Monthly Archives: March 2011

Luxury Look-Alikes For Less: Cynthia Vincent @Bloomingdales Vs. Wedges from Mandee!

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One of my favorite spring shoes is a wedge, perfect for elongating the legline, while also giving that extra support to my foot.  Part of the beauty of springtime is the variety of outfits that you can wear with a wedge like this, including a button-down & pair of chino shorts, a mini skirt with a blouse, a casual romper, & even a grafitti-inspired dress.  Scroll your mouse over these shoes to see which is $350.00 by Cynthia Vincent, sold @Bloomingdale’s & which is an affordable $32.00 @Mandee.  Regardless of cost, both sites offer free emails to receive excellent discounts & news on all the latest sales!  Happy Styling!

3/29/11 Darling of the Day: Zoe Saldana in a Leather & Denim!

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Avatar star Zoe Saldana has made a huge mark on the fashion scene in the last two years, having wowed critics at the 2010 Academy Awards in a decadently intricate & colorful Givenchy couture gown in shades like glitttering blush, lush lavender, & regal plum!  Here we have a much more casual, yet polished ensemble, complete for daytime with an oversized Diane von Furstenberg hobo, Decades Denim jeans, a leather biker jacket, & leopard heels.  Even on the red carpet, she looks effortlessly minimal, but this look can easily be glammed up for night with a clutch & smokier eye.

I’ve picked out some very affordable pieces to help recreate the look, including a mesh tank as a suggested garment for under the uber chic jacket.  To get Zoe’s rich red smile, check out Sephora’s Make Up Forever Professional Paris Rouge Artist Intense!

For more of her fabulous & stylish looks, take a look at our previous Darling of the Day post on Zoe, as well as EW‘s Pop Watch, Elle, & People Style Watch! Happy Styling!

Luxury Look-Alikes For Less: House of Harlow 1960 Ring Vs. Forever 21!

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Nicole Richie‘s House of Harlow 1960 collection contains a wide variety of vintage & tribal-inspired pieces of jewelry, as well as other accessories & clothing by Nicole’s other line Winter Kate.  Both brand names are named after her daughter, Harlow Winter Kate Madden.  You can items from this line sold at high-end retailers like Revolve Clothing, Shop Kitson, & Shop Bop. Trends in these styles are very popular for the spring to pair with flirty florals & masculine plaids.  One of these rings costs $95.00 & the other is a mere $3.80 @Forever21. Take a look at the entire Fall 2010 House of Harlow 1960 jewelry collection, courtesy of In Style.  Also Forever 21’s entire jewelry line is just one click away, ranging from $1.50 to $24.80! Happy Styling!

Runway Rundown: Matthew Williamson’s Collection for Macy’s!

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Celebrities like Blake Lively, Selena Gomez, & Cat Deeley all love to wear designer Matthew Williamson’s creations, as we can see! If you don’t know who the English-born fashion innovator is, well you’re about to find out! You may even remember that Williamson created a line just for H&M back in 2009, which was a big hit among stylish stars like Sienna Miller & Thandie Newton.

 

In April, an exclusive line just for Macy’s will debut, featuring bright, bold color, fun separates, & plenty of cocktail looks. Items start at $24 & other pieces cost up to $300. If you’re a smart & savvy Macy’s shopper, you know where to find all the best discount offers.

In Style offers a sneak peek at the designer’s entire collection for Macy’s & I’ve picked out just a few of my favorites. Williamson shared with the magazine that his aim for the pieces is to “capture the essence of the mainline brand, with a focus on effortless glamour, dynamic prints, loosely structured silhouettes and pops of strong color.”

If spring has taught us anything, it’s that trench coats are timeless & this gorgeous cobalt-printed belted trench will instantly perk up any rainy day. This chartreuse one-shoulder dress with an embellished belt can be worn for any number of events like a cocktail party or a summer wedding with nude pumps. Romantic & wild graphic / animal-inspiration makes for a great dress for work, paired with a boyfriend blazer & chic shoulder bag. The boldness of this purple & neon blouse can be balanced with navy shorts & platform sandals for day or a black pencil skirt & cut-out pumps for night. This heart-printed romper can go from day-to-night as well with some ballet flats & a canvas tote, & then some metallic pumps & a bold cuff for a date. For any cool day of running errands, you’ll need an easy, casual look of a tee & walking shorts, paired with this graphic scarf & your favorite boat shoes.

After doing a little research, here are just a few of Williamson’s most fabulous pieces from his Spring 2011 Runway Collection, which can be purchased for a hefty price at Net-A-Porter. Happy Styling!

3/23/2011 Darling Of The Day: Taylor Swift in Parisian Chic!

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Just this week, In Style featured Taylor Swift leaving a hotel in France, looking effortlessly Parisian chic.  Equipped with a casual striped tee, dressed up in a skirt with tights & oxfords,  the Grammy winner & country superstar brought her Southern style to the fashion capital of the world.   This is a perfect look for any day of shopping in any gorgeous city.  It’s really an elegant way to go about your day, without any fuss of too many accessories or too much print.  Miley Cyrus could take a style cue here! 
 
 
 
This look is so easy to make for yourself with a three-quarter sleeve striped tee, a tiered skirt, & sheer black tights!  Throw in your favorite shoulder bag, something in a neutral, or a navy satchel with your most delicate ballet flats & you’d be unstoppable! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sporting her signature loose & wild curls (that can be maintained even in the most treacherous weather with John Frieda spray) & classic red lips, the Cover Girl spokesmodel’s look truly makes her a Darling of the Day! Happy Styling!
 

The $100 Challenge: Jessica Simpson Collection $25 Off $125 or More!

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Because I’m signed up to receive emails from the Jessica Simpson Collection, I learned about a very special discount code (25125) which allows shoppers a $25 discount on purchases of $125 or more.  Yeah, that’s a lot of money, but when clicking around on the website, there were a lot of great items from which to choose that can total up to $125 & you’d be able to use that discount.  In addition, the website offers FREE SHIPPING to all purchases over $100. 

If you want to shop more from this brand, be sure to check out sales & deals at Macy’s, 6pm, Zappos, & Shop Style.

These six items total $125.94 & after your discount, that gives you a total of $100(ish) dollars, thus fitting into our $100 Challenge theme.  Most of these items can either be found under the sale category or in the accessories.  You can wear big cutout earrings with any day or night look, including a zebra print dress & banded sandals.  Skinny jeans are always perfect with gold ballet flats or two-toned Mary Janes.  Argyle tights add a sophisticated touch to any preppy look, especially with a feminine wool coat.  A flirty bra & panties combo comes from this cute collection of sexy sets that will make getting dressed even sexier!  Multicolored striped wraps just scream out nautical would go with a polka dot tee & duffle satchel. Even though winter is gone, keep a sequin beret like this handy for those snowy bad-hair days, especially with a leather jacket & suede knee boots. Happy Styling!

The Stylish Five: Cute Spring Finds at Forever 21 ($10 Or Less)!

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Looking for something cute & affordable to add to your spring wardrobe?  How can you beat a deal $10 & under?  These five very unique pieces (a romper, a printed cardigan, a tote bag, boat shoes, & dangly earrings) will certainly make for a special touch that will freshen up any winter duds that you’re still sporting.  Whatever your budget may be, these five items won’t break the bank & they’re all available @Forever21!  Try out the romper with a denim jacket & some strappy sandals.  Wouldn’t the cardigan look great for work with a pencil skirt & classic peep toe pumps?  The bag is perfect for weekend picnics & espadrilles.  Those anchor-embellished boat shoes are fun & flirty for a casual day in cargo pants & a hoodie.  Don’t forget to add a splash of color to your LBD with these ‘mint’ drop earrings. 

Now that you’ve seen these five stylish finds, why not click around & check out these honorable mentions that I just have to bring to the attention of my readers, including a flowered hairclip for $1.50, a vintage floral scarf for $9.80, a pair of grosgrain slippers for $5.80, a rouched crop cardigan in 7 different colors for $4.80, & a metallic knit maxi skirt for $5.99!  Happy Styling!

Red Carpet Review: Anne Hathaway’s Fabulous Oscar Costume Changes!

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While the Oscar telecast may not have been the success that the Academy was looking for, there’s no doubt that Anne Hathaway failed to wow the audience in her eight different looks throughout the course of the night.  She began on the red carpet, on the arm of Mr. Valentino himself, wearing the designer’s bustled red strapless creation which makes the Oscar nominee’s skin glow like pearlized porcelain. You can even pre-order a knock-off of the red Valentino gown here on EDressMe for $375.00! The actress sparkled in designers like Tom Ford, Lanvin, Armani, Versace, Vivienne Westwood, Oscar de la Renta, & of course, Givenchy.  Thanks to her super celebri-stylist Rachel Zoe, I would have to say that Anne’s entire collection of looks stole the show.  Of course Natalie Portman looked like a goddess of a movie star & everyone was talking about Reese Witherspoon & Mila Kunis the next day, but it’s no surprise that Anne’s fashion star rose infinitely that night. This electric blue off-the-shoulder Armani number was probably my favorite, showing off Anne’s sophisticated & sometimes underestimated bombshell style.  We usually see her in red or soft creams, but this was a magical hue that I think some fashion critics should look back on.  Nobody, in my opinion, has pulled off a powerful blue like this in a long time.

For a full dossier on Anne’s red carpet highs & on-screen fashion, check out In Style, Style.com, & Celeb Style! Which look was your favorite of Anne’s during the Academy Awards?  Leave some comments!  Happy Styling!

Red Carpet Review: The 83rd Annual Academy Awards Red Carpet!

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This year’s Oscar ceremony may have been a little dry, according to critics, but the red carpet fashion was stirringly stylish,  I’ve started with my top four favorites which are timeless, ultra-feminine, & very memorable looks.  Reese Witherspoon, Hilary Swank, Halle Berry, & Hailee Steinfeld shined in Giorgio Armani Prive, Gucci, & Marchesa (my favorite designer!).  Steinfeld’s gown was custom-made for the youthful fourteen-year-old nominee.  I have to say that I also love the diamond-studded headband as a final touch for the whole look. 

     

One of the big colors of the night was purple.  When Mila Kunis showed up in this delicate lace Elie Saab gown.  Her Black Swan co-star, the always sophisticated Natalie Portman, stole the show, winning the big award of the night for Best Actress in a plum Rodarte creation, but Portman’s The Other Boleyn Girl co-star, Scarlett Johansson, who struggled to win critics over with this two-toned lace dress- at least from the front.  The back of the Dolce & Gabbana all-over lace gown was truly the best asset of her whole look.  Also, there’s the always innovative & sometimes androgynous Cate Blanchett who celebrated fashion in a beaded Givenchy gown. 

     

The other big color of the night was red, how fitting for the red carpet.  These previous Oscar favorites wows in many different silhouettes, but it was Jennifer Lawrence‘s Calvin Klein Collection that really made headlines, especially since the gorgeous newcomer arrived early & enchanted every media outlet that was covering the star-studded event.  Although, it does remind me very much of Scarlett Johnasson’s 2006 Golden Globe look in Valentino. 

     

Some returning favorites from previous Oscars are Celine Dion & Helen Mirren who show that gowns with sleeves aren’t just for women of a certain age.  Has anyone ever seen these two beauties look better?  Celine, four months after giving birth to twins, shows off her post-baby body in a plunging Giorgio Armani Prive gown & Helen takes a sexy turn in Vivienne Westwood. 

 

What’s an Oscar ceremony without some sparkle?  Mandy Moore has never looked so regal, while Amy Adams & Gwyneth Paltrow went for all-over sparkles to show off their shape! Designs by L’Wren Scott, Chanel, & Naeem Khan also hit the red carpet, channeling old Hollywood, 80s glamour, & effortless elegance.  I would’ve picked Amy as my favorite of the night if not for the off-putting necklace, but the bracelet was really a nice touch for the three-time Academy Award nominee.  Penelope Cruz looked like a million dollars in this red glittered dress, although Joan Rivers exclaimed on E!’s Fashion Police that Penelope looked like she belonged in a telanovela.  I disagreed. 

   

    

The of course, we have the risk-takers of the night, who went for it big time with volume, lace, embroidery, feathers, & tiers.  Perhaps Melissa Leo‘s acceptance speech was the most memorable of the night, but her gold lace-covered gown turned heads with such strong shoulders & a sexy slit.  In my opinion, Marisa Tomei‘s vintage gown was ill-fitting & matronly.  That color could have worked so much better on her in a different shape.  However, I admire Helena Bonham Carter for her pro-film as opposed to pro-fashion approach b/c she’s just herself each & every time she shows up to an award’s show & we can almost expect some sort of decadent period-piece-inspired look from the co-star of The King’s Speech each time. 

The risk-takers continue with Nicole Kidman‘s Asian-inspired gown which was also ill-fitting.  I wanted to see her in something fabulous like the tiered gown she wore at this year’s Grammys, but was left wondering if she was trying to recall the neon green Dior creation from back in 1997.  Sharon Stone finally made a glamorous comeback after several flops, but our favorite songbird it-girl Florence Welch looked better during her on-stage performance than in this Valentino dress that looked like her swan-adorned Grammy gown. 

   

So now that award’s season is over, we can spend the spring & summer anticipating the youthful fun of the MTV Awards & all the best red carpet appearances for this summer’s blockbusters.  I can’t wait to see what else Blake Lively, Malin Akerman, Emma Roberts, & Isla Fisher have in store for us.  In the mean time, happy styling!!