British
Mannish Trousers: British Style on a Budget
In tribute to the late, great Yves Saint Laurent, today’s column will be devoted to the fabulously classic, tapered slack, an item that could be found in the wardrobe of any fashionista worth her weight in Manolos since the 60s, thanks to Mr. YSL. It all started with ‘Le Smoking’, a tuxedo ‘smoking suit’ engendered by the couturier’s in 1966, completely redefining the female silhouette and proving power-dressing wasn’t just for the boys. Catherine Deneuve, a famous wearer of Le Smoking, has been quoted as saying that the suit “really does make you feel different as a ...
Read MoreEuropean Fashion Trend: African Prints
Kathryn gives us her report on the budget fashion scene ( or lack of a scene) in Europe.
What: Bold prints, directly inspired by the Dutch wax prints found throughout western Africa, is showing up on everything from handbags to dresses.
What I Think: About time. African immgirants have always been a huge inspiration for European fashion designers (whether they want to admit it or not), so it makes sense that bold wax prints would start to show up in mass market lines as well. These colorful prints are a great way to add a bit of pop to a basic summer white dress or Fall 08 all black ...
Read MoreFashion Trend: The Romper
“SOME PRODUCTS ARE NO LONGER BEING SOLD”
The Trend: Apparently, at ShopBop (which we still love, by the way) they are craving rompers.
What We Say: Rompers. We mean, seriously? Make no mistake—we are sooooooo not craving them. At all. It’s a garment that reminds us of being 8 years old and riding bikes with our BFF. Which was great. But we would not be wearing rompers as grown women any more than we would be wearing that Holly Hobby t-shirt and those pink jelly shoes we had back then either. The only exception? Possibly if you are between the ages of 16 and 21, and have the body ...
Read MoreThe Platform Wedge: British Style on a Budget
Every British fashionista worth their weight in Manolos is stepping out in this season’s platform (including our new girl crush, presenter and London mover and shaker, Alexa Chung), and designers from Stella McCartney (with her oh-so-seventies wooden split-wedge) and Alessandro Dell’Acqua (and his sky-scraping electric blue platforms) are going wacky for wedges. Whilst the super-high wedge gives the illusion of Gisele legs, the incorporated platform is forgiving on your poor tootsies after a hard day in the office, and is sturdier than a stiletto for trotting along slippery ...
Read MoreFashion Trend: Wood Heels
The Trend: Gladiator sandals are great, but the other big footwear trend this summer is the wood heel.
Our Take: Shoe trends are cycling so fast right now it’s making our heads spin but we have to say, the wood heels that are becoming the hot new shoe are both substantial (meaning you are not tottering on what amounts to a lone chopstick) and sexy (lots of strappiness, color, shine—good stuff). They’re also equally doable for work and casual-wear, and getting double duty is definitely a plus for the budget-conscious fashionista. Wearing them is easy too—try a colored slide like this ...
The Look for Less: Beauty D-I-Y
There are few better ways to cut back on your beauty budget than to make your own beauty booty yourself. This week, we’re sharing one of the quickest and easiest ways to get a bronzy glow a la J.Lo – without spending a whole lotta dough.
Lopez’s longtime makeup artist, Scott Barnes, has credited body oil with giving her the golden, dewy skin that’s arguably her best accessory (besides maybe her much-hyped derriere). The gorgeous girls of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show also swear by shimmer-infused lotions to get their legs looking fabulous as they strut down the runway ...
Summer Fashion: The Beach Cover-up
“THESE PRODUCTS ARE NO LONGER BEING SOLD”
Almost as important as the swimsuit (and generally eminently more wearable) is the cover-up. We love them because they make the long walk from the beach chair to the bathhouse soooooooo much less cringe-inducing. A tip? Try on your cover-up to make sure it’s long enough, roomy enough, and cut right so that you are comfortable in it—cool colors and fluid shapes make for the most chic beach/pool cover-ups this season, and getting them for less is tres easy. That’s French for no-brainer.
Some cover-ups we like:
Jersey Cover-Up Dress, on sale ...
Read MoreSummer Fashion: The Sunhat
Any sensible fashionista knows that overexposure to the sun is soooooo not pretty. Sunscreen is a necessity, but if you are lounging on the beach or poolside (should you be so lucky) you might want to consider a sunhat as well. You say you are not a hat person? Well, perhaps not at the grocery store/post office/PTO night, but under the blazing July sun? Oh, yes you are. The options are pretty broad, actually, as your brim should be, for maximum coverage.
Here are some budget-friendly sunhats we’d pack in our beach tote:
Hat Attack Reversable Sun Hat, on sale $18.99, ...
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Summer Fashion Trend: Fluid Silouettes
Oh, it seems the summer fashion gods have smiled upon us, fellow stylistas, granting us a summer silouette that we can actually pull off. All of us. After a few months of body-conscious fashion, we are soooo ready for letting loose a little—and we do mean our Spanx. ‘Cause this season the fluid silouette is it—soft, feminine, pretty.
The danger? Overdoing it and ending up wearing a voluminous maxi dress that’s, well, wearing you. Instead, keep it in scale, flowing but not overflowing, meaning that the lines of the garment still show the shape of your body, just not every nook and ...
Read MoreHaute Headgear: British Style on a Budget
It seems no one can stop talking about THAT hat Sarah Jessica Parker wore a couple of weeks ago to the Sex and the City Movie premiere in London. It was a Carrie Bradshaw moment, and in quintessential Carrie Bradshaw style, it left some onlookers cooing over British hat maker Phillip Treacy’s wonderful talent and others sniggering into their SATC-themed corsages. Despite the haters, a hat or fascinator is a great way of updating a tired outfit without breaking the bank, and with Royal Ascot approaching – a huge and hat-centric event in the British social calendar – it’s the ...
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