starlets, such as Jessica Alba, own these shoes and wear them repeatedly which leads me to believe they may actually be comfortable!
Sarah Michelle Gellar wears her peep-toe Loubs to a movie premiere.
Hillary Duff performs in her Loubs on the Today Show.
LeAnn Rimes promotes Corn Flakes in her Loubs.
Yikes! Even perennially worst-dressed Britney Spears owns a pair!
I think these may be Hollywood's new "it" shoe.
Eva Longoria shows us how to cheapen a classic Chanel dress while exiting her civil wedding ceremony to Tony Parker today:
Simpler jewelry and a less busy shoe would have worked wonders to elevate this look. For shame, Robert Verdi!
Picture sourceWith 55 gowns in mostly gray and silver tones, two words kept coming to mind as I looked through the Elie Saab Fall 2007 Couture show pictures: Red carpet. I can definitely see many of the gowns gracing the flawless figures of Halle Berry or Nicole Kidman at upcoming award shows and other red carpet events. While Style.com gave the show a scathing review and called it repetitive, I found that many of the gowns were gorgeous and elegant. Here are some of my favorites.
Couture.
I think most people don't really know what that word means. I've heard people refer to their jeans and t-shirts as "couture." Officially, couture is a French word that refers to the creation of exclusive, hand-made, custom-fitted clothing. Couture clothing are usually made from high-quality fabrics with extensive attention to detail and finishing. In France, the words "haute couture" are protected by law and only certain fashion houses are allowed to refer to their clothing in this way.
So who buys couture clothing? Worldwide, there are only about 2,000 women who buy these items. With evening gowns costing up to $100,000 and tailored suits starting at $16,000, it's easy to understand why there is a very small market for these clothes. But the tradition of couture continues even with such a small market and many of the themes explored on couture runways are often incorporated into the labels' ready-to-wear lines.
The Fall 2007 Couture shows are happening in Paris this week. On a personal level, I love the evening wear pieces best and found the Chanel, Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier shows to be the most visually stunning and inspiring.
Chanel
Ever the genius, Karl Lagerfeld delivered haute couture with a twist. LITERALLY. According to Lagerfeld, "Everything is flat at the front. It’s all side effects."
Christian Louboutin Round-Toe Mary Janes $625
Anna Corinna Mini City Tote $413
If it's just too early for you to think about Fall, use this coupon to get 10% to 15% off at Bloomingdale's stores on sale items through July 4th. Happy shopping!
