We're On a Break!

Your favorite Fashion Chick will be on vacation (and not blogging) until Monday, June 4th. Please show the blogs under my "Required Reading" list some love in the interim. But remember to come back on June 4th! ;-)

Smooches!

Marc Jacobs on MySpace

Thanks to those super cool chicks at Fashionista.com, I am now aware that Marc Jacobs has a REAL MySpace page. You know you want to add him, so check out his page here.

Model Moment: Chanel Iman

Chanel Iman (full name Chanel Iman Robinson) is one of the most popular models on the runway today. According to the New York Times, "her name is a combination of her mother’s favorite designer and that of a cousin who was named after the model Iman." Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1989, Chanel claims to have wanted to be a model all of her 18 years. She has walked the runways of major designers like Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Proenza Schouler and Valentino and was featured on the May 2007 cover of Vogue as one of "the world's next top models." And no surprise, Chanel's favorite brand is Chanel.

Here's Chanel serving you high fashion.

Oscar de la Renta Fall 2007

Bottega Veneta Fall 2007

Backstage at Spring 2007 Stella McCartney (wearing Chanel, of course!)

Fashion magazine layout

May 2007 cover of Vogue

Piping Hot Fashion News

Hermes scarves celebrate their 70th anniversary this year.

Individual style or badly in need of a better mirror?

The world's first adjustable heels!

You need a little purple in your life.

Mischa Barton is not a sweatpants and Uggs kind of girl.

Thick heels are hot for Fall 2007. My feet breathe a sigh of relief.

What you'll be coveting next: Balenciaga eyewear.

Style Jack: Ugly Betty Edition

America Ferrera looks amazing in a belted, Nanette Lepore button-front dress on her way to an appearance on Live with Regis & Kelly. She shows off her shapely legs in the knee-length dress and platform, strappy heels. The leopard print is chic and sexy. You can buy the same dress America is wearing for $345 at Nordstrom.com.

Nanette Lepore 'Lucky Leopard' Dress

Or you can unleash your inner animal in this more budget-conscious leopard print mini-dress from Julie Haus:
Julie Haus Lampshade Leopard Dress $214.50 (on sale!)

Whatever you decide, these cute, strappy sandals will complete the look.
Martinez Valero Fire $135

Pucci Turns 60

The Pucci brand celebrated its 60th birthday with a party in Florence, Italy last weekend. The party brought out celebrities and socialites alike, as would be expected since Pucci has been dressing the jet-set since its inception. Known as "the Prince of Prints," Emilio Pucci's dresses have been staples for style icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The founder of the brand, Emilio Pucci, died in 1992. Christian Lacroix took over as head designer from 2002 to 2005 and the current head is the king of boho, Matthew Williamson. You can read more about the party and the history of Pucci here.

For whatever reason, I always associate Pucci with summertime. It must be the bright prints that looks so beautiful on a woman with a tan. So let's celebrate summer being right around the corner and Pucci's 60th birthday with fun Pucci prints!

Pucci Montalban Tank $159

Pucci Plume Shift Dress $509

Pucci Leite Print Scarf $65 (on sale!)

Pucci Lava Print Terry Wedge Mule $179 (on sale!)

And we can't forget another iconic Pucci wearer... Jacqueline Susann! In the late 60's and early 70's, she was the queen of the trash novel and frequently wore Pucci on her book interviews. So with your hair tied back in a Pucci Leite Print scarf on the beach, read a fun and trashy Jacqueline Susann novel while you're relaxing.

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

Yves Saint Laurent Inspired

Everybody is talking about the Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Mary Jane pump. That includes me. While you can now pre-order your own pair of the "it" shoes at Saks, I would not recommend doing that. Not that I'm opposed to spending $660 on a pair of shoes. If you have that kind of disposable income or if you like to treat yourself, go for it. But I think for most of us regular fashionistas, a $660 shoe is a big splurge and we don't spend it lightly. While a classic shoe that with proper care you will wear for years to come might be worth it, I don't think the YSL Tribute is a "new classic" shoe. Like Uggs boots forever remind me of the year 2003, the YSL Tribute is very "of the moment." Spending that kind of money on a shoe that will be so over this time next year seems silly to me. So now that I've talked you out of the YSL's, you can still get your peep-toe-platform-stiletto-Mary Jane-Tribute-ish fix with a lower priced brand.

Left: Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Mary Jane Pump $660

Right: Jessica Simpson Miami Mary Jane $64.99 (on sale!)

Style Lesson: Nia Long

According to IMDB, Nia Long is turning 37 this year and stands a petite 5' 2". Yet, when you see Nia in photos, she always looks tall and impossibly youthful. She has a style all her own and the confidence to pull off a variety of looks. Here are some tips you can take from Nia's best outfits and incorporate into your own style.

Wear neautral colors that compliment your skin tone. Nia's floor length, peach-colored gown looks beautiful against her brown skin. It can take some trial and error, but finding the colors that work with your complexion can mean the difference between looking bright and fresh versus pale and withered. Neutral colors like peach, brown and tan compliment a variety of skin tones.

Show those knees! Teensy Nia Long knows the way to make herself look taller is to show some leg. Wearing a knee-length or shorter skirt instantly lengthens petite legs.

When in doubt, wear a little black dress. An L.B.D. is always an appropriate choice. Black works for both formal and casual occasions and always looks sexy. An added bonus is Nia knows the silhouettes that flatter her figure and goes for deep v-necks and spaghetti straps that show off her neck and shoulders.

Don't be afraid to take risks. A formal shorts jumpsuit? You're kidding, right? Nia has the personality and style to make it look fabulous. Don't be afraid to wear clothes that show your personal style. Isn't it wonderful when an outfit looks great on you and few other people could pull it off?

While Nia's outfits are fresh and fun, she always looks age appropriate. Take a cue from Nia and wear clothes that flatter your height and skin tone and reflect your unique style!

Dream Item of the Day

I absolutely ADORE Manolo Blahnik's Gold Brocade D'orsay Broach pump! These are the perfect fabulous shoe for formal occasions or even with skinny jeans and a sexy top for a night out with your girlfriends. Metallics are fast becoming the new neutral colors so these golden shoes would work with a variety of outfits. They're also a classic Manolo style that was featured in silver on the Sex and the City episode, "A Woman's Right to Shoes."
The silver version are basically impossible to get online although I haven't checked in stores. If you're a women who believes in a women's right to a gorgeous pair of Manolos, you can buy the gold brocade d'orsays here.

Model Moment: Lisa Cant

Since celebrities have taken over fashion magazine covers, layouts and beauty and fashion ads, very few models have the opportunity to become household names on the level of a Gisele or Naomi anymore. For this reason, I've decided to start a regular feature profiling some of my favorite, fiercest models. Today's featured model is Lisa Cant.

Born December 28, 1985 in Alberta, Canada, Lisa Cant was discovered at age 14 in an IKEA store in Calgary. She's known for her "baby-doll"-like features and is currently the face of Juicy Couture's new fragrance. Lisa's walked the runway for practically all the heavy hitters including Balenciaga, Burberry, Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana, Anna Sui and Michael Kors.

Here's Lisa serving you high fashion.

Fall 2007 Y&Kei

Fall 2007 Givenchy

Fashion magazine layout (Doesn't this look like an America's Next Top Model challenge? Lisa would have won!)

Fashion magazine layout

Juicy Couture Fragrance Ad

Three Times Makes it a Trend: Sequinned Minis

As I've said before, one of the official rules of fashion is: If three celebrities/starlets wear a similar style, it is officially a trend. Lately, you can't browse through red carpet pictures without seeing a celebrity wearing a sequinned mini-dress. Alice + Olivia dresses are the new favorite among all the fashionable, hot Hollywood stars.

Sarah Jessica Parker wears a short sleeve Alice + Olivia minidress at a Tap Project event.

Available at ShopBop $440

Eva Longoria wears an Alice + Olivia striped tank dress at an anniversary party for the Pussycat Dolls Lounge at PURE nightclub.

Available at Singer22 $398

Lindsay Lohan wears a blue sequinned mini-dress with vertical stripes at the Maxim Hot 100 List party.

If you don't have $400 to spend on a trendy new dress, try these more affordable options.
Bailey 44 "Catwoman" Sheath $160

French Connection Serpent Sequin Tank Dress $198

Piping Hot Fashion News

Did you know Cleveland has a Fashion Week??

Paris Hilton is on the cover of two fashion magazines this month.

Clutch the pearls! Pearls are making a comeback!

Tom Ford (formerly head designer of Gucci) has opened up a menswear "temple of gilded opulence" on Madison Avenue.

A deranged sex attacker planned to killed Anna Wintour. I am so not kidding....

Diane von Furstenberg has lived a fabulous life, in addition to making some great wrap dresses.

Too Luxe: Marc By Marc Jacobs Dress

If you read my blog regularly, you know I have a bit of a "relationship" with Marc Jacobs. Like Audrey Hepburn had Givenchy and Renee Zellweger has Carolina Herrera, Marc Jacobs is my designer of choice for clothing and accessories. Unfortunately, Marc doesn't know that he's in this relationship with me so perhaps I'm label stalking him? Either way, when I shop his Marc by Marc Jacobs line, I usually love the looks and have trouble deciding among the many things I want, what I can buy and stay within my budget.

I was perusing his new offerings at Net-A-Porter and my eyes were assaulted by the patchwork dress above. Similar to the Tribute Patchwork Bag he designed for Louis Vuitton, this dress looks like someone took a bunch of leftover fabric swatches and decided to sew them together into a dress while coming down off of a really bad high. Hmm.... And if the dress being a visual disaster isn't bad enough, it costs a whopping $1,200! (The usual price point for dresses in his lower-priced line is $400 to $500.) That's a lot of money for a lot of ugly.

You can check out the dress here for comic relief. The back is even worse than the front.

Miu Miu Inspired

Lindsay Lohan loves Miu Miu's patent leather Mary Janes. She's frequently photographed wearing the black version and she wore the blue ones in the Spring 2007 ad campaign for the brand. I can't blame her for having these shoes on heavy rotation in her wardrobe since they're such a pretty, feminine style and they work with a variety of outfits. Lindsay wears hers with short dresses or skinny jeans. Here's where you can get the real thing or Steve Madden's near identical "inspired" version.

LEFT: Miu Miu Patent Mary Jane $430
RIGHT: Steven by Steve Madden "Playful" $110

What Not to Wear: Alyssa Milano

According to IMDB, Alyssa Milano is 34 years old. For this reason, I am very confused about why she is dressing like a 1980's teenager while out on the streets of Hollywood. Was she feeling nostalgic for the character she played on the 1980's sitcom Who's The Boss? The shiny Dodgers jacket is too shrunken. The capri jeans are not a flattering cut or length. Her high heels seem out of place with such a casual outfit. And most importantly, NONE of this is age-appropriate! I know she's capable of doing better, so let's hope this was a moment of temporary fashion insanity.

Piping Hot Fashion News

Red bags are the new black bags.

Clavicles are the new breasts.

Maxi dresses are hot for the summer. All petite women, please ignore this trend.

Britain's "cheap and cheerful" TopShop stores are coming across the pond.

Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Mary Janes are now available for pre-order from Saks.

Dream Item of the Day

I am a huge fan of Rachel Pally. Her clothes are cut simply, the fabrics are super-soft and the silhouettes are very figure flattering. For this reason, I must have this crochet shift dress. It's a bit of a departure from what we usually see from Rachel Pally since it mixes two fabrics (the crochet banding and the blue modal fabric) which I've never seen her do before. The sleeves and the shift style have a retro feel, which I love. I feel like the women who wears this dress should have a bouffant and be an expert at doing the twist. So twist away and have a smart cocktail in this Rachel Pally dress!

Rachel Pally Crochet Shift Dress $238

For the Boys: Summer Footwear

Men face a daunting conundrum every year when the weather gets warmer: What are appropriate summer shoes for men? When I first started to get together some ideas for this post, my plan was to achieve the impossible. I was going to find sandals for men (aka "mandals") that were not completely heinous. Like unicorns and leprechauns, stylish mandals do not exist. All of my findings fell into three categories: men's shoes that look like very large women's shoes, overly sporty and absolutely ridiculous. While men should avoid the mandal, in my opinion, flip flops and canvas sneakers are a great summer option.

But before a man puts on a flip flop, he should make sure his feet look presentable. By doing a quick scan of men's feet on this warm Spring day in New York City, I realized that most men's feet could use some grooming. This does not mean that men need to get pedicures in salons. There are some simple things that can be done at home to improve the condition of their feet. Using a pumice stone and foot scrub once a week will soften cracked heels and get rid of dry skin. Keeping toenails short and clean with the help of a good manicure set will also make your feet flip-flop ready.

Once a man's feet are well groomed, it's time to put on the flip-flops. Here are some of my favorites.

Banana Republic Leather Thong $68

JCrew Madras Thong $24.50

Ferragamo Leather Thong $250


And for those casual summer nights where you don't want to wear a flip flop...
Converse Slip-On Sneaker $95

Style Jack: Eva Mendes

Here is Eva Mendes attending the premiere of The Wendell Baker Story, a comedy starring Mendes, Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson. Eva is actually wearing a dress that a woman without a multi-million dollar salary can afford, so let's commence to jacking her style.

The red and black versions of the Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent Dress that Eva wears above are on sale at ShopBop for $184.80 (reduced from $264).

Complete the look with a white clutch from Nordstrom for $40...

And black Guess peep-toe pumps for $89.95.

Total cost to jack Eva's style: $314.75

Louboutin Inspired

Christian Louboutin makes exquisite women's shoes. He's a celebrity favorite and a must-have for the affluent, stylish shoe lover. With many Louboutins priced at $600 or more, they are out of the price range of the average fashionista. Luckily, lower priced retailers such as Steve Madden and Nine West often have "inspired" versions of some luxury brand styles in their collections. Here's a way to have that Louboutin look but at a fraction of the price.


LEFT: Christian Louboutin Peep Toe Patent Pump $710
RIGHT: Steve Madden Lesson Pump $99.95

LEFT: Christian Louboutin Iowa Zeppa Mary Janes $710
RIGHT: Steve Madden Brytni $99.95

LEFT: Christian Louboutin Cork Platform Pump $595
RIGHT: Nine West Liatris Pump $89

LEFT: Christian Louboutin Canvas Platform Espadrilles $310
RIGHT: Steve Madden Maritime $69.95

Read a Book, Blow the Rent

It's important to lead a balanced life. While improving your mind, you must also improve the feet. So read a good book and blow the rent on fabulous Fendi shoes.

The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris by Alicia Drake

The author weaves together the lives of two of the world's most iconic fashion designers with a huge rivalry: Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. Drake interviews the designers' friends and colleagues and offers revealing inside stories about the excess of the 1970's French fashion scene. It's a study in narcissism, the pursuit of surface perfection, drugs and glorious collections: all there is to love and hate about fashion.

Fendi Patent Leather "B" Pumps $505

Bulga, I Think I Love You

Handbags.

Just the word alone makes my heart beat a little faster. How can a fashionista not have a handbag obsession? These days, women are carrying around more junk on a regular basis than ever. In addition to the neccessities of a wallet, keys and makeup bag, we have to carry a cell phone, Blackberry, MP3 player, PDA and maybe even a laptop, too. And for long subway rides to work, how does one survive without a good book or magazine? Of course you need to have something stylish to haul all of that stuff in. And like potato chips, you can't stop at just one handbag. You need one for work, one for weekend, one for evening, one that matches your favorite pair of stilettos... The list just doesn't end.

While for the most part I am completely brand loyal in the handbag department, I have been considering cheating on my main-man Marc Jacobs with Bulga. The Bulga line is designed by Natalia Konovalova, who is a former model from the Soviet Union. She named the line for the Latin word "bulga" which means leather handbag. True to their Latin name, the purses are made with buttery soft leather, have fun details like super-long zipper pulls and many have multiple exterior pockets. The exterior pocket is non-negotiable for me since I need quick access to my MetroCard, work ID card and phone.

Here are a few of my favorite Bulga offerings.

Bulga Double Strap Pocket Satchel $638

Bulga Multi-Pocket Shoulder Bag $740

Bulga Triple Zip Shoulder Bag $680

Bulga Ruched Satchel $585

Friday Fun: ANTM Edition

The four finalists of America's Next Top Model were featured in the "Star Style" section of this week's Us Weekly. Based on these pictures, I would have to put my money on Renee and Jaslene as making it to the final two. They are both giving really good face in the picture above.

While Natasha is a beautiful girl and one of my favorites from the show, it looks like she still hasn't figured out what to do with her face in a picture. Her smile looks very awkward here. If you watched this week's episode, you know that Dionne was sent home. She looks soft and feminine in these pictures as opposed to the angry faces she's been making in many of her photos from this season.

And in other fashion-related reality TV news, the dresses Jaslene wears in this layout were all designed by Kara Janx, who was a contestant on Project Runway Season 2. The hot pink strapless dress Jaslene models in the first picture is convertible and can also be worn as a skirt or halter dress. Kara Janx has a really cute line of dresses for sale at Active Endeavors and on her website.

Open Your Eyelets

In a carry-over from last summer, eyelet patterns are showing up everywhere this Spring! I adore this trend since it is so feminine and easy to wear. Here are some of my favorite eyelet pieces for Spring.

Juicy Eyelet Dress $228


Gap Eyelet Flutter Sleeve Top $44.50


Vince Eyelet Dress $320


Burberry Cotton Eyelet Skirt $495


Juicy Couture Eyelet Wedges $174.90 (on sale!)

Anthropologie Eyelet Duffle $248

Can This Dress Be Saved?

A few months ago, I bought the above Marc by Marc Jacobs dress from Net-a-Porter. When I received it in the mail, I was a bit disappointed. Since I'm petite, the hemline of the dress reached the dreaded and leg-shortening mid-calf on me. The dress is also on-trend with a lot of volume and even though it was my correct size, I was swimming in plaid fabric. While this would be the point where the average shopper would cut their losses and return the dress, I am not the average shopper. I felt the dress was mocking me with its cute, summery-ness on the five foot-ten-inch model and its boring house-dress like appearance on five-foot-tall me. This dress was a fashion challenge that I was going to defeat! My first move was to take it to the tailor and have it shortened to knee length. When I got it back from the tailor, it still wasn't right. Next I tried wearing it with a Calvin Klein tank top underneath and a leather and rope belt I have from the Gap in order to minimize the volume. This is my end result:

It's an improvement but something is just not working on me. Is it time to give up? Have my Marc dress and I reached the end of our relationship and it's time for it to find a leggier, happier home on Ebay? My battle with the plaid Marc dress continues....

Costume Institute Gala: Notable Looks

The Metropolitan Museum of Art had its annual Costume Institute Gala on Monday. This is a star-studded fashion event and it allows celebrities to wear slightly more fashion-forward and experimental looks than what they might typically wear on the red carpet. Here are some of the more noteworthy looks of the evening.

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz's dress was my absolute favorite. Her decision to pair aqua colored jewelry with that hot pink dress was unique and unexpected. Absolutely flawless!!!!

Jennifer Hudson

Gorgeous and classy. Nothing more needs to be said.

America Ferrera

She knows what looks good on her and how to work it.

Eva Mendes

I love her decision to wear a tea-length dress in a sea of floor length gowns. Although, the "sucking-lemons" pout is never attractive.

Lindsay Lohan

She's the queen of the Zoe-bots but I can't deny that her red carpet choices almost always hit the mark.

And speaking of hitting the mark, what the hell happened to Marc Jacobs?! (pictured with Winona Ryder) Back AWAY from the Mystic Tan....


And putting the "costume" in Costume Institute Gala is Kirsten Dunst.

While I'm all for taking risks in fashion, I think a dress that makes you look like a pregnant 1920's flapper is never a good idea. Especially when your date is wearing leggings with cowboy boots. I'm confused and slightly horrified.

You can check out some more pictures from the red carpet here.

Wurk B*tch!: Princess Fiona Edition

Today's snaps in a z-formation go to Cameron Diaz. She keeps it whimsical, youthful and sexy in a pink bibbed shift with adorable front pockets at the Shrek the Third premiere in Santa Monica. I give Cameron extra snaps since pink can sometimes be a difficult color to pull off after age 30. Cameron looks chic and age-appropriate here and not like she's desperately clinging to her youth like some people we've seen before....

(Lara Flynn Boyle at the 2003 Golden Globes)

You betta' wurk, Cameron Diaz!

SALE!!!

It's May and stores need to clear out their first round of Spring clothes to make room for their new Summer offerings. That means SALES!!!!! Here are links to a few of my favorite stores' sale sites:

ShopBop

Eluxury

Banana Republic

Neiman Marcus

Saks Fifth Avenue

And some tips from my years' of shopping experience:

• Department stores are best shopped in store rather than online. Saks, for example, will often have in store promotions giving additional percentages off sale items that won't show up on the web site. Also, there are usually more things available in store than what you'll see online since department stores have so much merchandise.


• Create a "spam" email address and get on some store mailing lists. Lord & Taylor sends out 10% to 20% discount coupons almost every week if you sign up for their email alerts. Signing up for store mailing lists with an account you've designated for these type of emails will keep your regular inbox from getting too cluttered.


• Check the Marc by Marc Jacobs accessories store for inexpensive and chic gifts for your fashionista friends. Adorable, Marc by Marc canvas totes are currently selling for $10 to $12. Does it get any better than that?

Go get your shop on!

Goin' to the Chapel

We are fast approaching "wedding season" which is the four months between June and September that are the most popular time to get married. If you're in your mid-20's to early 30's, you probably have at least one wedding to attend this summer and will need to find an appropriate dress to wear, depending on the situation of course.

Fancy-Shmancy Wedding
Your rich friends are getting married and in addition to writing them a hefty "wedding gift" check, you have to act like you're not the type of woman who drinks beer straight from the bottle. Wear something chic and feminine in a sexy silhouette that allows your personality to shine through.
Graham & Spencer Satin Waist Dress $328

Hippie Wedding
The smell of incense and other things is in the air.... Your hippie friend has decided to trade in her Birkenstocks and "Feelin' Irie" t-shirt for a white wedding dress! You need something casual and fun for her backyard wedding.
Nieves Lavi Mini Dress $374

Your Fashionista Friend's Wedding
You shop together and you love her great style. Just because it's her big day doesn't mean she won't appreciate you wearing something fierce and fashion forward.
Marc By Marc Jacobs Freja Dress $398

The Co-Worker Wedding
You have lunch together on a regular basis and can always count on her as your after-work Happy Hour partner. But... you don't want to wear anything too flashy since the boss was also invited to the wedding. Keep it simple and sweet.
J. Crew Shift Embossed Beach Dress $125

That B*tch Stole Your Man!!!
Somehow you were invited to your ex-boyfriend's wedding. You've decided to be mature about it and go, but you have to wear something that will let him see what he's missing. Your dress needs to be sexy and maybe just a little over the top.
Alice + Olivia Sequin Baby Doll Dress $396

Happy wedding season!

Organic Style Gone Bad

Preserving the environment and making a smaller footprint on global resources are topics that are on everyone's mind of late. In fact, some people believe that the environmental media blitz is becoming excessive. I am all for organic fashions and designers creating clothing and accessories that are socially responsible. But... I can not co-sign on Stella McCartney's Raffia Sandal. This shoe makes me itch just looking at it. Who would want their feet encased in a scratchy fiber like raffia? Amazingly, the foot bed is not even covered in fabric. It's just more raffia!


And why are these shoes $575? I don't see how an overpriced, foot torture device is going to help the environment. I am going to support the environment by not adding these shoes to my collection.

How Luxe is Too Luxe?

We are living in prosperous times and many Americans have money to burn on useless status symbols. This is the only way I can reasonably explain the $230 price tag for two Louis Vuitton resin hair cubes. Other than the possibility of receiving these hair cubes in a cute brown Louis Vuitton box, what makes these ponytail holders so special that they should cost ten times more than these? (And I think $23 is still a little pricey.) As an avid ponytail wearer, I also know how fragile these cubes can be. They snap or lose their elasticity after just a few uses. If you want a reasonably priced (comparatively) Louis Vuitton piece to add to your wardrobe, I would suggest the Wapity Case instead. While this is still overpriced for what you get, at least it can do double duty as an evening bag or cosmetics case.

Dream Item of the Day

Today is a gorgeous Spring day in New York city. The weather is not too warm and perfect for a day of shopping in Soho with your friends or brunch at an outdoor cafe with your significant other. Milly's ruffle wrap dress is ideal for a day like today. The sunny yellow color will highlight the light suntan you'll get from being outside all day. The ruffles and bow belt are fun and girly. All this style can be yours for a mere $460! (Well, maybe you can go with this yellow print dress from JCrew if the Milly dress is out of your price range.) And what shoes do you wear with such a statement dress? Why these adorable thong sandals from Lily Pulitzer, of course!

Lily Pulitzer Jackie Sandal $151.95

Now go outside and enjoy this great day!

Style Lesson: America Ferrera

America Ferrera is a beautiful actress who happens to have some curves and a little junk in the trunk. While America is considered "overweight" in the fashion world, her shape is closer to the typical woman's than any size 0 runway model. Her clothing choices accentuate her sexy curves and minimize any figure flaws. Here are some style lessons we can take from a few of America's recent looks.



GIVE YOURSELF A WAIST. It's often tempting for curvy women to wear billowy, tent-like tops because we think it hides a less than perfect stomach. In fact, this silhouette makes women look heavier since it gives the appearance of being a blob. Cinching in your waist makes you look curvy rather than heavy. If you feel a little insecure about your stomach, make shapewear your new best friend. I'd be willing to bet my favorite Marc Jacobs bag that America is wearing a good girdle under that dress.


WEAR DRESSES REALLY LONG OR KNEE LENGTH. Knee length dresses like the black one America wears above accentuate the calves which are usually a very shapely part of a woman's legs. Floor length dresses like the one America wore to the Golden Globes give a long silhouette that can make you appear taller and thinner. Hemlines that end below your knee to the middle of the calf will often make legs look heavier than they are.

SHOW A LITTLE CHEST. Exposing some chest is sexy and can also make your neck look longer. Crew necks and turtlenecks are not always the curvy girl's friend.


DON'T BE AFRAID OF COLOR. There's no reason for curvy girls to hide behind dark colors all the time because of the stereotype that darker colors are slimming. Accentuating a black dress with a bright yellow jacket conveys confidence and compliments America's olive skin.


SKINNY JEANS ARE YOUR FRIEND. When skinny jeans started making their way on my fashion radar last year, I thought to myself, "This is a look that only works for the Nicole Richie's of the world." It turned out I was wrong. In fact, a dark wash skinny jean can be much more figure enhancing than a pair of tried-and-true bootcuts. Bootcut jeans with too much flare at the knee can sometimes make a woman's hips look big. A moderately tapered dark jean will elongate the leg and even camoflauge full thighs.

And last but not least... MAKE SURE IT FITS. While we don't all have America Ferrera's tailoring budget, we can make sure we buy clothes in our size and have things properly altered. While it may make you feel good mentally to buy jeans in a size 4, if they give you a muffin top, you're not doing your figure any favors. Go up a size and you'll be surprised that you actually look slimmer. And if going from a size 6 to an 8 gives you agita, be like Mariah Carey and cut the size tags out of your clothes. It will be our secret.