I Really like Dresses, and I Really Like Shoes

I love dresses. I wish more people my age wore dresses on a daily basis. Jeans and Ts seem to be the general look that my age group goes for- but I do try not to fall to far into the mold. I mean everyone loves a great pair of jeans and but lets try some girly tops ladies...or perhaps the classic polo oxford revd up with some fun accessories. Its not that difficult-seriously. Oh, and Shoes. If I had a dollar for every time I got in the elevator in my building and saw shoes that made me want to vomit I would be a millionaire. Sad? yes. Mean? perhaps- but come on. I'm so over the girls who claim to care about how they look and say they care about fashion and then they walk around in trashy tennis shoes or even strange combat type boots- oh thats just my favorite. Yesterday, I was walking to class and this less than pristine girl came up to me and told me she loved my outfit and she loved how I always dressed very well. Bless her heart she was so sweet, but then she went on to say that she too makes a daily effort to put together cute outfits and sport cute shoes. I smiled and thanked God when my phone raing. I told her to have a lovely day and went on with mine. She was wearing lace up hiking boots, brown leggings, and long grey college hoody and essentailly no pants (apparently at my school, leggings count as pants, I don't agree, however, I'm getting used to it). I chuckled to myself about this for the rest of the day. As I said in an earlier post, I love Tory Burch and ususally wont stray from her comfortable easy flats and sometimes her heels. Shes fabulous and deserves some kind of flat award, seriously. Anways, back to the moral of this story-if your going to actually try and your telling people your trying- please try. One of the reasons that I love dresses so much is because they are so easy! You have a much greater chance of not messing up than you do wearing multiple pieces at once. Find a cute flowy dress (I'm not even having a hooker-dress disucssion on here, because please I'm going to hope that my fabulous and classy readers are over that time in their lives, although I have noticed some of my peers are not) throw on some flats or heels, depending on the day, grab a cute long necklace or perhaps your signature short, and your ready to go! So simple, and yet so great. Here are some really great options for some fun summer looks this spring- and some great idea for spring break I know everyone is counting down to.
adorable Juicy beach coverup from Nordstrom


spring dress- will be very flattering
with ruffles- DVF at Nordstrom

Have a wedding to attend this spring / summer? Graduation Party? This is a great dress for any occation. It has a great print and the colors will compliment any skin tone- Juicy at Nordstrom

These are Adorable. Trust me, with a great dress like the DVF one above these Moschino shoes will top off the look- Nordstrom

I haven't been so excited for a spring shoe in a while. These are perfect flats for a casual beachy look- Tory Burch- Nordstorm

These Chloe shoes will top off any outfit, can go from day to night, and in general are an extremely necessary spring / summer pick for this year.

Have a great weekend, and PS. don't forget to watch the awards on Sunday and check out
the amazing fashion on E! before hand!

Things I Love: Jennifer Ouellette

Do you watch Gossip Girl? If you do, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say that headbands are making a come back. The esteemed Blair Waldorf is always wearing one and making them quite the popular item. Well, the new fabulous designer in the head wear industry is Jennifer Ouellette. These headbands are the prettiest headbands that you will find. Her signature look that most people know from GG is the fabric headband with the knot on the top of the head. These adorable designs are found in some local shops around the country, but there is an amazing selection at Barney's. Now while these headbands are a little more on the pricy side for a head accessory, (between $50 and $250 each) they are made extremely well and will last. They have dozens upon dozens of her darling designs but be warned...it's terribly difficult to leave with out one. Check them out for yourselves at www.jenniferouellette.com or barneys.com

image from www.jenniferouellette.com

Charlotte: "Imagine, being blind and not being able to see a beautiful day like today. Can you think of anything worse?

Anthony: "Stonewashed Jeans and a matching Jacket"
~Sex and the City

Alright, So Jeans. ALWAYS tricky. Harder to find than bathing suits for some. If your a woman, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Now unless your fifteen, 5'6 and a size 2, your probably going to have to look somewhere besides Abercrombie and Fitch and Hollister- but thats okay! Designer jeans have officially made their comeback and it doens't look like they're going anywhere soon. So its time to empty out your piggy bank or whip out your AmEx and head off to to the mall. Ideally, the best place to buy said designer jeans would be somewhere like Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Saks, or Neimans. All of these stores have many locations, and almost every state has at least one. They will provide a great deal of help and won't (usually) let you leave the store looking bad. Now if your lucky, you'll know of a great specialty boutique which carries an amazing selection of all of the great designer jean brands. My personal favorite? Len Druskin. Its located in Edina in Minnesota. Never mind the fact that they have the most amazing selection of clothes arguably in Minneapolis, but their jeans- outstanding. They carry all of the important designers and their jean experts will never let you down. Now your probably wondering, what jean do I pick, well here is Garment Envy's guide to the perfect jean, fit and wash just for you.

These are the most common designer labels.

7 for all Mankind- Sevens run small, so be carful when ordering on line. The are best for slim waists. They have some extra room in the thighs, but have very little wiggle room in the waist- so if you want a pair of these, there will be no pretending your a 27 when your a 29, they won't fit.
True Religion- These are my personal favorite. You'll wear them for 10 minutes and it will feel like your in leggings. They won't loose shape, but will form to your body sooo comfortable. TRs usually will look good on everyone. Their horseshoe flap pocket is a great asset for those lacking in the back.
J Brand- I think this is a great brand for the older woman. They fit well, and classically, and there are no major designs going on on the butt pocket. Excellent for the sophisticated mother who wants a great pair of jeans.
Joe's Jeans- God's gift to the curvy and the petite. The provocateur cut is one of the few designers who have a short inseam as well as a high knee break. This elongates the leg and makes for a great shorter cut. While there are other labels that make the petit cut, I'd vote for Joe's option, It really looks the best on all types of petite figures. The Honey is a great option for the curvier woman, it provides both lift and shape and creates a great look. Joes also carries some great general jeans and an amazing skinny jean.
Citizens of Humanity- I love Citizens boot cut dark wash jeans. They are killer. Many of them almost have a trouser look to them, which is fabulous for those more dressed up denim events.
Rock and Republic- these have fabulous pockets. They are so pretty, especially the sparkly ones. This brand is often has a low rise, snug-fitting fit. They are a great jean and like the TRs won't loose their shape with several wears.
Paige Premium Denim- These are also a nice more sophisticated design. They have a pretty generic back pocket with either a button flap or just an arch. They look great in dark washes and are excellent for the curvier body.

In general, all of these jeans will run you more than the average pair...
The True Religions are generally from $200-350
J Brand and Joe's will be on the less expensive side costing between $150 and $200
Citizens, Paige, and Sevens are also in the same price range from about $175-$250
Last, Rock & Republic will be about $180-$250.

Other things to remember....

**Darker washes are always more slimming and considered fancier for occasions
**Unless your Gisele, your going to need them tailored, usually just hemmed- its not that big of a deal, and even if its only an inch, its better to get them taken up than having a hem that your consistently stepping on
**Buy the size that fits, not the number you like, you'll be happier
**Always, always take someone jean shopping with you, sometimes your mind can be clouded by a sale or a really cute pair and your don't even realize they don't look that good

Have a Great Day!
In order of appearance.... Sevens, Rock & Republic, Paige, True Religion, Joe's, J Brand, and Citizens.

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Important Literature

I just finished up the last of this months crucial reading- the fashion magazines. Don't get me wrong, the tabloids are good too, but nothing compares to Vogue, In Style, Teen Vogue, and Elle. These are my favorites. I'm also a fan of a good Glamour. Thats more of a guilty pleasure whereas the others are what I consider mandatory reading to be informed. In the way that some believe you should read the paper and watch the news everyday, I think its important for those interested in fashion, trends, and clothes in general to at least follow on of the major magazines monthly. They really show you whats going on in the world of apparel. I also think they are crucial because they often will point out really special salons, boutiques, and spas that have the best stylists and services. One little piece of advice: When in doubt, no matter where in the country you are, Aveda is always a safe bet. Its a rule I always follow and it has never failed.

On another Literature note, there are some books that I'd like to share. I think that they all have some really good advice and insight.
-First, two of my favorite books are by Nina Garcia. The Little Black Book of Style is the first, and the second is The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own. these are both really good books, I love them both. Nina has such an amazing take on style which she creatively shows through her books.
-Second, all of the In Style books. There are a few of them and I love them all- especially the one on beauty. Walking the streets sometimes I wish I could just kindly tell some people that "less is more" without implying they look like a clown (although, often, they do!)
-Third, Influence by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. Yes, I put this on my list. Everyone gives these two girls so much crap and says they have no idea what they are talking about- but lets remember, they have grown up around fashion all of their lives. They know designers and they know the business. The interviews and what they have to say in this book are all quite interesting. I'd say its worth picking up a copy.

Well, I'm off to an afternoon of doing homework and watching some Sex and the City, so have a lovely Sunday everyone!

Things I Love: Tory Burch

Considering this is the first of the "things i love" post, I thought I'd go with my current love: Tory Burch- Shoes, Bags, arguably everything this brilliant women designs is fantastic. Her Reva flats in particular are amazing, and to be honest, they are the only flats that I will wear. I am slowly accumulating them in all of the different colors and patters. You will never put on a more comfortable shoe. The backs are scrunched and overtime the leather molds to your feet- they are like walking on clouds. I think that everyone owes it to their feet to buy a pair. My personal favorite? The black patent leather ones. I'm on my second pair as I wore my first pair out after wearing them day in and day out. I can't walk though Nordstrom with out running over to salon shoes and seeing what new pairs they have gotten in for the season. Tory Burch also has some killer handbags. This spring I'm looking to add the Bombe Reva Clutch in platinum to my collection as it will perfectly match some pretty silver TB flats I just ordered. Check out the world of Tory for yourselves at www.toryburch.com

Reva Patent Black Flats / / Bombe Clutch in Black

The Beginning

That's really what this is- New York Fashion Week. Its the start of something new- all the new trends, ideas, colors and patterns will be photographed on the runways this week. I say it's the beginning because this is where it all starts. The lines which we will start to see popping up in chain retail stores will all gain their inspiration from this one week. Believe it or not, it's not entirely coincidental that H & M has a very similar yet drastically cheaper version of that Prada skirt you saw in the pages of Elle. Even the discount people need some direction and Fashion Week gives them just that. What the designers show in the next 7 or so days will dictate what the slave-to-fashion women will wear all fall. This is a big deal, and I hope you are all ready for it.