Trends: Boots that Look Like Shoes with Socks

I was perusing the latest boots by Marc By Marc Jacobs on Zappos and I noticed the following:

These are boots that make the wearer appear to have on shoes with socks. "How peculiar?!" I thought. But this is Marc and he's known for doing odd things, so I ignored it and kept clicking.

Then I saw these by Giuseppe Zanotti on ShopBop:


And these semi-cute versions of the style by Jill Stuart:


Marc by Marc has an even fuglier version of this style:

I really can't imagine why anyone would wear these. First of all, high-heeled shoes with socks can be a difficult look to pull off in general. So why make boots that are meant to give the illusion of this look? And what does one pair them with? Other than the Jill Stuart ones, these all look far from sexy or feminine. And I suspect next year, as you're weeding through your closet for things for the Goodwill, these are going to scream WINTER 2007! and be among the first things to go. I wouldn't consider these a classic style at all. I will be passing on this trend, but if you absolutely adore any of these, click on the pictures for purchasing information.

Three Times Makes it a Trend: The Death of Necklaces?

As I've been looking through red carpet and various celebrity photos from my favorite gossip blogs, I've been noticing more and more that starlets are choosing to not wear necklaces with their formal wear. It's become more about statement earrings and bracelets and leaving necks bare. Here are three examples from the 2007 VMAs.

Rihanna

Beyonce

Alicia Keys

And the trend continues with three celebrities at the Heroes Pre-Emmy Party:

Ali Larter

Kristen Bell and Hayden Panettiere

Will bare necks be all the rage at tonight's Emmy awards? I think so!

Picture source Picture source

Shirt Dresses for Fall

I had a fun day of shopping in Soho with friends yesterday and I couldn't help but notice that every store we went to seemed to have some variation of the shirt dress. While this is a pretty classic style that seems to rear its head every few seasons, like anything in fashion you need to be mindful of proportions and fit and find a version of the trend that works for you.

Case in point, I tried on this Gap shirt dress that R&B singer Amerie is wearing below.

On Amerie it looks flattering and chic. Since I am petite with full hips, the proportion was off and it looked like I was wearing a shirt that was too big and not a chic shirt dress. I would say the rounded hem is tricky to pull off, too, since this can make the dress look too casual and pajama-like. This is definitely not a dress for everybody, so let the buyer beware.

I recently bought this black shirt dress from Ann Taylor Loft.

The full skirt masks my hips and the cinched waist gave me a nice hour-glass shape. For those of you who are curvy women, I would suggest this affordable take on the trend. If you're like me, you might find all black a little boring so punch this look up by changing the belt or adding a pair of bright shoes.

I really adore this Lia Shirt Dress from J. Crew. In addition to having a funky city meets country feel, it combines two of my favorite things (ruffles and full skirts) in a fun, plaid print. Similar to the Ann Taylor Loft dress, I think this silhouette will flatter a variety of shapes.

I've been visiting this Juicy Couture shirt dress for weeks hoping that it will go on sale to no avail! I would probably buy the black version for myself since the pink is a little girlish for a woman in her 30's, but for those of you still in your 20's this color would work well for you. Once again, it has the adorable ruffles and body skimming skirt that can flatter a variety of sizes. And the knee length makes it flirty enough to wear to a party or for date night. I would also leave open the top button to make this look less conservative.

Peep-Toe Crazy!

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.

Fall 2007 Couture

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 Dior
With the recent passing of John Galliano's chief designer, Steven Robinson, one might have expected a somber Dior show. The show was anything but. The clothing was exuberant and paid an homage to painters, fashion illustrators and photographers. Best of all, some of the most famous supermodels such as Gisele, Naomi and Linda walked the runway.

Jean Paul Gaultier
Gaultier's show revealed a variety of influences. From Prince Charming in fairy tales to military and Indian-inspired themes, the Gaultier show existed somewhere between a dream and reality.

Source

For more pictures and runway reviews, check Style.com.

Three Times Makes it a Trend: Nude Dresses

What's sexier than showing a little skin? Going nude! Many Hollywood starlets are wearing flesh colored dresses to add a little sex appeal to their summer wardrobes. And we all know what it means when three starlets wear the same style... It's a trend!

Victoria Beckham wears a fun and flirty Azzedine Alaia nude dress for her appearance on The Today Show. She accents her dress with nude colored Christian Louboutin pumps and extra large sunglasses.

Katie Holmes wears a strapless nude colored dress with metallic heels and oversized shades while in France with her husband, Tom Cruise.

Entertainment correspondent Maria Menounos wears a nude Dolce & Gabbana dress with gold metallic accents in her corset belt and shoes.

Want to be dressed and still feel nude? Try these pretty flesh-colored dresses.
Leyendecker Chandelier Dress $169.50 (on sale!)

Gap Trapeze Dress $49.99 (on sale!)

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!)

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

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

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

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

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.

Three Times Makes it a Trend

There are certain laws of fashion that must be respected and followed. Here is rule number 512 Part C Section 4:

"When you see three different celebrities/starlets wearing a similar style, it is officially a new trend."

A recent trend that I have noticed among the Hollywood elite is the proliferation of red shoes, especially when paired with a gray top or dress. Case in point:

Nicole Richie wears red shoes with a gray v-neck dress and black tights.

Ashlee Simpson pairs red heels with a gray strapless dress and bare legs.

Victoria Beckham wears her red sky-high heels with a black dress and matching black tights.

A bonus look: Lindsay Lohan dons red heels with black thigh-high tights and a gray sweatshirt for a photo shoot.

If you have an unlimited shoe budget, you can get the red Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Mary Janes (worn by Victoria Beckham and Lindsay Lohan above and selling for over $1,200 on Ebay) which are the current "it" shoes. If you weren't born with a trust fund, check out these more affordable options:

Steve Madden's Brytni for $99.95

Anne Klein Christa for $82.95




Dolce Vita Open Toe Buckle Flat $135