Winter Wedding

Any wedding is like a fairy tale but think of having a winter wedding especially if you love snow. The absolute endless possibilities of decorations? Including snowflakes!! In addition to ice sculptures, horse drawn carriages & decorated trees, ahh how beautiful. What is your say on a winter wedding?

photo credit

So what do you love about winter?

Ice lanterns 

Ice Hotel Quebec, Canada 

 Winter Wedding

 Cannon Mountain

Although it isn't my favorite season, there are so many reason's to love about winter 

All images are found through winter on pinterest

Is It Right To Wear White?

There's always been that age old fashion etiquette rule that's told us white after Labor Day is a 'no-no' but is it really?  It's true that the non hue clothing choice has always been associated with cooler climates, primarily Summer but if we go as far back to the 1920's, white was oftentimes linked to an elite society of socialites who vacationed in the Hampton's whereas the working class spent their time working year round to make ends meet. Some have claimed that wearing white in the Winter reflects light and heat and actually makes the wearer cold.  Who really knows the origin of the no white after September deal & does it really matter in the current day with all of the 'out there' designs & color schemes that seem to have no boundaries?  I would say..."NO"!

Celebrated in the United States, Labor Day is said to be the official mark to the end of Summer as vacations come to an end and children head back to school and throughout history, both Fall & Winter have always been thought of as darker color seasons in regards to apparel.  French designer CoCo Chanel believed 'white was right' year round as it was a permanent part of her personal wardrobe.  She dared to wear her signature white suit year round...

In vintage days wearing white was connected with 'snobbery' & 'keeping cool' but for all intents and purposes, especially in the 21st century, there is really no good reason not to wear white twelve months out of the year. With that being said, it's a personal choice and you're not going to be shunned for it.  For Fall/Winter 2011 we are seeing a lot of white on the front as Yves St. Laurent, Stella McCartney & Calvin Klein are showing us that white can be so right in spite of the idea that we've all held onto for years.

On a more casual & affordable level, white paired with anything is what is trendy for the cooler weather that's just right around the corner. So remember that it's your right to rock the white from here on out!

      


pics: otownstyle.com, myhero.com, elle.com, laurenhamptondesigns.blogspot.com

    

End Of Summer 2011

Sad to say, Summer is winding down and coming to an end being that we pretty much only have a hand few of days left until it's officially Fall!  Soon it will be time once again to pull out the cold weather clothing that we've stored away for the warmer months, and begin to consider what's 'IN' for the brand new season come this Fall/Winter 2011.  I've done a little research and here's what I've found...  Fall is going Fun, flirty & flashy as we are going to be seeing a hefty dose of bold colors with a hint of 70's appeal.  Designers such as Gucci, Bottega Veneta & Missoni are re-vamping styles bringing back fur lapels, outrageous florals & the return of the once popular 'white tights' with a vengeance!

The vintage 70's is also going to get it's groove on with these funked up fashions as Gucci bolds it up with these over the top colorful fedoras paired with pinstripe slacks and dyed fur stoles.

Ponchos were a must have in the boho realm of the 1970's and ADAM & Alexander Wang have done an excellent job of resurrecting the style befitting the current day trends.

I think I was especially surprised to find that sequins are making a big come back this Fall as we are seeing pieces embellished with all that glitters for a glitzy fresh take on an old fave.  For instance this V-neck sequined shifty by Prada that is simple yet stunning!

It's looking like Fall 2011 is about making a bold statement so whatever you choose for your wardrobe this year, you have a free pass to be vivacious! 


pics: southfleetmotorinn.com, coolspotter.com, tarstoisoisbeau.com, fashionmefabulous.com, glamour.com




   

Fall Fur'y

Outerwear is going tactile for Fall/Winter 2011 as with the onset of the chilly temps right around the corner, we will be seeing more cold weather apparel adorned with wild & woolly patches of fur, both faux & real.  Big statement coats or chic vests worn with skinny jeans and stilettos will be the perfect pairing as opposed to opting for colors of the rainbow.  Head to toe neutrals in black, brown, beige & gray are the way to go...  During fashion week 2011, American designer Peter Som, blew the runway away with his unique take on the common fur coat by deciding to fur the sleeves only on these absolutely unique & dramatic pieces.

Tibi of New York has an amazingly diverse selection of fresh fashions, for instance they offer the ultimate in utility chic in this Tibi's fur coat combo'd with rich wool felt that has detachable sleeves and bottom panel that converts this garment into a flirty cropped fur jacket.

My personal fave comes from Burberry Prorsum which to me has captured an ultimately vintage aesthetic with their double breasted, wool tweed trench coat with black fox fur panels.  It only goes for about $3,950.00.  It's a gorgeous coat, but geeze oh' peets that's pretty pricey!

Whether you like it or not, cruelty free fur is taking a back seat to the real deal this year because 'fur' is trending hot!  Global retail sales for fur were up more than 5% putting sales at over 14 billions in spite of the current recession.  


pics: atouchofluxe.com, tumblr.com, polyvore.com, flickr.com

Heat Wave Chic - Stayin' Cool & Classy

When the temperatures begin to rise, that's when clothes start coming off and it seems as though that is also the time when we begin to see too many fashion no-no's that totally contradicts the saying ... "Less is best"!  "Just because we're in the middle of a Midwest heat wave, does that mean that we still can't stay cool & classy?"  Not that I personally consider myself in the ranks of Joan Rivers & her notorious fashion police or anything, but geesh sometimes it's just so out there and it's just so wrong on too many levels that it kind of makes you want to say ... "Girl, Oh no you didn't?".  I know you know exactly what I'm talking about!  The numero uno fashion faux pas that seems to strike every Summer is the ill fitting swimsuit.  ""News flash"", no one wants to see all that business popping out everywhere!  No matter who you are or what your body type, & contrary to popular beliefs, it's just not attractive when it borders on pornographic.  And by all means, if you're going to opt for a white bathing suit, please make sure it's lined so your bits don't end up being on center stage for all to see... & F.Y.I., anything that might be defined as 'micro' is an 'instant NO-NO'!

When it comes to sporting shorts, in my opinion...the ones you see bunched up in the crotch area because they don't fit properly, are just as atrocious as seeing someone wearing a pair of 'daisy dukes'.  Finding the right pair is really not that difficult and there's an easy formula to it.  If you're short in stature pic shorts that hit you at mid thigh in length, If you're taller, opt for Bermuda shorts that rise just above the knee.

One trend that seems to be fairly new is the pairing of Fall/Winter'ish boots like UGGS, or the trendy boot slippers with summer wear.  I tend to consider myself pretty open minded when it comes to variations in style trends, but seriously, I think UGGS are UGG'ly when paired with mini skirts, summer shorts and worst of all bikinis!  It just looks sweaty!

O.k., so now that I've dished on the Summer style 'negs', here's what I find to be summer 'pos'...  Pale hued sundresses accented with crocheted boleros, flowing Summer floor length bohemian skirts paired with gypsy tops and flip flops & last but not least the Summer nudes (tan, taupe, khaki), anything light and airy that gives the vibe of confidence & sensuality topped with underlying notes of discreet modesty & remember that just because it's Summer, that doesn't mean we gotta let it all hang out!   

         
: fashionpaparazzis.com , blstbmsn.com , isuwannee.com , stylebakery.com , salebikini.blogspot.com , en.wikipedia.org , tumblr.com , laist.com , cheapwineandpantylines.com

Watercolor Floral

There's a new diversion to the common floral print taking over these days as 'water color floral' designs are making a big statement this summer.  Gone is the idea that 'floral prints' are a vintage design of the past or for your granny, as solids are out & vivacious brush stroke hues are in!  Watercolor prints look like something that came straight off of an artists canvas...  Floral is big in Hollywood at the moment, seen here being worn by Cameron Diaz, Heidi Montag and Leslie Mann.

Floral was seen at Prom this year in designs such as this watercolor floral low draped back prom dress...

This watercolor floral bohemian print peasant blouse is ultra feminine paired with a pair of stone washed denim jeans...

  
Floral is everywhere and in every design from bags to shoes and don't think it's going to go away come Winter as it's even being incorporated into colder weather clothing although considered non traditional.

 thisnext.com , stylebyne.net , static.fasion4us.com , divavillage.com , marctimes.com , jovani.com , refinery29.com , theinsidesource.com .

Japan Fashion Week Cancelled...

Japan was scheduled for Fashion Week 2011 from March 21st through March 25th but of course the unexpected tragedy with the earthquake and tsunami last week puts this event at the least of their concerns and rightfully so!

Every aspect of business as usual remains crippled in Japan and the fashion industry is in that mix as the domino effect is taking place.  Textile factories are shut down, no one is able to get back to work in design houses and there  definitely isn't any buying or selling going on...    Although Tokyo wasn't directly effected, the decision to shut down there as well was due to fears of a diminishing electrical supply and the very likely probability that a black out would occur.  Also factored in is the issues with transportation and the safety threat of possible attendees.


The designers who won't get to show their far east fashions for Fall/Winter 2011 will have to rely on the Fashion Week Tokyo producers who have suggested that they would help in the best way they can by showing select collections via the web or perhaps at more 'less formal' presentations with hopes that buyers worldwide would go the extra mile to view these Japanese lines wherever they are shown... 


I send my prayers and healing vibes that there is a resolve to the issues at hand amidst the tragedy that Japan has been dealing with in the aftermath of last weeks devastation.

Please take the time to make sure you click the link above 'For Japan With Love'...even a $1.00 donation for the sake of 'unity & humanity' would make a world of difference! 


Mother Teresa quoted..."If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other"... 

 digitalmoda.onsugar.com , zimbio.com , columnspk.com.